Big Bad Thursday: All Work And No Play? Not These Two

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [My last post about Bad was three weeks ago. I talked about how he and Jordan worked to find balance between their personal and professional lives and how it was serving them well in their relationship.] Read Big Bad Thursday posts.

Another thing they do that makes them so awesome and strong is they they really make time for the pleasures large and small in life. The biggest example of this was the second weekend of August. It was the weekend of my engagement party.

They both had finals during that time. Papers, projects, tests galore. Yet they made time to come out to the party and really seemed to let their hair down and have fun. The next day, Easy and I invited them along to amazing seats at a White Sox game. They came to that too. We all had a really good time. Personally, I love having adult friends who understand responsibility but also understand how to have fun.

More recently, they went on vacation. They set the timing so they could go right after finals. They go on vacations and have fun. I kind of envy their vacationing. Easy and I haven't been on vacation yet. Travelling for two days to go to an out-of-town gig of his doesn't count. But back to Bad and Tia. I can't wait to hear about their vacation. I know it was great.

Big Bad Thursday: Finding Balance Is Key

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [In my last post about Bad, I was really looking forward to having them as neighbors. I envisioned something very Honeymooners. I also complimented Bad and Jordan on their low-maintenance relationship] Read Big Bad Thursday posts.

It's been a while since I posted about anyone on this blog, but I've been super busy and haven't really had time to catch up with my friends since they're all super busy too. Bad is working full time and in grad school, so he's close to one of the busiest of my friends.

But I did catch up with him and I actually remembered to ask about the status of his love life. Things between him and Jordan are good, great even.

They're both in grad school and they both work full time. That is not a recipe for lazing away nights on the couch simply being a couple.

So how do they keep their relationship happy and strong? They make time for each other. They treat their relationship as a priority.

Going out to dinner isn't going to preclude finishing up work on a work or school project that didn't get finished on schedule. They have similar priorities. Their careers are important to them, so neither of them will be upset if the other has to change plans.

Having said that, they do make sure not to change relationship-centric plans to often. They don't have a set date night, but they take full advantage of mutual free time to nurture their relationship.

Moving on to the Honeymooners thoughts I was having. Yeah... that hasn't happened. Easy and I are super busy, just as busy as Bad and Jordan are. They haven't been to our house since we moved in, only Bad came by to help us move. We haven't been to their house since they moved in, only I have been by to help them move.

I'm hoping we can work out more activities in the future, but there just really isn't time. Maybe after they finish finals or something. In fact, I don't expect we'll see them in the next few weeks other than at our engagement party. There's only so many hours in the day.

But I'm glad that I have a close friend with a solid relationship because I still get sad when I think of the demise of <a href="http://quitethelovelife.blogspot.com/search/label/Lion">Lion's</a> relationship.

Big Bad Thursday: Living and Loving in Hyde Park

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [My last post about Bad was back at the beginning of June. I talked about the weekend they moved into their apartment, I got engaged, and they hung out with my family for Memorial Day. Good times.] Read Big Bad Thursday posts.

Since then, they've been doing well in their new apartment. They already lived together, so there wasn't any co-habitating adjustments to make. They have more room in their current apartment, so that probably just makes things better.

Bad and Jordan don't really have room for their current dinette set in their apartment, so Easy and I will probably buy it from them once we get our place setup. We did get a Hyde Park apartment, not too far from Bad and Jordan, and we are moving in Friday-Saturday.

I'm so looking forward to having them as neighbors. They are both grad students while working full time. My fiance Easy and I both have ridiculous schedules as well. But I'm looking forward to some time hanging out, maybe having dinner somewhere on 53rd street or grabbing a drink one evening, somewhere we could both walk to.

About Bad and Jordan's love life: they are both extremely busy, but also very independent. They set what I think is a good example of a low-maintenance relationship. They love each other very much and are fully committed to making their relationship work. But they don't do neediness and neither of them is demanding. They give each other room to handle their business and make time for each other so their relationship doesn't get lost in the mix. Take notes people, take notes.

Big Bad Thursday: Moving In and Growing Up and Having Fun

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Read Big Bad Thursday posts.

Last week, I talked about Bad and Jordan starting their new lease for a new apartment. I also talked about a job interview Bad had recently. Lastly, I talked about a double date my fiance Easy and I went on with them.

So, now for an update.

