MckLinky Monday ~ How did you meet your spouse?

It's time  for another episode of..... MckLinky Monday! On today's show Mrs. Albright (that would be me) wants to know how you met your spouse and what you did for your first date.

In March of 1993, I was in my final year of college who really cares (besides my mom) that it was my sixth year at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. I had transferred to UCO in the fall of 1992. I didn't know a soul when I got there and found myself pretty lonely.

That fall semester I became friends with Cheryl who was in one of my classes. We weren't the kind of friends who talked on the phone or hung out, but we did sit together and collaborated on projects. I called her "friend" because I didn't have any. 

Fast forward....

  

I had had a rough time since moving to Edmond. I had just gotten out of a serious relationship right before I moved there. I took on a new job, a new place to live, and a new school. With the exception of death, aren't those like in the top 5 major stresses?!? Anyway, I ended up having a major panic disorder. It was awful!

All of those who were doing their student teaching that semester had to meet back at the college for a legal aspects class a week before Spring Break. It just so happened that Cheryl and I ended up in the same class once again. It was so nice to see a familiar face.

While we were in our legal aspects class, I just so happened to ask Cheryl if she knew of any single, TALL men that she could fix me up with? No one ever knows of anyone when asked, but she did! She told me about a guy who worked with her husband, Kent. She told me he had a condo and a new truck. I may or may not have gotten a little flutter in my stomach.  But, was he TALL? She told me he was probably her height. Well, she is shorter than I am so I wrinkled my nose up a little. Then she said that he was probably as tall as I am or maybe a little taller. I wasn't feeling so sure at this point.

That day she talked to him and he agreed, somewhat unwillingly, to go on a blind date. (I've always been curious as to how she described me to him?!?) We had to wait until the end of spring break because I was going to be gone to Disney World for a graduation present from my parents. I also told her I'd feel much better if we double dated. She agreed that she and her husband would go out with us. 

I drove my car to their house because I wanted a way to escape if I needed to. Smart, huh? I was a little late getting there because I was having to visit with the local authorities about a break-in that occurred next door to my house. (Just what I needed was more stress!) When I walked in, my first impression was, WOW! He is tall! I was quite relieved! And, he was nice looking to boot!

We were going to go to Charleston's to eat dinner, but the wait was going to be 45 minutes. We discussed a few other options, but Cheryl's husband piped in and said that Shoney's was having an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet and that we should go! (Cheryl leaned over and told me he was a tightwad! LOL!)

Dinner was a bit painful with awkward conversation. I wasn't sure that it was going to work out.

After dinner, Kent and Cheryl suggested we go next door to Celebration Station. Now, mind you, it was March and it was cold outside so there wasn't anything to do outside. We soon found out, once inside, that it was packed with kids. P A C K E D!! And, it was LOUD! We did a quick walk through and headed to the car. In my mind I'm thinking this is not going well. at. all.

Just when you think it can't get any worse, Kent suggests we drive to El Reno, OK and go to Ernie's Polka palace to dance. Really?!!? Polka dancing?!? What the hell. We head to good ol' Ernie's.  The only thing in my mind that sounded good about Ernie's was the fact they served alcohol and I needed something to dull the night.

We pulled up, and to my surprise, it was a big place and it appeared to be packed. As we walk in the door I noticed there weren't any women in big frilly dresses and men in bow ties. I also noticed that there was a band, a country band! Yee Haw! Yes, I had dressed for our first date in none other than Rockies and boots! Perfect!

We bellied up to a table, ordered our drinks and started people watching. There still wasn't much conversation going on, but at least the place was a little more entertaining than Celebration Station and the seafood buffet at Shoney's!

One drink down.

Two drinks down.

By the third drink, I finally asked Brett to dance. YES! I HAD to ask HIM to dance. He agreed to dance with me after he had one more drink.

We danced and we laughed and we drank until the conversation flowed easily. By the end of that night, I was pretty sure I would one day marry that tall, (at the time) shy, dark-haired man. 

Funny thing is, months later he told me that when I walked into Cheryl's house that night, he knew I was the one he'd been dreaming of for so many years and that he was going to marry me. And, all be dog-gone if he didn't ask me to marry him just three months later. (You can read all about his grand proposal here.)  And, just five months after that.....  we were married!