Why is July 12 special?

I'll tell you why... well there are two reasons in my life. First, in order of chronology, this is the day my Dad was born. So, happy birthday Pops! We'll be celebrating tonight here in CA and the kids have all colored special birthday pictures for their Gramps (Shh... that's a surprise!)

Also on July 12, something very exciting and great happened in my personal life... I met Hubs for the first time! It was in 1996. I'd recently moved back to Provo and had gotten a job at the coolest hippest used-CD joint in town (it wasn't really the coolest & hippest but I have to say that because I later ran the joint, and you all can't prove me wrong because it isn't there anymore). I'd worked a couple days before July 12, being trained by other memorable staff members including then-manager Susan who I largely credit for me & hubs' union (since she'd hired both of us - I also credit several people who helped out with my interest in varies types of music which ultimately allowed me to secure the cd store gig) but on July 12 somebody extra-specially awesome walked through the door to train me on my 3rd day of work... you guessed it, Hubs! He had bleached spikey hair, totally baggy skater clothes, a wallet chain, and I was totally smitten! I don't think he had much of an impression of me (positive or negative) but I did my best in the coming months to be obnoxious and get his attention... which was quite a departure from my usual "act shy" mode so I must've known he was the one!

We got to be great work-friends and in September of that year went to a concert together, our first ever "date" that wasn't a date since we hardly even saw each other all night; he hung up front in the pit the whole time while I bopped in the back. But we still fondly refer to it as our first date since we don't know when our first real date was. Through each of us dating other people, I still always liked him bestest and eventually my friends convinced me that he must like me too, since he'd taken up the habit of coming over to my apartment all the time for various bizarre reasons: borrowing my computer to download guitar tabs, asking me to patch his torn jeans (I really didn't sew, and he had his seamstress mother not far away), coming over after dates to discuss what he did & did not like about the girl he was seeing... so by early '97 our friendship had evolved further (meaning we actually hung out together on our dates) until we were ultimately married that September.

Hubs was, and still is, the coolest guy I've ever met who is so completely cool while also being so completely good. When I found out I'd met a skater who was also a really good guy, who was a good influence on me & would marry me, I couldn't believe my luck!

Hubs, you're the best thing that ever happened to me; I'm so lucky to be your wifey... happy 11th "first met" anniversary!