Today is a special day and thus deserving of a weekend post. It is my husband’s birthday.

Now it’s not a milestone birthday and so there is no special event planned (sorry boo). I will give him a gift or two, nothing outlandish. I’ll let him talk about those once he’s opened them.

Anyways, he’s my special man, and hence (ya, hence) deserves a special mention. Please join me in wishing Danny a very happy birthday. He can be reached via blog, Facebook, and Twitter. All of his information can be found on his blog, so check it out. That and I don’t know how to use the Twitter, so I’m of no use.

Anyone who knows my husband, knows exactly why I love him. He’s selfless, wonderful, and downright amazing. He is always asking himself what he can do for others, and works mighty hard to achieve that. He’s literally given the clothes off his back to help out a stranger in need. I say “literally” because he now has very little clothes of his own.

The only time he complains about that though, is when I conveniently have them all in the wash and he has to walk about the house in his knickers. Mmmmm knickers. I was contemplating buying him more clothes for this special day, but then I no longer get that particular luxury. I’ve never loved laundry day more.

I think he secretly likes owning so little clothes, to be honest. Everytime he gets more clothes, he gives away the older stuff. The less decisions he has to make on any given day, the happier he is. Hmmm what to wear? The blue shirt? The red shirt with the hole near the breast pocket? Choices, choices. Oooh maybe he doesn’t want his wife to pick out clothes for him, and that’s why he gives stuff away. I’ve figured you out Mr. Brown!

I’ve somehow gotten off track. This happens when talking about the mister. I mostly just wanted to express how happy I am to have him in my life. Happy birthday, my love!

Oh and happy birthday eve to my good friend Danielle. Try not to party too hard. Cake for everyone!

I always do a Top 5 list so I thought it was time to share my husband’s choices.

1. Rosario Dawson

2. Salma Hayek

3. Jessica Alba

4. Katherine Heigl

5. Alyssa Milano

These two ladies almost made the cut, maybe next time!

Ashley Greene

Sofia Vergara

and he says he's not a boob man

The other night I came home to an instant message that said, “I saw someone who looked just like your husband in an MSN advertisement.”

So I needed to investigate. Garrett Brown of CAPP (Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers) is an environmentalist to say the least. Have a look at his profile.

Danny Brown of Bonsai Interactive is more of a humanist then an environmentalist, but both Garrett and Danny seem to have the same end game… Save the planet.

To learn more about Danny, mosey on over to his website.

I really think it would be awesome for the two men to get together and change lives. Garrett could change the ground we walk on, and Danny could help the people who walk on it.

If nothing else, they could swap haircuts.

Could be twins!

Please note, Danny and Garrett are not related, have never met, and neither are aware of this blog post.

I don’t get it. I’m not sure what’s good and what isn’t. Rap is just not my scene. Here is Danny Brown’s rap, please tell me if it’s good. The video is garbage. But homemade is homemade, right? We all do what we can.

Judging the music itself, is it good?

Here’s a song that I like, but I think I like it for the background vocals by Hayley Williams of Paramore.

Your thoughts?

Enough said.

My husband wrote a blog post that has inspired me to write again. Back in February I had decided I was going to attempt to blog on a weekly basis but as you can see, that hasn’t happened.

I don’t know what made me feel I was up to the challenge, February of all months was crazy busy. We had appointments coming out the wazoo! Sadly, since then it hasn’t really improved. We still have appointments, but they are far more regular and easy to work around.

My husband and I also have some serious health conditions. As far as we know, they are separate. Mine showed some improvement, but in the last few weeks I’ve come down with some rotten colds, fevers, and the flu. It wouldn’t be so bad, but I can’t take any remedies because I’m not allowed to mix anything with the current medication I’m on.

So alas, I’m lying here on my couch, wearing a toque, covered with a blanket, and surrounded by pillows. I haven’t moved in the last 3 hours at least. When I did move, it was only to come from lying in bed upstairs, to down here. The curtains are open and the sun is coming in, and it’s just beautiful outside. All of my animals are lying in the sun, and I’m afraid to open up the house to get a breeze, because that would defeat the purpose of me being bundled up in the first place. Boo.

