Ten Random Things About My Husband

Continuing the tradition that Ann started, here are ten random things about my dear husband....

1. He is a neat freak. If he had his way, he would live in a shiny chrome room with leather furniture and not one bit of clutter! He can find a dirt speck on a baseboard from 200 feet and beeline over to scrape it away. (This does not mean our house is pristine; we have many messy people living in it. Toys are strewn about, clothes flung hither and thither, bodily fluids/strange substances cling to surfaces. Poor DH!)

2. He used to be a "pro-choice" Democrat who not only campaigned for Harry Reid while a teen living in Vegas, but also interned for Jimmy Carter at the Carter Center in Atlanta. When we met, he was interning for Democratic Senator Wyche Fowler. Now, he is as conservative as they come -- listening to talk radio, praying at abortion mills, championing fiscal responsibility and traditional morality at all times. Who says people can't change?

3. He was an agnostic Jew when we married in 1990. Seven years later, he was baptized, confirmed and received the Eucharist on my 30th birthday! Best birthday of my life. It was Easter Vigil, and I was his RCIA teacher! He is now a devout and faithful Catholic whose prayer life and spirituality put me to shame.

4. He is not sentimental at all. Lots of stories I could tell about that! But his lack of sentimentality does not mean he is cold or unloving. He just does not attach great meaning or value to things like pictures, cards, trinkets, souvenirs, etc. I will not risk his good reputation by telling you that he once (accidentally?) threw out a stuffed animal that I received on the day of my birth! No, I will not recount the sad fate of Ellie!

5. He is the hardest working man I know. He works hard at his job, he works hard at the gym, and he works hard around the house. He does the majority of the shopping, cooking, cleaning, yard work, house/car maintenance and bill paying. He has worked this hard since he was a boy. I am grateful for his work ethic, as I am a little more, shall we say, relaxed in that area.

6. He loves to make goofy, almost unbearable word puns. For example, if someone announces that they are going to sit down to watch Flags of Our Fathers, he will say, "Oh, you are going to watch Banners of Our Mothers?" I know... it's cringe-worthy stuff. It gets worse than that, but I can't think of any other examples offhand. You can pretty much make the same kind of puns yourself though, based on my example. It's not difficult. At all.

7. He has worked for years in the rather slimy, often corrupt world of politicians and lobbyists. In all those years, he has kept his integrity and is known as a straight-shooting, honorable and trustworthy man. I am proud of him. People sometimes ask him when he is going to run for office. He always says that he never will, because he is not interested in BSing. He would never make it as a politician!

8. He falls asleep in public all the time. It is legendary around these parts. He has undergone a sleep study and had surgery on his septum, but he still sleeps. He sleeps during mass, during school functions, during plays, concerts, movies and pool parties. He used to sleep in class during college. One of the kids' yearbooks has a picture of him sleeping during the day on a camping trip. People love taking pictures of him sleeping. In case you are wondering, he was told he is not a narcoleptic. And, he does not snore.

9. He is a huge fan of country music. This is a passion we both came to later in our marriage, and it's a passion that's fun to share. He especially likes Keith Urban, Sugarland, Lady Antebellum and the Zac Brown Band. Funny taste for an urban Hebrew Catholic!

10. He puts up with me (poor man!), generally without complaint. My blog reading/writing, my emailing, my matchmaking escapades, my sloth, my little piles of paper and clothing, my petty criticisms, my demands... he accepts it all and loves me anyway.

We will be married 20 years in July, and I sure don't deserve such a wonderful man!! Thank you, God, that I have him anyway!