TToT – Mexican Delicacies and a Love Letter of Sorts
Contrary to popular rumor, I have neither left the country or this life.
I have, however, been sick with round two of whatever horrible allergy-induced respiratory nonsense I’ve had lurking the last couple of weeks. I’m sure it’s allergies because, well, the symptoms just don’t add up to anything else and…corn smut.
Yup, corn smut. It’s a real thing, I promise. (Look it up. Just be forewarned – it’s nasty-looking.) It’s real and I’m allergic to it. Corn smut tends to hit the air around late August and early September when the farmers start to harvest the sweet corn. Oh, and did I mention that there is a corn field right across the street from our house? Yeah.
Corn smut is a delicacy in Mexico, though, and a pricey one. It has a fancy name – huitlacoche – and people eat it. Let’s just call it…Mexican truffles. Because it’s a fungus, friends. But I digress.
What all of that adds up to is that I’ve been down for the count this week, but I’m not missing out on the opportunity to post my TToT, especially because today is the Fab Hub’s birthday!!! I can’t think of a better topic for a list of reasons to be thankful.
And so, in honor of the Fab Hub/s birthday, I’ve enlisted Kidzilla’s help to compose a list of ten reasons we’re thankful for our Fab Hub/Fab Dad. See if you can tell which ones are Kidzilla’s contributions!
Reasons Why We are Thankful for Our Fab Hub/Fab Dad
His jokes are funny. If you’ve heard his jokes, you know that his sense of comedic timing is rarely good. But Kidzilla thinks he’s hysterical – as it should be. But in all fairness, I’d have to agree that he is always able to make us laugh, especially when things are getting way too serious and it is a smart idea to do so.
He gives the best hugs ever. Period.
He makes awesome macaroni and cheese. He does. OK, his specialty is indeed the kind that comes from a box, but he has a magic touch with the stuff and it always turns out just right. And mac and cheese dates have become a very special thing for the Hub and Kidzilla, so it’s kind of hard to argue with something that strengthens the father/daughter bond.
He is patient. Anyone who has spent any amount of time with either me or Kidzilla (or both of us at the same time) knows that we have personalities that may, at times, try the patience of a saint. We mean well, but we are pretty high-maintenance. The Hub is eternally patient with us and, in truth, the world in general. He plays lengthy games of just about anything Kidzilla dreams up. He manages to put up with me and my occasionally hysterical personality quirks. He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t complain about long lines in traffic or grocery stores. He is easy-going and takes life in stride.
He is kind. The Hub is by far one of the kindest human beings I have ever met. He is pleasant and nice to people and it is absolutely genuine about it. I have seen him in situations where he objectively had good cause to react negatively or harshly and he simply does not. In all things, he is a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. I read somewhere once that how a person treats animals is a big indicator of how they treat people. I don’t know if there’s any scientific basis to it, but he is as gentle and caring as can be with any animals he meets and he really loves the Rotten Cats. If that is an indicator of his personality with humans, then the next item on our list is a no-brainer.
He is a wonderful husband and father. There is no question that he adores his girls. Kidzilla says he’s a good dad “because he loves me.” She’s right. Elaborating on that point alone would take up pages and pages of space, but it’s the number one reason why he is such a great husband and father – he loves us. And that love is what drives all the rest. He is hands-on with everything about Kidzilla. He shares equally (sometimes more than) in the responsibilities and chores that keep our home and family running. He knows and understands both me and Kidzilla inside out. He takes care of bugs and cleans up all manner of messes produced by kids or cats in our house. The list goes on and on…
He is calm. The Fab Hub has a very laid-back personality. He is pretty unflappable – sometimes frustratingly so. It’s kind of like Agent Mulder from The X Files when he explains to Agent Scully about his panic face:
SCULLY: I saw your face, Mulder. There was a definite moment of panic.
MULDER: You’ve never seen me panic. When I panic, I make this face.
(Mulder’s face registers no emotion.)
SCULLY: That was the face.
MULDER: You didn’t see that face.
That’s the Fab Hub. In addition to being calm, he keeps things in perspective. For example, when ribbed about turning 40, he says things like “age is just a number.” It’s a great mindset, really. Reminds me a lot of how my Grandfather saw things. And it’s a great trait because I am so completely the opposite of that personality. It makes for good balance in our relationship which is beneficial in so many ways.
He is tougher than he looks. On the surface, the Hub may appear to be a guy who isn’t bothered by much and just kind of goes with the flow. That’s true to a point. More often than not, he really does take things in stride. He is a kind and gentle soul. Sometimes with that kind of personality, it’s easy to imagine that a person wouldn’t stand up and fight for themselves, or for a cause, or whatever. But the Hub has a quiet strength about him that is unfailing. In situations where he could just give up and let circumstances drag him down, he stands firm in his resolve to make the best of a situation.
