More is More

Yes!  He finally called and 20 years ago today I was positively giddy over our 2nd First Date last night. 

For those of you have hung in over the past two weeks – thanks – it’s been fun to have you along for the ride.  For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ll want to start with my post on March 11th and read in order from there.  Last night we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of our 2nd First Date (we’ve always called it that since our first date was a double date and a blind date – it was the 2nd date that was really the start of everything.)  Last night wasn’t quite as poetic as the celebration of our 20th Blind Date-iversary two weeks ago since Curt is just getting over the flu and the restaurant we originally ate in recently closed.  Despite all that it was a special evening to reminisce and laugh a lot and realize how lucky and how glad I am that he did finally call!

And this time I was interested – very interested.  I wasn’t going on this date without a new outfit.  1989.  Remember shopping at The Limited?  Oh how I loved The Limited!  Black leggings, black mock turtle neck and a teal jacket with shoulder pads (the same color as the top I wore last night).  I was a skin-and-bones size 8.  My best friend Ruth lent me silver jewelry.  Long red hair curled with hot rollers – Caruso steam rollers to be exact! Uh-huh….I was pretty hot if I do say so myslef.  LOL!

On that night 20 years ago he picked me up and we drove down to Long Beach Marina along Ocean Blvd in his brand new red convertible Chrysler LeBaron.  He gave me a cute little blue stuffed animal that his friends’ son had won in a machine in a pizza parlor and had told Curt to give to me.  (Apparantly his friends were excited about the date too – LOL)  I thought that was so sweet and so cute!  The restaurant we were going to was Simon & Seafort’s, so I named the little guy Simon.  I still have him…somewhere.  I desperately searched for him yesterday to take him to dinner last night (goofy I know) and almost had a melt-down when I couldn’t find him.  I found lots of other stuff in the process, but not Simon.  I know he’s here somewhere!

That night when we got to restaurant and pulled in the parking structure, Curt took the ticket from the little machine and promptly lost it into the dashboard of his car.  No kidding – gone.  We never found it in all the years we owned that car and that night he had to just pay the maximum. The restaurant was across the water from the Queen Mary with a gorgeous view of the harbor. 

Curt always gives me a hard time about the fact that I reached over and took food off his plate without asking.  He thought it was weird.  I just tell him that I wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t like him so much!  LOL!  It was a habit I had…er…have.  Last night we went to another seafood restaurant in that same area with a view of the Queen Mary as you see in this photo.

That night after dinner we headed over to the Queen Mary to hang out in the Observation Lounge and listen to a 1940’s group called The Goils.  We walked around the ship and looked in the windows of all the closed up shops.  In one window I pointed out a beautiful glass rose which Curt later went back to the Queen Mary (during the Long Beach Grand Prix when all the streest are blocked no less) and bought to give me at my house warming party just a week or two later.  That night it was already dark when we got to the beach area, but last night we were able to enjoy the incredible sunset.

We had our first kiss that night and really we were a couple from that evening forward.  Marcia and Bill (who fixed us up) later told us they knew we would never break up because we are both a couple of “clip-on bears” (remember those little clip-on bears?  All my friends called me that because I was such a hugger!) AND because we were both people who got broken up with, but rarely did the breaking up (sad, huh?)  So they figured we’d be stuck with each other.  *snort*

Seeing each other was a little tough since Curt worked regular engineer day hours and I worked crazy dance studio night hours, but we managed.  We spent all of our weekend time together and Curt would usually stay up waaaaay late one night a week to see me after work – as in I rushed out and got home by 10:30 pm when he was normally asleep before 10.

Two years after we met, on Good Friday we got engaged.  I had helped to pick out the ring (you don’t think I’m the type to leave that to chance, do you?) so I knew the question was coming soon.  He wanted to plan some big romantic event, but I got impatient…very very impatient (hey I was 29!) and kind of forced his hand…wanting to show off my ring at a gathering we were having at my house after church service that night.  We got married in November.  I can honestly say that 1991 was the best year of my life!

I’m so thankful for a man who loves me so much, who has stuck with me through the good, the bad and the ugly (and there’s been plenty of all 3) and who still makes me laugh every single day!  If you haven’t guessed – he’s a keeper!

***I love you Sweetheart and I’m confident that the next 20 years will be even better than the last 20 years!!***

-Jami

PS  All that being said…no…he will NEVER live down not calling me for those first 10 days!  LOL!!!