Bikes

Now...if you thought the inside/outside shoe debate was interesting...take this one.

Jay LOVES to bike (outside). In fact, he has several outside bikes. However, when the weather does not permit, he rides inside (on, of course, his inside bike....duh!). Currently he owns five (5) bikes...and he is always looking to bring another one into the fold. I have accepted this as his vice...embraced it as his hobby...learning to accept it as his obsession.

I, on the other hand, am afraid of traffic. And, I don't like bad weather (any rain, wind, fog, any reason not to exercise). So, my outside bike sits covered in cobwebs and in the shadows of the other bikes in our basement. I prefer SPINNING...an inside exercise class where a drill sargeant yells at you to ride faster and faster - all the re-mixed classics played at very loud volume.

Early on in our friendship, I invited Jay to Spinning. I think he was trying to impress me as he said yes and came. HE HATED IT...and made it obvious. HATED the music...HATED being told how to ride...HATED being inside. So, he has never returned. He is no longer trying to impress me.

I, in return, took one bike ride with him - albeit only 8 miles. At a stop sign, however, I almost got killed as I got off the bike in a traffic pattern. I believe Jay is now happy I ride inside only.

So, separately we ride...different in so many ways - why not in our biking? And the debate about inside and outside bikes...well, that one is over for now. I will call it a "draw".

We found this cake topper recently - thought it was appropriate. Because, as much as I enjoy the occcasional Spinning class, NOTHING comes between Jay and his bike. Just call me the "bike widow".

I still love John Travolta

If you haven't already heard, there is drama at the National Museum of Dance - the location of our wedding ceremony. Basically - there is management disagreement over whether or not JOHN TRAVOLTA should be in the Hall of Fame.

Is he - or is he not - a dancer? Feel free to comment on that...

But, for a few days - the sign on the door and the inability to reach anyone at the Museum had us nervous. News stories reported staff leaving and that the Museum was closed - really closed - until May 30th. Our wedding is May 2nd. Uh oh.

Jay - as you can imagine - was ready to sue everyone (including Vinnie Barbarino). The women (in this case, Jean, Liz, Jane and I) were all calm and knew it would all work out. As it did...got the call today and all is fine. Can't promise you we will have heat or running water, though :)

If interested...link here to read the whole article: http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/jan/11/0111_museum/

The Dress...

Don't worry Jay...you can look, it isn't my dress (I think I am the only one who does not subscribe to that superstition!).

As you may already know - we are tying the knot on May 2nd and our colors are Black/White/Silver. The search for the bridesmaids' dresses has taken a few months. We started at David's - even bought one - then I changed my mind completely. Maybe even more than once. Go figure.

Four tremendous ladies are standing up for us (and a few guys - but their outfits are not selected yet) and they will be sporting this fabulous frock. Without the gloves and hopefully, without the trampy pose!

Linda, Liz and Laurie will have a black dress with white bow. Nicole - the best babe - will have a silver bow to match her dad's garb. Thank you all for being so patient with the bridal shop trips.

Now, the search for the perfect necklace for this dress has begun. Please comment if you have a great idea!

The Need for Order.....

There is a way things should be done...an order in life. Does this make me a candidate for OCD? I think not. But go ahead, make fun of the fact I always correct the placement of the one dish Jen puts in the wrong way. How does that plate get clean??? And, what if it interfers with the cleaning of the other plates? Come on now!

So I make the bed EVERYDAY. Why don't you??? I like a made bed with clean sheets and I find solace in knowing I am getting into a made bed. In case you don't know, I also have my shoes and sneakers neatly lined up in rows, I have an order for my files in the filing cabinet, and I keep records in binders dating back to 1980 which are neatly in order according to date on a bookshelf in the basement. If this isn't normal behavior, how are you supposed to know where you have filed something like a purchase agreement for a house you purchased in 1986 or a shot a doctor gave you in 1982? I think this is normal. And to those of you who don't understand, I say BRING IT!

My sister Julie thinks I am 90 years old because I don't know how to live like everyone else; throw old papers out, scramble the order of the sneakers and shoes, and who cares where the dish goes in the dishwasher....it all gets cleaned anyway. I say, "I care and it does matter!" I will still beat you in trivia pursuit because I know the nonsense no one else knows. I don't need to be a "Menza" to be considered gifted, I know things others don't!

