In a week, I'll be with N.A. Forever. (muhahahaha) We've lived together before, but not in such final terms. Final meaning our stuff is now meshed together, we both have permanent jobs (chemistry gods willing), and we'll have a joint lease.
Clearly, it is time for the next step. We are ready for the ultimate commitment.
I've been waiting for it for awhile, and finally N.A. popped the question (over the phone):
"Unbal, would you like to sign up for a joint cell phone plan with me?"
If only we had a camera to immortalize the moment, but alas... he popped the question over the phone.
21 comments:
Woohoo! Was there some bubbly to celebrate?
I kind of feel all dirty and uncommitted now. I've been married a year, and Husband and I have separate phone plans. Nevermind the fact that we share all our bank accounts and I tacked his last name onto mine... I guess we just really aren't in this for the long haul!
Wow, bank accounts AND last name? You are SERIOUSLY committed. :) I'm not changing my name; I like Reaction way too much. N.A. is okay with this.
Heh...you had me going there for a moment. :-)
This reminds me of something I've always found strange--I know couples who have a joint email account. I mean, it's not like it costs money to get a second email account, and it's not really that much more work for someone to send messages for the couple to two email addresses instead of one.
Why would couples want to share an email account? Does this seem odd to anyone else?
I was not going to change my last name either (didn't feel a need to, plus I am not a fan of the constant mispronunciation/misspelling of Husband's last name)... but then he did this whole sob story about how his father died when he was so young, and I never had the opportunity to meet him and know what a great guy he was, so the only thing I could ever do to have some connection with his father would be to take his name, yadda yadda, buttons pushed, hint of a tear, and I caved. But I hyphenated, because I had publications already, and selfishly because my name is at the beginning of the alphabet which I always found to be extremely beneficial, and I did not want to drop allll the way down.
No, that is really effing strange. I would LOVE for someone to explain why people do this. Please.
EthidiumBromide: awwww.... yeah, N.A. doesn't have any stories like that. I like the way you think with the alphabetization.
My FIL and MIL have one joint email account. It was explained to me that it was because it's easier to have all the children email to just one email address. Also, it increased the likelihood that they'd each see the updates from all the kids. They each have separate business email addresses.
I still think it's a bit strange, though.
My grandpa shares an e-mail account with his girlfriend. I think initially it was because he dind't know how to e-mail so his gf would help or just tell him what the kids e-mailed about. But now he is really into it and sends more than one word e-mails. I think it might be time he gets his own but he has some excuse that they have an e-mail account by their internet provider and so they can only get one. I tried to explain about the free ones but it didn't compute.
In short. I think a lack of understanding in technology can bring a couple to share an address. Strength in numbers?
oh and congrats on the cell phone plan? i hope you had the same provider to begin with.
My parents each have their own email accounts, but my Mum often sends me emails from my Dad's, which confuses me greatly.
congrats on the phone plan ;)
I recently told a friend that the first item Mr E Man and I purchased together was our tent. She replied "ours was our apartment". So everyone's different!
I kept my name, I don't see the need for another one nor a double. And everything else too. But we did add an account for expenses.
I prefer to add to the existing for practical reasons.
Congrats and bring out the bubbles! :)
I knew my partner and I were committed when we moved in together and I stopped sticking little labels on MY books. Gulp, joint bookshelves, including negotiating - I can display my Harry Potters if he displays his Thomas Hardys...
I would agree on the "no to a joint email". Sorry, but i want mine own... and that goes for my bank account too. I see the good thing in having one joint EXTRA account (for food and other expenses etc) but I want to have my money and him to have his. And yes, the publication and the fact that I am over 15 years old made me not change my name. I did add on another name. In hindsight, that was very good decision.
Over all, congrats to the phone plan!! it's the smaller important things that make it.
I also relate to uniqueschmuck - sharing bookshelves and mixing books without even putting labels in them = commitment :)
The first signs of real commitment Hubby and I showed (waaay before the wedding) was getting at most one copy of a book for the two of us (we are in the same discipline). Sharing the cell plan came way later: he got to keep his number (mine was from my old state), I got to keep my provider. Are you guys keeping your old numbers/providers? That is a bit step, eh ;)
Congratulations, UR ;)
I find joint email accounts odd. R's parents have that, too, though I'm not sure how much they used it before we moved abroad.
Joint email just seems wrong. We share our G-Calendars but manage them from our separate accounts. We also have separate bank accounts and names. And houses since I moved to Postdoc City. Our joint phone plan may be the key to our committed-ness!
Congrats on the next step! May your minutes always roll-over and calls never be lost...
Congrats on the phone plan! I dated E when I had no cell phone so I was always borrowing his. When we finally bought two phones and shared a plan I got to keep his number because more people called me on it than him.
When we got married I added his name to my last name but without hyphenating it. Thus, I still publish with just my name.
Amanda and Jennie: I figured it would be most popular among the older set. But I can't imagine ever merging email accounts with N.A.!
Cath, that's cute! I wonder what are other couples' "firsts?"
PhDLadybug: "adding the exisiting"... I like that philosophy!
uniqueschmuck: that's hilarious re. your books. Hmm.. I'm not sure how our books will go together. Stay tuned for an update on THAT. :-)
chall: it's nice to hear that adding on the name was a good decision. Several of my grad school buddies were dissuaded from doing this because they were told it would make pubmed searches, etc. more difficult. I'm glad to hear that it is working out!
ScienceGirl, ooooo one book copy? Wow, that is big! I've had my cell number for about eight years, so I'm not planning on changing it any time soon. N.A. would be the one switching providers, but most are able to switch other cell phone numbers over... at least I hope so!
Amelie and Albatross: yeah, no plans for a joint email account. Yikes, or separate houses; at least I hope not.
B, wow, no cell phone for awhile? Hard core!
That is a big step. In fact, hubby and I were married a year before we managed to do that. So congrats. ;-)
And I'll be the odd one out in the comments here. We do have a joint email account, in addition to each having a personal email account and work accounts. I use it for extended family ('cause they definitely wouldn't send an email to both people) and for companies (banking, online orders, newsletters that I kinda want but not all the time, etc). So I actually like it. It only gets checked about once a day, though (as opposed to constantly and obsessively like my personal account or automatically like my work one).
I knew we were serious when I stopped buying two shot glasses/magnets as mementos from different cities we visited, and just got one!
Also, I've been pushing for a joint account (in addition to our personal ones), because he gets all the netflix, bank account, peapod, ebay, etc emails, and then feel out of the loop... and I feel like I'm hacking if I sign on to his account (although I do tend to do it). He's been hesitant, so we haven't... I don't see why it's such a big deal. I have like 3 or 4 accounts of my own, so an additional one for joint stuff seems reasonable.
Congratulations!
A solution to the two-body problem is always great news.
Side comment:
In the case of a fellow grad student, the hyphenation and de-hyphenation and re-hyphenation of her name allowed us to follow her love life while also following her physics career.
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