Lucky Thirteen

Cathedral Park

Me and my fella, sitting in a tree.  K*I*S*S*I*N*G

We met online.  I lived in Oregon; he lived in Pennsylvania.  We were introduced by a friend and began chatting on Internet Relay Chat (IRC), back in the mid-90s. After a year of one two-week summer visit and three long-perfect-weekends together, I took a sabbatical from my college and moved back to Pittsburgh.  We wanted to make sure this wasn’t on-and-off again perfect-weekend romance, but something real.  After a year back east, I returned home.  Doug followed me home and of course I had to keep him.  He arrived on Halloween, 1998 (and not long afterwards I began my journey on Open Diary, November 1998).

We were married July 9, 1999.  Some of you here on OD were part of this wedding, if not physically then emotionally.  Some of you are still here; some have left the OD family.  Some have died.  .Gattaca.  Linda Kay (LL).  edward.  ritsu.  Blather.  BBe (no14me).  ~jeanne.  Jacqui.  Puck.  ZB Lori.  You all shared a apart of this celebration.

It was my dream wedding.  I missed out in my first wedding–a rush job to Las Vegas in 1969.  We celebrated at Cathedral Park, under the St Johns Bridge.  I was barefoot and had daisies in my hair.  We wore casual clothing and the guests were all special family and friends.  Maybe ten of us.  It was HOT.  The sprinklers kept going off around us and on us.  A train ran through the ceremony, down by the river, blowing its train whistle long and hard.  We laughed a lot.  My poor new in-laws, a proper East Coast elderly couple, just didn’t know what to make of this ceremony, but gallantly tried to have a good time.

Wiping off the sweat while taking vows

Laughing.  Lots of laughter!

The first (sweaty) kiss as a married couple

Us with Gattaca.  He took most of the pictures for us 🙂

Each year since we were married, we have forgotten that we have an anniversary.  We never do anything to celebrate it because it is usually a few days afterwards we remember.  "Oh yeah!  Guess what we missed again this year?!"  We even remember early in July but forget when the day actually happens.  Not this year.  Lucky 13.

Back when I met Doug, he had a pattern of being in a relationship for 10 years and single for three.  I met him during one of his single-for-three-period.  I once asked him when our ten years began?  Was it when we first met?  When we moved in together?  When we were married?  And he replied, "I’ll let you know."

It’s been 16 years since we began chatting, 15 years since we lived together.  And now we have been married 13 years.  Too late!  Lost his chance 🙂

peace~~