Dan Things

This Saturday marks the one year anniversary of closing on our house, "The Manor." Though we ended up with the keys 11 days later which delayed our move until after Thanksgiving because of a situation which was the first to occur in the careers of several people involved in the closing. This situation was no one's fault other than some loser in California who couldn't pick up a phone and take literally a minute to do her job--to review a document and confirm it via phone. Thinking back to all that and the fact that we had to wait months to close on the house because of people in the mortgage industry being idiots is insignificant now because we have enjoyed nearly 11 months in our home.

Some of the content in this blog has been patiently waiting in a draft for a couple months, and today I am going to revisit and rewrite the post--briefly--because reading what I had written has made me realize what I have forgotten!

For well beyond the past year, Dan has been amazing and supportive in countless ways. More than two decades separate us, but that time and space is essentially insignificant when considering the dynamics of us being a well functioning team. I do not want to offend him and make anyone feel these are "old jokes." Here I am publicly providing my view, but it feels so good to have taken care of this desire and the amusing quotes and tendencies I have at some point cherished, even if they have not continued. This post is to celebrate The Manor and Dan, the guy who pays the mortgage.

Anyway, I have concluded that these things are essentially Dan things and are unrelated to his age:

8. Dan and I moved into a big old house and for a month he was obsessed with making a practically senseless and costly back stairway. There were inspirational pictures, drawings, and semi-arguments.

7. On a Saturday afternoon, I sat in bed while he napped and I planned to read (and I stuck to my plan). He asked with strange surprise, "You're going to read with your clothes on?!"

6. Dan's working definition for a concertina (looks like an accordion and it is what should come to most people when seeing and hearing this instrument): squeeze box thing.
We saw and heard this concertina when we saw Altan and Lunasa at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

5. He bought expensive yard tools and power tools that have not been used yet or are used so rarely that they are not worth the cost. There are at least three tool boxes in the basement, and they all have to have the same things in them, and every time we need a tool, we have to go down there. It would make sense to have one on the first and second floor then. I shared this idea, but I have been told it needs to wait.

4. We had a St. Patrick's Day party and Dan spent about $300 on alcohol for his friends, who are in their 40s, and at least 15 librarians and library employees who were between the ages of 40 and 70. Did these people become inebriated from this much alcohol? Absolut(ely) not.

3. For the longest time, the decor in the downstairs and upstairs bathrooms has been toilet paper, but after a stern talking to, we have two rolls on hand instead of eight or more.

2. Dan won't eat cupcakes because "those are for girls."

1. We went to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and when the conductor got on the stage, Dan asked me, "Is the old guy going to play an instrument?"

There are countless things that make my Danny special and loved, but sometimes you get so accustomed to things that you are not able to recall them unless asked directly. Thanks, Dan, for being the best, and happy anniversary to The Manor!