In The Beginning, There Was Beer. And Lots of It. Part 1 of a Love Story

I adamantly deny stealing the idea to tell the fairytale romance of Tate and I from Casey. No way. I stole this idea from Schnozzfest who did this last year for NaBloPoMo, thankyouverymuch.

The summer of 1998 was a good one. I had just moved back home after having lived on my own for the past five years in order to save money. It was surprising fun to be back at home, not annoying or limiting at all. That summer, I was in grad school and the summer session of grad school was light on both coursework and clinical work. Easy peasy. I knew to enjoy this since this would be my last summer before becoming a full-fledged working adult.

I hadn’t had a boyfriend at this time for several years and was actually completely content being on my own. No, really! I was! I had plans to complete and internship in Kansas City and hopefully get a job there (or maybe in St. Louis-I wasn’t sure where.) The possibilities for my future were endless!

This was also the summer my best friend from high school, Avery*, was getting married. She’d asked me to be a bridesmaid. The day before the rehearsal dinner, I had a hair appointment to make me blond again. (I’d had an unfortunate stint with very dark hair that had faded to an ugly color of “mouse.”) My dress for the rehearsal number was a darling little pink dress that fit perfectly, making me look thin and curvy.

I was terribly nervous to go to the rehearsal. The only person I really knew was Avery and I knew she would be busy with all this getting married stuff and wouldn’t have time to hold my hand and introduce my socially awkward self to everyone. Luckily I looked like a babe (if I do say so myself) with my new haircut and pink dress. Looking good definitely helps in new social situations. Also luckily, all of Avery’s friends welcomed me right away and helped me not to feel like the odd man out. It also didn’t hurt that Avery’s friend Julia* pointed out this usher named, Tate, who thought I was “cute.”

The pink dress and blond hair had worked it’s magic! I was flattered! As luck would have it, he was “cute,” too.

Stayed tuned!

*Names changed to protect the guilty.

26 Responses to In The Beginning, There Was Beer. And Lots of It. Part 1 of a Love Story
  1. VDog
    November 4, 2007 | 2:47 pm

    Oooh, it’s getting good!!

    And for the record, I’ve been planning a series about my pregnancy, hospitalization, birth & Little Man’s NICU stay, starting with a post titled, “In the Beginning, There Was the Pregnancy…”
    Damn, girl, you beat me to ideas, like, ALL THE TIME.

    I SO just a second rate binky bitch.

  2. janet
    November 4, 2007 | 2:57 pm

    oh i love a good story that includes beer. :-)

  3. Bren
    November 4, 2007 | 4:13 pm

    Cool! I love stories like this!

  4. BOSSY
    November 4, 2007 | 4:17 pm

    It must be difficult for you sweet gorgeous young things to look back two whole months to when you met your mates. Sorry, does Bossy sound bitter? Just because she is old as a grandmother and can’t remember when she met her husband or remember the feeling of butterflies? Bitter? Never!

  5. AnGlOpHiLe FoOtBaLl FaNaTiC
    November 4, 2007 | 4:21 pm

    Yay. I need to grab a stiff drink & some popcorn for this story! I also forgot to say sorry for the cheap friends yesterday.

  6. Shelly Overlook
    November 4, 2007 | 6:29 pm

    Now I want to see this adorable pink dress!

  7. suchsimplepleasures
    November 4, 2007 | 6:50 pm

    oh, i’m sitting at the edge of my seat…waiting! so what happened next? ;)

  8. Heather, Queen of Shake-Shake
    November 4, 2007 | 8:11 pm

    Much more interesting than my story of picking up men at WAl mart.

    heh..

  9. ~JJ!
    November 4, 2007 | 9:43 pm

    I love this idea…so great to read!

  10. beta mom
    November 4, 2007 | 11:26 pm

    How does it end? Do you meet and fall in love, or do you have a one night stand and never see each other again?

    oh….wait…..

  11. Veronica
    November 4, 2007 | 11:44 pm

    Oooooh, I can’t wait for part 2!!!

  12. Avery Gray
    November 5, 2007 | 12:47 am

    Hmmm… I wonder where this is going. ;o)

  13. Devilish Southern Belle
    November 5, 2007 | 1:19 am

    I love reading about how people meet their significant others!

  14. moosh in indy.
    November 5, 2007 | 3:30 am

    Oh, I remember being “cute”
    and a little pink dress?
    Tarte.
    Just kidding.

  15. Laura McIntyre
    November 5, 2007 | 8:03 am

    Ohh love reading stuff like this, waiting for more now:)

  16. SJSFalter+
    November 5, 2007 | 10:10 am

    Okay you peeked my interest, Ill be back for part two. Although this has sparked me to also document the beginning of J and my relationship. Holy mother that was in 1993, 14 years…is that possible? I should probably write it down before the memory loss (cause it only gets worse with each child I have, LOL) kicks in any further.

  17. mpotter
    November 6, 2007 | 2:32 am

    see me? i’m on the edge….
    of my seat.
    funfun!

  18. dawn224
    November 6, 2007 | 4:16 am

    wedding hookups are good things…..

    (for me too)

  19. tommie
    November 6, 2007 | 4:16 am

    i love a good post about a shredder……Husband got me one for Christmas a few years ago, and it was my favorite thing EVA!!!

  20. cate
    November 7, 2007 | 3:48 am

    great idea…that you most certainly did not steal from anyone!

    can’t wait to read on!!

  21. The Dairy Wife
    November 7, 2007 | 5:19 am

    Jen,

    Great idea! I did it too … and drug it out and drug it out … lol.

    I’ll be watching for part two!

    Tanya

  22. nell
    November 7, 2007 | 2:51 pm

    Oh I love these stories, this is gonna be good, I can just tell.

  23. andi
    November 7, 2007 | 4:17 pm

    You met at a wedding? Oh, how adorable. I can hardly wait for the continuation.

    And you also had an unfortunate stint with dark hair? In Grade 10 my mom let me dye my hair pitch black. Not pleasant – but I thought I was pretty cool at the time.

  24. jenica
    November 10, 2007 | 8:36 am

    i don’t care who you steal it from. i’m popping popcorn and waiting for the next installment. i love baby stories and pre-baby stories. not so much on the baby making stories. ;-D

  25. [...] train of thought led me to start thinking about the wedding of a friend, actually the wedding where I met Tate, where my girlfriend’s part of the vows included saying that she promised to love, honor, and [...]

  26. Bridal Shower Etiquette
    December 9, 2009 | 12:11 pm

    Have you posted part 2 yet?
    .-= Bridal Shower Etiquette´s last blog ..Choosing Wedding Favors – The Top 7 Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them =-.