Happy Birthday!!!!!

Today is my wife's birthday and I wanted to take time today to tell the story of how we met. I joined the social networking site myspace back in 2005. I wasn't on the site a lot in the beginning but in 2006 I started getting a little more active on it. I fixed up my profile page, added my picture and joined a few groups. One day I got an invite to a group called "Over 40 and Fine". I figured I was over 40 so I joined the group. The group had a message board area where people could post topics of discussion. There were some serious threads and also many fun ones as well. Some were word games where you had to change one letter in a word to make it a new word. There was also a couple of flirty threads as well...like "would you hug the person below you?" and "would you kiss the person below you". It was on this message board I first spotted Sharon. I saw her profile picture and thought WOW! She is cute. I found myself spending more time on the board an responding to her posts when I saw them. I started trying to be the first one to hug or kiss her on those threads. This was late February early March 2006.

We started interacting on the boards more and soon started sending private messages back and forth. We definitely hit it off and soon exchanged phone numbers. I guess I should mention that Sharon is from SE Pennsylvania and that I am from SE Wisconsin. We continued sending messages to each other as well as started talking on the phone on a regular basis. We spend time talking and getting to know each other.We then added web cams to the mix and would have web dates.  Soon I realized I needed to meet her in person. I asked if it would be okay for me to come out to visit her. She enthusiastically agreed. We made plans for me to drive out the weekend between Mother's Day and Memorial Day. I still remember the mix of excitement and nervousness I felt as the time drew nearer. Sharon sent me a package that I was not to open until right before I left. We had a web date and I opened the package. It was a music cd that she had made for my trip, some gum and a few tasty cake snacks.

I left Milwaukee around 10pm to avoid Chicago traffic and started my journey to PA. I had used mapquest to plan out the trip and it would be taking me 14 hours to travel the 841 miles from my home to my hotel. I was very excited the first leg of the trip. I put the cd in and listened to the wonderful songs she had selected for my drive. Somewhere in Ohio in the wee hours of the morning doubts crept into my head. What if she doesn't like me? What if we don't hit it off in person? Am I crazy driving 14 hours to meet a woman in PA? I was questioning my decision when my cell phone rang. I was Sharon she was getting up at home and just the sound of her voice put all my doubts to rest. I talked with her for a few minutes as she needed to get ready for work and I drove to Bob Evan's near Akron Ohio to meet a fellow myspace friend for breakfast. After breakfast I continued on to PA. I remember the first sign you see for a city in PA along I-80 is for the Town of Sharon, PA. I took that as a good omen as that was my goal...Sharon in PA. I stopped at the first rest area in PA to stretch my legs and check the map. The was a woman working the visitor area who ask where I was headed I told her and she responded "You only have 5 and a half more hours to go" I don't think she knew I had been driving for almost 9 hours already.

I made it the rest of the way and checked into my hotel. I showered and tried to take a nap as Sharon was going to pick me up after she got off of work to go to dinner. As tired as I was I could not sleep. Sharon called me when she was done with work. She sounded very excited that I was there. She when home to clean up and then made her way to the hotel. I remember standing on a little porch area waiting for her to arrive. When I saw a gray car pull in I thought I think that is her. The car parked and Sharon got out of the car and walked up to me. I remember hugging her and both of us looking at each other saying I can't believe you are here. Sharon told me she had wondered if I was really going to be there when she got to the hotel. I am so glad I was there, as in turned out that was the first time I held the woman that has made me the happiest man alive. I never knew then that September 2nd would become one of the most important days in my life.

Happy Birthday Sharon!!!