Wedding Blog

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In what ways are you and your FI total opposites?

Mrs. Bear Cub - Thankfully, Mr. BC is outgoing. I’m such a shy person, especially in groups of people I haven’t met! Mr BC is fantastic with talking to a crowd, and he brings me into the conversation.

The other thing is that he’s a bit more… unorganized than I am. He likens this to being like a Sims character - when he’s done with something, he just drops it on the floor and immediately forgets about it! He does clean sometimes, but when cleaning involves putting stuff away, he just opens the nearest drawer or closet, and shoves stuff in there, with no rhyme or reason! It’s a little challenging to find the shampoo sometimes (once I found it in the fridge!).

Miss Star - We’re pretty much opposites in just about every way! We love it because we really feel like we complete each other in a yin and yang sort of way. I’m organized, he’s fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants. I’m high-strung, he’s mellow. I’m opinionated, he’s willing to listen. I’m stubborn, he’s stubb… wait a second…

Miss Ramen - I’m pretty outspoken, aggressive, and fiery. He’s suuuuuper chill, quiet, and laid-back. I’m super gregarious, and he doesn’t need a big crowd to have fun. I like to say no and be the pessimist, and he can’t say no and is ever the optimist. I LOVE to dance; he can’t wait for the song to be over. I have to have a planner and keep everything organized by color; he doesn’t understand why people need planners. I believe in getting things done fast and the first time around; he thinks that everything will just work out well on its own somehow.

SIGH. Exasperating, but we do balance each other out. He likes to say, “You’re my missing piece!”

Mrs. Deviled Egg - We are opposites in a few ways—mostly in our hobbies and interests. He’s big into working out, reading non-fiction books (mostly sports related) and trading stocks. I’m so undereducated when it comes to anything about investing money, rarely read books (when I do, they are chick lit) and would rather spend my days crafting. As far as our personalities, he’s the more confident, outspoken one and I’m more of a pushover. I think we balance each other out, though, and we’ve both learned a lot from each other.

Miss Frozen Yogurt - We are definitely opposites in some ways - he’s a saver and I’m a spender, I’m more outgoing and he likes to hang at home, he enjoys his routine (seriously, he eats the same thing for lunch EVERY DAY, and has for almost the entire time I’ve known him) and I need some variety. But, with all those differences we have other things in common and provide a good balance for each other (i.e. I should save more). And we have respect for each other, so though he may want to stay home, I want to go out, he gets that it’s what I need, just like I get what he needs.

Miss Lamb - He’s the hard-nosed negotiator - I’m the marketer’s dream (put it in a pyramid and I’ll buy it!). He’s a germophobe - I live by the 30 second (or the 5 minute) rule. He’s an investor and saver - I can always find something to buy. He’s nervous around children, especially crying ones - I love ‘em, especially babies. He’s a researcher - I impulsively trust my gut.

Mrs. Mary Jane - Mr. Mary Jane is very polite. When we first started going places together, I was struck by how kind and outgoing he is to everyone - asking cashiers how their day is going, striking up conversation with waiters or customer-service reps on the phone. I usually just take care of business as quickly and quietly as possible and get on my way.

I am the type (I think we call this type “female”) who likes to talk about stuff I think is important, RIGHT NOW. Mr. Mary Jane can wait. If he’s busy, or it’s not a good time, or he just doesn’t feel like discussing it, he will request to talk about it later. Even if it’s a REALLY HUGE DEAL, he can say “Let’s discuss this tonight,” and go on about his other business. He’s taught me a lot about patience… I used to get SO hung up and upset about having to wait, but now I’ve learned that it’s not the end of the world.

Like Mr. Lamb, Mr. Mary Jane is a germaphobe. It’s definitely not a bad quality to have, especially this season. But like Miss Lamb, I’m not. 5 minute rule? Hell yes! That same water glass I’ve been using all week? It doesn’t *look* dirty…

And finally, we’re both stubborn, which (as Miss Star suggested) is a common trait that can really turn a couple in to opposites sometimes.

Mrs. Mascara - Mr. M probably hasn’t read a book since college, and I will read anything (especially blogs!). He writes everything down to remember it, whereas I usually just write it in my mental notebook. This is especially true with finances—he balances our accounts pretty much any time we buy something, which is okay by me but I would never do it myself. He loves sports and if the only channel he had was ESPN, he would be happy. I, on the other hand, like to channel surf and watch dramatic and unrealistic shows like Gossip Girl. We’re both engineers, but I prefer R&D while he enjoys the manufacturing side of things. He researches every little thing he buys, whereas I go into the store and choose based on what I like best in the store. I am addicted to vegetables and could live off of spinach and tomatoes, but Mr. M is very much a carnivore. I am the stubborn one and he usually lets me win, so I can’t complain about that one!

