Two Things to Tell You...here is the first

Yikes...big changes...

Chris and I semi-officially officially shacked up this weekend. Meaning: after 8 months of spending most of our waking minutes in one another's presence (I know, gross...), we physically merged Chris' stuff into my stuff. We're sitting here looking at oodles of boxes and disassembled furniture, wondering where to begin. It's kind of exciting, though. Two people. One address. (yikes!)

It's a big move and we know we have to be more dilligent than ever to set up boundaries. I had some interesting comments on my post about being frustrated with being ocassionally invisible when it comes to our team efforts.

I should explain something about that. I don't think there is anything wrong with us being a team publicly. It makes both of us stronger (and I mean both...). Chris is the revolutionary genius who flies off in all sorts of creative directions. I am crazy and creative myself, but I have a few years of experience on him, so I tend to pull our efforts together into steps and tasks to achieve our goals. He inspires me. I make him think about the human factor. Yes, we play the traditional gender roles: he goes into his shell while I'm emotionally transparent. He sees a problem and wants to solve it with technology...now; and I see a problem and want to explore it more (listen, understand, empathize, etc.). He's a social butterfly, I like to build fewer, more meaningful relationships. But somewhere in the middle...between our Yin and Yangs...we discover amazing things. In our 8 months together, we've accomplished more than either of us did for years...while having full-time jobs (both of us up until March and me after that)...while being a parent (me)...

We do need to and will definitely define what is Chris and what is Tara and what is both of us. Not just because of shadows cast (because that, in the end, doesn't mean a damn if we are actually reaching goals), but because it will make certain we grow as individuals as well as a couple. I will, however, continue to mention Chris from time to time here because, well, we talk all of these things through before posting them (anyone who reads Chris knows he references me as frequently as I reference him).

Yadda yadda yadda.

Anyway...like any relationship, there is bliss and there is struggle. And...I am excited about this 'merger'...but you can ask me again after we unpack everything and go through the details like: 'I prefer the sofa by the window/door/etc...' and 'Are you really attached to that piece of art?' and 'Do you really need to keep those boxes of cards and photos of all of your exes?' ;)

:: p.s. the second 'thing' will be coming up later tonight or tomorrow...