Thursday, August 30, 2007
TT #63
Well, this seems unreal--a year ago, I did an anniversary TT, too. Tomorrow is our 23rd wedding anniversary. Can't believe I've been doing TTs this long... can't believe I've been married this long. Can't believe that in the book I'm currently reading, the couple has been married almost 20 years, and they're thinking that's a long time. Silly. It doesn't seem long at all. Guess time flies when you're having fun.
- Carl and I met in AIT. We had a small class, and he got there a couple of days later than the rest of us. It was late in the afternoon, we were done for the day, and a bunch of us were hanging around the picnic tables outside the dayroom. Somebody introduced me to him, saying he was from Germany. I said "oh? I took German in college." He said, "sprichst du Deutsch?" I said "ein bißchen" (only I pronounced it "bishen"). He said "ein bißchen?" and I was miserably embarrassed because I thought he was correcting my pronunciation. I didn't actually speak German to him again for... oh, at least a year, maybe longer. And it was years before I explained it to him.
- When we first met, Carl had his head shaved. Well, all the guys did--they were required to before leaving basic training. Whenever we had a break in classes, he would go to the men's room. We always teased him that he was going there to comb his hair and that it wouldn't make it grow any faster.
- Not long after the beginning of AIT, we had a three-day-weekend. Carl went home with Vince from basic training to pick up Vince's truck. A girl in our class, Lori, was furious that Carl had left without her, and said they'd made plans that she was going to go along. I got the impression that they knew each other from before. I found out later that she was a pathological liar--she told people all sorts of outlandish stories, like that she was in a secret special forces basic training (she wasn't--she was in basic training with me), that she was recruited for the army softball team (nope), etc., etc.
- The first time we kissed, we'd been sitting on the hill next to the shoppette, talking with a couple of friends. They pointed out to us that we were obviously smitten, then left us alone.
- When his hair did start growing back, Carl initially started combing it to the side, which made him look exceedingly preppy. We were an item by then, but I started having doubts--I could not see myself with a preppy guy. When it got long enough, he started combing it straight back, and then it was okay.
- As if the preppy hair wasn't bad enough, he told me about his ex-girlfriend in Germany, who was a model, and looked like Daryl Hannah. Years later, he explained that he was trying to impress me, and admitted he was an idiot. I loathed Daryl Hannah for years.
- Carl had Lori following him around, I had Pierre. I'd gone out with a group from our class before Carl arrived, and was friendly with Pierre. He decided we were an item, and later told Carl I was a big slut, and kept warning him that I'd drop him the way I did Pierre.
- Both Lori and Pierre followed us around for a couple of months. Carl and I spent hours outside of class walking and talking. Lori and Pierre would walk along with us for probably half an hour, getting more and more bored, more and more irritated because we weren't talking about anything they were interested in. I've no idea why they didn't give up sooner.
- The first time we had sex was outside, under some old bleachers beside a stream. Which is where everybody from our barracks went to have sex, though we didn't realize that at the time. It was oral sex, which didn't help him to discount Pierre's assertions. After that, every weekend we had off, we'd go into town and get a motel room for the weekend.
- The first time we said "I love you," we were on an FTX. Specifically, we were sitting in a GP medium tent (I still remember the musty smell of the canvas), listening to a lecture by "Major Hypnotic." (Okay, that wasn't his name, but he was a major, and he had a monotone speaking voice that was hypnotic.) We had styrofoam cups of hot chocolate, and when we finished drinking, we amused each other by drawing little pictures and notes on them with our fingernails. I wrote "I love your eyes". Carl wrote back "I love you." That was the end of the note-writing. My heart was pounding, I couldn't breathe, I definitely couldn't look at him. I just sat there until the lecture was finished, probably 3 and a half years. We left the tent, and I dragged Carl off for some privacy and asked him "did you mean it?"
I still have the cup.
