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Best friends since college, Kevin and Beth seek to answer the complex questions that come with living in a modern world. Kevin lives in the city, is a real estate agent and totally fabulous. Beth is a suburban mom and teacher who hopes to see a size 8 again before she turns 50.
Monday, October 24, 2011
What are your top-three favorite Trick or Treat candies and what are the worst, the kind that make you want to egg the giver's house?
Beth says: One thing I try to do is buy the Halloween candy I hate--that way I am not tempted to eat it. I buy Nerds, Blow-Pops, and Laffy Taffy. Kids love it and I can't stand it. What can't I resist? Reese's, Bottle Caps, and Butterfingers. Things that suck? My neighbors who give out New Testaments and the dentist when I was growing up who gave out toothbrushes and floss. Other inappropriate items? Pencils, dollar store candy that is basically nasty chocolate wrapped up to look like eyeballs, candy corn, condoms and Vicodin. Actually, if you offered those last two a Gay and a Gal might come to your house twice this year!
Kevin says: Top treats: Reese’s peanut butter cups, Twix, Milky Way bars (in that order!)
Worst treats: Fresh fruit. Yuck!
Kevin says: Top treats: Reese’s peanut butter cups, Twix, Milky Way bars (in that order!)
Worst treats: Fresh fruit. Yuck!
Halloween is quickly coming up. What are you and your spouses dressing up as and what suggestions do you have for some unique, original costumes?
Kevin says: My husband and I would sooner gnaw off our own arms than dress up in some kind of “couple” costume for Halloween. I got nothing.
Beth says: Halloween is my favorite holiday! No gift giving or meal preparation, just a fun holiday that involves macabre decorations and candy! That said, the pressure to come up with a clever costume can really cause stress during an otherwise joyous sugar-filled time. I am all about the costume that requires little money. For example, my ex-husband went as a "Masturbator". He put hair on his palms, had his fly down, wore thick glasses (blind, doncha know!) and had a bottle of lube in one pocket and a Victoria's Secret catalogue in the other. Zombies are big right now, so take any normal costume--hobo, princess, pirate, gypsy and add a crazy twist by making it a zombie. Everyone loves a zombie hobo, right? Apparently going as "Charlie Sheen" is popular this year, and the big couples costume is going as Arnold Schwarzenegger and a Maid. Why not take it a step further? Go as Zombie Charlie Sheen (not that much of a stretch) and Zombie Arnold with his Zombie Maid? Think outside the box! Be Zombie M&M, Zombie Playboy Bunny or Zombie Priest? Or for the ultimate couples costume one of you go as a Zombie whatever and the other one go as a plate full of brains! Have the Zombie carry a giant spoon and a salt shaker to really add another dimension that will set you apart. No need to spend money on costumes. All you need is an open mind and some green paint to make you the hit of the Halloween Party!
Beth says: Halloween is my favorite holiday! No gift giving or meal preparation, just a fun holiday that involves macabre decorations and candy! That said, the pressure to come up with a clever costume can really cause stress during an otherwise joyous sugar-filled time. I am all about the costume that requires little money. For example, my ex-husband went as a "Masturbator". He put hair on his palms, had his fly down, wore thick glasses (blind, doncha know!) and had a bottle of lube in one pocket and a Victoria's Secret catalogue in the other. Zombies are big right now, so take any normal costume--hobo, princess, pirate, gypsy and add a crazy twist by making it a zombie. Everyone loves a zombie hobo, right? Apparently going as "Charlie Sheen" is popular this year, and the big couples costume is going as Arnold Schwarzenegger and a Maid. Why not take it a step further? Go as Zombie Charlie Sheen (not that much of a stretch) and Zombie Arnold with his Zombie Maid? Think outside the box! Be Zombie M&M, Zombie Playboy Bunny or Zombie Priest? Or for the ultimate couples costume one of you go as a Zombie whatever and the other one go as a plate full of brains! Have the Zombie carry a giant spoon and a salt shaker to really add another dimension that will set you apart. No need to spend money on costumes. All you need is an open mind and some green paint to make you the hit of the Halloween Party!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Porn, Strip Clubs, Playboy Magazine and such. Acceptable for your partner to indulge in, yes or no and why?