Their new apartment is great. It's so great that it has me re-thinking my anti-Hyde Park stance. I know moving there would do nothing to shorten my commute time to work, but it would be so great.

Their apartment is on the second floor of a walk-up in a great location (meaning relatively good parking for Hyde Park). The building has a courtyard that's so fantastic looking. They have a nice size bedroom and bathroom. Their kitchen has soooo much counter space. The closet is huge. And since Jordan is an interior designer/set designer, it will be amazingly set up as well.

Their neighbors are all really nice. I went over there the day they moved in to hang out and help set up a bit. While we were walking to and from the car, we could hear strains of jazz coming from the window of one of the neighbors. It felt like a montage scene from Love Jones.

Moving on to the next thing. Bad is still waiting to hear back from the job, but they have just completed their interview period. They told him they'd let him now yea or nay, so hopefully he'll hear something soon. I hope he gets this job because it would be more money and less stress. That can only make life easier for his relationship and his status as a grad student.

Also, Easy and I have spent more time with Bad and Jordan. I got engaged on Sunday and I told them when they came over to my parents' house for Memorial Day. We had a barbecue that grew larger as the list of attendees expanded.

They were excited to hear the news and really happy for us. Jordan was there not just as a guest, but also to work. She took a look around the first floor of the house and took notes and pictures and talked to my mom about what she wanted in terms of redecoration. I think she will come up with something great for the house. I tried to put in a good word to get her to fix the gold tiled fireplace first, but she said that wasn't the biggest concern.

Bad, Jordan, Easy, and I, along with one of my younger cousins, played the Wii. We played the Michael Jackson game and Rock Band 2. Good times. Hanging out and laughing together is good for the soul, you know?

My parents bought champagne and had each of us give a toast to the newly engaged couple (yay for us!), and I'm pretty sure I think Bad gave the best toast. It was a great moment because it really solidified in Easy's eyes how much Bad cares about me and my well-being.

I talk a lot about working on friendships with the girls of my close guy friends, but it's nice to be on the flip side of that and know that these two men who are both so important to me are working on a friendship themselves.

Oh and Jordan and Easy had each other cracking up. They have a pretty comparable sense of humor. If we move to Hyde Park, being near them will certainly be a big bonus.

I wish I had taken a video of Bad and Jordan doing the dance from one of the songs. I don't even remember which song it was, but she did the girl's part and he did the guy's part. They were just so cute!They'd kill me for saying this, but I can't wait til they have kids cause those kids are going to be gorgeous.

Just one more thing, I was so glad they were able to come over and really hang out with my family. Jordan's family lives in St. Louis and Bad's parents just moved to Florida. So having that family time is something not so easily accessed for them these days. Bad is already like a part of the family, and now it really feels like Jordan is too.

Big Bad Thursday: Moving and Double Dating And Growing Up

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [The last post I wrote about Bad was back at the beginning of April. I think I've explained enough about the PC issues, so hopefully this is the last time you'll have to read it. I was talking about them looking for a new apartment and starting to muse on the next step for them in terms of living life] Read Big Bad Thursday posts.

Since that time, they still haven't moved. Bad extended his lease for one month to give them more time to apartment hunt. They did find a new apartment and they move in this weekend. I have this whole weekend off so I offered to help them move if they need it. Their new lease starts tomorrow! I can't wait to see their new place. I know it will be great. They both have such good taste.

By the end of this summer, both Bad and Jordan will be halfway done with their Master's programs I believe. It's a nice time to start to figure out what comes next. I wonder if they are planning a trip to San Diego to assess how it fits the two of them together.

Bad also had a job interview recently with a new company. The company isn't actually new, but it would be new to him. It would use the experience he's gained at his non-profit and be a big boost up the career ladder. And the best part is it's a national organization, so he wouldn't be tethered to Chicago if he gets this job. Here's hoping!

Also, on a more romantic note, my boyfriend Easy and I went on a double date with Bad and Jordan the last time Easy was in Chicago. We had so much fun. We went to the wine bar Bad, Jordan, and I all love (now Easy loves it too). It's called Vintage 338. If you live in Chicago and know your way around up north, you've got to go to this place.


After that, we went to The Wild Hare. They are closed now. When we went, it was the night before the last night. We danced and laughed and had a really good time. There was all type of hugging and kissing. The type that doesn't usually happen on a group outing, but since it was a double date, no one was ashamed of their PDA.