However, my husband has some great sympathy and has been the best companion in the world. He keeps coming home with new treats for me to keep me relaxed. I have new massagers, some that vibrate, some that don’t. I have new video games for the DS, which was converted from blue (his) to pink (mine), and a brand spanking new PSP. I’m not quite sure how that works yet, but with all of the electronics and toys I don’t ever have to move.

I also have a Sony Ereader which is loaded with hundreds of books. I loaned that out to a friend though because I wasn’t using it often. I still like the feel of regular books. But now, my friend is going on and on about how great the Ereader is, and that makes me want to give it another shot.

I guess being sick has it’s benefits. Though I think I still prefer being healthy. Hopefully soon.

I wrote an email to my husband and before I post it, there are some things you need to know.

1.  I was spending the night at my mother’s, because I had errands to run the next day and it was easier to do it from her place. There was no fighting or any other silly reason.

2.  Danny (my husband) is here in Canada on vacation (according to the government). He’s been here waiting patiently since 2006 for his residency to come through. Each time he calls the government to see how his status is coming along, they give him another excuse and tell him to call back in a month or two. It is Danny’s responsibility to call the government each day to find out the status and hound them until he gets it. He fails to make these phone calls regularly.

3.  We have three cats and two dogs and they are all male. My dogs are hairless and there is a picture of them on my most recent rant – “I Smell A Rant – 6”.

4.  I wrote the following email to my husband just to say good night and remind him how I love him so.

To my Danny,

You drive me nuts at the best of times and I often think that “you don’t care” – especially when you don’t fix the government problem…

But I love you so very deeply and I just can’t picture my life any other way. You are my heart and I think I forget to tell you that.

I am pulling a ‘Danny’ – I tell everyone else how much you mean to me but I forget to tell you.

You’re so smart and clever and funny and charming and everything.
You’re everything.

You don’t just complete me, you are my better half. You are the most of me.

And you made room for my dogs and cats. To all the men in my life, furry or not, I love you.

Thank you.

Can I have sex now? No? Did I ruin it?

K, well I still love you.
Thinking lots about you as I sleep like a starfish in this big empty bed.

xoxox

First, I’d like to apologize for not posting nearly as often as I’d like. I’ve been so busy with work during the week that when I come home I just want to avoid the computer at all costs. This has left very little thinking time, let alone time to write. But rest assured, I have plenty coming. We all know that the world will never run out of things to complain about.

This marks a very special occasion as I have my very first guest post. Fellow blogger, Danny Brown (better known as my personal Mr. Right) has contributed some food for thought. What better place to put this but in the rant section.
I’ll start it.

You know what really grinds my gears – old people.
Where do old people get off?

I’m a pretty generous and polite guy by nature – I’ll hold doors open for people, give up seats on a bus or train for the elderly and pregnant women (especially pregnant old women!) and I’ll wait my turn patiently in the queue. So why can’t old people show the same respect?

They’re the same buggers that happily chirp, “I fought in the war for you!” Well, actually, you didn’t – you probably fought for my grandparents or parents, but I appreciate the sentiment. Still, this does not give you the God-given right to become obnoxious when you get older.

Seriously, the amount of time my wife and I have been standing in a queue and an old biddy barges through, or you don’t get even a polite thank you for giving up your seat… it’s like people get to a certain age and think, “Right, screw you world – now I’m going to bitch you up!”

Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty wonderful old people out there. Unfortunately, they’re seemingly becoming the minority. And with the way many of the new generation of kids today are obnoxious little cretins anyhoo, I despair for the future of mankind. Maybe I’ll go live in my ancestral Scottish cave – I’m bound to have one somewhere…

So there is this new post called 25 Random Things on Facebook. It seems to be all of the rage amongst facebookers.

Now I am forced to learn how to make notes and tag. I figured, taking the time to write 25 things about me was worth sharing with my fellow bloggers.

1. I am addicted to coke. Coca cola. I recently tried to kick the habit, and am now suffering from heavy withdrawals, including constant headache, the shakes, mood swings, cravings, and weight-loss. I’m ok with the last symptom.

