From the "Posts" previously the "Community" page on my YouTube Channel
So, yeah I will try and do this soon. Maybe later today or tonight or over the weekend. I have to track down those mix cds (or maybe that will be later).
The media market is huge, thus the need for a media review market.
This is our little contribution to that field.
From the "Posts" previously the "Community" page on my YouTube Channel
I love you. This is the hardest thing you and I have ever been through. I will do my best to live in the future as happy a life as I can. I hope and do for the most part believe we have had a Happy, fulfilling marriage.
How and why this happened to you, I will do everything in my power to understand, but know that it will never take away the love I have for you and all the experiences and memories we have had.
I have concluded several things over these recent days and weeks, but 1 big thing is I want to talk about as many anecdotes and experiences we had together. or even I know about us and you, just for dictation so these stories don't get forgotten.
This initial post is a somewhat random list of memories, anecdotes, references that I have with or about Joyce. I will intend to be doing a lot of these, as I literally have 100's if not 1000's to get down for dictation and even therapy. Like most relationships that last for many years (ours was about fourteen and a half).
Many of them are MY memories, so maybe the context of some of them might not be understood by many other than myself. Although elaboration might be done at a later time (or even just EDITS of course).
But I hope some people who know me and know/knew Joyce might find some interest if not comfort in reading about them.
Joyce's Birthdays:
-2011: Bryant Lake Bowl (more to elaborate on this)
-2015: 40th 80's Themed at Saundra's
Meeting at KFAI January 2011
-Hanging Out at Memory Lanes and then KFAI in February or March of 2011 for your Board Certification Practice...w ya know..a bit of subtle flirting.
-Game Nights at Mike and Bronwen's; Apples to Apples + Cards Against Humanity
-Shannon's annual early December Birthdays..Ginger Beer included
-Walking Coco down to Dairy Queen on 7th Street
-Walking Coco across the High Bridge, and Papa driving down across the bridge to meet Mama and Coco.
-Coco always needing to go out on Tuesday? nights at 7pm during the Big Bang Theory, and especially Tuesday or Wednesday Nights during The Goldbergs. Who took Coco out?..of course Papa.
-Meeting Soda the dog.When you and Marina? met Soda, I was actually at Black Dog Cafe..it was maybe 1 of the 1st times seeing Dean Magraw on a Tuesday night, and Soda showing up near the duplex. Soda then later howling on the street for Coco. Soda wanting Coco to come back to his home. And in many cases, me telling Coco, Soda was coming and she would anxiously be looking out the window for him.
-Bringing Coco in the car. Coco for many years was araid of riding in the car. But eventually (maybe after Alfie), Coco came with us to Target. I waited in the car with Coco while she panted and paced for you. Barking at people coming and going. Also bringing Coco on walks at St. Kate's, Highland Golf Course, and in Shoreview at the park and near the Dairy Queen.
-Giving Coco a hamburger and Ice Cream Cone from McDonalds. And 1 or 2 times, a "Pup Cup" from DQ.
-Also the 1 time Coco stayed at my apartment and us narrowly avoiding her making a stinky in the carpeted hallway. She also at 1 point looked out of my bedroom window, staring at something for a short while. I think it was while there was daylight, but I forget if she was growling at something or just looking
-To go along with that, all the dogs in the neighborhood Coco met including Freddie. Joyce at times met them, but given Papa walked Coco much more often, I met them more (and wrote many of their names down). Christa and Bato included
-Joel and Anna's Wedding. You having a bad Cold and my back problems, but we endured it. 1st the lunch at some restaurant in Woodbury? or Oakdale..and then the evening reception. You took a photo with many of your Barnes and Noble friends/former coworkers. We sang "Easy Lover" on Karaoke. And then the following night/days and nights us recovering in my apartment. Me taking baths with advil and epsom and you driinking a ton of water, but concluding Tea or Sprite? may have been better for you.
-Blue Blanky at my apartment. Mama loving how soft blue blanky was (the comforter I got from my parents when I moved out on my own in the late 90's). Mama watching the OWN network on the couch with Blue Blanky. Also Animal Planet's "Too Cute" series. And at times when I was home at my apartment alone, calling you and telling you I was with Blue Blanky, and you taking ownership, saying "leave Blue Blanky alone."
-Joyce stopping at Kmart on the way to my apartment. Joyce loved Kmart, so having 1 near where I lived was a motivation for her to drive to my apartment
-Watching "Dog Tales" on Sunday mornings with Grandma and Coco at the Duplex. Having pancakes, french toast or waffles. Maybe eggs or breakfast tacos at times.
