So Neil and I have been taking a pre-marital class in which we have met several other engaged couples. After every session, we walk away intrigued at the variety of personalities that God joined together, but more than anything, we walk away chuckling at the variety of issues and obstacles each couple seems to have.

The dominant issue that I find most intriguing is that centered around gender issues. There is this one gorgeous looking couple who have the classic relationship conflict caused by the "passive and indecisive ultra-feminine female" and "strong and assertive testosterone driven male." Apparently, one of their hot button triggers centers around the "Where do you want to eat" question. Of course, the girl's answer is always, "I don't know," and whatever suggestion the guy gives results in, "No, I don't want to eat there." As this couple was sharing their conflict issue, I could almost see steam blowing out of the guy's ears as he felt SO frustrated that it's so hard to make his woman happy, and in his attempt to make her happy, he never gets to do what he wants to do, or watch the shows he wants to watch. He's stuck watching Bride Wars with her and in the meantime, he's boiling resentful. His solution? Suck it up... A happy wife makes a happy life!

If only this couple could see that their primary conflict stems from the fact that he is SO male, and she is SO female. They are extreme prototypes of what we might consider masculine or feminine. And it is this extreme difference that probably attracted one to the other in the first place, yet it is this very difference that lies at the root of so many of their conflicts. Funny how God created Man and Woman, male and female. Funny that he brings such different people together in order to work through those differences and learn to grow in love.

I was quite stunned to learn that about 65% of all conflicts that arise in marriages never get resolved. They are recurring conflicts that have no easy solution. The couple must work through those conflicts each and every time they arise, knowing that most of the time, neither will get a happy compromise.

As for me and Neil? He is always happy to eat whatever I suggest. And he admits that he is now addicted to all the shows I like to watch, including the Bachelorette, and was quite pleased that Jillian picked Ed!

The boyfriend bought me a ladder for Valentine's Day.

I have vaulted ceilings in my lil' condo.  And near the very apex of that vaulted ceiling exists a fire alarm.  And when the battery in that lil' alarm runs low, the thing starts to beep a very high pitched and annoying BEEP, every 5 minutes, nonstop, until you replace the D*** battery.

Well, the battery needed replacing for the first time ever.  The boyfriend insisted we take care of the problem right away, as I think the beeping noise was driving him batty too... but only to the extent that I would scream in agony every 5 minutes along with the beeping alarm.

So we went to Home Depot and found a ladder.  We started to argue at the cash register, both of us insisting to pay for it... until the cashier pushed me out of the way and told me to let my man pay for the ladder.  I sheepishly moved out of the way, and my boyfriend happily paid for said ladder.

We lugged the ladder upstairs, set the thing up, and right before ascending the heights to replace the fire alarm battery, the boyfriend decides to tell me he's deathly afraid of heights.  With that, he starts the agonizing climb, one rung at a time til he reaches the top.  I can feel the entire ladder shaking the whole time.  On the verge of hyperventillation, with sweat dripping down the sides of his face, the boyfriend battles against his fear until he fixes the thing.  HURRAH!  He lugs the ladder downstairs to the garage.  When he comes back upstairs, I'm staring at the white ceiling, now covered with black handprints.  The boyfriend takes a swiffer to take sweeping wipes at the ceiling and in the process, dislodges the alarm.  His face drops.  I am practically rolling on the floor laughing by now... It's just so tragically hilarious.  A second later, he's lugging the ladder back upstairs, climbing the thing, rung by rung, til he fixes the alarm, cleans all the handprints, and TA DA ~ ! The job is done.

Any MAN who would confront his fear like that for his girl, not once, but TWICE in one day... THAT man is one HELLUVA MAN!  Rambo ain't got nothin' on him!

So yes, my boyfriend bought me a ladder for Valentine's Day... and I thought it was ravishingly romantic!

He also took me to The Little Door for dinner, a charming, elegant, chic and very sophisticated little French Mediterranean Restaurant in L.A. where attentive French waiters literally hovered around the table, poured water, and filled our champagne flutes every five mintues.  The filet mignon was so tender it practically melted in my mouth... probably the best filet mignon I have ever tasted in my life!

On top of all of that, he surprised me by sending red roses to my classroom last week, and gave me a beautiful little necklace with a sapphire pendant (my birthstone).

Not too shabby for our very first Valentine's Day together...

Yup... definitely a keeper!  I am one lucky girl indeed!