How I Met Your Father...

Okay, so our 10 year Anniversary is Friday, but before I post about that, I thought I would give you a little background of how we came to be....

I had just finished my Freshman year at OSU, (remember my list of random things, #13?, well, let's just say, it was great that part of the year was over!). I moved home for the summer, and began looking for a job. I needed to save money up so I could pay rent, now that I was to be living off-campus in an apartment with my best friend Jen. My childhood friend, Stephanie was working at Cracker Barrel, not too far away, and suggested I get a job there. I was working part-time at Record Town at the mall, but needed more hours, so I applied at CB (affectionately called "the Crack House"). I was hired to be a cashier for $5.75 an hour- this was a huge increase from my RT job, which paid only $5 per hour! I eventually got more hours at the CB, so I left Rt- not that important, but thought I would mention anyway.

I was working the early morning shift (why, I have no idea, I am not a morning person,), but I had to be there at 5:45 and work until 2pm! This went on for a few weeks, and eventually I got to work afternoons and evenings, which was the beginning of the end...just kidding!

One day I was working an evening shift and noticed that some food checks were coming up with a signature of "Dana" on the back (servers sign each one!), and so I asked one of my co-workers who "Dana" was, (thinking it was a girl, of course, but seeing a male's handwriting). She said, "oh, he is a night server". Okay, that's all? Well, I never really saw him that day, since servers don't always come to the front of the store where cashiers are, so I kind of forgot about him. I found a friend, Dave who was a server and a host, who was also cute, in a goofy sort of way- so I started hanging out with him...but soon found out he was just a partier, but fun nonetheless-(we remained friends for a long time- he was a great guy). At the same time, I started only working nights, so eventually, I saw "Dana" for the first time, and I thought , "man, he is really cute!" He had this blonde, blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes...he was always smiling and laughing, and was a really good server. He noticed me too, and so began this awkward, "hi, how are you" kind of conversation you have when you first meet someone. Weird!

My friend, Stephanie, who got me the job was also dating a co-worker, Karl, and they were going over to Steve's (another server) apartment after work August 3, 1994 to hang out. It was late already when the party would begin- CB closed at 11pm! This was going to be a late evening. I didn't have a car, so I relied on Stephanie to drive me to and from work (she was great), and since she was leaving with Karl, I needed a ride- so, since Karl and Steve knew (thanks to Stephanie) that I thought Dana was "cute", they told Dana that I needed a ride home (remember that we have only spoken one time), so he came and asked me if I needed a ride. I politely said, "no, I am okay". I was NOT okay, but how could I accept a ride from a perfectly cute stranger (I have said yes before...remember #13)...so I declined, so I drove home Stephanie's car to my parents house. Let me back up...Steve, our fixer-upper friend, told Dana I asked for his phone number (I did NOT), so he handed that to me before I left. When I got home, I told my parents I was going out- this did not make them that happy, remember I said it was late...well, I picked up the phone, and dialed Dana's number. I quickly hung up. I dialed again, and his little sister, Annie picked up the other end. I asked if Dana was there. She said, "Dana, phone, it's a girl!" He said, "hello", I said, "hey, it's Kelly, from CB". He said, "hey". I nonchalantly asked him if he was going to Steve's tonight. He said he was (though now he says he only went because I called him-) again, the beginning of the end...

I got there and everyone from work had gone there- he lived up north of campus, and his apartment had a nice outside area (though now I would never set foot there, too scary, but that is where Dana proposed, awwwww)....anyway, I just kind of chit-chatted with others from work, while Dana didn't approach me at all! I told Steve that I thought Dana was being rude not talking to me, so he said I should just start talking to him...sooooooo, I did, and we talked for a long, long time. It was 3am when we left Steve's apartment! Late, late, far too late! But we had a good time, and though I have no idea what we talked about, I remember feeling something different with him than any other guy I had ever spent time with. He followed me home, getting terribly lost in not a good area of town, until we reached my parents. He said he would call me the next day, and to be honest, I didn't think he would follow through, BUT...

He did, and we spent the next days and weeks and months together....

He asked me to marry him in September 1995, and then in March 1996, he left for 2 years in Chile, got home 18 February 1998, and we were married 18 April 1998.

That was then... This is now... We've come a long way!