Canned Goods, First Dates and Anniversaries

In honor of my husband’s and my anniversary today, I wanted to share our first date experience. Plus, it’s a little insight into our hilarious world that has only gotten better and better over the years. #blessed

It all started with an email…

…that KD ignored.

Little did Joe know that I did not have an actual active account on match.com, so when he first emailed me there, I could not respond. I remember getting occasional emails saying random people were interested, but I would have to sign up for a monthly account to see them. That’s how they hook you! It was not until months later that Joe found me on a different (free) site and tried to email me again. This time I responded because free is, well, FREE!! (I need to remember to send OKCupid a ‘thank you’ email!)

After a few emails back and forth, comparing the answers from the bazillion questions offered on OKCupid, we finally had a phone call. It was…. awkward. Like any first phone call, it was reserved and polite, borderline borr-inngg. It was not until the next phone call, as I was wrapping a can of tuna fish for a Christmas present for my parents, did we really connect. We really started to chat it up and enjoy our conversation. I remember the evening well: I was sitting in the middle of my living room floor with wrapping paper, gifts, tuna and a bunch of stuff all around me, and the thought went through my mind,

“Wow! He really gets my sense of humor!”

After I returned from my trip to visit my folks for a belated Christmas, we planned our first date. It was scheduled for Sunday, January 15^th. Like any good start to a relationship, Joe cancelled. Supposedly he had to work a homicide case—talk about a likely excuse!

Then, the first date came a second time. Monday, January 16^th, Martin Luther King Day. After a long day of work, KD threw on some simple, half-nice clothes and met Joe at the buzzing, fine dining restaurant of Chiefland: Deke’s. For those who are not familiar with this joint, they are out of business now, so you never will be familiar with it. Oh, how I miss their steak tips, mashed potatoes and cream corn… they were special. Mmmm…..

nom nom nom

Anyhow, back to my fairy tale. Upon arriving to the restaurant, most likely late, I saw Joe had a gift for me. How sweet! Lord knows I love presents!

Following the gift and the date, here was my Facebook post:

Joe (holding the gift bag): “This is for you. I thought long and hard about what to get you, and I thought about flowers, but decided I wanted to get something more special, something you will always remember. This is something that, even after you use it, you will always remember and think of me.”

I doubtfully opened the bag to find a can of… wait for it… baked beans!! That’s right! Bush’s original grillin’ beans!

(Actual photo, I swear!)

Joe: “See? Even after you eat them, you’ll remember them and think of me for a long time after!”

Yep. There’s nothing like explaining to the waitress that it wasn’t my birthday and that I just received a can of beans for our first date.

Priceless. Now that is what I call a great first date! We are still living happily ever after.

P.S. He did give me flowers later in the parking lot, after I accused him of trying to kidnap me. No worries, he assured me that he had pepper spray he could loan me if I needed it to protect myself from him.