Amy’s Gripping Commentary

Today is David’s birthday! Unfortunately one planned gift didn’t pan out and now I have nothing for him. The pleasure of living with me ought to be enough, right?

David wrestles with Walt, who pretends to eat us on a regular basis. After being a stray puppy he lived with a Rottie and a Doberman and they taught him all about fun play with a soft bite, so it’s actually pretty entertaining to fight with him. Of course sometimes he just ambushes you, especially when walking in the yard, so you have to be on your toes.

Love of dogs definitely played into David and I getting along so well from the beginning. Dogs and politics are probably the only major similarities we have, though (I’m trying not to count inattention to an immaculate household here too). I’m not mechanically inclined, but he can make or fix about anything. He’s also good at breaking stuff. His trade is roughly trim carpentry, hence the lovely custom cabinets surrounding the fridge submission below. Lacking money and time, though, means the face frames and doors have not yet been built! He does most aspects of remodeling so this relatively crummy bungalow now sports real wainscoting, slate and travertine floors and walls, a finished basement, a privacy fence put together with pocket holes, and even strange security measures like a blue LED that comes on at the back door if any of the gates are left open. That is pretty handy for the dogs but may have been a bigger pain to install than the excitement about this idea compensated.

David is also an excellent pianist and even got his degree in music, which is why he’s a contractor. While I did fine at violin when I was a kid, I certainly don’t have a tenth of the natural talent David does. I don’t get how someone can listen to something and just bang it out without sheet music. He also sings well, something I certainly can’t claim. Someday I’d love to buy him a baby grand, but it won’t be this birthday. Nor would it fit in this tiny house.

I’m sure you can see why our freezer space stresses me out. We need a new fridge, but I know people get by with small ones. It’s just the American Dream, as Dad would say, to have a giant fridge. So do we really need one? I can’t justify the purchase but I won’t say if this one died I would be all that sad about getting a bigger Energy Star replacement. Can’t beat a free refrigerator, though.