Valentine's Day

So it's not exactly Valentine's Day, but this is the weekend in which I am celebrating it. I'm down in Columbus with my boyfriend, Andy, and we are having a great time. It's always great when we have time to get together, which ends up being around every 2 weeks or so. Right now, not so often, because both of us are super busy with school, but hopefully after March we will resume that schedule again. Anyway, I have been sitting here wondering what to do, as the boyfriend seems engrossed with Peggle at the moment, and then I got to thinking, "why don't I make a post about my boyfriend?" I know what you're thinking...you expect some rant about why he's the best boyfriend in the world and totally better than everyone else's. That's not what I want this to be...I want this post to celebrate all of the amazing times we've had together, and what he has been able to show and teach me throughout our 3 year relationship. So...here goes!

I know it's crazy, but I'm talking about the red one.

• Without Andy, it is highly unlikely that I would have come to enjoy half of the music in my collection today. He is my music filter...he loves searching for new bands and finding diamonds in the rough, and then he passes them right along to me. It's great to hear new and interesting varieties of music, and get a glimpse into his passion.
• Andy and I have maintained a long-distance relationship for the better part of 3 years now (not fully 3 years, though, as I come home in the summer. We live in the same area.), and it has taught me a lot about what you can logically expect from your significant other, as well as what you should appreciate. I try my best to love every minute I am with him (and usually that's easy), as I know they are few and far between, which is something that I don't think a lot of people who are in close quarters really understand after a while.
• If I had not dated Andy, I would never have had the chance to play through Portal without someone looming over my shoulder and telling me exactly what to do. He knows when he should be silent, which is great :)
• More and more each day I realize that his personality is very different from mine. He is very calm, while I tend to freak out and obsess over detail. I love that Andy is so calm, and can talk me down from any crazed and delusional emotional disturbance I may have. I don't even know how many times I have called him, crying my eyes out in stress and frustration, and he has consistently been able to both listen to my absurdities and bring the real me back again. His personality balances mine.
• Along the same lines, Andy has taught me that there are things in life that you cannot control. I tend to worry about things of which I am uncertain, like this whole graduate school thing, but he has also taught me that you can't worry about these things you cannot control, because it will just kill you in the end. It's not worth it.
• Had it not been for Andy's persistence, I would not have attended Lollapalooza in 2008 and again in 2010. Those were some of the most fun experiences we have had together.
• This sounds corny, but Andy has also taught me that every relationship has its ups and downs. We have had our rough spots, everyone does, but our downs are totally worth it when I think about the ups.
• Through the past three years, I have also come to learn (not through Andy, but because I am with him) that you have to constantly evaluate your relationships. If the best times in that relationship are not worth the time spent at odds with the friend, then it's best for you to let them go. It will save you time, effort, and sanity. Don't keep the friends you can't stand, or who don't bring anything to the table. It's not worth it. I have come out of this situation multiple times in the past few years, and Andy has been there to support me each time.
• I am fairly good at a lot of things, but I don't believe myself to be a master of any one trade. However, my previous experience of general success tends to cause me to be frustrated in instances when I try something new, or something that I am not practiced in, and do poorly. My boyfriend helps me to see that such frustration is stupid, and that you can't possibly the best at (or even good at, at that matter) everything. Though this is going to take some time and effort for me to accept, I see now that it is 100% true.
• Andy also opens my mind to questions about the world and how everything works. For example, had I not been with him, I probably wouldn't have come to the realization that I have no clue how record players actually make music, or I wouldn't have for a few years at least.

And now for some memories of us together and general thoughts...

• Our first date was seeing Superbad together at a dollar movie. It was an experience, that's for sure! Might not recommend that for a first date movie...
• I love his sausage fingers. They are bulbous and squishy and fun to hold. 
• I remember when I first met Andy, all he really did was quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I don't know what I saw in it, but something seemed to work!
• I love his taste in movies (and music too, for the most part).
• Andy's family has always been great, going out of their way to invite me to family functions and include me in whatever they do. It's like my family just doubled in size :)
• When we saw Toy Story 3 together, we both cried.
• I love his unkempt hair.
• Andy is super ticklish. It's fun...but he hates when I tickle him. He has destroyed many things by kicking violently in attempts to make me stop.
• I love his passion for music.
• Andy is always willing to try new things, which I love. He also tries to see the positive side of everything, which is refreshing and amazing.
• It always amuses me how after you're with someone long enough, you really don't act like a normal person around them anymore. You can be the idiot you really are, because they don't care and love you anyway. You can quote Marcel the Shell until the cows come home. You can scream "I'M IN THE BARN, MILLLLLK MEEEEE!!!!!" every time you are in the barn in Euchre. You can be clumsy and speak oddly and use terms of endearment until you run out of them, without the fear of your significant other punching you in the face. It's great.

That's all I've got for now, and I'm hungry, so I think I'm about done. 

So, I'm sorry if I've just caused you to seize out of mass exposure to needlessly cheesy information.  I hope this makes you feel better.

To all of those with a significant other, have a happy Valentine's Day! To everyone else, have a happy ramen shut-in day!