A List Blog: 25 Things I Love About My Husband (Re-post)

There are very few people in life who can truly say that they married their best friend. I am one of those special few. This particular list has made it's way onto many of my blogs, and I decided it was high time for it to appear here on Abby Gabs (with a few revisions.)

And so, here are just a few things I love about my wonderful friend, partner, and lover...my husband, Brian:

1. The way he serenades me with hits like "I Just Called," and "Have I Told You Lately," in the silliest falsetto ever. (One day I'll get him drunk and record him singing. It would be an epic blog.)

2. The thoughtful little gifts he picks up, ranging from flowers to Hershey kisses to shower curtains with matching hooks.

3. His unabashed love affair with gummy bears (Haribo only, please.)

4. The way he sucks in his little belly, sticks out his chest, and poses legs akimbo, fists on hips...his "sexy" pose. (You have seen this very pose in my "Man Day" post.)

5. His unwavering loyalty to anything he loves: from the Carolina Panthers, to 311, from video games, to his father.

6. The way he hops on the cart in the Wal-Mart parking lot and rides it downhill until it loses momentum, never pausing as he passes an 11-year-old doing the same thing.

7. How he laughs at my jokes (and my blog,) no matter how cheesy, whether they're funny or not.

8. The amazing love he has for my family, and the driving need he has to take care of them like he takes care of me.

My mom, Brian, and Daddy, doing a little Wii bowling.

9. The way he talks to our cats, in a sweet, baritone, baby-talk version similar to my own.

10. His desire to be a father, and his patience at waiting to become one.

11. His steadfast optimism, about everything from our future to the ability of the Panthers to make it to the Super Bowl.

12. The little game he taught me that involves him pinching my nose, and making sound effects: Beep, Honk, Woo.

13. His infatuation with anything electronic, like Best Buy has superhero magnetic powers that Brian can't resist.

14. His willingness to share his friends with me (who then, ultimately, become my friends. Mine. All mine.) (Not really, they still love him, too.) 

15. His love for humorous t-shirts, from "Body By Nintendo," to "I'm Just One Big Frickin' Ray of Sunshine." My favorite, though---a Star Wars tee depicting an ATAT drinking out of a toilet, from our favorite teeshirt website, Threadless.

16. How he leaves me little notes or emails when he leaves for work on days I sleep in, that always seem to start with "Good Morning Beautiful," or "Rise and Shine, Sleepyhead."

17. His gorgeous, clear, magnetic blue eyes. I think they're the color of heaven.

18. How it seems we're both content whether we spend a day off running around town, eating out and shopping, or just cuddling under a blanket at home, unshowered, happy with reruns of Star Trek or Farscape.

19. The fact that he is busting his butt, working full time and putting himself through nursing school, so he can make our lives better. He's conquering the world, one catheter at a time. ♥

Brian's "Woo hoo, we got thru one whole semester" sign.

20. How when I just think he couldn't possibly be any smarter, he bowls me over with some useless knowledge about a new subject that's been hiding in his brain.

21. That he somehow manages to know the lyrics to every song on the radio, even the obscure, one-hit-wonders.

22. The way he posts my blog on his Facebook page, every single day. His friends and co-workers are some of my most loyal readers, and for that, I adore him. 

23. That he doesn't begrudge me my strange taste in music, or my cd collection, including New Kids on the Block, the soundtracks to "Oklahoma," and "Aladdin," or even my not-so-secret adoration for all-music Michael Jackson.

24. The way we seep into baby-talk, sometimes for hours at a time, and how cute he is when he's doing it.

25. His obsession with Transformers. What can I say? I find it endearing. Mostly.

These are just a few of the things that I love so dearly about Brian. I could make a thousand lists, just like this one. I'm the luckiest woman in the world!!!

I Like Good TV, Too.

I've told you all about my favorite TV shows (no longer on the air.) I've explained to you our love affair for all bad TV. And I've even re-enacted an episode of my favorite bad TV show.


Today, I want to change things up a bit.


Today, Abby Gabs readers, I'm going to share with you the thing I love most about summer. (Aside from watermelon and the beach.)


There are 3...yes 3...TV shows that make summer worth waiting for. In the throes of deepest winter (which in SC means we have to wear real shoes, not flip flops) I long for these shows. When warm weather rolls around, and regular season TV is coming to an end, do I mourn?


