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On Turning Two, Part 2: It’s Personal

We tackled the easy stuff about our casa and city in part I, right here. But you wanted to know more about us, so let’s get personal, yeah?

Q: I’d like to know how you and your honey met. Spill it!

Kim: It was summer. I was with a friend, and we had just gotten off work together (we worked the late shift at a hotel in Cincinnati). Naturally, with no classes the next day, we continued our evening on my college-day apartment’s front stoop. At some point in the much later evening, here comes Scott… on his bike. Turned out, we were neighbors. (My dad likes to say my husband picked me up on a bicycle. I say, who picked up who?)

Scott: So there I am, cruising home on my bicycle minding my own business after pizza and beer at a friend’s house on the other side of campus, when Kim & co. called me over, asked me to dine with them at Skyline (the ultimate 2 am snack!), and we proceeded to spend the evening diving in apartment pools (not ours!). Who was I to say no? Two lovely young ladies didn’t need to twist my arm.

K: Case in point; I picked up him. Regardless, the juicier story is my first non-face-to-face encounter with Scott. It was winter. It was snowy. I parked my car in front of his driveway – covered with snow – not realizing it was a driveway. And in college town USA, driveways are about as wide as I am tall (read: not very). After 12 hours of classes, I trudged home to load my laundry in my car, then spend the evening at the laundromat (fun!). But. My car wasn’t there. He had it towed. (He knew it was my car, and no, he didn’t think to knock on my door and ask me to move it – although he claimed to have had a crush on me. A perfect excuse, wouldn’t you think?) I remind him of this every now and then, you know, because I can be quite obnoxious like that. Remember when you towed my car? Aah, memories.

S: In my defense, her car was there for freaking ever. I waited until the last minute to call the tow truck and was still actually LATE to work. I am never late to work.

K: Again, he didn’t even try to knock on my door.

Q: What’s your favorite breakfast food?

K: Um, I don’t eat breakfast. I know, I know. It’s the most important meal of the day and yadda yadda. But forcing myself out of bed 15 extra minutes earlier just to eat cereal before I catch the train? I’ll take sleep any day. Does brunch on the weekends count?

S: My weekday breakfast is usually a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for coffee and a sandwich (I leave the house by 5:30am most days), but on the weekends, breakfast burritos are my specialty!

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? And who would watch the pets (or would they go with)?

K: I’m unsure where this obsession started (maybe the Traveling Pants ladies, part II? And yes, I admitted that), but if this is wishful thinking, then my answer if Santorini, Greece. I need to snap photos of all those white houses and blue rooftops.

S: Budapest. Or Dublin. Or both. Regarding the fur babies, Jackson McDogg would likely go stay with his (honorary) Uncle Nate and Aunt Dana where he would spend all his time lounging on couches with their kiddo, a 100 pound Rottweiler, Piper Maru. Our neighbors to the North have two young kitties as well, so we each trade duties when the other couple travels. It works out great and the kitties hardly miss us!

Q: What’s your favorite book and why?

K: You guys, I read fluff. My sporadic reading habits are generally during my commute on the bumpy trains and buses (and if it’s super girly and super fluffy, then I’ll take the time to read a chapter before bed), therefore, the easier, the better. Example: I re-read my favorite Judy Blume book last year for, oh, the tenth time. This is in addition to every Shopaholic book, variation on The Devil Wears Prada, and even Tori Spelling autobiographies. Hey, I’m not gonna lie. However. My hands down favorite book is Pet Sematary. I read it first in second grade (followed by the movie – Dad, why did you let me do that? I was, like, 8!), then again in third grade, then at least five more times in the course of my life. I love horror. And Stephen King is the bomb diggity.

S: I have a hard time nailing down my absolute favorite anything. I’m a fickle creature. However, a couple of my favorite authors are Chuck Palahniuk and Kurt Vonnegut. I’ve enjoyed some Updike along the way as well.

Q: Would you like to have two-legged children some day?

K: Oh, you mean of the human variety? (Crickets.)

S: ? (More crickets.)

