This is a note to myself that I cannot forget my husband’s birthday on Friday.
Because on Friday he has a very special birthday. He turns 35.
As a triathlete you know this is an extra special birthday. Aging up. Now racing in M35 – 39. As a normal person this is proof of mortality. One year closer to 40. And clearly life ends at 40. Or isn’t that the way some people act?
The other day I asked Chris how he felt. “No different than when I was 26.” I told him to give it another 5 years. And then reassess. But I’m just joking around with him. It is strange to have a husband two years older than me. In a sense I watch it happen to him first. Aging. The good news is that it hasn’t happened yet. He looks the same. The bad news is that you know it’s only a matter of time before you look at each other and say “we look old.”
Or do we? What does old look like? How about 23? Or 28? Or 31? I don’t yet know. I told someone on a plane a few weeks ago that I was 33. He said I looked 18. I thanked him. I asked him to come home with me, sit in my closet so I could pull him out when I was 39. Or finally looked my age.
But back to Chris. I have known him since he was 26. That would be racing category M25 – 29. I was F20 – 24. Yes, I’ve been at this a very long time. My first meeting of Chris was at masters swim team. We both swam in the same lane. Sadly, I have not moved up in lanes since then.
I believe the way it worked was that I liked Chris first. For about a year. And then I decided it was futile so I stopped liking him. And then about a week later he announced that he liked me. I was like – great timing, champ. I’m so over you now. Leave me alone. We met somewhere in the middle and gave it a whirl.
I wanted to make mention of his birthday but wasn’t really sure what else to say. Honestly I wasn’t sure where to begin. Then I got a roundabout e-mail about nominating Boss for pet of the week on the Pattern & Paw website. Looking at the nomination form I thought to myself – yes, that would be a good form to describe Chris on his birthday. I know he’s not a pet and I can’t nominate him for a free collar but…then again…maybe?
Name: Christian Thomas Waterstraat
Nick-Names: Chrispy, Waterboy…I don’t know. You know how some couples have a million poofy nicknames for each other? Well we don’t. Sometimes I call his ass clown but that’s a different story all together.
DOB: October 24, 1973
Location: Born, bred, living until death do him part in Illinois.
Favorite Food: Pumpkin pie, corn chips, croissants, beer.
Favorite Toy: Wife? I wish. Is there really just one toy to call his favorite? He has an entire basement full of toys. Tools, bikes, wheels, cables, Guitar Hero.
Favorite Nap Spot: Again, too many to count. On the bed, on the floor, on the couch, in the car, in the basement, on the side of the road once during a bike road (really – and it wasn’t the first time).
I love: My wife, my wife’s dog, riding my bike, making piles around the house, watching movies, fixing things, cooking, eating snacks, being with family, eating meat, secretly I love walking & singing the ‘make – the – poopy’ song to my wife’s dog but I won’t admit it.
I hate: Traffic, stoplights, days when I think I don’t need to drink coffee so I don’t but then I get a raging headache and blame it on everything but coffee.
Special Skills: I asked him this and he said “my problem solving skills.” Now what fun is that! What about ability to make fine puppets out of socks (not his special skill..but..what if?), ability to produce an entire basket of dirty laundry in one day, ability to perform inane household tasks with no prompting (vacuuming out the cars!?) yet refusing ordinary household tasks (laundry) even with nagging, getting drunk on one drink, ability to wear same red shirt on every day on 10 day vacation, ability to sleep on Vegas Boulevard, ability to do the solo pull of an entire line of men in blue cycling jerseys every July, ability to do this (see picture below) while driving vehicle at 70 mph.
Super-Power(s): Fast talking.
Anything else special about your pet (husband)? All around nice guy, would help a flea cross the road if given the chance, scary smart with tools, engineering and physics, wants you to know that he “really likes bicycles.”
Quips, stories, etc.? Definitely check the blog archives – there’s lots of quips and stories in there.
So, happy birthday to Chris. Today you are 35. You only get half way through your 30’s once. Enjoy today – drink coffee, eat cake and later tonight with your family at dinner go crazy with the wine. I’ll put the lawn chair out front in the yard, let you pass out in when we get home and when I tell you to go to sleep you can tell me that you’re just going to watch a short movie in your head (which is also one of your superpower(s) – ability to watch entire full length features films in his head).
