Enveloped by Red Monster

Ding Dong, the gun is gone! My husband took me to the gun shop where he originally purchased his big handgun last week. I watched him receive a wad of cash after he turned it over to the manager. After our last reconciliation he volunteered, without my request, to put his firearm up for consignment. I was relieved. I am relieved that it is no longer riding illegally with him in his SUV. I am happy that I’m free of concern. He can’t bring it into our house and ever forget it, again. He can’t shoot himself in a moment of despair--or me or anyone else during a fit of rage.

My husband explained that he was deeply moved when he read my entries about his behavior. I thought he would be furious with me for my honesty. I thought he would explode and possibly attack me verbally and physically if he ever found my blog. I thought that it would destroy our relationship for good. Those things didn’t happen. He told me that he “actually cried” as he read my posts. He saw himself the way I saw him for the first time. He said that he also learned that I’m a damn good writer.

He has made numerous small and meaningful improvements lately, which have changed the whole feeling in our household. He is clean and well-groomed and extremely affectionate. Whenever his beard gets a little rough, I yell and giggle, “No whiskering! No whiskering!” as he kisses me all over. That is usually enough to remind him that it’s time to shave again.

He is trying to be more patient and helpful. He has gone grocery shopping with me, helped me cook meals and even folded some laundry. He explained that he is trying to be normal, which made me laugh. He pauses during these activities to wrap his long arms around me. I call him Red Monster, like the guy (Gossamer) from Bugs Bunny. Red Monster can be frustrating sometimes if I’m trying to get something done because he squeezes too tight and he won’t let go of me. I usually try to get out by prying his fat, hairy thumbs apart, but I have to be careful because his knuckles are dangerous.

He is making a valiant effort toward winning my affection and trust. It is working. Opening car doors and holding hands and offering support and listening and conversing and sharing are all new activities that are changing our relationship into something romantic, sweet and comfortable. We are sleeping next to each other in our extended king. I don’t think the sofa misses him, but I’m going to have to lock him out if he continues to wake me up at 5:00 in the morning everyday. I’d prefer to be sniffed, petted, licked and humped after 6:00.

Our relationship is beginning to encompass more than coupled body parts. We’ve always shared intense passion for each other, but now we’re sharing something more special. We’re becoming friends who f***, which is much hotter than I had ever imagined--and exactly what I have always wanted.

Unusual Sport

I watched a few minutes of the Olympic Swedish and Japanese Women’s Curling Teams last night, while snuggling in bed with my husband. I had never seen the sport before. I was fascinated by their ability to move a large rock so precisely. The sweeping and chatter as it moved down the ice was even more amusing. It looks like fun.

My husband pointed out the physical differences between the Swedish and Japanese teams. He said that I would fit in on the Swedish women’s team since they were tall blond and obviously Svensk. I liked listening to them speak, since I could understand bits of their conversations.

I like the simple bowling game in pubs. The object is to slide the metal puck at the target/pins. Curling is larger scale--on ice. It is a more complex drinking game, which combines shoe skating with shuffleboard. I imagine it could get dangerously sloppy if you’ve had too many neat martinis. (I'd rather have a sweet Lemon Drop with a yummy pimiento stuffed olive on the side.) I also learned that if your team wins, you are expected to get tanked and go streaking, as my husband put it. Woohoo! I’m in!

Anna Bergström, Cathrine Lindahl, Eva Lund and Anette Norberg

"Hard, hurry, hard!"

Those three words are familiar to Canadians who love curling. And really, if you don’t love curling, you're not much of a Canadian.

Sweden is another curling hotbed. But not only do they throw their rocks hard, they like their rock hard. So while Swedish metal band Hammerfall and the reigning women's world curling champions might seem like an odd pairing at first, it's really not.

Hammerfall enlisted the Swedish rink skipped by Anette Norberg to star in their video for "Hearts On Fire," (weird/funny!) a song from the group's 2002 album, Crimson Thunder. The song has been reissued as a single in Sweden to give a boost to Norberg's team as they prepare for the Winter Olympics next month in Turin. (They beat Japan last night.)

"With heavy metal as a source of strength, the girls can now focus on bringing home the gold," guitarist Oscar Dronjak wrote on the band's website.

*Read the rest of this article here.

Astronomy & Astrology

I find the sky beautiful and fascinating, especially at night. I think that astronomy is an intriguing science. I also think that horoscopes are fun, but I don’t believe that they are a valid part of astronomy. Horoscopes are based on pseudoscience.

