We’ve since moved to California, changed jobs, and we’ll celebrate our ninth wedding anniversary this December.

I currently work for Starbucks, and we’re residents of a Los Angeles suburb. I’ve also retired one blog and started another.

Think sunshine, cycling to-and-from work, food trucks, organic grocery stores, and being among the minority race.

As the musician Randy Newman once said, “I love L.A.”

I’ll always be from small town Oklahoma, though.

Thanks to Marivone, Brazil is now on the list!

Here’s the updated collection: Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Honduras, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, South Korea, Italy, South Africa, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Singapore, Malaysia, and now Brazil.

Please, welcome Malaysia to the mix! Thanks, Sakina.

Updated list: Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Honduras, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, South Korea, Italy, South Africa, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Singapore, and now Malaysia.

New Zealand is the newest addition to the list of over two-dozen places around the world that we’ve received messages from related to our memorable movie marathon.

An updated version of the countries list follows…

Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Australia, Jamaica, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Honduras, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, South Korea, Italy, South Africa, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Singapore, and now New Zealand.

Is your country on the list?

She contacted us from Singapore, which makes her’s the 30th country to be added to the official “30 Chick Flicks” list!

Thirty countries. Thirty chick flicks. Hmm…

According to Wikipedia, 10 of those countries are located in Asia; four of them in southeastern Asis (including Singapore).

The countries list now reads: Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Australia, Jamaica, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Honduras, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, South Korea, Italy, South Africa, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Singapore.

Is your country on the list?

What does it mean to be gentle with your spouse?

Specifically, what does it mean to “be gentle” with your wife?

That question came up in conversation today, and it stands to reason that being gentle with a woman is different than being gentle with an infant.

So what does it mean to be gentle with a woman?

Please, discuss below.

“If the only time a husband does something (affectionate) for his wife is when he’s in trouble, then he’ll have trouble.”

The above statement wasn’t premeditated; it just came out of my mouth as an answer to the reporter’s question.

As soon as it was said I remember thinking, “Wow, that’s good!”

Understand, I wasn’t impressed with who said it. I was impressed with what it means.

If the only time you express affection for your (spouse, girlfriend, etc.) is when you have trouble—then you will have trouble.

“30 Chick Flicks” wasn’t a way to say “I’m sorry” to my wife. It was a way to say, “I love you!”

Large, or small, movies, or something made by hand—show your appreciation for the person you love not because you’re in trouble, but because you can.

Note: my wife made the wire sculpture (shown above) for me.

Sam was referring to a made-for-reality-TV-style-argument between Holly and Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel).

Holly and “Messer” had the aforementioned dispute moments earlier in the kitchen of their suburban home.

The on-screen couple took numerous verbal shots at each other, and had several spats throughout the 114 minute film.

Oddly though it seemed that the very life Holly and Messer parodied (and give real-life couples an escape from through the Hollywood script) was comical because it seems so plausible.

One man. One woman. One baby. All in love. All trying their best to adapt to life without an instruction manual.

The appeal of this film—for me—is the way in which it honors the power of family. A family fighting with and for each other.

“When I’m gone I don’t just miss (our daughter), or you. I miss us. I miss our family…. I feel in love with you. I feel in love with our family,” Messer told Holly minutes before the closing credits.

“Life as We Know It” could be life as many of us know it.

Interesting note: Triplet sisters Alexis, Brynn, and Brooke Clagett all played baby Sophie in this film.

TAKEAWAY: Marriage takes work. No relationship is perfect. No husband or wife is perfect. It’s normal to be not normal.

I also mentioned that there are several insights (beyond the movies) that I’ve gleaned this past year, but never shared.

That is until now.

So here they are—the things I’ve learned looking back on life after “30 Chick Flicks”—in no particular order:

1. What rises quickly on the Internet also falls quickly on the Internet. Currency on the web is clicks and views.

As quickly as the masses click to view you they are clicking away to view the next thing that captures their attention.

Web sites live and die based upon the number of viewers that visit them. Make sure you know why you’re on the web, and remember the masses may come but they will also go.

2. Just because you have an idea doesn’t mean the idea has you. There are ideas that a person can forget, and then there are ideas that won’t leave a person alone.

Our chick flick challenge was an idea that captured us.

3. The expression “once in a lifetime” means something. Further, it often isn’t until these types of moments have passed us by that we realize we were in their midst.

Live each moment as if it were a “once in your lifetime” experience because truthfully it is.

4. Hustle. Anything worth doing (or worth having) should require work and reward. It’s okay to be challenged and it still be fun.

The things that cost us the most tend to be the things that we most remember and value beyond their monetary worth.

What a journey (and learning experience) it’s been!

Life after the 30 films has also been surreal and hard as it relates to the original chick flick challenge.

The surreal: Nicci and I were flown to New York City, and appeared on national television before millions of viewers. Our story appeared on the AOL.com homepage.

I was interviewed (from America) on two different radio shows in Ireland. And we’ve heard from people in 29 countries now including Canada, South Africa, and Spain.

The hard: I’ve never done anything like this before—specifically, try to write a book.

