A big book arrived yesterday from Yale University. It was put together in honor of the 50th anniversary of the class of 1964 — MrB’s graduating class. Everyone had the opportunity to write his biography for the book. (It is “his” biography, rather than “his or her,” because Yale didn’t go coed until 1969.) MrB’s bio ended with a two-sentence reference to me.
Well, the first sentence is very complimentary. In case you’re wondering about the word “again,” that refers to the fact that I am the third MrsS, though I am the only MrsS who doesn’t go by MrsS. Yep, MrB is only MrB on this blog. In real life, he’s MrS. I was much too attached to my name to change it when we got married. (To paraphrase Janet Jackson: No, my first name ain’t “baby,” it’s Wendy … Ms. Brandes, if you’re nasty.) I suggested that MrB legally change his last name to Brandes instead, but for some reason he didn’t take me up on that excellent opportunity. Humph!
The second sentence warrants a partial correction. While it is true that MrB successfully caused me to LOL once, I most certainly do not laugh at his other joke attempts. However, I’m thrilled that he thinks I do. I don’t have to put in the effort but he feels flattered anyway! Clearly, we are a perfect match.
MrB is quite comfortable with his lack of comedy prowess. So am I. I occasionally advise my single girlfriends to take “great sense of humor” off their list of boyfriend requirements. An earnest guy with a loud laugh is a good audience for a funny lady. MrB even likes to tell people, “Earnest is my middle name.” He’s not exaggerating. “Ernest” is his middle name. But the “earnest/ernest” thing isn’t his one big joke. The startling humorous moment came quite a few years ago, when I looked around the apartment at the shambles I had created (I’m disorganized) and announced, “I wish I had a wife to clean this place up.” MrB replied:
“ME TOO!”
At first I was as shocked as the OMG Cat:
Then I had a good laugh and let MrB know that this was going on my list of the top 10 funniest things he ever said. I’m still waiting for the other nine, by the way.
While MrB fibbed a bit for the book, he did pick a nice photo of us to illustrate his bio.
Click for my original post about this New Year’s Eve.
I was amused to see the color version of this photo made it onto the back of the book’s dust jacket — along with photos of an Elvis impersonator; a dude with an impressive sand castle; a spouse getting a smooch from a dolphin; a guy hanging onto a panda; and a man swimming with a shark.
We’re on the left side.
It’s not every day that one gets to share space with Elvis and a panda! Those are two of the best things in the world. Thanks, Yale!
I asked Sandy to change his name too, to Gibbons – but he too declined. Something about how he had gotten used to his name. Well, duh! Love that picture of you two.
Ha ha, I love how women are supposed to be like “Okay, I’ll change!” and the vast majority of men still laugh off the very idea of changing THEIR names.
I would have changed my name, though, if I met someone whose last name was Bendy or Trendy. Wendy Bendy would be great.
What a great photo and story.
I had a hyphenated name for the first couple of years I was married and finally got rid of it because it was too much of a hassle to spell out all the time. My sister kept her maiden name and both her kids also took it. Kind of cool if you ask me.
bisous
Suzanne
Yeah, hyphenated names can be a pain unless you’re Jones-Smith! I do personally know one couple who came up with a joint new name together. That was nice. But any change wasn’t acceptable to me!
Because I changed schools often during the critical grade 2-3-4 years, I never learned cursive writing. Therefore, the only two words I can write cursive like an adult are my first and last names.
If I were to have taken any of my myriad (okay, two) husbands’ names, my signature would like like a child’s. Besides, the spelling of my last name is unique and I am quite literally the only living Louise H! Google it and you get…me.
You know I have a serious crush on MrB, and finding out that he is an Earnest Guy with a Loud Laugh is making me a little hot and bothered. Oo la la lol!
You are High!Larious! I’m told that at many schools they don’t teach cursive anymore, so you’re very a la mode with that.
I’m impressed that you’re the only you. There’s another me: http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2009/09/two-old-posts/
I feel so bad for the other Wendy Brandes, who is a serious lawyer. People probably Google her, find me and think she’s lost her mind!
Aw, how sweet.
You’re forgetting the time he fell out of a taxi. I guess that’s not technically a joke, though you did laugh 🙂
I laughed my ass off! I used to count that as one of his “jokes” because I was trying to give him more credit, but he didn’t take it that way. LOL. Also, it doesn’t compare to falling into soft, clean garbage, so I win anyway.
Hello Wendy!! Here I am visiting your blog, after you somehow managed to find mine…AND were kind enough to leave me a little note!! I’m very new to the “blogosphere” (only six months in!) and am still so flattered when someone finds what I’m doing with my “personal style” to be worthy of a page view…or even a comment!!
Your little bio says that you try to make your readers laugh; and I most definitely did!! I just have to ask…where on earth did you find “OMG cat?!” You have a new fan, and I’m making sure that I don’t miss another of your posts (I’ll be following you on Bloglovin!!)
http://www.StyleIsMyPudding.com
Hi Monika! I will follow you back 🙂
A great place for things like OMG cat is http://knowyourmeme.com/
I refer to it often!
This was the cutest blog post ever. It’s perfect for the 10 day countdown to Valentine’s Day, darling. I never changed my name. Husbands, fiances come and go – the name remains the same. Once, I was thinking of fusing my last name with a fiance’s just because our last name would become: Mojo. Now, that’s something to beat. Mr. and Mrs. Mojo. May he rest in pieces. xoxoox NJ
I’m pretty impressed with Mojo. Every time you stood up, you would have been Mrs. Mojo Risin’.
Luff Mr B. Remember i saw him in a doco about newspapers? Mr FF doesn’t often make me laugh, I make the jokes but I do luff himxx
As long as Mr FF laughs at YOUR jokes, then he’s a good husband in my book 😉
My antispam was laworder! Cheers for Sam’s eyebrows!
Okay, now for the serious comment. My admiration for Mr. B was greatly increased when you posted about how one of your fur children (I think Henry?) was very sickly when you first adopted him and how Mr. B drove you and Henry around to the hospital. Sorry if the details are incorrect – all that matters is I remembered that Mr. B was a good man, right?!
Ha ha! Yes, he is a good man and that matters most. He has certainly spent the wee hours of the morning in the hospital with me and Henry. (Why doesn’t Henry ever needs treatment during the day?) But the story you’re probably thinking of is from February 2003 when I was violently ill and we were having a blizzard and somehow I had gotten myself committed to picking up Gigi, an aggressive and, as it turned out, incontinent dog, from a woman who wanted to get rid of her. MrB had to hire a car service that fishtailed all over the place due to the snow and go pick up a crazy dog that he’d never met before!
Yep, that’s the story I was thinking of. I’m nodding my head in respect to Mr B and thinking of a quote from When Harry Met Sally: “At that point I knew, like you know about a good melon.”
LOL!
Oh, MrB.! Quick with the wit!
You could have knocked me down with a feather!
You two make a wonderful couple. I loved the bit about “a wife to clean things up” and the story about picking up Gigi. Priceless. xoxo
And of course Gigi turned out to be a rather challenging dog — poor MrB. But they get along!
I can’t believe MrB has only made you laugh once!
Once with a joke. I did laugh at him when he fell out of a cab. *evil*