Nay, good readers.


I dance a jig at the thought that these 3 shows will be premiering soon. And that my week nights are getting ready to be MOST entertaining.


Dying to know what those shows are yet, Reader? Well, let me tell you all about them.


Show #3: America's Got Talent
I used to be a major reality show junky. Back in the beginning, I was hooked on them all: Survivor, The Biggest Loser, American Idol, Top Chef, America's Next Top Model, Project Runway. In the end, I discarded them all. These formula shows are always the same: someone gets in a fight, someone hates someone else, someone has a tragic and sad background, someone says something outrageous, and then someone gets sent home.


But one of two glowing examples (the second one coming up later in this countdown) are the exceptions to the rule. 


I find AGT to be ENDLESSLY entertaining. I'm partial to the audition process of this show as opposed to the live shows, personally...and here's why:













In short: You NEVER KNOW what you're going to get. I've seen 70+ year olds tap-dancing, 4 year olds break-dancing, and a male pole dancer. There are singers, bands, magicians, knife swallowers, and acrobats. In truth, the bad auditions are JUST as entertaining as the good ones. It was Terry Fator that made me a fan of the show--and with the addition of Howie Mandel as a judge, and Nick Cannon as the MC---I'm officially adding this to my Summer Favorites list.


Show #2: True Blood:
Friends, a word to the wise. If you have never seen True Blood, watch it. Don't have HBO? Order it. Or if you don't want to do that, Netflix season 1. I guarantee, by the end of the first episode, you'll have your cable provider on the phone.


Having to wait from August to June every year for this show to come back on is EXCRUTIATING. I've even taken to reading the Sookie Stackhouse series, written by Charlaine Harris, just to get my True Blood fix. This show is funny, witty, bizarre, gory, and definitely rated M for mature. 


The thing that makes this show SO compelling, and I think most fans will agree with me, are the plot twists. Every single episodes ends in such an abrupt manner, you're left mouth agape, wanting more. 


Now, I'd love to give you a few videos to watch so I could get you hooked, but let's just say that I couldn't find one remotely PG enough to put on my blog. So, I'll tell you about my favorite characters instead.  (Choosing my favorite characters was really hard, so be appreciative, ok? It took me an hour to choose just three.)


First up, Lafayette:

I love Lafayette for three reasons. Number one: He's hilarious. His sarcastic humor is exactly what I find to be funny. Number two: He's 100% comfortable being a flamboyantly gay, sometimes cross-dressing, drug dealing line cook. I love his confidence. And number three: He is, hands down, the most quotable character on the show. The one that has worked its way into my everyday vocabulary? (And please excuse the curse word...)

"If she talked anymore shit, she'd look like a turd."

Classic.


Favorite Character Number Two: Jason Stackhouse

He's gorgeous. But he's dumber than a box of rocks. He's always confused. He never says the right thing. And he always follows his brain (the one located south of his belly button.) And that's why I love Jason Stackhouse.


Favorite Character Number 3: Eric Northman

 *Drool.* No other explanation needed.


I'm just now noticing that all my favorite characters are men. There are women on this show, too, I swear. I love Tara. And Arlene is a hoot. And let's not forget about Sookie....ok, I'd better move on before this turns into a True Blood blog.


Show #1: So You Think You Can Dance:
This is my favorite. Show. Ever. (Except for Buffy.)  I always record every episode, so I can watch the really great routines over and over again. I've watched every single season, and I can tell you my favorite dancers, my favorite choreographers, and my favorite routines from all 7 of them (and a few from this season, too.) I discuss this show at length with my friends and family, and look forward to it all year long.


When I'm really in the mood for the show, but it's still months away, I turn to YouTube for comfort. There you'll find a treasure trove of the best SYTYCD moments, saved for posterity (and rabid fans of the show, like me.)


Even harder than choosing my favorite 3 True Blood characters will be choosing 3 clips of my favorite routines, but I will try.















I had a serious love affair with Season 2. I'm SURE there have been dances since then...and Lacey/Neil were Season 3....but Season 2 was my favorite. 


And I could've put up 10 more videos, for your information.


And I'd also like to note that there were several videos in line ahead of a few of these....but I couldn't find them, or they were crappy quality, or I couldn't share them (for some stupid reason.)


