I like Mike!

In honor of our 3-year anniversary, I thought I would put out a tribute to my man, and to the times we've had together. First, kudos to Clare's then-boyfriend, who threw a party that fated night back in December 2002.... to which the freshman football players were sent to steal the beer. Little Mikey had no idea what was in store - lucky for him, a cute girl cornered him - er, started talking to him, he got her number, and the rest is history.

Michael, although you're in Ohio and I'm in Texas, somehow we're making it work. Thanks to Sprint for offering unlimited PCS-to-PCS calling, and saving us about $600 in phone bills every month.

Good times:
~The night you asked me if I wanted to start dating
~Our first Valentine's Day, when you took me into Columbus in the Bonneville to your uncle's favorite neighborhood spot
~Sneaking you in the back door of the 'Villa
~When you spilled Bud Light on my desk ("my oyfriend spilled eer on my keyoard and now it's roken")
~May 2003 - Our picnic in the park, where we discussed our "future" - at that time naively limited to the summer of 2003
~August 2003 - My first job interview in Columbus - and your cousin Libby was born the day I had to fly home!
~October 2003, when I finally moved to Columbus (penniless) but landed a job 3 days later, at which point you helped me move out of the efficiency next to the "crackhouse" in the Short North
~Various family gatherings in Cleveland, where I sometimes managed to fall down or walk into a screen door - yet the famdamnily always welcomed me back!
~Babysitting Tom and Libby together - teaching Tom how to wrestle and helping Libby learn the alphabet
~When you went with me to get my wisdom teeth out, and you were very calm (and not at all patronizing) when I was cleared to go home but was insisting that they hadn't taken the teeth out yet (apparently the anesthesia worked)
~Our first anniversary, when you sent me roses at work
~Dinner and excellent micro-brewed beer at Barley's
~My birthday at the Cleveland Symphony
~Watching out my kitchen window as one of your roommates was pulled over, had his car impounded, and had to walk the remaining half-block home, McDonald's bag firmly in hand
~The day my car was wrongfully towed and yours was out of commission, so I called off work and we walked to Chipotle for lunch
~When I slipped on the icy steps of my apartment, cut my hand, and still drove to pick you up from class
~The day my land/slumlord decided to replace those steps (without notice), and you had to climb under the caution tape, over the tarp, and through the half-poured concrete to get to my apartment to unlock the back door for me
~New Year's 2004-5, when your Grandpa Bill drove us to the bar to meet up with your friends, because he was the only one in the family who was sober AND old enough to drive
~The countless times I came home from work to find you in my kitchen, making dinner and pouring me a glass of wine
~August 2005 - Driving 24 hours straight and helping me move into my new apartment in Texas, making the first few days much less scary
~Our Valentine's dinner for this year, which you so carefully planned (but I'll have to take a raincheck)

Thanks for putting up with me these past 1,096 days. Here's to many more, and to living in the same time zone again someday!