And TAG, I'm It....Or Something

I happen to LOVE this meme. Mostly I just like the ease of answering specific questions. The more useless, the better.

What are your middle names?

Brent and Margaret. (They'd make a good 50s sitcom couple, those middle names).

How long have you been together?

Since before I was old enough to drink, for the love of God. Almost seventeen years. That's a fucking lifetime, people. We made it legal in 1996.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?

Uh...a month? Of which we'd spent maybe an hour total in each others' company, always surrounded by other people? This isn't really a relationship route I'd recommend, except that we seem to have made it work. Oddballs that we are.

Who asked whom out?

We didn't really do dates, but I guess it was technically him. HE was the one who offered to lend me his jeep so I could go backpacking by myself. HE was the one who insisted on giving me a "lesson" in driving the jeep. Which ended with us lying on the hood of the jeep, watching the stars and otherwise getting romantically acquainted.

How old are each of you?

He's almost 40. My god. I'm 37.

Whose siblings do you see the most?

Well, his sister lives in our town, and mine lives in another state. So, his.

Which situation has been hardest on you as a couple?

The first three years of our relationship totally SUCKED, mostly due to the "learning to live with someone without controlling them" principle, which was a difficult lesson for both us. Also, we spent a lot of time living in separate towns during this time. Long distance = our kryptonite. Parenthood, in contrast, has been a breeze. No, really.

Did you go to the same school?

Get this: I transferred from my fancy bigname private school to a (actually very good to the surprise of my silly snobbish self) state school in order to be with him. Was this possibly behind the whole "learn to live without controlling them" problem and also the "oversensitivity toward any hint of being controlled" problem? Um. Maybe.

Are you from the same hometown?

No. He's a Colorado native, therefore sainted; I'm a plebian Ohio immigrant. However, I can proudly answer all those snobby Coloradoans who ask "are you FROM here?" by saying that my HUSBAND grew up here, thankyouverymuch.

Who is smarter?

Uh. Well, who is the biostatistics professor who created his own computer program to analyze his
dissertation data? And who is the one who is unemployed?

Yep, I suppose you could say he's smarter. However, I'm the one who can remember the plot of every movie we ever watched, AND ALSO who said what in that conversation we had in Wales in 1997. In fact, if you need to know ANY information about our mutual history, I'm the one to ask. He won't remember, so will make something up.

Who is the most sensitive?

Actually, him. Although I'm the one most likely to be found at home weeping over a) the ending of a book; b) the sad movie we watched three weeks ago, or c) my numerous imperfections. But trust me, it's really him.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?

Ha ha! We don't eat out anymore, not since our kids started eating too! It's too damn expensive. That said, our favorite restaurants in the town we just left were Los Terascos (fantastic fresh Mexican place), Suehiro's (sushi), and Sri Thai. Oh, I miss them. We haven't found a favorite place in Denver yet.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled as a couple?

New Zealand. WITH CHILD OMG. Although the 14 hours in an airplane with a two-year-old was THE EASIEST PART. I so wish I was kidding.

Who has the craziest exes?

Um, me. He has very good taste in women.

Who has the worst temper?

We manage to share this burden pretty equally, although I'm the one most likely to harangue, nag, and weep. Having children has brought out the gift for temper tantrums in BOTH of us.

Who does the cooking?

Unless we want taco salad AGAIN, I cook.

Who is the neat freak?

What? No, those piles aren't CLUTTER, they're WORK. Leave them alone.
Yes--he would be the neat freak. I need a certain level of creative mess in order to function.

Who is more stubborn?

On all important issues, me. On useless stuff, like why-can't-we-keep-the-bill-pay-area-neat-I-can't-live-like-this issues, he's more stubborn.

Who hogs the bed?

Neither of us HOGS it, per se, but one of us likes to "cuddle" and "be intimate" at night, while one of us would prefer to have the bed to herself and always gives a little sigh of longing when tucking the kids into their blissfully separate beds.

Who wakes up earlier?

Me, always. I also like to go to bed at nine, though, so there may be some connection.

Where was your first date?

Uh, on the hood of a Willys CJ5? Was that a date? Or a "lesson" that got a little out of hand?

Who is more jealous?

I'm not jealous. He is, of pretty much anything containing testosterone. Fortunately parenthood has tamed the beast considerably.

How long did it take to get serious?

We were living in sin within six months of meeting--and we only waited that long because I had to go back to school to finish the semester. I pretty much knew as soon as I met him that I'd never meet someone I liked better ever again. So far that's been true.

Who eats more?

Prior to six p.m., me; after six p.m., him.

Who does the laundry?

Me. Although if I pour all the washed & dried laundry out upon the bed, he will fold and put it away. The tricks you learn...

Who's better with a computer?

This is one of those tasks for which my natural ability has completely atrophied, thus cementing our pair bond. Should we ever come asunder, he would slowly starve to death on a diet of frozen pizza and chips and salsa, while I might actually have to learn how to use a "manual" and ask "questions."

Who drives when you are together?

The one who doesn't WHINE that her LEGS are falling asleep when she sits in the passenger seat, that's who. Also, I prefer to pay attention to my surroundings, instead of the road.