The one where Mexico helps O and I be a happier couple, with booze.

I love coming home from vacation, just love it. Sometimes it is even better than the vacation itself (like when we went to Spain and I was sick the whole time, that was a great homecoming.) O and I really needed to unwind, and it took me a few days just to relax. Dukes! I don't know why, to be honest. Usually I am the first person to put my feet up and get groovy. But it really did take me at least two full days to unclench my ass cheeks. It turned out to be one of the best vacations ever, mostly because we needed to address some issues in our lives. Isn't it fun to over share on the internets?

I can just hear Guantanamera playing in my head when I see this picture...and taste coconut. 

Honesty time: I realized (although I already knew this) that I was super annoyed, like most of the time, with O. I had become really distant and pre-occupied, and everything he did bugged the shit out of me. O and I pride ourselves on our great communication, but it had sort of gotten messy lately. I have become more sensitive to negativity, and as a result interpret like, everything, O says as negative and then b/c I visualize him becoming defensive when I bring it up, I don't and I seethe and then...snap. Double Dukes! I won't make myself seem more sympathetic by telling you that I am taking crazy meds and am under a shit ton of stress for stuffs ya'll will hear about in a few months. So lets not mention that.

I can sit at the beach all day, every day. You could just swim right out to the snorkeling too if you wanted. But we loved riding around on that catamaran there. With Juan Carols!

Magic time: Code words! Like spies! Along with monthly fancy dates, having code words has been one of the smartest relationship trickaroos I have ever come up with (although spies actually came up with them first). I got the idea from Meet the Fockers actually. We have one code word: Muskrat. It means stop right now, come here and hug me. I want googly eyes, I want kisses. I want the full Romeo (or Juliet) post haste. Make it a double. Having a code word is great b/c there is no judgment, at all, and no way a person could get defensive. Our rule is you must, no matter what, drop the tude, or whatever it is and be muskrat. It works perfectly.

I look like a cartoon character here. Well, actually always.

Code word Sunshine: My friend Sarah and I were talking the other day about being successful. We both agree that in order to attract love and success in your life you have to "Shoot sunshine out of your asshole." Thus codeword Sunshine is born. Remember when I said I was sensitive to negativity? Turns out O is too! Turns out we didn't realize what we were saying sounded negative to the other person! Tripple Dukes! 

Why don't I have a coconut drink in my hand right this second? I mean...right this second there is someone sitting on that same beach drinking one right? It hurts so bad not to be there. 

I was going to write some witty dialogue for you just now but instead I have a confession to make. I still am not really sure what I say that O thinks is negative! I can think of a million and one things that he says all the time though. Hmmm. This is such a great example of why we need the code word. I know I stress him out with my negativity because he has said Sunshine to me a few times since we got back. But I still don't have a clear picture of how to change for the better yet. We have been using it like crazy though, and I will learn as he will. So when we say Sunshine to the other person it means: stop now. No judgment from me, and you can't get mad, but stop. Now. Your words are harshing my vibe man. Brifuckingzilliant.

As soon as we got home I put this runner on our server, and went to pick some purple flowers. This has been one of my favorite posies of the season.

Awesome. We also have a super secret spy word that we would say to the other in normal conversation which means some shit is going down. Threat level midnight. Channel your inner Bruce Willis please. I don't know why we would ever need to use it, we couldn't think of one the other day, but it makes me feel special to have one. I watched a lot of cold war movies in the 80s.

I bought this hand made runner in Playa Del Carmen. I talked the guy down quite a bit on the price, after a while he started to say "come on now lady...lets get real here." I love the pink and red together.

It all worked out in the end, and eventually we decided to stay an extra two nights on the spur of the moment b/c we had not had our fill of snorkeling and room service and coconut drinks. Highlights of the trip were most assuredly animal related. We saw a Coati Mundi, omg cutest thing ever. We also went snorkeling a lot of times, and saw a ton of wonderful creatures including sea turtles which happen to be my most favorite animals (aside from elephants) ever. We took an epic cab ride with the nicest guy who took us all over Cancun, and to another city looking for artesanal goods. Did I mention the coconut drinks? Luckily I mostly still feel my nice calm vacation vibes. What is your magical relationship secret? The one thing you turn to when you need to communicate, or figure it out with your teammate?