Tomorrow, the 25th, is my wife’s birthday. I won’t be around much. She won’t be getting any diamond rings as we’ve already celebrated this month by us both now having iPhones. But I will give her this, right now, from my heart:

Craving

But mostly I crave the simple love you give me in all moments throughout our prior and future lives within a universe that would be only dark if your eyes, lips, life, mind, smile, and world did not exist in it for all of eternity with me by your side wishing for you the most happiness that could ever be accomplished in this gloriously shining life that is much more glorious because you do love me and I know you do and I love you and always will because you are the light in my eyes, the craving of my soul, and the true meaning of my existence and I will forever be thankful to your mother for one thing: your birth.

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Yep. Title says it all. But you know I’m not that “unwordy,” am I?¹ Today is my 12th anniversary. I’ve been married happily to the same woman for 12 short years. We’ve raised a child together. We’ve loved each other. We’ve had a great life even with the ups and downs of trying to make it our own that msot people go through. And I plan on having a great life with her in the future.

July is just a big month for us. My birthday was the 10th. Her birthday is the 25th. So I bought her an iPhone. She never liked mine until she got her own. Isn’t that the way it always works? Oh, and I have to say thank you to Lady Rose of Diet Pulpit. She knows why. I had to think carefully about the gift though. I only knew that she didn’t really mess with my iPhone much. But I also know my wife. I mean, I considered things dealing with horseback riding because she loves horses². I also considered something fairy based because she loves fairies. But both of those would have been things she would only have been able to use for a temporary time or just have sit around collecting dust to look pretty. So I took the plunge and it paid off. She loves it. Uses it often.

I know. I know. This post just seems all over the place. There’s a good reason. Just thinking about how happy I am with my wife makes me go all giddy. Messes with my brain too. In a good way. So, help me out with the discussion and answer me this question:

Why do you love your significant other?

1. I know unwordy is not a word. Sheesh. [«]
2. so things like equestrian clothing came to mind [«]

Posted by Saphrym | 30 Comments »

…when we found out we were pregnant. My wife’s face began shining with light from her heart. Our thoughts instantly went to diapers, maternity clothes, cribs, blankets, etc. But after the consumer in us finally gave in to the parents in us, we began thinking again of the child. A girl or a boy? Did it matter? No. It didn’t. We were going to have a child. A wonderful, beautiful gift. We had been married and trying for about 3 or 4 years. This news made those years worth the wait.

Then she was born.

Wait. I’m getting ahead of myself here. She wasn’t born instantly as we all know. She began as a mood in my wife. Guys with kids know that mood. It’s that swinging mood that punches us in the face or kisses us behind the ear. Then it was the craving mood. Ice cream and pickles? I hear people mention that one every once in a while. Sorry guys. It’s normally much weirder than that. I’m not going to describe the combinations of food that my wife craved because if you’ve just eaten your food won’t stay in your stomach.

Finally, I got used to the moods. But the moods were easy compared to the days in the hospital. Those days when your wife is screaming as if the child is ripping through her very heart on the way out. She’s screaming in such a manner that you’d do anything to take the pain away. So then the other screaming starts. The screaming that comes form the husband to the nurses to get his wife some darn pain medication. Then there’s the scream of the husband as his hands get crushed by his wife. And finally, there’s the scream of the child.

It’s a beautiful sound. Or so I’m told. They took her in the delivery room while I was outside talking to my mother. “Oh, it’ll be another 20 minutes Mr. White.” “Ooops. Sorry. She was ready in 5.” Thank you very much Ms. Nurse.

But then I saw her. My daughter. And I fell in love for the second time in my life.

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I’m not one for letting videos talk for me very often. It’s kind of like staying in laughlin hotels instead of Vegas hotels. It’s just not the same. But I’m going to make an exception in this case. However, I will start with a few words:

I met my wife in November of 1995. We met at a local BBS event. We were dancing together on the dance floor for no other reason than to just have fun. As we moved from the dance floor, we sat together at the bar and talked for a long time. I watched her every smile. I loved listening to her talk. She has such a sweet voice. Before I left, I kissed her and fell in love.

A month later, I was standing in the middle of her family’s living room. I had a radio next to me. I put in the song “True Companion” by Marc Cohn. I sang it to her in front of her family as my marriage proposal to her. Since we’re still happily married, I guess it worked. She said “yes.” Every time I hear that song, it reminds me of everything I love about my wife. So, without further ado, here’s a You Tube video with the song and the lyrics. The lyrics are important. I hope you enjoy.

(This post was inspired by “Music and Driving,” a blog post by Ken Armstrong.)

Posted by Saphrym | 5 Comments »

I know. I know. I’ve written a bunch of posts today. But I just wanted to share so much information. And there’s another one I want to share (can you tell I’m jonesing for Spore to come out?). The following is a picture of a unicorn/pegasus I designed for my wife over the last hour using Spore Creature Creator (click it for full size):

It took me some time, but I’m quite proud of it.

