a rare breed, indeed

I am a rare breed. Anyone who has met me would agree. Not that I'm a weirdo, I'm just different! When John and I were first married, he used to compare me to an Irish Setter (kind of funny, because we both grew up with Irish Setters....me in New York, him in Nebraska....sigh....were we meant to be or what???)

Anyway!

My beloved would call me an Irish Setter, because of my long, brownish-red hair, and my tendency to get hyper. I was never a high-maintenance girl, never liked makeup much or overdid my hair, never too concerned with fashion. I just liked to have fun. And so I did. I had lots of fun!

Then whenever I was pregnant, John would compare me to a Cocker Spaniel. Mainly because I could wet my pants with a single cough or sneeze. (And to be painfully honest, even before I had kids I would often tinkle if I laughed too hard. And I was always laughing, so I had to make sure I made regular pitstops. Sorry if that's too much info.....)

So now, this afternoon while Jesse (who is almost 2-1/2 years old, can you believe it?) is napping, Emma is playing at a friend's house, and Leah and Frances are playing dressup in the playroom, John took off for his favorite escape: Costco! He loves that place, and they have my favorite Lara Bars by the case, big bags of precut brocolli, even bigger bags of raw almonds, etc. So I love when he stops there too.

Lately, I haven't been much of an Irish Setter. I've been so wiped out between the bones thing, the Fosamax debacle, a rotten stomach, and some back/neck muscle spasms I haven't bothered you with. Oh, and did I mention I have a sinus infection too? Am I pathetic or what? Not much Setter left in this girl!

And that's what I said to John, after he had finished putting away the lunch dishes (I did make lunch, I wasn't a total freeloader) and after he put Jesse down for nap (I still have a wee bit of trouble lifting him after my back problem)....as I collapsed on the recliner I said, "Have fun honey, don't worry about me, I'm just going to sit here for a bit and then I'll work on that Goodwill stuff crowding the upstairs hallway." And then we laughed, because he and I both knew I probably wouldn't do that, I don't have the energy right now. I will probably take a nice long nap, something I usually do in the afternoon.

I added, "You know, I wasn't such a high-maintenance girl when you married me!"

"I know," he said, "You were just my Irish Setter."

"But now I'm more of an old, smelly Bassett Hound, all sad-eyed and gassy!" I said.

And John couldn't argue with that! But he did come back and plant a big fat kiss on my head before he took off.

My rescue dog, a true Saint Bernard....