I tell you, I never thought I'd see the day when Bad and I were out at a club and there was all type of kissing, on the mouth!, happening out in public. But I guess that's what happens when you fall in love. Bad and Jordan were kissing and dancing and all that. Easy and I were doing the same near them on the dance floor. Seriously, had you told either Bad or myself sometime five years ago or so that we would spend our last night at Wild Hare that way, we wouldn't believe you. Never would we have believed it. But it happened. I have pictures as proof, but I didn't ask permission to post them, so sorry.

Big Bad Thursday: Finding A New Place To Live

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [My last post about Bad was two weeks ago. In that post, I talked about how integration as a couple into each other's lives was relatively painless for Bad and Jordan (as far as I know) because all their people are in support of their relationship and them being together. I pointed out that even his extended family and friends, like my mom, were into it. I was very happy that they had this hurdle covered, or rather, it wasn't even a hurdle.] Read Big Bad Thursday posts.

This week, I want to talk about what's going on currently in their lives. First, I want to say the lunch with Jordan, my mom, and me went great! We all had fun and made plans to spend more time together in the future. She and my mom seemed to really click. Jordan doesn't have family here as far as I know, so I'm hoping she can begin to build those family-type relationships so while she's in Chicago (and when they come back to visit in years to come), she'll feel like she's coming to visit family, instead of just her guy's people.


But on to life right now. Their lease is up on their apartment this month. They've been apartment hunting, but as far as I know, they haven't found the perfect place yet. They were considering buying, but their loan officer lady had a bit of a family/personal crisis and it kind of put the brakes on that venture. So now they're looking to rent for a year, and save to possibly purchase next year.


Neither of them is committed to living out their lives in Chicago. They'd prefer to be somewhere warmer, as long as it had the right schools and career opportunities. Bad recently went to a conference for work/school in San Diego. And now San Diego is at the top of their list of places they could theoretically move to. But for now, they're looking in neighborhoods in Chicago that are near the lake, whether north or south. They also want it nearby things like restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. They want to enjoy what's left of their 20s and the convenience of not having to drive everywhere is starting to increase in priority. Right now, they're close to the lake, but that's it. They have to drive even for a run to the grocery store to buy a bottle of wine.


I'm hoping they find something fabulous, but as time runs out, their options get limited. I know they would never want to let their lease expire and have nowhere to live. I'm hoping that's not what happened. I love their current apartment, but Jordan smartly wants something with more space. I do wonder how all their stuff fits into those closets. They just have so little storage space. And the kitchen counter space is literally nonexistent. So there's ways to improve without breaking the budget. If they'll allow me to, I'll post up some pictures of their new apartment once they've chosen one.


Apartment hunting with the one you love has to be interesting unless you have completely identical tastes. Luckily, Bad and Jordan are both laid-back and only have a few non-negotiables each. that has to make life simpler.

Big Bad Thursday: Everyone Around You Supports You, Yay!

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***
Read Big Bad Thursday posts.


Last week, I linked to an article that sort of describe Bad and Jordan. I thought it pointed out an interesting trend that even though they were cohabitating, they weren't on the fast track towards marriage. At least, I don't think they are. They're focused more on enjoying each day and enjoying each other without always thinking about the logistics of where they stand and where they're going.


This week, I want to talk about integration. One of the hardest things to do when you're in a relationship is learning to mix and match your lives when you've got such active lives in existence before each other came along. Bad and Jordan both have full lives, so making an effort to combine those lives was probably no easy task.


Bad is a good friend and always there for his people. But spending time with friends at the drop of a hat isn't a priority anymore once you've made a commitment to someone, to living with them and sharing your lives. But Bad did good. He's with a woman who can roll with him. I would never think of inviting him to something and not inviting her too. Jordan is just a joy to be around and she is a perfect compliment to Bad, and she's great all by herself as well.


Because Bad chose very well in the woman he's partnered with, it makes it that much easier for the people in his world to join in in support of the relationship. I know of a couple (none of the ones I write about on this blog) who have difficulties when it comes to choosing where to celebrate holidays. Where ever then end up, it causes problems for the other person's family.


