11 Things You May Not Know About Patrick

June 12, 2015

So many people who don’t know Patrick, haven’t met him, or haven’t heard me talk much about him always ask me, “So who is this guy?” How am I supposed to answer that? He’s certainly a guy. And he’s the guy I’m marrying. But here are some facts about him you may not have known. Hopefully he won't be too mad at me for any of this because he is a super private person. But here we go!

1. He loves baths. That’s right. My man who can tear down walls, build, sand, and refinish cabinets, and smoke some yummy pork loves bubble baths. We aren’t just talking about the in and out kind either. We are talking about the kind that involves lavender and menthol bath salts. The kind that involves a bath pillow. That’s right, a bath pillow.

2. He has a very clean car. In fact, clean cars are so important to him that it stresses him out when my car gets dirty. He has cleaned my car inside and out on more than one occasion, bringing his microfiber cloth out and wiping down my dashboard, using window cleaner on the in and outside, and vacuuming it at the car wash down the road. I can let my car get pretty gross, but he won’t let it.

3. He has an opinion. Oftentimes, you can prepare yourself for a soapbox when he starts with, “See, here are my thoughts.” Patrick can get pretty heated over things that get blown up in news media (like Black Friday criticism, the Josh Duggar case, etc.) and politics (health care, new minimum wage, etc.). And here my family thought he was quiet. Not the case. So I’m warning you in advance, if these topics get brought up, prepare yourself.

4. He can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. Sadly, my fiancée has sleep apnea. This is both central and obstructive. He wears a mask, which doesn’t seem to help much. He had surgery to remove his uvula, tonsils, and back of his upper palate. The only thing this helped with is his snoring (thanks, doc!). He’s constantly exhausted and can sleep no matter what time of day it is.

5. He’s great at just listening. I know a lot of women struggle with men because they want to solve problems rather than just listen and understand. I rarely have to clarify which I want. Patrick is very good at asking, “What can I do for you?” while hugging me and telling me he is sorry I’m having a rough day. He’s also very good at reassuring me that everything is going to be OK.

6. He tells me I’m beautiful every day. That’s right. I don’t think a day goes by that he doesn’t tell me I am beautiful. Sometimes it is multiple times a day. Sometimes I think he says that because he can’t articulate deeper feelings that he has. Either way, I will take it because I’m grateful that he sees me that way and reminds me of it frequently.

7. He’s a fabulous cook. He makes things pretty fancy, buying fresh herbs for his potatoes, “butterflying” his chicken breast, and making his own barbecue sauce. He used to bake chocolate chip cookies and freeze the extra dough so he could make a dozen at a time. And one of his favorite things to make is German pancakes with buttermilk syrup. He makes cooking into a much bigger ordeal than I do, and it’s something I appreciate about him.

8. He likes to spend money. This can be a good and bad thing. It’s good because I am the opposite. It’s bad because, well, saving money is important. But I love that his generosity is evident in every situation. Whether he’s giving a couple dollars to a vagrant or telling me to “get whatever I want” at dinner, I love that he’s not cheap. He doesn’t expect me to pay for anything, and I probably take that for granted. Now that we’re getting married, this may not happen very often. So I’m stating now how I appreciate it.

9. He once had a motorcycle and was hit by a car. I do love riding on my dad’s motorcycle. And I trust careful motorcyclists, but I don’t trust other drivers. I feel like motorcyclists are just in a lot of danger in general. Maybe someday I’ll be more open to the idea, with intense defensive classes and a 100% guarantee of helmet-wearing.

10. He survived a horrific accident. He talks about this as a moment where his life was spared. If you had seen pictures of what was left of his car, you wouldn’t know how on earth he survived, and how he walked away basically unscathed. A huge truck didn’t see the traffic ahead of him was stopped, and crushed Patrick’s entire car up to the back of his seat. It’s pretty amazing that he was OK.

11. He is adopted. This isn’t a secret that he keeps, and he actually isn’t very sensitive about it. He makes jokes with his family and people around him. It doesn’t bother him at all to talk about. It’s even been a topic with us in case my endometriosis complicates our ability to get pregnant. He’s very open to the idea of adopting.

Now you know a little about “this guy.” He’s pretty great, and he treats me very well. I’m a lucky girl and sometimes take his general sweetness, generosity, and love for granted. But I am grateful to have him in my life. If I had to be stuck with someone, then I’m glad it’s him.