Friday, June 17, 2011

Sweet Sixteen

In case it did not make it onto your calendar, today is our 16th anniversary. I hope you all are celebrating. Do you love old pictures as much as I do?

001

June 17, 1995. Columbia, MD.

No better way to kick off your anniversary than to kiss your husband goodbye at 6:00 a.m. and head out for a 13 mile run with girlfriend, Joie. Very romantic. She and I made out the whole time.

Seriously, I thought about Ken every minute. Even when I stopped at the porta potty at the Boulder Rez to take a dump and noticed that someone had left a pair of jeans in there. Gross. Who leaves jeans in there and why? Actually, I don’t want to know. They fit perfectly!

I even thought about Ken when I saw this bird. I am not a birdie, but even I could appreciate this long beak. I looked him up and he’s a Long-Billed Dowitcher, which is a type of Sandpiper.

birdbeak

16 years is a long time to be with one person. It is a good think I really like who I married or else this could have gotten very ugly.

People never ask me what the key to a happy marriage is, but if they did I would tell them – choose wisely. The key to a happy marriage occurs way before you get married. Know who the heck you are marrying. If you have any inkling that something is wrong, assume it will become 400% more wrong later on. Love is not enough if someone is mean or irresponsible or a drunkard. Go with your gut. In my opinion, make sure the person:

  • Shares your sense of humor, if you have one. This keeps you going on days that are mundane or challenging or happy or annoying.
  • Is someone you can be playful with. Poking, wrestling, pinching. It’s all fair game.
  • Shares some of your passions/hobbies if you have some. You don’t have to share everything, but if there is something you spend ten hours of week doing, it’s nice to be able to share some of that time together.
  • Respects his/her family and friends because then he/she will probably respect you as well.
  • Coddles you when you are sick or hurt. This is an indicator of things to come. Empathy = hugely important. I got seriously ill when Ken and I first met with a terrible kidney infection. He brought me popsicles and his favorite sleeping bag and never left my side for three days. That’s when I fell in love with him.
  • Cherishes you. As in - you know by the way they look at you when you walk into a room that they love you.
  • Is someone you are physically attracted to. Marriage is LONG. At least if you have to look at someone for all of those years, you want to like what you see.

I got home from my long run and saw these, which scored Ken some points. I never get tired of flowers.

P1100088

How are we celebrating? Getting a new mattress. {insert “breaking in new mattress” jokes}

P1100087

This sucker has to go.  Sagging and soft and hurts  my back. Yesterday the guy at the furniture place looked up our records and told us we paid $290 for the mattress about seven years ago. God we are cheap bastards. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Tonight I will sleep like a rockstar.

Ever left your jeans in a porta potty? No, I haven’t, but I have thrown away underwear in them at least twice.

What’s your key to a lasting relationship? Going to bed angry and giving each other Dutch Ovens.

What cheap mattress do you sleep on? Our new one is a Simmons Beauty Rest with 800 coils. I think that is a good thing. I am hoping it makes me a better athlete, gives me bigger boobs and gets ride of my wrinkles.

SUAR

PS: We finalized the Shut Up and Run shirts last night. To start, there will be two tech shirts (one for ladies in white, one for men in white/grey). There will also be one everyday “burnout” t-shirt for the ladies. I can’t wait to show you next week when I’ll be taking pre-orders.

Thanks a million to Paul and Kim at Family Fan Club for all of their hard work! They do amazing customized designs for shirts, water bottles, jackets, you name it.

55 comments:

  1. WOO!

    First of all congratulations! Here's to the next 16 years!

    Also? I am super duper excited about the shirts. I keep letting myself slack. I need CONSTANT REMINDERS to stop being such a big baby. I think your shirts will be perfect.

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  2. Congrats!!!!!
    Cannot WAIT for your shirts!! I am a pre-order right now!!!!!

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  3. Congrats on 16 years! Feel free to send me a review copy of the shirts if you need some exposure, or, as some call it, PR.

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  4. Columbia? Why the heck were you married in Columbia, MD? Don't say you lived there because I did too! And my cousins still do! Wow… we could've been neighbors…

    I've never left my jeans in a portapotty, but they have been left other places :P
    Key to a good marriage…understand your spouse even when s/he is a mystery. Give them the space to be themselves and LIKE who they really are.
    Hahaha! We got our mattress in 1996! We so badly need a new one. We have to chose every night between sleeping down in the valley squished toegether or up on the mountains across from each other.

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  5. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! That's exciting stuff. And I am really excited about the shirts! Can't wait to see the designs!

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  6. Happy Anniversary!!!

