Last week my husband was at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. He geeked out over Ultra HD televisions, the Tesla all-electric sports car and other beeping, laser thingamabobs.
In the midst of all this excitement, my gadget-loving design engineer stopped to get me a photo of a celebrity.
He figured it might be something I could use for my blog. 
So he got in the line, elbow to elbow with photographers from Popular Mechanics and Reuters, and ended up standing there for over an hour to get me this photo:
Love gets me some Snookie.
Gotta love him. My husband knows very little about reality TV star Snookie or The Jersey Shore. To put this in perspective, it would be like me going to his office and taking notes for him on a meeting called, How to Choose the Right Plastic (this is a real thing). I’d have to drink A LOT of coffee to keep my mind focused on that subject. A lot. I can’t emphasize that enough. Especially considering the damage I’ve probably done to my brain after watching The Jersey Shore.
Maybe this gesture isn’t exactly romantic. It’s not a helicopter ride or a picnic overlooking a glacier like they do on The Bachelor. But sometimes we don’t have to shout so loud to say I’m thinking of you. You matter.
From scraping the ice from my car window, to bringing me a cup of tea when I’m working late . . .
And this too.
. . . I love the little things. They fill up my heart.
What do you think about love and the little things?
Have an amazing week!
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So wonderfully true…Thanks for reminding me to notice the little things
That WAS the helicopter ride & for you to appreciate its magnitude, well lets just say its wonderful that two very special people found each other. You two are a great love story & I’m very happy for you (my husband use to give me the first flower from his garden every year, I loved that!)
First flower? That is super romantic Pat!!!
That was so sweet of him! I also believe that it really is the culmination of the little gestures rather than big sweeping gestures (brought to you by Hallmark. haha). Great post to start the day!
Hey, I cry at Hallmark commercials!
That’s a BIG thing that he actually took the time to get a photo of Snookie.
Mine defrosts the car before I get in it. He’s always done it. And it is the small things that add up into a big thing.
Love this post!
Yeah, on the surface it sounds silly, but it means a lot. Thanks Christine!
Oh My God! That is hilarious! I would have died laughing if my husband came home with a photo of Snookie! Hahaha!
How cool is your husband. He waited in line thinking that you could use the photos for your blog! Wow! He is a keeper!
Did I use enough exclamation points??? Hahaha!
No! But I am biased. I am a little free with the exclamation points and smiley faces.
What a lovely gesture to think enough of you to stand in line for an HOUR. So many men wouldn’t have the patience. He sounds like a keeper. So thoughtful!
I agree Patricia!
Your husband was right! You used the photo of Snookie on your blog.
It’s not a small thing to respect one another’s enthusiasms and passions. The fact your husband thinks about you and your writing and that, in a pinch, you’d drink a vat of coffee and take notes for him on choosing plastics is a huge predictor of happiness, (Or a predictor of huge happiness.)
That Snookie photo could spur more blog posts: life after reality TV, back to work after maternity leave, do the shoes make the dress? Your husband is kind of a genius.
Pat O’Dea Rosen recently posted..With a Little Help from My Friend
I didn’t even think of the ways I could use the photo again. Thanks for that Pat!
Little things say a lot. I don’t know if my DH would have waited in line for an hour for Snookie! But when I was in France with our daughter, our turtle’s tank filter broke. He immediately went to the pet store and bought a new one, the best one he could get. He also goes downstairs to watch football so I can write.
Jennette Marie Powell recently posted..You’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached
Yeah, the little things are tailored for the individual. This post is showing my less than refined tastes in TV. lol
That was very sweet, but I would have been happy with any celebrity except Snooki.
How about JWow or Pauly D? Just kidding. Enough with the Jersey Shore, right?
Aw. that is the sweetest thing ever! And it totally is the little things! My husband knew he wasn’t going to be home one night last week, so before he left for work he laid out the kindling and logs in the fireplace so that when I got home for the evening I could just set a match to it and voila! cozy fire at the ready. So nice
That is very sweet. It trumps champagne and fancy stuff in my book!