Beth says: Ever heard the old adage, 90% of men say they masturbate and the other 10% are lying? Same goes with porn. Men are very visual and at some point, most men have taken a gander at what the Internet has to offer. The problem comes when men look at it so much they think that is how a relationship between a man and a woman should look. It's totally unfair to compare the mother of your children who stayed up all night last night with a barfing child to the lingerie-clad sex kitten you see on line. Ditto when you are in the other room slobbering at a computer screen instead of interacting with your family. Strip clubs are a whole other issue--that involves actual women and sometimes, touching. If your man wants to go, I suggest you go with him. Not only does it give you bonus cool wife points, but you can keep an eye on things to keep them under control. The bottom line is, the rules in a marriage should be agreed upon by the two people in the marriage, not by A Gay and a Gal (no matter how brilliant and insightful we are). Be honest with your needs and your feelings and typically you can find common ground.
Kevin says: If your partner is a man, there’s no point in ascribing “acceptable” or “unacceptable” to porn --- men are visual beings, and I’ve yet to meet a man who hasn’t consumed it (or isn’t looking at it right this second). Men look at porn. Period. End of story. As Dan Savage says, the deal couples make is this: Men promise to be discreet and cover their tracks, and women promise to pretend that they don’t know it’s going on. There’s no point in drawing lines in the sand; you’ll only end up getting upset. As for strip clubs, I personally don’t think they are a big deal, but I know lots of women who do. If you have qualms about your partner going to one, you’ll need to have a conversation and negotiation about it. What’s acceptable? What’s not? Is putting money in a g-string ok? How about a lap dance? Better to have the conversation up front than be blindsided later.
Kevin says: If your partner is a man, there’s no point in ascribing “acceptable” or “unacceptable” to porn --- men are visual beings, and I’ve yet to meet a man who hasn’t consumed it (or isn’t looking at it right this second). Men look at porn. Period. End of story. As Dan Savage says, the deal couples make is this: Men promise to be discreet and cover their tracks, and women promise to pretend that they don’t know it’s going on. There’s no point in drawing lines in the sand; you’ll only end up getting upset. As for strip clubs, I personally don’t think they are a big deal, but I know lots of women who do. If you have qualms about your partner going to one, you’ll need to have a conversation and negotiation about it. What’s acceptable? What’s not? Is putting money in a g-string ok? How about a lap dance? Better to have the conversation up front than be blindsided later.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
What is your opinion on botox and fillers?
Kevin: Totally fine, within reason. I just saw a picture of Madonna, and she
looked positively gruesome from all the Restalyne in her face. The goal
of any cosmetic enhancement (whether it’s as simple as make up or as
complex as surgical intervention) is to end up with “refreshed” version
of yourself, not with an entirely different persona. Less is almost
always more.
Beth: I regularly get my hair highlighted, facials, and buy quality skin products to prevent aging. Nothing wrong with that. There is really nothing wrong with anything that makes you feel better about yourself and makes others say "Wow, she looks fantastic!" The problem comes in when you look like you've had something done. If I know you've done something to your face, then the whole point goes down the drain. When you start looking like you've done something, you might want to ask yourself what the point is. My mother is at 84, as gorgeous as any woman 25 years younger I see on the red carpet. She's got good genes, but I think her real secret is confidence in who she is and not feeling like she has anything to prove to anybody. I hope one day I can walk that same path!
Beth: I regularly get my hair highlighted, facials, and buy quality skin products to prevent aging. Nothing wrong with that. There is really nothing wrong with anything that makes you feel better about yourself and makes others say "Wow, she looks fantastic!" The problem comes in when you look like you've had something done. If I know you've done something to your face, then the whole point goes down the drain. When you start looking like you've done something, you might want to ask yourself what the point is. My mother is at 84, as gorgeous as any woman 25 years younger I see on the red carpet. She's got good genes, but I think her real secret is confidence in who she is and not feeling like she has anything to prove to anybody. I hope one day I can walk that same path!
I have a dear friend who is diametrically opposed to all things I believe politically. I am fine with that, but she constantly tries to goad me into debating her, which makes me uncomfortable. Can this friendship be saved?