We were contacted by a literary agent in February last year, and even met and had lunch near Times Square in New York City.

Then there were the two versions of what I thought to be the beginning of a manuscript before I found myself looking for a co-author. The first writer didn’t pan out.

Months passed and Nicci and I finally connected (through a referral) to a wordsmith in Oklahoma where we live.

Several more months passed. Still nothing tangible.

Now, 365 days later, it’s not fun anymore and I’m gently reminded that I never started “30 Chick Flicks” with the hope of securing a book deal or even a possible movie deal.

I wanted to (and did) watch those movies to grow closer to my wife. Mission accomplished. So a decision must be made…

Continue pursing a future that my heart’s not in, or leave well-enough alone and celebrate the lessons learned?

Our decision is the latter.

__________________________________________________

What will happen to this blog? Will there ever be a book?

This blog, the Twitter account, and the YouTube channel will all remain active. I will continue to post, tweet, and upload things to the community that I have connected with.

As to whether there will ever be a book I do not know. However, I do know that there won’t be a book right now.

There are several insights (beyond the chick flicks) that I’ve gleaned throughout the past year and never shared, until now.

I’ll write a post on those next week.

Thank you to Anne for contacting us and adding her country to the roll. That’s twenty-nine countries!

She also pointed out that “almost all of Scandinavia is now represented.” Check this out…

According to Wikipedia.org, Scandinavia “is a region in northern Europe that includes Denmark and two of the Scandinavian Peninsula’s countries, Norway and Sweden. While the other Nordic countries of Finland and Iceland are sometimes grouped with the region, they are not technically affiliated.”

The current list is: Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Australia, Jamaica, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Honduras, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, South Korea, Italy, South Africa, France, the Netherlands, and now Denmark.

What will be the 30th country?

Many thanks to Kerssica for contacting us from the Netherlands!

The addition makes her’s the 28th country on the “30 Chick Flicks” country list, and the first comment on the site this year.

The current list is now: Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Australia, Jamaica, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Honduras, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, South Korea, Italy, South Africa, France, and now the Netherlands.

Merci to Claire from France for contacting us, and for suggesting two chick flicks that neither my wife nor I have seen.

The films she suggested: Les poupées Russes (“Russian Dolls”), and Fauteuils d’orchestre (“Orchestra Seats”).

Also, with Claire’s contact, her’s is the 27th country to be added to the “30 Chick Flicks” list: Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Australia, Jamaica, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Honduras, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, South Korea, Italy, South Africa, and now France.

Her’s is the 26th country to be added to the official “30 Chick Flicks” contacts list.

The updated list follows: Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Australia, Jamaica, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Honduras, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, South Korea, Italy, and now South Africa.

What do you think… are 30 countries possible?

Which ones do you all suggest? No specific dates in mind.

The criteria: a Christmas theme, and chick flicks.

Help create the list below…

Without her there would be no wedding to celebrate.

Without her there would be no “30 Chick Flicks” anything.

Without her I wouldn’t be me.

Happy anniversary, Nicci! I love you.

Marta is the most recent person to contact us from abroad; that makes her country—Italy—the 25th on the “30 Chick Flicks” list.

These are the countries people have connected with us from (to date): Thailand, India, Indonesia, China, Australia, Jamaica, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, Honduras, Russia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, South Korea, and now Italy.

How wild would it be to have 30 countries on the list?

One conversation in particular stood out to me in the film, and I feel I must share it here. It comes from DVD chapter 24.

It’s a dialogue between Tom (Kutcher) and his dad, Mr. Leezak (Raymond J. Barry), as the two sit on a coach watching a baseball game on TV. Tom is seeking marital advice.

Mr. Leezak: You gonna’ tell me what you’re chewin’ on?

Tom: I just don’t know if love is enough anymore.

Mr. Leezak: What do you mean ‘enough’?

Tom: I mean even if Sarah [his wife] and I do love each other, maybe we did need more time to get to know each other.

Mr. Leezak: So what you’re sayin’ here is you had a couple a bad days in (life), and it’s over.

Mr. Leezak: Time to grow up, Tommy.

Tom: What?

Mr. Leezak: Some days your mother and me loved each other; other days we had to work at it.

Mr. Leezak: You never see the hard days in a photo album…

Mr. Leezak: But those are the one’s that get you from one happy snapshot to the next.

Further, now that the “30 chick flicks” are behind us, people continue to discover this site and dare personal adventures.

Like Esther from Ontario, Canada.

Here’s what she said in a message she sent us:

“Hearing about you and your wife inspired me to suggest it to my husband to have a movie night…. We don’t get out much since our son was born so we decided to spend our money on a home theatre.

“Ours simply became a weekly movie. His pick one week, my pick the next.

“Being a girl who grew up with two older brothers I love the funny movies and a good action (film) every now and then. I actually really enjoyed A-Team…

“I wanted to thank you for inspiring me to just spend more time with my husband and give us something else to talk about.”

Thank you for sharing, Esther! Thank you to each of you readers who invest in your relationships.

Share your story with us. Email it to 30chickflicks@gmail.com