Bad and Jordan don't have that problem. They plan their celebrations around their own two schedules and then they work their families into it. I know they spent time with both her family and his over the Christmas/New Year's holiday, and I didn't hear anything about any struggles or feelings of neglect because both their families welcome their person's Significant Other (SO) with open arms.


A great example of this welcome is that Jordan is going out to lunch with my mother and me this afternoon. We're all meeting downtown to have lunch in the Walnut Room at Macy's. I mentioned before (maybe on my main blog) that my mom likes reaching out to people. My mom sees Bad as family, he's like an extra son to her in addition to Lion, so reaching out to Jordan is pretty much the same as her reaching out to my brother's fiancee.


I bet that having the approval and support of your friends and family makes things easier. It doesn't make the internal stuff of a relationship easier, but it has to help the overall stuff.

Big Bad Thursday: A Little Bit Married

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***
Read Big Bad Thursday posts.


Last week, I linked to a post that talked about housewarmings. I figured it was appropriate since Bad and Jordan are only a number of months into co-habitating. And they are planning on moving to a place with more space soon, so they have a lot of room to work with in terms of celebrating having a home together.


But I don't really have anything to update about their relationship right now. I will hopefully have something next week. I'm trying to get to go out with Easy and I and some of our friends for St. Patrick's Day. Observing them together as a couple always gives me something to blog about. And you tend to get more detailed updates when it is face to face.


But since I have nothing right now, I'm trolling the internet looking for something. Headed to Google to see what new links I can find. The question is what to Google? Bad and Jordan have been together for a while, and it doesn't seem like they're in any rush to get married. So I will google "dating, but no marriage in sight" and see what that gets me.


I thought I might get a whole bunch of self-help or whiny articles about women who were frustrated at not getting married, but I found a really interesting article. It's on CNN.com and it was posted up last June. It's an interview with a woman who wrote a book about couples who are "a little bit married." They have never tied the knot and yet they still make long-term life decisions around each other without the rush to the altar. You can read the article here.


I love this article, especially in terms of Bad and Jordan. I don't know what will happen with them and marriage, but I'm not too worried about it because it seems that they are good where they are. They have each decided the other person is the person they want to be with and they make life decisions together and with each other in mind. She moved to Chicago to be with him (and go to grad school), so they are the exact type of couple described in this article.


And this article does not pass judgement, it simply points out a trend. I'd be interested in reading this woman's book to further explore her reasoning she sees behind the trend other than financial independence and availability of birth control.

Big Bad Thursday: Growing Up And Growing Together

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***
Read Big Bad Thursday posts


I mentioned in a post on my main blog that Bad and Jordan came to this gig of Easy's last weekend. Jordan and my mom really hit it off, which makes me happy. I feel that it's important to the long-term prospects for my friendships with men that their women be integrated into the family as well. I really like Jordan because she's so sweet and fun, but if she likes me and my family and enjoys spending time with her, we may avoid that point in life where a couple pares down their friends to only their mutual friends. I don't know if Bad would ever do it, but embracing Jordan will help me make that cut just in case.


It's just something to think about as you get older. I love all my friends and would love for the folks I write about in this blog to still be my closest friends in a decade. Whether or not that's possible cannot be known. But that is the inspiration for today's hunt for a link. Bad and Jordan seem to be doing well blending their lives but still maintaining their own personalities.


A google search for "mixing friends in a relationship" yielded several things about business, but then I saw this cute website with stuff for couples called Q and A section for Couple Issues to see if anything stuck out. Something did. It was a question about housewarming parties.


Here is the question. The question was how late was too late to have a housewarming party. The answer was "no, six months isn't too late. But two years is."


Bad and Jordan have been living together since August, so they're right around 6 months now. They are still furnishing and decorating their apartment. And I'm pretty sure they are planning on moving somewhere else when Bad's lease is up in June. So maybe they shouldn't have a housewarming in this place if they'll be moving so soon and theoretically having a housewarming in that new place. I already have an idea in my head for a great gift, so I can't wait til they do this.


I just had a thought, what if they're waiting until the house they'll live in as a married couple? I hope they don't do that because I imagine they'll be homeowners before they're married, at least from the way Bad discusses real estate. Either way, the good news is they have a whole range (according to etiquette) about when they could have a housewarming.

