They say you won’t find love at the bar . . . but maybe you will, and maybe it turns into “I do” like it did for me.. Andrew and I met 3 ½ years ago at the Green Turtle in Fells Point right before Thanksgiving. I’d had a couple of cheap cocktails and struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me. Somewhat burly, hair and beard clipped short, he was exactly my type. At, 25, I was very into “lumberjacks” and I told him how much I liked his beard- several times. We texted and talked on the phone throughout the holiday comparing stories about what we were eating: His sister-in-law was trying out a tofurkey on the family and mine was discussing the superiority of canned cranberry sauce. I’m a big fan of that “sch-loop” noise the canned variety makes. We made plans to meet up the following week at Frazier’s in Hampden where I played trivia each week.
Dating sucks. We all know it. It’s a nerve wracking but unavoidable aspect of life. That first date with Andrew was so easy. He joined in with my friends and we had a great time and ended up staying at the bar for hours after trivia ended just talking and laughing. We discovered that we were polar opposites. He played football in high school and college, I didn’t (and still don’t) know how football is even scored. I read probably read a book a week. He hadn’t read a book for fun in years. But we found a lot that we had in common. We were both dog owners. We both grew up living with our grandmothers living with us and it had made a big impact of both of our lives. We also both really hated Nickleback.
Photo by Kyle Bergner Photography.
I’m a librarian and for that first Christmas he bought me a chain for my glasses since I didn’t own one and “that’s what librarians wear”. When April came and he asked what I wanted for my birthday I responded, “a purple unicorn that farts glitter”. He bought a child’s rocking horse at Michael’s, painted it purple, glued a horn on it and covered it with glitter. Ladies, if your man makes you a glitter covered unicorn, you’ve got yourself a keeper.
Just when I thought that majestic unicorn couldn’t be topped, Andrew proposed over dinner at Ikaros in Greektown last year on my birthday. I was floored. We had talked about getting married and both felt like we were ready but I still wasn’t expecting it at all. The week before we had had lunch with my parents and while I was in the bathroom Andrew asked my parents for my hand and for my Nana’s vintage Smyth engagement ring that she had designed herself when she married my Pop-Pop. It is a beautiful ring and entirely unique, just like my Nana.
I still can’t stop looking at it and picturing the rest of our lives together. And with less than 3 months to go, we are almost ready to begin!