He is logical. This may be one part of him that kind of drives me insane, but it really is a gift. The Hub is always able to look at a situation or problem for what it is and nothing more. He examines the facts, looks at the reality, and figures out how to proceed. He doesn’t let emotional overreaction cloud his judgment. Again, this is very much the opposite of me, so it’s one of the things that make us work.
OK, this last one is a catch-all, because I have to wrap it up somehow. The Hub is intelligent – just objectively, he is one heck of a smart guy. The Hub reads – all sorts of things. He learns – on purpose and just for the sake of knowledge. He is an excellent strategist – in games of any kind or in real life, he is able to think his way through a situation. He is a gifted and talented musician and composer – he’ll humbly insist he’s nothing special, but if you’ve heard his music, you know.
There are so many more reasons to be thankful for the Fab Hub/Fab Dad…too many to number. And for all of those reasons, Kidzilla and I just love him like crazy.
Happy Birthday Fab Hub/Fab Dad!
Love, your Girls.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Love this? Share the love and tell someone!
38 Comments
Comments are closed.
1. I’ve written blogs through feverish eyes. Isn’t it funny? If given the choice, I’ll save that sickness energy for blogging over everything else (along with snacking, of course).
2. Boxed mac and cheese isn’t as easy as you might think. There’s the milk ratio to consider, how fast you heat it, how much you beat in that cheese powder …
3. I think it’s awesome that a dude could earn having something like this written for him. He’s very lucky.
Eli,
I’ve had so little energy this week for anything – even sleep is exhausting. I did manage to get some good popcorn in yesterday, though.
The Hub says the milk ratio is definitely a big part of it. He says he has definitely come a long way from his first attempt way back in high school where he attempted to mix the cheese powder sauce IN the strainer with the noodles. That did not go well.
The Hub is an awesome dude – Kidzilla and I are the lucky ones. But shh…don’t tell him! He thinks it’s the other way around. 😉
The best men do think that!
Well we’ve surely caught us a good one!
A happy birthday to the hub!! Do get better quickly though, in my prayers….never knew corn to be that dangerous!
Yeah, who knew? I practically laughed in my allergist’s face when he told me I was allergic to corn smut – oh, wait, I did actually laugh. Apparently, a large concentration of people who live right where we do have major allergy problems because we have a large concentration of corn fields right here. So bizarre.
And thanks for the prayers – I’m SO tired of feeling like this. Would like to see some light at the end of the runnel.
[…] […]
Does he have a brother?
Cool music!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! !!!!
He does! Two, in fact. But none as cool as he.
His music is cool – want a CD?
so funny … I came back to listen to more… instrumental is about all I can listen to …music is tough for me for weird reasons… so far I am leaning toward retrospective but I wanna listen to the others too…
Interesting. Retrospective and In the Cloud are similar – done at similar times, similar style, etc. Retrospective is older material that was reworked and In the Cloud was a collection of new and/or previously unreleased or unrecorded.
Happy Birthday, FabHub! I’m a little surprised there was no mention of your coffee in all of this, but I guess it’s mentioned lots of other times.
Haha – there definitely should have been coffee!
That was a lovely tribute, Lisa! Except for the part where you made me look at corn smut – I could have lived without that!
Haha – sorry, Shel! It’s totally gross, isn’t it? But thanks. He’s a great guy so it wasn’t too hard to write!
grateful not to have that particular allergy, tend to not have any, but what’s interesting is that there are things in the air that simply make me sneeze. (Well, no, that’s not overly interesting…lol) but the thing is how specific it is, there are a couple places in my area that, when I drive through them, I sneeze. How many times I sneeze is a function of how fast I’m driving when I hit the area.
(at the Doctrine, we might put ‘clark’ as ‘highly likely predominant worldview’ of your husband, on the basis of your description. cool!)
Here’s interesting – for some reason, the Hub sneezes in front of our kitchen sink. Usually when he’s washing dishes. He’ll sneeze only then, only there, about three or four in a row and then…nothing.
Your speed/sneeze thing is funny – you should put that in a Friday walk with Una video!
I would definitely agree that the Hub fits the Clark profile best. Him I can figure out…me, not so much. Maybe it’s just that I have a strong secondary one.
EURGH! Corn smut looks like something which should be burned to death with fire, not EATEN!!! Good GRIEF! Sorry you’ve not recovered from it yet, but well done you for slogging onwards.
