I met Daddy through a co-worker whose husband was friends with Daddy. We met the first time in September 1999, in a bar where the co-worker’s husband’s band was playing. Daddy says that he knew when I walked out of the place that he was going to marry me (I’m still not sure I believe him, but I like how it sounds). I thought Daddy was a little too smooth and a player, so didn’t think much about him. He was definitely handsome and knew what to say. We met again at another bar where the band was playing and this time when I left, Daddy ask the co-worker to ask me if I wanted to go out. Ummm, sure, why not.
We went out on Sunday, October 24, 1999. It was the first night we could both go out. He had just quit his job (like hours before - if I remember right) and I had mono, as in mononucleosis. We met at the movie theater. I had never really seen him standing up, so I had worn some high heeled boots and was feeling pretty good about myself. Until he can walking up and I realized that we were the same height without my boots. Then I felt stupid. We picked a movie neither one of us had seen, which happened to be Mystery, Alaska. It was the worst movie ever! We left part way through. Then because it was about 9 pm on a Sunday night in our little town, there was very little we could do. I didn’t want to go back to my place because even though I lived alone, I wasn’t stupid and I had mono and I didn’t want to tell him I had mono. We couldn’t go to his place because he had moved back in with mom, so that was out. Nothing was really open, so we ended up at Denny’s. Now that’s a wonderfully romantic place (ha). As we sat there talking and eating a little something, the waitress comes to our table and tells us that a little gang activity is brewing and if she tells us to leave, we are to leave right now and to not even worry about paying. So Daddy finished eating and before anything could happen, we left…to the parking lot to sit in his pickup. We talked for a while and Daddy asked if he could kiss me. I told him no. We talked some more and he asked me again if he could kiss me. I told him no again. I told him I didn’t kiss on the first date. I didn’t want to tell him I had mono! I’d rather look like a prude than to tell him I had mono at 35! Then I would have to explain where I probably got it from (let’s just say, what happens in Pendleton stays in Pendleton). We finally parted ways and I really didn’t think we would ever go out again because it was such an awful first date. Guess I was wrong.
