The Cast

I thought I would take a few posts to introduce you to the cast in this movie I call my life.  I'll post some pics and videos so you can get a true sense of why the people in my life are the best out there :).

Let's start with my husband.  His name is Andrew.  It actually took me a while to find a picture of the two of us.  He's a bit camera shy.  As you can see, he's just a little taller than me, but I kinda like that.... makes it easier to get things off the top shelf.  Husband doesn't accompany me on too many fiascoes.  He's much more of a homebody.... not to be confused with a homeboy.  But he always finds sufficient time to roll his eyes at me and my escapades.  

 Andrew and I met back in the early years of the internet.  There was no Facebook or Twitter... no eHarmony or sites like that.  We met in a chat room on mIRC (who remembers that?!).  We enjoyed chatting, so then we moved to talking on the phone.  Then we decided it was time to meet.  I was in college in MA and he was working in FL at the time.

I remember very clearly sitting across from my mom at a Chinese restaurant trying to work up the gumption to tell her about Andrew.   I guess you would say we were slightly ahead of the internet dating curve.  I told my mom, and she reacted pretty much as I thought she would.  She was concerned for my safety and well being so she and my dad contacted Andrew's parents to confirm that he was exactly who he claimed to be.  Everything looked on the up and up so off I went to meet this strange man.

We had a nice time over that week.  But at the end of it, I had decided that I didn't think I was interested.  So I left thinking I had gained a new friend.  When I got back home from that trip, there was a dozen roses waiting for me.  So after careful consideration, I decided that a man that sends roses is perhaps worth giving a shot.  Over the next few months, we continued to chat and talk.  He came to Maine for a visit.  I visited him a few times.  

When my birthday rolled around in 1997, Andrew sent me a beautiful pair of emerald earrings.  I showed them to my dad, and he made the comment that "A man doesn't give that kind of gift unless he's serious.  So if you're not serious about him, you need to do something about that now." I spent the next few weeks at camp thinking about what my dad had said.  And it freaked me out.  Completely.  So, I broke up with Andrew.  He said he would be waiting when I changed my mind.

I didn't think I was going to change my mind.  But one simple thing happened that made me realize that Andrew was indeed "The One".  I had met a nice guy named Steve over that summer.  We went out a few times, and he came and met the family.  He was sweet, and caring and all those good qualities.  But there was just one thing that I couldn't get over.  The man couldn't carry a tune to save his life.

Anyone that knows me is well aware that I love music.  I had a checklist for the man I would marry.  On that list was the ability to sing.  And I'm not talking, yeah, he can carry a tune, kind of singing.  I was specific... he had to be GOOD... real good.  Steve had come to church with me one Sunday.  The music director had us stand and open our hymnals to sing How Great Thou Art.  The pianist and organist started playing away, and then came time for us all to begin to sing.  The sound that came from Steve was, shall we say, special.  I know we are to make a joyful noise and all that jazz.  But I must be honest... it was not pretty.  Poor Steve, he was singing with all his might, and all I could think about was his voice.  I half expected the Lord to send a lightening bolt down and smite me right then and there.  But it was in that moment, that I knew Andrew was keeper.  

In case you're wondering, I let Steve down easy.  He called me after Andrew and I got engaged to ask me out to dinner.  I told him dinner would be lovely, but I needed to let him know that I was now engaged.  All he said was that it hurt his heart.  We never did do dinner, and I never heard from him again.  I've often wondered what happened to Steve.  But, he just wasn't the one.

With Andrew and I, we came to that point in our relationship that one of us had to move.  I said I wasn't going to, so he moved to Maine.  We got married October 6, 2001... so next week we will be celebrating 10 years of marriage.  As with all things, it's had its ups and downs.  But that's life.  We wouldn't enjoy celebrating the highs so much, if we had never experienced the lows.

So, that's the first member of my cast.... Andrew... a southern boy stuck in snowy Maine.

Until next time....