Big Bad Thursday: You Are Committed, But That Doesn't Always Affect Those Around You

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***


Last week, I talked about an article from The Frisky. I didn't have much to say about what was going on in their relationship. Don't get me wrong, I love my drama-free couple. They just don't have constant changes and things in their relationship that would go into a blog. Being in grad school and working full time makes that happen. It's no biggie.


This week I have a story to tell that doesn't involve Bad and Jordan. This story is just about Bad. Which is totally okay since I pride this couple on having facts about each of them singly and not just facts about both of them as a couple.


The story about Bad is the type of story that happens to men when they are in committed relationships. Just because they've decided to be committed doesn't mean the women of the world get that and have agreed to make that commitment successful.


The story started like this, "I forgot what 24 was like." I agreed with him completely cause 24 year olds are... not 26 year olds. You will only get that if you have a very intact memory of the differences between who you were as 24 versus 26. But back to the story.


Bad had to go to this fundraiser party thing for work. He ended up there with two 24 year old women. They were there representing two women who are two of Bad's bosses. Anyways, Bad is charming and good looking and tends to attract more than his fair share of women. Apparently, these two decided they were part of that share.


As lyrics from "One More Drink" played in his mind, he informed the ladies he wasn't available for them to fight over that night. They chose not to listen to him. So while Bad was representing his company at the event, he was also dealing with these two chicks. Bad and I are close enough where he would tell me the whole true story, and I'm glad it ended well since I'm blogging about it.


Here's how it turned out. Even though it was an open bar and Bad took full advantage of it, he still maintained to the women that they didn't have a chance for him. I love when the important men in my life are men that can be counted on. Even though Jordan wasn't with him, she had nothing to worry about.


Bad recounts the event in a way that shows he was flattered by the attention. Even though he and Jordan lead lives that can be separated, he doesn't spend much social time without her. This evening was like a yeah-I-still-got-it moment. A guy (heck a person) needs that every so often. And he got flattered and then went home to the woman he loves.


I hope every story I'll ever tell about him ends that way.

Big Bad Thursday: A Tip For Those Planning On Forever

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***


Last week I talked about Bad and Jordan's Valentine's Day. There really isn't anything new to report that I know of. So I'm headed to The Frisky to see what they have to say about a co-habitating couple that isn't doing a countdown to a wedding or even a proposal.


This article I found isn't at romantic, but it's appropo for any relationship Bad is involved in. And I think it's sound advice since marriage is where Bad and Jordan are headed eventually.


Cash & Coupling: Seriously, Ladies, Get A Damn Prenup!


If Bad saw that title, he'd be more concerned about how a prenup would protect him, not her. He's said numerous times over the years that we've been friends that there's no way he'd ever get married without a prenup. His stance on it tends to come off as the pessimistic cynical statement most people worry a prenup lends itself to.


And yes, you can blame his parents. I'm not getting into it here, but it's their fault he feels so much of a need to protect himself before getting married. Don't just to conclusions, his parents are married and happily co-habitating in the same house.


But about this article. It's pretty interesting, right? I think that if Jordan ever had hesitations about whether she wanted a prenup with Bad, this might help convince her that it's an amazing idea. I know he's already convinced.


For the record, I think these two are great together and I can't imagine them with anyone else. So their prenup would be collecting dust in the file cabinet of some lawyer, only to be noticed when the will next to it gets pulled out in 65 years whenever one of them passes. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic, but that's just my realistically optimistic way of looking at things.


And I really like how this article doesn't get too preachy. It lays out the facts and offers tips on how to make it work. But like I said, Jordan wouldn't need those tips, Bad is already on the prenup train. Now, if only they'd get engaged, this article would make even more sense.

Big Bad Thursday: A Sweet And Simple Valentine's Day

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [The last post I wrote about Bad was back at the beginning of the year. It was a recap of Bad and Jordan's Christmas and New Year's Eve. Oh, how I wish I had taken a picture of their adorable Christmas tree with the lights and the one ornament! But yeah, NYE was a great time. They had fun together as a couple and managed to save my and Michelle's NYEs too.] Read Big Bad Thursday posts

After New Year's, it was pretty much back to the grind for the two of them. They are both working (in charge of people, so that's added stress) and in grad school. But all is happy on the home front.

Since it's that time of year, of course I will be talking about how they spent their Valentine's Day. Three words: dinner, wine, fondue.

They had a lovely dinner which was romantic and full of good food. I tell you, whenever they get married, that is one reception dinner I am definitely looking forward to. Those two love good food.