And I'm realizing now, as this blog comes to a close, that this all may not be your cup of tea. But rest assured, I had a wonderful time researching it as it was being written. :0)

College: The Most Expensive Experience of Your Life (Other Than Buying a Yacht)

I've been dreaming a lot about college lately.


Not dreaming in a "I want to go back to school" sort of way. Actually having dreams about being back in college.


It's not such a bad thing--I had a wonderful college experience. I graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. (Pause for pastoral photos of my Alma Mater:)

An aerial view of campus.

The sign every Mountaineer has posed in front of for proud parents to snap a pic.

East Hall--the dorm I lived in freshman and sophomore year. Yes, we had a tire swing. And yes, it was used. Often.

Our gorgeous football stadium.

 

Boone in autumn. Breathtaking.

The little town of Boone, NC.

If I could pack a bag and hit the road right now, I'd be there in 8 hours. Ish.


I think about college a LOT. Things I'd have done differently. Things that were so epic I'd love to relive them again. Friends, faculty, experiences...I reminisce a lot about those years of my life.

So much so that I've compiled a list for you.


Things I Miss About College:


* That feeling of total and utter independence. For the first time in your young life, it's YOUR decision. Want ice cream for dinner? Do it! Want to sleep in and skip psychology? No one will tell on you! Want to have a sleepover? On a school night? With a boy??? Make it so!


* Learning. Every single day. That sudden understanding that furthering your education, and the thirst for knowledge, doesn't make you the dork you feared you'd become in high school. In fact, that 8 hour stint you pulled at the library to study for your chem final doesn't even put you in the same category as the girl next to you, who was there when you arrived and is making no move for the exit as you leave.


* Having your friends a doorway away. I miss the days when I could walk down the hall, knock on a door, and know there would be a friend on the other side. 


* PARTIES! The kind that keep you up all night, the kind where the red cups cost $5 but the booze is free, the kind that leave you with memories that last a life time. 


* Waking up on a Saturday morning to a crisp, cool autumn day, painting a giant gold "A" on my face, donning my favorite App State t-shirt, grabbing my black and gold pom pom, and heading to the stadium for a football game. The ONLY day of the week where drinking beer is suitable before noon. (Usually.)

I was voted "Most School Spirited" in high school. It followed me to college. 

* That "Friday Afternoon, Just Got Out Of My Last Class of the Week, What's Gonna Happen This Weekend" feeling. God, don't you miss that feeling?!??!?!


* Opportunities. College is a wealth of opportunities. It's an internship, a writer's workshop, a position on the school newspaper. Or maybe it's a weekend camping trip with friends, a road trip to a concert with your roommate, your very first frat party. Every single day, you're faced with an opportunity. Real life just isn't like that. (Unless you consider paying the electric bill an opportunity.)


But as much as I loved college, and as much as I miss it, there's no way I'd go back. Because there's a lot of things about college that I DON'T miss.


Things About College I Don't Miss:


* Tests.


* Papers.


* The sick, nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach right before you take a test/turn in a paper.


*Similarly, that sick, nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach you have until you get the grade back for that test/paper.


* PARTIES! The kind that keep you up all night, the kind with the $5 red cups but the booze is free, the kind that cause you to spend the next 2 days feeling like you've been hit over the head with a sledgehammer.


* Paperwork. Have you ever, in your entire life, had so much PAPERWORK to fill out? With deadlines and copies of this and originals of that? Just to ensure you were even allowed to attend class? 


* That whole "searching for yourself" thing. I'm glad to have finally figured out who I am and what's important to me. But getting here? Not so much fun. I don't miss the angst at all.


* Having to save quarters just to wash your laundry in sub-par machines that sometimes work, and sometimes don't. And playing Russian Roulette with your clothing if you decide to step down the hall for a quick convo with your neighbor. Will your clothes still be in the dryer when you get back? Or will some impatient bimbo have moved them to the dusty, spider-ridden corner so she can dry her delicates?


* That 8 am math class that's on the other side of campus every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Which isn't SO bad...unless it's snowing. Hard. On test day.


As much as I'd love to go back and visit, wander the campus and see what's changed, reminisce with my husband about the "good old days," I'd never go to college again.