My daughter thinks I am old because I don't go out to blow some steam. She also thinks I am old because I sound like my father. I say "like father, like son". My Dad was wise when I started my rebellious ways, I just didn't listen and paid for it. Now I know better.

Jen has a need for financial order in her life, and I have a need for order, period. Anybody have any problems with my way of life or need for order, put it in writing and submit it to the President (I am the President) who in turn will enact Rule #6. Rule #6 was created by a wise man who said you should submit any problems in triplicate to the President who will then take a vote, his vote, and make a decision.

Have I answered your question about my need for order?

Making the Bed

I have to ask - of those reading this BLOG, who makes their bed on a daily basis? Truthfully....every day?

Until I shared a home with Jay - I never did. NEVER. Had an entire monologue prepared for my mother stating all the reasons it was a waste of precious time. Why, when you would just mess them up again, would you take the time to straighten out sheets and blankets? It made no sense to me. It was my private, daily rebelion.

Enter Jay. A made bed is VERY important to Jay. Very important. So, in a bow to compromise, I began making the bed daily when we bought our house. You have to understand, I get up exactly 30 minutes before I have to leave in the morning. I have little time to waste - as I save every last minute for sleep...so this was a big compromise. A few weeks in, as I went to go to sleep one night, I noticed that the sheets were very tightly tucked - hospital corners! I knew I had not been that detailed in my morning bed making effort.

So I asked him...did you RE-MAKE the bed? To which he slyly smirked. Seems that I wasn't making it right. But, he was so happy I was making an effort - he never told me.

So now, not only do I make the bed every day to show him how committed I am to his OCD issues...but he re-makes it even better. Now talk about a waste of time!

Have to admit...I actually like a made bed now. Yet another thing I was missing in my life before Jay :)

Ms. Sensitivity strikes again!!

The Girlfriend is standing over my left shoulder as I write and is worried who will read this blog....Oh My God!! She is tickling me right now and is worried about what people will think about me....and her, and keeps saying, "Nobody cares!!" (except for her of course)...in case you did not know...she is a bit neurotic!! Just a tid bit (actually a big tid). I keep telling her she is too old and it is too late in life to care....but she won't listen to me, yet. I love her though.

Keep your friends close...

Ok...so we started this blog to make fun of ourselves - at the urging of Laurie, who found us to have MUCH material in her short visit to Albany. But to turn on us? To put morning VIDEO up on the blog...now that isn't nice. I choose to use the blog for good. To prove that, here is a lovely picture of Laurie and Lundy. Ooops...is that Jay making signs behind your head? Sorry.

Typical? Morning at the Holick House?

Total goobers.

The VIRTUE of Inside and Outside Shoes

This is cool. Where else can I talk about Jen in a forum where she has asked me to mock all the crazy things we do and say.

For my first entry - I must discuss the thing that all of you use to define my OCD...What is wrong with having inside shoes and outside shoes? Let's review the pros and cons.

Inside shoes = Clean. Need I say more? (actually you will find I use few words whereas my fiance will go on and on and on....).

Outside shoes = dog shit, dirt, gum, snow, mud = MESSY. Things that are outside things should stay outside.

We are considering getting a dog. Laurie has asked how I will deal with the dog's inside/outside paws (I have Jen trained well)...I think it will be easy to clean his/her paws everytime he/she enters the house.

First time visitors and our mothers get a pass. All others - remember Jay's rule #1. My house, my rules. (Unless, of course, they conflict with Jen's rules...then revert the Jen's rule #1).

Who Cares?

Off to an auspicious beginning....

A blog about us you say? What?? I'm sure you're thinking "Like I have time..."

Well you have to admit we provide a lot of humor, entertainment and drama for everyone, without even really meaning to. So we created this blog for our families, friends and everyone sharing in our lives. Please bookmark the URL (http://www.thechroniclesofjandj.blogspot.com/) and join family blog. We love to hear what's going on with you... so although to answer the question posed, WE care and we want to hear from you!