The wine I'm excited about since I know Bad has a well-rounded taste for wine, but Jordan has a slightly different palate for wine. I know they came up with something great.

And the fondue, well that just sounds sexy. Whether it was for dinner or dessert, I know it was a great experience. Nothing better than playing with your food!

Bad and Jordan had the V-Day I expected them to have. Romantic, simple, drama-free. I can't wait to see how normal their kids turn out to be. Of course, if either of them heard me say that, they'd freak out, lol.

Big Bad Thursday: Bringing In The New Year Like Every Couple Should

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [My last post was about a month ago. I was saying how much I love that they are the drama free couple in my life. I also briefly discussed their plans for Christmas and New Year's Eve.] Read Big Bad Thursday posts

They are still my drama free couple. They're just happy and enjoying their relationship.

I wonder if people who always have some type of drama going on really prefer it that way.

Well Bad and Jordan ended up spending Christmas together in the Chicago area at Bad's parents' house.

Jordan was going to go home to St. Louis, but she ended up having to work, so she couldn't leave.

Since they were going to spend Christmas together, they got a Christmas tree.

I liked their lights they had on the tree, but they only had one ornament, which was hilarious.

They have this plan now where each time they have a special thing happen, they'll get an ornament for it.

So for vacations, special events (like at some point whenever they get engaged), etc., they will have an ornament for that occasion.

I love that idea because I always see these really cute commemorative ornaments, but I hardly ever see them on anyone's tree.

They went down to St. Louis the week between Christmas and New Year's for a couple of days, but it was a very short trip.

We did all end up spending New Year's Eve together. It was a lot of fun. Tapas, champagne, dancing.

They are such a cute couple, and so much fun to be around.

I love hanging out with Bad and Jordan, but I don't necessarily want to be the third wheel all the time, so I usually bring a friend with me.

When we grabbed lunch on Christmas Eve, Top was with us. The four of us had a blast.

And when we went ouf for New Year's Eve, Michelle was with us.

Michelle definitely had a good time. She picked up one of Bad's best friends who was in town for the holiday.

Well, they picked each other up. I'll tell that story on Friday.

But Bad and Jordan are just so much fun to be out with. We ended up at Leg Room at the end of the night to dance and have a couple more drinks.

They are the type of couple who can be out dancing without any hints of jealousy or craziness.

While Bad was off getting us drinks, we were all just dancing with random guys who came up to dance with us.

And while Jordan, Michelle, and I were joking about needing to come up with a "I'm done with this guy, get him away from me" signal, the guys came back and we just started dancing with them.

I doubt the situation would have gone as smoothly if I had been out with Noni and Eric. I'm just saying...

Big Bad Thursday: Drama Free Is Their Signature Style

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [My last post about Bad was at the beginning of last month. It was mostly just a status update because things are going well for them. They have a happily drama-free relationship] Read Big Bad Thursday posts

Since my last post, not much has changed. I love that Bad and Jordan are my drama free friends. No crazy fights, no suspicion of breaking up around every turn. They are an inspiration.

But being drama free doesn't make them boring. They go out and they definitely are fun to be around.

Something else I love about them is that they can be separate from each other. Unlike Sonny and Cher, I see Bad without Jordan. They are still their own people.

Bad has finished his school semester or quarter rather. Jordan's semester will be done soon. So now they are working on holiday plans. She's going back to St. Louis to spend Christmas with her family. I believe he's staying here in the Chicago area with his family.

But New Year's Eve, they will be together. Hopefully, they'll be with me and my friends, but I guess we'll see.

Big Bad Thursday: Smooth Sailing From Here To The Horizon

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [The last post I wrote about Bad was at the end of September. I was talking about how things were sailing along smoothly with him and Jordan. I also expressed excitement about our upcoming birthday party (we celebrated our birthdays in a joint party with Michelle) on my main blog. And I said how I was missing spending time with him cause he was busy nesting, working, and being a student.]. Read Big Bad Thursday posts.
It had been a while since I've seen Bad and Jordan, and even longer since I've been to their apartment. I was looking forward to Jordan helping make it look lived in. And it finally is looking like a real apartment. They have a table with four chairs. And they have a desk. And they have lamps. There are even a few decorative touches.

