april 6.

today is my husband's birthday and he's away in new orleans, working for us, his family. he just called from the french quarter, one of his all-time favorite places, to say that he's not particularly enjoying himself because we aren't there with him.

in honor of jeremy's 33 years of life, i've compiled a list of things that make him so unique and lovable, and that always make me miss him when he's away.

1. he is a connoisseur of coffee and is fanatical about Peet's. he makes the coffee every night before bed so that all we have to do is flip it on in the morning.
2. he eats as much pasta as your average italian on a weekly basis, and especially likes spicy tomato sauce.
3. he keeps our monthly budget on a spreadsheet and has things figured to the dollar at the top of every month.
4. he possesses a large collection of bags--backpacks, small shoulder bags, mountain bags, computer bags, travel bags, bags to put inside of bags, bags.
5. he is handy with a hammer.
6. he loves to collect patches, even if they don't necessarily get sewn onto anything.
7. although he never wears it, he still has a very old, fairly oversized, faded jean jacket circa 1992(?) in our closet.
8. he loves being home and is a creature of habit.
9. he is a scholar of history and knows an astonishing amount of random but useful facts about almost any subject you might throw at him (much like a Jeopardy contestant). last night just before falling asleep, for example, he told me all about how thatched roofs are made and how they function when it rains.
10. he rarely watches any television except for news, but is an avid LOST follower and will restructure the day's events in order not to miss it.
11. his idea of a perfect day will always include a bookstore.
12. he also likes a good cup of irish or english tea.
13. he is one of the best fathers i have ever known.
14. he is not afraid to say he's sorry first in an argument, and often does, even if i'm the one more noticeably in the wrong.
15. when playing any board game involving words, he is more inclined to invent non-existent words just to amuse himself than to try to win the game.
16. he appreciates John Denver as much as I do, but prefers John Lennon or Johnny Cash.
17. he is a loyal friend and is not afraid to hug another guy or tell them he loves them. i've always admired this.
18. he is into trees.
19. he is not very good at keeping surprises because he can't hold it in for more than a few minutes. on the day of my 30th birthday SURPRISE party, he asked a friend right in front of me: "so are you coming to the um....shindig...tonight?" (thinking that would be subtle enough to keep me from catching on).
20. he almost always uses #2 pencils to write (ironic considering #18).
21. he has very nice teeth.
22. he wishes we had a yard full of chickens and a few goats.
23. he works much more than he rests and almost never asks for help.
24. he often reads the end of a book before he gets through chapter one.
25. he was raised in Pennsylvania but detests being cold.
26. on road trips, he usually tries to find a Bob Evans restaurant to stop and eat, even if he's by himself.
27. he always makes sure his family is taken care of before himself.
28. he almost always writes music before lyrics.
29. one of his most prized possessions is his vintage J-45 guitar.
30. he has been to Australia.
31. he always makes sure that the car is clean and has plenty of gas.
32. he thinks i am unusually short for a human, even though i'm 5'3".
33. he is my closest friend.