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This stuff goes out in the family newsletter so I sometimes forget to let my readers know. At least those who are actually interested in what goes on in my life. My daughter had her tonsils removed this past Wednesday.

She’s doing good now although it was a rocky road for a bit there. We found out that she’s sensitive to Codeine. She’s not allergic, but it messes up her stomach bad and that was the pain medication they got her. We finally got her off it a couple of days ago and everything got much better.

Oh, and while she’s around the house getting all nervous about her tonsils coming out and I’m minding my own business doing some “window shopping” at a sale, I suddenly got an abscessed tooth. But the soonest appointment is the Friday after she gets her tonsils out. So last week was a rough week for all of us as although my wife was not suffering from painful experiences, she had to deal with two very grumpy family members.

Have I mentioned I love my wife?

So there you have it. Sorry I forgot to mention this stuff. But everything is cool now.

Posted by Saphrym | 4 Comments »

I’m not the perfect husband. Nobody can be. It just doesn’t happen. Why do I mention this? Because I am one of those guys that “hears all, sees all, but doesn’t know anything.” (Actually, I normally say that differently, but the wording doesn’t matter as much as the sentiment). What I mean is, I listen to people, but I stay out of stuff and never repeat things. This tends to let me hear all kinds of stuff as people tend to vent to me because they know they are safe doing so. After years of this, I have come to a sad conclusion: Husbands suck.

To explain what I mean, I’ll go through a few “A real husband…” statements. I don’t know how many I’ll do, but hopefully you’ll get my point. In the comments, feel free to add more. So without further ado…

A real husband…

• … does not use his wife as a punching bag. And I mean this in every metaphorical way also. No hitting your wife. No screaming at your wife. No abuse of your wife in any way. It’s wrong. Pure and simple.
• … takes the Bluetooth headset out his ear and listens to his wife instead. Phone conversations are a necessary part of today’s world. But communication in a marriage is extremely important.
• … buys feminine products at the drug store without whining about it. They also know which products to buy.
• … carries his wife’s purse when she needs him to.
• … holds his wife’s hair when she’s puking in the toilet. He also gets a wash cloth and wipes her face for her.
• … doesn’t complain about the money spent on a woman’s hair unless a) he actually notices the new hair and b) he learns to do it himself for her. If you’ve never done your wife’s hair (or your husband’s), then you’ve never experienced a truly personal experience.
• … learns more about his wife than he knows about sports.
• … puts down the game controller and does the dishes and laundry every once in a while.
• … doesn’t get upset if his wife makes more money than he does.
• … compromises and shares with his wife.
• … trusts his wife and makes darn sure he is trustworthy. Without trust, there is no relationship.
• … actually thinks before buying a gift for his wife. May even do handmade gifts that have had tons of thought put into them.

Now, to be fair to the husbands who do these things, I have to say this:

A real wife does not get spoiled or take advantage of their husband when they do things like this for them. (That’s right ladies. Don’t give your husband a reason to regret being a real husband.)

So, does anyone have any others they’d like to add? Maybe the guys out there feel left out and want to do some “A real wife…” comments. Feel free to reply and add as many as you’d like.

Posted by Saphrym | 7 Comments »

DIET DIARY

NUMBERS FROM TODAY
Blood Sugar: 109
Weight: 285
Fat Percentage: 49.4
Water Percentage: 29.3
Muscle Percentage: 34.5

First, I’ll get the health stuff out of the way. That blood sugar number is actually from the middle of the day about 4 hours after eating. So not in the 90s like normal, but good nonetheless considering it wasn’t a fasting number. The weight is the same yet again. No excuses. I just haven’t been exercising like I’m supposed to. Still losing inches though. I’m a 47 waist now.

Next, a site update. I’m working on a new design that I hope will load much faster than this one. The tabs on the right that show categories and archives are nice, but the javascript is slowing down the load. The CSS files are also separated and load time on them is quite long (in milliseconds, but still). I was hoping to have it done by tonight so I could unveil it, but it may take until next weekend. Any tips on how to handle the archives and categories without making long list of links to them in the sidebar would be appreciated, but keep in mind, I’m trying to cut back on the amount of javascript but still would like old posts easily found. Will search be enough for you guys, as my readers? Or would you rather the links to the categories and archives still be available in some form?

Finally, a personal update. We’ve reached another milestone in our quest to purchase the house we’re currently renting and have been researching mortgage lenders to try and find a decent company to go with. Just a few more steps and we’ll be calling them and applying for the loans. Keep your fingers crossed for us because this is something we’ve been wanting for a long time now. (And I’d ask you to go to my wife’s blog and congratulate her on her recent acceptance into a Master’s program that is limited to 50 students per year to teach special education, but she doesn’t have a blog. She does read this one though, so feel free to congratulate her here.)

