Teal Velvet Couch

Who has the coolest couch in the world?

We do.

Don't you love our MGBW's "Jordan" sofa in teal velvet?

It fits the space in the office perfectly, and it's more gorgeous in person.

The only problem is that I have to keep it covered because our French bulldog with a strong sense of entitlement has decided that my new couch is her new favorite spot to nap.

From 1 to 14

As you know, we're jumping on a jet plane and getting legally married in a few days.  The last time we exchanged vows of commitment it was May 2006 and at that time only one state (Massachusetts) legally recognized same sex unions.  Today 14 states plus the District of Columbia recognize same sex marriages.  In fact, over 33% of the population lives in a state that recognizes marriages for same-sex couples.

The world is changing for the better.

Bedding

For the first time I purchased bedding for one of our guest bedrooms (a.k.a. Del's bedroom, since he is our most frequent visitor).  Up until now I've been lucky enough to commandeer bedding from my mother's linen closet.  That well finally ran dry.  The quilt that was on the bed started to get a little holy - it had more holes in it than a golf course.  (Thank you, thank you - I'll be here all week.)

I am shocked at how expensive bedding can be.  I searched high and low and finally I found something on sale at Pottery Barn that was acceptable.  What do you think?  It's much more tame than my normal speed, but Anthropologie had removed the Felicity bedding before I could buy it...

I'm trying to refresh the guess bedroom, and I really want to replace the lamps too.  I told my husband that I wanted to replace the lamps, and he replied with "No. What's wrong with the lamp?  I love that lamp."  I was surprised at his reaction.  First of all, the lamp is one I purchased in college from Home Depot.  It's not exactly high fashion.  Over time I'm replacing everything that isn't impressive on its own.

I looked at my husband again and I started to get suspicious.  He looked at me and smiled.  Finally, in a whispered tone he said: "I have no idea what the lamp looks like in Del's bedroom."  We both laughed.  Our brains do not work the same.  He doesn't catalog important stuff like lamps.  He still said I couldn't replace the lamp because it still works.  I'm on a mission to upgrade everything in the house, but my husband thinks that you shouldn't replace something if it still works.  Look at this photo...

Don't you think it would look better with some really cool blue ceramic or blue ceramic or orange ceramic or white marble lamps?

Cole at Nordstrom

My mother has a new Bestie named Cole.  We're taking our parents with us to witness us getting legally married next weekend in California, and my mother went shopping to get ready for the trip.  It's the first time she's flown since her traumatic brain injury 22 months ago, and it's important to look good especially if your head is constantly spinning, right mom?  ("The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.")

My mother needed a new purse and she bonded with Cole (clearly a homosexual) at Nordstrom because my mother's gay son (that's me) is going to get legally married in California.  Hooray!

My mother now owns a beautiful Kate Spade purple purse...

We're Getting Legally Married

In May of 2006 my husband and I had a wedding in Texas.  It was a joyous occasion.  We were surrounded by our most loved family and friends and we had a wedding ceremony and reception even though at the time our state and our country wouldn't recognize the event.

Next week we are flying to California to add the legal aspect that was missing from the 2006 event.  Our state, Texas, still won't recognize our marriage, but our country will.  In the eyes of the federal government we will be legally married!  Finally.

I'm so excited.  I had to share!

Gone But Not Forgotten

This family's annual October graveyard always makes me laugh.  They create a graveyard of things that died in the previous 12 months.

For example:

• Weiner 4 Mayor
• Khloe & Lamar
• Bradley Manning's military career
• Liam & Miley
• Barney's Dallas
• Trump U
• Lance Armstrong & Nike

It always makes me laugh!

No more peanut butter? I am not that strong.

Our yoga studio has a visiting nutritionist who's encourage us to change our diets to get the most out of our yoga practices.  So.

I didn't go to the detox class.

I was busy.