-So many times, especially on the weekends where you say "we need to get going" and before you knew it was 4 or 5pm. You wanted to get your Shop Party on and we needed groceries, but you also were watching videos on YouTube or shorts. Or maybe messenging people or on the phone with people like Saundra and other friends. But I also had that habit back in the day as well, chatting online or forums (r blogging) and before I knew it, it was like 5pm or even 9 or 10 pm and I hadnt had dinner.
-Also doing like 13 loads of laundry every week. At the laundry mat of course a lot of the time, but also at times at my apartment, and occasionally at my parents on Sunday nights (and we getting out of there after 10pm. I know, it's super late, although that process/tradition basically started when I moved out in the late 90's). When we bought the townhouse in 2019, having the washer+dryer was helpful, although having to walk all the way down the 2 flights of stairs was not ideal. And even despite all the baskets you had, you and me at times, just carrying the clothes down and then back up in our arms.
-The New Years Eve party in 2011/2012 at my apartment. You at 1 feeling you were doing everything, but I did my best to help with setting up and preparing Hors d'oeuvres. Several guests came, James and his partner, Rhonda and Jose, Shannon and a few others. The 1 "party" of sorts we ever hosted at my small apartment.
-Your Dollar Tree ("DT") addiction. Among your favorites at 1 time, Richfield and then later White Bear Lake. You were very surprised why White Bear Lake was getting in the makeup and other things the other locations were not. Of course later, at WBL, going to Festival as well.
-1 of the early DT highlights was you finding that brand of Hand Soap and Lotions at the Lake Street location. You bought up pretty much all you could of it. This was after the Wedding/Wedding Prep in 2015/2016 but probably not long after. I can't remember the brand name right now, (but may try and research for it)
-You coming down to the Dream Theater concert with me to meet the fans at Rock Bottom Brewery in 2011 or 2012. You must have drove separately per you of course did not attend the concert (probably for good reason.."Metal and Prog hurts my brain")/
-Picking You Up at Barnes and Noble in downtown Minneapolis
-Picking You up at St. Kate's
-Picking You up at MNHS. Always seeing Danielle come out 1st for her ride (and she rarely seeing my car, although I'm unsure why she would have noticed my car). A few times, being in a rush, 1 especially trying to get to a showing at a house near Jude's in bad snow weather in December 2018/January 2019.
-Also picking you up after work and especially MNHS, having to go to Target
-You appearing on the Psych Podcast.."We Are the ChOMPIONS"..but ultimately when the new season began, you telling me it wasn't how to do things. It was like starting a class. But I do remember you enjoying the podcast and being on it.
-All the Wedding Prep in 2015 and 2016.
-Going to the State Fair..Frenchie Fries, Blue Barn, seeing all the cute, fluffy Bunnies, the Seed Art (and waiting for ridiculous amounts of time. Mini Donuts. You volunteering with St. Kates in the education building and meeting up with Jude and Shannon.
-Twins (+1 or 2 Saints) Baseball Games with Jude. I know you don't care for sports or Baseball, but you do enjoy the food and just hanging out and chatting there. The Saints game I also recall introducing you and Jude to my company's CEO.
-Also watching World Series baseball at Jude's every October. You and Brad bonding over your lack of love of baseball, and probably just only 1/2-paying attention while the conversation would be about our jobs or something else. Also bringing Coco over a few times, and Coco wandering around Jude's at times aimlessly, unless we had food for her to beg for.
I love you Joyce, always will. I will miss you dearly, but at least I have some of these (and other) clips to remember and keep close.
I'll share more soon.
I don't think I'm going to go too far with this yet, but to say the past month has been probably the most difficult of my life wouldn't be an overstatement.
I love my wife, and the process of getting a diagnosis has been extensively torturous.
I don't know how this could have been foreseen, and what the future will hold, but soul searching and trying to find little wins and hope is a daily if not hourly process.
In due time, I'll likely go more into detail, especially when is more fully known. And this isn't the only place that'll likely be, however I'm not one to go sharing this kind of stuff in detail on several sites..just see what happened at the end of 2019 for me.
But in due time..which may be sooner than later, some guts may be spilled. I mean afterall, this blog has been as much of a form of therapy for me as other things (documenting my taste, opinions, lists, life events, etc).
edit: wtf..it's a fucking plague. I swear..just seeing so many examples in the news/social media.