K: Okay, it’s not in the plans right now. But someday… well, you never know?

Q: If you had super hero powers what would they be and why?

K: To fly. No, just kidding (isn’t that what you’re supposed to say?). If I had super powers, I would be like Sabrina – you know, as in The Teenage Witch fame. More specifically, I’d simply point at myself in the morning, and be dressed, showered, and ready for the day. Dang, I’d save so much time in the morning! And hey, maybe if I could point at Jack, his morning walk would be complete and his doggie bag would be “picked up” and tossed in the building dumpster. Ooh, for that extra hour of sleep. (Gosh, I must sound like a real lazy bones. I just really love my sleep.)

S: Hmmm… that is a tough question. Infinite knowledge might be nice. Never having to look anything up or read directions would come in pretty handy. Especially when building bicycles or assembling Ikea furniture.

Q: What causes you two to disagree?

K: Pillows! You might think I’m kidding, but my man actually has to keep me in check. They’re just, uh, so versatile. A room changer! A quick pick me up! C’mon, who’s with me?

S: We do have the occasional financial quibble (usually involving the price of said pillows), but other than that, I do have a hard time keeping Kim from working late into the evening. Sometimes the lady just works too much. Also, reality TV. I’m not much of a fan. Kim is.

K: Pffssshh.

Q: Have you started any traditions since you got married? If so, what are they?

K: The biggest tradition we’ve taken on is our yearly anniversary trip. (And in turn, we’ve started a Christma-versary tradition of collecting holiday ornaments from our destinations.) For the first year, we went to Nashville – dancing in honky tonks and stalking cowgirls during CMA rehearsals. And we fell in love with that city. Nashville natives, can we be friends?

S: And we followed up that last year while celebrating our two year down the California coast! We flew into San Francisco, then spent 10 days driving down the Southern half of the Golden State and ending in San Diego. Days were filled with new and old friends, amazing food, sightseeing and seals. Big ones.

K: We start scrimping and saving for the next year’s travels almost immediately. This year, we’re daydreaming of a repeat honeymoon, but since that’s a bit ambitious and our anniversary is November 8th, we may have to push it back (the holidays will be calling!). Regardless, we can barely hop off a plane one year without discussing where we’ll go next!

S: More frequently, we have weekly Thursday dinners with our Chicago “family” (a close knit group of pals), lovingly dubbed as Thirsty Thursdays. (Hi, family!)

Q: Are there things or actions you do that have to be in a particular order? (i.e.: A morning routine that just can’t change, etc.?)

K: Umm, everything in my life. I’m as type A as they get. (Freak, much?)

S: Come on, lady! If being precise and meticulous makes you a freak, then I guess I love me some freaks. Anyway, my morning routine is pretty straightforward. I’m up so early that I’m usually only half awake by the time I go to get dressed. It’s pure muscle memory a lot of times. Other than that, my right shoe is always the first on and the first off…

Q: If you could survive on only one type of food or only one thing to eat, what would it be? Italian, Chinese, chicken only, etc.

K: Hands down, pasta. And lots of it! I could pull a Bubba on you, and carry on: bowtie pasta, spaghetti pasta, cavatappi pasta, fettucine pasta… Okay, I’ll stop. Here’s the deal. I’m half Italian (and half Korean, since the Italian side tends to confuse most on first glance), and I love my pasta as much as I love my man (and the Furminator, while I’m at it).

S: If we’re talking about a general category, it’d be pizza. There are about 74 million combinations to keep me entertained forever. If we’re talking about one specific dish, I might just have to go with my family’s recipe for Hungarian Chicken Paprikash. It will change your life… and I just might share it with you some day.

Q: And… Hmmm… What do you order from Starbucks?

K: As randomly mentioned right here, I did, eventually, try the pumpkin spice latte. But, sadly, I’m gonna stick to my guns on this one and go with my tried and true caramel apple spice. (Every fall, and yes, sometimes in the summer, too.) If I’m feeling extra indulgent, I’m all about the white chocolate mocha. With skim, add whipped.

