6 Months

Six months ago today, Galen and I went on our first date. As I mentioned previously, I realize the fact that we have been together 6 months may not sound like anything big to you, but it is to me. And you choose to read my blog. So hmphf.

The Top Five Things I Admire About Galen:

1. His patience. For those of you who aren’t aware, I am the slowest person alive. I can’t leave the house in under ten minutes, even if the clock starts when I’ve already got my shoes and jacket on, with keys, cell phone, and purse in hand. What takes me so long is anyone’s guess. Probably the same thing that makes it hard for me to get out of the car after it’s parked, or makes me late for absolutely everything. I just can’t seem to move any faster. And sometimes, even after all that dawdling, I still manage to do something stupid like leave my straightener on or lock myself out of my apartment. And you know what? He never complains. He just silently walks right to the kitchen window he knows is unlocked and gives me a lift so I can crawl through it to get in.
2. He thinks before he speaks. I joked one time that no matter what you ask him, Galen always hesitates and answers as if he’d never really thought about it before that exact moment. You could say, “Your last name isn’t Jones, is it?” and he would pause, pause, pause, and then say “I don’t think so…” Like he had to make sure. One time I asked him if he wanted to have kids when he grows up (FYI, it was a totally normal thing to ask in the conversation and was NOT attached to ANY strings… NOR was I involved in any sort of entrapment scheme…), and he paused, paused, paused, before saying “Yeah, I think so.” Then our conversation continued and upon further discussion it became apparent that he HAD thought so, perhaps even MULTIPLE TIMES before that moment. This is in stark contrast to my method of answering questions (or statements, for that matter) which involves blurting out the first thing that comes to mind, be it truth, lies, or complete nonsense. ‘Cause it’s a race, obviously.
3. His love for his family. One of my friends at work has the In-Laws From Hell. Her husband moved as far away from them as he could possibly get, and only sees them when absolutely necessary. I always thought this was sort of the ideal situation for someone like me who loves spending time with her family, because then my significant other and I wouldn’t have to battle over holidays and such. However, I’ve realized that Galen values family over just about anything else, and THAT is important to me. He wants to go to his family reunions and family birthday parties and holiday gatherings, and he wants to share them with me. Similarly, when I invited him to come spend time with my family in Montana even though we’d only been dating a couple months, he agreed. Come to think of it, I should start prepping him for Waterton now…
4. He never complains. I mean, like, never. The guy lives in the middle of nowhere and is responsible for covering what amounts to about three full-time positions at work, two of which he didn’t sign up for. He drives to Portland almost every weekend for one thing or another (usually, ahem, me), totaling at least 6 hours in the car per weekend. He lives in a city with a population smaller than the average crowd at a University of Montana football game and he may be the only member of the city’s 24-30 age group who isn’t married or currently serving in the military. And he lives there because it’s the biggest town around – he works in an even SMALLER town a half an hour away. But you know what? He likes the company he works for, he likes being within driving distance of his friends and family, and he says he doesn’t mind all the time alone. Hard to believe he chooses to hang out with me, isn’t it?
5. He had the guts to ask me out in the first place.