    I am also really excited about the shirts :)

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  7. Congratulations!!!

    Looking forward to the shirts!! Hoping some are v-neck?

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  8. Congratulations!!!

    Looking forward to the shirts!! Hoping some are v-neck?

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  9. Congrats, I bet you'll fart on the new mattress before Ken does.

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  10. Happy Anniversary! Enjoy your new mattress!

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  11. Our current mattress was stolen from my brother. It's amazing. And it's king size. Swoon.

    Happy anniversary!

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  12. Congratulations! 16 years is a LONG time! I love flowers, too, but when they start to wither my kids get sad so I tell them to tell Daddy that flower are very nice, but diamonds are forever. ;)

    We bought a Select Comfort Sleep Number. I LOVE it but it took some time to find my "number" - I'm a 45, in case you're wondering. My husband is 30. And we got it on sale using a friends' discount.

    I can't wait to see those shirts!

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  13. Ha! Ok, the "they fit perfectly!" line made me LOL at work.

    Let's see, secret to a lasting relationship? I've been with my husband for 9 years and we actually DO go to bed angry. We have a much more level head in the morning.

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  14. Ha! Ok, the "they fit perfectly!" line made me LOL at work.

    Let's see, secret to a lasting relationship? I've been with my husband for 9 years and we actually DO go to bed angry. We have a much more level head in the morning.

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  15. omg, the dutch oven comment almost made me spit my sandwich at the computer! You know you've been with someone a long time when that sounds like something you'd totally do/have done...

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  16. 16 years is something to be proud of for sure, and you sound very much in love.
    Congrats, Beth!

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  17. Congratulations on 16 sweet years!

    I love your spouse picking advice. I'll send my son over if his current relationship looks serious.

    there was a day when I slept on an old twin mattress on the floor. (yeah I slummed it..in my own house) But nowadays, I sleep on a giant fluffy yet firm piece of heaven. Nothing (very little) beats of good matress! (and I'd love mine to take away wrinkles too. I don't want the poop giving model after nursing for (ever!) I've had my fill of poops!)

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  18. dutch oven. HAHAHA.

    happy anniversary!

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  19. Happy Anniversary!! I'm getting married in 43 days (I'm THAT girl, counting the days). Bring on the poking, wrestling, pinching and dutch ovens and even tapering.....

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  20. Happy Anniversary!!! And A-MEN on the "choose wisely"!!!

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  21. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! About to have my 1 year - so I'm extra sentimental right now! Enjoy 16 years! :)

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  22. HAPPY 16!!!! Love that our anniversaries are so close, just 10 years apart :) hope yours is fantastic!

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  23. Congrats!! Sixteen years and counting, from the sound of it =)

    And put me on the list. I'm all about shutting up. And running.

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  24. Best Anniversary Date! 6/17/2000..Easton, MD Today we celebrated our anniversary as well...although we didn't really "do" anything..but we leave for OBX tomorrow..can't wait to run down there. - debyingling

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  25. Happy Anniversary! And I'm super impressed that you did a long run today.

    I actually believe that is a Wilson's Snipe. They are similar to dowitchers but notice how it has stripes down the back and is really squatty. Congrats, you succeeded on a snipe hunt!

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  26. we need more old pics!! love the lace.
    ;)
    happy 16!

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  27. um, geez, has the whole world lived in Columbia, MD at some point in their lives?? i graduated from high school in Columbia in '94 (don't hate) and i've had this same Columbia conversation w/Miss Zippy who lives right down the road from where i used to live as well. there must be some strange runners black hole there or something--they do have a great trail system! anyway, congratulations on 16 years of marriage. a strong, lasting marriage is a truly wonderful accomplishment. looking forward to seeing those shirts!!

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  28. As a child I got locked in a porta potty and had a huge fear of them well into my teens.

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  29. We have a Denver Mattress. We paid $1,000. I was not going to be cheap. We just got it about 2 years ago when we got married.

    It has a 15-year warranty. My thought is that in about 10 years we buy a new one and move this one to a guest room. By then I hope we have a house!!

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  30. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
    what a fantastic list of advice for finding a happy marriage. You are so right about choosing the right mate- I completely agree there. And with the idea that you can start having a happy marriage by being THAT mate for your husband/wife.
    Loved this.
    Enjoy the new mattress ;)

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  31. congrats!! well, first it goes for your anniversary of course, and secondly for the shirts and mattress...lol!

    so can't say i've ever left my jeans in a port-a-potty but since u brought it up first i'll also own up to leaving some undies.

    great tips for a lasting marriage and hopefully one day i'll snag an awesome guy myself. hehe.

