Wednesday, February 25, 2009

That Couples Meme EVERYONE is Doing

I'm sure, like me, you've seen this all over the place. It looks like fun, though, and I had a Valentine's Day post that I planned but never wrote, so...

What are your middle names?
Alicia and Houston. (Technically, mine is now my maiden name, but I'm not putting that on the Internet!) I love his middle name. I keep wanting to pass it on to a child.
How long have you been together?
TEN YEARS!! We got together in our last year of college, which was 1999.
How long did you know each other before you started dating?

We met three years earlier, in an astronomy class, and I would say that I knew who he was then, but we weren't really friends. More casual acquaintances. Then, in the fall of 1998, he moved in down the hall from me and started flirting with me. I got to know him a lot better then!
Who asked whom out?
He asked me out.
How old are each of you?
Last month, Rock hit the big 4-0. And I'm 32.
Whose siblings do you see the most?
We're both only children. (Soon to be raising three children!)
Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Everyone has said parenting, and that's true to a large degree of us, too. But, we are very much in agreement on how to raise the children and what is acceptable behavior and what is acceptable punishment, so we don't really disagree on that front very often. I think the hardest situation on us is deciding how many children to have. Rock has always wanted a VERY big family (he started out saying he wanted ten kids! HAHAHAHANOWAYINHELL!!!) whereas I get stressed out by the two kids we already have and am not too sure I want more than 3.
Did you go to the same school?
Yes, that's where we met.
Are you from the same home town?
No. Rock was born and raised in Ohio and moved to NC when he was 17. I was born, raised and have lived my whole life in NC.
Who is smarter?
We're pretty even. Rock remembers a lot more of what he learned in school, but I have the distinct edge when it comes to pop culture.
Who is the most sensitive?
I'm sure this is me. However, Rock can be very sensitive and will occasionally lash out if his feelings are hurt.
Where do you eat out most as a couple?

There is a really good Mexican restaurant in town. There's also a really great steakhouse, but it's considerably more expensive, so we don't go there as often.
Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Ah, that would be Montana. We took a huge road trip in 2007, from NC to Montana, SD, Wyoming, etc with a 4 year old and a 7 month old. It was...interesting. I'll leave it there.
Who has the craziest exes?
We're about equal here, too. He has two ex-wives, both of whom were pretty crazy. I have one ex-boyfriend who was an abusive dick and one who is probably gay. Fortunately, we don't interact with any of them, so they mostly exist in stories we tell each other. We have a pretty good time laughing at some of the dumb stuff our exes did and said.
Who has the worst temper?
Rock. I'm the silent angry type.
Who does the cooking?
He does. He is an excellent cook.
Who is the neat-freak?
That would be him. I have piles of clutter all over the place.
Who is more stubborn?
Hmmm....this is pretty even. The real difference is that I will give in and do what he wants so that I'm not alone. If he doesn't want to do something, there is no moving him.
Who hogs the bed?

Neither of us, really. He basically doesn't move once he falls asleep. I toss and turn in a small area, and we have a king size bed, so there's always plenty of room.
Who wakes up earlier?
On weekdays, I do, because I have to go to work. On weekends, he does, to take care of the kids so I can sleep in.
Where was your first date?

A little bar/ restaurant in Greensboro called City Lights. I have no idea if it's still there or not.
Who is more jealous?
*mumblemumble* um, that would be me. He gets hit on all the time while he's out with the kids, so I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about this one.
How long did it take to get serious?
It took us a long time to get serious. We dated casually for about two years, then he sort-of moved into my apartment. After 2.5 years, we decided to move in together and bought our house. It still took another 5 years for us to get married.
Who eats more?


This is totally a loaded question, isn't it, y'all? He does, because he snacks all day and eats meals, too. I eat fairly large meals, but don't really snack between them (except when I'm pregnant).
Who does the laundry?
He is the laundry KING! Although we both suck at folding and putting away clothes. But he does laundry all the time, and is even willing to stay up and keep an eye on my clothes on Sunday nights.
Who’s better with the computer?

He would be, except that he never uses a computer anymore. He used to do programming stuff back in the '80's and if he had stuck with it, or if he went back to it, he would be really good. I know how to use a lot of programs and stuff, but I don't know anything about programming languages or things like that.
Who drives when you are together?
He does. I'm a good driver, but I drive too fast (and I have the speeding tickets to prove it). I will occasionally drive, if we're taking my car and I don't want him to move the seat and rear view mirror, but most of the time, I just let him drive. Oh, and he's WAY BETTER in snow and ice.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like this meme.....I have a pretty crazy ex bf who is abusive and prolly gay as well...:)

Tess said...

You know, this is the first one of these I've seen where the answer to the "how long did it take to get serious" question wasn't some variation on LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.

I was GETTING WORRIED. Heh.

Do you think you dated casually for so long because he had been married twice before? Is this any of my BEESWAX? NO IT IS NOT. Still. I am interested.

Shelly said...

Princess - exes are so fun, aren't they?

Jess said...

Torsten is really good in snow and ice. It's very reassuring.

Shelly said...

Tess - I know, RIGHT?! How did all those other people know that was Mr. Right at first sight?

Yes, his two marriages were definitely a large part of why we dated casually for so long. For the first two years that we dated, he SWORE he would never live with anyone ever again and absolutely NEVER get married again. Then, finally, he was like, "Look, I really love you. Let's live together." The hestitation to get married was from both of us. I was fine with dating seriously and even living together, but I really balked at the thought of getting married. My parent's marriage was awful and I just didn't want to go through that. I had been almost engaged twice and had backed out both times, so it was smart of him to live with me first. We finally decided to get married to tie up legal things and so that we could all have the same last name.

Shelly said...

Jess - it's great, isn't it?