Defining "high maintenance"

Let me set the story of  how this discussion began: I was having a little chat with a good friend of mine (male friend) who has been dating the same girl for about 2-3 years.  They are in a committed relationship, live together, and so on.  She has a son and he has taken on the parenting role for the son though he has no children of his own.  He contacted me in a tizzy, saying that she was "acting all crazy" and "being high maintenance."  I asked him to explain.  His explanation was that she was asking him to define where their relationship was headed.  She wanted to know if he ever intended to get married and wanted to at least go LOOK at rings so he would know what she liked.  He confronted her about forcing him into something and she got protective and said that he had known from the start that she wanted to get married someday and that they'd been together for awhile.  She simply wanted him to consider getting engaged even if a wedding was 2-3 years off.  He essentially freaked out and contacted me....and then went on to tell me that she was high maintenance because A)She wanted to cuddle every night. B)She wanted him to contribute to the household bills and didn't give him enough "play money."  C) She wanted him to contribute to the housework instead of leaving his stuff everywhere. D) She texted him more than 5X a day sometimes.  Needless to say my definition of high maintenance is much different than his.
With that being said, I'm going to define what I think is high maintenance in a relationship....
1.  Expecting for your significant other to be at your beck and call 24/7.  What I'm talking about is the women (and men, for that matter) that expect their lover to leave work early to watch them get their nails done...or hang out with a whole group of girls (no other guys allowed) just because she doesn't want to go alone. 
2.  She demands that he hands over his paycheck...the entire thing.  In most relationships, there is a more frugal one and a more impulsive spender.  IF he's an impulsive spender, there's nothing wrong with asking for a large portion of his paycheck not only to pay the bills but also to give him more cash when he runs out because he spends all of his "play money."  Asking him to contribute to shared household expenses or shared savings is not being high maintenance...it's being an adult.
3.  She makes him give up his hobbies for her.  Sometimes people do this out of love for each other, not request which is fine.  If she MAKES him give up his hobbies (i.e. video games, sports, etc), that's entirely different.
4.  She demands a ring or a baby (or something similarly major) after only a few months of dating.  THEN she demands a huge ring or top of the line $200,000 wedding.  If you have to take out a loan in order to keep her happy, she's high maintenance.
5.  She makes you give up your furniture, pet, etc.  This should be a red flag.  If you have to give up all of your belongings because they don't suit her style, she's high maintenance...run, run now.  (The exception to the pet rule is allergy)
6.  She makes you change your wardrobe, haircut, etc.  There's a reason she fell for you and physical attraction was  part of that.  Your body is still your own and if she demands or heavily hints at you needing to change your wardrobe, haircut, etc, she's high maintenance....REALLY high maintenance.
I guess my point is that there are alot of different definitions of "high maintenance" but what it comes down to is this: she can't force you to give things up, change, or expect you to be someone you're not.

Dreams...and Life

"Dream as if you'll live forever.  Live as if you'll die today." ~James Dean. 

I honestly feel a little bit bad sometimes for how much I dream and visualize.  There is a part of me that feels guilty because I don't want to seem ungrateful for every opportunity, every blessing that I have.  I am truly thankful and I thank God every single day for my blessings.  I am humbled and I try to take the best care of my blessings that I can.
With that being said, I am a dreamer.  I love to visualize that next step.  I think that's why I love this quote so much.  It combines two amazing concepts.  It says that it's okay to dream and think about the future, the long term.  It's also okay to remember that you live in the moment and that those dreams are a great goal but not necessarily the reality of the moment.
And THAT is my nugget for the moment.