The Husband

Two Nice Guys With The Same Name

/ Ally Bean / 21 Comments

My Zen-Den rented a car.  While either in the rental office or while driving the car, my Zen-Den’s black leather business card organizer wallet fell out of his computer bag.  He did not know that this had happened.

This wallet holds about 40 plastic cards that my Zen-Den uses at hotels & airlines & car rental kiosks when he travels for work.  Also, once upon a time my Zen-Den stuck a receipt for a car service visit in the back of this wallet.

[It would be at this point in the story that I could go off on a snarky tangent about paying attention to what’s going on around you… don’t adopt an absent-minded professor persona… zip the sides of you computer bag.  But I won’t.]

• • • 

Last Tuesday morning we received at the house an overnight package.  On it was the oddest address label.  The label said that Zen-Den in MI had sent Zen-Den in OH this package.  I figured that it was work related, so I didn’t open it.

[I could have opened the package immediately but:

  1. It wasn’t addressed to me, which technically means that I shouldn’t open it– like that’s ever stopped me before;  &
  2. I live in fear of anthrax dust because I’ve watched a gazillion times that NCIS episode where Tony gets the bubonic plague.  Hey, don’t judge.  It could happen.]

• • • 

When my Zen-Den came home from work I handed him the package.  He had no idea what was in it, so we both watched as he opened it.  And there was his black leather business card organizer wallet.

There wasn’t a note in the package with the wallet, so we had no idea how the other Zen-Den came to have my Zen-Den’s black leather business card organizer wallet.  There was only the address label with the other Zen-Den’s business address/phone number on it.

[Again, I could make a big issue of the fact that a stranger had information about my Z-D’s vehicle and license plate number and credit card, but that would make me sound churlish, so I won’t mention it here.]

• • • 

So the next day my Zen-Den phoned the other Zen-Den and they talked.  Come to find out someone at the car rental company had found the wallet.  When the car rental company went through their records, they found the other Zen-Den’s name/address & sent him my Zen-Den’s black leather business card organizer wallet.

The other Zen-Den knew that it wasn’t his, but he took the time to look through it where he discovered the car service receipt with our home address on it.  Then, because he was a nice older gentleman, he just mailed it to my Zen-Den.  No big deal.  Just did something nice.

My Zen-Den offered to reimburse the other Zen-Den for the cost of mailing, but the other Zen-Den said not to worry about it.  He had it covered.

And that, gentle readers, is how it came to be that my Zen-Den got his black leather business card organizer wallet back.  Amazing, huh?  Who’d have thought that there’d be two nice guys with the same name?  Just glad that there are.

Good Morning, Darling

/ Ally Bean / 19 Comments

Zen-Den needed to get up earlier than usual to go to work.  He set his alarm clock, but I didn’t hear it go off.  He heard it and went into the bathroom to shower and shave.  While he was in the shower I woke up.  I often wake up early, so it was no big deal for me to get up.  I went into the bathroom where he was now shaving.  The following conversation ensued.

# # # 

Him:  Was it the noise from the light that woke you up?

Me:  No, it was the light from the water running through the faucet that did it.

Him:  Oh good.  I didn’t want to bother you.

Me:  Hmm…  *smile*

{a minute of silence}

Him:  What did you say?  How did the light from the water running through the faucet wake you up?

Me:  It woke me up because the noise from the light didn’t.  *snicker*

Him:  Oh.

{30 seconds later}

Him:  What are you talking about???

Me:  I’m talking about why I got up.

Him:  What?  Wait a minute… you knew what I meant!

Me:  Yep.  But it’s so much more fun to confuse you early in the morning.

Him:  You make no sense.

Me:  I know.  *giggle*

# # # 

… And who rocks at Mind Games 101?

I do believe that it is Ms. Bean.  

Oh yes, I do.

My 2012 Yearlies List

/ Ally Bean / 14 Comments

[H/T to Chris at the Rude Cactus for this idea.  His list is here.]

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The Yearly Top Gardening Success:  Our in-ground sprinkler system for our lawn.  It took us years to have one installed, but now that we have one our yard remained green all summer– and I didn’t have to drag a hose + oscillating sprinkler anywhere on the property.  Not even once.

The Yearly Top Absurdity of Life:  Even though I didn’t go to Canada, I have a traffic violation from that country with a fine to pay.  I owe the Canadian Dept of Transportation 37¢ Canadian.  You see, Canada has a photo of a vehicle registered to me doing something illegal in their country.  The miscreant in this story is Z-D [or maybe one of his lawyer buddies] who went on his [their] annual camping cabin trip and somehow missed paying a toll along the way.  Because of this, I’m left holding the traffic violation.  And a bottle of maple syrup.

The Yearly Top Duh! Moment:  Cutie oranges.  Who knew these little clementines were so tasty?  Not me.  I thought they were only for kids, but thanks to J at Thinking About… I got some for our party, tried them and am now hooked.

The Yearly Top Annoying Term:  Guru.  If you believe yourself to be one, then you are not one.  This term is trite, hackneyed, pointless, stupid– and most of all, overused.  Don’t be a business guru;  you can do better than that.  Aim to add value, not gibberish, to the conversation.

The Yearly Top YouTube Video, Cat Angst Category:  Henri 5, The Worst Noël.  If you have ever been around a cat, then this series of videos will make you laugh more than you should.  Paws down.

The Yearly Top Expression Of Gratitude:  From a shy 10ish y.o. Boy Scout who came to the front door and sold me caramel corn + cheese corn.  A few weeks later when he delivered the products, he included a typed-out thank you note on a strip of paper, hand signed, which thanked me for helping him achieve his goal.  Very thoughtful kid.

The Yearly Top Home Improvement Project:  New light fixtures in the kitchen above the island & table.  Good-bye large weathered copper light fixtures with dingy uneven glass shades.  Hello sleek antique brushed nickel lights with etched white alabaster glass shades that spread the light evenly across the surface.  Such an improvement.

~ • ~

So, what are your yearlies?  Care to share?

Why Krill? Why Me? Why?

/ Ally Bean / 21 Comments

Here is what was in my mind when I woke up this morning:

DON’T BE KRILL.

What does this mean?  I can’t figure out why I was thinking this, but that hasn’t stopped me from spending a good part of this morning ruminating about it.  Because, as you know, I loves me a good rumination.

[Plus it’s NaBloPoMo– the time of year when any & all happenings are potential blog post fodder.]

# # #

After rising, I told Zen-Den what was in my mind at 6:00 a.m. when his alarm clock, set on a Mexican music station, jolted us awake.

Being a lawyer he started to cross-examine my testimony.

  • It was the word KRILL?  Not the word SHRILL?  Or PILL?   
  • Was there a whale involved?  Because you know whales eat krill?
  • What were you thinking about last night when you went to sleep?  Fish?

[Immediately, I regretted my decision to share with him.  Can you understand why?  Are those way too many questions for non-caffeinated me in the morning?  The answer is YES.]

# # #

So what do you think, gentle readers?  Why was krill on my brain when I woke up this morning?  Explain it to me.  Tell me a story from your life.  Make something up.  Humor me.  Just give me a reason why it was there… and then I’ll be happy.

[Thank you in advance for your insightful comments on this topic of vital importance!]