I was completely floored when I logged on to MySpace today to do the typical mindless browsing when I came across something that made me whack my boyfriend in the back of the head and say, “Hey, how come you don’t do anything like this for me anymore?”

An old friend of mine posted a picture of 20 cutout paper hearts that her boyfriend had strewn across the apartment for her to find. Some of the messages included ‘You have the cutest smile’ and ‘You make everything better’.  (All together now: Awwww.)

Surely, they are still in that puppy love phase. (Cynicism you say? Bah! OK, maybe...) They certainly haven’t been living together for years. Things like that stop after time, right?

Most of us would refer to it as the “Comfort Zone". That's Y-1 on the grid, or Year One-ish. 

I have now shacked up with my significant other (S.O.) now for about two years. I would say the first year or so was great. We had many fancy dinners, movie nights and the cheesy ‘I’m thinking of you’ notes – it was all hunky dory.

Then slowly, we evolved into that couple bickering about whose TV shows should take priority. The sweet nothings soon faded away and were replaced with dialogue similar to, but certainly not limited to:

· “Oh, you want me to close the bathroom door? But I’ll just be a minute…”

· “Pants? I don’t need to wear those anymore between the hours of 4 PM and 7 AM. What’s the point?”

· “Why go out when we can pop DiGiorno’s in the oven? No? But hun, it's three meat!”

· 1 PM Sunday: “Shower? Nah, not today. Maybe on Monday. I’m about to conquer the criminal underworld in Grand Theft Auto.”

Some of those may be a little exaggerated, but you get the point. I can’t put all the blame on him, as I too am in the “Comfort Zone.” I’ll admit, over time I opt more for an “au natural” look and sit right on the couch next to him sporting my team building exercise shirt from '99. (If you don't get that reference you need to watch more of these guys.) 

After talking with some friends, they agreed that most of the romantic hoopla came to a screeching halt after a couple years of dating and/or the one-year mark of living together. Sure there are a few romantic gestures here and there, but the longer a relationship the more spaced out they seem to become.

I was going to leave you with some links to romantic ideas, but they all seem so generic. Who needs mainstream ideas anyway? Get your own! Or let’s pool them and see what the ToastedRav community is made of.

Any Casanova’s in the bunch? Ladies, any sweet stories?