- Despite spending all our free time together, Carl and I were the top two students in the class--by far. He had the highest score ever in the course... except that mine was 3 points higher. This really irritated the instructors, because they loved Carl. He'd already started his direct commission paperwork, and he was their superstar. They were not happy with me for screwing things up. So instead of just awarding one honor grad, I got "distinguished honor grad" and Carl got "honor grad." I never let him forget those three points.
- After AIT, Carl got stationed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, and I went to Fort Carson, Colorado. The original plan was to meet in Santa Fe every other weekend, but it immediately changed to every weekend. But my first weekend in Colorado Springs, Carl drove up with a new colleague whose family lived in the area. I got a room at the Rodeway Inn, and had fallen asleep by the time he got there, about 2 or 3 in the morning. He'd brought a little bitty ring with him, and spent a long time explaining that it was just a friendship ring, that it didn't mean anything. A couple of hours later, he said "maybe you could consider it an engagement ring?" Whereupon I informed him that he hadn't asked me to marry him. So he did.
- Contrary to what I'd always thought, I didn't live with Carl before marrying him. That had always seemed eminently sensible to me. In fact, we'd been married 4 1/2 months before we were living together, sort of, going from one couple's spare room to another for a month before we got our own apartment. I'd also figured on never having kids, or at the very least, waiting a few years before starting a family. But by the time we moved in together, I was a couple of months pregnant (and horribly, viciously afflicted with morning -hah!- sickness). And I'd also been a big believer in long engagements, and long courtships. It was only 6 1/2 months from the time we met until our wedding. It seems to have stuck, anyway.
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
- Julia bought books
- Angela/SciFi Chick: random sci fi links
- Ann's travel plans
- Ann Aguirre: Boundless
- Tilly Greene: art theft
- Robin L. Rotham: bras
- what Joy T. is thankful for
- Mama Pajama's 45s
- Susan Helene Gottfried: Kermie interviews Shapeshifter about groupies
- Lori: TV
- Ciar Cullen: Unholy Vows
- Elle Fredrix bought books
- Thomma Lyn's sweating for Sven
- Heather: Labor Day
- Candy Minx: Cherry Beach
- Alyssa Goodnight: Austin
- Mike: a core belief
- Melody: Booking Through Thursday
- Frigga: jury duty
- Tink's activities
- Rhian/Crowwoman: book Nirvana
- Doug: spending lottery winnings
- about Kate R
- Scribbit's kids are in school
- You're next!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Darla, Happy 23rd Anniversary! I wish you both many more joyest years to come :)
And how romantic, behind the story of how you two met. Would have love to know more stuff next time :)
HUGS!
And how romantic, behind the story of how you two met. Would have love to know more stuff next time :)
HUGS!
Happy Anniversary!
This has to be one of the best TT's I've ever read...thank you for sharing the courtship :-) So, what's Carl's hair doing now...combed to the side, straight back, what? Enquiring minds want to know!
This has to be one of the best TT's I've ever read...thank you for sharing the courtship :-) So, what's Carl's hair doing now...combed to the side, straight back, what? Enquiring minds want to know!
Thanks for the anniversary wishes!
Tilly, his hair is still combed straight back. It occurred to me when I was writing this that it's the same way my dad wears his hair. It's just that it looks completely different because Carl's hair is curly, and my dad's is straight. 23 years, and I just realized that. *shaking my head*
Tilly, his hair is still combed straight back. It occurred to me when I was writing this that it's the same way my dad wears his hair. It's just that it looks completely different because Carl's hair is curly, and my dad's is straight. 23 years, and I just realized that. *shaking my head*
Happy Anniversary, Darla! What a great story!!! I love that you still have the cup, especially because it sounds like you guys moved around a lot -- something like that, in my hands, would have been crushed along the way.
May you guys have 23 times 23 more years of happiness together.
May you guys have 23 times 23 more years of happiness together.
Happy 23rd wedding anniversary! How fun to read about how you two got together. It's always fun to look back, isn't it? You sound like a wonderful, happy couple! And I hope you enjoy many, many, many more wonderful years together.
