THE STORY OF US

23 YEARS AGO (!!!) this month, a chance meeting turned into something a bit more long term, ha.

In February of 1999, I went to a friend's birthday party at a restaurant.  There were about a dozen people there, all friends of friends and after dinner, we all went to a piano bar.  I really hit it off with one of the guys that was there.  We talked about so many things and had so many things in common.  We talked forever (much to the exclusion of mutual friends, ha) and at the end of the night, went our separate ways, forgetting to exchange numbers or contact info.

I asked my friend for more info about the person I had been talking to & he said "oh I think he lives in California and comes into Houston on occasion".  Oh well, I didn't give it much of a second thought.

Flash forward to July of that year.

The internet was still a relatively new thing. We certainly had no smartphones with dating apps like in recent years but there was a national LGBT magazine that had an online version and there were personals ads, like ads used to be in papers and such.  The "I like cats, enjoy cooking, reading, looking for someone to share adventures with, hiking, biking, blah blah...etc" ads like they used to be.  I looked online and only one caught my eye, so I replied.

He replied back to me and we set a time to call.  When we introduced ourselves on the phone, we realized "WAIT, were you at K's birthday party?"  Sure enough, almost six months later, we had randomly met up again, thanks to the new fangled thing called the internet. 

Turns out he did live in Houston, born and raised here, and only worked in San Francisco.  He would fly out on Monday morning, sometimes Sunday night, and work the week in SF, then fly back to Houston for the weekend.  That was just the nature of the contract job he was working at the time.

We made plans to meet in August when he got back into town and had some free time.  We went to dinner at a new (at the time) restaurant.  It was just as it was at the birthday party, we talked forever and had a great time.

He continued commuting for a few more months.  One time, he used his frequent flyer miles to fly me out to SF, first class.  It was my first time to ever fly first class and since this was pre-9/11, they went ALL out.  I chatted with the pilots while the cockpit door was open at times, there were warm mixed nuts in crystal bowls, free flowing wine (might have had a bit much on the trip out, ha), amazing food served on china.  I remember on the return flight, I was dozing off and the flight attendant leaned in and said we were approaching Houston, and did I want a warm chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk while landing?  Um, yes! ha!

After that, we dated, long distance and in person, eventually moving in together and we've been together ever since.

We have always used that first dinner date in August as our anniversary day and when we could finally (and legally) get married a few years ago, and we told our story to the Judge's office, they rearranged some things so we could have our ceremony ON the same date.  It worked out perfectly.

We've had great fun and been on adventures to other places, moved a few times and had the highest of highs and we've had loss that we never imagined (losing my parents 5 years apart).  We've added kitties to our family and of course have lost two of them.  We've changed jobs and bought and sold cars.  And now we have the farm/land and are currently making our final plans for our retirement out there.

We both love the movie Titanic and always quote this scene.  We may look a little different 20+ years on, but that's life and we wouldn't change a thing.  So there you have it...the story of 1st Man and 2nd Man...a book that is still being written.