That whole Curmudgeon thing is really a cover.

At risk of sounding uncharacteristically sappy, I want it documented that my husband is the real hero behind all of this degree stuff. The reasons are too numerous to count, but include things like… coming to my practice defense on Tuesday; letting me sleep in this morning while he got the kids fed; going out to buy the goodies for my committee (presenters tends to bring snacks and beverages to defenses); driving me to my defense because it was pouring rain (and I was in my fancy clothes, with a ton of stuff to carry — all of which would have been destroyed in the walk from parking to building); cleaning the house and doing a load of laundry while I defended; thinking about dinner… then agreeing to a last minute babysitter to take me out to a Very Nice dinner instead (and yes, JoAnn came by and said congratulations).

This is all while working so hard to plan for our renovations, which Paul has been single-handedly completing with the kind of skill and detail that most professionals would envy. Did I mention that last weekend, while I took the kids to Mobile for Will to attend the Holiday concert with my parents, Paul *JACKED UP THE HOUSE,* repaired several old termite-eaten feet, and took off (and replaced) the entire back of our house? And he did all of it alone? Not to mention all of the reading, asking questions, and legwork for lumber. So far, we are incredibly under-budget. Some of that is a group effort on finding windows and doors (more on that… I keep thinking Paul is going to write about it) but really, the bottom line is because of Paul. He is really working so hard on making this renovation spectacular, pouring every bit of love and detail into it as he gives to us… which (trust me) is boundless. Thank you, Pancho!