Aw, that’s so cute! I’m confused what Snooki is doing at the Consumer Electronics show, but whatever! He’s a sweetheart. Totally something my husband would do, too. It is the little things that make life wonderful. Yeah, big things like helicopter rides are fun, but they are one-time things. Bringing you tea when you work late is a simple reminder that you matter and he cares. I love this story.
Snooki was hawking her new headphones–iHip.
Thanks Tameri!
I love love. And the little things. But Snookie? I would have to question your husband’s choice of sincerity. Are you sure he didn’t wait in line for over an hour simply to make you laugh? I’d rather go to Madame Tussaud’s and take a shot of Snookie’s wax effigy (I’m sure there’s one there). You’d probably have a better conversation! Snookie a celebrity? What has this world come to?
Oh but waiting in line to make me laugh = love too.
But I agree with you on the Snookie celebrity paradigm. Nuts. I still watched her show. But I’m nuts too.
Aw, that was so sweet of him! I tell my husband not to waste money on flowers. I want CHOCOLATE! He brings me home some from time to time. Now THAT’S love.
Yes, chocolate works too!!
The little things make all the difference. But I would say waiting in line for an hour is a huge deal! Especially if it was all for you and he didn’t get anything out of it. What a sweetie. Bless his heart. You got yourself a real special guy.
Debra Kristi recently posted..Papa’s Music – Friday Fictioneers
Thanks Debra! I think so too.
That’s a really big deal. He pays attention to what you pay attention to. I wouldn’t know Snookie if I fell over her, so I think it’s great he knew who she was without being a fan himself. Now you really are going to have to learn more about plastic.
It’s good you don’t know Snookie. My curiosity about what makes people tick, makes me have the craziest taste in TV. At least that’s how I explain my obsession with reality TV.
And you’re right about the plastic. Hand me an espresso, please?
Awww, so awesome and you have a great blog post from his efforts. I’m a big fan of the little things. It’s what our almost 19 years of marriage has been built strong on!
I really think the little things require so much more attention to detail, and then they have the capacity to mean so much more. Thanks Ginger.
Bless him for doing that. That photo so made me laugh. Hubby spent a few days with my whole family. That’s not really little, but he was kind enough to wait for me while I rode roller coasters. He can’t due to a medical condition. He was patient and kind.
Stacy S. Jensen recently posted..PPBF: The Best Time of Day
Waiting for you to ride the coasters–that’s super sweet! And I agree the family thing sometimes is not so little, but still fills up the heart. Thanks Stacy!
That is SO SWEET! Personally, I think it’s the little things that matter most. And this seems HUGE in my book. That is a long wait and an awfully sweet gesture. What a good hub you have.
Thank you Leigh.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Did he know who she is? That’s so funny!
It is terribly sweet that he took the time to do that. My husband wouldn’t have had the patience. But he has brought me home some silly things that he got because he said he “thought I might like it.” It’s usually something sweet to eat, and I’m sure his ulterior motive is that I’ll share it with him, but it’s still a sweet gesture.
I’m still smiling at this. Snookie? Of all people.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Patricia recently posted..To Infinity and Beyond!
I know the Snookie thing is very funny. And he had no idea he’d have to wait that long. He was so surprised at the level of and security and the production. He said (with an eye roll), “It was like the President of the United States was coming.”
Choosing the right plastic? How couldn’t you be interested? We had a telecon recently to decide whether to change the bend radius of a piece of metal. Two hours, people in three time zones, and we decided no to change it. Now that needed coffee
I travel a fair bit, and it is good to do something for people when you’re apart. It’s the relationship equivalent of showing not telling.
Cheers!
Nigel Blackwell recently posted..If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
I am cracking up. I had to read your comment to my husband. Bend radius, 2 hours, 3 time zones? He nodded and agreed that’s how this stuff works. lol
You’re beyond lucky. Keep this guy. If I could find a woman who’d get me pics of Snooki I’d never let her go.
Ha ha, thanks Tom!!
