Today is our 10 year anniversary.
We met on this day in 1996 at a Barnes & Noble in Houston. We browsed for books briefly and then drank some coffee next door. I remember thinking he was very cute, a snazzy dresser and very funny. It started snowing while we were there (which never happens in Houston) and he did his impression of Jimmy Stewart from It's A Wonderful Life. "Merry Christmas Barnes and Noble!"
It was a short date, but it was awesome. I knew that I already wanted to hang out with him again. We clicked so well. After he walked me to his car, he invited me to a party the following Sunday or Monday(?).
Then he surprised me by calling on Saturday and invited me to hang out with him while he did some Christmas shopping. I didn't hesitate to accept.
We decided to see Beavis and Butthead Do America first. We both loved it of course. He told me much later that he knew I was the right kind of girl for him because I enjoyed the movie so much.
Then we shopped, talked and laughed a lot. When he was done shopping, we weren't ready for the date to end. So he invited me back to his place. This time I was a little hesitant, as I should have been. Hell, we met on the internet and only had one date! He told me he played the piano and asked if I'd like to hear him play. Heh. I knew what was cooking in his mind. Of course, I was thinking the same thing. My intuition told me it was safe to go. :-)
When we got to his apartment, I was impressed with how tidy it was. Then I noticed how clean his bathroom was. I figured he was either sneaky and cleaned before I got there because he knew I might come over or he was just tidy. As I got to know him more, I realized he was just tidy. Another plus! And then I found out he could cook! And not just spaghetti! CHA-CHING! I ain't no rocket scientist, but I knew he was worth getting to know even more.
While he was in the bathroom, I browsed his music collection. As I was doing that a tiny voice in the back of my mind whispered "You're going to marry this guy". That freaked me out. I had heard of people saying that they "just knew" when they met that they would be together, but I didn't think it was really true.
I didn't tell him that though. I'm not an idiot. He would have kicked me outta there faster than something that gets kicked out of something very fast. I just blew it off as some crazy thing. I am known to be crazy after all.
He didn't have a sofa so we laid on the floor with a cushion to prop us up and watched TV. We discovered that we liked to make fun of the same things. Then he asked if he could kiss me. I wanted to, but I didn't want to be too easy. I said okay, but it had to be just one tiny kiss. No tongue. Hah! I believe our make out session lasted a few hours, but it really felt like time stood still. Don't worry, I won't go into more details. ;-)
I hate to be cliche, but it was a whirlwind romance. We spent a lot of days and nights together after that. Then I moved in with him and, as they say, the rest is history.
We have had a long and bumpy rollercoaster ride together, but Joe, I love you as much as I loved you then. More even! You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I am looking forward to spending MANY more years together. I love you more than the size of the universe (including the Marvel and DC universes). You are my lobster and my best friend. :-)