HOW WE MET ~ PART 1

Several people have emailed and asked how Hubs and I met so here is the story...hang on....

We actually met in the Spring of 1997 when he came to my friend's parents' house with her then boyfriend. He was nice, polite and very smiley. At the time, we were both with someone else and nothing ever came about other than us meeting one another. Now I must note here that at that moment he drove a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme aka BIG old car and it was yellow. Apparently, we lived about 1/4 of a mile from each other and over the years we saw each other at the gas station from time to time. He ALWAYS recognized me but I could NEVER remember his name or how I knew him. He would ask how my friend and her son were doing then would say to tell them Hi and each and EVERY time I would see him he would smile from ear to ear! I could NEVER remember his name and felt bad so I would never ask. I would always call my friend and say, "Hey I saw the Smiley Banana Boat man again and he asked about you! He is so smiley!" She would always say, "I just love him. He is so sweet!"

Well come to find out the people we were in relationships with had been with each other in the past and behind our backs they were off and on still.....good thing we got rid of them. We both rid our lives of those scum buckets and moved on.

About 9 months after the breakups and almost 4 yrs since our original meeting, we saw each other again in late December of 2000. We were at a hole in the wall bar called Three Frogs where my friend and I were regulars (wow how times have changed!) who loved to dance. We were dancing and he kept staring at me. I kept trying to point him out to her because I did NOT recognize him at all and his incessant staring was beyond annoying to me. When she finally saw him, she screamed and ran to give him a hug saying "That is the guy you call Banana Boat man!" I kept dancing and she coaxed him out onto the dance floor to dance with us. Now I must say it is a good thing I was not looking for a man that could dance because this man could not catch a beat to save his life. BAD. REALLY. BAD. He still can not dance and I am almost positive he is tone deaf too. Man can not dance or sing and I have yet to find a rhythmic bone in his body but I love his body ~ missing bone and all!

By this time, he had longer hair. Not LONG but longer and in little twisty things ~ yes yet again this is a highly technical African American hair term ~ which I hated. I do not like guys with long hair. I do not like boys with long hair. I just don't. Personal preference so don't get all offended. NOW Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall.........I certainly liked him with long hair!!! Please hold while I drool over my current mental image..................

In my teenage years their were plenty of long haired rockers I fawned over but not now. My friend gave him my number without my knowing and insisted that we should be together. He would call and we would chat IF I answered the phone but I just was not attracted to him. He seemed very nice but I just wasn't sure. I had major trust issues at the time. I just wanted time to myself after being with a loser for over 3 years then with a hot guy with NO self esteem and major paranoia for 6 months. He still kept calling and asking me to go out but I had started some night classes and I always found some excuse. Eventually he asked flat out so I was honest and said "I am NOT attracted to men with longer hair AT ALL. You are nice but I just can't right now." My thoughts with this answer were (1) he could lie and toy around with me if I mentioned trust issues which could hurt me again and (2) what guy would chop his hair off for a date.

My friend and I were always together and somehow Banana Boat man would show up in odd places. Coincidence ~ I think not, he had a little birdie in his ear! We had been shopping and he had overheard us talking about a pair of shoes I wanted to buy so he secretly bought them. That evening he came over to her house, knocked on the door and the rest as they say is history......

...just kidding.......

....I opened the door to find him holding a present for me and he had CUT HIS HAIR OFF! Needless to say, I was shocked! WHO cuts their hair to get a date? WHO buys someone shoes to get a date? Now granted they were not the right shoes and I wore them only once but I could NOT BELIEVE he even THOUGHT about ME. And cutting his hair ~ who does that?!?! I was speechless which VERY RARELY happens to me! The only thing he said was, "Will you please go out with me now?" With tears in my eyes, I said a quivery "sure".............wow he was so thoughtful.....who knew......WHO cuts their hair just to land a date?!?!?

STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO