Today is our fifth wedding anniversary and, well, it astonishes me, as it does, you know, that I’ve had the fortune to spend five years with the woman pictured at left. In the face of such daunting astonishment and joy I am moved [...]]]>

2003: young, hot & single. 2009: 2 out of 3 ain't bad

Today is our fifth wedding anniversary and, well, it astonishes me, as it does, you know, that I’ve had the fortune to spend five years with the woman pictured at left. In the face of such daunting astonishment and joy I am moved to get all sarcastic and stupid, as in past years’ posts on this topic, but I’m going to fight it, even though I strongly wish to provide enough text to wrap this photo so I can ensure that the wrapping on Come friendly bombs doesn’t look too bad, and getting all sarcastic and stupid has served me very well in the past when I’ve needed to fill column inches and/or placate a spouse who secretly wishes I would do more around the house.

This year I’m not going to do it, because I appreciate you more than ever, Magda. This is partly just due to the growing-together we’ve done over the passage of years — and at the five mark I don’t think it’s too early to begin talking in such terms — and to a large extent is the result of seeing how much you are capable of. A year ago you returned to work full time — VERY full time, sweet corn, how hard do teachers WORK? — and have not let up one jot on the immense amount of labor and drudgery you do to keep this family running, work which has not diminished an iota as the boys have grown and we have moved not once but three times since changing jobs, living in places that have often been less than ideal. On the contrary, it feels like you are doing more all the time. I have been doing a bit more cooking and a token amount of cleaning since we moved into Last House, but it occurs to me that while I have caulked two bathtubs here, I have not experienced cleaning a Last House toilet.

What we’ve managed to build together brings me more and more joy all the time, including our shared idiolect, which grows along with our love, and which is among the sources of this site’s name. Happy anniversary, sweetheart. One anniversary present is a new ‘website’ (because I know how you hate blogs). Another present to you is this, and I’m using our new site to state it publicly: I am cleaning the toilets from now on.