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  32. Congrats! 16 years is awesome! I have never left a pair of jeans, I think someone would notice if I left a portapotty with no pants on! Underpants no one would ever know!

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  33. haha, happy anniversary! that run sounds like a GREAT way to celebrate in my book! love the marriage advise, i always love flowers too!

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  34. Happy A! Only 16 years. You're still getting to know one another. It keeps on getting better, unless of course the wheels fall off. Which they haven't here, 26 and counting.

    For guys, the key to a lasting relationship can be summed up in two words - "Yes dear." You only think I'm kidding.

    If I ever had to leave jeans in a porta-potty, nobody would pick them up after. During Stampede up here, one has to be careful about porta-potties. You'll never know what you'll find, or who you'll find doing what. I once saw 3 people in there, partially dressed, not doing the activities a single person would typically be involved in.

    We sleep on a King sized, top of the line from IKEA. Money spent on a cheap mattress is money wasted. Unless it's for your dis-liked relatives.

    Can't wait for the T shirts!

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  35. Keith: my husband does a lot of "yes dear" and it works great for me :)

    I agree - cheap mattress = cheap sleep.

    And ewww...doing the nasty in a nasty porto is just beyond gross.

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  36. Happy 16th Anniversary Beth and Ken! Enjoy the day!

    We got a new mattress about 2 months ago, one of those memory cell ones and WOW what a difference from the old much less expensive one. Worth the extra!!

    P.S. And loved your keys to a happy marriage! Spot on!! And I choose wisely this time!! :)

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  37. Congrats! You didn't mention you'd be breaking in a new mattress tonight, how exciting. I hope Ken was able to pick up something nice after our meeting last night. I tell Kim all the time "Dutch ovens is the key to a happy marriage".

    Thanks for the shout out to Family Fan Club too, we got the ALO and Burnout shirts today, making progress on the ladies tech shirt too.

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  38. Sweet Little Sixteen
    She's just got to have
    About half a million
    Framed autographs
    Her wallet's filled with pictures
    She gets 'em one by one
    She gets so excited
    Watch her look at her run

    Chuck Berry

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  39. Congratulations.
    I hope that mattress does ALL that and if it does I am getting one too. I am glad to know I am not the only person who has abandoned undies in the potty.

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  40. Some of my best relationships have been 24 hours so I'm probably not the most qualified to comment here. I will say that I personally met Ken and he's dreamy.

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  41. Oh gosh. I married my husband and his mattress four years ago. I swear the ground would be more comfortable. But my husband thinks it keeps the romance alive: it a deep saggy middle that we call "the love ditch" because we can't help but both roll into it and cuddle all night!

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  42. nothing says love like a new mattress!! Congrats on 16 years-
    looking forward to the tee shirts

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  43. Happy Sweet Sixteen!! And thanks for the list...agreed, sense of humor pretty much gets you through everything! Maybe my boyfriend and I ARE ready to hitch it ;)

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  44. Happy Anniversary, love birds!

    Hope you had a great sleep on the new mattress!

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  45. Happy Anniversary! I did four miles with my new running group this morning. So did not want to get out of bed to be there at 6:30am and thought about SUAR (as in WWSUARD)? (Aside: New promo item for SUAR - WWSUARD bracelets. I'll expect royalties).

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  46. Happy 16 years. So glad you chose wisely.

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  47. I bet Ken was proud that the long billed bird reminded you of him! Happy anniversary! It took me one practice marriage to figure out what NOT to do. Now I'm blissfully happy--your advice is spot on!

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  48. Happy (late) Anniversary!! D and I laughed out loud at the Dutch Ovens comment - who wouldn't... ;) (good sign that we share a sense of humor - laugh daily with someone, and that's a big plus!)

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  49. Congrats on Sixteen Years...

    They get better each year...

    Enjoy each other and that new Mattress

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  50. Late to the party as usual. I was too busy drowning my sorrows for being a bunny killer this weekend to catch up on blogs.. (don't ask)

    BUT Happy Anniversary!! I love your list and it's all true. U rock

    ps - I have never left my jeans in an outhouse but I did leave my undies in the garbage at the Y once, it was a 2 hour endurance ride and I had forgotten that you're supposed to go commando in cycling pants. lesson learned!

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  51. Happy (late) anniversary! I can't wait for the shirts you bet I'll be pre-ordering one!

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  52. Can't say I've ever left jeans anywhere, but I too have just celebrated our wedding anniversary (June 16) - 21 years! Humor definitely a biggie and sharing common interests (we both run, so we obviously get each other and why shaving 30 seconds off your time is a big deal!). Congratulations!

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