Having said that…my life is [...]]]> I love my wife. We used to kid that I was the cranberry sauce to her Turkey dinner. The dinner would be complete without it, but is enhanced by its presence. My wife was “complete” when I met here. She didn’t need to have some void filled in her life.

Having said that…my life is a lot more vivid with her in it. I am complete. I swept out all my demons before we married. I can stand on my own. But I wouldn’t want to, and I don’t have to.

My wife is pretty awesome. I could type out a list of praise for all she is to me and everyone, but I doubt I could do her justice. I hope there are post in this blogs history that echos what she means to me and our boys. When we first started dating, she would tell me not to call her “amazing”. Even though I felt it, she thought there was no way she could hold herself up to that high praise. Well, Sarah Brown, for as long as I have known and loved you, that description still fits. You are amazing.

I love you…muchly.

So it got me thinking. Who’s on my “list”. I hesitate at this point, because I feel uncomfortable putting my list out there for my wife to [...]]]> So my wife posted her “list” a couple days ago. It’s good to know who I have to watch out for. Egon…I knew that guy was a player…

So it got me thinking. Who’s on my “list”. I hesitate at this point, because I feel uncomfortable putting my list out there for my wife to see. Not because she will be jealous, but because she might start picking apart my choices and wondering what it is I like about them. Say I put Angelina Jolie on there. My fear is that she will focus on just one attribute about that person. I can hear her say, “So you like brunettes?” which isn’t the case…at all. But, as Sarah said, AJ is out.

However…here’s my list. Now, since this is a “perfect” list, some of the ladies will have a space and time caveat. Much like Sarah’s list, some of these folks may have not aged well. And I may have a fictional character thrown in there as well.

#1: Christina Hendricks

I don’t think I have seen anything she has ever done…but man, she is hot. I am partial to curvy redheads, and she fits the bill. She always looks amazing on the red carpet and any photo I have ever seen of her. AND, as I was looking for a picture of her, I discovered this: Hendricks was named “the sexiest woman in the world” in 2010 in a poll of female readers taken by Esquire magazine. That is pretty telling.

#2: Bernadette Peters

I fell in love with her watching musicals on PBS. Between “Sunday in the Park with George” and “Into the Woods”, she had my heart. I then rewatched “The Jerk” while in college and it was pretty much over for any other women…until Sarah…of course. I think she is beautiful, and on top of that, has an amazing voice. She adds so much to a character through her vocal skills. I can pin her voice anywhere. For instance, did you know she was the voice of Rita on “Animaniacs”?

#3 Sarah Mclachlan

Y’all, that voice! Now…I can’t hear it now without thinking of abused animals…damn you ASPCA…but I listened to “Surfacing” alot in the day. I would listen to her sing the phone book. And that damn song in Toy Story II…everytime I get misty. I love her look…and those brown eyes. Damn sexy eyes. AND she’s Canadian…not sure what that has to do with it, but I know she has good health care.

#4 Firestar

That’s right. Marvel Comic’s Firestar. I grew up watching “Spider Man and his Amazing Friends” and no super hero was drawn as hot as Firestar. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Firestar in a live action film, but I’m not sure I want to. The comic book character was redhead perfection.

#5 Kristen Wiig

I LOVE funny, sexy women. Jerry Lewis can suck it. There is something extremely sexy about a quick witted woman, especially who is not afraid to do “ugly” when the comedic moment presents itself. Kristen is one of those women. I loved “Bridesmaids”…any of those women could be on this list. But Kristen was the brains behind that masterpiece. She can bring sexy like no one’s business, but she can also do prosthetic forehead and baby doll hands with the best of them.

So what do you think? Anyone else on your list?

I know your shocked. 

Something I am realizing more and more is that being a step parent can be way harder.

I watch my wife…mother of my youngest son…and marvel at how well she handles him. She may disagree, but I am really amazed at her as a mother. [...]]]> Being a parent is hard.

I know your shocked. 

Something I am realizing more and more is that being a step parent can be way harder.

I watch my wife…mother of my youngest son…and marvel at how well she handles him. She may disagree, but I am really amazed at her as a mother. She loves him unconditionally. She is patient. She helps him find his way in life. I really love to watch them interact.

Then I see her as the Step Mother. She loves my oldest. She would do just about anything for him that was within her power. The catch is that he isn’t her child. She plays a balancing act, daily; between what is her right to say and what isn’t. Her opinions on his future are sound and valid, but she can only go so far in making them a reality. If she sees him floundering, she can offer a shoulder for him to cry on, but only opinions on how to make it better. And those opinions are filtered through me to his mom…a filter that takes out some of the potency and leaves them less persuasive than if they were directly from her. She has to relay on me to carry her voice for her, and there are times that I don’t do them justice.

I am a peacekeeper…to a fault. I have tried very hard to keep a congenial relationship with my oldest’s mother. I try to diffuse situations with her before they escalate into something that will not help anyone. Sarah’s standpoint is, “This is for him, not for you or her. Get in there and stop being spineless.” I have a tendency to live in the now, whereas she lives in the now and the future. I need to be more like that, but it’s hard for me…and thusly frustrating for her.

We have come to a precipice. A decision that affects my son in the now and the future. Everyone agrees that action needs to be taken, but not everyone agrees on what that is. So once again, she has been placed in a position of seeing this little boy she loves having a major decision made for him, and she feels her voice diminished.

She’s the best step mom in the world…and I want her to know I understand what that means.

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So I have Apnea. 

Yea! Went through the sleep test. Confirmed it.

Got the C-PAP machine. [...]]]> I remember my father scaring the shit out of us when he would fall asleep in the evenings, watching TV, and stop breathing. Should we poke him? Is he OK? Then he’d jump start breathing again. It is frightening.

So I have Apnea. 

Yea! Went through the sleep test. Confirmed it.

Got the C-PAP machine. Kept taking it off in the night.

Lost some weight. That seemed to help some, but lately it has started being bad again.

Tried to use the C-PAP again. Made my ears hurt after just a few minutes.

Tried a Homeopathic snoring spray. Had Bella Donna extract and made my soft pallet feel like it had lost a kangaroo fight.

So, I am going to my new general care doctor next week. I may be back on the path to a sleep test, but I have to do something.

This pisses me off. I keep my wife from sleeping well, and I feel lethargic most of the day.

I’m doing what I can. I’m trying to find some more time to exercise…maybe walking the dog on warm days…playing racquet ball with Jack more often….Swimming with Tony… Playing more Wii. O’m drinking more water. I’ve started building a set, which is a double edged sword. I am more active but I eat worse. 

We will see what the doc says next week.

Sorry honey…

Mine would be “I’m afraid of failing my family”

I love that is a non violent game and Jack has to problem solve. The graphics are [...]]]> That has become the family game in the Comer/Brown house. Really, Jack plays and we cheer him on. Tony loves to watch jack play. he will talk about the game all day until Jack plays it. It’s very cute.

I love that is a non violent game and Jack has to problem solve. The graphics are pretty cute as well. I really didn’t think that we would like it, but the family really rallies around that little poppet. Tony sometimes wants to play as well. He likes to make the little gut dance. It’s pretty cute to watch.