Things My Wife Complains About: #12 Treating Her Badly in Her Dreams

Sometimes my wife wakes me up in the middle of the night to complain.

She might say, for example, that was so mean what you did. When I counter-complain that I have no idea what she's talking about, she assures me that I was very mean to her in her dream. When I counter-assure her that she's being unfair, or at least slightly insane, she refuses my logic. Sometimes she asks for an apology.

Every once in a while my dream-life doppelganger does something truly reprehensible, and she holds it against me all morning.

Possible Solutions!

1) Never allow wife to fall asleep
2) Convince wife that, as Freud suggested, all dreams are wish-fulfillments and she unconsciously desires whatever bad treatment she receives
3) Enter wife's dreams through Avatar-like technology, so I can battle my malicious double or at least avenge his wrongdoings (hard)

 

Visiting Katie in Baltimore 2010

Along with Katie's roommate Caitlin, we had dinner and drinks in Baltimore's Hamden neighborhood. We especially enjoyed the Hon Bar, full of plastic pink flamingos and delicious martinis.

Dinner at Rocket to Venus with Katie

Martinis at the Hon Bar

Some of the fun decorations at the Hon Bar

The following morning we walked around the waterfront and Fells Point before heading out of town.

 

Fells Point

Fells Point

Kevin's Short Story in The Baltimore Review and Reading 2010

We went to Baltimore this weekend so that Kevin could a short story reading for The Baltimore Review. Kevin's short story "Puritan Hotel, Boston" was published in The Baltimore Review, Winter/Spring 2010 Issue (Volume XIV, Number 1). The literary magazine hosted a reading at the Towson Art Collective to celebrate the issue release. Kevin read an except from his story and his reading went really well. I was impressed by some of the other readers as well. There was even a little musical interlude.

Giving a reading at the Towson Art Center

“Puritan Hotel, Boston.” Baltimore Review 14.1 (2010): 34-49.

Valentines Day and the Ballet 2010

Kevin and I postponed Valentine's Day until this past Friday because his birthday festivities kept us occupied all last weekend. We had dinner at El Centro, a fun Mexican place with great guacamole and mangoritas. (Yes, I will need to start a tag for alcoholic mango drinks.)

Chelsea Market, February 15th

Then we walked over to Lincoln Center for the ballet. We saw Liebeslieder Walzer (Music by Johannes Brahms, Choreography by George Balanchine) and Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 (Music Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky, Choreography by George Balanchine). It was wonderful, thanks in part, to the previously mentioned mangorita.

At the New York City Ballet, February 19th

Nomar is a Little Famous 2010

One of my pictures of Nomar made it onto a heavily-trafficked blog. The photo is ridiculous. The article, Taste Tests Show Frozen Diet Meals Now Shockingly Edible, at The Consumerist Blog, features Nomar licking the remnants of my Lean Cuisine when we were living in Charlottesville. Whenever you are not looking, Nomar will attempt to steal your fish, lick your cheese, or -gross- lick raw chicken. Interestingly, Nomar does not care for sushi.

Here is the screenshot of the blog:

And here's a close-up of the photo:


This is his second run-in with fame, as last year he appeared on meteorologist Tim Kelley's New England Cable News segment on "Work Party" Pictures.

Kevin's 30th Birthday 2010, Part 2

Since he had so many friends in town we basically continued the celebration from Friday through Monday. We had dinner on Friday, lunch and drinks on Saturday, brunch on Sunday, and a big walk around some of his favorite places in Manhattan on Monday.

On Monday, a lot of people had off for President's Day, plus it was Kevin's actual birthday date, so we went big. We started at the new park in Chelsea, the High Line Elevated Park.  It's weird and urban, but definitely cool with a nice view of the city.  Afterwards, we went to Chelsea Market to warm up and get lunch.

Kevin's friends in High Line Elevated Park in Chelsea

Observation deck area of High Line with bleacher-like seating

Being a writer, Kevin is really into bookstores.  So we went over to the Strand, a huge bookstore in the East Village with the city's largest collection of rare books. It's maybe the second-largest used bookstore in the world (after Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon), and it's family-owned.

Perusing books at the Strand

We dipped into a costume store, and I thought it would be funny to buy this mask for a gag because we're always singing "Fox in the Snow." It a long story, but it was funny. It's New York, so no one even noticed.  Finally we ended up drinking at Blind Tiger Ale House in the West Village. Such a fun active day!

Jon, Fox in the Snow, Briggs

At the Blind Tiger Ale House in the West Village

Kevin's 30th Birthday 2010, Part 1

Kevin's birthday was really fabulous, if I'm allowed to say that as the organizer. First his buddy Jim from LA surprised him, then his brother Andrew flew in from Florida, and for his third surprise his friend Briggs showed up from Austin. It was a national party.

A few of us went to eat the most delicious steak and cheesecake at Luger's. We ate everything family style, and even though wee were there at lunchtimeJon gave him a fourth surprise. Jon got Kevin's childhood Dee Brown jersey signed by Dee Brown, the 1991 Slam Dunk Contest winner.

Outside Luger's

Kevin loved Dee Brown's signature. Best present ever, Jon!

Self-portrait of us on the subway by Jon (bottom right).  I learned this trick from Ash.

Then we had a lot of time to kill in the afternoon so we went back to our apartment, drank, and watched the Vancouver Winter Olympics opening ceremony. We particularly enjoyed the difficulty the torch bearers had lighting the torch. Finally, a larger group went out to his favorite bar in near home, the Brooklyn Inn, where we spent a shocking number of hours. I encouraged people to "dress like a professor" as the theme.  Here are some of the best dressed.

Rocking the professor theme

With the pipe that Ash lent him for the occasion

The guys at Brooklyn Inn

The ladies, "bringing it"

  What a great all-day celebration!  I had a fabulous time and it looked like other people were loving it too.  But this was just Saturday... the fun continued through Monday!

Puppy News 2010!

No, we haven't broken down and gotten a puppy yet, though I was so tempted this week when I saw a puppy sale sign in New York... however I will have to live vicariously through friends for now. My buddy Allison and her boyfriend Dan (who happens to also be Kevin's old Iowa basketball friend) adopted a 13-week old field spaniel puppy.

And in other puppy news, Janice and Darren's dog Fudgie made into the Dawg Blog: http://blog.dawgdad.com/. I know, today's entry is sort of cute-overload-ish.

The new family- Dan, Allison, and Coco

Fudgie is a model, if you know what I mean...