Friday, June 30, 2006

Shouldn't I be napping?

Mr. Tangerine woke me up at 4:30 this morning and said, "I smell smoke." Fortunately, the fire was over a mile away, and in a brand-new (still unoccupied) building—but enough smoke stink managed to waft in through our windows that the house still smells smoky. He went back to bed an hour later, but I stayed up.

Mr. Tangerine hasn't shaved his face in two weeks, and he's seeing if he can grow a respectable beard. (And yes, I believe this came out of nowhere. He hasn't been talking about it, hasn't had facial hair before, hadn't gone more than a week without shaving previously.) And since seeing Wordplay, he's been bitten by the crossword-solving bug. I used to have a clean-shaven, TV-watching man on my couch. And now? I have a deliciously whiskery guy who turns away from the TV and picks up a book of crosswords. It's like getting a free bonus husband, without the hassle of having to pick up after two of them at once. In my book, a good-looking man working a crossword is extra hot. (Is my book a little weird?)

15 comments:

Feral Mom said...

Your book is dirty.

Cricket said...

Shouldn't I be napping??

Rather...
Shouldn't I be getting a little afternoon up and down action?



[Sorry, I crack myself up.]

Krupskaya said...

I like your book. Mr. K is one of those crossword illiterates who, when I say "World War II airplane," immediately says, "How many letters?"

No, no, no! Just say it! If you don't know it, the number of letters won't help you! Gah!

But he grows nice whiskers.

E. said...

Yeah, I'm down with your book, too. In my own book, my man never looks sexier than when his lanky frame is folded up in a chair, reading. (Though playing a Fender guitar under the smokey lights of a stage is a close rival.)

Orange said...

FM: I know, I know.

Cricket: Kinda hard when one's home alone...

Krup: No, no—your husband's right. There are often multiple answers possible for a crossword clue, and you need to know how long the word is or what some of its letters are in order to narrow it down.

E.: Yeahhhhh...

luolin said...

Hi. I just saw the movie and loved it. It was a last minute decision to see it tonight, so I didn't have time to re-read the "how to find me post," but I remembered lime green and caught the curtsy.
luolin, former lurker

Krupskaya said...

Eh, I must work backwards -- I let the words come to me, and see if they fit, rather than keep the number of letters in my mind. Is this a schism?

Orange said...

Hi, Luolin! Glad you enjoyed the movie.

Krup, I don't know if it's a schism. All I know is that I need to know the number of letters and see the pattern the word has to fit into in order to zip through a crossword fast. But if fast isn't your overriding goal, then whatever, eh?

Mona Buonanotte said...

Sign me up for the Free Bonus husband! Do I need boxtops or what?

Psycho Kitty said...

Sigh. Where do they sell those books? God, I need a good book. A really good, long, hard book.
Ahem.
You are the spreader of crossword bugs, it would seem. I've started doing them, too. And hey, I meant to tell you, one of your co-stars is from here! (But I still haven't been able to see the show yet. Soon.)

Bored Housewife said...

Your book is poifect, dearie! Smart + handsome = yum

Dharma said...

You and I read from the same book. I totally get it.

Mignon said...

Whiskers? Check. Crosswords? Uh-uh. However watching him shovel gravel.... mmmmmm.

I think your book is weird, but then who am I to talk? My book includes references to Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Goodman.

Dharma said...

Haha. I quickly read Mignon and thought she wrote, "watching him grovel" and I nodded enthusiastic in agreement. But then I reread it. Oh. Yeah, I guess that could work too.

amusing said...

One of the most popular NYT articles emailed recently is about a woman using animal training techniques to "train" her husband. I wonder if that could include transformation into an extra hot husband -- whiskers, pen and crossword (pen!).