on our pirate...

I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is our pirate. He doesn't really have a name. He's just mostly referred to as "the pirate". I am aware that he is creepy beyond all reason, and I'm not really buying the fact that he is supposed to be some sort of Mickey Mouse/pirate hybrid. But, you know. Just go with it.

Jay worked for Disneyland for the past nine years (up until he got his new job last month), and the company would periodically give employees little trinkets. Collectable pins and memorabilia, usually. But a few years ago, we got this pirate.

I remember when he brought it home and I was all like, "Ew! What is that thing? Why is it deformed?" After my initial confusion, we kind of forgot about it. I felt bad throwing it away (sometimes I have hoarder-esque tendencies—don't judge me), so I think it floated around from a few different drawers and cabinets before it found its current lot in life.

Which is, of course, to randomly pop up in unexpected places.

I'm not sure if it was Jay who first came up with the idea to hide him somewhere for me to find, but in the past couple years this pirate has been tucked away in the most random locations. The first few times he was in a shoe or a lunch bag. Jay and I would get a laugh out of it, and then forget about the pirate for a few weeks.

Then, out of nowhere, I'd grab my red hat off of the hook by the door and out he would tumble from his hiding place. Then it would be my turn to find a new home for the pirate. Places he has turned up lately are:

• A cardigan pocket
• On top of a Butterfinger in the kitchen
• Inside a box of rolled oats (he spent a good two months in there, which is a little gross)
• The freezer
• In a video camera case
• Inside a box of tampons (I told Jay that one kind of crossed the line of decency)
• Within one of Jay's running shoes
• Next to the shampoo in the shower

Sometimes months pass between the discoveries, which kind of makes it a bit more exciting when he does turn up somewhere new. It never fails to make my day, which is so silly (but so true).

I always wanted to be one of those couples who would write sweet notes in the steam on the bathroom mirror in the morning, or who leaves little messages of "I love you" hidden in each others pockets…but it seems that it's a rather tricky thing to get men to sign up for something like that voluntarily. Well, my husband, at least. I'm pretty sure he would never think to do something like that on a regular basis, or would feel a bit cheesy doing so.

So, while it seems some people have more romantic notions in their daily lives, we have our pirate as a random, quirky little reminder that we're thinking of each other. Case in point:

The other day I woke up to find the above situation on our kitchen counter. I laughed for a full five minutes. It was pretty much the best.