You are right. I gave up looking. The strongest evidence was several months before I met him, I bought a home. Wasn't going to wait around for Prince Charming.

Yea, Prince Charming does maintain the computers.

This is a great thread. I'll be married 38 years this December. We met at a local hardware factory where we both worked. He was the new stock guy but quickly moved up to being a forklift operator.

I remember walking down the steps to the packing department where I worked and saw this really cute guy sitting by the packing line. The first thought that went through my mind was, "That's the guy I'm going to marry." He looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back and when I could move continued to my work area. Then the thought went away. I was 20 and he was 18. He had just moved to Illinois from Arkansas. That was November, 1969 and we started dating in April, got engaged in October and married in December of 1970.

What drove me crazy was that he was so shy that whenever I asked him a question about himself I'd only get a short reply, but when the older lady who sat next to me asked him something he'd go on forever. Later I found he got nervous when he tried talking to me. He said it was because he was attracted to me. I finally found out he was from a place called, "Clover Bend". Now how beautiful a name and I wa more intrigued than ever about him. It took him forever, it seemed, before he was comfortable enough to sit and talk to me about his hometown and family, but I persevered.

Finally one night my older sister, a cousin and I were taking my twin sister to work in the next town. We stopped first at a root beer stand to get a drink. I saw him there and he drove his car up beside us. He asked what I was doing. I told him and laughingly asked if he'd like to go with us so we could talk some more. He said yes and didn't think a thing about getting into a car with 4 other girls. After dropping my twin off at work and getting back in town, he asked me to have a soda with him so my other sister and cousin took my car home. He asked me out on a date that night and that started it for us.

He's known in the family - to this day - as the pick-up guy.

We have been so blessed to find so many of "the right guy" for our lives. We know what we want and we attract the right kind of person. Go Boomers!!

My husband and I will be married 35 years next month. We met at the local 7-11- I was working 3-11 shift there summer when college let out, and he was on night shift (same thing but he had grad, I was a frosh). He was a really nice chap and we struck up a nice friendship. We would talk after work, and take bike trips during the day when he was off, and really developed a good friendship. He was attentive, polite and a true gentleman. Shortly in the timeframe, we started dating (cautiously, more than not but it was serendipity I think) in late June. WHAM! He was just the man I knew I had to marry. By August we were engaged (on his birthday!), and early October married. I couldn't have wanted a better man to share my life with, we've had our bumps in the road but haven't we all. My father was very dismayed that I wanted to marry so young a month shy of 19. I was headstrong, I know- but like my Dad, I knew my mind. We eloped of a fashion! It took a good while for my Dad to be over it (oldest daughter and all- and I know I did disappoint him by marrying young and he grew in time to respect the man that married his eldest daughter) but my Mom was at our side always and God Bless Her for that. I have some simmering regrets not doing the marriage like my Dad wanted, but we did get married in his church- and after taking the "compatability" test the church offered then, the reverend said he had never seen two people suited so well to one another. Funny thing was, we applied for our license after the prep work, in our town, the clerk was a local busybody and knew who to call to alert them to our plans. Holy crap broke out then. In later time, DH actually developed a very good friendship with my Mom, she thought he was the best thing since sliced bread! After Dad passed away his friendship with her meant a lot to her, and to me too. Her life was not easy with my Dad, I think DH was a good confidante to her - and she really did love and support us both always. His family no doubt shared the same reservations intitally(and there were some confrontations there with my father, being us both from the same small town a only a few blocks from one another) but they were very supportive and loving, much more than we deserved- we even had to live there for a couple months til we got our first apartment and they welcomed us wholeheartedly. And when our sons were born they were there to help and always did help us when we asked, they knew not to impose theirselves on us and when we needed them, they ALWAYS were there. It was like the Waltons, no lie. And I loved it! It took awhile for my Dad to get over the marriage- 6 yrs- but they did come to visit prior their first grandson being born (we always laughed at folks thinking of our short courtship and quick marriage counting on their fingers- I hope they got tired after awhile!!), and for the second grandson too- and were there with bells on when the FIRST grandson was born and when the second was 3 months old, since he was born in winter. I treasure all the pictures of both families with our sons. First grandsons in BOTH families! I KNOW I was blessed with this man,and I KNOW we both were blessed with such wonderful families- and I thank God every day we are together, and try the best I can to continue the family thread with our sons. I can see how much they feel about family and the ties that do bind despite the miles. We are truly blessed and I am always, totally grateful.

Sandpiper and judy, thanks for your stories! It's so cute when you look back,isn't it? I see how many different ways we can meet, "the one," but all of us seemed to "know," didn't we?

I think we are all very lucky. I type this as my husband watches over me since I have been diagnosed with severe dehydration.

I could come home and not stay in the hospital because of him.

I'm lucky, and so are all you others.
Let's not forget!

Dancer9

Hi Judy

Want an amazing story of love and kindness. Thank you soooooo much for sharing it with all of us! Isn't it funny how many people do that backward finger counting thing? Makes me laugh till my sides hurt! Of course, this is coming from a woman who used to laugh when she heard the saying "oh, yeah, babies. The first one can come any time, the others take 9 months!". For years, I didn't understand that one!

Hi Dancer

I hope you're taking good care of yourself! How blessed that your husband is there to help and support you. Such a gift, such a gift indeed!

Thank you, Mama Red.
I am hydrating but I was pretty far gone with dehydration! I live in Arizona and know better but I just forgot!
It got bad enough for me to need an IV.

Thank you for your well wishes.

Dancer

What a fun thread! Here is my Match.com story. I know I have shared parts of it before, so I am sorry if I am repeating myself.

In 2000, a girlfriend and I decided to try out this new phenomenon called Match.com. They offered 3 months free and we both signed up.

I had very few responses until I finally posted a photo. I had been on a cruise, with friends, over winter break, and I had this knock out photo of me in a formal. I don't usually like my pictures, but this one was great.

The day I posted the photo, I started getting matches. My friend and I would compare matches over the phone in the evening, and talk about potential dates. I was NOT looking for a long term relationship, but just some fun. I had been dating lots over the past few years, and was enjoying the process.

I met a few guys in person. There was the guy who was a Meg Ryan freak, and wanted me to cut my hair like her, then we could go out on a second date. The guy who chain smoked while we ate lunch, and talked about all the movie channels he got on his cable system. The guy who sent me the nude photo (I know I have talked of him before. And the best, was the guy who wanted to date me after he had dated my friend. He was wondering if actually, we could all go out together!

My freebee time was up on May 15, and I was not going to pay to meet more toads. I had about 5 guys write to me that day, and I answered only one: Dennis!

He wanted to go out immediately for dinner. I wanted to meet a bit more casually first. As I said, my membership was up, and I really had no idea of who I was talking to on the phone. But his voice, oh so soft and sexy. To tell the truth, I thought I was talking with a younger guy who I thought was real cute. I did not remember what Dennis looked like.

We finally met at a deli. I was surprised when I met him, I really did not recall ever seeing this guy on Match.com. He was blond, and I never went for blonds, and wore these huge, geeky glasses (I am a freak for fashionable eyewear). But, when we talked, for just a few minutes, I forgave him his hair and glasses. We had so much in common. Best of all, he loved to travel, and had been so very many places! But, when he told me he wrote poetry, I was a goner.

We went out for that dinner two nights later and we have been together ever since. He is the one for me and I am the one for him. Like Chick, we are among the top 10% of the happiest people in the world. I don't want to imagine my life without him.

Oh goodness, that is pretty dehydrated! Keep taking care of yourself...