12 years ago...

According to my calculations, it was 12 years ago yesterday that TLomL and I had our first dinner out--our first anything more than just hanging out.

It was at a Chinese restaurant in Pullman, WA, right across from an entrance to WSU called The Lotus--home of the world's greatest General Tso's Chicken (which for some reason, they called General Tong's--maybe to stress the difference between their version and the wanna-be's), and tolerable everything else (from what I understand, I never had anything else but the General's Chicken). I remember the drive over being very awkward, the dinner enjoyable but awkward, the drive back being even more awkward, and then because neither one of us were sure what to do, but didn't want to end the evening...we went to a grocery store.

No, really.

This was something that an old roommate and I used to do--we'd wander around various grocery stores in the area hunting for the strangest products we could find and make jokes--sorta MST3K does Supermarket Sweep. Am not really sure why I suggested it that night--and am even less sure why she agreed. I guess I figured I'd wave my weirdo-flag high, and if she didn't bolt...

As I recall, that's where things finally clicked that night--we walked around that joint for about an hour or so, making random conversation--music, books, movies, friends, family--riffing on what we saw. The jokes weren't as funny as usual (no offense, dear, but you're no Zane)--and were probably fewer as well, but it didn't matter, best time I've had in a grocery store (now when we go to the grocery store, we're just trying to get out of there without wanting to throttle more than one kid). It wasn't until the next day (or the day after) that I found out she'd sprained her ankle that morning.

The rest, as they say, is history. Thanks, Rosauers.