Is this a rut?

This week's nightlife column is about one of dating's most dreaded labels: the relationship rut.

It's funny how something that began as a comfy tradition can quickly transform into evidence of romantic monotony.

It happens often: One partner interprets Saturday movie night as a cool weekend ritual, while the other person thinks it's a sign you're destined to become "the boring couple."

But in many cases, the only thing worse than a rut is other people's advice for getting out of a rut.

I always laugh at the women's magazines that advise couples to escape rut world with something like cooking a nine-course meal together or redecorating your home in a 60-minute period.

Seriously. Who does that?

Desperately scrambling to vary your routine often yields an unexpected lesson: realizing that your rut wasn't really a rut after all.