Vomit, a nice post about my husband.

I think that maybe people don't like to hear wonderful touching things that other people feel about their spouses because it sounds like bragging. Alternatively, it makes people feel like you've shared private information. Unfortunately, it is totally socially fine to complain about the poor souls and, because of that, I'm constantly concerned that people get the wrong idea at the small scale, about Kevin and, at the large scale, about marriage. I just watched Julie and Julia last week and my favorite thing about it was the relationship between Julia Child and her husband. I felt like it was a really good portrayal of married love and it made me happy. Because, it's different, right? So, you get a lot of "love stories" in the media/movies/etc. and there's all this drama and big feelings and dramatic crescendos and then there's the cultural idea that it ends after a little while and you just suck it up and get used to the absence of romance. And I perpetuate that notion a little bit because it is really different. You lose a lot of the feeling of putting on a fancy dress to see if you can impress someone or the feelings of surprise or nerves (these things vary, based on the couple). What I'm really excited about now is how much new and exciting stuff you get, which is hard to quantify or explain or put into a movie. I think I've done this before but I'm going to attempt to make a list of things that can be features in a happy marriage (that are features of mine):

(1) You have, for perhaps the first time for some people, someone who generally thinks that you're a good person who tries hard to do the right thing. You can be a big asshole or act badly and feel like everyone hates you, but, as long as the victim isn't the poor spouse, he/she will maybe give you an opinion about what you've done, but, ultimately know that you shouldn't be judged too harshly.

(2) He/she, for the most part, takes care of you when you're unpleasant. Take this from a pregnant person. I am stinky and cranky and hate-filled. Also, demanding and not much help (e.g., with yard-work and carrying furniture).

(3) It's not that there isn't a fluttery sense of how much I love him, there is, it's just that it feels different, maybe bigger and more profound, when it's not new and it's missing the sense that you could lose him at any moment. This feeling does get especially profound if I hear a story about someone losing his/her spouse. It makes a person want to rush home and engulf him/her to be sure he/she is safe. Sometimes it happens to Kevin and it's a nice feeling from either end.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that I firmly believe that marriage is worthwhile. I'm re-iterating that sentiment because I think it's important, if sappy. Now I'm going to go back to my previous post to see if I'm repeating myself...sort of...you can decide for yourself.

Nick Drake, Liz Phair and the Sugarplastic

So, these are the bands that Dean liked in season 1 of the Gilmore Girls. I downloaded a Sugarplastic album from itunes because I like Liz Phair and Nick Drake and I was thinking that Dean and I have a lot in common (season 1 Dean, of course, not the later stupider Dean). It turns out that it's true, I like the Sugarplastic. So, now, I'm scouring Gilmore Girls episodes for the music that they discuss, particularly in the first season. I am using this website to help me. One exciting thing that I discovered is that I have a lot of this music on my iPod already so I made a Gilmore Girls playlist and bought another three albums, which I had intended to buy already (the White Stripes-White Blood Cells [I only had Elephant], Pavement-Westing [My Slanted and Enchanted tape won't go onto my iPod], and Tom Waits-Real Gone). I'm enjoying myself but am sensing a feeling of impending doom as my husband realizes that, not only am I spending money on music, but that I'm doing it because of the Gilmore Girls. So far, he has not put these things together, talkative as I am. I need more Bjork now, as well as the Breeders, these bands that I enjoyed while I was constantly able to hear them via the radio and other people's parties but now miss because of the passage of time. Also, I need to reinstate music in my life. I listened to my iPod a lot when I was visiting Boston and riding the train but I find that between audiobooks in the car and a ban on iPods in my lab, I'm missing some serious music appreciation in my life. I blasted my iPod from the little portable speakers at my house last night. I think Kevin liked it :) What he liked was that the music was in the kitchen so I cooked.

It's time to talk about my gym...

As anyone who knows me knows, I'm in love with my gym. It's Sonz in Midtown Atlanta. If you watch the little movie there on the site for long enough, you'll see me. You should note, however, that the movie was made on January 18th and that I'm much better now. I lift heavier weight, anyway. The philosophy at my gym is associated with a current fitness trend called CrossFit. It's kind of a cult. I've never really been an athelete so it's fun for me to get strong and good at something. Also, as I begin to become competitive, it's also fun to win competitions. I find that the situation for me is that, it's not so much that I'm not a competitive person, it's that I don't like to lose. The result is that I rarely compete. Now, Kevin, my husband, was in a little CrossFit Challenge competition thing this past weekend and he did quite well. I'm going to put up some pictures. This is the sort of thing we do:
Yay! Fun! Kevin had quite a respectable time. I was afraid of the competition because of the pull-ups (which I cannot do) but it turns out that there were modifications you were allowed to make (such as standing on a box or using a giant rubberband) and I ended up regretting my lack of participation. Primarily because it caused all of the people around the competition to talk to me like I was an infant when, in fact, I could have kicked most of their asses :) So, you see how the competitive thing is coming out. It turns out that I'm quite strong but, in order to get good times, I'm going to have to work on my cardio (i.e., running), which I suck at. Slow slow slow. Anyway, you only get good at the things you practice so...running it is...poop. But, in the next CrossFit challenge, I plan to kick some ass.