3 weeks ago.

almost to the

minute.

i wanted to use this

post to

tell a story

that should illustrate

just

how perfect

things were

by discussing the one time

things were not

perfect.

the one time

(seriously…the one time)

liz got really,

really

pissed at me

was when i bought a

fortune telling robot

off a guy

on the streets of india.

robot!

that was it.

a robot.

i remember

the moment

so vividly.

i was at

a festival in

bangalore

vendor and idols.

she was

in a pharmacy in los angeles.

when i told her about

my treasure

(and how much it cost me - $400).

she was seriously mad.

(she was a couple of months pregnant and we were supposed to be saving up for baby).

and she said to me

(loud enough for others to hear),

“i can’t believe you bought a fucking robot!”

and then she

continued to

read me the riot act.

i listened carefully.

when she

finished

(it must have been 15-20 mins),

i pointed out to her

how ridiculous

that one sentence must have sounded

to the people

in the pharmacy.

can you imagine

what the hell

they were thinking?

despite her anger,

we both laughed our

asses off.

just that thought…

that over

12 years

of life

together,

our biggest disagreement

was over a

robot,

makes me smile.

Comments 19

  1. Jen wrote:

    Matt, I smiled when I read that. I have been following your blog the past few days; I live in MN and found out your story from the CribSheet blog posting as well. I love the fact that your biggest fight was over a fortune-telling robot. You are right, that’s hilarious! Thanks for the smile in the midst of your pain. Your daughter is beautiful!

    Posted 15 Apr 2008 at 3:45 pm
  2. Sarah wrote:

    Matt - I’m siding with Liz on this one. $400 on a robot???
    Doesn’t surprise me though that it took all of a matter of minutes for you both to be laughing again.
    Think about all of you often - Liz was so special. Praying that someday this will all make sense. Doesn’t feel like it right now.
    Madeline is getting more beautiful by the day. This could be dangerous. Keep up the postings. We all love to check in!

    Posted 15 Apr 2008 at 7:00 pm
  3. Julie wrote:

    Another Mpls Cribsheet reader… your wife must have been a much better person than I. If my husband had dared to try to laugh at that point, I think I would have had another 20 minute riot act to read! Your daughter is a strikingly beautiful baby. Just from photos, Liz conveys a light that is rare. Thanks for sharing your story with the Mpls community. You have a lot of “strangers” pulling for you.

    Posted 15 Apr 2008 at 8:42 pm
  4. Tracy wrote:

    Dear Matt and Madeline -

    You don’t know me, but I feel like I know you. My best friend Mari arranged for the now famous mani and pedi during Liz’s bedrest. She’s really great at stuff like that. From the moment Mari told me what happened, I’ve been carrying the two of you around in my pocket, holding you close in my thoughts and sending you quiet strength and peace.

    If a total stranger has been struggling to make sense out of the last three weeks of your life, I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like to be living it. I suppose 23 pounds says a lot. I feel like I want to do something for you, but I don’t know what. Can I adopt the two of you? Our house is a bit chaotic with a 6 month old, 3 year old, and 14 year old (oh man, just wait ’til you get THERE), but we’d find room. The best I can think right now is to keep sending my thoughts and pop in from time to time to see how big Madeline is getting.

    You’re right, Liz is still clearly making a big difference, and so are you, Matt. Every time I read your poignant entries, I think of the amazing man I married and our beautiful children and thank the stars and moon for all of it. Keep telling your story - it’s a gift.

    Love,
    Tracy Moawad
    (ps - our baby’s name is Anya :)

    Posted 15 Apr 2008 at 8:43 pm
  5. naz wrote:

    hello matt you brought a robot from here am not aware of it but dont believe on it. its just people here make bussines from it and nothing more then this. well matt baby is seriosly very very pretty.

    Posted 16 Apr 2008 at 12:14 am
  6. gina wrote:

    thanks for the laugh.. Love the robot story, but I like the yellow and the blue one.. maybe she wanted the blue one instead… can you exchange it.. JK.. Ha!
    wow.. only a robot…. what a woman….
    thanks for sharing…
    ~G

    Posted 16 Apr 2008 at 12:58 am
  7. Andrea wrote:

    Matt-I heard of you and your story through a friend of a friend. I have been reading along and thinking of you all often. This robot story has me, literally, laughing out loud. Sounds so much like something my husband would do, and exactly what my response would be. :-)

    Anyways, your daughter is beautiful and I know Liz is with you both always. I love hearing your stories of Liz. :-)

    Posted 16 Apr 2008 at 11:57 am
  8. Diane Baek wrote:

    That was slumber party night for Liz and I….I heard all about it through dinner. Although she was mad when she first heard, she did know that you really wanted it. She was softening up before you even got back. I think she grew to love it especially when you made everyone take a picture with it.

