I hate the term “out of pocket.” It got co-opted somewhere along the line — it used to mean paying for something personally, something that was usually a business expense. Now, somehow, it means a bunch of different things, including “away from the office and other responsibilities” or “on vacation and physically separated from my lifeline Blackberry.”

Doesn’t the reverse then imply that you’re in your employer’s pocket most of the time? Blech.

Anyway, G is here for a nice long visit, and I’m feeling on the border of the current definition of out of pocket. We had a fair bit of running around to do right off the bat — I’ve had my classes, we’ve been visiting friends that I haven’t seen since their wedding 10 years ago…that kind of thing.

He’s here, of course, for Shotgun’s wedding. There’s still a bit of running around to do where that’s concerned (if that bridal salon screws up my alterations, I may light someone on fire), but by 3 pm on Friday we’ll be safely ensconced in the wedding hotel and relaxing in the joy of the occasion.

(And then my final papers are due. Might should have started in the fall term after all…)

Last night, I got to play personal shopper — G needed new suits and I was overruled only once for the sake of expediency (shirt/tie combos that match two suits do trump those that match only one). I only got twitchy with the salesman once or twice. We were expecting aggressive selling and that’s what we got, but we’d planned to take advantage of it. After all, I’m no expert in men’s fashion — I have a decent eye, but these guys are trained to match up patterns and colors that scare the bejesus out of me, and they know where everything is, which makes the process go faster.

(But oh, I do hate aggressive salesmanship. If you want me to trust you, don’t tell me everything looks “perfect.” And once we’ve said we’re interested in Suit X and Suit Y, do not hand us Suit Z for fitting.)

For the most part, though, this trip is very much a day-in-the-life experiment. I still need to work and attend classes and do homework and worry about the estate and fart when I eat too much edamame. This is less of a vacation for me than a hazy preview of what our life will look like eventually…how We work in the long term. G’s learning that I store glasses right side up instead of upside down (which is a switch for me, but makes more sense in my cabinets). I’m watching Red Vs. Blue, he’s trying my teriyaki salmon and my quesadillas dipped in pizza sauce. (Why are boys such picky eaters?)

We have not yet discussed the direction in which toilet paper rolls best.

For all the history we have, though, today is the first time, ever, that I’ve gotten an email from G noting some things to add to the grocery list. Which made me smile.

Sure, this isn’t a dress rehearsal (you can’t have that ’til you know when the show will open). There’s no puppy waiting to be walked, no parents or (nonfurry) kids needing time or attention… We face certain challenges as a couple, though. They’re not exactly unique, but they do take some special maneuvering, as well as practice and patience…and a lot of openness that I don’t think we were ready for when we were younger.

If this summer is any indication, I think we’re doing all right so far.