Blisstree » Bald Man

Farewell, Fair Readers

Bald Man — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:17:33 +0000

Hey all. Just one last post to say good-bye to all of our readers who’ve read, commented, and linked to Marriage Actually over the last year. Bald Man and I have had a great time writing here and getting to know you a bit, but life is taking us in different directions right now….too many directions! And while we’ve really enjoyed Marriage Actually, our time has to be put elsewhere. I think Marriage Actually is being left in very capable and talented hands, and we’ll continue to visit here often.

If you want to keep up with us, you can find Bald Man at www.baldmanblogging.com and me at www.mynameismommy.com.

So long, friends….

Kerri and Cory

Post from: Blisstree

Farewell, Fair Readers

Barbecues – Domain of the Husband

Bald Man — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:13:43 +0000

Barbecuing really is the one typical cooking domain of the husband, isn’t it? Well, that and pancake breakfasts. At least those are the only two meals that I am generally responsible for when they come up on the menu. Last weekend we had family and friends over for the holiday and I managed to turn the steaks inside out. That’s right: well done on the inside and pink on the outside. Not sure how I did it, so I’m sticking with calling them sea cucumber fillets.

No need to feel sorry for Kerri, though. First, she enjoys cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. Two weeks ago it was crepes; this past week was a new bread recipe; and I’m sure there will be something else this coming week. Second, I have regularly expressed my willingness to make dinner. That offer isn’t often utilized, but it should be noted that I hae a standing offer… subject to a bit of guidance getting started. (I usually don’t know what is in the pantry, and I prefer to have some advance warning because I like to plan.) Third, when she cooks, I frequently follow behind cleaning as she goes. We make a good team like that.

What about your house? How do you divide the cooking responsibilities? Are you as traditional as us, or are you more modern and progressive?

image

Post from: Blisstree

Barbecues – Domain of the Husband

When Your Friends Get Divorced

Bald Man — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:36:44 +0000

Here’s a question for you: Let’s say you’re friends with another married couple. The four of you get along pretty well until one day you don’t. Or rather, they stop getting along with each other, and eventually they get divorced. What do you do? Double dates are, um, out of the question. Do you go with the third wheel approach? Does someone wind up getting cut out of the picture altogether? Kerri and I haven’t had to deal with this, but we have friends who have, so I thought it might make an interesting question.

image

Post from: Blisstree

When Your Friends Get Divorced

10 Benefits to Being Married

Bald Man — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:21:40 +0000

Here are 10 benefits I get from being married to Kerri, rapid fire style, in no particular order and by no means exhaustive

A full social calendar
Good food
Sex
Laughs
Encouragement when I’m down
A thousand touches that say “I love you”
More good food
Amazing kids
Someone to be impulsive with
Some one to grow old with

Post from: Blisstree

10 Benefits to Being Married

To Be One With Each Other

Bald Man — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:21:35 +0000

How about a poem for a warm summer day?

What greater thing is there for two human souls
than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen
each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow,
to share with each other in all gladness,
to be one with each other in the
silent unspoken memories?
~ George Eliot

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To Be One With Each Other

Marriage Poll: How Do You Sort Playing Cards

Bald Man — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:12:04 +0000

The holiday weekend gave Kerri and I a number of opportunities to play games with neighbors, and this question stems directly from a “disagreement” we had with another couple this weekend. Simply put: How do you sort playing cards? Assuming you order them, there are two likely possibilities. Looking at your hand and reading from left to right you either see:

A – K – Q – J – 10 – 9

or you see:

9 – 10 – J – Q – K – A

Vote below or in the sidebar. Be warned: there is a correct answer, one which Kerri and I agree on though we have promised not to reveal it until the poll is closed as a favor to our misguided friends.

{democracy:11}

Post from: Blisstree

Marriage Poll: How Do You Sort Playing Cards

Marriage Poll Wrap-Up: Time Spent Talking to Your Spouse

Bald Man — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:25:29 +0000

Time to wrap up the June poll, and Kerri and I are both pleased to see the results.