Happy T13!
Happy T13!
# posted by 
: 8/30/2007 6:48 PM
: 8/30/2007 6:48 PM
Thank you for sharing the story og your courtship, Darla, and for visiting my blog this morning. Happy Anniversary!
http://wordtrix.blogspot.com/
http://wordtrix.blogspot.com/
Happy anniversary!!!
Darla, I was riveted to your descriptions, this was the most fun and heck it was even a sexy post...I was blushing!!!!
What an incredible love affair and charming way that you met...and how things worked out. I love the friendship ring...then later consider it an engagement ring...he really did sound smitten.
What an accomplishment your marriage and years together have benen...thanks for sharing!
Here is my tame TT:
http://gnosticminx.blogspot.com/2007/08/cherry-beach.html
Darla, I was riveted to your descriptions, this was the most fun and heck it was even a sexy post...I was blushing!!!!
What an incredible love affair and charming way that you met...and how things worked out. I love the friendship ring...then later consider it an engagement ring...he really did sound smitten.
What an accomplishment your marriage and years together have benen...thanks for sharing!
Here is my tame TT:
http://gnosticminx.blogspot.com/2007/08/cherry-beach.html
Ahhh...how sweet! I wonder if I could remember things in that kind of detail--I doubt it.
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary!
What an absolutely sweet post. And I adore that you still have the cup (that was my fave story). Happy Thursday!
Congratulations on 23 years! Me, I asked theVet to marry me by grabbing her hand under the table at Biba's in Sacramento and jamming a ring on what I hoped was the right finger -- she heard the ring box snap shut, so she wasn't surprised at all ...
... I still have the purchase receipt in my wallet.
... I still have the purchase receipt in my wallet.
# posted by : 8/30/2007 10:19 PM
: 8/30/2007 10:19 PM
Happy Anniversary!!! I really liked to read this list. The power of love!
Thanks for visiting my activities TT.
Thanks for visiting my activities TT.
ohhhh - this was wonderful! i was riveted as well by your stories of the journey you and Carl took as you found each other.
We just had our 23rd, too.
Darla, I really enjoyed this. Especially #10. Amazing, isn't it, how hard it is to say "I love you" the first time? So amazing.
Doesn't everyone start out with oral sex, by the way? Good heavens. I can't imagine leaping straight into intercourse without doing oral first. It would seem unnatural. And I certainly wouldn't equate oral sex with sluttiness!
We had a Pierre, too, a fundamentalist who told Karen she was a slut because we were having premarital sex. We were civil to him after that, but I think at that point we really understood him and knew he was no friend.
Darla, I really enjoyed this. Especially #10. Amazing, isn't it, how hard it is to say "I love you" the first time? So amazing.
Doesn't everyone start out with oral sex, by the way? Good heavens. I can't imagine leaping straight into intercourse without doing oral first. It would seem unnatural. And I certainly wouldn't equate oral sex with sluttiness!
We had a Pierre, too, a fundamentalist who told Karen she was a slut because we were having premarital sex. We were civil to him after that, but I think at that point we really understood him and knew he was no friend.
# posted by : 8/31/2007 6:52 PM
: 8/31/2007 6:52 PM
Oh, Darla -- how lovely! My favourite was also the one with the cup -- and the fact that you kept it. Gave me a warm fuzzy, that did. :)
Congratulations on those many wonderful years!
Congratulations on those many wonderful years!
# posted by : 9/03/2007 2:55 AM
: 9/03/2007 2:55 AM
I came back to let you know I posted the results of my 13 Q's about Jury Duty - it's up at http://anyapples.blogspot.com/
Where did you go, Darla?
Here's a lame Thirteen if ever there was one.
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Here's a lame Thirteen if ever there was one.
# posted by : 9/06/2007 6:58 AM
: 9/06/2007 6:58 AM << Home