2. I started a blog. www.justkickinit.ca check it out. Subscribe. I try to write on a daily basis (except on weekends).

3. I usually spend my weekends holed up in a bedroom. This isn’t as kinky as it sounds. I’m either spending countless hours on a jigsaw puzzle, reading a book, or sleeping.

4. Jigsaws are my new hobby. I feel extremely satisfied after solving just one piece. Then I ask my husband if he sees the difference since the last time I asked.

5. I also love reading and try to read a new novel each week. This is an easy feat if I am enjoying the book. If I don’t like it, it takes me longer but I almost always finish it. Only once did I throw the book out the window… of a moving vehicle.

6. Speaking of books (and puzzles), I joined all of the other pre-teens and teen girls in the Twilight Phenomenon. Yeah, I don’t care if the grammar is poor, when you’re 16 you don’t notice these things. I like to pretend I’m 16. I’ve bought all of the books (multiple copies of each) and all of the paraphernalia including key chains, bracelets, and puzzles.

7. I have 5 animals, 3 cats and 2 dogs. If I had it my way, I’d live on a farm in the middle of no where and open the place to all strays. My hubby would help, but other than that I don’t want to see people, lol. They just get on my nerves.

8. My biggest pet peeve is people who don’t understand common etiquette/rules. Like “walk left, stand right” on escalators, and “let people off the elevator before you try to get on” – these are things everyone should know. I’m going to write a book on it.

9. I am also annoyed with people who purposely spell things incorrectly. “Da boyz R hott” or “wen R we gwon oot” Are you really saving time typing like that? I’m pretty sure it’s the same amount of letters as spelling it properly. LOL, LMAO, and NP don’t bother me as much. These are common phrases that when condensed, do save time.

10. I am a Guitar Hero legend. Well, I kick some butt on the medium level and try really hard on the difficult level. But I am so far from expert it’s not even funny. My eyes can’t see that fast and my fingers just don’t move that quick.

11. I have +1/-1 vision. This means that one of my eyes is near-sighted and the other is far-sighted. It also means that I have little to no vision. I have astigmatisms in both eyes, no depth perception in my right eye, and very little peripheral vision. Basically this means, my entire world is like Paper Mario… I’m singing the theme song now.

12. My real name is Jacki Brown. I married a famous writer, Dan Brown. OK so he’s not THE Dan Brown of Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, but he’s my Dan Brown. He writes, he writes well, and he’s famous to me. If you don’t know him yet, you should. He’s the best man in the world, number two only to my grandfather. www.dannybrown.me

13. I met my husband on the internet. Though most people know that already. He proposed to me before we ever ‘met’ in reality.

14. I like reality shows, but not all reality shows. American Idol is good. Canadian Idol is bad. So You Think You Can Dance – good. So You Think You Can Dance Canada – bad. America’s Next Top Model – good. Canada’s Next Top Model, can’t say I’ve seen it. America’s Best Dance Crew – good. I’m not sure there is a Canada’s Best Dance Crew yet, but I’d probably watch it. I am Canadian after all. We need better judges.

15. I love my running shoes. I’ll wear them until the soles give out. I have a pair of running shoes now that I’ve had for years and the holes are ridiculous. I’ll wear them in the rain and I never complain about wet feet.

16. I’m known for my rants. People often give me things to discuss, just to hear me tear a strip off something. Read my blog for examples. I have a whole section dedicated to that.

17. I rode a horse one time. Actually I took ‘lessons’ back in the day. That consisted of riding a horse for a week. Not consistently. My husband found that interesting.

18. I express anger through the power of song. Nothing beats blaring rage music for all to hear. Or deafening myself through headphones. At least I won’t be able to hear you complain about it.

19. If I move my lip ring and wet my lips, I can whistle one single note. But not when anyone can hear. Even my dogs don’t seem to notice.

20. I can’t dance. It’s not that I’m rhythmically challenged, I can find the beat, I just don’t know what to do with it. I can however, mimic anyone on the dance floor so people think I have talent sometimes. I’m a fraud.

