Happy Anniversary My Sweetheart

Hey Ya'll,

Today is our 17th Anniversary.  This is our story.

I was born and raised in Southern California and Walt was born and raised here in Northern California, so our paths didn't cross until much later in life.

My family and I made the decision to move up to Northern California in Summer 1990.  I was 35 yrs old starting over in a new town, and a new area of the State, for that matter.  Talk about a change!  In the past, if we moved it was always still in the general area that we lived in, so I didn't have to learn my whereabouts in a new town!  But this move was different.  It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. 

We didn't arrive until after midnight as my dad was driving up all of our earthly belongings in his Diesel truck.  Obviously, I had to follow him in my car as I had no idea where we were moving to!  So we decided to sleep in a Motel until morning, when we drove to the house we had rented.  I followed my dad, sister and brother-in-law from the Motel to the house.  We were all sharing a 5 bedroom house (my parents, my daughter and I, my sister, brother in law and my niece) here in the Sacramento area.  My sister and I went to the local store to purchase food for lunch, and believe me, if she wasn't with me, I could not have found my way back to the house!!  That day, I bought a street map of the area so that I could learn my way around!!!

Since I knew no one in town but my family, I decided to join a new square dance club for singles that was starting in September (I know, go ahead and laugh).  But I met a lot of great people, who were also getting into the Western Dance craze of the time.  I love to dance, and back then I still could.  So I was dancing both styles, dancing about 5 nights a week!!  Talk about great exercise.  After a few months, I was a pretty good dancer and was considered an Intermediate/Advanced dancer.

My friends and I always went to this particular Country bar the same night every week, because they had a fantastic competition Dance group that was sponsored by the bar.  We loved to go watch them practice before the bar opened for the night.  The bar was called The Yellow Rose (it is now a nudie bar!!).  They also taught beginner dance classes there on Mondays (I think, or maybe it was Tuesdays).

This particular night, which was in May of 1991, Walt was there in the dance class (it was the last class of the series).  One of my friends had met him at a different Dance bar in a different town so he came over to our group and she introduced him to all of us.  I had seen him dance and wasn't impressed at all!!  Yes, I was a dance snob!!  He was way below me in experience.  LOL  Not to mention that he had hair longer than mine pulled back into a pony tail!!

But for some reason, he took a fancy to me and asked me to dance.  Now I am one of these people that hates to hurt others feelings, so I agreed even though I didn't consider his dancing good enough.  Once on the dance floor, he still didn't impress me so I tried to stay away from him the rest of the night!!!  But like I said, something about me intrigued him, so he came back the next week hoping to see me there again.

I was, but I was there with a different friend.  A male friend, but not like you are thinking!!  He was at least 30 yrs my senior, but he was a really sweet man and a great dancer, so I met him there sometimes to dance and talk with him.  We had this running joke that if he were 30 yrs younger, he would ask me out!  I said if he were 20 yrs younger, I would accept!  I spotted Walt walking in, and realized that he was walking straight to our table!!  I thought OMG, not again!!   But he came and sat down anyway.  We started talking and I realized that I really enjoyed talking with him!  We talked practically all night and we have not been apart since!!

We started to take classes together and he improved a great deal!  We really enjoyed dancing together.  I found out his dancing problem, he just doesn't hear the beat properly.  So he easily got off beat.  When this happened, I would start to count it out to him again until he had it again, until the next time!!  LOL  But we did get really good, so long as I counted out the steps to him.  :)

Walt likes to tell the story that he picked me up in a bar!!  Which of course he did, but he always forgets to mention that I wasn't there drinking!!  I never drank, I always drank Diet Coke!  But this is his story and he is sticking to it!!

We moved in together by August of 1991, my dad was horrified.  This was happening so fast!  I met him and moved into our first apartment together with my daughter Christa within 3 months!!!  We were married 1 yr 8 mos later on a April 13th, 1993, a Friday the 13th!!!

So, that is the story of how we met and progressed to marriage, I hope you enjoyed it.  We have now been together for 18 yrs, 11 mos and married for 17 yrs!!  Here's to the next 25!!  That would put me at 80 yrs old, and I am not too sure that I want to live to be more than 80!!

And here is a photo taken of Walt shortly before I met him!!  He had shaved his scary beard and mustache, and his hair was pulled back into a pony tail.  His dad had taken this photo shortly after Walt had gotten out of bed and looked like he wanted to kill someone!!  So he wrote the "Wanted-Dead Or Alive" on it and gave it to me.  Trust me, if I had met him looking like this, I wouldn't have giving him the time of day!!  I would have stayed as clear of this maniac as possible!!  LOL

<3 <3 But I do love you my sweetheart!  Here's to another 20 plus years!!  <3 <3

Till next time.....   

Aloha My Friends  :)