Day 01:

Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is.

Righto. I have been in a relationship with a man named Michael for well over two years. My mom moved during high school so I went with her, and it happened to be in the same neighborhood as this obnoxious guy. I met him on the second day of school, on the bus, and we instantly made jokes. As it turned out, we had three classes together, so I saw him every day that year. It pissed me off at times. He was such a jerk! But weren't all guys in high school jerks? And he had ADHD...so he bent me out of shape sometimes.
Anyway, whenever we would fight (which was maybe once or twice a year), we didn't speak to each other or look at each other or want anything to do with one another. These fights were unlike any other fight I'd had with a friend before.
I'd had a couple boyfriends during high school, but those never lasted terrible long. Michael was always nice to them. Our senior year, he was the one who had a girlfriend. I was nice enough to her, but I couldn't stand her. I was insanely jealous, and I wasn't sure why because I didn't see myself dating my best friend at all. By senior year he drove us all to school. I was the only one who never paid him for gas because he knew I didn't have any money. I never had money. I didn't have a car of my own so it made it difficult to work, especially since mom wouldn't let me borrow her car. He bought me lunch because I didn't qualify for reduced lunch and neither me nor my mom could afford the expensive lunches at that school. He would buy salad for lunch, but I got his two sides and his milk. Every day this would happen. After the end of my last relationship, Michael and I were on the rocks as well. We bickered over that last boyfriend because he was no good and we both knew it.
We were still mad at each other at graduation. I was too proud to tell him I was sorry, but I was very sorry. I was so proud, that I didn't even see him graduate, though he says he saw me.
I'm not quite sure what brought us together. We had both mentioned in high school that while there, there is no such thing as a serious relationship. It's just not possible.
We'd made up at some point, and spent the first part of the summer with each other and friends. Halfway through I began working as a cashier at the grocery store he had been at for years. At that point he knew more than the managers, and that intimidated me. Here I am not able to press those damned buttons in the right order and there his is bookkeeping and department hopping. All of our friends and sort of friends in HS said we should date, and we both said gross no way. All of the people at the store saw us together and within the week, told us that we should be dating. Still we said no, gross. Yucky.
At that point I was on the rebound with that same old ex, and he was talking to a friend of his that I found to be a pretty gross individual. She was just nasty and mean. Not a very nice personality. She always called people bitches and sluts. Gee whiz. Anyway them talking to each other burned me up inside. I never let it show, but I hated the way she looked at him with a passion.
Anyway---to make a very long story a little bit shorter: We went on a real date (we were very nervous) and hit it off of course (why wouldn't we? We spend so much valuable time with each other that we grew up to reflect each other's personalities) and after a couple of weeks (I remember nervously kissing, that was pretty cute haha) we cast aside those other people and threw out or doubts and fears and went for it.

This relationship was well received by most, but others were not so approving. Said nasty girl actually threatened to beat me up, so I told her she was an animal. Seriously, beat me up? Over a guy? Get over it. Two mutual friends of ours said they were happy for us, but in reality they weren't. They said to me that I won't have any friends like them left because I spend so much time with Michael. They said it will never last anyway, and when it's over our friendship will be ruined because of it. For reasons unsaid I have chosen not to be friends with them anymore. That barbaric girl decided to come out of the closet and move to Cali with her internet girlfriend. I shit you not.

So back to the original point of this post. For over two years, Michael has been my everything. We know everything there is to know about each other. Habits, favorite phrases, temperaments. He knows my silent upset face and exactly what it means, especially when I say, "nothing." His family absolutely loves me, and my family loves him. So much so that he has a key to my house, like the rest of my mother's children. Mom told me he made it onto the list of favorite sons-in-law. His parents have offered to let me live with his family.

We have been given many opportunities to take shortcuts, but we're staying as old-fashioned as we can with it. We do not live together, nor do we plan on living together until we get married (Unless something comes up that makes living together the best option). We haven't planned our future around each other, but we have talked about it and made some room for the likely possibilities. Sometimes we both have this deep urge to run to the courthouse and get it over with now, but that never lasts long. We know better than to let go of our dreams so easily. We talk about weddings, we talk about gets, we talk about houses in neighborhoods close to our families. We talk about what our parents did and our siblings, and how their plans differ from our own.
We're boring in a way, because we already know what the future holds for ourselves and what we will do to get there. But honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Peace, love and pudd'n pops
AMZ