And they seem very settled into being with each other. It was a concern in the back of my head how they would transition from living in different states to living together. They've spent the majority of their relationship long-distance. But they have transitioned well it seems. They don't have any tension under the surface that I could tell. And they have this comfort like a couple who's been together for while.

And they are so much fun together and alone. I didn't have any concerns about that though. If they had turned into one of those couples that finish all each other's sentences and can't go to the bathroom without each other, I would have been horribly surprised.

So now of course I'm thinking about what's next for them. I'm probably the only one of the three of us who are though. They seem to be very comfortable with where they are now and just interested in continuing to settle into and build this life as shacking up, working grad students.

Big Bad Thursday: Busy Days, Happy Days, and Birthdays

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Things with Bad and Jordan are going well as usual, with no new developments to report. They are just going through their days as working grad students, shacking up in happiness and bliss.

But I am really starting to miss Bad. I have not seen him in what feels like a very long time. And we don't talk as much as we used to. All of this is to be expected. But it still kind of sucks. But the good news is Bad is not the type of guy to let a relationship consume all of who he is. He has a pretty demanding job as well as having just started grad school. All of this keeps him pretty busy.

But our birthdays are coming up! We've celebrated our birthdays together every other year since we started hanging out as adults. I don't think it was on purpose, it just kind of worked out that way. This year our birthday plans have been shaping up kind of well I think. We, along with Michelle, another good friend of mine, are celebrating our birthdays together this year.

The plan we've settled on is having a party at a club all three of us love. We have sort of flaky friends. What can I say, they've got a lot going on and can't always keep commitments. But we need four people for sure who can commit to this party. Who might that fourth person be? Jordan! This sounds kind of sappy, but it just seems like they're even more meant to be when she fits into the puzzle so perfectly. We don't have to cajole one of our friends into making a commitment so far ahead of time, Jordan will be there for Bad.

So our party will be a success, even if it's just the four of us. I've hung out with just Bad and Jordan, and also with just Bad and Michelle. It was so much fun, and I know that with all four of us there, it will be even more fun. I'd love for all our friends to join us, but it's not imperative.

Bad is saying goodbye to his first 25 years just like I am in just under two weeks. He'll be doing it with a woman by his side that he loves with all his heart and looking towards a future he's already creating for himself. I'd say life is pretty good for him right now.

Big Bad Thursday: You... Complete... Me

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.*** Read Big Bad Thursday posts.

I doubt Jordan or Bad are cheesy enough to say anything like that to each other (at least in public), but that seems to describe them right now. Bad's like was pretty cool if I do say so myself, but since Jordan has moved here, it just seems more... complete now.

Before, he had a pretty good job he enjoyed but it was starting to have as many negatives as positives. Now, he's talking about making a move within his company to a job that is more suited to his needs and talents.

Before, he was talking about grad school as a viable option and something to do. Now, he's a grad student with plans of travelling abroad within his program.

Before, he was saving up money for a nice apartment but really spending more helping his family. Now, he has a better balance and isn't letting doing for them affect his ability to do for himself.

Before, it bothered him that some of his acquaintances were a bit flaky and couldn't be counted on. Now, it's not much of a concern because he has a built-in person to hang out with.

Before, he would spend lots of money travelling to and from St. Louis. Now, his money goes into making his and Jordan's apartment a home for them.

I'm not saying all these things immediately improved the day she moved to Chicago, but there's definitely a correlation there. From the moment he began to seriously discuss the possibility of her moving to his city into his apartment, it seemed like he got his stuff even more together. That's what a good woman does: she's a good influence without being a nag. I think because she loves him just for who he is, it makes him want to be the best version of himself. Bad and Jordan are definitely on their way to being one of those power couples I always admire.

Big Bad Thursday: Honeymoon Phase In Full Swing

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. Then, he finally realized a woman was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [In my last post, I was explaining how the first few days were going for Bad and Jordan. This is all from his point of view of course. He described everything in such a lovely way, that I can't imagine she feels anything different.] Read my Big Bad Thursday posts.

Since that last post, which was almost a month ago, things are still awesome between them. They are pretty much still in the swing of their nesting/honeymoon phase, or whatever you want to call it. When I spoke to Bad most recently about how things were going, he was very effusive in his praise.

He spoke about how since Jordan had moved to Chicago, things just felt better. Aside from now having access to each other that just wasn't possible while in different cities, they were able to just enjoy each other's presence.