Maybe.

Who Uses This Stuff, Anyway?

Have you ever taken a look around your house and thought to yourself, "Why in the world do I own that *insert name of item here*?"


Maybe it's something you were given as a wedding gift that you've never used. Or a kitchen gadget you thought would impress the masses, but it's never left the cabinet you shoved it into when your mother-in-law came to visit last year. Perhaps it's something you thought all adults were supposed to own and use on a regular basis, but as it turns out, it just sits around collecting dust.


You guessed it. It's another Abby List blog.


Top Five Things I Thought I Was Supposed To Own As An Adult But Never Use:


#5: A checkbook

(Source)

Up until my husband got sick last year, the only bill we ever paid with a check was our car payment. Once a month. We opened our checking account when we moved here in 2003 and it took us SEVEN YEARS to use an entire box of checks. Seriously---doesn't everyone use online bill pay nowadays?? 


True, I miss being able to order the adorable themed checks, because nothing is funnier than watching a man sign his name on a Hello Kitty background...but not funny enough to justify the cost. Or the extra trees.




#4: A fancy comforter with 10 matching, frilly throw pillows

(Source)

Yes, it is beautiful. Yes, it is pleasing to the eye. Yes, it makes Nate Berkus and Martha Stewart happy enough to dance the mambo together. But it is SO IMPRACTICAL. We had a matching comforter set for about 3 months, until we realized it spent most of its time crumpled up on the floor at the foot of our bed. And while the cats loved the mountain of throw pillows heaped in the corner, they made it on the bed even less often than the comforter.


We're probably in the minority here, but when it came to decorating our bedroom, we wanted COMFORT more than STYLE. (Plus, Brian has this weird complex about sleeping on flowers. Do you know how hard it is to find a comforter set with NO FLOWERS? Next to impossible. Seriously. Take a gander next time you're in Bed Bath and Beyond.) And so, while stylish, frilly bed linens are perfect for some, we'll stick to really nice sheets and a warm, snuggly quilt.


#3: The Clean/Dirty Magnet for your Dishwasher

(Source)

They're adorable and kitschy, and when I see them at friends' houses I always think, "Now, SHE'S organized." 


However, I don't have one. Why? 


Because I would NEVER remember to use it. And then I would confuse myself while doing dishes. I already have to walk from one side of the kitchen to the other to get from my sink to my dishwasher (because whoever designed our apartment is a "GENIUS"...yes I'm using air quotes here.)  I don't want to get there with an armload of dirty dishes, only to stand there staring at the Clean/Dirty sign and wondering if I'd flipped it last time. 

"Did I? Didn't I? Maybe Brian did? I don't remember emptying the dishwasher today. Huh...those dishes might be clean. Or dirty. Oh WHAT THE HELL."

Inevitably, it would wind up with me washing dishes more than once, wasting water, time, and those not-so-cheap dish-washing liquid cube thingys. 

#2: Whatever This Thing Is:

(Source)

Although, on second thought, I probably would use this, especially if we had kids. I could add it to my collection of other weird but awesome things, such as the Star Trek Enterprise pizza cutter (which we don't own yet) and the teeny tiny juicer shaped like a bird (which we do.)


#1: A Fondu Pot

(Source)

You know you have one. In fact, I got TWO as wedding gifts. (One was regifted. The other--I seriously just got up to go check my cabinets, and it's pushed way to the back under my sink. The prongy-things still have plastic on them. Seriously.) I'm not sure what it is about "wedding" that screams "bubbly cheese." I don't dislike Fondu, I just never, ever make it. Come to think of it, I think I've only ever had it twice in my life (and neither was from my own Fondu pot.)


 I remember when I got the first of my two Fondu pots, I thought, "Oh, yeah! Awesome! I will totally rock this!" 


Turns out, not so much. 


To be fair, I totally registered for one. Because what adult doesn't own a Fondu pot? 


You DON'T???


Well, you totally should.

Random Things I Often Wonder About

I spend a lot of my free time pondering life in general. (One: because my job is just that boring and I have plenty of free time to do so and Two: it helps me come up with stuff to write about.) I find myself wondering about a lot of random things, like what the marshmallows in Lucky Charms are REALLY made of, and what it would be like to see the world from outer space.


