Meme from Dooce (believe it or not!)

I LOVE to read Heather at dooce.com and yesterday she posted a meme about Jon. She suggested we respond either in the comments or here on our blogs. [Guess which one I chose?!?]

What are your middle names? My middle name is Felicja (yes, with a "J," like my first name doesn't get mispelled enough!) and Jack is Italian. What do you think his middle name is? (Yes, it's Anthony.)

How long have you been together? Now I can piss Jack off and tell you that it's been 19 years this April, except for the 11 months in the middle of the beginning of that period of time where he dumped me - twice. Or I can simply say, from the beginning of our relationship? 19 years.

How long did you know each other before you started dating? You know, I'm not really sure. He worked at the garage where I initially met him for years and I probably knew (of) him for at least two or three years before we started dating, but I thought he was a real male chauvinist pig and wanted nothing to do with him. (That stellar opinion of a man who's as far away from being a male chauvinist pig as a man can be is mine. Misguided, wrong, and WAY off base, but mine.)

Who asked whom out? He asked me out. I'm a very old-fashioned girl; I would NEVER have invited an almost perfect stranger out. (Okay, that sounds wrong - I am perfect, I was just almost a stranger!)

How old are each of you? Ugh. Okay. I'm 48 plus 2 months, and he's 58 less 2 months. (Do the math!)

Whose siblings do you see the most? Hmm, good question. We used to see them even-Stephen, but the past few years, my one sister now has a boyfriend so we don't see her any more and my other sister lives in AZ so unfortunately I almost never see her! (Although I'm going to buy a webcam so she and I can see each other regularly - I got spoiled using Mom's laptop while she was out there!). After a lot of nothing - we see his sister every Monday so I have to say, "his."

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Right now we're estranged from his son, not by our choice, but by Johnny's. This is even harder on us than going through crap about the ex-wife - sorry, Heather, couldn't manage to make it through this without an ex-wife comment!

Did you go to the same school? Nope. Not even close! I went to Oakview, St. Thomas the Apostle, Paul VI Regional High School, and the University of Delaware. He went to Franklin, Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield College and Kean College (now Kean University).

Are you from the same town? Finally, a resounding "YES!" In fact, the same street! But since I'm so much younger than he is, as Heather said in her blog entry, "when he was a senior in high school, I was in third grade learning long division." J's sister likes to say this growing up on the same street thing was fate - but with 10 years between us, it would have been illegal for a long time!!!

Who is smarter? I say we're both smart. I also say I used to be much smarter; I've gotten dumber as I've aged! (You know, if you don't use it, you lose it!) Jack is very smart, but doesn't truly think he is.

Who is the most sensitive? If this question is rephrased to "Who cries the most?" That would be moi. He is sensitive, but not too sensitive, and sometimes not even remotely sensitive - he's a guy, for crying out loud!!!

Where do you eat out most as a couple? I'm ashamed to admit this but either (a) Burger King or (b) Costco. (Yea, I know, pathetic!)

Where is the furthest the two of you have traveled as a couple? The Caribbean.

Who has the craziest exes? Hands down, Jack does.

Who has the worst temper? Me. Jack is a lover, not a fighter. He has decided he will not fight. He apparently faced a lot of that in his previous marriage and will not do it. I'm a yeller/screamer, then it's gone, poof! Out of my system. But he can't handle it so now I'm not a fighter. I get quiet, like him, withdraw into myself, like him, and use hand gestures and bad words behind his back, NOT like him! When one of us is in a temper, the house is REAL quiet...

Who does the cooking? Most definitely, Jack is the better cook. I can do omelets, french toast, pasta, a complete Thanksgiving meal, but on a day to day basis? Ugh. I hate to cook. The closest to being a cook I ever got was my maiden name. Jack can whip something up from whatever leftover stuff is in the refrigerator, and he makes some mean homemade tomato sauce. But admittedly, it's just the two of us and we're gone, out of the house, from before 7am, until after 6pm, so we eat out a lot...

Who is the neat-freak? Most definitely NOT me! I have a high tolerance for clutter, and a very patient husband. Although lately I've been itching to throw out whatever's not nailed down, just to declutter my house and my life, and he's been saying things like, "But we might have a garage sale this spring, just save it for now..." Enabler!

Who is more stubborn? Oh, this is absolutely a flat-out tie!!!

Who hogs the bed? This is tough. We both start out on our respective sides of the bed, with him hanging almost off the edge! But by morning, I'd say probably me....

Who wakes up earlier? Jack. Usually around 4 or 5am. Me? I used to be able to sleep later, but I could be perfectly happy sleeping 'til, oh, 8am or so every day, but I can't 'cause, "Come on, Hon, we're burnin' daylight!"

Where was your first date? Franklin Theater, Nutley, NJ, to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the original), then the Tick Tock Diner for dessert, until 1am.

Who is more jealous? Neither of us is jealous, and neither of us has any reason to be jealous.

How long did it take to get serious? Well, we started dating April 1990. He dumped me in January 1991, claiming we "got too serious too fast." We got back together in March 1991. Then he asked for his house key back in July 1992. Then we got back together, this time forever, in March 1993. So I guess it got serious pretty quickly, considering his panic attacks...

Who eats more? We can both pack it away, for sure, hence my membership in Weight Watchers! But when he puts his mind to it, he can really clean a plate!!!

Who does the laundry? This week, he does, he's off from school for the week. And honestly, it's probably 60/40 he does. This goes back to my higher tolerance for clutter... He just can't stand to see it pile up while I can easily wait 'til Saturday to do laundry...

Who's better with the computer? Let's just say he doesn't even know how to retrieve his voice mail on his cell phone. 'Nough said.

Who drives when you're together? We both do. I like to drive so I never mind getting behind the wheel, and you know, with that 10 years older thing, he gets tired late in the day so often I'll drive at night...

Feel free to answer some or all of the same questions about your significant other in the comments, or leave a link to your website if you prefer answering there.