S: As a former Starbucks barista (ooh, like that?), I normally kept things super simple with a hearty drip coffee. On hot summer days, however, I did have a custom secret recipe for a magical frappucino the likes of which have never been seen. It involved criminal quantities of caramel and mocha sauce (not syrup mind you) and was guaranteed to make your heart cry tears of joy.

And there you are! Did our answers spawn spin-offs? If so, whatcha got? I think we broke a sweat around question 5 (go ahead, count ’em), but that’s what you asked, and we’re happy to fill you in. Thank you for all the well wishes on the two-year-bloggy-birthday – but especially thank you for being some pretty awesome (and inspiring!) readers. High fives all around!

Skyline Chili image via Geri Ciulla from our engagement photos (and yes, we had engagement photos taken in front of a chili parlor), Pet Sematary via GothGirl, Invisible Monsters via My Lot, cricket image via Flickr, Sabrina image via Shop the Shows, Ikea image via Boss Blog, big-ass pizza image via The Telegraph and Starbucks image via Daily Shot of Coffee.

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  • Susan @ Jubilee Furniture6.24.11 - 9:15 AM

    I didn’t think it was possible to love you two more – but between this post and post #1 – I do.

    Thanks so much for answering all my extremely nosy questions! So fun to learn more about both of you (and just to set the record straight – being percise and meticulous is amazing and wonderful and creates lovely homes and people who are never – or hardly ever – late for work!).ReplyCancel

  • Kim6.24.11 - 9:50 AM

    Susan, thank you! Being late practically makes me want to break out in hives. Sometimes that’s not a fun feeling, but thank you for the sweet compliment!ReplyCancel

  • Erica6.24.11 - 10:05 AM

    Congrats on two years! This was too (two!) fun. I love that car towing is part of your “how we met” story. Let’s meet one day and eat too much pasta together ;)ReplyCancel

    • Kim6.24.11 - 10:23 AM

      I like the way you think, Erica! I see pasta in our future :)

      And Amanda, you’re spot on with the sauce options. However, I prefer the fattier sauces… olive oils, alfredo, creams… Ooh, yes! And meatballs! And bread for sopping up said sauces!ReplyCancel

  • Aww, you guys are so cute! That’s funny you picked him up, Kim. And, Scott, you towed her car?!? Haha. So funny that you’d like to be Sabrina. And, I’m totally with you on the pasta for life. And, if I were to get Bubba on you, I’d add the sauce options. Marinara, alfredo, pesto, marinara and alfredo mix, etc. If it makes you feel any better, I’m just as crazy about pillows and my daily routine. You’re not alone, my friend! Happy two years!ReplyCancel

  • Oooh yes. Bread is a must. The more garlic, the better. And, the cream sauces are fantastic. MacKenzie River Pizza here has a to die for alfredo sauce. They use it on pasta AND pizza. Yum. Now I’m craving that. Oh this is going to be a long day.ReplyCancel

  • Dana6.24.11 - 10:31 AM

    The first best part about this is the picture of Piper and Jackson. The second is that I can actually hear the two of you talking. I love you both together, it’s perfection. <3ReplyCancel

    • Kim6.24.11 - 10:38 AM

      Dana, I think that photo of Piper and Jackie is a framer. It’s their first official “together” photo. Those love birds!ReplyCancel

  • Dana6.24.11 - 11:56 AM

    We need to plan a wedding!ReplyCancel

  • Love this! Love-love-love! Thanks for the background and fabulous pics!ReplyCancel

  • Tina6.24.11 - 12:44 PM

    I love that the answers to my questions are exactly how I would answer them! I’m the planner, the fixer, the remedy-maker. And I would totally pop a pants button over some pasta!