{democracy:10}

It looks like we are taking to heart the admonition that communication is the foundation of a good relationship. I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. Kerri and I go through ebbs and flows in the quantity of our communication, and it never takes long for us to feel the change. We can both sense the gap forming between us, even if it’s just a little one. It’s been said that quantity time is a prerequisite for quality time.

Thanks for voting, and be sure to participate in this month’s poll. The formal announcement will be up tomorrow, but you can get a preview in the sidebar now.

Post from: Blisstree

Marriage Poll Wrap-Up: Time Spent Talking to Your Spouse

Independence Day Around the Channel

Bald Man — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:22:41 +0000

It’s the day after round here, so I thought I’d see what our fellow Lifestyle Channel denizen’s were up to for the holiday weekend. As a brief aside, it interesting just how US-centric things are: Many in the channel aren’t stateside – heck, b5media itself is Canadian! – but the US Independence Day holiday is well known and noted.

Gayla remembers family gatherings down in the hollers of Kentucky. Kerri and I both spent significant portions of our youth too far from the extended family to gather very often, something we’d love to do differently with our own kids. Holiday’s are meant to be shared with family and friends.

Marye shares some Independence Day menus from days past. Some holiday staples around here include deviled eggs, grilled meats, and fruit salad: Yummy! Yummy!

Karen & Mary Emma share a couple book lists on the holiday, one for teens and another of picture books. I started Team of Rivals last week; that’s close enough to Independence Day, right?

There are more to go around; check out a full list of posts from the channel here. For now, have a safe weekend!

Post from: Blisstree

Independence Day Around the Channel

Mates of State

Bald Man — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:47:18 +0000

Kerri and I are fans of This American Life. This past spring they rebroadcast an episode that has become a favorite of mine, “What I Learned from Television.” I remember hearing it the first time around, and I has delighted to have another listen.

This episode was compiled from a live tour the show did back in 2007. One of the best parts is the live music run between stories. The band that played is Mates of State, a married couple. Check ‘em out. Their live cover of “California,” the O.C. theme, is beautiful. I couldn’t find a good recording of it, but you can hear it on the podcast of This American Life. Meanwhile, here’s another good version.

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Mates of State

Blast from the Past

Bald Man — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:47:16 +0000

One of the inevitable consequences about being married for any length of time, is that you have more and more collective memories, and things from the present are increasingly likely to bring up that shared past. There are some draw backs to this – I have ready stock of jokes and quotes that Kerri, like it or not, knows she will hear for the rest of her life – but overall I think it’s a good thing.

A very good thing.

One of our fundamental needs as people is to be known for who we really are. Whether we are good, bad, or most likely some combination of the two, we desperately long to be “naked” in the eyes of another. We want to stand before someone, say, “This is the real me,” and have them reply, “Yeah, I know. Now lets get on with it.”

An important element of this deep knowing is knowing a person’s past. Our past does not define our present, but it certainly shapes it. Whether that past is a source of guidance or something against which to rebel, where one comes from holds keys to where one is going.

But this knowing must be something that surpasses an academic understanding. You can’t know a person in this deep way by watching their biography on the History Channel. That knowledge comes only from proximity, time, and shared experiences.

Kerri hates the Ohio State Buckeyes. If you know her, this will not surprise you. The copious orange and blue in her wardrobe are clues to her Illini fan status. And if the colors don’t give it away, the fact that each of those shirts, sweats and hoodies is emblazoned with block print “ILLINI” the it, ought to be enough for anyone to get it.

But Kerri’s hatred toward the Buckeyes and her love for the Fighting Illini run deeper that the obvious causes. These are facts not completely explained by her years growing up near Champaign, Illinois. Though not obvious, I know why. I know with a fair degree of detail exactly how, when, where and why this all came to be. I wasn’t there when it began, but I was there not long after and for most of the developments since that beginning. We’ve shared the stories, and I know them as well as or better than I know some of my own memories.

And that is one of the things that makes a marriage awesome. Between us, Kerri and I know a great many things about the other, things that no one else knows, things we scarcely know ourselves. There a moments when we can anticipate the other’s reaction or response. Sometime that only means Kerri knows the punchline before I utter it for the umpteenth time. Other times, however, it means much more.

Lifestyles Channel Theme Post

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Blast from the Past