Between its incredibly intuitive user interface, and the many endearing sayings that come out of Bob's mouth year-round, it was a no-brainer that this would be the first book I "wrote" and published.
Things get more interesting starting on the "I love being special to you" page.
Backstory: There are several "inside jokes" in these pages, starting with the "on so many levels" on the cover. We both roll our eyes a little whenever some people say "on so many levels" after they've said something as if it's so deep! LOL.
Backstory: From the day I first met Vincent (and Frances, at the time), I always knew my place in the pecking order. And I'm good with that.
Backstory: He really is this generous when I'm having the occasional pity party.
Backstory: He really does say this, and it cracks me up every time. And not just about food. If I'm going to do something and I ask him if he'd like to do it, he sometimes answers, "Yes, I want to be just like you."
Backstory: "And everything" is a filler phrase Bob uses when telling stories. I think it's a family thing, as I noticed his sister said it this weekend when telling us about her recent trip out west to visit family and sight-see. Also, when he starts telling a story, and I finally realize it's a joke, I'll interject, "True story!" and he'll say back, "True story!"
Backstory: He usually says this when I fix something on his computer or his iPhone, even if it's the simplest of things. Cracks me up.
Backstory: Bob packs my breakfast and lunch for work every day, and when I'm counting calories, he'll have a little piece of paper in it with notes like, "Bread = 70, Lunch meat = 60, Mayo (1 tbsp) = 35." And, all I have to do is text him, "On my way home. Happy hour on the porch?" and he'll have my glass of ice, the bourbon bottle, and my seltzer water waiting... along with snacks!
Backstory: I absolutely love this retort. (Could be the editor in me.) If you say this phrase to him, I guarantee you'll get this response.
Backstory: Bob actually did all of the things in that first paragraph during our renovations. He also reads articles and takes tests toward continuing competence requirements to keep his RN license active even though he is retired. He takes Vincent on two walks a day (without fail) and once a month or so he attends his Greater Raleigh Area Chapter (GRAC) of of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) meeting.
Backstory: Ever since I went back to work, Bob does everything around the house, and I mean everything—inside the house and in the yard. And I am so very thankful for it.
Backstory: This conversation actually happened once. You would never in a million years hear me say, "Surprise me!" with regards to picking out food for me. I remember just being incredulous when he said this.
Backstory: This is an actual conversation with Vincent I've heard many times. And he waits. Personally, I ask Vincent once, and then touch his body ever so gently with the door as I open it, and he moves... without complaint. Such a sweet boy. (Both of them.)
Backstory: These are actual paint colors Bob has painted his kitchen with over the years. (I think they're ridiculously frou-frou.) In his defense, he doesn't make up these names, he's just a victim of them.
Backstory: Bob has lived in his house for 28 years, so he's seen a lot come and go during that time. He knows a lot about a lot of people in the neighborhood, too, and after sitting on the front porch for sometimes an hour before I get out there in the morning, he'll catch me up on what I've missed.
Backstory: We play this word game where we'll start with a word and then do a rhyming riff on it. It goes as the one above, and this one was about what if we share seeing Cher at the state fair in what turns out to only be a fair performance.
Backstory: This is classic Bob. He's just so darn nice. I'll say something like, "I just don't like her. She never smiles." And he'll respond, "She's been through a lot."
Backstory: This, too, is classic Bob—whenever I get home from work. I'll respond, "Well, I edited. And then I edited another piece. And then I edited some more." But he always asks.
Backstory: Every once in a while, we'll watch TV together (usually I'm either reading, writing, or online wasting time or playing hearts). And Vincent jumps up with us for his belly rub.
Backstory: Bob loves to play games, or make some up, when we're traveling. It's his helpful way of keeping me awake, as I do all of the driving. Catch Phrase is one of our favorite games, and he just keeps giving me clues to guess the answers, since I can't look at the game to take my turn giving the clues.
Backstory: Every Sunday morning we do the USA Today Crossword puzzle online.
Backstory: I really do enjoy the social aspect, and the passing-of-time aspect, of playing cards. Bob, on the other hand, likes to win.
Backstory: We'll often take 5-10 shots of pictures of him, or us in them together, and then he often takes 5-10 minutes choosing and cropping the one that makes everything (read: him) look just so.
Backstory: This is another thing that I just can't not smile about when I witness it. He just rarely says negative things about people, and this is one of the most endearing ways he gets around that. He really doesn't like Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Backstory: We said these things as our vows to each other. And then the wedding attendees "married" us along with Blake, our officiant, by saying their part out loud in unison.
Backstory: We both abide by the notion that, "You're my everything, but you're not my every minute."
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