Sunday Story Time: The Interim

The 4 months following that first date, Skunky and I spent pretty much EVERY waking minute together. Of course...we worked together, so we saw each other every day at Wal-mart. And it was handy having a guy around at work who would do anything I asked him to! There was one time in particular I remember, where it was like an hour before closing, a COMPLETE BLIZZARD outside, and all of my cart pushers except one had called in. Down the isle bounds Skunky, heavy ( too big!) parka on but no hat or gloves! I couldn't send him out like that! So I loaned him my hand-knit hat, scarf, and mittens. They were various shades of blue, so the total effect wasn't that bad, but to see the guy walking in after finishing, covered in snow and ice, my scarf up over his mouth and nose, and the only thing I could see were his bright, dancing blue eyes, knowing he was smiling ear to ear after having completed the chore for me... that memory will never leave me!

Now I'd like to pause a minute for a disclaimer. From here on until about 3 years pass, I am the villain in this story. Not on purpose mind you. I think a lot of us have been there...we've all had that really good friend who thinks they are totally head of heels for us. And you know you should cut them lose, but to have someone who is so forgiving of you and understands you despite your faults...it's hard to let go of. You will see... I'm not as nice to Skunky, at moments, as I should have been, as he really deserved. And there are parts of our pre-marriage history I will always regret. So...if there are bits of this story that color your opinion of me...well they should. :) I just hope you stick around, despite...lol well, me!

There were several highlights from that fall that made Skunky such a " thorn in my side" for the next several years. I'm not joking when I tell you he is the kind of man that you immediately like, and never forget. I can't tell you how many friends he has, ALL OVER the world.

I spent a lot of time walking around campus with him. I learned about Homestar Runner from him, and there was many an afternoon spent in some random campus computer lab laughing at one cartoon short or another.

We often hung out after work. He would come over to my parents house and we'd zone out watching movies like 'Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights'. ( Yes, he always let me pick the movie!) And, more often then not, I would fall asleep and wake up to him gently shaking me, and with a quiet smile, telling me he'd see me at work tomorrow.

For Halloween, he showed me his " Dare Devil" costume. You know you've met a secure man when he can dress up in front of a girl he likes wearing skin tight RED sweat pants, a long sleeved red t-shirt with his highschool logo on the front, and a red ski mask with little felt horns glued onto it!

He came to church as often as he could, always sitting with me and my family. He came to my ward's Thanksgiving Dinner, and at this point I had begun to figure out that his feelings were a bit stronger then mine, so I busied myself playing with my nieces and nephews so that I wouldn't have sit with him any longer then necessary. I guess this technique backfired on me though, because later he would tell me that watching me play with my older brother's kids clued him into what a great mom I was going to be. The man is too freaking observant. :)

The four months flew by though, and before I knew it, it was January and time for me to head off to Idaho to start my own college adventure. Our last day together he gave me a gift, that meant more to me than I realized, and I made a promise that I had no idea he would force me to keep...

Until next Sunday!