Recent developments have all but forced my wife and me to take deep, hard looks at ourselves, both individually and couple-y.

We knew from the beginning of our relationship 12 years ago that we are more different than alike. I'm pretty much a raging liberal and she's a staunch conservative. I'm a debatable artistic type, she's an unquestionably analytical type.

Give her $100, and she'll come back with stuff valued at $350 retail, a receipt, and change enough for dinner. Give me $100, and I'll manage to spend $150 and come home all but empty handed.

She's Type A. I'm Type Zzzzzzz.

An objective third party once described her as a "What If" person who plans for every contingency, which makes her very good at her job as a certified project management professional — congratulations, sweetie — who deals with flow charts and such. I was described as a "So What" laggard who kinda just rolls with the changes.

Thank you, REO Speedwagon.