It all started in November of 2001. I didn’t know then that a fundraising event with the local 4-H group would lead to meeting my future husband.
How It All Began
It all started on the Day After Thanksgiving, or what retail workers call DAT. I was helping a local 4-H group with a gift wrapping fundraiser at Quality Farm & Fleet.
My mom and I were set up at a table directly opposite of the cashier station. As people were fighting their way through mobs of other people in hopes of getting an extra $2 off a bag of salt, or finding the ‘limited supply’ of pet beds, we were busy wrapping clearance screwdriver sets and power tools.
(** Side note – They were also selling a folding table with chairs set for the low, low price of $20 a set. We wrapped a ton of those.)
My sister, who was working at Quality at the time, would come over occasionally to see how we were doing with donations and check on our supply of gift wrapping rolls.
“Hey Bobbie,” I asked in between customers. “Who’s that guy over there near cash register #2?”
“The short one with the hat?”
“No. The taller guy wearing the red vest,” I answered.
“Brian? He works here. Why do you want to know?”
“He’s kinda cute.” I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at her.
The day continued on and I would occasionally catch glimpses of Brian, running around assisting the insane Black Friday shoppers as they searched for deals. A new shift of 4-H fundraiser workers came and Mom and I packed up and headed for home – thank goodness.
The next day, my sister came home and asked me about Brian. She said he wasn’t seeing anyone and she thought I should go out on a date with him.
At first, my answer was no. I didn’t know him, and to be honest, dating didn’t really sound like fun. She didn’t let up and said that she would set something up with a double date of sorts so that I wouldn’t be by myself.
“Fine. That sounds a little better,” I replied.
It wasn’t long after that and she came home telling me it was all set up. Brian and I would go on a double date with her and Larry to shoot some pool Saturday night.
The Awkward First Date
Bobbie and I showed up at the pool hall in one car, Brian and Larry in another.
My parents had a pool table downstairs in our basement, so I knew the game, however I had never really been in a pool hall before.
The boys went and paid for a table, while Bobbie and I went to find cue sticks.
I should stop right here and say that I’m shy. Like, really shy. I figured that I should probably talk to him, but I really wasn’t sure what to say.
We started playing, each taking our turn, while Bobbie and Larry tried to get both of us to say something to each other. Looking back, I bet it was a comical sight to see. I think they thought we were a hopeless cause.
Brian was making me nervous, standing close to me as the others would take their turns. I would go take my turn, and then purposefully move to the other side of the table to watch who was next.
He wasn’t deterred. After he took his turn, he’d smile and make his way over to wherever I was standing. He just kept following me.
It was a little unnerving.
I can’t remember the outcome of the different games of pool. I know we played a few games, and then the boys packed up their cue sticks (they had brought their own), and then we headed out to the parking lot.
As we were getting ready to climb into our cars, Brian stopped to talk with me.
“Do you want to go bowling next Friday night?” he asked.
“Depends,” I answered. “Are you going to bring your own bowling ball?”
He grinned in response. “No bowling ball.”
“Okay. Sounds good,” I replied and climbed into the car with Bobbie.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” she asked.
I laughed and told her it was fun. “We’ll see what happens after next Friday night,” I told her.
A Year & a Half Later…
Bowling worked out. So did homemade pizza one evening, followed by a game of darts. (There’s a story about that particular night to be told at a different time.)
About eight months later, there was a ring and a promise. Another eight months after that, a wedding.
20 Years later…
I’m skipping a lot of the in-between.
There are un-limited stories about the 20 odd years we have had together so far. Most of those stories would more than likely include our three amazing kids, although there are also stories from when it was still just us – before kids.
The point of this post is that we are still going strong. An awkward night of playing pool, turned into a life full of love, adventures, and the promise of possibilities to come.
I wonder what the next 20 years will bring.
Goals for Today:
- Bake Banana Bread
- Read Another Chapter in my Book
- Watch a Movie with Brian