In the beginning...

I was doing a blog jog yesterday. I am not sure what I was looking for, but I was given some inspiration. I wish I could remember where I was when I was hit with the bug, you know, to give the proper linkage and all.

One thing I always love to hear about, whether it is IRL (in real life) or online, is the "how we met" story. My husband and I have been married for nine years, and I love our story. That probably is a redundant statement; who doesn't love their story?

Anyway, for your reading pleasure, may I present to you, "How We Met."

My husband and I met at our place of work. He was the manager, while I was a lowly employee.

Gripping, isn't it?

In June of '97, I took a job at a local grocery store working part-time as a cashier. In July, I left my job at Cracker Barrel (Oh, how I miss that money I made). Still needing the income being a single mom, I drove straight to my new job and asked the store manager if he could use me full-time. Luckily for me, a woman that worked in the produce section needed to go on a medical leave, and if I was willing, I could work there. Little did I know it, at that moment, my life had changed forever.

About the same time this all had come about, I had been through some tough times. I had been divorced for about a year. While the divorce itself wasn't nasty, just the letdown that comes with something like that took a toll on me emotionally. While that was not my lowest point, I certainly didn't feel worthy to be in the company of any man. I saw girl after girl get asked out, and I was left to be home with a four-year old and Barney. It was clear that I was meant to be alone. I swore off looking for a boyfriend, let alone a husband.

About a week into my lettuce and apple gig, the assistant manager would come into our area quite a bit. He had all these little jobs I needed to do and none of them seemed to benefit the fruits or vegetables. For example, a couple of times a day, I was supposed to check milk. Which was on the other side of the store. The milk was in the cooler far away from the actual display. Inside that cooler, the crates were stacked in a single line, upwards, over my head. I would have to go in search of this manager to have him down stack the milk so I could reach it.

Somewhere around the third week, a colleague mentions that Assistant Manager never comes into our area when I am not there, nor do they get requests to re-stock milk. I am all, "whatever," but he was insistent that Assistant Manager was "totally diggin'" me.


The dance begins.

It is well known that most companies frown upon "fraternization between employees." especially when one of those is a member of management. I never really thought there would be ramifications should I choose to date a manager. My philosophy has always been whatever happens off the clock, happens.

A couple weeks of the extremely subtle flirting(from both parties) went nowhere. I was certain by this time he did have a crush. One of my friends worked in the office, and she had been working there as long as he had--since the store opened. She knew that he liked me and ended up being a key player.

I was getting anxious. Now you know that I had read "The Rules"--it had recently been published. I was very much into doing exactly as the ladies had lined out so carefully for us single gals. (Isn't one of them divorced now?)

But patience isn't a virtue I always possess, and frankly I am more Rizzo than Sandra Dee. And what would Rizzo do if she was jonesin' for her man? Yep. I called him.

And he wasn't home.

But, he was familiar with *69. About twenty minutes later, my phone rang, with his number on my caller ID.

I denied having called him. (Yeah, I know.)

We talked about forty-five minutes, yet at the end, he had no clue who was speaking on the other end.

To be continued...