27 Things About Pat

This has no relation to 27 Things You Can Do In A Speedo. This is a meme about my spouse. Blame Dooce. She started it.

1. What are your middle names? His is Carl. Mine is Catherine.

2. How long have you been together? 10 and a half years.

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating? Maybe a month. We saw each other on Saturdays at swing dance class and danced a lot at swing night at the Rockin' Horse on Tuesdays.

4. Who asked whom out? Pat asked me out after a dance lesson. Poor Pat - you could tell he was really, really nervous. But he was a good dancer and I was a newbie and I really, really wanted to learn, so I said yes with the full intention of just using him for his pretty swing out.

5. How old are each of you? I'm 37 and he's 39...a month away from being 40. Poor Pat.

6. Whose siblings do you see the most? Completely equal. All of our siblings live in Illinois or Missouri. We see them all at Christmas and once a year our sisters will come out here at some point for a visit.

7. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Our biggest fight ever was about real estate. The second biggest fight was about dogs. The outcome of both fights? I was right and he was wrong. Similar scenarios have replayed themselves over and over. So... the hardest situation on us as a couple is when Pat challenges my authority on any topic. I am always right.

8. Did you go to the same school? Nope. I went to the University of Illinois and Pat was smart enough to get out here to Phoenix sooner - he went to ASU.

9. Are you from the same home town? Nope, but we are both from Illinois. We met in Phoenix.

10. Who is smarter? Pat is an engineer so he is smarter when it comes to math and science, but I'm smarter in the things that matter. You know, like things that aren't science.

11. Who is the most sensitive? Neither of us are very sensitive, though I get my feelings hurt easier.

12. Where do you eat out most as a couple? Mmmm, Spinato's.

13. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Brazil

14. Who has the craziest exes? This question is unfair because my exes are not crazy, but Pat has no exes so I win this by default. Poor Pat. I was his first girlfriend. I feel bad for him sometimes because if he had waited a little longer or perhaps started a little earlier, he probably would have met a very nice, sweet type of girly-girl who would have taken his last name and who would have wanted kids and who would cook and clean and do wifey shit like that. Poor Pat.

15. Who has the worst temper? I have a quicker temper, but he has a worse temper. He is the nicest guy in the world 90% of the time. Sweet and cuddly as a kitten. The kind of guy who helps old ladies with their groceries and stops to change people's tires. The other 10% of the time, he is "Hockey Pat". Have I told you the story of Hockey Pat goes to the movies? We are at the movies and the people down the aisle from us are all chatty-chatty. Pat says "Shhh!". They don't shhh. He gets madder. They tell him to calm down which he mishears as "Come down", to which he replies, full voice, "Oh, I'll come down there! Don't make me come down there!" Yep - threatening our fellow movie-goers. The worst is when Hockey Pat emerges while driving. I have already made it clear that if he gets arrested for a road rage incident, I will not be bailing him out of jail.

16. Who does the cooking? Mmmm, Spinato's. Ok, I occasionally grill some fish in the George Foreman and if Pat is around, I'll make him some, too. He occasionally makes himself some tuna fish casserole. He also makes himself a big country breakfast on the weekends. We eat out A LOT.

17. Who is the neat-freak? Absolutely me!! That is if by neat-freak you mean who shells out the $40 each week for the cleaning lady?

18. Who is more stubborn? Overall, I am. However, on certain topics (please don't bring up evolution!) he can give me a run for my money.

19. Who hogs the bed? Neither of us.

20. Who wakes up earlier? We wake up at about the same time for work, but on weekends I am up hours before he is. I've usually gone out, completed my first activity of the day and returned home before he is even done with his big country breakfast.

21. Where was your first date? We met at Planet Hollywood at the Biltmore and then went to Houston's for dinner. Well, I met at the Planet Hollywood at the Biltmore. Pat went to the Planet Hollywood at Fashion Square, until he realized there was no Planet Hollywood at Fashion Square. Poor Pat. I waited at the bar, getting hit on by some weird men, and very nearly gave up.

22. Who is more jealous? This word is not a part of our relationship. And this is why things work so well for us.

23. How long did it take to get serious? Pat bought a house for us within 6 months of our first date.

24. Who eats more? Pound for pound, probably me. But in sheer quantity, it's definitely him. His favorite question at dinner is "What are your intentions for that {insert name of any food here}?"

25. Who does the laundry? We both do, but I would prefer that until he learns what a dryer sheet is, that he just back off.

26. Who's better with the computer? Probably Pat.

27. Who drives when you are together? I drive if we are taking my car (when the dogs are with us or if we are going a short distance that he doesn't judge worthy of firing up the diesel) and he drives if we take his truck. The exception is if we are going out of town, we'll take my car but Pat will drive. He enjoys driving. I don't.

And there you have it. Lots of info about Pat.