Happy Birthday to Fab Hub – if he deserves even one half of these accolades, he is a very fine man indeed, and GOOD FOR HIM 😀
Seriously! Can you imagine that people eat that? On purpose? I was horrified to know that.
I am slogging indeed. So want to be over this – it’s really cramping my style.
He deserves every one and a few more that didn’t fit. That’s a good way to put it – he is a fine man. 😀
Does your husband have a brother? Just kidding. I love mine as well and I think the fact that our two personalities balance out (most of the time) we have a deep understanding and love of one another. Happy Birthday, and I hope you feel better soon. I get allergies in Fall, Winter and Spring. I’m always sad to see summer end.
Ha – he does, Val – two. Both great guys, but not as great as the Hub. 🙂
Allergies are the worst!
Man, that corn smut sounds like nothing to mess with. I hadn’t heard about it before. I like the list though (especially the calmness point – a much underrated character trait I think, and probably one of my favourites in other people ever since reading To Kill A Mockingbird and being introduced to the character of Atticus). Another underrated thing is how much effect gratitude can have on how we feel. Just another good reason for the list, I guess. 🙂
Corn smut is no laughing matter! It was totally new to me when I found out I was allergic, too. You learn something new every day.
Funny you mention Atticus Finch. Atticus is perhaps one of my favorite literary characters. He reminds me very much of my Grandfather and, the older he gets, my Husband as well. Atticus was the epitome of calm, quiet, strength.
The list of gratitude is a fabulous thing, Micah – we’ve got a great little community here with this Ten Things of Thankful. Join us anytime!
OMG to corn smut. Ick. And so sorry that you’ve been so affected by its nastiness. BUT dude!! Ok so my husband’s birthday is TODAY – one day after your husband’s and they seem to have so much in common!!! One reason I married mine is CALM. My last boyfriend was so jealous and so not calm, that the first night I met my husband, I said I’d marry him. Calm, and kind. And also a bad@ss when required. I love that part!!! Happy weekend, you. And happy birthday to your fabulous hubs. Also mac and cheese rocks and guessing that’s kidzilla’s contribution?
Guess what? Dyanne’s birthday was one day BEFORE the Hub’s birthday. Three right in a row, all awesome people. 😀 Happy birthday to your husband, too!!!
Mac and Cheese was one of Zilla’s votes, yes. As were funny jokes and best hugs and “he loves me.” They have a definite mutual admiration thing going!
Corn smut—ewww.
Happy birthday to your husband. Sounds like you have a keeper for sure!
Definitely eww.
He is definitely a keeper!
Corn smut? Seriously?? Still giggling here. Luckily corn doesn’t grow well here (I think, but not sure). We have lots of sagebrush in the area that is making me crazy.
Happy birthday to hub!! Hope you are feeling better Lisa. M
Ya. Corn smut. I’ve been cracking up for like three years because it sounds so ridiculous. But I can tell you that when it blooms or whatever it does I feel lousy. Since I started with this allergist, I’ve actually had very little trouble but this year it’s awful – I’m blaming the terrible winter.
Passing on the happy birthday.
And I’m working on it…slowly but surely.
Corn smut!! BWAHAHAHA!! Still laughing at that Lisa!!! Bless your heart though!! UGH. I’m so sorry that smut has taken you DOWN. What a smut. Smuts are just so smutty, aren’t they?
Happy birthday to your precious hubs, who apparently is AMAZING!!!! God bless our guys who put up with us…
Hang in there honey! I say, we can all gang up on that smut and rid the world of them smuts for once and for all!!
I know because it’s so funny. I can’t even say it to people and keep a straight face. So I feel like total crap, but at least it’s entertaining!
The Hub IS amazing. And now I’m laughing because that’s exactly what he does…puts up with me! That takes a very special guy. 😉
Happy birthday to your hubby! I hope he read that post!!! My hubby also makes awesome mac & cheese, from scratch. yummie 🙂 I hope you’re feeling better, soon!!!
He did read it!
I guess mac and cheese is a Husband/Dad thing!
Yes, I’m late but hey, I made it! Corn smut is definitely nasty. I’m sorry that you’ve been under the weather but you’re a trooper. I hope you husband had a terrific birthday. This was such a sweet post…he sounds like a great guy but we already knew that!
Better late than not at all! Seems everyone’s timing is a bit off this week.
He had a nice, quiet, stay at home with his girls birthday – his favorite! And yes, he is a great guy!
🙂
Happy Birthday, Fab Husband, Happy Birthday to you. Now don’t sing that as you read it or I will have to pay royalties!
He laughed. There is indeed a strange and convoluted story about “Happy Birthday” and royalties. And he said thanks for the wishes!
[…] ← Previous […]