21. Nothing amazes me more than the human heart. We can pretty well survive without anything other than that. It pumps blood throughout the body making sure all other organs get what they need so that they are capable of functioning as well. We can survive without a brain, I’m pretty sure I’ve met people born without a brain. We can’t survive without a heart. It also can survive heartache and pain, and has an infinite amount of space for love. Infinite.

22. My ‘top 5′ changes periodically. New men, new tastes. etc. But Ewan McGregor will always be my #1. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is becoming a permanent ‘top 5′ member as well.

23. I’d give the shirt off my back for a friend in need, and I’d never ask for anything in return. If I have it and you need it, it’s yours.

24. I collect Sleeping Beauty items but don’t own the movie. Weird. I should really get that. I also collect Twilight items, but that just started within the last 6 months.

25. I have many heroes. Chris Carrabba got me through university and other difficult times. Rob Dyer is an inspiration to all, look him up. My mother. Gosh, I just can’t say enough about her. Anyone who has met her would agree. My husband. He single-handedly makes the world a better place. www.12for12k.org

And since my #2 is obvious to anybody reading this, I’ll give you a #26. I didn’t know it was possible to ruin food that comes in a box until I met my husband. He seems incapable of reading directions like “1 cup milk” or “drain first, add mix” and has thus ruined Kraft Dinner, Hamburger Helper and other simple foods. I suppose he just doesn’t like the limitations of the box. He makes a mean beef stew.

Hi there,

I just wanted to post a note about something that is very important to me. I would like to apologize in advance if you receive this more than once (in different groups) but I wanted to spread the word.

Here is my story.

My husband is partaking in what is now called ‘Movember’. For the month of November he will be growing a mustache.

Unfortunately for me, due to his rugged Scottishness, I break out into hives when I kiss him, if he’s not clean-shaven.

Alas, it is for a good cause! His mustache is for prostate cancer awareness. Should you wish to donate money to his cause, please see the information below. If you would like to sponsor him, I believe there is another link but I can’t be too sure – email my husband for more details.

For those of you who support the cause, and want to see him bear his mustache – please feel free to check the links below… For those who feel sorry for me and my unkissable ways – I’ll take donations too – money or smooches, I won’t complain!

Jacki Star

——————————————————-
Hi All,

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) Danny Brown is growing a Moustache to help the fight against prostate cancer and I’m helping him raise funds and awareness because I’m into guys tackling their own health issues.

You can donate to his moustache by either:

1. Clicking this link and donating online using your credit card or PayPal account
2. Writing a cheque payable to the ‘Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada’, referencing his Registration Number 1810431 and mailing it to:

Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada
Attn: Movember
145 Front Street East
Suite 306
Toronto Ontario M5A 1E3

Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The money raised by Movember is donated directly to the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada who will use the funds to create awareness and fund research across the country into prevention, detection and treatment, with a goal to ending the threat of prostate cancer.

For those that have supported Movember in previous years you can be very proud of the impact it has had and can check out the details at:
ca.movember.com/outcomes/content/Fundraising-Outcomes/

Did you know…
• Every year around 24,700 Canadian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 4,300 die of the disease, making it the number one cancer threat to Canadian men.
• 1 in 7 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.
• All men over the age of 40 are potentially at risk and should talk to their doctor about the disease and early detection. Prostate cancer is 95% curable if detected and treated early.
Movember culminates at the end of month Gala Partés. If you would like to be part of this great night you’ll need to purchase a ca.movember.com/galatickets/index.php

Thanks for your support.

More information is available at www.movember.com/.
——————————————————-

A note from my husband personally:

Hi everyone,

Thank you to my good lady wife who promoted me very nicely while hiding her peed-offedness at my impending hairiness

Indeed, the Movember event is to raise awareness of the importance for men to be checked regularly. The main focus is on Prostate Cancer awareness/prevention. Having lost a grandfather to this disease, it’s something close to my heart.

You can find more details at the following links:

* Remember, Remember, the Month of Movember

* My Movember donation page

Every little helps, and you can make donations in a variety of ways. Your name pops up as a donator and you receive a receipt so you know it’s all legit.

Anything you can donate will be gratefully accepted – it’s for a great cause and something all guys (and their partners) should take seriously throughout the whole year.

Cheers,

Danny Brown