However, in the detox class my fellow yogis learned that three foods you shouldn't consume are peanut butter, milk, and yogurt.  What?!  It has to do with the difficulty the human body has with digesting these foods.  In fact, my teacher said that peanut butter, milk, and yogurt are keeping people fat, and we should replace those items with almond butter, almond milk, and supplement tablets.

First of all, I eat those three foods daily.  I eat a lot of peanut butter. I am addicted to my husband, black coffee, and crunchy peanut butter. This is a known fact.

My grandparents were dairy farmers; my father grew up milking cows.  I'm certain my body can easily handle milk.  It's in my DNA.  And I need milk for my cereal.

Yogurt is a lovely treat.

Plus, I'm suspicious that only the almond farmers are wanting us to replace peanut butter with almond butter and milk with almond milk.

However, I am not skinny and the person telling me to stop eating these three foods is skinny.  Maybe I should try to limit these foods?

But peanut butter is so good.  This is hard.

The Ease of Living in 2013

Since we purchased more than we could carry back on the plane, we had wine and extra virgin olive oil shipped from Mendoza, Argentina.  I love living in world with a market economy, because it makes life so easy.  Yes, they have several companies in Mendoza that specialize in shipping wine back to the USA.   Apparently, it's common for people touring wineries to purchase more than they can carry!

We Could Get Married in New Jersey

Via The Daily Beast: "The New Jersey Supreme Court voted unanimously Friday afternoon to deny Christie’s attempt to block a lower-court decision allowing gay marriages to be performed in the Garden State starting next week. After the decision was released, Christie announced state agencies will start preparing to implement the ruling."

This means starting Monday, October 21 New Jersey is required to start marrying gay couples too.

Red

It's been out almost an entire year, but I'm here to boldly say Taylor Swift's Red is brilliant.  I can listen to the album from beginning to end.  In fact, at work I listen to it most days.  I enjoy "Begin Again" and "The Lucy One" most, but the whole album is perfect.

Code Red

Our oldest niece, Presley, is in kindergarten.  She's 5 and a half years old.  And last week she told her mother a secret.  Her mother told my brother and my brother told me.  (Welcome to the family, Presley.)

When my brother's wife was asking Presley about her school day Presley started to giggle and blush.  My brother's wife did that mom thing where she gets her child to tell her what her child doesn't want to say.  Presley whispered into her mother's ear that while at school the kindergartners were on the playground the same time the third graders were on the playground, and Presley met a very handsome third grade boy.  Presley also told her best friend Charlotte that she thought the boy was very handsome.

WHAT?

How do you stop this?  Why is Presley giggling about boys?  Nothing good can come from this.  I want to quit my job and home school my nieces.

Presley, you're going to be a strong independent woman and you don't need to pay attention to boys, ever.  Nothing good comes from paying attention to boys.  Nothing.

Former Stanley Marcus Home - 10 Nonesuch

My intention of this blog is to keep it very narrowly focused.  With this blog I'm proving that my life with my husband is equal to (not less than) the life you have with your husband/wife.  Our big gay gay life is just like your big gay straight life.  We're just living life in all its gloriousness!

However, sometimes for my own joy I must take a detour.  The home of the late Stanley Marcus  the former CEO of Neiman Marcus is on the market, and it is in my neighborhood.   The home sits on over three acres and is in a gated community.  I, like the other riff raff, usually can only see this house from behind bars of the gate.  As such, I screeched like a little girl when I saw these photos online.  This might be my favorite home, ever!  This house is as cool as I expected.

Dear Husband, do we have $5M in the bank to spend on a house?  If so, I want this house.

Nicole Newsted

I'm saving my money to remove a wall in our house.  I'm trying to open up our 1980 one-story ranch-ish beauty.  If I wasn't saving money to remove a wall, then I'd purchase this painting by Nicole Newsted titled "I'm Obviously Going to San Francisco."  How does this painting not make you smile?

This art would look great in a nursery or a hallway.  At 30 x 40 this work really sets a fabulous tone.

Taxes

It's that time of year again.  The property tax bill always arrives in Q4.  As I always say, my husband and I are equally taxed, and Texas has no problem cashing our property tax check...or sales tax check.