Bad spoke of Saturdays just relaxing and enjoying the city. When he felt like going for a drink in the middle of the week, he didn't have to call 10 different friends to see who was available. He felt like he has a built-in best friend who always down to hang out and do stuff. And what makes it better is that he loves talking to her about any and everything that comes to either of their minds. And of course, the proximity helps with the bedroom activities too.

I'm just so happy for Bad, he seems like he couldn't be happier right now. Even with all they have going on, both working and both in grad school, they still are managing to find time to work on themselves and their relationship. Right now, her moving to Chicago is looking like the best decision ever.

Big Bad Thursday: Jordan Is Now A Chicago Resident!

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and is a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. Then, he finally that a wonderful woman he already had in his life was worth giving up complete and total bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together. They live in a wonderful apartment in Chicago and they are quite a fabulous couple.***

Quick Recap [The last time I wrote about Bad, it was to talk about Jordan's interview for grad school in Chicago. She had also given her notice at work for her jobs in St. Louis. Bad was getting used to the reality that Jordan was truly about to be his girlfriend and roommate. This was a particularly big deal for them because Bad and Jordan haven't lived in the same city in at least five years. But as the reality set in, he was getting more excited, which is the best reaction ever!] Read Bad's posts.

So, Jordan moved to Chicago last Saturday. I knew there would immediately be a big change in the amount of time I spend with Bad in person and on the phone. They were, of course, in a honeymoon phase because they had all this time together that wasn't about to end just because the weekend ended. But I did manage to catch up with him. We talked a bit about how I feel like trading PT in for Easy, but how it's really not that simple. And we talked about how it's been since Jordan has been there. Even though it's not even been a week yet, he's already clearly even happier.

He spoke of how he went to work on Monday and when he got home from work, dinner was ready. For any self-proclaimed feminists who never learned to cook and cringe at the idea of taking care of a man, this paragraph is not for you. But for the hopeless romantics, traditionalists, or foodies, you can imagine what a lovely addition this will be to his life. Everyday won't be like this, especially once she moves from orientation to classwork, but he's loving that she's there to take care of him now. Five days in, he seems happier than ever. That really makes me love Jordan because Bad deserves to be happy in a relationship (and avoid all that karma he should have coming) and since she's responsible for that happiness, that makes her automatically awesome.

Big Bad Thursday: Jordan Is Moving To Chicago!!

***Big Bad Thursday is all about Bad. He's one of my best friends and was supposed to be a charming, if commitment-phobic bachelor. He finally realized that a wonderful woman he already had in his life was worth giving up bachelor-hood. So now Bad and Jordan are in love and working towards building a life together.***

Quick Recap: The last post I wrote spoke of an interview Jordan has in Chicago. That interview is actually today. Bad has also applied for a Chicago grad school. The apartment he has in Chicago is begging for Jordan's interior designer touch to make it their own. All they really need to do is get acceptance letters and pick a date for her moving here.

Like I said, Jordan's interview is today. It will basically be a countdown from there to get an official acceptance into this program. But there are more steps to this move than meets the eye. Jordan is currently living with her parents in St. Louis, and she works two jobs there. I went to St. Louis last weekend to help chaperon for a church thing (which is why I wasn't blogging, so sorry guys). While I was there, she had a free evening, so we went out on a chick date. It's like the man-date described in I Love You, Man. Exactly like that, but with two females instead. Anyway, while we were out, Jordan explained to me that she talked to her mother and basically got her mother to suggest she move in with Bad if she was going to be in grad school in Chicago. It's always nice to use reverse psychology in place of, "Mom, I'm going to be living in sin starting next month for an undisclosed length of time."

Jordan also explained that she had given notice on her two jobs. She gave them 30 day notice at the beginning of July. That got me really excited. And class starts at the beginning of September, so she'll have to move to Chicago and get settled pretty early in August. That means she'll be a Chicago resident in literally two weeks and some change. I'm so excited for Bad and Jordan! After the years they've been doing their thing, it's nice to see them make this grown-up step towards something really real.

I doubt they're about to get ready to head down the aisle any time soon. This is based on the Bad I know and the Jordan I'm getting to know. They're both really focused on making sure their careers get up off the ground, but they're also really focused on being together in a way that works for both of them right now. I can't wait to see what happens next.