Two fools for April Fools Day

Here are some photos related to Rockford College. Why? Because this is where the wife and I met (never mind that this is also where I met my ex-husband--that is a whole 'nother story) and because today is our anniversary (don't ask any questions just yet). April 1, 2006. A glorious day, indeed.

This building? That's Burpee Center, the home of the school cafeteria. Back in the day, I could easily put away thirds at any given meal. Of course, that's why I weighed 50 pounds more than I do today. (Well, that plus the pizza and beer, but let's not go there). 

Burpee will always be near and dear to my heart because it's where I met the wife for the very first time.  

We officially first met in the Summer of 1982 in Burpee Center--it was during her freshman orientation. Now, that was a LONG time ago. (We were three years old when we met.) I was working that day because I was going to be a Resident Assistant for the year--the RAs were on campus to welcome the incoming freshmen. I was assigned to the beverage table. I believe the choices were water or lemonade; but, being me, I was offering other things (not that they really existed).....

When the wife bellied up to my bar, I said, "Vodka or Whiskey?" 

Yes. Those were my first official words. I remember it. She remembers it. We still laugh about it. We should have realized it was destiny. "You had me at vodka."

Thankfully, her father did not hear me.

We didn't really get to know each other until we began standing in line every day waiting for the Burpee Cafeteria to open. We were ALWAYS first in line. I'd be right by the door, waiting for it to open; she'd be right behind me, waiting for the cafeteria to swing into action. On most days, we were the only two standing there for many minutes. Every day, at 11 AM we'd be standing there. The cafeteria didn't open until 11:15 AM but we didn't want to be late. There was food to be eaten! This love of food and a sick need for punctuality became the basis of true friendship.

So, my second official words to the wife were: "You're a woman after my own heart." 


I wasn't kidding about eating thirds at every meal. We were serious food hounds back then. The wife had three chins, for god's sake. And, isn't it just so appropriate that the cafeteria is located in a building called BURPee?

The pool. Ah, the pool. The college pool is where (a) I almost drown while taking a swimming final freshman year after a big bout with mono; (b) the place the wife taught me how to swim without drowning; and, (c) home of the gym, which is wear the wife and I spent most of my waking hours (when not in the arts building or drunk in some dorm room).

(Side note: I really feel bad bout calling the wife, well--the wife. I mean, she's not really a wife, nor a husband. I'm not her husband. This hurts my head. I can't very well use her name--she'd hunt me down. Saying "partner" sounds like we are in business together and "Significant other" sounds ridiculous. Using "love buckets" is just so disgustingly sweet. So, I'm going with "the wife." It makes me laugh, if nothing else.) 

No need to get into details (I don't want to scare any of you blog readers)--suffice it to say that time went on, I graduated, she graduated, I got married, I got divorced, we lost weight and stopped eating thirds at every meal, we got real life jobs, blah blah blah. Along the way, April Fools day became "our" anniversary. (That's another blog topic--how anniversaries are determined. Not today, please! That's more complicated that finding world peace.) 

(Mother dear, aren't you glad to know we have an official anniversary? No need for gifts, thank you!) 

And so, we have been "together" longer now than the age we were when we got together. (Does that make sense? I know what I'm trying to say.) April Fools Day is by far the most perfect day for an anniversary as we are the two biggest April Fools I know. I'm not sure it's very romantic but it is very appropriate. And, that is NOT an Aprils Fool joke.

How will we celebrate, you ask? Being the oh-so-romantic type, I'm making the wife go to Barnes and Noble so I can have an anniversary frappacino while reading PEOPLE magazine. Okay, so we'll go out for dinner, too, but I'm all about the frappacino. Our dear friends J&G will join us in an anniversary bookstore beverage and we'll laugh and tell stories and distrub others trying to read their PEOPLE magazines. We might go stand on the Rockford College softball field, just for fun. I don't think we'll go to Burpee for lunch but we'll consider it.

 After all, she is a woman after my own heart.    :-)