    I’m glad to know there are women who openly admit they read chick books like the Shopaholic series and such. I adore Jen Lancaster’s book series and in my 2nd and 3rd re-reads on a few, but catch a lot of heat because I don’t read anything of “substance”. I figure, I’m reading college textbooks. That counts right??ReplyCancel

  • Kim6.24.11 - 12:50 PM

    Girl, if you’re reading college textbooks, I highly recommend reading nothing but fluffy, girly books in your fun time.ReplyCancel

  • Kelly6.24.11 - 2:54 PM

    Love this idea of getting to know you guys a little more personally. Even though I already do – glad everyone else gets the pleasure :)ReplyCancel

  • Renee6.24.11 - 4:30 PM

    I love that I didn’t know this before- you two actually didn’t start dating until after Scott towed your car?? Is that right? And I would like to remind you of one tradition that I particularly like of yours- the Valentines McDonald’s Dinner. I kept it a secret just how much I liked this. Thought I’d mention it here. :)ReplyCancel

  • Kim6.24.11 - 5:31 PM

    Miss Renee, I LOVE that you reminded us of this! Yes, every year we have a lovely Big Mac and wine on Valentine’s Day! And you’d be right – Scott towed my car the winter before we ever “met.” I’m still trying to forgive him!ReplyCancel

  • Scott6.24.11 - 5:54 PM

    Dear Readers,

    Kim can make all the excuses that she’d like. I had her car towed because I was simply looking for an excuse to get to know her. The fact that it was blocking my car in the driveway for 18 hours is beside the point, right? HA!ReplyCancel

  • michelle6.25.11 - 10:11 AM

    Great post!

    My husband and I enjoy McDonald’s as a Valentine tradition as well….no reservations needed!!ReplyCancel

  • eileen marie11.22.11 - 3:20 PM

    Found you through YHL. We have some remarkable similarities -we live in a tiny condo in Chicago (but doesn’t everyone?), we collect ornaments on our travels, & we went to San Fran for our 2 yr. There’s more, but I’m too lazy to scroll up. Great. Just what I need…another blog to read! ;) Nicely done on the entertainment wall, guys!ReplyCancel

    • Kim11.22.11 - 3:32 PM

      Thank you, Eileen Marie! Wow, cool and scary. Don’t tell us your anniversary is also in November… Glad you found us!ReplyCancel

  • Phyllis Ensign10.29.12 - 2:26 PM

    Hi there! I started reading your blog about a year ago (can’t remember where I found you, sorry!) but somehow stepped away for a bit (don’t know why?) and just recently rediscovered you guys. I think every time I meet someone (or stumble upon a new blog, in your case) I feel like the world gets smaller and smaller. When I saw your reference to Skyline, my interest piqued. Similarly, my husband and I packed up everything and moved from Cincy to Dallas, Tx, 5 yrs ago. Never would I imagine living in such a sprawled out city (hubs and I love urban dwelling) but we’re adjusting.
    Just wanted to drop by to say “hello” to former Cincinnatians! And btw, love the new blog design! I promise, I won’t stray again. ;-)
    PS-we have a weird tradition (well, maybe not THAT weird, ha, ha) that every time we’re in Cincy we make it a top priority to visit Skyline and Graeter’s (sometimes in the same day!). Do you have any faves in Cincy?ReplyCancel

  • Kim10.29.12 - 4:08 PM

    Hi Phyllis!

    You are so sweet; thank you for coming “back” to us! We hope you stick around!

    We have the same tradition as you – Skyline and Graeter’s. I always get the Skyline burrito and a scoop of peanut butter chip. Is there any better way to stuff your belly? Before we head home to Chicago, we like to take a drive around UC, where Scott and I went to school. I was in the DAAP program, so I love seeing the art kids milling around, and of course, we love seeing how the campus is growing (with our tuition money, no less!).

    From one former Cincinnatian to another, hello!ReplyCancel

  • Whitney6.29.13 - 6:05 PM

    You’re not crazy for having engagement pics in front of only-the-best-Skyline-in-Cincy, it’s my favorite one, introduced to me by my DAAP bff, many moons ago :)ReplyCancel

  • Kim6.30.13 - 10:13 AM

    Awesome! I went to DAAP, and it was definitely a favorite lunch spot with friends :)ReplyCancel

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