Plus, previously stated lameness aside, I kind of love memes. I have a lot of fun writing them, and I always enjoy reading about the minutiae of everyone else's lives. Again, HELLO I keep a personal weblog. I haven't seen this one make the rounds on facebook, but I did see it on Dooce the other day (and SHE saw it on facebook! don't you love how the internet shrinks the world? AWESOME!). So here you go. This time, it's more than you ever wanted to know not just about me, but about Preston and me. [Spoiler alert: We are boring. In love, best friends, committed, etc. But still...boring]
What are your middle names? My middle name is...get ready for it...Frances. Preston's middle name is Johns, which I think is rather lovely.
How long have you been together? Just over six years. We started dating on December 31, 2002, and got married on May 24, 2008.
How long did you know each other before you started dating? One year to the day. I was hanging out with his younger brother on New Year's Eve in 2001, and we went to their family's house in Wintergreen (which is still one of my favorite places on earth), where I met Preston.
Who asked out whom? After playing footsie for two hours during Gosford Park, we made out for a while, and then decided to plunge headfirst into a long distance relationship (he was already a college sophomore, and I was, to my GREAT HORROR now, still in high school).
How old are each of you? I'm 23 and he is 26. I'm already dreading the day when I have to tell my children that I got married when I was a mere 22 years old.
Whose siblings do you see the most? Since both of our families live in Richmond, I'd say it's fairly evenly divided. We both have two younger brothers--his are 24 and 17, and mine are 21 and 17. Holy God that seems old. ANYWAYS. The pairs of brothers are remarkably similar, which makes it easier for both of us to relate to the other's siblings.
Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? I don't think I can name one situation that is most difficult on us. Preston and I almost never fight. As in, over the last six plus years, we've had one fight that I can remember. I think we certainly get annoyed with each other occasionally, particularly at times of great stress, as is to be expected. Normally at those times, the annoyance dissipates pretty quickly, either because the partner in the wrong remedies the situation, or because the annoyed partner [read: me] gets over her shit and decides to stop being a baby. When we're BOTH frustrated, though, things get a little stickier, since Preston and I tend to approach, you know, life, from very different angles. After one of us [read: me] raises an issue, Preston likes to think about it, mull over it, and quietly come to a conclusion, maybe in the next couple of days, weeks, or decades, whereas I like to talk about it LOUDLY in a LOUD VOICE and get it settled IMMEDIATELY. So...we're working on that.
Did you go to the same school? Preston did his undergrad work at Princeton, and came to the University of Virginia to do graduate work, where he graduated in 2007 with an MA, and I with a BA.
Are you from the same hometown? Yes. Well, sort of. Preston was born in Massachusetts, but moved to Richmond when he was six-ish. I was born in Richmond, and Preston's mother was my headmistress for 13 years. Which made the first six months of our relationship, when I was still in high school, awwwwwkward.
Who is smarter? Preston, absolutely. He is one of those truly annoying people who can do minimal amounts of work, and still get an A. I have never been and will never be as smart as Preston, but I am much more motivated, and work much harder, so the end results are often similar. He just makes it look a LOT easier.
Who is the most sensitive? I spent the better part of the fall crying in the library bathroom stalls, and last night when I was baby-sitting, I cried at the story I was reading the seven year old girl (But seriously, this book is precious. I'm buying it today I loved it so much). I will win this question every time.
Where do you eat out most as a couple? We don't eat out much (once every few months?), but one of our favorite places to go for a casual dinner date is Flip and Bailey's in Rosemont, where they have a fantastic selection of beers on tap, a really good Happy Hour special, and surprisingly good food (get the hummus platter, if you go).
Where is the furthest you two have ever traveled together as a couple? WOW this question makes me feel really spoiled. Preston and I have actually been to Europe together for four out of the last five summers, with Italy being our furthest destination (in 2004).
Who has the craziest exes? Preston has one ex-girlfriend who lovingly sent us a card when she and her current partner had their first child. The card came with a photo that did not say, "Hello, look at my adorable child!" but rather, "HELLO please look at my AMAZING, full of milk BREASTS. Also: CLEAVAGE." Preston suggested I send her a picture of us and Callie. None of my exes are particularly crazy, though we're not in touch anymore, so WHO KNOWS.
Who has the worse temper? Let's just say one morning Ness was barking and she JUST WOULD NOT SHUT UP and I might have told her to f*** off. Kind of loudly. For our whole building to hear. I regretted it immediately and then showered her with kisses, but still. When I am pissed, I AM PISSED, and have a tendency towards Dolores Umbridge like anger, which, as we all know, since we all read Harry Potter, is SUPREMELY unattractive. Preston basically doesn't raise his voice ever. I have resigned myself to a lifetime as the mean parent.
Who does the cooking? Pasta and meat: Preston. Vegetables, fish, anything that requires reading instructions, and baking: Mary Frances. We've become a much better team in the kitchen (minus how cloying and Top Chef that sounds) over the last six months, but it will be an ongoing project for a long time, methinks.
Who is the neat freak? Definitely me. I have a tendency towards OCD. Preston has a tendency towards the opposite of OCD. It causes some skirmishes.
Who is more stubborn? I think we're both pretty stubborn. I just tend to be more vocal about it, and tend to be more stubborn about completely ridiculous things. Preston tends to be calmer about his battles, often trying to win me over with things like "LOGIC" and "COMMON SENSE." Pshaw.
Who hogs the bed? Callie.
Who wakes up earlier? Always me. I tend to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. Even though he has a typical 8-5 job, Preston keeps the hours of a college freshman who has just escaped the clenches of his overbearing parents who have made him go to bed at a reasonable hour for eighteen years, and he's just NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE.
Where was your first date? If the love seat in his parent's basement doesn't count, then Phil's Continental Lounge in Richmond. We had lunch.
Who is more jealous? See answer to "Who has the craziest exes?"
How long did it take to get serious? We started dating in December, and by dating I mean, essentially, planning for our life together. Every decision I've made since 2003 has been with him in mind, and vice versa. It was serious from the beginning; I think we knew very early on that we wanted to be together forever, and I still firmly believe that we will be (which is good, you know, since we're married). He's the best person I know.
Who does the laundry? I'm really anal about water temperatures, fabric softener, bleaching, and what goes in the dryer. So, me. Also, it's never been a chore I've minded. I'll take laundry over vacuuming any day. Putting the clothes away is a completely different story, and it is not uncommon for a basket of clean, folded laundry to sit in our apartment for a week (that basket of laundry I mentioned earlier in the week? still sitting in our bedroom full of clean clothes.)
Who's better with the computer? Definitely Preston. I am hugely dependent on him for anything computer related. He can never die.
Who drives when you are together? Normally Preston, though if he has work to do, I drive during long car trips.
Haha, I totally saw that card Preston's ex sent with the BOOBIES hanging out. Very classy. Can I send one like that of me since you and I are life partners / were once married on facebook? Then you can make Preston jealous instead...think about it.
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