Green Eyes

Here's hoping our baby gets my husband's eyes:

Which One of These Things Is Not Like the Other?

Crown and I are alike in many, many ways. But of course, we are also individuals. Each with his or her own quirks, likes, dislikes. Neuroses.

Okay, fine. I'm the one with the neuroses. As much as it pains me to admit it, Crown is pretty freakin' neuroses free. This is one of our major differences.

If you've been reading for a while, or know me at all, you'll know that I'm a clean person. A tidy person. I've posted before about my obsessive compulsive need to have things orderly and scrubbed.

Crown is a decently tidy guy, as guys go. I think it's safe to assume that I could not have loved him this much, let alone committed to him for life, if he weren't. I am seriously that much of a freak. But the differences in our level of orderliness is evident in many ways. Especially around the house.

If you were to take a good look at our bedside tables, for example, you'd see that mine is tidy, books piled neatly and at right angles to the corners, always in the same position, just below the alarm clock and kitty corner to the lamp. His, on the other hand will have book askew, possibly even (gasp!) upside down and backwards, crumpled receipts from God knows when tossed about amongst some loose change and a flattened pack of gum.

Likewise, the floor on my side of the room will be tidy, perhaps a yet to be unpacked shopping bag and my neatly stacked pile of mail. His? Balled up socks, slippers kicked off randomly and a tangle of yesterday's clothes.

Because we've learned, for the most part, to live with and occasionally even love, each other's differences, we more often than not, leave each other alone about them. Once a week, I clean up all the stuff, and by the end of the day, his piles have reappeared and I leave them alone until next week's cleaning session.

I was in the master bathroom the other day, when I was struck by the perfect illustration of the difference between Crown's kind of tidy, and mine. Can you tell which towel belongs to whom?


Okay, how about here? Just a few days later, after my weekly clean and tidy?


I had a good chuckle when I realized that our bath towels, like our bedside tables, are so representative of us. And then I had a little sigh and realized how lucky I am that he actually hangs his up at all. Thank the Lord for small miracles and for my sort of tidy guy.

Boys

I meant to come back and write a little more about my trip down south, but life got in the way for a while. Now, besides saying that it was fabulous fun in the sun, sand and surf (and a little too much time in the WC, but we won't go there), I thought I'd leave you with a look at what really made the vacation extra special.

I give you, the boys:

My Funny Valentine

Oh my God you guys, this is SOOO funny.

So Crown and I were totally looking forward to a nice romantic Valentine's Day, you know? Out for dinner at a quiet romantic spot we like. Flowers, wine, dessert... all the players were going to be there.

HA! So then we find out that reservations we made were actually NOT made so we couldn't go to the restaurant. Ahhh, but not a problem. Crown decided to make a nice dinner instead, which would be so lovely because we could just get into our comfies and spend out first Valentine's Day in our house. SO nice.

HaHaHAAA... so then while Crown was heading over to pick up a nice bottle of wine to go with the pasta he would make, he totally got HIT BY AN SUV AND TOTALLED OUR NEW CAR.

Ha? Ha ha?

The good news here is that thankfully he did not get hurt. And also that we ended up ordering greasy Chinese food and polishing off a bottle wine before passing out on the couch at 9 pm.

Luckily I love greasy Chinese, wine and sleeping.

Where Did We Go Right?

From Johnny and June, in one of the most romantic duets that the iconic lovers ever sang:

In a world, where every one is falling apart,
One by one, heart by heart.
You and I, stay together and we never even try.
Side by side.

In a world turned upside down, our love keeps spinning around.
And you know it makes me wonder, as the rest run for their lives,
Where did we go right?

At a time, when all the world is searching for truth,
Is love real? We're living proof.
And what we have, is what everybody's trying to find.
Peace of mind.

In a world turned upside down, our love keeps spinning around.
And you know it makes me wonder, as the rest run for their lives.
Where did we go right?

Because I couldn't have said it better myself.
Happy Valentine's Day, Crown. I love you.

All the Leaves are Brown and the Sky is Grey

But just 48 short hours ago, all the leaves were very green and the sky was very blue. The ocean was sparkling, the flowers were bright, the peacocks were strutting their stuff. And us? Well, we were smiling and warm.

The Girl From Ipanema

I've got my sun screen, a few good books and a Brazillian. Look out world, Beaches is about to be set free into her natural environment.

That's right. Crown, GParty and I are taking off to the tropics on Saturday afternoon. What's even better than jetting off on a romantic vacation with my two boyfriends? Finding out that a couple of sweet ladies I know will be in the close vicinity as well. Guru and Legalese... keep your eyes peeled 'cause we'll be trolling the miles of sparkling white sands for you come Monday.

In the event that I keep my solomn vow this year and don't ever come back, divide my stuff up between yourselves and for God's sake, someone send me my dog.

"Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking..."

Personal Jesus

I take it back. I take it ALL back.

