Jerry Seinfeld’s “The Marriage Ref”
Jerry Seinfeld hasn’t been in the spotlight much since the end of Seinfeld, but on March 14 after the closing the winter Olympics, he will be debuting his new comic reality television show “The Marriage Ref”. The show revolves around celebrities and a marriage expert who will examine the ongoing arguments that all couples have and decide who will reign supreme. You know those little argument or squabbles that stay with you for years. Hopefully they will be looking for squabbles rather than wars! No one wants to be uncomfortable watching a marriage on the rocks on television. Ok, maybe that last sentence isn’t true - the state of reality tv s pretty sad.
NBC is looking for couple who argue about food, kids, money, sex, friends, habits, fitness, decorating - whatever it is, if you are the kind of couple that likes to air your dirty laundry this show might be fore you. In fact, the casting call is still going on! So if you are interested, check out all the details here. Are you secure enough that you will be declared the winner of your long standing fight?
Goodbye Sweet Rodman
Nearly 14 years ago, the guy I was dating and I decided to get a cat together. We were 19 and I mistakenly thought that getting a pet together would make him more responsible and look at me as wife/mother material. He went to a groomer who was giving away cats and surprised me at work with a scrawny little tortoiseshell kitten. She was less than pleasant looking. I had been looking forward to a scrumptious little ball of fur and instead I was presented with a kitten who looked like she had 5 different colors of paint splattered all over her. Regardless, I fell in love with her silly little face that seemed to be split down the middle. We named her Rodman after the Bulls power forward Dennis Rodman, which led to years of people calling “her” a “him”.
The boyfriend came and went, but Rodman moved with me no less 4 times in as many years during her kitten/young cat years. Through the years, I came to realize that her tortie coloring came with something owners call “tortitude”. Boy did she ever have an attitude. I was afraid to sleep after I introduced her to her new little brother, Oliver, in her second year. She was not pleased. An event that pleased her even less was the introduction to my now husband. When he came in the picture, she wanted nothing to do with him. He was a bother and took away precious Rodman-Mommy time in her book. And honestly, Mr. Diva wasn’t too thrilled with her either.
He would walk into a room and she would screech at him. He would try to pet her and she would run away when he got within arm’s length. He would finally get her to lay on his chest only to have her jump on his nether regions when I walked in the room. She would seemingly lurk in the corners waiting for him to walk down the stairs with a load of laundry and dart in between his feet in efforts to kill him (at least that’s how HE sees it). Finally in the last few years, they finally started to get along. Don’t get me wrong, I was still her favorite and she loved when he was away on business, but she sot him out. He had finally past the test.
On Saturday, we had to put dear Rodman to sleep. Kidney failure, pneumonia and seizures in the final hours that came out of nowhere forced our hands. She fought for days and on Friday night she was actually doing better. We brought her home for the evening and planned to take her for her final treatments early the next morning. She hung out on the couch with us. Mr. Diva told her she was a pretty kitty and that he was glad she was fighting so hard. I tried to get her to eat but all she wanted was to be cuddled. She even gave Mr. Diva one more snub as she bypassed him for my hand.
Mr. Diva and I had held hands and stroked little Rodman as she took her final breath and the doctor said she wanted to go and to let her know it was ok. I was a wreck but I looked at my husband and saw a tear in his eye. At first I thought her was just sad for me because I was *her* human, but I realized that the animal he once tolerated was now a family member he was going to miss as much as me.
I once wrote that spouses are the only family you pick, but I was wrong. Goodbye sweet Rodman - you will always be loved and missed.
Rodman 1996-2009
Oh Silent Night, Oh Busy Night
Ok, I have been complaining about how busy I’ve been in several posts lately and I promise this is the last one. I’m busy, tired and stressed. I’m trying to be Super Woman and it’s just not possible ever and especially this time of year. If there any kids reading this (I don’t know why you are, but whatever - thanks!) ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS NOW BECAUSE THEY BECOME WORK FAR TOO QUICKLY.
Family, parties I don’t want to go to, shopping, cooking, baking, wrapping and trying to maintain the outward appearance that it’s all fun is NOT as easy as my mom made it look. Maybe if we have kids it will become fun again. Or worse.
Let’s face it - women take the lead on holidays. In general, there are things we NEED to get done for the holidays that just aren’t all the important to men. For example, men would be just as happy with a package of Oreos and some Chips Ahoy, but us ladies think we need to make at least 6 different types cookies. Over the years, I have explained why it’s important to strive so fervently for holiday perfection. Women like to make everyone happy and want everyone to have special memories about the holidays. It’s a thing.
Mr. Diva has gotten really good about 1) keeping me sane and 2) helping where we can. Guys, we’re going to get crazy and you need to temper your want to solve problems with your desire to strangle us. Do what you can, whether it’s a morning email saying you’ll pick up dinner on the way home or grabbing the present list and giving up a lunch hour or two to get a couple last minute purchases knocked out.
Ladies, you need to realize that your Rockwell holiday ain’t happening. You’re more likely to have a “A Christmas Story” Christmas - complete with the dogs running off with the turkey. It’s not going to be perfect, so let your husband help. Don’t take that as a time to delegate and tell them how to do something better, just tell him what needs to be done and if it’s not right, so what? Everyone will still have a present to open, food to eat and good times to remember.
Finding Time for Each Other
I’m having a recent marital struggle that I think we can all relate to especially this time of year - finding time for one another. I’ve been busy with schoolwork, work work, Christmas shopping, and general holiday planning. He’s been busy trying to get our pipe insulated so we don’t have a giant gas bill, work, and doing the outside decorating. And now to top it all off we have one very ill kitty who is taking additional time to care for and just dealing with the general stress of the situation. When does that leave time for each other?
Between holiday parties, birthday parties, Christmas planning and everything else that’s going on, we are sort of passing strangers who have dinner together (sometimes). Last night enough of enough for the Diva household. We bundled up and went to the grand opening of a new restaurant down the street. We didn’t talk about all the things we had to get done for the future, we simply talked about our day and things that were happening in the NOW. I know there’s only 2 weeks until Christmas, but spending a couple hours together is going to change that but it certain made me feel better.
I know last night was a respite from the holiday norm. But I need to find other time to steal away together so we can actual enjoy this time of year instead of just planning to enjoy it.
You Say Potato, I Say I’M FREEZING
Ok, we live in an old drafty house. The temperature is the only thing I don’t like about the place. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Being that the wind has been gusty at about 40+ miles per hour, I feel like I”m living in a house without windows. It. Is. Cold. But last year when we rented the second floor of a house we were surprised with a 600 gas bill on month. We do NOT want a repeat in our new home. So I wear layers. Lots of layers.
I request fires most evenings to help with the chill (and because it’s the right time of year for them) and typically my husband begrudgingly obliges me but usually adds “But it’s finally comfortable in here”. Do you know what temperature he claims is comfortable? 61 degrees. It was SIXTY ONE degrees in here the other night and he’s running around in a tshirt and shirts like we’re at the Atlantis resort.
Can someone please tell me WHY husbands are always too warm while wives are typically dressed like Eskimos from October to June? There has to be a reason. I don’t ever remember being this cold as a single person!
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