Plastic? It is the little things that matter.. like cleaning up, or cooking dinner, or studying with number one son when finals are here… it is making sure the seat is down, too. A couple of summer ago I was in Paris (long story a very long story) and my brother and I passed a carousel and I remarked to him – “B loves carousels” and we’d passed this very one years before, he said “take a picture,” but I didn’t think it was such a good idea because it was being used for a swimsuit photo shoot…. love changes but the heart is always there. have a great week!
The heart is always there–well said! Thanks Clay!
Awww, that’s so sweet of him, Coleen. You should keep him. Yes, he’s definitely a keeper.
Yes, keeper, definitely!
Ah, the little things … and Snookie is a wee little thing, isn’t she? With a big old Jersey accent …
And she used to have that BIG poof in her hair too. I guess if I was that short, I’d be looking for height extension too.
Wow. I can’t believe he stood in line for an hour to get a picture of Snooki. That really is a love. Or a fantastic sense of humor.
In the end, I guess it was both. Because he had no idea he was going to wait that long. lol
Aww, Coleen! that is too sweet! Now I want to do some little nice something for JRM…
OK, and I HAVE to ask. What tha hay was Snookie doing at the tech show???
Good stuff~ <3
Apparently she has a new line of headphones–iHip, I believe they’re called.
Love got you some Snookie?!? Hilariously sweet, Coleen. I love it when loved ones think of our blogs, too—some of the best fans around.
The other night my husband and I were reminiscing about our first dates, which took place around Valentine’s Day. I’d gone on and on about how much I loved “Silence of the Lambs,” so he gave me the entire Hannibal the Cannibal DVD series. For a long time, he wondered if I likes movies sans cannibals, but I knew it was love.
Valentine’s Day and Silence of the Lambs. Makes so much sense since I know what type of fiction you write. That’s awesome August.
He sounds like a really great guy – a rare catch indeed! If I were you, I would cater to all his wants and needs!
Okay, fine…I’ll shut up now.
Olive Juice,
R
Olive Juice.
Wow, okay Coleen, I finally got here after scolling down the umpteen comments on your post. You’re a very popular gal around these parts! And so you should be!
Ah husbands. Don’t ya just love them? Yours sounds like a sweetie Coleen. And oh do I know about Tesla. My DH is in love with that car. But to wait in line for Snookie? Now that’s true love my dear friend!
Shiny, fast cars, I know, right?
Thank you Karen
That is such a sweet thing… what a man your husband is! I confess I don’t know Snookie at all. But it’s definitely those little things that add up to a whole lotta love.
You are better left not knowing about Snookie, Alarna.
So sweet!! I agree, it’s the little things that mean the most in my heart too. <3
Thank you Molly.
It’s definitely all about the small things.. your husbands a sweetie!
Thanks Barbara!
It really is the little things that matter most, sometimes. How very sweet. I love how you say “they fill up my heart.” So true.
Ruth Schiffmann recently posted..Novels in Verse Reading Challenge
Thanks Ruth.
Wow. He must REALLY love you.
I think I got a venereal disease from just looking at Snookie. Bleh.
You are safe Kristy. I am almost positive my husband wore a hazmat suit while he waited in that line. At the very least he covered his camera phone lens with saran wrap.
It sounds like it was fulfilling to be reminded that he’s thinking of you, regardless of how he chose to show it. I definitely appreciate those sorts of gestures.
Chris Edgar recently posted..Choose My Next Musical
Me too Chris! Thanks!
Rice Pudding & Fried Chicken! My husband brought me home fried chicken when I was pregnant with Inion & Rice pudding when I was pregnant with our son Vincent. Both foods my special cravings while pregnant. For me, it was the fact that he had worked ten to twelve hours but still managed to stop on his way home to bring me something I wanted. I love your post Coleen. It speaks volumes of who you are. And though your husband sounds great, he’s a lucky man to have you as well! Sharing this! (I love Xe’s as well!!!!!lol)
Now those are some serious comfort foods! Yay for rice pudding and anything fried.
So sweet.
Aw, I think this is a hugely romantic gesture. He stopped what he was doing because the opportunity to do something for you presented itself and he seized it. He put your happiness above his and waited an hour in line for something he thought you’d want. That’s a great life partner right there. You’re one of the lucky ones, Coleen.
Thanks Kourtney–I think so too!