Steve asked for this...

So Steve has commented that I don’t seem to mention him in my blogs enough, so here is one devoted just to him. I’m not really feeling it as he’s kinda boring which is why I don’t talk about him much. *JOKES* I have been drafting this silly thing for months now…pretty much since my last entry, but I’ve just struggled to know what to say. I think part of my struggle was explained very well by Jess when she said that all the mushy stuff is kinda between just Steve and me. I mean it is certainly fun watching the discomfort of Steve’s brother Lachie, but he just gets uncomfortable about all forms of PDA’s or couple type discussion. So yeah, this is not meant to be mushy, but since Steve requested I blog about him, well I guess I shouldn’t just be mean to him or nothing…don’t want people to think I don’t actually like him or something. Although I have a feeling I’ll just start telling secrets about his love of Glee and that he likes to dance with our little ranga, Solomon!

 So Stephen Thomas Bell is my husband. He is 25 years old (26 in a few weeks and that makes him really old) and currently works as basically a site/project manager. He’s got it so tough with his work that they force him to take regular Rostered Days Off (RDO) and most of the time even if we leave home for work at the same time, he usually beats me back in the afternoons. Steve (as he likes to be called) is also brother to Lachlan and eldest (elder?) son of David and Angela. He has lots more family, but I can’t really be bothered to go building a family tree for you but I can say that one of his cousin’s is expecting their first child at the beginning of next year which will be the first great grandchild for gorgeous papa who is David’s dad. Steve and I would consider ourselves to be parents of two very needy and adorable cats…oh gosh my babies are cats now…and as I mentioned before, Steve likes to dance with Solomon. I’m not really sure why. Solomon is not a cuddly cat. He doesn’t mind lying down next to people and will occasionally lay down on you but generally he’s a distant kind of soul who prefers to watch what is going on. Personally I think Steve dances with him because he a bit littler (shorter) than Sebastian and slightly tubby! That and he actually doesn’t struggle when they dance…I think maybe Solomon likes it too J Steve also regularly calls them by the wrong names even though he’s a massive cat lady too and get excited when they cats lay on either side of him on the couch (his guard kitties).

Anyway…enough cat stuff….Hmmm…Steve…what else is there to say about him…he likes video games, Dr Who, Stargate, Modern Family, The Simpsons, Dexter, Biggest Loser, Master Chef…you get the idea…he a nerdy geek-boy-man-child who does our washing and ironing/folding, likes to buy an abundance of spices and thoroughly enjoys pretending to not have a social conscience because my uni training demands I MUST! He also plays touch football each Monday night, enjoys following most of the major Australian and International sport and is generally quite sporty for a nerd. When I’m not at home on the weekend or at night, he often fails to feed himself properly resorting to either nothing or instant noodles beside the fact that he actually cooks really well when he tries. Sometimes he can get a bit ambitious, but the only time I’ve not been able to eat anything he’s cooked was because the cheese we used on the bolognese was mouldy…but I picked it off and ate it with a brave face. Luckily for Steve I am a massive feeder. I truly feel that lack of descent/adequate food can affect people’s emotions and ability to think properly, so I naturally think about meals and meal planning and making sure we have food to eat and that the boy does not starve.

Steve’s love of ‘reality tv shows’ such as Masterchef, Biggest Loser and So You Think You Can Dance (in the past) is mostly based in mocking and reading witty internet commentary while watching to indulge the cynic within. To explain this a bit better…My dad thinks that Steve doesn’t like him…as does Steve’s step grandmother because Steve is an introvert. He gets uncomfortable in big group situations and often needs time to himself (not really socialising) to build up his tolerance again before he can get back into engaging with people. This also means he’s not that comfortable with strangers and small talk and will generally answer direct questions but not really offer much to conversations that are happening around him unless he’s comfortable. Even as someone who has the ability to talk under water with marbles in my mouth (as with most of the women in my family), I really value the quiet times we can have just sitting together but not feeling like we constantly have to talk. So Steve and I often watch these shows together and will poke fun at the drama or the way the producers have done the editing of the show to try and manipulate the audience into becoming anxious and worried that the favourites will be going home. If we miss an episode, Steve and I will sometimes even lay in bed watching the episode online before going to sleep. Now Liz is currently living with us and Steve has become comfortable enough around her that if he’s watching an episode of Masterchef for example and I’m not around, he’ll do his complaining or witty commentary to her.

I should also mention that Steve’s favourite kind of joke is puns. He loves a good pun. He can sit for days remembering a good pun and giggle at random intervals while he remembers the moment. As I rarely find his puns funny, when I come across a good one I try and make sure he gets credit…this is usually in the form of a high five or actual laughter as opposed to a roll of the eyes or smothered smirk. This is a similar humour he shares with Angela’s dad George and so the two get on quite well and often give each other cards with silly jokes on them that only the two of them would appreciate. This also means that on his mum’s side, Steve’s family gatherings are often a cacophony of bad jokes (usually about various professions or things that are gross) and worse puns, but everyone laughs so it’s ok.

I guess I’ll wrap this up with some warm fuzzies and try not to make it too mushy…Steve is my best friend. There is pretty much nothing in the world that I can imagine not telling him. There are certainly plenty of things he doesn’t know about me, particularly from my teenage years, but I also feel I was a very different person then and I don’t like dwelling on a lot of it so it doesn’t come up. He’s someone who I can confide in when I’m afraid, feeling inadequate or am frustrated. He supports my studies and the time it takes away from our weekends and me helping with the cleaning and mess it usually creates. While he sometimes has difficulty making decisions (particularly when put on the spot) he really doesn’t realise how much I rely on him for some of the simplest decisions. His opinions and advice are so precious to me that even with my confident façade I know that I can show him vulnerabilities and he never fails to make me feel better (eventually J). I wouldn’t trade him for any other husband because to me he’s exactly who and what I need. I will miss him so completely when he has to work away from home for several days at a time in the coming months.

Hopefully this entry has shown enough love, playfulness, teasing and love to my wonderful husband!