Mrs. Peep Toe - He loves electronics, music and movies, and has never planned anything in advance in his life- except for what electronics to purchase. I love the outdoors, hate going to movies on a sunny day (blame living in Seattle on that one), and I am already concerned that we haven’t nailed down our holiday plans. He’ll talk to anyone on the street, but is shy around my friends. While I am shy around people I don’t know, I love to be the center of attention when I know who’s in the room. He flosses his teeth every night, while I only do it if he makes me (my bad, I know). We are both stubborn, but after almost 4 years together - we are pretty good about calling each other out on our bad habits, and somehow it works.

Mrs. French Bulldog - I love pop culture, and Mr Frenchie could care less! One day we were talking about eggs and he mentioned this show he found where a family bought some chickens, but then they got loose in the house. I laughed so hard because he had no idea he had been watching “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”. Mr Frenchie loves Techno (or House music) and my motto for a long time has always been, “Say, ‘Heck no’ to Techno”. I LOVE going to the movies and Mr Frenchie hates going to the theater. Mr Frenchie loves horror films, and I get nightmares easily. I’m the outgoing one and he’s more shy, but it all works well for us.

Mrs. Penguin - I am LOUD and Mr. Peng is very soft spoken. If I had a nickel for every time he’s told me to use my “inside voice”, I could live in a sturdy and functional castle built from nickels.

Despite my more social and chatty demeanor, I am a homebody and Mr. Peng likes to go out, which is really bizzare. I work at home and am in our house all day and all night, and I don’t go stir crazy at all. I could not emerge from our house in a week and not care one bit. We have to go out to eat and go to the movies because Mr. Pengy likes to. (Movie theaters are full of GERMS! I always get sick when I go! I also have the immune system of a newborn because I don’t have enough human contact.)

Mr. Pengy is a communicator, and he likes to talk out our issues. I like to stew in my angriness and sleep on it. I can get over things by not talking them out, and he likes to resolve issues with communication.

I hate germs, so I like deep cleaning. Mr. Pengy could poop in the grossest germ filled toilet, but he can’t stand little piles of messes (EDIT: I read this to Mr. Peng and he insisted that I say that they are HUGE piles of messes). I’m disorganized, but like to keep the floors shiny and spotless, and he is very tidy, but doesn’t care about dust bunnies. This actually makes for a great combo.

Mr Peng is quick to forgive, and I am quick to look for justice and revenge. He’s had some friends that have done mean things to him that have asked him for forgiveness and he’s gladly become friends with them again. I go to sleep at night stabbing their little voodoo doll likenesses that I’ve made of them and have only pretend forgiven them. (Just kidding about the voodoo… but I don’t dole out forgiveness easily.) This was actually a huge issue early in our relationship. I always thought he let people walk all over him too much, while he thought I was always too quick to get out my stabby knives. I think we’ve both taught each other lessons on this front.

I definitely think opposites attract in our case. Where I lack, he provides, and vice versa. We don’t have much in common personality-wise, but we both keep each other rolling on the floor laughing because we are so different!

Miss Cloud - Um, what aren’t we opposite in is the real question! Literally, if I say up, he says down. If I say black, he says white. I kid you not. I like to eat healthy (or I pretend to at least) and love anything organic; he instead will eat a bag of Doritos for dinner every night if you let him. He knows the name and words to every song made, and I can’t remember the name of an artist or song to save my life. The list goes on and on and our friends think it’s hilarious. I sometimes wonder how we even live in harmony!

Miss Beagle - He’s an extrovert, I’m an introvert. He’s not scared to say what he thinks, I would rather keep my thoughts to myself. He confronts, I smile and keep my mouth shut. He is a bargainer, I take the first offer. I’m a dreamer, he’s a realist. I’m an arts & crafts person, he’s a fact and technical person. He’s a dog person, I was a cat person prior to meeting him (although now I would say that I’m a “hound person” ). Although our personalities are quite different, I think our values are very much in line, which is why we are so great together.