I think part of that comes from being a naturally curious person. Most of it comes from being a writer, though, and always trying to think of a new topic to write about.


A friend of mine from college, Dave, sent me a question on FB this morning about just such a topic. So I decided to turn it into one of my favorite "list" blogs.


Random Things I Often Wonder About:


#1 Why can't the criminals on Cops have thought bubbles?
Go ahead and deny it, but I won't believe you. EVERYBODY watches Cops. And each time the guy gets pulled out of his vehicle, sporting the "I Didn't Do It, Officer" t-shirt with that bewildered (or is it stoned?) look in his eye, I always wonder what he's thinking when he sees that camera.


"Oh, crap, Mama's gonna kill me."
"Oh, crap, that guy I owe a lotta money is gonna kill me."
"Oh, crap, my wife is gonna kill me."
"Did I brush my teeth today?"
"HOORAY! I'm FINALLY gonna be on Cops!"


Wouldn't the show be THAT MUCH BETTER if they somehow electronically added thought bubbles???


#2 When did speaking like an intelligent person go out of style?
I miss words like "nonetheless," and "ergo," and "furthermore." I crave the opportunity to use words like "indubitably," "consequently," and "inasmuch as." And don't get me started on how exhilarating it is to use the word "hence."


The sad thing is, when I use these words around most people, I get a look that much resembles this:

Don't we miss speaking as though we have brains? Don't you find it refreshing when you can have an entire conversation with an individual without them using the word "like" a hundred times? I miss words.


#3  A train track is 300 miles long. On one end of the track, Train A leaves the station at 4PM. On the opposite end of the track, Train B leaves leaves at 6PM. If Train A travels 45 mph and Train B travels 60 mph, when will they meet?


#4 Are those tweets really from Steve Martin/Ashton Kutcher/Donnie Wahlberg? (For all you Donnie fans, you're welcome for the link.)

Anytime I see a tweet from a celebrity I always wonder...is that REALLY them? Or is it some sad publicist who's only job is to make stuff up to tweet for that celebrity.

Granted, some of them are pretty obvious. I don't think anyone would EVER willingly take pictures of Danny DeVito's feet, even if they were being paid a substantial salary. It just goes against human nature. So I'm betting Danny's tweets are real.

But the tweets from Anderson Cooper? Really, pal? Aren't you somewhere embedded deep in the wilds of Afghanistan covering the news? Don't tell me that, while you're ducking into a cave to keep from being blown up, that you're whipping out your smart phone to tweet about it. Seriously, Anderson, we worry. Tweet when you get home, ok?

And the one Dave asked me about today, #5: Whatever happened to those email surveys that were so popular before FB/Twitter took over the scenes?

I honestly don't know the answer to that question, Dave. But, for nostalgia's sake, here ya go.

What would you do if?

You got a visit from your favorite celebrity: ie, Donnie Wahlberg? I'd scream like a tween, leap into his arms, start sobbing the words to "Cover Girl" with intermittent shouts of words like "LOVE!" and "HOT!" and "MINE!" Then I'd spend the next 10 years apologizing to my husband.

You won 500 million dollars: You mean, like gold at the end of a rainbow? That's easy. I already answered that question in this blog.

You found a wallet on the ground: I'd pick it up.

Your date throws up on you: I'd throw up on him right back.

You witnessed a murder: Pee my britches, run for the hills, create a fake identity and move to Paris.

You were stranded on an island with nothing but the ability to make one phone call: I'd call a genie and ask for three more phone calls. And a boat.

Facebook and Myspace both shut down: Myspace? What the hell is Myspace?

A random dude offered you candy: I'd eat it. Duh.

You lost your favorite thing in the world: Donnie???? NOOOOOOOOO!

You got invited to be on a reality TV show: Is it a show where I get to meet Donnie Wahlberg? If so, I'm in. If not, and it's more like an eating worms and jumping from great heights show, I'm out.

Someone shaved off your eyebrows: The word "Bitch-Slap" comes to mind.

You got a phone call from the President: First, I would be stunned. Second, I would be silent, trying to figure out why he'd call me. Third, I'd probably get nervous and say something stupid, like, "Whassup, Barack? How's it hangin'?"

You had one wish: Do I really need to answer that question, after all the Donnie Wahlberg references in this survey? I think not.