Go to bed laughing

I recently wrote an article for a local niche publication where I was instructed to interview long-time married couples on how they "made love last".

It was one of those cutesy fluff pieces that make you feel good after writing it. As a newlywed, I was eager to hear what these couples had to say.

I was given the information for a gentleman nearing his 80s who had been married for 55 years. That's more than Nick and my age combined. He was the sweetest, cutest old man. By the end of the conversation I knew about his time in the military, how he met his wife, how many children and grandchildren he had (he wishes he had great grandchildren) what each of them do for a living as well as their spouses not to mention his baby sister married a bee keeper and he does not care to be stung.

While these might seem the ramblings of a proud old man, I saw a man happier than ever with the choices he made and incredibly grateful for the woman he had by his side along for the ride. He called her his baby and said his advice to couples would be to go to bed laughing every night.

I had never heard that before. Of course you always hear, "never go to bed mad"...but go to bed laughing. I loved the thought. I started to think back on all the times Nick has made me laugh and I knew that kind old man was on to something.

I thought I'd share one of my recent favorites:
Christmas morning was different for us. It was our first Christmas morning together as a married couple. We had finished opening gifts when Nick decided he wanted to try on his new shoes I bought him - black, white and gray DCs (no he doesn't think he's a skater, he just likes Rob Dyrdek and his shoes). A t-shirt, plaid pajama pants and white socks was not exactly the perfect ensemble to pair with the shoes. I glanced over and Nick had tucked in his shirt, pulled up his pants to his chest revealing those lovely white socks with black shoes and decided to dance around our living room singing the hamster car commercial theme song, "You can get with this or you can get with that...". I about died! I only wish I had the video camera on.

Yes this is the man I married. He made Erkel look like a god.

© Nichole DeMario, 2010 – 2012. All rights reserved 

Man of the House

After four months of marriage, we're settling into our house. Our first place has been great and the neighborhood is just as nice! Living in a townhouse has been a first for the two of us...we never lived in an apartment either*...so adjacent neighbors is a new adventure.

Our neighbors seem nice enough. They're cordial and do the friendly wave when we get the mail or take out the garbage. However from time to time it sounds like elephants have moved in next door. I know our neighbors have three dogs (one of which is a great dane) but no dog, animal or human being could possibly make that much noise.

Our spare bedroom, which has been transformed into the family room/tv room/where my sisters sleep when they stay the night room/man cave/Blackhawks room butts up to what I believe is our neighbors' kitchen or living room. So when we're relaxing watching a movie and I hear thud, boom, bang I know either their dogs have gone rabid or they feel the need to beat the walls with pots and pans.

On top of these neighborly noises our house makes its normal creaks and cracks from time to time. Houses settle, but when you're lying in bed and its dark (regardless if someone is in the room with you) it can make your imagination run wild.

I was looking forward to having a big, strong man to "protect me" from the bumps in the night. Just the other night the weather was particularly bad and I know it was probably the wind, but we heard something outside. I knew our neighbors tend to keep their noise indoors.

I immediately looked at Nick with that, "Aren't you going to check on that?" face. He immediately responded, "Why me?"

I consider myself an independent woman, but believe you me scary noises downstairs late at night...you bet I'm sending my husband to look! If there was some monster lurking in the shadows waiting to get us it seemed my husband was more than willing to sacrifice me to save his own life.

The "Man of the House" is just as big a chicken as I am!

*Note: I did live on a naval base in an apartment up until the age of four, but I don't remember it so I'm not counting it as far as living arrangements go.

© Nichole DeMario, 2010 – 2012. All rights reserved