A hundred dollars, sweatpants & a fleeting touch...

...how we met

In the spirit of Valentine's Day...Maybe you've already heard this story, but I do love to tell it.

When asked how Jason and I first met, I usually start with a story about a party sponsored by the organization we both worked for at the time. However, we never actually met that night, I just admired him from afar. You see I had dropped in on a party with all intentions of saying hello to a few friends and then leaving for bigger and better things, little did I know how my plans and my life would change as a result...

Upon arriving at the party, I won a $100 cash door prize! It was my lucky night in more ways than one. Not wanting to take the cash and dash, I convinced my companion to stay a while longer, besides the DJ was awesome and the dance floor was calling my name. It was sometime early in the night that I noticed a tall, handsome fella in a blue visor holding up the wall. He never moved from that spot but the girls sure did flock to him. I'd never seen him before but didn't dare let on to our co-workers that I was intrigued.

A few days later back at work, I inquired about him to a friend at work. "Who was that guy in the black shirt wearing the blue visor, standing up near the stage all night?" Within a week or two she had it all figured out and summoned me over to meet her friend Jason at a little Friday afternoon get-together. So I took the bait. When I arrived, Jason and I were introduced, he shook my hand and then disappeared. After making small talk with everyone else there, feeling a little let down, I used homework as an excuse and made my way home.

The next week, my friend invited me to Relay for Life in Starke, it was February and the weather was much like it has been this past weekend, so I promptly told her no! She said, "but Jason wanted me to ask you to come." Well of course, on my lunch break I went to Wal-mart in search of some cute sweatpants and was Relay bound. Well, this time, Jason did at least talk to me, but he gave me very little hopes about his interest in me. Again using homework as my escape, I left, but this time, I left him with a fleeting touch, Oprah said that would show my interest. (As if I didn't already look desperate!)

Back to work the next week and a girl in the office next door came over to ask for my phone number. She said Jason wanted it, of course I gave it to her. A full week and weekend went by and he never called. I started to think it was some kind of joke they were all playing on me.

Finally, the following Monday, March 1st, 2004, he called me!! We talked every single day for the next 4 days, but he never asked to see me. Finally on Thursday, he asked if he could take me to dinner. Finally!!

Our first date was Friday, March 5th. I remember every detail, but won't bore you with what he wore, what I wore, what we ordered for dinner at Applebee's, or what we talked about. We were pretty much inseparable from that day forward. My birthday was 4 days later and I've always said he was my birthday gift from God. We married 9 months later and I love him more today than ever...it was love at first sight!