Snugglin’ With Tim Russert
Mar 25th 2007
Karen HawkinsOn Writing!
I was working on my PhD in political science when I sold my first book, so I’m a very, VERY good critiquer. And oh, do I have opinions! I love to debate the issues, analyze policies, and take note of (as Monty Python would say) “the flaws inherent in the system.”
My sweetheart is my political opposite and he loves the process as much as I do. Every Sunday morning, we sleep in until nine-ish, then get up, make cinnamon rolls and coffee, and watch Meet The Press.
Of course, we have rules to go with our rolls or we wouldn’t be dating today. Our rules for watching Meet The Press are:
1) no talking during the program, no matter how snarky/funny you think your comment is
2) no raised voices either at each other, or at the talking heads on tv
3) both parties will have the same length of time to present their points after the program
4) any arguments must be resolved by a wrestling match to be held in the bedroom behind a locked door
Needless to say, I looooove Meet The Press. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ‘won’ that wrestling match, too. Heh!
In my next book, coming August 21st, TO SCOTLAND WITH LOVE, the hero and heroine have been friends since childhood and ride together through the park each morning. That becomes a very special time for them and eventually defines their relationship.
Do you and your sweetie have any special times you spend together? A date night? A movie night? Mornings cuddled under the sheets? Picnics in the park? Where and what do you and your sweetie do that defines your relationship?
28 Comments »
28 Responses to “Snugglin’ With Tim Russert”
Julia London on 25 Mar 2007 at 9:33 am #
The way we define our relationship is that we manage to exist in the same house day in and day out, LOL. But it helps to have a date night, which for us is Saturday, unless something crops up with a kid somewhere. We also make it a point to watch American Idol together so we can determine what the household vote will be. This holds up until there are about 5 or 6 left, at which point, we inevitably snatch up our cell phones and stomp off to separate rooms to cast our votes.
Hey, that wasn
Julia London on 25 Mar 2007 at 9:34 am #
‘t 500 words, was it? I was just warming up!
Nicole Jordan on 25 Mar 2007 at 10:18 am #
Your ritual sounds so lovely, Karen! Before we moved to Utah, our Atlanta houe had a cozy little loft, so my dh and I used to spend Sun mornings in the loft with the paper and Pilsbury Orange Danish. Alas, our new house has no loft, and we’re past the point where we can indulge in sweets like that. Now we hike or ski or go to a movie at the local $1 theater, which gets new movies two months after they first come out.
NicoleJ
Nicole Jordan on 25 Mar 2007 at 10:21 am #
Also want to say, Karen, your new book sounds lovely! I think it’s really romantic, friends turning into lovers. Cause they know each other’s faults and foibles and still fall in love.
NicoleJ
Ps. And I agree, Julia, We gotta do something about this too short comment length limit!
RachelG on 25 Mar 2007 at 10:47 am #
Mr. G packs a picnic and we go on long drives. Last weekend he barbequed for me up at the reservoir. Yes, it was a little chilly, but we had a good time. Yesterday we drove up into the mountains to check on our cabin and we stayed the night in a nice hotel, went to dinner, and then . . . crashed. It’s nice to get out of the house and talk. We laugh a lot and over the years he’s learned how to gossip like one of the girls.
We’ve been married for 24 years and dated before we married. So, we really have grown up together and sometimes it’s nice to remember why I like being around him.
Danielle on 25 Mar 2007 at 10:59 am #
The only thing special that my hubby and I do is go out to dinner once a week. That’s our time together.
I’m going to try to get him to start walking with me this summer.
Karen Rose on 25 Mar 2007 at 11:04 am #
Aw, Rachel, that’s sweet! My and my hubby met at 17 and married at 21. That was (mumble) 21 years ago.
I’m trying to think of the one thing we’ve done over that time and am coming up blank (well, there is the **one** thing, but …)
I think it’s because our special date/time has changed over the years as we’ve grown together. Now, it’s sitting around watching sci-fi DVDs and drinking TAB. Ten years ago it was those same sci-fi shows as first run TV programs (ha) and TAB. On our fi
Karen Rose on 25 Mar 2007 at 11:05 am #
ack
On our first date we watched an old movie and drank TAB. I think the thing that holds us together is TAB.
I hope they never stop making it! I’ll have to send an email to Coca-Cola.
Karen Rose on 25 Mar 2007 at 11:12 am #
And Danielle - going out to dinner once a week with your hubby is an awesome thing! We try to get out together when we can - and when I’m not holed up in my office for weeks on end crunching a deadline. My husband really puts up with a lot.
I think he and I’ll watch some Tim Russert. Or at least wrestle afterward. LOL, Karen H. “Watching Tim Russert” can be a new euphemism.
Karen Hawkins on 25 Mar 2007 at 11:26 am #
Ah, Karen … you and TAB … even your husband is in on it! I’m going to have try it again. I think the last time I had a TAB was in the 80s … and I’m not saying how old I was. We’ll just agree I was ‘nubile’ and leave it at that.
I think date night is the bomb. It’s just that we get all tied up with night events, which means we miss it more often than not. So it’s Russert and rolls for us!
foreverdelayed on 25 Mar 2007 at 11:28 am #
We always have breakfast with each other on Sunday mornings. Sometimes we go out to a buffet and sometimes I cook something.
I have to say, most of our quality time at the moment is spent in the car. I don’t drive so he drops me off and picks me up at the book store.
Karen Hawkins on 25 Mar 2007 at 12:21 pm #
Mmmm! A man who’d drop you off AND pick you up at the bookstore is a keeper! That’s a lovely relationship builder, in my opinion.
One of the best.
Car time is important, too. I think my kids and I have some of our best conversations in the car. We’ve been known to take the long way home to finish talking about something.
