Butterflies

Meet the man of my dreams. He's a handsome fella, in my opinion. We have been together 11 years and married 9 of those. We have 4 children and wonderful home and I believe we are happy. We met in college when we were going to Central Washington University, while we were working at Tunstal Dining Hall (for some reason that looks like I spelled it wrong). Oh what a summer that was.We met the summer of '98 in the wee hours of a summer morning. My best girl and I were in the washroom (where all the dirty dishes came when people were done eating in the cafeteria) sitting on a stool waiting for all the other people who were working here during the summer to get there. And in walks this guy...GRUMPY as all get out (much hasn't changed). He stomped in and walked all the way to the other side of the room and leaned against the trough and folded his arms and just grumped and glared at the two of us. I turned and looked at my friend and said this is going to be a LONG summer. That was how I first saw Frank...found out later he'd been up all night partying and what not and didn't get much sleep. Pretty much how every morning looked that summer...Frank and myself after we started dating.

The summer went on and one day I had duty in the kitchen at the sink where the dishes the cooks used got cleaned first before they got washed. And in that hole in the kitchen I met this guy that scared the pee right out of me (remember I was still the shy and SO unworldly person that we all know me to be). This guys name was John and he was HUGE and obnoxious (OK only the last part the more I got to know him). Anyway, after being tortured by this guy (he tried to get my dander up and make me blush in all sorts of ways, cause I was/am a prude, which gave him ample ammunition). On one of those days he told me I should ask this guy out, this guy named Frank. He knew that this guy liked me and told me I should ask him cause this guy would never ask me out cause he was too shy.

After much conversation with my best girl and with this guy John(why I was taking advice from this guy I don't know...still don't know) I decided I would ask him...this guy Frank on a date. It took awhile and before long I finally got the gumption up to ask him. It took me ALL day to ask him. When I say all day I mean ALL day. He kept coming back to the hole I was working in and I'd ask him about Nintendo games and whatever but would never go any further. I couldn't get out of my mouth, would you like to go out on a date with me? Oh it was embarrassing (cause Frank KNEW what I was stumbling all over myself to do, ask him out...he was helpful even then). FINALLY I manged to get out do you want to play some video games together at your place. (We still enjoy playing video games with each other and on occasion I have been known to kick his butt, not often though) He said that sounded good to him. That took a lot for me to go out on a limb like that and put myself out there, and then to NOT be rejected! Oh what a feeling! So that afternoon we went to his house and played some video games before our next shift. As we were playing he asked if I wanted to go to the movies with him. I said sure that sounded like fun. So later that night we saw Saving Private Ryan...and it was DUTCH! I'm so glad I brought money with me...he asked I assumed he was paying...SO wrong! And really was that an appropriate first date movie? Oh well.

Well after that date that's really been it...the story is still being written. We had so much fun that summer and beginning of school that year. Trip to Leavenworth spending all day walking around looking in the stores and then spending hours looking for the movie theater they SAID was there. It wasn't until years later that we found it. The keggers his roommates would have and then Frank sending me and another one of my friends home 'cause the cops had been called (we were under age! I know what you are thinking but we all have some growing to do at some point, right?) Mom, if you are reading this just breath... We walked all over Ellensburg for months talking and getting to know each other. The first dinner I made for him, lasagna and then after dinner I promptly dropped it on the floor and broke the dish and ruined the rest of dinner...was SO embarrassed! First camping trip meeting his family..., being slowly tortured with football...11 years later I am actually kinda into it...not like all of them though. I like the Huskies and Seahawks...that's about it. All the time spent hanging out with Frank...I miss our walks. Tom Petty concert, trips to Yaki-vegas to do what I can't even remember anymore. Our first Christmas together...I was house sitting and he came back to E-burg as soon as he could. When we worked in the dish room together and we would quietly flirt...he was always bringing me presents...aka basket loads of silverware. When it was lunch time, sitting next to each other...felt like high school all over again. People teasing us...two shy people trying to figure out this whole dating thing. OK well mostly me cause Frank was my first boyfriend and I was not his first girlfriend. The night we walked home from the other side of town while horribly intoxicated (being drunk gives you all kinds of courage) and while walking telling him we were going to be girlfriend and boyfriend because I was tired of not knowing what I was...after months of dating...we were FINALLY we were exclusive! So many more moments in time...

Here is my man 11 years later! Still handsome and still makes my heart skip a beat. Today I thought I would surprise him with a small bouquet of flowers...they were as manly as I could find. I mean honestly, do flowers scream manly? Three roses and some other fillers in the bouquet looked quite nice next to my bouquet of red roses my husband came home early to surprise me with. We are so funny!

We had a great dinner at a local bar...just an FYI go with the 16oz alcoholic beverage and not the 20oz...Frank and I..well...had to sit out a while at the bar with our food. My wonderful brother in law survived Eli...he's such a good man! Eli only cried or needed to be held by his Uncle for 15 minutes and then he was off playing with his brothers and cousins...Frank and I could have been gone longer...DANG! Oh well it is a school night... Next year it's an Alaskan Cruise for our 10 year anniversary...we are looking forward to that one!

OK, I'm done with the small novel...hope everyone had a good night!