Here are several links regarding astrology…

The Difference Between Astronomy and Astrology

Your Astrology Defense Kit

When astrology is tested by science

The Astrology Challenge

The Astrology Challenge Part Deux

The Real Romance in the Stars

*Recommendation: After you check your horoscope (and giggle), go outside and look at the actual night sky. (Wear something sexy under your coat.) During February, Venus will be the brightest planet you can see. And if you take the right person with you, gazing at the planet named for the goddess of love might do more to spark a romance than the zodiac ever could.

An Apprehensive Romance

On February 13th, my handsome husband came home and handed me a small, red box. I opened it and found a platinum wedding band encircled with diamonds. He got down on one knee and said, “I want to marry you again, in one year. This time we’re grown ups—and I’m trying to be normal”, as he winked.

He also suggested that we have wedding bands tattooed on our ring fingers and told me that he wants to have my lips and name tattooed on his pelvis. He has a few cool tats, but I don’t have any ink on my skin. I like my skin sans permanent stains.

He requested that the next 364 days be an experiment. If we can manage to get along and make each other happy, we will have an intimate second wedding. If things don’t go well, we will try to separate cordially.

Valentine’s Day was emotional. I opened chocolate truffles and a necklace with pink hearts first thing in the morning. When he came home from work he handed me a card which read…

Sexy smile, sexy talk, sexy kisses, sexy walk, sexy brain, sexy heart, sexy every little part, sexy dreams, sexy life, sexy woman, sexy wife. Dear Jess, Sexy is the perfect word to describe you. I love you will all of my heart. I know that the past has been bad. I hope the future can be bright. Please forgive me for all and things will only change for the best.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

I love you,

The Red Monster

After we exchanged cards and gifts, he began to undress to get into the shower. I surprised him by stripping first and stepping into the tub. I turned on the shower head and stood smiling under the warm water as he washed all of my parts. We made love on a damp towel before we left the house for our dinner date.

We shared juicy, buttery lobster tails and steamers, as we stared questioningly into each other's face. We’re both so full of fear of being hurt that it takes some of the joy out of decadent food and wine.

Our marriage is laced with pleasure and trepidation.

If we can’t shake this uneasy feeling I’m not sure we can make it. However, our love and lust for each other keeps us clinging onto hope and flesh.

Pretty Pink Cookies

*Quilted Cookie Recipe
If music be the food of love, play on.- Shakespeare

At First Sight
'Love at first sight,' some say, misnaming
Discovery of twinned helplessness
Against the huge tug of procreation.
But friendship at first sight?
This also
Catches fiercely at the surprised heart
So that the cheek blanches and then blushes.
--Robert Graves

Ah love is bitter and sweet,
but which is more sweet
the bitterness or the sweetness,
none has spoken it.
H.D. (Hilda Doolittle, 1886–1961) from "Eros"

Give me a kiss, and to that kiss a score;
Then to that twenty, add a hundred more:
A thousand to that hundred: so kiss on,
To make that thousand up a million.
Treble that million, and when that is done,
Let's kiss afresh, as when we first begun.
Robert Herrick (1591–1674) from "To Anthea"

Cotton Candy Kiss

This drink is so pretty! It is made with my favorite colors. A Cotton Candy Martini is made with Smirnoff Orange, Vanilla and Raspberry with a splash of Cranberry Juice. I think it will be a fun cocktail to serve with appetizers on Valentine's Day. I want my date to lick the pink crystals off of my sticky lips--and I want to suck the sweet sugar off of his mouth.

Heading South on Sixth

My dad and I went on a photo trip to Philly on a cold and cloudy Tuesday in February. (Last Wednesday) He even let me use his Nikon D70--and wear his khaki photographer’s vest. I looked like a real photojournalist and felt like one, too. However, my photos are not nearly as professional looking as my father’s perfect pictures.

The following photos show the beginning of our route to Penn Treaty Park. We used a map and followed the most direct path south to the area on the Delaware River where William Penn and the native Lenape signed Pennsylvania’s longest standing treaty in 1683. It wasn’t a glamorous view of the city, but it was interesting. I was amazed by the difference in housing as each few blocks passed by. The Philadelphia Housing Authority has created some cute, cozy and pleasant looking neighborhoods in place of some old and crumbled or burned out buildings. I hope that they continue to improve the area. As you can see, there are a multitude of murals on this southbound street. It made our trip more colorful.

The View from Penn Treaty Park

Struttin' Swedes

After we visited the park, we took a few pictures through the moonroof of my car under the Ben Franklin Bridge and made our way over to Old Swedes’ Church and past The Mummer’s Museum.