I've been waiting patiently to sign back on and let you know that my original post about my beloved Depeche Mode and their newest album was all wrong. After a few more listens, as predicted, it grew on me and now when I hear it I smile. I was hasty, and a bit preoccupied I suppose, when I gave Playing the Angel it's first listen. By the fourth or fifth run through, I was singing along and feeling the love. It's not their best album, by any means, but it's a good solid record with some great tracks and just enough of the classic Dave Gahan gloomy good-stuff and willowy Martin Gore melodrama.

But I still wanted to wait and reserve final judgement until after I'd seen the live show. I waited for the night with anticipation and a little anxiety, a little voice in my head telling me not to expect too much. They are old, after all. It has been 25 years of magic and no band can be expected to truly rock for that long. I paced and pouted at the thought that the reserved and conservative "Toronto chin-scratchers" would ruin the show with their silence and their sitting down.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong again.

Now, I'm not a music reviewer, so I'll leave the professional review up to a profesional. I think Ben Rayner has done a great job with his review so give it a read if you're interested.

If you want my side of the story, here it is.

Let's just say that the entire evening not only renewed my faith, it actually allowed me to reach out and touch it. This was easily the second best concert that I've ever seen, and THE absolute best that I've seen in Toronto. Let me just explain that he first-best concert was when I saw Madonna's Drowned World tour in 2001 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit. Hands down, best show ever, and the day that I see a show that can top it, will be the day that I can die happy. But I digress. It's not fair to compare, really.

Okay, last night.

I attended the show with my favourite guys: Crown, Mr. Rush and my own Personal Gsus (aka GParty). Any night is a good night when it's me and the guys, but there really are no guys better to see a show with than these ones. They have fun and they are not afraid to show themselves having it. It's why I've loved each of them since the moment I met them. Last night was no exception.

We screamed, we danced, we sweat. Gsus faked passing out and gave me a big belly laugh. Crown had on his dancing shoes and busted his phenomenal whistle (of which, by the way, I am insanely jealous). Mr. Rush bopped and bounced. I sang EVERY WORD TO EVERY SONG at the top of my lungs. The special part? So did everyone else. Hallelujah and praise the Lord. Toronto HAD FUN.

There was a moment, during "Personal Jesus", when the sold-out crowd at the ACC was reaching out to touch faith in synchronization and I swear I had a religious experience. If you know me, you know, I'm not religious. But there is nothing like being in a crowd of 20,000 people, all on their feet, all singing out loud to a song that you love and waving their hands in unison. It blows your mind. It blew mine.
Had God actually floated down from the rafters and landed on the stage, nobody would have even noticed him (her?) because ALL EYES were on Dave.

Dave. He is God. Remember when he died and came back to life? Yeah. Now I know. He actually did die, God took his body (who wouldn't? It's HOT) and came down to spend eternity singing "Personal Jesus", shirtless, to sold out crowds. That's right, his shirt was off in the first 15 minutes, and all was right with the world.

I cried. Not a shock, I'm sure. But seriously, when Martin Gore walked out alone on the stage for the encore, flooded in red light, and the first pulsing strains of "Somebody" filled the stadium, I may have had an orgasm. That song? It's all ravaged teenage emotions, unrequited passion, first loves, first dance, first broken heart, "first time," all rolled into one. You may wrongly think that I was having a "chick" moment, but nope. I think the guys felt it too. In fact, I'm pretty sure the entire stadium shared my ecstasy.

TWO encores. TWO ENCORES! The second one whipped the crowd into such a frenzy that I thought the roof was going to blow off the building. The roar was actually deafening and I noticed a few people around me screaming out loud and plugging their ears at the same time. I would never have guessed that they would actually come back out a second time, but Crown was defiant. "We're not leaving until they they sing that song I love. There is no way I'm leaving until that happens."

The song, he loves? "Never Let Me Down Again." Guess what? They didn't.

Picture it again. 20,000 people singing together and waving their arms in happy, sweaty unison. "See the stars they're shining bright, everything's alright tonight." Indeed it was.

Cruisin' Together

Thirty two reasons:

1. He makes me laugh everyday, even when there’s not much to laugh about.
2. He has the most amazing green eyes and the longest, thickest eyelashes in the world.
3. Scorpios are hot.
4. He is incredibly talented. More so than he even knows.
5. He gave in against his better judgment when I wanted to bring a puppy into our lives and now he loves our little dog fiercely and without shame.
6. Tattoos. Are. Sexy.
7. The way he talks to the Momes when he thinks nobody is listening.
8. He loves his mother.
9. He loves my mother.
10. He may not always agree with me, but he always respects me.
11. Rough on the outside, soft and mushy on the inside.
12. The way he bounces his legs and shuffles around when he gets excited.
13. He loves my friends and I love his.
14. He’s passionate about food, and he cooks!
15. He is just as happy as I am to lie for hours in the sun and do nothing at all.
16. He truly enjoys the company of women. Something not so common among men.
17. His names, both first and last, are beautiful.
18. I cry a lot, he wipes away my tears.
19. He is the master at Trivial Pursuit. In fact at every game that he plays.
20. He is my best friend.
21. Did I mention that he is funny as hell?
22. I love it when we’re cruisin’ together.
23. Tricepts, shoulders, tiny bum.
24. Weekend mornings, staying in bed late, drinking coffee and reading the paper.
25. Bundling up for winter walks to the park. He stays outside with the Momes while I run in for hot chocolate.
26. We can speak to each other with nothing more than a quick glance in each other’s eyes.
27. He reads voraciously.
28. He loves music and art, but not in that icky pretentious way.
29. He’s not too cool to totally rock out.
30. He is kind, comforting and loving, not just to me, to everyone that he knows.
31. This list was easy, I could write a thousand more.
32. Just because.

