Compromise

This whole "marriage" thing is just really cool. I honestly can't remember a single time yet (before or after marriage) that Clay and I have fought, but we definitely have our differences of opinions on things. It's just the little things like whether or not I need more serving pieces, and whether or not he needs more video games. (You can probably figure out who's on which side in those.)
Today, we really came together and played a beautiful game of compromise. I tried to order some things on Kohls.com last night with the last of our wedding gift cards, and I got frustrated with the site, so I really wanted to go to the store today and finish that up. It's pretty obvious why Clay would NOT be interested in spending a Sunday afternoon at Kohl's, but after only a tiny bit of asking (ok, whining) he agreed to come along for the ride. I definitely needed to feed him while we were out in order to pay him back for this, so I asked what he wanted. He casually commented that Indian food sounded good, but he knew that was out. In all of our Epicurean Adventures, Indian food is the one cuisine that I just haven't really come to terms with. However, for the sake of a trip to Kohl's, I realized it was a great compromise. Off we went for our tika masala and curry goat. I didn't complain, and I actually enjoyed it more than I usually do. Then the big Kohl's trip. We needed some couch pillows and a silverware tray to hold our fabulous new flatware. While looking for these, we stumbled into the rug department. Now, our living room rug has been another of those matters where we just don't see eye-to-eye. He's always enjoyed the mostly mauve tattered rag-woven rug he had. I haven't. So we've been in the "rug" discussion since shortly after I visited his house the first time. He's willing to bend and get a new rug, but NOTHING I've picked out has been to his taste. NOTHING he's picked out would ever do for me. Our house is an older house, and Clay felt that something more traditional would go with the period-styling. I, however, am not traditional, and felt that something really modern would look great in contrast. And so we've had this horrid mauve rug. Well, today we found "the one"! It wasn't exactly what I would have picked out for me, and it wasn't exactly what he would have picked out for him, but we realized it was THE rug for "us". In the words of the Great Lebowski, "It really pulls the room together!" So we have found the happiest of compromises not only on places visited, but also on one of our major sources of contention, the rug. It was a good day!!!
However, that didn't leave gift cards left over for couch pillows or flatware caddies, so at Clay's (!!) suggestion, we headed off to Target for a better selection. Target, as usual, sucked us in, and after going in for our 2 items, we came out four bags and $80 later both quite contented. I snuck some hair items into the cart, and at the checkout, I found that he had snuck another video game into the cart. I knew better than to try to get that really cute silver party platter in, though. Even Clay on his best day has limits.
So that is the story of compromise. Marriage is way cooler than I ever even thought it might be.

Oh, and I'm not sure what it was, but when we dashed to the kitchen to put all of our new flatware into that caddy, and we put "our" flatware in with his little utensils and my little utensils and it all fit in so nicely together; that was kind of a cool little moment, too. We're so weird. Together. :-)

Ok, enough rambling. It's time to watch the afore-mentioned Amazing Race! Go Kynt and Vyxsin!!!