When you grow up in a small town, you tend to know EVERYONE!!

As a female, chances are that growing up on that small town you have either dated, are STRICTLY just friends with, or just flat out know "NOT TO GO THERE" with the entire male population of that town!!!

And when your chances of finding "Mr. Right" or someone that doesn't know you from the 1st grade are slim to none -because you don't get out much or don't even have time to think about getting out much- you get the BRILLIANT idea to turn to modern technology.

 

Which is exactly what this girl did!!!

After one failed attempt at said technology- yahoo personals, to be exact- I was convinced by my dear cousin to give it one more whirl!

Which I did! And luckily,  one certain individual caught my attention! And lucky for me,  he took the bait from my first message -actually, I think it was referred to as a "wink" at the time.

Before I dive deeper into OUR story.....

I must say, as a person who used the internet to find a potential love interest, it is quite stressful! Its like your selling yourself......IMAGE FIRST!!! If they don't like that one profile picture, your done.....DELETED!!! REJECTED!!!! online dating -well 7 years ago- is not like walking into a bar, social gathering or your hometown church, catching the eyes of the stud across the room and living happily-ever-after! Online dating is(was) a few short sentences of what YOU THOUGHT best described you and the BEST snap shot photo you could possibly find! THAT'S IT!!!!! That's all you have to convince the opposite sex that your worth their "email". And to top it off,  online dating doesn't allow you those first essential moments that you gut tells you to "RRRRRUUUUUUNNNNNN" because this guy is a stalker, psychopath! !! But then again, sometimes, online dating works....and works well :)

And that's exactly what happened....on October 21st, 2005, G caught my eye...well, technically his profile picture did and I sent my first "wink". Sweaty palms and all!!!

The next day I waited patiently or impatiently, whichever you prefer, for his response. Wondering if I had been rejected! DELETED!!! Ignored!! And just when I thought I was going to die of anticipation, I checked my yahoo messages.....ONE MORE TIME!! And there it was!! His REPLY!!! Complete with his actual email address!

I guess we spent a few days of emailing back and forth....casually talking. Confessing the normal junk like, where we worked,  what we did for fun, our favorite music...that kind of thing, you know, testing the waters to make sure he was a crazy person!!

Actually, G was quite to opposite. He was funny and had a way with his words and made talking(emailing) to him very easy! I remember literally laughing out loud at times. He made me excited and wanting to find out more. 

Then it came.....an email that contained his digits and hinted at "getting together" later that weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!! I instantly panicked!!! What would I say???? What the hell was I going to wear???? I finally calmed down long enough to make that dreaded FIRST call!

I remember being so completely nervous as I listened to each ring, but yet so excited about the potential I felt for this guy through just a few emails!

Deciding NOT to let this, still practically a stranger to me, man know where I lived.....we settled on a half way point between his town and mine at a Mexican Restaurant, San Pedro's.

October 25th, 2005 roller around and it was date day!

I REMEMBER.......

*Being nervous the whole drive there! Probably biting off all fingernails!
*Thinking of a covert get-away tactic if he, in fact, was CRAZY!!!
*Excited to finally meet the funny man behind the emails.
*Thinking he had GREAT arms and an easing smile.
*Being impressed that he actually ironed his shirt.
*NOT being nervous anymore after only a few minutes into dinner.
*G making me laugh the ENTIRE evening!!!
*How easily the conversation flowed. I don't think there was ever an awkward silence.
*How we were one if the last to leave to restaurant! !! Yep, we talked for HOURS!
*Being sad that the evening had to end :(
*That I TOTALLY wanted that first kiss. Which happened (PG style) ....eventually -G was SUPER nervous, I could tell- after LOTS of small talk by the car!!

FIRST DATE = SUCCESS!!

So, he wasn't a stalker, psychopath at all!!! He was charming and shy, yet confident and witty!

It was perfect!!!

And I was hooked! I think he might have be too though, because every day since has been spent together, hand in hand!!

And because what is a blog without pictures.....
(a little walk down memory lane)


 (first Thanksgiving 2005)

(Thanksgiving at G's family, 2005)
(in our first apartment together)
(back at San Pedro's for our 1 year anniversary, 2006)