First off, some kitchen progress news: all of the chaotic electrical work is finished—believe it or not, in just five hours. Woot.
We’re in clean-up mode now, taking photos, hunting for pendant lights, and putting together a full post for Monday. When Sherry shared “The Real $herdog” on Tuesday, a bunch of readers asked for a John version too. I was surprised—honestly, I thought the pets would get mentioned before I would. Since I don’t have a clever street name like Sherry, she suggested calling me “J-Boom” for now. It’s a little uncomfortably close to a certain reality-TV personality, but there’s little chance of confusion, so I’ll roll with it. It’s certainly more exciting than my childhood nicknames, JP and Petersik.
Sherry included some shared facts about our marriage and our daughter in her post, so my list here is a bit more random. Here are a few things about me that might not be obvious.
#1 – I don’t always enjoy shopping and decorating. If our blog makes it look like I’m the eager husband tagging along on every shopping trip, that’s not entirely accurate. I do participate and I often enjoy running errands more than the average guy, but I also groan when told we “need to go out for pillows.” The same goes for household tasks: I don’t leap from the couch every time we need to hang curtains or haul something from the attic that “takes two people, one being the strong and helpful husband.” Still, I try to find the humor in being the tagalong.
#2 – I’m the king of typos. My fingers and brain don’t always cooperate, and my eyes don’t always catch mistakes. Sherry has almost no tolerance for typos, especially when entire words disappear from a sentence. She proofreads every post before it goes live, which is a good thing—otherwise you might read sentences where the verbs have gone missing. I once said in a local interview that I loved Sherry because “she fixes my tyops.” It was honestly one of my better accidental typos.
#3 – I’m sometimes insecure about being a stay-at-home (work-at-home) dad. I write about this here and there, and it still feels a little odd not to put on “work clothes” and head to an office like some dads do. Even though being home with Clara is a wonderful choice and one I value, there are moments of self-consciousness—like when we check out at the grocery store mid-afternoon and a cashier gives that “he must be unemployed” look. I’m working to embrace it and be the best dad I can be.
#4 – I’m a shameless sucker for new things. Maybe it’s the former advertising background, or the reason I got into it, but I love trying new products. They don’t even need to be truly new—seasonal flavors or redesigned packaging are enough to make me buy something on a whim. If I go food shopping solo, Sherry knows to expect some quirky new snack or cereal to appear at home.
#5 – I sing. A lot. And not always well. Both Sherry and I break into song often, whether we’re singing along to the radio or making up little tunes that narrate whatever task we’re doing (“a grouting we will go…”). It’s a slightly off-key, slightly sarcastic Disney vibe around here at times, and Clara isn’t shy about singing along either. We can carry a tune—sort of—and sometimes even harmonize on purpose. If we ever auditioned for a televised singing show, we’d probably fall into that middle group that’s neither bad nor good enough for the judges to remember.
#6 – I don’t read every Young House Love post. Sherry reads and proofreads nearly everything that appears on the site and she handles most of the comments, so it doesn’t make sense for me to read every post in detail. With everything we juggle, my reading time is limited. If we talk in person and you reference something Sherry wrote, please forgive me if I just smile and nod—sometimes brevity is our reality and I don’t always keep up with every single comment thread.
#7 – I can get really frustrated during projects. Project work doesn’t always go smoothly, and I’ve been known to lob a screwdriver at the ground during an especially aggravating moment. I’m working on staying calmer, but frustration happens. The good news is that once a project is finished and we’ve survived, it’s always worth it—so despite the occasional thrown tool, I keep jumping back into the DIY arena.
So maybe this list is less of a “confession” and more a reminder that we’re just regular people: imperfect, slightly silly, and trying to have fun while we tackle home projects and parenthood. Clara seems convinced I’m the bee’s knees, and I don’t plan on telling her otherwise.
P.S. We’ve been invited to participate in a Richmond Comedy Coalition show called “Richmond Famous” where we’ll share a few true stories and they’ll improvise scenes. Sherry is nervous about actually talking on stage, so we’d love to see you there if you’re nearby. Also, this week’s giveaway winner has been announced on the blog—check the site if you want to see who won.