I think it’s high-time that I introduce you to my dear, very original, incredibly multi-faceted, multi-talented, highly doting and devoted husband, Andrew. The photo above was taken at the Rolex Christmas Party just 2 months after we met--and one of the first ever taken of us as an official "couple" (and since I STILL don't have a scanner, this will have to suffice). This is also the one and the same person who somehow manages to conjure up the enthusiasm and gumption to go along with all (or most anyway) of my dreams and schemes—that most men would quickly relegate to the ridiculous pile while I unequivocally categorize them as romantic. You can clearly see that my beloved essentially never stands a fighting chance!
(Here he is out taking care of MY pony that I convinced him we needed way back in the Spring--when it was green and warm and snow was a far and distant memory. But see he is smiling--just too frozen to wave). When I say multi-talented and multi-faceted, I do not kid you. He was raised in the home repair business in which he started tagging along with his dad when he was about 8 years old. So he’s become very handy at the handyman thing and can fix about anything that needs fixin’ or jerry-rig anything that needs a touch of jerry-riggin’. He has been the knight in shining armor who has single-handedly wrestled into the brown coveralls or white suit and crawled under the house to tackle unspeakable projects while cockroaches the size of his index finger numbering somewhere in the millions (at last roach population census) scamper about heedless to his presence in their horrendously hot, humid, dank environ. In other words, he’s honestly never been one to shy away from getting his hands dirty.
(He's actually got a huge grin on his face and is waving in both of these photos, so don't feel the LEAST bit sorry for him--please!) He also got interested in doing tree work while we were in TX and started his own business becoming skilled in the whole arborist profession through the training he received at the supremely competent hands of our dear friends, the Palmers, who founded the Arbor-master Training program (very cool site, I might add!). So he also excels at the swarthy, rugged, fanatically physical, outdoorsy, dangerous stuff, too.
However, on the completely far outer reaches of the other side of the spectrum, he studied to become a watchmaker. And that’s what he was doing when I met him—after he had put some time in with Cartier and was working at Rolex in Dallas. I also must add from the purely woman-ish perspective, that he’s got this artistic side to him that still catches me off-guard at times. For instance, he’ll actually agree with me that a room can be painted pink. This is in addition to the ever-present, predictable cajoling I require to get me through my decision to paint a room pink....better known as the second-thoughts, misgivings, and “that’s just NOT the right shade of pink!” melodrama. He’ll also sometimes spend hours in antiques shops (if it's his type of antiques shop, that is)—long after I’ve meandered my mind to mush. So you can begin to see why he’s been a bit of a puzzlement to me--as I’ve most assuredly been to him.
So which hat is he presently donning at the moment? Well, he’s a watchmaker—the trade that he will probably never abandon—and in which our son is showing an avid interest. Big Andrew and Little Andrew are at home in the little shop working side by side, stool by stool, bench by bench, eye-loop by eye-loop—where, I can’t for the life of me, imagine a better place for our son to be! Nor can I imagine a quicker way to send me to the asylum. Dealing with microscopic pieces that would fit on the top of a pinhead and disappear on the end of tweezers is just NOT my calling in life! However, I will say the very serendipitous thing (one of MY favorites, of course) about his chosen profession is that he has truly found a niche up here in Maine--as we’re discovering that there are some intriguingly interesting watchmaking / clock making roots and history up here--and that this tradition has, over time, become a dying a trade.
I must say that through my rosy-romantic glasses, I just love the multi-generational aspects of what my husband has chosen to pursue…and the fact that he’s continuing an old world craft or trade that was destined to become borderline obsolete…and that he desires to teach and apprentice his own son in this trade…and last, but surely not least, he chose to share it all with me!
And, by all means, please check out more of Andrew’s watch talents and trade at Unique Watch Co.com
However, he still loves to climb trees and does so whenever he can find the excuse to do so. And he's convinced that he's gonna block-and-tackle and pully-rig this log home endeavor of ours to fruition. So just stand-by to see what an incurable, not-much-use-for-anything romantic (ME) and my "Dan'el Boone was a man" gone green acres hubby will manage to pull off--and hopefully sometime during this century!