Claudia Dain on 25 Mar 2007 at 12:46 pm #
A favorite moment in my daily life is when I take my nightly bubble bath, and DH sits on a small chair nearby and we talk about the day, about what we’re reading, about the kids…just everyday stuff. I love that time! It’s so quiet and intimate and sweet.
Well, he gets a peep show, but whatever…
Keri Ford on 25 Mar 2007 at 1:26 pm #
Our ’sweet time’ is when the hubby and I watch TV programs or a movie at home. Since we started dating, it’s been a long habit to crawl in his lap with a pillow and blanket and sit together in the recliner.
KMB25 on 25 Mar 2007 at 2:38 pm #
My hubby and I get so busy, we started a weekly ‘date night’ on Wednesday nights. We try to keep date nights pretty sacred, but sometimes we get so busy it’s just not possible to have them some weeks. Usually he takes me out for a nice dinner and then we either head to a bookstore or sometimes a movie! It’s the one night of the week I really look forward to
My husband splits his week between Nashville and Atlanta because of work and school right now, but I really cherish the time we have!
Julia London on 25 Mar 2007 at 2:51 pm #
That’s our date night, KMB. We used to head to a club, but now we have dinner and go to a bookstore. Or a movie if it starts before 10, hahahaha
EllenElyse on 25 Mar 2007 at 3:07 pm #
Wow. Reading all these wonderful comments makes me really realize just how much I’m gipped.
My hubby is a workaholic. He’s usually gone when I wake up, and lately every night of the week, he doesn’t get home until between 10:30 and 12. He works weekends too. Just as late, though he lingers a bit in the morning. It’s pretty rough. Just me and our two kitties. 
Thank GOD for them! He doesn’t have time to ever go to the movies, or dinner. We eat out about once every 4 months or so.
Karen Hawkins on 25 Mar 2007 at 3:21 pm #
Yeah, my Late Night Genes died when I turned 34. Don’t know why, but now when it’s eleven, I start to yawwwn. It’s not pretty.
Ellen, sorry to hear that! It was the same for me with my ex (though he wasn’t a workaholic, just gone a lot), so me and the kids started our own date nights. We had a GREAT time, too! Movies, pizza nights, skating, we did it all.
SuzyQ on 25 Mar 2007 at 5:57 pm #
Karen, I can’t WAIT for your new book!!!! I married my best friend so I am looking forward to it.
Our time together is spent after the kids go to bed watching our favorite shows recorded on the DVR. We finally broke down and got one from the cable co. I don’t know how we lived without it!
We also just came back from a weekend in Vegas which was really fun. I love my kids but sometimes you really need to get away together!
EllenElyse on 25 Mar 2007 at 6:03 pm #
Thanks Karen…
that sounds like fun. 
I don’t have kids… we moved out of the county we lived in, in order to buy a house in our price range… all of our friends are still there… we still work out there… but when I get off of work, I just want to go home. 
And on the weekends, I never want to drive out there again to maybe go hang out w/ friends, or go to a movie. Sometimes I do. But I’m on the freeway for 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. five days a week. Yuk! 
I’ll quit complaining now. 
Brandy on 25 Mar 2007 at 8:22 pm #
My hubs and I don’t have a date night, but at bedtime we talk about our day and try to snuggle before falling asleep. He is my best friend and we talk about everything all the time, so a date night isn’t really a necessity, except to escape the kids!
Karen Hawkins on 26 Mar 2007 at 7:33 am #
Lol, Ellen! With all those
in your post, you can complain any time you like. Heh! Sorry things seem a bit tough for you now. I read you post and thought the ‘kitties’ were ‘kiddies.’ Mea culpa! I hope you’re able to find some new friends where you live now. Gotta be a little social!!!
Brandy, the snuggling time sounds lovely. We all need those Just Us moments. So sweet!
Brandy on 26 Mar 2007 at 6:29 pm #
Karen, trust me I love the snuggling. It’s the snoring when he falls asleep that I can do without! *g*
Selfish Addict on 26 Mar 2007 at 9:16 pm #
Karen,can’t wait for August. I really enjoyed Her Master &Commander and Her Officer & Gentleman. Are there going to be anymore to that series? There were other children from other mother’s weren’t there? Just curious.
Karen Hawkins on 26 Mar 2007 at 11:29 pm #
Brandy, sometimes late at night, I wake up and hear my dh snore and it makes me smile. It’s not so loud it wakes me up, but it is soooo cute!
Selfish (we need to find a happier name for you!), I’m so glad you enjoyed the Reeves series! At the moment, I’m writing the MacLean Curse Series, but one day I’d like to revisit Reeves and do the rest of the children. There were nine childen in all, with seven from other mothers. Whew! I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me!
EllenElyse on 27 Mar 2007 at 2:30 am #
Thanks Karen.
Selfish Addict on 27 Mar 2007 at 9:46 pm #
Karen,SA isn’t sad. It describes my ready exactly,besides there are already too many Karens on this blog.
It’s selfish because I’m unlikely to share my books,(I’ll rave about them),but,can’t borrow mine. I also like my favorite authors to be well,stress free and busy writing the next book for me.
Addict cause I’m addicted to reading,romances and my favorite authors. I’m very picky about what books and authors I read.
So,see name fits.
Karen Hawkins on 27 Mar 2007 at 11:44 pm #
SA, when you put it that way, I loooooove your name even though I don’t think you’re selfish at all. We all deserve good things, especially good romance books!
I say that as I tuck into bed, the last Suzanne Enoch book clutched in my hand. I’m rereading all of her contemporaries as she has a new one out this summer and I don’t want to forget anything that’s happened so far.
Ahhh . . . the joys of a good book at the end of the day!