I don't know how many people celebrate their first date anniversary, but we do. Mainly because our first date was on Colin's birthday 9 years ago, so it's easy for him to remember! :) Before we got married, my sister in law asked both of us to write down our account of what happened on our first date, and she read them at my bridal shower and we compared how close they were to each other. I don't have a copy of my version, but I do have a copy of Colin's so I will share that here. It's mostly true. :)
Our First Date
By the Groom
Wednesday, October 2nd, 2002 was the most exciting day of my life and a day that would change my life forever. It was the day I met my true love and had the best birthday ever.
I was highly anticipating my first date with Heidi. I knew from our many, many hours of conversations, emails, and chatting that we were going to have a good time, but the nervousness still existed for how she'd feel about me in person.
After many hours of online debates I finally decided to make reservations for the stage production of Beauty and the Beast. I had told Heidi early on I was a very cultural person who enjoyed "the arts". So I figured I'd show her how cultural I was. Although I had only been to one other broadway play in my life. Ha-hah.
I got off work at about 3:30pm on that Wednesday and went home and had a shower and changed. I made myself look Seattle presentable, which were jeans and a dress shirt. A blue dress shirt I believe. But what I was wearing is inconsequential to this story, because you see "I look goooooooood in anything".
4:30pm was the expected time of her arrival. At 4pm I made final preparations and then I heard the "ring, ring, ring" of the telephone. “Could she be ditching me on my birthday”, I thought as I answered the phone. It was Heidi. She was lost. My simple driving directions to my house (which included complete descriptions and landmarks) were somehow misinterpreted and she drove off into the middle of Issaquah instead of Sammamish. But I got her straightened out and she was back on her way.
We talked as she drove and then she pulled into my apartment complex. I grabbed my wallet, the tickets; a few maps to and from Seattle (because I prefer to be prepared than lost) and a red rose for Heidi and headed out the door. I met her at the front of my complex and gave her a big hug and presented her with the rose. She was wearing beige slacks and a flowered blouse. But who cares, because she looks beautiful in anything!!!!!!!!!
She had bought me a birthday present! Between the gift and the fact I forgot my leather jacket, we decided to head into my place to see what she got me.
I unwrapped the gift and found the book “The Bourne Identity” and the DVD “So I Married an Axe Murderer”. Looking back on it, could she have bought the DVD as a method of foreshadowing? We’ll see!!!! Ha-hah. I was amazed how generous and thoughtful Heidi was for getting something for me on our first date.
I showed Heidi around my small 700 sq.ft. apartment, when she noticed my DVD collection. She was looking over the DVD’s and then started to laugh and said “are these alphabetized?” I got bright red and replied, “well, yeah, of course, I said I was a geek!” She just laughed some more and smiled. So now I thought I was surely out, because she thought I was a dork.
We decided to leave about 5pm. I opened the door to my Subaru for her and we were on our way. We had to drive into Seattle and park and find a place to eat. I had printed up maps to and from the theatre, and of restaurants around the theatre. Heidi asked me “why did you print up so many maps?” I told her “I don’t want to get lost on our first date!”. She just laughed. I knew I was a goner now. I thought “she must think I’m the biggest dork on the planet!”
We found a parking spot in a pay lot about two blocks north of the theatre and walked over to it. I asked her what she’d like to eat, and she said “it’s your birthday, you choose.” So despite a good healthy convincing I succumbed to deciding where to eat. We went to this Italian joint about 3 blocks west of the theatre. As we were walking I was on the left, she was on the right. We were talking and then jokingly as we were crossing the street I made some comment that she took seriously and then I thought “that’s it, I have no chance of a second date now”. (The comment I’ll reserve for Heidi to tell you, but in my judgment it was a pretty funny comment at the time. --- but see Men are from Mars, and who knows where women are from? Just kidding!!!)
At the restaurant we got a table and sat down. Heidi ordered spaghetti with red marinara and a Pepsi and I ordered a shelled pasta with a sausage marinara and a chianti. The meals were good, but as I told her “it will take a pretty good Italian meal to beat the one I had in Little Italy in NYC!”. Our conversations throughout dinner included Pepsi vs. Coke (Coke is better!), the Duke Blue Devils, travel, Movies, Music, and of course family.
We were then off to the theatre. We walked and talked back to the theatre. We had lower tier seats at the very back of the theatre. Pretty bad seats, and the theatre seemed to lack temperature control, because it was very hot in there. The first act started and lasted about an hour and a half. The intermission came and Heidi and I discussed the first half and I had to run to the bathroom. When I came back I had trouble finding Heidi, but after a few minutes I found her standing in the corner looking at future plays coming to the theatre. The second act started and I slowly crept my hand closer to hers. I thought I was being pretty sly and about twenty minutes into the second act we started to hold hands. The play lasted about three hours total. So it was nearly 11pm at night before we headed out. The cool breath of the night felt good to both of us as we left the sweltering theatre. We walked hand in hand over to the car.
We got in the car and discussed the play and how the date went the whole drive home. As we neared the apartment complex I felt my stomach start to flutter and nervousness start to creep into my mind. I knew I really liked Heidi and I wasn’t sure if she would accept a kiss good night. We pulled into the parking lot. I got out, opened the door, and escorted her to her car. She opened the door and turned to me. I looked into her eyes; I placed my hand under her chin and gave her a kiss goodnight. At that moment I felt in the perfect place at the perfect time.
The evening was magical for me, as I believe it was for her. I knew I had found someone who compliments me and most of all completes me as a person. Heidi is an amazing woman, she probably deserves better than me, but I’m in complete and total bliss that she’ll have me as her husband. She has made me the happiest man alive since we’ve met. I can’t imagine my life without her.
Heidi - I love you … the mostest!!!! --- Colin
As for the comment he referred to that he thought I took seriously, it was something he said about having me walk on the side of traffic. I really didn't take it seriously and still joke with him about it to this day (because I am still the one that mostly gets stuck walking on the side of traffic!). I drove away after our date that night knowing I was going to marry him, and I did just that 5 months later! In case you're wondering-the DVD's are still alphabetized, and we still go back and forth with the "you decide, no you decide" debate over where to eat, but those maps he use to love to print out have thankfully been replaced by a GPS. Happy Birthday and Happy 1st date anniversary sweetie- I love you the absolute infinite mostest!
P.S.- Pepsi is better! :)
