I've told it before here, but here goes again.........

A woman who was on my sales staff came into my office and said, "Pat, how would you like to meet a really nice girl?" I was a little sick and in a moment of weakness, mainly to get this woman out of my office, I said okay. I had quit going on blind dates years before but I was happy just to get Charlene out of the office! The girl she said, was her husband's stepdaughter, nine years younger than mysyelf. I was 36 and more interested in a nice dinner than I was romance.

I met Karen on a Thursday evening and I wasn't looking for a girlfriend, much less a wife. Within 20 minutes I knew that this was the woman I'd spend the rest of my life with. She had about the same feeling and when I went home I called some friends and told them. She designed a wedding dress. Karen told her roommate about me and she said, "I bet he asks you to marry him." Karen protested that I wasn't likely to do so as I was "long-term" single and wore suits to work.

We went to a ballgame on Saturday (she had free tickets-Braves) and then I couldn't see her again til Tuesday. So I sent her some flowers with a note that said "I'm so happy you've come into my life." On Tuesday we were supposed to go watch a movie but I picked her up and said, "We have to talk, ta' hell with the movies." She agreed immediately and we went about talking about the whens and wheres of getting married. We went to a friend's house and I introduced her and we told them we were getting married. Late that night, about 2 AM we stopped in a Denny's for coffee and she reminded me that technically I hadn't proposed to her. I was eating an English muffin at the time and said, "Okay......Not upon a knee, but looking across this table and English muffin.......Will you marry me?" Fortunately she did say yes.........18 years ago. She was 27, I was 36. Karen is absolutely the greatest and best thing that has ever happened to me!


Time elapsed before we both knew--------20 minutes
Time elapsed before actual proposal-------52 hours
Time elapsed before wedding-------------- 5 months

Spaw