Mrs. Cheese - Oh, heavens, yes, we’re opposites. He is a typical engineer - very analytical, fact-driven, and (love you, honey) slow to accomplish things because he wants them to be perfect. I’m a big-picture person, all about the gist of the story and never the details, except when it comes to our household, where I am the money manager. I’m super verbal; he’s not. He’s very silly; I’m more serious. I’m the disciplinarian in the household; he’s the woo-yea-get-the-dogs-all-worked-up-right-before-bedtime guy. He’s more measured in public; I’m often embarrassingly gregarious and outgoing.

But we’re similar in that we value stability, commitment and each other, and when we’re lucky enough to remember this, we realize that we balance each other. Without him, I wouldn’t be settled. Without me, he wouldn’t be dreaming.

Miss Rainbow - Wow! We are SO different! Someone actually said to him that they were “surprised to see him with a ‘girl like me.’” Uhhh… thanks? It’s true though, I’m very outspoken and extroverted. He’s more calm and quiet. I’m pink and glittery and super feminine. He’s a little more dark and brooding and intellectual (in the sexiest of ways). Our taste in music is totally opposite. Also, I love clothes and shoes, and when I met him his whole wardrobe was work clothes and sneakers. But we’re alike in the most important ways. Our sense of humor, values, goals. As different as we are, we work together amazingly.

Mrs. Eggplant - Mr. Eggplant and I are COMPLETE opposites.

Finances: He saves money like nobody’s business. I’m basically a walking hole in a purse. I think short term: what to buy for dinner. He’s long term: planning our kids’ education funds.

Personality: I’m introverted and I have a very small circle of very close friends. He’s extroverted and has, like 700 (real) friends on Facebook. I’m exhausted after a social event. He’s energized and ready to go out again. I need a LOT of down time for myself. He can go, go, go without getting burnt out. He is the least picky person I know; he eats anything (even the same thing every day), wears anything, sleeps anywhere. I’m picky about everything–food, clothes, decor… you name it.

Conflict: He wants to talk EVERYTHING out right away. I need to be left alone for a day or I’ll snap. His capacity to forgive and forget is like a puppy. It takes me days to get over an offense, even if I’ve accepted an apology.

Cleanliness: He’s a germaphobe, yet he leaves PILES of stuff EVERYWHERE. When he changes into his home clothes, his pants are left on the floor for days in two little pools of legs, as if he just stepped out of them. I don’t mind a little bit of dust, but I hate messes. Everything needs to at least look clean. He insists I take a shower before bed every night. If it were up to me, I’d shower once a week.

Lifestyle: He’s a simple guy with simple needs: some food in his tummy and YouTube. He doesn’t care for gadgets, unlike most guys. I like stuff. Especially pretty stuff. Pretty clothes, pretty home decor, pretty photographs, and especially gadgets (like cameras and Apple products).

We’re complete opposites in temperament. But since we align in values, our differences balance each other out.

Mrs. Sprinkle - I can think of three major opposites between me and Mr. Sprinkle-

1. He is outgoing and loves attention, while I am shy and would rather do anything else in the world than have a large group of people staring at me! Mr. S will talk to every single person at a party where we don’t know anyone, as I sit and cower in the corner and hope no one approaches me!

2. He knows more pop culture trivia than a single person should know, but I retain absolutely no knowledge on such things. It drives him crazy that I can never remember movies we saw two weeks ago or recognize an actor at the grocery store!

3. He is patient and understanding of people in ways that I never could be. He will forgive me for anything in mere seconds, while it sometimes takes me weeks to get over a single transgression. This can be bothersome when it comes to make up from arguments!

Mrs. Mouse - My brain understands things in words, specifically printed words. He likes charts, graphs, maps, any visual representation of data.

While I’m a bit more high stress, Type A, whatever you want to call it, the Dude needs a whole new category for how laid back he is: let’s call him Type C.

I might be a little bit stubborn, but when the Dude sets his mind to something, there is no budging him! He was so against cell phones that he didn’t buy one until the summer of 2007, when I went to Chicago for 7 weeks and finally convinced him that he needed one so we could stay in touch!

Mrs. Potato Chips - Mr. Potato Head is a type-A clean freak, the type to come home and immediately begin closing cabinets and doors. I’m more of a “let it lie where it falls until I get around to cleaning it” sorta gal—aka messy! He can MacGyver his way with anything: he constructed our bed and our bar with no plans. I can’t even hang a picture frame. I’m a English instructor and student (former editor) and he cannot spell to save his life (I once got sent flowers with a card that read “To my sweatie.”).

