The juggling cute guy in my kitchen...

One night, almost 18 years ago, I found this guy in my kitchen juggling oranges. Let’s face it; it’s not often that you find someone juggling in the kitchen, let alone a cute guy with smoke blue eyes and sandy blond hair. And this is how I met my husband.

It was October 1990 and I was an EMT on call for the night. A friend was hanging out with me for the evening and she wanted to have a friend, whom she was hoping to get friendlier, come over and keep her company in case I went out on a call. She did and I did. Her friend came with a friend and that’s where the juggling cute guy enters the picture. Follow me here; he was a friend of a friend of the friend. Got that? Keep up.

An emergency call did take me out of the house for a few hours, the details of which I have no recollection. I do remember being slightly frazzled and happy to be back home. I was in uniform, which was a white baggy jumpsuit that I knew made me look like the Pillsbury Doughboy on a radical diet who’s doughy flesh hung limp and loose. A terribly unattractive outfit as I was skinny (Oh how I wish I could say that now!) and this thing hung on me something awful. When I walked into the kitchen there were three people lazing about the table, one I recognized and two I didn’t. One of the unrecognized was a tall husky blond guy, who I recognized by name when introduced as the hopeful hook up of my friend. The other guy with sandy blond hair, smoke blue eyes with beard and mustache was sitting across the room juggling oranges. At first it was the juggling that caught my attention, as he was doing this very smoothly and casual like. I think that was the first time I had ever seen anyone juggle outside of a circus. Turns out he was the housemate of the friend’s hopeful hook up and had come along for the ride.

There are details of this particular evening that I do not recollect, such as what was he wearing, how long did they stay, did I offer them refreshments, did I go out on another emergency call or was I home until the guys departed. I do remember being edgy and nervous, and I marked it to finding two unknown guys in my house and the adrenaline of just coming back from an emergency call but I admit now that meeting the cute juggling guy definitely rang my bells and jangled my nerves. He was really nice, with clever banter, nice looks and liked dogs. My dogs were happily digging on the attention he was giving them. I also remember that I found the shape of his mouth under his mustache tremendously sexy. We chatted about football – Giants (me) versus Cowboys (him). I know, how can that conversation be rational and cordial? We talked about the dogs we had and the funny things they did. Conversation ran to movies and books, as they are wont to do when people first meet and are trying to get to know each other.

Next thing I knew we were hanging out regularly on Sunday’s watching football while arguing good-naturedly about the Giants and Cowboys. We got together to play video games, trade backrubs and go on walks with the dogs. Turns out he wasn’t just cute, but smart too so conversations were intriguing and prompted heated debates and intriguing dialogue. When I went to Massachusetts that December to visit my cousin, imagine my surprise when I missed him and ended calling him just to hear his voice. That was when I knew I was a goner and we hadn’t even had our first official date yet. I didn’t miss guys. EVER. They were there for my amusement but certainly not to be kept around longer than their entertainment value, which usually wore off pretty quick. This juggling, bearded, sexy mouthed one had gotten under my skin, as we became friends over football, dogs and long walks.

We went out on our official first date in February 1991 to a comedy club, the night before Valentine’s night. He showed up at my front door, minus the beard, as one of the dogs he lived with had bumped into him while he was shaving. I got to see that sexy mouth without so much camouflage and discovered without the beard he tended to look years younger than he was. Which is still the case 18 years later, except he very rarely shows that face without the beard, as he really hates to shave. We did have a second date a week or so later, at which he made me steak and home made french fries. After which I jumped him. After all, we had been circling for months and he was being the gentleman taking things slow. Sometimes a girl has to take matters into her own hands, so to speak. That settled things and we were unofficially official.

As we continued to see each other every chance we had, I discovered this was the guy I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. Done. I had found what I hadn’t been looking for. While my parents had a solid marriage, I was never so traditional that I felt marriage was the only way to go. So I was happy to just be together. When cute guy proposed in January 1992 I stuttered and stumbled through my shock and croaked out “I guess”. Cute guy like to tease me that I still haven’t actually said yes.

Today we have been married 15 years. I can’t imagine having traveled, celebrated and weathered those years without him. He’s been my partner, my friend, my soul mate, my lover and my anchor along the ride. We’ve experienced successes, failures, triumphs, excitement, anguish, thrills, arguments, frustrations, anticipations and comfort side by side. We have two fabulous kids, two goofy dogs and a house with a yard that need some work. We discuss, we debate, we annoy, we argue, we laugh, we love and we cherish. He still ignites fires when he kisses my ear. I still like to nibble on that sexy mouth. He smells like home. We hold hands while driving in the car and walking in the grocery store. Who knew, at the time, that the juggling cute guy I found in my kitchen would change my life so much for the better?

Happy Anniversary, SuperHubby. My life would not be what it is without you.