At the request of a some friends and family, here are few entertaining stories from the earlier years of our marriage.
1. Not Your Mama's Pancakes
We had just returned form our honeymoon. Jeff was trying to adjust to living in a new apartment far away from the familiarity and comfort of his childhood home in Shafter. In an effort to be "a good wife", I decided to make my new husband pancakes in the morning before he left for work. Jeff had always bragged about his mom's cooking, so I called her and got her recipe for pancakes. They would be perfect, just like mom's!
After waking up super early and following Martha's pancake recipe to the T, I announced to Jeff that his pancakes were ready. I sat in anticipation as he took the first bite, awaiting the praise and validation I so desperately needed as a new and inexperienced wife. But instead of making yummy noises, Jeff was reaching for his napkin and spitting out his food.
"Something is very wrong with these!"
I was hurt and indignant.
"That's impossible. Just because they don't taste EXACTLY like your mother's pancakes, you wont eat them? Why don't you just go back home to you mommy then!"
Jeff was mortified. He hadn't anticipated that I would be so insecure about my cooking. I couldn't help it. His mother was practically Betty Crocker. How could I compete with that? I sat there and made him eat every bite of those pancakes. He was going to learn to like my cooking!
It wasn't until much later that I noticed the label on the PAM cooking spray I had used to make breakfast.
2. Jeff's Spanish Name
As you probably know, many names are spelled and pronounced differently in Spanish than they are in English. Matthew is "Mateo" in Spanish. George is "Jorge" (Horhay). When I asked Jeff if his name had a different pronunciation in Spanish, he replied without hesitation "Jefe" (Heffay). For months after that, I thought it was cute to call Jeff by his "Spanish name", and he seemed to love it. He would even insist on it sometimes.
Me: "Jeff, will you take out the trash?"
Jeff: "Only if you call me by my Spanish name"
Me: "Jefe, please empty the trash."
One day I found out what Jefe REALLY meant. I made Jeff eat more garlic pancakes as punishment.
Jefe: chief; boss
