When a comedy blog turns into a dramedy blog

I imagine very few of you know that 2E's and I are celebrating our sixth anniversary today. She and I started dating near the end of our sophomore year at NYU. We'd just completed a scene for our acting class -- the Joe and Edna scene from Clifford Odets' Waiting for Lefty. Joe was a down-and-out cabbie who liked to complain about wages and unions and middle-class struggles but rarely lifted a finger. And Edna was the resilient mother and housewife who told Joe what's what and kept him grounded; she clearly wore the pants in the relationship.

Gladly, the scene did not set the tone for our relationship. If anyone is the housewife, it's me; and I'm happy to report -- six years later -- we're both still wearing pants.

Only one anniversary carries with it that feeling of isn't this silly? and it's this one. Not the sixth one, but rather the one that comes immediately prior to a wedding. After all, when October 2nd hits, that very impressive 6 turns back to a big, fat 0. We essentially start over.

(Yeah. Welcome to the guy's perspective.)

Of course, that 0 carries with it a hell of a lot of weight. We're giving up 6 hard-earned, well-deserved years of dating to begin anew. Six years of learning more about each other than we even know about ourselves. The 0 is not so much "starting over" as it is starting a new chapter. When you think about it like that, it's less isn't this silly? and more like isn't this wild?

This is my first post since god knows when. The Irish Curse has seriously slowed my rate of production. New York got in the way. Life got in the way, as I predicted it would. And, on top of it, 2E's and I are going through some shit, to put it plainly. Interminable phone arguments with city employees. Loss of venue(s). The same restrictive budget, as far as Manhattan is concerned. Your typical wedding issues.

But we're grateful, too, that I'm here. I'm here in New York, available to check out alternate venue options. And even more grateful that our friends and family are as supportive as they are, sending us venue suggestions by the boatload, not to mention countless messages of love and support. But friends and family, you should know this too (and this, perhaps, is our anniversary gift to you): this blog is only a very small snippet of our journey. And an even smaller snippet of our lives. Like all entertainment, it's exaggerated for effect. It's purposefully raw and over-exposed and rarely sugarcoated.

You know, last night, Joanna met Sidney Poitier. Today, I got called in by one of the country's top commercial agencies. We're contemplating a videographer. I had some awesome soup. These things we don't always share, but they're happening, regardless of impossible permit offices and dropped venues.

If you know my 2E's, you know that she's as resilient and determined as Edna. And me -- as Joe -- I'm lazy by blood but nearly as resilient just by being in her company. We will absolutely get through this. We never had a doubt. And the wedding will absolutely be in this city -- the most amazing city in the world, despite all its flaws and last-minute beer festivals. And it will absolutely be under budget (or at least on budget), in the perfect venue, with the perfect everything. The perfect occasion.

So forgive me if my ranting led you astray. I mean, honestly, if this was easy, it just wouldn't carry that weight that weddings should. It wouldn't be worth starting over for. And when you think of it like that, it's much less oh my god, i can't believe this is happening to us and so much more thank god we get to do this together.