I prefer to think of it as having a higher tolerance for filth and disorganization than my wife. Whereas she cannot (will not) rest while there are dirty dishes in the sink, or toys not put away, I tend to take the long term view of it. If I can still see counter space or carpet, then it can wait till later. But we all have our threshold for cleaning. When I do rouse myself from contemplating the universe, or watching tv, I am perfectly capable of cleaning to her (high) standards. I just think I should be well rested when I sally forth to do battle with the mass of toys and puzzles my son has gotten out to play with.
I also have watched many of those eHarmony commercials and thought, "Man, I am glad she didn't do that, I'd have no chance". We are different in many ways, which I'll enumerate here;
just kidding. But we compliment each others strengths, for example; I can lift heavy things, she knows where she wants me to put them. Without her, I'd just be standing there holding something heavy with no idea where to move it to, only knowing it needed to be moved. She completes me.
Men should always marry someone better than they are, it gives them a reason to become a better man. I have always seen her as such, and I am still improving. Though according to her, I am not fully trained yet.

Hey Marshall - read your comment on Rude Cactus's museum post and could not resist checking out your homestead!

Yes, I agree with you completely - I too have used the Tom Cruise/Rene Zellweger thing and believe that the partnerships that work (whether in marriage, or business) are ones where you complete each other. Your strengths may be their weaknesses and vice versa.

Hubby and I complete each other. If I married someone like me.. holy mackeral one of us would likely be dead! :)

Daisy

You and your wife sound just like me and my hubby. I am the neat freak and he is the master of clutter. Though after almost 3 decades together he is slighty less messy and I am slightly more tolerant. All the happiest and longest lasting relationships I am personally familiar with are made up of opposites. Opposites attract and balance and keep life from being boring.

Oops - tee hee! I, too came from RC for more along the lines of the "museum post"! Let's just say I have a stone penis stuck in my head.

So [ahem] anyway, I've enjoyed this. I'll be back. As for your criteria, I don't blog about books (unless you count Yertle the Turtle, once in a while), but most of my readers are not related to me by blood or marriage (disclosure: there's my mom, but my three other readers are only my old friends - my husband doesn't bother, he says he lives it, he doesn't want to read about it!)

But now I have to go to bed & try not to dream of stone penises. Or have the bed made from under me (HA! Fat chance of THAT!)

While I think my wife and I are compatible, most folks on here would scoff at my stating it (if people do in fact still scoff. I have a feeling those among us who are deemed trendsetters would scoff at scoffing.) You see, I have only been in the marriage game since May, but having been single the 43 years before that, I'd say that we're on track for a good run of better than average compatibility. Two things my wife and I already agree on is that when it comes to neatness, I have the upper hand. The other thing we agree on is that it’s pretty unwise for me to idly mention her mess, however large or small.

Which leads me to another married truism. Less is more. Yeah sure that fits comfortably in the old neatness drawer we’ve been rummaging through, but I have also found that saying less in a marriage can save you from more headaches. I mean, how many guys still grimace at the phrase, “Honey we need to talk.” I know I practically palpitate. Pavlov would have loved me.

Maybe it’s because I’m not a butt-in-ski. By the way, does anyone even use that phrase anymore? There was a time when that was one of the worst things you could call someone. In fact, we use to call my younger sister The Queen of Butt-in-skis, and she hated it. In any event, never a borrower, beggar or butt-in-ski be, but there are times when I just can’t help but say the glib line, or crack wise when the occasion warrants. It was perfectly acceptable to blurt out the first thought that flew down the off-ramp when the only thing in the room was a 150lb Rottweiler who farted in his sleep. Damn thing reminded me of my grandfather on Sunday afternoons.

But, when you have a wife, who is a woman, and who is a kind, and caring, and nurturing soul, you must also remember the ‘S-word’ -- that’s right: sensitive. Just last week I threw out some dumb line about a crazy reality show whose premise and writing and acting was sucking the marrow from my bones, and the next thing you know the room has dropped 15 degrees and I’m more hated than the BTK guy in Wichita. I mean, she doesn’t even know those housewives in Atlanta.

So sometimes less is more, and if you too have a tendency to speak first and think later, here’s a little ditty that has helped me:
Marriage is fun,
Don’t let it get staid.
Bite your tongue
If you wanna get laid.

Am I the only one who thinks that "you complete me" is totally nauseating?