About Us!

This story, like all good stories, starts with a girl.  Though she isn't the one that I'm marrying.

This story starts with a couple of her friends.  At the VERY beginning it begins with Ashley Lawlor, who I did some theatre with a very long time ago.  She was that really shy, quiet girl who stood around and made everyone else realize that we weren't as much singing as shouting in tune.

Anyway, she hadn't said more then 12 words that weren't in the script during the whole six weeks of rehearsals, and that was kinda depressing to the guys in the cast - especially the single ones.  Of course, I found a way to get her to open up.

It turned out that she was going to Concordia University, River Forest that fall.  And I attended Concordia Selma years earlier.  We had something in common!  Of course, it gave us quite a bit to talk about.

Well, she went to college, as those college girls do, and she made friends with a young woman named Anne.  No - I'm not marrying Anne, either.  I know, I've typed, like, three whole paragraphs already, but I have a ways to go.

You see, I have to give Anne her introduction.

Ashley met Anne at CURF, and they got to be great friends, bestest of friends.  So, when Anne came down to St. Louis to visit Ashley and Alec (Ashley and Alec got married after college.  Don't worry, it'll all come together soon), the four of us ended up hanging out, and I took some pics of Anne and Ashley.

So, over lunch, Anne waxed rhapsodic about her roommate Amanda - how I needed to meet her, and she was so cool, and we would get along so well.  And then she went home, to Chicago.

And never mentioned me to Amanda.

That was... March of 2008.  In October, the Lawlors and I drove up to Chicago to see another friend of ours (from CURF) in a production on Lend Me a Tenor.  On the way up, I called Anne on Ashley's phone.  Anne was in the shower, and Amanda answered.  After about ten minutes of joking around with her (and some harmless flirtation - I am still me, after all), I told Anne that we were on the way.  Ashley reminded me that this was the same Amanda that Anne had mentioned in March.

We all met at Mickey's for lunch - me, the Lawlors, Sam, Anne, and Amanda.  We had a good time, telling stories and eating quickly.  I can say that I managed not to make a great impression on Amanda, but I think that's all I can say right now.  Ask me for details later.

That afternoon, we went to go see the Glinke's - Kirsten, Rob, and little baby Noah, who was all of 12 days old, which explains the slightly creepy "deer in the headlights" look sported by both Kirsten and Rob.  As we were all sitting there, I took some pictures.  When I got home, I realized that I had more than a few pics of Amanda - I had, like, dozens (stalker much?).  Anne was nice enough to tag them all, since I didn't have Amanda as a friend on Facebook yet.

Which, of course, meant that I had to friend her.  Duh.  And one day, while chatting with Anne, I remarked that Amanda was cute, and funny.

Anne's response? "Tell her that yourself, you *#!|@$$"

For those of us who know and love Anne, that was to be expected.  And, knowing good advice when it comes to me burned on the broad side of a 2x4, did as I was told.

Amanda accepted it graciously, and we started IM'ing pretty regularly.  We were gonna meet up over Thanksgiving break, but the weather went south - literally.  Her schedule got all screwed up waiting for a storm to blow through.  We kept chatting every night though - the day wasn't done if we hadn't said goodnight at the end of it.

So, we made plans to meet the day after Christmas.  I asked her where, and she said, without hesitation, "How about the Cheesecake Factory at the Galleria in Clayton?"

Now, friends - I worked retail for ten years of my life.  I hate the mall the day after Christmas.  It's a petting zoo, with no fences.  It's a terrible, miserable, desperate place, full of people exchanging the gifts they didn't want for the ones that they did.  It is a hive of scum and villainy.

I, of course, said "Sure!  When?"

Lunch was at 1 PM.  We met the Lawlors there, had a good time, walked around the mall, and went to the St. Louis Bread Co.  We met the Lawlors at their place, and had a drink.  Or two.  Then we went to karaoke - me, Amanda, and Ashley.

Amanda and I said goodbye at 1 AM.

Her parents grounded her for coming home after curfew.  ;)

Really, they just gave her some grief for being out late without calling, but in her defense, it was a loud, dark bar.  VERY LOUD.  Karaoke is like that.  Go try some.  Go ahead.  I'll be here when you get back.

What did I tell you - was it loud, or what?

About a week later, I had a Friday off, and I was (once again) chatting with Anne.  I asked her if Amanda would be upset if I just popped up to visit, unannounced.

Anne's response?  "I don't know why you aren't already in the car."

I was in the car an hour later.  Cut me some slack, I had wet clothes in the dryer.  I got to their place about 5 minutes before Amanda got home.

We've been together ever since.  We've been to a few weddings, helped friends move, road tripped to Houston, and saw a really cool Miranda Lambert concert, in the pouring rain.  We spent a whole day at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, taking pictures of flowers.  We did the same thing in Houston, taking pictures of flowers there, as well.  We've walked all over downtown Chicago, and eaten some of the best that Chicago has to offer.

But all of it pales next to our excursion on the Tall Ship Windy.

We got half-priced coupons to take a sailboat - a real, live sailboat - into the middle of Lake Michigan.  And it was the Pirate Cruise.

As the wonderful folks there told us all about Pirates of the Inland Seas, I pulled out a ring. 

Ladies, I'm gonna ask you to ignore the following paragraph.  In fact, I'm gonna change the color to make it invisible.  Gentlemen, high light the next paragraph to make it legible.

Now, friends, at this point I committed a blunder - of nearly classic proportions.  So, for all of you single guys out there, I have a word of advice: when you propose, propose first, THEN pull out the ring.  After you pull out the ring, she will stop listening to you.  If you want her to actually hear you propose, you need to do it before she sets eyes on the rock.  Forewarned is four-armed.

And - back to the story.

The wedding is November 7th.  Invitations are actually designed, the guest list is (mostly) finalized.  We have a photographer.  We have a venue for the reception.  We're tasting food for the menu on July 8th.  This is happening.

And it will be a good thing.  :D