not a good way to start a conversation

I think by now most people who are close to me know that if I start a conversation with "So..." it is not going to be a thrilling & happy converstation. For some reason that is always the word I choose to use when launching in to a less than appealing conversation, statement, bit of information, etc. Needless to say whenever I start a conversation with "So..." my husband gets very nervous, he gets a panicked/stressed look on his face, stops doing whatever he was doing & gives me his full attention, but not before he lets out an "Oh jeez, ok - what is it?"... because he never knows what I'm about to launch into. :) I like to keep him on his toes! He has a similar reaction if I start a conversation with his name. For instance, if I say "Ted, can we go to Home Depot?" That question holds as much worry & fear, just by starting with "Ted" as if I were to say "Ted, I blew all of our savings on [insert something stupid]." Now I make an effort to think about how I start a conversation because that helps a lot with how the whole thing will go. It's all about setting the right tone.