Anniversary Adventures

One year ago (yesterday), Shan and I met. Crazy.

We went on what started out as a typical first date. I picked her up for dinner, and we went out to a semi-fancy tapas restaurant downtown. We drank sangria, ate interesting food, and played the get-to-know you game. What’s your favorite movie? How many siblings? What is your job like? But I don’t remember what questions were really asked, or how she answered them. I remember watching her walk away to the bathroom. I remember her eye contact when she talked to me. I remember her spilling her water…twice (and being glad/surprised it wasn’t me).

After dinner, we thought we’d get a drink at a local bar. But the roads were sloppy, and the bars were busy, so we couldn’t find a parking spot. This is where the date started becoming truly memorable. We decided to drive for a little while, and ended up an hour away from home. We actually only turned around when we hit water. My most vivid memory from this part of the date is Shannon’s Monster Eye acting up, and watching her take her contacts out on the highway. Shortly after that, we also had to pull into a McDonald’s so she could pee. When this didn’t bother me, I think I knew she was the one for me.

After the road tour, we arrived back at Shannon’s apartment. This is where I thought the date might end. We sat in my car for a minute, and then I decided to walk her to her door. I figured I might be brave enough to try for a kiss goodnight, but the date would have been a success either way. Instead, Shannon invited me up, and we spent another five hours talking on her couch. I started to get my shoes on to leave when the conversation died down. Mid-lace-tie Shannon matter-of-factly said I should I probably kiss her now. That was how we ended up kissing on her couch, with one shoe on. She was so brave to come right out with it, and I admired her confidence right away.

Eventually, we went to bed. We slept in the same bed after our first date (don’t worry…all we did was sleep) and Shannon called in sick to work a few hours later. We got up the next morning, ate cereal, and watched a movie on the couch. Finally, somewhere around the 19-hour mark, our first date ended, we said goodbye, made a date for the next day, and I went home to get ready for work.

So that was our first date. It’s definitely the only first date that I remember that vividly.

Tonight, one year and a day after our first, we have a date at the same tapas restaurant. I think we’ll skip the 2-hour drive since Shannon has to do that all week now, but I hope the rest of the evening is just as much fun as last time. If she spills her water again I might just marry her this weekend. But then again, it’s probably my turn to spill my water.

Ain’t love grand?