the supernova relationship: a mid-year review

6 shows we attended together:
1. Mamma Mia
2. Wicked
3. Hairspray
4. Phantom of the Opera
5. Evita
6. Green Day

Cribbage Record: 20-19 (in a rare turn of events, Steve currently holds the lead)

6 amazing memories:
-Charity Ball. I’ve never seen him look so handsome and I’ve never felt so beautiful. We got dressed up to the nines, dominated the party and made a fashionable exit at about the same time everyone else was getting sloppy. This was also the night that I fell in love (or at least, the night that I realized it!)

-The first “I love you”. We were cuddling languidly, getting ready to watch “Singles” when he turned to me, took a deep breath and said, “what’s the statute of limitations on saying, “I love you”? My breath got stuck in my chest and I said, “are you …?”, to which he replied, “I love you, Bri”.

-The shoot-me-now anticipation of our date to see Hairspray. We both knew that we liked each other, we both were dressed to impress and when his hand brushed mine during the show, I thought I was going to explode.

-The first kiss, an explosive, can’t-get-enough-of-you plunge into a tailspin, dizzy, sexy marathon… we kissed for hours and hours and hours.

-Mornings together, lazing around in our pajama pants, watching Sports Net and reading the newspaper, passing the sports and A&E sections back and forth

-Our trip to see Phantom of the Opera, involving a fantastic 4-hour drive down to the States, getting lost in the Detroit ghetto, a scary run-in with a seemingly harmless crack addict, and the moment when the chandelier rose (the highlight of my first Phantom experience)

6 ways that we bond;
1. Playing cribbage.
2. Playing football and soccer on the field in front of his house
3. Bickering about … well, everything (what do you get when you put two stubborn, passionate people together in a relationship? Answer: bickering)
4. Making mix cds on itunes for each other (this is a big, big deal)
5. Making love
6. 6-hour msn conversations when we both should be doing something more productive

6 things that make me love him so much my chest gets tight:
1. The way he listens to me, unconditionally, without judgment and with all of his attention. If I have something on my mind, Steve always does everything he can to make me feel as though he understands.
2. Watching him play sports. There’s something so sexy about it; whether I’m sitting on the sidelines at one of his dodge ball games or watching the way he patiently tries to teach me how to throw a football (again), I’m overwhelmed and impressed with his natural athleticism
3. The fact that he is determined to help me be the best version of myself that I possibly can. He believes in me more than anyone has – whether he’s giving me advice on my grad school application or encouraging me to get back into soccer, or stroking my hair while firmly insisting that I can trust him: Steve is my biggest fan.
4. His blog. I’m reminded on an almost daily basis of how talented he is; if you haven’t been lucky enough to read it yet, check out his blog now.
5. The way he automatically moves over and wraps me up in blankets and a hug and kisses me on the shoulder when I come to bed late at night, even while he’s sleeping
6. How he knows every word to the original cast recordings of just about every show to hit Broadway in the last 20 years. Steve’s a bit shy, but I love to listen to him sing – he has an incredible voice.

6 things he is better than me at:
1. Having excessive sports knowledge (the guy is a veritable encyclopedia of facts, names, dates and other useless sports related trivia)
2. Playing the guitar, the drums and the piano
3. Writing essays, reviews, stories and songs
4. Taking fast showers
5. Navigating the Toronto subway system and successfully handling crazy and scary people.
6. Getting tickets to popular shows on ticketmaster.ca

6 ways that my life has changed as a result of him:
1. I wake up earlier in the morning and like to be in bed earlier at night
2. I eat more potatoes (his parents are British)
3. I feel more confident about living –and succeeding- in Toronto next year
4. I strive to be a better person in pretty much everything I do
5. I follow baseball
6. I can successfully throw a spiral football one out of ten tries

6 things I’m looking forward to:
1. The wedding in Thunder Bay that we’re attending. Not only do I get to see his home town and meet his childhood friends, I get to do so while being dressed up and sipping champagne. I’m a sucker for matrimony
2. Attending Pearl Jam together. The band that formed the basis of our first words to each other finally gets its moment in our collective history
3. Living in the same city. I can’t wait to be 12 (ish) subway stops away. We’ll spend more time together and we’ll also have a much easier job of balancing our relationship and the rest of our lives
4. Les Miserables. The show I’ve always wanted to see comes to Toronto this fall, and there is no one I would rather sit next to for the first time than Steve
5. Taking more trips together. New York City, Niagara Falls, Vancouver … who knows? I love to travel and I love to travel with Steve
6. Many more months of insane happiness. What can I say? I’ve found my partner in crime and I couldn’t be more glad.