    I don’t know if she told you but we had found holes in your story. Heehee.

    Posted 16 Apr 2008 at 1:01 pm
  9. Sara Brown wrote:

    Hi Matt,
    I just read your story and laughed out loud. Liz is still bringing everyone smiles.
    We are thinking of you and Madeline. I know that she will love these stories when she grows up!
    We send all our love from MN!

    Posted 16 Apr 2008 at 6:58 pm
  10. Lisa Schmid wrote:

    Matt,

    I discovered your story in the CribSheet Blog in the Mpls Star Tribune online. I know you don’t know me, but your story touched my heart and I’m sending warm thoughts your way.

    Best,
    LMS

    Posted 16 Apr 2008 at 9:57 pm
  11. Miriani wrote:

    I cannot tell you how many families I’ve seen fall apart because of robots. The fact that you two made it through something like that is really a testament to the depth of your character and your love for each other. I’m genuinely touched.

    Posted 17 Apr 2008 at 7:51 am
  12. Robyn wrote:

    I can’t believe you bought a fucking robot… either.
    Oh, I’m laughing so hard right now.

    Posted 17 Apr 2008 at 9:09 am
  13. Renata wrote:

    Hi Matt,

    I’m a stranger to you as well (friend of Candee and Tom’s, and booked your flight), but want you to know that reading your blog has moved me beyond words. For the last couple of weeks, when I feel like I’m having a rough day, I look at the photos of your lovely little girl, and read about your new life, and I feel curiously uplifted. Of course sad for you but invigorated by the strength of your spirit and sense of humor in being able to see beauty and goodness around you in the darkest days of your life. Your story (and Liz’s life) has made a difference. Thanks for sharing it, and keep it coming. I will enjoy watching little Madeline grow…

    Posted 18 Apr 2008 at 1:37 pm
  14. Nathaniel wrote:

    Matt,
    Sorry I didn’t have a chance to catch you on saturday. I know we haven’t been to close in recent years but at this moment in time I feel we are closer than ever. You are in our thoughts without a doubt and we hope all is well with you and Madeline. Unfortunately my family and I can relate to your situation when we lost Jess a couple of years ago… Though we all know that Liz and Jess are sitting up “there” watching us all, cracking jokes just as you were yesterday, they both seemed to have great senses of humor(although I only spoke with Liz once, she truly did brighten a place up).

    I would love to come out to LA at some point to meet Madeline and catch up with you. We can speak of this in emails though.

    Posted 27 Apr 2008 at 10:17 pm
  15. Stephanie in MN wrote:

    This explains the robot in your recent post! I was wondering…!

    What a happy, funny story. You have so many wonderful things to tell Madeline about her mother!

    Posted 08 May 2008 at 10:52 am
  16. Leah wrote:

    I will never look at a robot the same way again.

    Posted 06 Jun 2008 at 9:05 pm
  17. Wendy wrote:

    What a lovely story.

    Posted 24 Jul 2008 at 2:00 pm
  18. Shreyas wrote:

    Hello Matt,
    i am happy for Madeline, that she has such a lovely dad like you. been following up on your little one’s growth. She is such a sweetness.
    And talking about the robot, i remember the day when you got the robot - man, i have never seen such a content smile like you had…
    Let me try to get you the tape in English :)

    Cheers!

    Posted 26 Jul 2008 at 12:49 pm
  19. Perx wrote:

    Dude, you were robbed blind. 400 USD means 16,000 Indian rupees and that robot must have cost the owner like 1000 INR in the first place.. seriously, u should have asked some indian friend of urs to bargain, u got seriously ripped off…..
    But, i guess that is not what would be on ur mind….just wanted to point it out though

    Posted 29 Jul 2008 at 12:18 pm

Trackbacks & Pingbacks 4

  1. From apple juice » Blog Archive » random thoughts of the day on 15 Apr 2008 at 8:57 pm

    [...] “i can’t believe you bought a fucking robot” may be one of my favorite quotes of all time. [...]

  2. From matt, liz and madeline » Blog Archive » thursday. on 25 Apr 2008 at 5:39 am

    [...] should know that the majority has swung my way on the “liz vs. matt & robot issue” now that people have witnessed his [...]

  3. From matt, liz and madeline » Blog Archive » friday. on 03 May 2008 at 1:33 am

    [...] (not robot pissed, but pissed) [...]

  4. From matt, liz and madeline - friday. on 02 Jul 2008 at 10:12 am

    [...] robot mad, but just sort of [...]

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