"Come home when you get home..."

...and other quotes that come about from "Free Fridays".

On Fridays, Ian and I have an arrangement that I like to refer to as "Free Fridays". We both work on Fridays and it is our one night a week that we do not have to check in with each other when we make plans. He is "free" to do what he pleases and not worry about inviting me and I am "free" to do the same. We both have two very different Friday evening norms.

I come home from work on most Fridays and prepare for spa night. I do my nails, give myself a blowout, watch girlie-relationship-propaganda-movies, and talk to my pets in baby talk voices. I get the house to myself and don't have to entertain anyone but myself. It looks something like this:

 Ian has a different kind of routine. 

When Ian gets off work on Fridays, he heads straight to one of our regular bars, "JerZees". One of our friends is a part owner there, another friend bartends there, and another friend DJs there (Which Ian loves because even though he is a white, middle aged man, he has an undying love for all things old school hip hop. Not Biggie and Tupac, more like Gangstar and Eric B. & Rakim. "Real deal", as Ian would say. Since our friend is the DJ and a fellow hip hop enthusiast, Ian thinks he has his own human juke box for the night.) He is very much at home there and even though he usually doesn't arrive until midnight and the bar closes at 2:30am, he goes in with the mission to "get sassy" and proceeds to drink his face off. He is not a beer drinker. He prefers teeny tiny cocktails with no ice that you drink really fast. Others refer to these as "shots". The favorites are Blackhaus, Jameson, Rumplemintz, and American Honey. By the time 2:30am rolls around, Ian is in good shape. And this is when the fun begins.

The "fun" takes all types of forms; phone calls, texts, and the good old face to face conversation when he gets home. The things that come out of this mans mouth, arrive with such conviction and sincerity, that the casual bystander may not realize his level of intoxication. I always know though. Case in point: One Friday night I meet my girlfriends for drinks and he gets home before I do. As this is not a common occurrence for us, he calls me (which never happens on "Free Fridays", but there aren't really set rules either). Ring, ring, ring, ring...

Bree: Hello?

Ian: Hey babe. Everything okay?

B: Yep. Just out with the girls. Everything okay with you?

I: Oh yeah. I was just checking on you. You have fun though. Just come home when you get home.

B: Really?

I: Yes. I love you. Late.

Come home when you get home? Huh? Because I normally come home when I leave home? Or because I needed the okay to enter my home once I got to my home? Of course I shared this with my girlfriends (Nikki & Rachel whom you'll meet later). And we shared a really loud laugh together and a shot of Jameson in sweet little Ian's honor.

On another "Free Friday", I was awake on the couch watching TV when Ian got home. And the conversation went something like this:

Bree: Hey babe, how was your night?

Ian: It was good! I hung out with Morgan and we had a really good time.

B: That's good.

I: Yeah, we talked about velour pants and food and I'm actually pretty hungry.

B: Are you?

I: Yes. Why don't you ever serve any appetizers?

B: Really?

Why don't you ever serve any appetizers? Did he want some spinach dip and potstickers? Was I supposed to offer him a look at my drink specials? I've already explained that I don't ever ever ever under any circumstances cook. Let alone make "appetizers". And really, who does? The best part about this statement was the look on his face of dead seriousness and the wait for a response. Like I was going to have a response. This is a picture of him on this night:

No, he didn't wear a beater to the bar. He did wear one under his shirt and felt the need to take said shirt off mid "Why don't you ever serve any appetizers?". Notice the "why" positioning of the hands.

Free Fridays are a highlight of my week, usually. In the past (the crazy Jerry Springer-esque past I made reference to in my about me section), they have turned really ugly. The best part about a relationship is the growing part. If you aren't constantly learning and changing and growing in your relationship, good luck! We put ourselves on the fast track to all of this growing when we moved in together so quickly. And it's turning out okay for us. We chose to compromise and adjust because we love each other so much (I know it sounds so corny and boring and trust me, I feel corny saying it- but it's the truth). Life is all about choice. You choose who your friends are, what career you'd like to try, what you're going to wear for the day, and what you're going to do with your "Free Friday". Have a great one!

Bree