Happy birthday Crown.

These Are the People in My Neighbourhood

Seems customary to use fakie names on these blog-thingies. So here's my list of peeps' that you're likely to see pop up here and there in Beaches' speeches. In no particular order so don't call me up and bitch because you're name was farther down the list than someone elses. Don't make me come back here and alphebetize, because I will... I swear to you I WILL.

CrowN:
The love of my life. The wind beneath my wings. My partner, my best friend and a total babe, to boot. Funny, smart, extremely talented and pretty buff if you don't mind me saying so. Most importantly perhaps, he's the person who does my laundry and cooks my dinner. Heh. No, but seriously. He really does that.

Moms:
This isn't the most creative nickname because, well, she's my mom. She's also the stongest, kindest, coolest, most incredible woman I have ever known. She's lovely and she's everything that I hope I will be one day.

Chops:
My baby sister. Five years younger and almost my complete opposite--other than the fact that she's tall and blonde and funny and smart. Hm. Where to start? I think Chops deserves a blog all about her actually, so watch for it. I promise it'll make an interesting read.

Commie:
My stepfather. Probably one of my biggest influences, this is the man who is responsible for my sarcastic side, my political side and quite possibly my incurable shopping addition. This guy is like an uber-genius and he uses his super powers for good. Recently retired, it seems like him and Moms are going to start spending a lot of time hanging out in trailer parks around the U.S., which may not seem like a very likely place for a radical left-wing political activist. But mark my words, Commie will try to infiltrate and organize those campers. Just give him time.

Dings:
Dings rocks. She's my soul sista and we've known each other since Grade 9, although she kinda scared me in those early years. Over time I learned to look through the rough and tumble exterior (heh) and see the goofy mushy love-muffin that she actually is. We quickly became fast-friends and she's been number one by my side ever since. This summer Dings got hitched and I was her maid. Of honour, of course. Then she up and moved out of town with her hubbie and I miss her to death every minute. But, like I said, we're soul sistas and always will be. She's the yin to my yang. Plus she's one tough cookie and one hot mama. And funny? Don't even get me started.

Weirdo:
Another of my true loves, Weirdo and I have also been friends for like, ever, and he's basically just me only a boy. And gay. So, if I were a gay boy, then we'd be exactly the same. Well, actually, I'd probably be much gayer than he is. Whatever Weirdo rocks, ok?

Scarbie:
Scarbie is the Nicole Richie to my Paris Hilton. She'll get what that means, because she bascially came up with it, but for those of you who don't get it... I think it means that she's the shorter, tougher, fiestier one and I'm the taller, blonder, flakier one. Either way, Scarbie and I share a brain and I love everything about her. We can speak without speaking... cool, eh? I bet even Nicole and Paris can't do that shit.
Oh - side note - Scarbie is knocked up and going to actually give birth to a child. That's a REAL child, people. One that cries and poops and everything. I love him already.

The Dog:
Scarbie's hubbie. We call him the dog, not because he's a dog in bad way, but because he's a dog in the good cuddly, loyal, cute, loving and carefree way. I have a soft spot for all dogs, but a have a HUGE soft spot for THE dog. And he's going to be an amazing dad to his soon-to-be puppy.

The Momes:
Now, not to confuse you, but the Momes actually IS a dog. Like the real kind. He's our dog, he's gorgeous and he basically rules the household. CrowN will agree I'm sure. The Momes is the light at the end of my tunnel and I think it might be a little insane to love an animal as much as I love him, but I bet other dog owners can understand. The Momes has more nicknames than I'd like to admit, so if I accidentally refer to him as Momo, Punkus, Peanut, Pugster or anything other disgustingly cutesie name, you'll just have to figure out that I'm talking about him. Trust me it won't be too hard.

G.Party:
I guess G started out as CrowN's best bud, although I knew him too. Being with CrowN for five years means I've kinda been with G.Party for five years too. He was part of the package and man am I glad for it. You know the kind of people that bring a big smile to your face just by thinking about them? That's G.Party. Just a super, wicked dude, who I love to be around. Oh - plus the best damn D.J. in the whole city. G.Party can make you start dancing in five seconds.

Ok. I swear I do know more people than this, and there are certainly many, many more who are worth mentioning, but I'm getting tired and you're getting bored. So watch for installment 2 of These Are the People... coming soon.