At sb.com I participate in a getting published challenge. This week we are working on our journaling and we have been challenged to journal about the time we met our significant other. So here goes!!!
I had just graduated from college and moved from Iowa to Kansas City for my first teaching position in the Blue Valley Schools. I didn't know a soul in the city and had a rough first semester adjusting. To fill my time and make extra cash I was working at our school's sporting events. Being a high school wrestling fan (I am from Iowa, ok?!) I decided to work the wrestling tournaments. They are weekend tourneys that last from 5 - 12+ hours. I was learning how to be a scorekeeper. You have to watch the referees VERY carefully because their hand motions tell you the points while the wrestlers are wrestling. It was December and my first Friday night tournament. I was hoping I had learned enough and wouldn't screw up any points b/c it was an important tourney. Then I saw the referee assigned to my mat - WOW! He was a hottie for sure! He had these huge biceps that you could see were bulging from his black and white striped ref shirt. And those black referee pants were hugging his cute lil tush! I thought "Now I really have to concentrate or this hottie is gonna think I am an idiot!"
Well, we both noticed the other was a little interested and we flirted back and forth all night. He would talk to me a little in between matches but he had just recently lost most of his voice. So it was really scratchy and I had to do most of the talking - those of you that know me are aware I am not a great conversationalist and a little socially inept. One thing I clearly remember was him talking to another ref about how he had to run home quickly afterward so he could let his dog out. Crazy as it sounds, that was HUGE for me. I have always been a dog lover and knew that *the man* was going to have to be one too! We realized that we would both be working together at next weekend's but not any more...he rarely reffed for my school's league. After the tourney I looked for him and saw him getting into his car. He probably doesn't know this, but I followed him for a little while and then chickened out!
The next week we had a HUGE ice storm and school was cancelled for 4 days! I just kept thinking "If we don't have school Friday then the meet will be canceled and I will never see that hottie again!" I stressed and stressed and kept hoping I could go back to work (ironic, isn't it!) But luckily we did have school and we did work together again that night! We flirted more and more and the wrestling head coach at my school made sure Jeff worked my mat the ENTIRE tourney (referees usually move ftom mat to mat all day). During my break the coach even pulled me aside to make sure I knew Jeff's name and what an awesome guy he was! When he told me Jeff's last name was Holsapple my first thought was "Great, I will probably marry this guy now because he has a weirdo last name!" All day I tied to get up the nerve to ask him out for drinks but chickened out. After the meet I was kicking myself. So I was totally trying to waste time and stick around so I could catch a glimpse of him after he changed. I kept peeking around the corner down the hall where the men's locker room was. Well, I was peeking as he walked out and he totally saw me! I was so embarassed I hid behind the wall and thought "Gosh - just go for it...you'll never see him again if he says no." Little did I know, he had *accidentally* dropped his gym bag and was taking his time picking it up so I could catch up to him! We exchanged numbers and I went home just giddy!!! He called THE NEXT DAY and asked me out for that night! But I was babysitting for a sorority alumni. So we made a date for the next Tuesday.
He took me Macaroni Grill. I still remember we sat back in a corner and I was really cold. He complained about his food and we split a Tiramisu. Through talking we found we had SO much in common it almost freaked me out. After dinner we met his cousin at a bar to watch some live music. Being that Jeff barely had a voice, we stood in silence a lot at the concert! We grabbed lunch another day and then I went up to Iowa for winter break.....
After I came back in January we were together almost non-stop! The rest is history!
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I was pretty excited about an email I got today as well! A week or two ago I sent a layout to Cherry Arte and inquired if they would be interested in using it in their gallery. I didn't hear anything back so I figured they just didn't like it. But I got word that they LOVED it and are putting it up soon! Very cool! I will have to post the link when it is up! What an honor that a manufacturer liked what I did with their product!!!
