On this day I married my best friend….

Fifteen years ago today, I married the love of my life, my best friend.  Most everyone knows how we met, but for those of you just joining us here is our love story, Angie style.

In September 1991 I was living in San Diego and I joined a 32 line BBS called San Diego Connection (for those of you reading under the age of 20, that is Bulletin Board System, you know before the Internet WAS. Hard to believe, I know). Anyway, we were both members there and talked to lots of people before meeting each other. We most often would gather in a "room" and play Trivia with a group of people. In between questions, we would /p (private chat) each other. We seemed to hit it off fairly quickly and after a couple of months, decided to put faces to names and meet up one week.

I was nervous about meeting Jon. He was funny and witty online and I was intrigued by his Military career. I was taking a shower the night of the "meet", and the water in our building went out. You know those movies when someone is washing their hair and the water is cut off and they are left in the shower with soap in their hair and eyes? Yeah well, that was me. I wrapped my hair in a towel, soap and all, got dressed and went to my Mom’s office to use the sink in the bathroom there. Her office was my only source of computer time when I talked to Jon. Often I would go home after work, pack a brown sack lunch and go to the "Office" to chat and eat. After I washed my hair of the soap, I finished with my primping and headed over to the bar. I of course was very late, almost an hour I think. No cell phones or texting at this point, just waiting to see if someone shows or not. Luckily he stuck around long enough for me to get there. I sat at the bar with friend (drank a diet coke because I was not even 21 yet!) and waited. About 5 minutes later, Jon walked up to me and introduced himself. I apologized over and over and told him about my hair and why I was late. He listened and smiled and then he said, "I have to be to work really early in the morning and I have Duty tomorrow as well, so I have to go." And with that, we said our goodbyes, and he left. I don’t think he was there more than 10 minutes after I got there.
I thought for sure he was unimpressed with me and my tardiness and for goodness sake, I was wearing a black and white and red color blocked shirt that buttoned at the collar with black pants. It couldn’t have been more Kid N Play 1990 pseudo Hip-Hop than that! I shudder to think just how awful that looked. Oy.

I guess I impressed him enough that he asked me out on a real date after the New Year. He was away from the BBS for a couple of weeks and I was dating someone else briefly during the Holidays. He was up in Oregon for Christmas, while I spent time with a jerk that stood me up on New Year’s Eve, who I promptly dumped that night.

Jon asked me out to the movies. We planned on seeing JFK at Horton Plaza, Downtown SD. I even went out and bought myself some new threads for the date. Again I shudder at my choice. Was I trying to impress him?? Did I want a second date? By my choice, one would think HELL no! I wore a Purple and Fuchsia Tye-Dye shirt and matching fuchsia SWEAT pants. What was I thinking?? I know it was January 25, so it was chilly, it is California and all that, but sweat pants? I think I even had a leather jacket on as well. Jon wasn’t exactly in a tux either. He had on boat shoes, jeans, and a blue and yellow windbreaker with a t-shirt on underneath. We were both stylin’! And I in true Angie fashion, I was late. I started out great, plenty of time for the buying of the tickets, popcorn, drinks, and finding seats. Then I got lost. Downtown San Diego is a maze of one way streets and if you are not careful, you’ll end up in the industrial district near the convention center and no way to get back to where you need to be. Read: no cellphones or OnStar or Google Maps. I realized once I got there, that I drove past it several times, but there was construction going on around the entrance I was supposed to use, so I kept driving past it.

We missed our movie, so we decided to hang out and catch the next one, 3 hours later. We sat and talked for about an hour, asking each other questions, and enjoying great conversation. It was like I had known him forever and we picked up right where we left off before. My insides were going gooey and we hadn’t even finished our date yet! My gooey insides were getting hungry, so we walked around some looking for a place to grab a bite.  As we neared the end of the mall area, he grabbed my hand and we walked. It felt comfortable and right. I hoped he could be the one. Then we went to Taco Bell. The End.

Just kidding, it wasn’t the end. In fact, it was just the beginning! Jon stepped up to order and when he was finished, he paid. At first I was surprised that he didn’t pay for my dinner after all, he did ask me out. He didn’t buy my movie ticket either and I have since forgiven him for his blunder. Years later I discovered he wasn’t being a jerk, he was just broke. Good thing my Mom suggested I take $50 dollars with me that night! Turns out because we stayed so long to catch the movie, Jon almost didn’t make it out of the parking garage! He was 3 bucks short, but a kind person let him pass. It was probably because he or she saw the stars in his eyes after having just kissed his future wife.

Speaking of kisses. That night, not only did we decide we liked each other a lot, but when he asked to kiss me goodnight, (he asked! Most guys don’t, so I knew I had a winner here…) it was tender and sweet and made my toes curl. I knew this could go somewhere. A girl just knows.

The next day Jon called to ask me over to watch the superbowl game. I don’t watch football, but I wanted to see him again, so I agreed. I don’t remember who won the game, but I do know who won my heart. We have been together ever since and I am so glad I met him late that night. It was meant to be!

One year and 3 months later, Jon just having returned from a 6 month deployment, proposed to me at Seaport Village, just down the street from our apartment. He actually proposed via email one night after I got home from work, and I printed it out, but the dot matrix printer it was printed from has long since faded and become unreadable. I of course replied yes to the email that changed my life. I made him propose on one knee on the water soon after…the proper way!

Thank you honey for more than 15 years of happiness and unconditional love. I can’t wait for what the next 15 years will bring. I love you. Happy Anniversary.