Babe, I want you from the ground up

It probably won't surprise you that MathMan and I don't make a big deal out of Valentime's Day. No. I save that kind of romance for my new boyfriend* because we're in that exhilarating stage of new love when you just can't get enough of each other or keep your hands off the other.

That's not to say MathMan hasn't wooed me with his own endearing romantic overtures. He knows how to make me swoon without resorting to the trite. Any Tom, Dick or Hamid can get his valentine a card, a box of Russell Stovers, an armful of her favorite roses or a diamond necklace like the one advertised by Tiffany's in a full page color spread in Sunday's Atlanta Journal Constitution during a recession with near record unemployment. What? No love for the concentration of wealth at the very top where people buy Tiffany heart necklaces?  Philistines.

I am not speaking through gritted teeth.  Anyway, I was making a point about other, more creative ways to show one's affection and I'm not married to just any Ted, Doug or Henry with a credit card and lack of imagination. Heck no. I get text messages like this:

Dear Lisa,
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Lookin' forward to seeing you.

Awwww. Or how about this one:

Dear Lisa,
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I'm writing to you 
While I take a poo.

Now, I ask you - what's not to love? This man thinks of me incessantly. After twenty-somanyIdon'tevenrememberanymore years together, he also knows the direct route to my heart not involving chocolate or pornographic images. Potty humor. I'm a fool for a well-delivered poo story, a cleverly crafted fart joke or a sight gag based on peeing and/or having to pee at the wrong time. Come to think of it, MathMan frequently texts me just that. I'm peeing. That's just so nice because I'm pleased to know he's staying hydrated during his busy days and it's always good to feel like I'm part of his day even when he's many miles away.

In return for his witty, near Hugh Grantesque romantically comedic texts, I'm showing my love for MathMan in ways unique to my role in this relationship. I made him this last night. And you know how much he loves me? Even though he detests cooked raisins, he didn't spit a single one out in my presence. In exchange, I didn't remind him that he needs to grow up and stop calling cooked raisins and cherry pie filling slimy.

Restraint is a form of affection in my book. As such, I'm assuming that his not mentioning that it appeared I was trying to murder him via bread and butter pudding and elevated cholesterol numbers as another obvious sign that our love continues to run true and deep. Like an underground river of bubbling lava.  Or moles.

While I'm on the subject of love, I must tell you that I got lucky with some blog love today. Tengrain, of the world famous Mock Paper Scissors, and the kiss heard round the blogosphere (I still haven't washed my lips two years later!) gave a link shout out to That's Why on the universally famous Crooks & Liars.

Imagine my surprise as I was drag assin' around this morning because I caught the crud from Sophie and as I sat round shouldered, glumly poking my mouse and thinking I should just go back to bed when I opened my statcounter and saw a huge leap in visitors and they weren't all looking for Nancy Pelosi's breasts or the weather lady's nipples. My seven day stats looked positively phallic. I perked right up at the sight of that. So thank you, Tengrain, for that link and the resulting graphic. May I ride them both. To fame and fortune.

I should take a moment and welcome new visitors, but they're all going to the previous post anyway. If you are new, welcome. Thank you for being here. Can I offer you some bread and butter pudding? It's fabulous and the raisins, soaked for hours in Grand Marnier, aren't the least bit slimy. When my husband gets home, we'll be having a poetry reading if you'd like to stick around.

I hope your Monday is starting your week off with a bang. You can take that however you want. Now I must scoot. I'm helping Sophie with her How To demonstration for her sixth grade language arts class. But before she can teach them, she's got to learn how to make a dirty martini, right?

Who's wooing you? What's wooing you? Who or what are you wooing? Have you kissed Tengrain? Do you ever use Woo Hoo on Facebook? Stop that. 


*I don't know what I love more - his overall performance or the flexibility of his hose.

Friday Flashback: High Five

Warning: this post is link-loaded and you won't want to miss any of them. I promise there's a theme here.

Remember back when things were even more angsty at Golden Manor? I was moving out and MathMan was going to stay with the kids and our marriage was crumbling? I know, it seems so long ago now. In fact, it's coming up on a year so I'm using this post for my Friday Flashback. Here's a preview:

The knockdown, drag out verbal fights were rare. Our disagreements were woven with words of biting sarcasm, strained Victorian manners, and really loud, tense silence punctuated by my sighs.

Finally, we're learning to talk to each other. I guess we realize that if we're going to make the divorce work, we're going to have to be more clear with each other. Especially where The Spawn are involved.

When I saw this video via Jill at Brilliant at Breakfast who found it at Crooks and Liars, I laughed because, not only is it wonky funny and loaded with political references, but also because it so beautifully describes how I feel about the political atmosphere right now. It's hard to put into words, this sense of guarded optimism, disgust for the Bush Administration, a desire to push the new Administration to pursue justice and a resolve to take a wait and see approach before I get too impassioned about any of it. Well, I guess I found the words, after all.

Anyway, watch the video and do this - see how many people you recognize. That will tell you just how much of a political geek you are. Me? I bet I got a 98% and the people I missed were pop culture icons and celebrities more than political ones. Yeah, I know. Could I be any more cool? No wonder my friends who are far more hip and wordly than I make those faces when they think I'm not looking.

Oh, and DCap? Your favorite gal is there, too. She looks like she smiling just for you! High Five!

(Picture credits: Found at Facebook. Senior Class Trip to Washington, D.C. March 1984)