Back to Our Roots (10-14-11)

We're trying to soak up every last minute of nice weather so we took advantage of the sunshine and started our date off with a walk.

Actually, we really started our date off by dealing with a...tiny...water valve unplugging issue while trying to turn off our sprinklers for the winter. Let's just say we flooded the neighbor's lawn, water was spraying everywhere, Jeff's hands were bruised and we had to make a quick call to the city maintenance man. It was a bonding experience -- perfect for date night.

The walk helped dry us off.

And then after Eli was snug in bed, we whipped out the Monopoly board for the first time in three years. Monopoly has been the biggest source of conflict in our marriage. After a few tense games at the beginning of our marriage, we shoved it to the back of the game closet and silently vowed to never touch it again.

But we figured we're so much more mature now. And less competitive. Surely we could handle the stresses of a game of Monopoly now.

But once I got a little money in my hands, I was back to my old greedy ways.

We have some major pet peeves with each other and our Monopoly strategies. Jeff builds up hotels in the blink of an eye. And he NEVER lands on my properties after I get houses on them. I won't make a deal unless I'm getting the very obvious better end of the deal. Jeff will do anything for Boardwalk and I'll do anything for those worthless railroads. I don't know why I love them so much. All my old first married Monopoly memories came back very quickly.

After a deal Jeff was slightly hesitant about, we traded properties and got Bankruptcy Alley going.

Despite our pet peeves, we played nice.

The game went back and forth for a while, leaving each of us hungry for the win. Just as we were both sick of rolling those die and praying we'd skip all the hotels on the board, Jeff landed on my most expensive property and solemnly calculated his losses. Game over.

Yay for me.

Eli was a cute sleeping baby in his new P.J.s the whole time. Is it just me or does his head look really flat in this picture?

Monopoly night was a success. I'm glad we dared to dust it off and give it another go.

Sarah High - Winning the game and watching Jeff try to scrounge up enough money to pay me.
Sarah Low - Jeff landed on all the railroads first and bought every one of them. I had to pay $200 whenever I landed on a railroad by my second time around the board.

Jeff High - Going on a walk.
Jeff Low - I won't make a fair deal.