Laughing out Loud

After a long day of work, I'm just not up for it today; I hope we don't go.  I'm just soooo tired.

"Let's go," Andy said.  And he hopped into his car waiting for me.  I stood up, wanting to fall back down, but slowly walked to the car.  Andy drove us off in his zippy little car and as I felt the speed pick up my spirits.  I love it when Andy drives with intention and picks up speed for a short, safe amount of time to get ahead of some cars.  (Usually, he is much more conservative and lets everyone in and patiently waits his turn).  Tonight, he mixed it up and I felt like we were off and away.  Halfway through the drive, I realized we didn't have the radio on and we were totally enjoying ourselves.

We arrived at the outlets to Christmas shop for our family.  We had a definite plan, a store or two we would go and then return and head home!  I didn't think we would be there that long--it was freezing and having to walk outside between stores was unjust.  As we left Williams-Sonoma, our first store, we hunkered into our coats and hurriedly walked to the next store hoping for Christmas success.  However, we ended up empty handed for presents, but we each ended up with a pair of shoes (boots for me, shoes for him)!  How that ended up happening, I don't know.  But the even stranger question of the night was, how did Andy spend so much time in Kenneth Cole while I managed to go to four more stores waiting for him?  This was a true role reversal.

We headed home, freezing cold in the now cold car!  We literally went over the river and through the woods to get home. There wasn't much traffic and it was one of those nights where the air is so crisp, but your car heater is on and toasty warm.  As we sat on the ferry crossing the river, we both were amazed at the same things 1) how much slower it took us to cross the river this time and 2) the ice floating on the river and 3) the speed with which the current seemed to be drifting. 

Finally, we passed a fast food place and we decided to do the drive-thru for dinner (not romantic, but practical).  As we sat waiting for our food, a conversation I had had with my colleagues earlier in the day floated into my mind.  It was a conversation about "who wears the pants in the family?"  I explained that in my family we are 50-50 all the way; just look at our children- they didn't look exactly like either one of us the way some children do.  And each time I was pregnant different features of each of us won out! Neither one of us in charge, we're complete equals.   So, I wanted to test it out.  So, I asked Andy to throw away a can of soda that was sitting in the car.  I thought if I'm in charge, he'll do it.  It was his can, but when I asked him, he looked at me like I had two heads.  I thought for a minute he might balk and not do it, but I asked him again and he opened the door to walk the 20 yards to the trashcan!  And do you know what happened?  Just to dig in his heels that he was doing it, but he didn't like it (not sure Andy would say it this way), he left the door open, just to make sure I would feel the cold!!!!  See, 50-50!  I was laughing hysterically when Andy returned to the car.  And as the current situation didn't really warrant any sort of reaction like that he wanted to know what I was laughing at.

I shared with him our conversation and we laughed and laughed and laughed!  He thought it was soooo funny that he had indeed showed his 50-50, large and in charge attitude by doing something small and significant!  Really, it was a great night for us, being together, laughing out loud and trying to do something for our children.  It was truly one of those nights, I would like to say I would never forget because I loved it so much.  But with a terrible memory and so much information running through my head, it will most likely be one of those memories that slowly fades over time.  But I will always remember the love I felt.  Cheesy, but true.