The List

A few weeks ago I wrote about how Jeff and I met and our Chicago trip a month later when Jeff said "not yet" to a taxi driver who asked if we were married. I didn't tell you about our jouney home on the train. That was when The List was born.

Amtrak trains run between Champaign and Chicago several times each day. During our three hour trip, Jeff and I were full of glee and goofiness. As I watched the snowy south side of Chicago whiz by, I decided that I would kiss Jeff whenever I saw an American flag. Because that's just fun. I eventually told him what I was up to and, to pass the time, we came up with other things we could spot and do. I had a pad of paper handy and wrote them down as we laughed our heads off, and eventually this list was typed out, laminated, and placed in the car's glove compartment for future reference. (Or do you prefer glove box? I was born into the glove compartment tradition. The more I think about it, the crazier "glove compartment" seems.)

This sixteen-item list included the following:

• Spot a cement mixer = high five
• Person wearing a do-rag = hug
• Amish or Amish-like or Amish transportation = first opportunity up-against-wall kiss
• Restaurant patron having a birthday = French kiss

Here are some other items on the list, but I'm not going to share the payoffs with you.

• Spot a representation of a leprechaun
• Restaurant sign with mascot promoting cannibalism
• "Tiny Dancer" plays in a store
• Water tower that resembles something else, e.g. a pineapple
• 4-legged animal with fewer than 4 legs
• Larger-than-life Jesus
• Someone pronounces Bono's name as "Bone-oh" or someone says the word "cockles"

...and so on. Later we added: spotter of semi/truck emblazoned with OVERSIZED LOAD gets to touch other person inappropriately upon spotting.

In the two and a half weeks between my birthday and Valentine's Day, I decided to collect as many of the items listed above as possible. Jeff had put together a little Indianapolis getaway that weekend, and I planned to roll the items out periodically. I was able to get my hands on a wee cement mixer, a little toy Amish guy, a leprechaun night light, a do-rag decorated with hamburgers and hot dogs, some cockle shells, a coaster with a three-legged dog on it, and a poster of a pineapple water tower. I put the Amish guy on the dashboard while Jeff gassed up the car before we took off. Jeff cracked up when he saw it and gave me an up-against-a-wall kiss.

Suffice it to say that this was the best Valentine's Day of my life, and we had a million laughs during the slow roll-out of Jeff's mini-gifts. On the drive back home, we even spotted an orange semi with JESUS written in towering block letters on each side. Larger-than-life Jesus!

Fun Valentine's Day idea: if you have not yet made a list with your loved one, I highly recommend it. After four years, our list is still alive and kicking!

Comments

[Lori]

Thanks for sharing! I so enjoy reading your stories and am jealous of your way with words. I am sitting here at my desk at work crying tears of joy for you! (I met my Sweetie on match, too!)

[bj]

Happy Valentine's Day!

[dianne]

"The List" is the perfect contract between 2 lovers. Cannot wait to create our own. Thanks for sharing.