Thanks to all of you guys. You’re really making this blogging experience enjoyable. (As a matter of fact, I’m extending the “deadline” for the Random Reward post from yesterday since only 2 comments have been made as of this writing. I want to give more of you a chance to get the quick 5 bucks and possible free t-shirt. Go read it to see what I mean.)

(For more information about my dieting and weight loss, click here. For more information about the specific foods I eat, click here. For the diet I follow, click here.)

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It’s Valentine’s day as most of you know. And therefore I’m going to dedicate this post to my wife. Here’s my own rendition of “How Do I Love Thee?” :

I love the way you compliment me. My weaknesses are your strengths. I love the way your hair brushes over your face in the wind. It gives me an excuse to touch your face when I kiss you. I love to hear your breath next to me when you sleep. It gives me comfort I’ve never known before and can never know again. I love the way your eyes shine when you’re happy. They make my world that much brighter. I love when you lay on me when we watch television. It feels good to make you comfortable. I love your laugh. Every cloud in my mind goes white when I hear it. I love watching you and Nicole play. You two are my life. I love the way you bite your lip when you think. I love the way you hum or sing when you’re listening to music you like. I love the support you give me. I love that you accept me for who I am. I love your mind. I love your heart. I love you and I love because of you.

Always.

DIET DIARY

Numbers from Today

Blood Sugar: 99
Weight: 282.2
Fat Percentage: 48.1
Water Percentage: 30.3
Muscle Percentage: 34.8

Food and Exercise from Yesterday

Fluids: Water (16 oz - 5 times a day)
Exercise:
20 Curls of 85 pounds.
Wednesday from my exercise plan.
Meal 1:
Oatmeal
Multivitamin
B150 Vitamin Complex
Snack 1:
1 Slim Fast 220 Calorie Optima Bar
Meal 2:
Cheeseburger (made from extra lean beef)
Fries
Snack 2:
1 Slim Fast 220 Calorie Optima Bar
Meal 3:
2 Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Chips

(For more information about my dieting and weight loss, click here. For more information about the specific foods I eat, click here.)

Posted by Saphrym | 12 Comments »

(For more information about my dieting and weight loss, click here. For more information about the specific foods I eat, click here.)

I’ve been “looking for love” since I was 8-years-old. Don’t believe me? When my mom passed away I found the following poem I wrote when I was 8-years-old still in her wallet:

Love Is…

Love is like a rose, covered in pain.
Trying to understand it will drive you insane.
People have tried to learn how it makes you feel,
But the thing about love is no one ever will.
Love is like the water which can smoothly flow
It is also like a turtle which moves very slow.
Love is like the sun which shines from day to day,
But it can also make your heart break in every kind of way.
Love is hard to understand,
And the Lord knows I never can.

See? Told you. So throughout my searching, I always tried to conform to what the girl I liked wanted me to be. “Lose a couple of pounds and I’ll be your girlfriend.” That was an odd one now that I think about it. But throughout my relationships I always put the woman on a pedestal and believed that I had to do and bee exactly what they wanted or else I wasn’t good enough for them. Guess what. That’s a lie. Don’t tell yourself that lie.

See, for a true relationship to form, you have to be accepting of the other person, and (the important part) they have to accept you for who you are. When I met my wife it was right after I had given up. I had just come out of a bad relationship, like all my other ones, and I told myself not to even bother. If someone didn’t like me, so what. I stopped looking for love at that point. I just decided to start being myself and having fun. Then I met my wife and we’ve been together for over 11 years. We’ve accepted each other for everything that we are and love each other for it.

That’s a true relationship. If you’re trying to be something you’re not, you’re lying to your significant other in a way that will only hurt you and may hurt them. (I say “may” based on experience.)

(I want to give credit to Kristen who mentioned something like this in another recent post of mine in the comments. It sparked some memories and thoughts that led to this post.)

DIET DIARY

Numbers from Today

Blood Sugar: 107
Weight: 280.0
Fat Percentage: 47.9
Water Percentage: 30.4
Muscle Percentage: 34.8

Food and Exercise from Yesterday

Fluids: Water (16 oz - 5 times a day)
Exercise:
None.
Meal 1:
Oatmeal
Multivitamin
B150 Vitamin Complex
Snack 1:
1 Slim Fast 220 Calorie Optima Bar
Meal 2:
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Fries
Butterfinger Cheesecake Slice
(These were at a restaurant, so I don’t have the recipes to share. However, I will say that I ate a very small portion of the sandwich and fries just to save carbs for the small slice of cheesecake. It’s nice to treat yourself every once in a while. But I still didn’t break my diet. )
Snack 2:
1 Slim Fast 220 Calorie Optima Bar
Meal 3:
2 Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Chips

Posted by Saphrym | 3 Comments »