Beth says: Long ago, I realized there are three kisses of death to a friendship. The first two are any discussions about religion and politics. The third is when your friend starts selling Amway and tries to suck you into selling it too, but that's a discussion for another time! Anyhoo... I have had various friends and relatives unsuccessfully over the years try to convince me to change my liberal loyalty. I am not interested, number one. Number two, I have found that with a few very rare exceptions, most people have no idea what they are talking about. On occasion, I might be in the mood for an intelligent, respectful discourse, but that rarely is what's on the table. Instead I usually try to change the subject or say something along the lines of "I really don't want to have this discussion." It takes two to have a discussion and if you refuse to participate and tow the hard line, eventually they will run out of steam. Anyone who insists on continuing is either someone you might want to consider no longer being friends with or is a relative, and if that's case, you just have to pour yourself another drink and hope dinner is served sooner rather than later.
Kevin says: There is a spectrum of “friendship” that can range anywhere from someone you know on Facebook all the way up to a de facto soul mate. But there are very few people in our lives with whom we agree 100% of the time. Depending on where this person falls on your spectrum defines your approach. If this is a Facebook-variety friend, you really can simply ignore the goading and refuse to engage. If this is a closer friend, you must deal with the situation head on. “Sue, you know I love you, right? I really do, and it’s totally fine that we disagree on this topic. But, I don’t want our different points of view to affect our friendship. I’d really rather talk about something else, ok?” If this person continues to goad you, understand that this is may well be a passive-aggressive strategy on your friend’s part to redefine and downgrade your friendship. Good friends love you for you, not because you agree with their politics.
Kevin says: There is a spectrum of “friendship” that can range anywhere from someone you know on Facebook all the way up to a de facto soul mate. But there are very few people in our lives with whom we agree 100% of the time. Depending on where this person falls on your spectrum defines your approach. If this is a Facebook-variety friend, you really can simply ignore the goading and refuse to engage. If this is a closer friend, you must deal with the situation head on. “Sue, you know I love you, right? I really do, and it’s totally fine that we disagree on this topic. But, I don’t want our different points of view to affect our friendship. I’d really rather talk about something else, ok?” If this person continues to goad you, understand that this is may well be a passive-aggressive strategy on your friend’s part to redefine and downgrade your friendship. Good friends love you for you, not because you agree with their politics.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Who is on your "freebie list?" You know, the hypothetical list of the five celebrities that you'd be able to sleep with without getting in trouble with your significant other.
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| King of "Queens" |
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| Gov. O'Malley has Kevin's vote! |
Martin O’Malley: I’ve had a crush on my Marty since he was Mayor of Baltimore. That salt-and-pepper hair, the political power, and his Charm City charm --- all put him on my list.
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| The Genie on Kev's "Wish List" |
Kellogg’s Scottish Genie: Ok. I have no clue why this guy pushes my buttons. He’s not even a real person. It’s like putting Chandler Bing on the list. But, man, I swoon when I hear him start talking about granting wishes!
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| Hold the mayo! |
Anderson Cooper (but only in a Kevin sandwich along with Dr. Sanjay Gupta). I think the fewer details I convey about this scenario, the better.
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| Bateman needs a spanking! |
Jason Bateman: Smart, good looking, and self-effacingly funny. What more do you need in a celebrity crush?
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| Beth wants the Lowe down |
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| Baldwin: It's Complicated... |
For example, #1 would've never made my list as a young girl, although he was on the list of many a young girl, I am certain. However Rob Lowe was simply too pretty for my taste back in the 80's. Now as he approaches 50, he has turned from pretty to downright handsome perfection. Add in his liberal leanings and fantastic sense of humor and he easily makes it on my list.
#2 also would've never made it on my list in my 20s and 30s. Again, he was a little soft for my taste. With a few pounds on him and a devilish twinkle in his eye, Alec Baldwin has really become a
suburban housewife's guilty
pleasure. #3 is Dermot Mulroney, who has been in movies like "The Family Stone" and "The Wedding Date". I am always a sucker for the swarthy, distinguished type. As a human being, he may be a total tool, but what do I care? This is my "Freebie List" not "Celebrity Soul Mate List"!
Are you familiar with "Grey's Anatomy"? Of course you are, unless you live under a rock. Even the Pope knows about McDreamy...but he is not
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| 2 Steamy 2B 4Gotten |
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