Man, it's raining like crazy here today. All the creeks and rivers are flooded well beyond their banks and we're looking at somewhere around 5 to 7 inches of the stuff by the time it's over. Yucky day indeed, but that's life in the Ozarks I suppose.
I shall put away my nefarious tendencies for the day and speak of a subject that's very near and dear to me.
As we approach the Easter weekend, and anxiously await the arrival of our friends, the Edens, on Friday, Sheri and I are fortunate enough to be spending some quality time together in the manner of "Spring Cleaning". I mention Sheri quite a bit, and there are several references to her and her interests on the front page of this very blog. She's not only my wife of almost six years now, but she has become my absolute best friend. I couldn't even imagine not having her to talk to and to run things past. I truly believe that all the experiences this life has to offer would take on a dull and dreary appearance without her by my side.
Not everyone knows how Sheri and I came together. A great many things had to happen first before she and I were to meet, but then that seems to be the case with most couples. Does anyone really grow up knowing all the while who they will eventually meet, fall in love with, and marry? I didn't. Looking back it all seems to make sense on some levels... but at the same time it's a strange sequence of events that led us each to finding each other. Coincidence? I dunno. Let me know what you think.
Back in 1996 I discovered American Online (AOL) while living with my folks in Houston, Texas. I met some people in a "Thirtysomething" chat room and quickly developed a list of friends that I had never met. These were new and exciting times for me as the Internet opened up new worlds and possibilities for me.
I went to AOL gatherings across the country, my first in Harrisburg, PA being my favorite of all of them. I met people from all walks of life and became romantically involved with a few along the way. They never worked out in person as well as they did online, and I eventually met a girl who lived in Richmond, VA. After doing the long distance / online thing for a few months and finding out that we were actually compatible in person, I decided to move to Richmond so we could pursue things in a more normal fashion.
Well, things went well for a while but then that too went by the wayside. Several reasons for the breakup but it was amicable for the most part and I have no regrets. At the very least it got me out of Houston.
So there I was in Richmond, alone and far from my family, and very leery of doing the online thing anymore. I was still chatting with some of the old crowd and certainly not looking for any more romance for a while. I decided that having been single again for a dozen years or so after my first marriage ended, I was better at being alone and in the blissful state of bachelorhood.
Around Labor Day in 1999 however, there was someone in that chat room that I hadn't noticed before and we struck up a conversation. The screen name was "ClozAddict" and I was understandably concerned that this might be someone requiring large amounts of high maintenance, to say the least, so she didn't fall into the "possible romantic suspect" category right away. She mentioned however that she had to go make spaghetti, and of course that got my attention. Never one to shy away from sketti talk, I told her that I should make a pot of sauce for her some day. When she returned, (under the different screen name of Clozwyz), she asked what I was doing and not immediately putting the two names together I responded with something brilliant like "Uh... talking to someone I don't know." After she told me who she was, we talked online for several hours, and then on the phone for a while more. I can't say that it was "love at first sight" for me, but there was something about her that I really liked...
After a few weeks of chatting online and on the phone, we made our plans to meet. I flew to Michigan and I finally got to make that pot of sauce for her. She reciprocated by baking me an apple pie (which was served with generous portions of vanilla ice cream on top) and laughing at me for watching an Andy Griffith Show marathon on television.
We also did the long distance thing between Richmond, VA and Lansing, MI for several months, traveling to the other's location, meeting each other's families, etc... and then began discussing who should move where. I really didn't want to move again and she seemed to want to get out of Michigan so it seemed to be a no-brainer. She would make the move.
She was working for Pendleton Woolen Mills as the store manager there in Lansing and she went to the corporate meetings in Portland, OR and discussed with her superiors about the possibility of relocating to Richmond and was told that they were looking very seriously at Richmond. "That's the number one place we want to open a store." she was told. She then informed them of her desire to open that new store and the wheels were set in motion for the Richmond Pendleton with Sheri as the manager.
I was continuing my work with the courier company I had been working for and enjoyed following the progress of the strip center construction with great interest. When the building was completed and the time had arrived for the move, we began our life together in Richmond in June of 2001.
This was a wonderful time for the two of us and as time went by I felt more and more like the three of us (Sheri, Rebecca, and I) could have a real shot at building a life together. We dated and got to know each other better and better with the passing weeks and months. In December, I bought her a series of gifts and gave them to her for Christmas. The first was a will preparation software package, the second was a stuffed female sheep, the third was the movie "There's something about Mary", and finally a t-shirt that said "It's all about ME. (it's a puzzle)
Ignoring all my warnings of how difficult I could be to live with, she accepted.
We set the wedding date for the following June (2002) and made plans to be married in an informal ceremony wearing Hawaiian clothing in my parents' back yard. Family and a few friends were in attendance for the wedding and it will always be at the top of my list of happiest days in my life. We were married by Bishop Gifford Nielsen under an arch in the back yard with Jessica, Justin, and Rebecca all standing with us. Sheri and I were barefooted as was Rebecca. We had leis flown in from Hawaii and afterwards there was Hawaiian type food galore.
It's been a wild ride for the both of us with ups and downs and twists and turns, but I consider to this day her acceptance of that goofy proposal to be the best thing that's ever happened to me. What a lucky guy I am. I'm looking forward to many years of life together and especially to our retirement when we can sit together on the porch and read to each other and really enjoy each other's company. I do enjoy her now, but life has a tendency to get in the way on most days. So I can be patient because all of the plans I have for the golden years have her prominently in the picture.
That is what helps me stay focused and keeps me a happy, happy man.
I love you Sheri, you'll always be my greatest love.
Until next time...
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