Us as a couple

Well, our stuff arrived almost entirely undamaged. It's not entirely unpacked, although the living room and the kitchen are almost there. The offices and the bedroom still have a long way to go, so I will hold off on posting pictures until then.

Also, the prison dog program people were out of the office for training on Friday, so I wasn't able to get in touch with them. I'll call them later today and try to make an appointment for this week. We did go out this weekend and buy a bunch of dog paraphernalia--bowls, leash and collar, treats, bones, and toys. We still have to buy food, a crate, and possibly a dog bed, but those things will have to wait until we know what dog we're getting, exactly how big it is, and what its dietary needs are. But I already put the water bowl out on the floor (with no water in it because I want it to be fresh). We are so excited to get a dog.

In the meantime, let's do that couples meme that everybody in the blogosphere seems to be doing.

What are your middle names?
Mine is Lynn; Torsten doesn't have one.

How long have you been together?
About two and a half years.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We didn't, unless you count the week and a half of emailing before we met up for our first date.

Who asked whom out?
It was kind of a mutual thing. I think Torsten was the one who first suggested a specific time and place, but we both knew we wanted to meet up and go out.

How old are each of you?
Torsten is 31 and I am 24.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Mine; Torsten is an only child.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Um. Well, we don't have much stress in our lives right now (no debt, kids, job problems, etc.) so there isn't really much that puts pressure on us as a couple. I suppose if I had to pick something it would just be the mundane stuff like how long Torsten works or who's going to clean the kitchen.

Did you go to the same school?
No. Torsten went to school in Germany. For free, because that's how they roll over there.

Are you from the same home town?
Hahahahahaha no. Nor the same home country.

Who is smarter?
I think we're differently smart. I'm about the words and the details and the organization, and Torsten is good at the big picture stuff and the technology and the perspective.

Who is the most sensitive?
Probably me? We're sensitive about different things.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?

Well, we just moved, so nowhere, yet. I'm going to guess that it will become the brewery a couple miles from our apartment.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
I guess Germany. I feel like we've traveled further, but I guess not. Not yet, anyway.

Who has the craziest exes?
Neither, really. Mine make for more interesting stories, I suppose.

Who has the worst temper?
Me, I think. I get more annoyed by little things, and when I'm annoyed I'm more vocal about it.

Who does the cooking?
I usually do, because Torsten is not so much with the recipe-following, and making delicious meals entirely out of cream and olive oil is not so much part of the healthy living plan. But when he does cook, the stuff he makes is great.

Who is the neat-freak?
Neither of us. But I get more frustrated by clutter than he does, and am more likely to have a meltdown and announce that WE HAVE TO CLEAN EVERYTHING NOW THIS SECOND OMG HOW CAN WE LIVE LIKE THIS? Usually over a single dirty plate.

Who is more stubborn?
Probably me, but only by a small margin.

Who hogs the bed?

Usually neither. Sometimes me. Very rarely Torsten.

Who wakes up earlier?
Torsten. And then he sneaks out of the room and closes the door behind him so that I can keep sleeping. It's one of my favorite little things about him.

Where was your first date?

A seafood restaurant on the DC waterfront. Not a very good one, but neither of us noticed at the time.

Who is more jealous?
Neither of us, really.


How long did it take to get serious?

Not long. We knew basically before we even met that this one was different. And before the end of the first date we knew we were right.

Who eats more?

Like pretty much every other woman who's answered this question, I'd say he can eat more at a single meal while I can snack throughout the day more heartily.

Who does the laundry?
Torsten does it and we usually put it away together. He definitely takes on the brunt of this task. Now that we have a washer dryer in our apartment, it may even out a bit.

Who’s better with the computer?

He is. I'm proficient, but when something stops working, I call him and he fixes it.

Who drives when you are together?
We split this pretty equally, so far. We've only had a car for like a month, so it's hard to know.