Mrs. Taffy - We are very much opposites!!! Mr. Taffy is very shy and quiet, and I am an extremely chatty and bubbly Gemini. I am crazy about sweets, and love to eat candy. Mr. Taffy extremely dislikes anything sweet, but he loves beer, which I can’t stand. Mr. Taffy is very serious and practical, and I am very enthusiastic and excited.

Last but not least, I can’t stand leaving dishes in the sink, while Mr. T… you get the idea. ;) But on the other hand, he can do calcuations in his head and I can’t split the bill without a calculator.

Ms. Champagne - We’re opposites in many ways but we do love a lot of the same things. Champ is very very punctual and always plans every move. I, on the other hand, love to live life a little unplanned and a little spontaneous. I knew when he wanted to plan our honeymoon that we would go somewhere wonderful and eveything would be taken care of beacuse that’s what he does- he loves to plan and research every detail!

Growing up I was very into dance, music and theater. Champ was on the soccer field, football field, basketball court, you name it! But, we both share the love for skiing, so we work well together!

I think our differences allow us to respect each other and value qualities we don’t necessarily have and our similarities allow us to really enjoy every moment together!

Mrs. Gloss - He loves sports, meat, channel-surfing, saving money and doesn’t read. I love trashy TV (actually anything BUT sports), vegetables, watching commercials, spending money and reading. I’m ‘arty’, he’s technical. I like going out, he likes staying in. I could spend my life shopping for clothes, he would rather die than go and buy new socks. And maybe the most controversial to our relationship : I LOVE big sunglasses and he HATES them.

Miss Parfait - This is kind of random, but we are COMPLETE opposites about dogs.

I love dogs with short hair and long legs—their fur seems to be self-cleaning and their bodies are farther from the ground so they don’t get as dirty on walks! That’s how my Luxi is, and how my childhood chihuahua was.

Mr. Parfait loves fluffy dogs with short legs. His shih tzu is like this, and whenever we see corgis or other stumpy-legged dogs on a walk, he tells me how much he wants one.

Mrs. Ballet Flat - We are complete opposites on a major part of our personalities. He is very extroverted. I mean, he can walk up to anyone and start up a conversation with them like it’s no big deal. He walks with huge amounts of confidence. It’s the coolest thing ever.

However, I’m introverted. I’m so painfully shy and easily intimidated by people. I walk with my head looking down, avoiding conversations because I’m pretty uncomfortable talking to someone I don’t know. It’s pretty lame when I type it out, but I just have always been that shy.

Mrs. Bee - Mr. Bee and I are similar in that we’re both INTJs who love blogs.  But here are some of the biggest ways in which we’re opposites!

- I have chronic insomnia, while Mr. Bee can fall asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. If I stop talking to him for 5 seconds, he’ll be asleep!  I just can’t fathom what that’s like!

- I tend to keep to myself and don’t make much of an effort to get close to people.  As a result, I have a lot of childhood friends, and my more recent friendships came about because the other person really made an effort to become friends.  Mr. Bee on the other hand really invests in certain friendships… but that’s also resulted in him being burned on several occasions.  We often talk about the merits of being too untrusting (like me) or too trusting (like him).  Guess who’s the optimist and who’s the pessimist in this relationship?

- The biggest opposite that affects our relationship is probably my planning obsession.  I have to research, compare, and plan everything whether it’s something as small as going to the market or as big as planning a trip.  One of my favorite things to ask Mr. Bee is, “What’s your plan?”  I say it so often, now we just say “wup” for short.  His plan is to have no plan.  Not having a plan causes me extreme anxiety, whereas Mr. Bee is way more go with the flow.  I know my obsessive planning sometimes drives him crazy, but if he could live in my mind for a day, he’d see how much I’m really suffering and holding back, because I could harass him 10,000x more!

Mrs. Yorkie - There are a few ways that come to mind in which Mr. Y and I are opposites.

He can live without ever changing the radio from talk stations, especially ones about sports. I can’t go for very long without music.

I’m a self-professed messy person. (I know where anything is if I need to find it, though!) He’s got a place for everything and takes the time to put it there.

He’s totally into technology, has the latest iPhone, and can’t pass a Mac store without checking out the latest gadget or upgrade… but has absolutely no interest in social networking or blogs. I on the other hand, am content with my plain old cellphone and have no plans to upgrade my laptop anytime soon… but rarely go a day without tweeting or checking Facebook and a couple of blogs. Go figure!

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How are you and your SO opposites?