Secrets of Great Marriages.

Jim and I are featured in a new book just reviewed in Men's Wear Daily. The authors, Charlie and Linda Bloom, spoke with us back when we were performing "The Big Voice: God or Merman?" in San Francisco.

"A gay couple confronting Steve Schalchlin’s AIDS find themselves going broke as Jim Brochu takes off work to care for Steve full-time. “We celebrated what we believed would be our last vacation, our last Christmas, and our last birthdays together. For about a year, I was so weak I couldn’t even sit up.” Medication rescues Steve just in time, and today their relationship is stronger than ever."

What is SHE talking about? We can't STAND each other! Hmm. Is there a Lifetime Movie there? I think so!

What can we learn from these couples? As the authors lay out in their introduction, we see throughout the book that—among other keys to their successful relationships–they: have a high level of mutual respect and trust for their partners; have a nonhierarchical relationship; tend not to hold grudges; address unfinished business expeditiously rather than putting things on the back burner; tend to avoid cycles of blame, express affection, appreciation, and need for each other frequently; are honest with themselves and their partner; and engage in frequent acts of service to each other. “The way to avoid divorce,” Hal and Sidra Stone wisely counsel, “is to have a no-fault marriage.”

I suppose all those things are true, but the real secret to a good marriage is that I let him think that he always gets everything his way. Oh, and coffee in the morning. I make sure he has his coffee.