Tag Archives: romance

My husband and I bond over how bad ESPN can be

My husband follows the same routine every weekday morning. He pours himself a cup of coffee and sits down to watch ESPN’s “Get Up!” before beginning his work day.

Though I am not much of a sports fan and have even vocalized my disdain for a culture that allows rapists and abusers to continue to work in this field, I often find myself watching the morning sports show with my husband.

Participating in this morning ritual over the many years of our marriage, has enabled me to better understand the various goings on in the sports world. For someone who spends little time watching actual sports or following players on social media, I know a hell of a lot about team rosters, personnel squabbles, player injuries, pending trades and potential draft picks.

My husband appreciates my demonstrated interest in an area he is passionate about, and I believe this helps us connect with one another. However, the main way we bond over sports is in how we laugh about the amount of coverage ESPN, and in particular, “Get Up!” spend on the same topics.

They are, in descending order:

  1. Aaron Rodgers
  2. The Cowboys
  3. Anything related to the NFL

Do they talk about other athletes and sports, sure. I think they spend about two minutes on hockey now, because the Bruins are pretty decent. But rather than discuss why the Bruins may be the best team in NHL history, host Mike Greenberg and the rotating cast of former players and sports analysts use their platform to spend 15 minutes dissecting whether Aaron Rodgers will wipe his ass and use it as Rorschach test to determine where to play in the future.

Check out @GetUpESPN’s twitter feed for more proof that 90% of their content is about Rodgers and/or the NFL.

Do I care? No, I do not.

The repetitive, “Groundhog’s Day”-esque nature of this morning sports show has become a running joke between my husband and myself. We predict the talking points before they happen and make guesses on whether they will even cover certain big sports stories.

And for those wondering, yes, I have asked my husband why he continues to watch this show. In his defense, there is comfort in the familiar, and “Get Up!” does have some quality segments, such as Ryan Clark’s “Explain Your Tweet.”

Still, the bonding is over just how terrible the show can be.

I am sure experts will say you should connect with your spouse over more positive experiences. For us, our joy comes in mocking a ridiculous sports show.

We will continue to laugh over how much of a diva Rodgers is, and wonder if we miss when they used to talk all morning about Tom Brady.

We will continue to joke about the irrelevancy of the Cowboys, and how Dallas has sucked since Debbie did it back in the 70s.

We will continue to watch and raise our spirits over this very silly show.

Marriage means finding ways to connect and share interests. This might be an odd example, but it works for us.

assorted color heart shaped candies

It’s OK if you don’t want to get your kids stuff for Valentine’s Day

Every year on Valentine’s Day, my dad would buy my mom box of chocolates. My siblings and I were grateful for any our mother would share, knowing full well those were her chocolates.

After all, at least as we understood it, Valentine’s Day was a holiday for grown-ups, and more specifically, for grown-ups in a relationship.

We weren’t showered with candy and gifts, because the holiday wasn’t about us.

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Creative ways to connect this Valentine’s Day

When my husband and I first got together, Valentine’s Day meant spending an evening out at a fancy restaurant. As we have gotten older, and have added kids to the mix, February 14th is more often celebrated at home with a meal we cooked ourselves and watching a favorite movie or T.V. show.

While going out for dinner is a wonderful way to spend Valentine’s Day, you may want to mix things up a bit this year.

Read on for some creative ways to connect this Valentine’s Day.

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During this pandemic, I am grateful for my marriage

My husband and I celebrated ten years of marriage in October — an impressive feat in any year — but, this year feels especially triumphant, considering how difficult these past several months of staying home, schools closing, job uncertainty and more have been on us and so many other couples.

This pandemic has pushed many marriages to the brink, and indeed, we know a few couples whose unions are already dissolved or soon will be.

Then, of course, there are those high-profile splits, including that of self-proclaimed life coach, Rachel Hollis, that have left us disillusioned over what exactly makes a lasting marriage.

Did these couples fall suddenly out of love? Or, were there deeper issues uprooted by the challenges imposed by an unprecedented pandemic?

I wonder why other couples are struggling, while my husband and I, so far any way, have come through this mostly unscathed.

More than unscathed, I would argue or relationship has strengthened and evolved, as if the shared experience of going through hardship together has forged a greater bond.

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Bedrooms are for sleeping and for sex

BedroomsSex

Long before marriage and family was a possible thought in my brain, I watched an episode of a daytime talk show (I want to say it was Oprah), which would shape how I would eventually set up my home.

In this episode, a very famous decorator/designer (I want to say it was Nate Berkus), was the special guest, whose task was to revamp a couple’s home. I can’t recall what colors he painted their walls, or what artwork he picked for their living room or what curtains he hung on their windows. However, when it came to their bedroom, one thing the designer said planted itself in my brain:

“Bedrooms are for sleeping and for sex.” Continue reading