Why won't Texas give us equal rights?

At least the federal government will recognize our marriage.  We can go to another state and get married, legally!

Catch up Texas.

Kusama

 When we were in Argentina, I waited in this line...

To see this...

And to see this...

Seriously.  I waited in line for this?  I don't remember the last time I waited in line for anything, and I waited in line for this?!  

It was part of the MALBA's Kusama exhibit.  Kusama is celebrated as the most important living artist from Japan, and perhaps she did something significant in the 1960's but today it just looks like she did a lot of drugs.  She's on drugs, right?  She has to be on drugs?

My husband enjoys modern art.  I enjoy hyperrealism art.  Modern art rarely speaks to me.  I can paint dots. I can glue shit to a chair.  I can paint an entire canvas in white.  I cannot find the significance in a pattern on oil and canvas.  Is this arts and crafts or is this modern art?  

I don't believe the hype. 

Dressed To Kill

I've worked every single day since we returned from our Argentina adventure.  My husband has been gone almost every single day since we returned from our Argentina adventure.  He has work, his MBA, and now he's entered recruiting season. Since his current employer isn't paying for his MBA, the whole wide world is wide open for him to explore.  (And we need to monetize this MBA because an Ivy League MBA isn't cheap.)

We had two blissful weeks in Argentina where we spent 24/7 together and now we've had two normal weeks where we spent 0/7 together.  We are both focused on the long term goal, because that's what successful people do, right?  They survive the short term pain because the long term pay-off is worth it!

Like I said, my work has been hectic and it's hard when I'm running the household and working while he's out of town.

In recognition of my effort, my husband surprised me with two tickets to Cher's upcoming tour.  Yes, March 26, 2014 we'll be seeing Cher in Dallas.  It was a nice surprise. It will be a fun show.

In the almost decade we've known each other we've seen Prince in Denver, Dolly in Dallas,  The Dixie Chicks in Dallas, Britney in Dallas, Bruce in Dallas, and now Cher in Dallas.  We have a track record of seeing fabulous shows together.

I love doing anything with my husband.

Bad Neighbor

How could anything that looks like this...

Receive a note that looks like this...

"Your dog has been barking for 1 1/2 hours non-stop.  Can you give us a break and put a stop to this please"

Our next door neighbors are dogless cowards.  In five years this is the fifth unsigned note like this we've received in our mailbox or taped on our front door.  Our neighbors unwillingness to claim the feedback makes me suspicious of their facts.  While I wasn't at home when this was taped to the front door, it's my experience that our dogs only bark when people or trash trucks are in the ally OR if another animal is in the back yard.  They bark with cause, which is a good thing.

This problem would have an easy solution: I could give my neighbor my cell phone to call if she feels our dogs are barking too much.  Real time feedback allows me to manage the situation. However, since the notes are unsigned I'm unwilling to work out an adult solution.  (If you're going to act like a child, then I'm going to treat you like a child.)

Instead, I am keeping my dogs more closely monitored by our dog sitter when we're at work.

Also, I'm planning on building the tallest and most obnoxious side fence between our two houses, which should upset them nicely.  She has a nice big window overlooking our side yard, and I'm going to eliminate her view with an ugly fence.  It's good that I'm not childish, right?

Focus on What Is Workin'

The House Republicans are shutting down the government today because they don't like Obamacare?  The people re-elected Obama and the Supreme Court already ruled that Obamacare is legal.  I feel like this debate should be over?  At least this debate shouldn't shut down the government.  We do elect Congress to govern not to shut down the government- that's not a secret, right?

This is really bad for business.

For now, I'm not going to worry about the stock market that for sure will drop today because of the shut down.

For now, I'm going to focus on the fact that Cher is going on tour next year, and Britney is workin' it in Las Vegas.  This is glorious!  I wonder if Cher's tour will stop in Las Vegas the same time Brit-Brit is in town?!  That would be epic.  I love life!