Wednesday, November 12, 2008

How I Met The Mister




That bolt of lightening -is it love at first sight or just a bad choice to stay out in the weather?

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So, I was minding my own business, walking up the front steps of my house on a Friday night after work. I was rather nicely dressed, if I must say so, and I wasn't having a bad hair day. I remember exactly what I was wearing: A light wool sleeveless dress - aqua - with a wide belt. The skirt was kind of bell shaped Ala Jacquie Kennedy, and and the top was a large (very stylish) diagonal plaid with green - sort of but not a lime green. there was a little yellow and pink in it too. And a jacket -no collar - and bracelet length sleeves that matched the skirt of the dress. I was wearing green leather shoes to match the green in the top of the dress. It was a shade of green that was very "in" that year and I had several dresses that I could wear those shoes with. Got all of that? Can you see me lithely walking up the steps? Height of fashion? Size 8? Hair perfect? properly accessorized? Really good posture? In between boyfriends? Good.
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So anyway I am walking up the stairs and out of the side of my eye I see a car pulling in the driveway. An ORD convertible ( the F was missing). Burgundy with beige leather interior. With a man in it. So I paused, thinking if he was a Fuller Brush man or yet another waterless cookware man referred to me by one of my girlfriends, I would send him on his way. So, he gets out of the car, wearing a black shirt and a pair of (it was 1969, okay???) of bell bottoms - black, cream and burgundy stripes - no, not horizontal - up and down stripes. Very cool. Very 60's. He walks up to the steps, which I am still standing on, and he says. "What are you doing here?" And I replied, "I live here, what are you doing here?"
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Turns out, he and my brother had known each other while they were in the service. They were stationed in Japan at an Army hospital unit that cared for soldiers who had been wounded in Vietnam. Once the soldiers were stable and able to travel, they were sent from there to an Army hospital in the US.
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The Mister was a cook and brother Joe liked to eat, and since they were both from Michigan they began to hang around together. By this fateful day in 1969 they both had been back home for about 2 years. Another army buddy was in town and called Joe and the Mister about getting together and going to a Detroit Tigers baseball game. Which they decided to do. Which is why the Mister was on my front steps.
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As luck would have it, Joe was not quite ready - he's one of those guy's who's hair has to be p-e-r-f-e-c-t and who's shirt has to be tucked in just so. It was left to me to chat with the Mister for a while. It was a dirty job, but somebody had to do it. Actually there were about 8 other people in the house, so my sticking around to talk to this man who was not wearing a wedding ring and looking about as cool as they come, was strictly voluntary. I was "in between" boyfriends at the time, and getting a bit long in the tooth - I was 23. So, I was certainly not above reeling in an available man. Especially one who was sitting unattended right in my own living room.
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So, that folks, is how we met.
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During the baseball game the Mister suggested, "someone needs to change her last name" to which Joe replied, "Fine, as long as it's not you".
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Luckily the Mister has a natural aversion to following instructions. He called me 2 days later and invited me out for " a bite to eat". That "bite to eat" turned out to be a seven course Italian dinner at the St. Reggis Hotel in Detroit. The waiters refilled our glasses of Asti Spumanti every time we took a sip, the dinner was fabulous and the conversation was pleasant and comfortable and fun, and the rest is history. We were married 6 months later.
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Five minutes earlier or later and I may never have known he existed.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

During the baseball game the Mister suggested that "someone needs to change her last name" to which Joe replied, "Fine, as long as it's not you".

You never told me that part...funniest line. Ever.

(*your twinkle in your eye* daughter)

MuseSwings said...

Twinkles! You have made my day by leaving a comment! Love you! Mom

Debby said...

*sigh*

Sparky said...

That is SO COOL! **SIGH** I love this story. You are such an excellent writer.

This is how I met my Mister. It was on a SCUBA Dive Boat, my hair was slicked down, and I was as green as can be from sea sickness ... not a pretty site but he was still smitten with me! We sat next to each other that night at supper and were nearly inseperable since. He said he loved my mind but I still think it was that dinky bikini I had on. [giggle] We married a year later (August 11th, 1979). ♥ ∞

Tess Kincaid said...

I don't believe in coincidence!! Wonderful story.

Anonymous said...

"Fine, as long as it's not you." ?!?! That is the funniest Joe-thing I've heard, ever. (Right up there with the the sippy cup story and his innate artificial horizon.)

Hi, Jennifer the daughter in San Fran (The City) near Al ca traz.

Mary/Looly the sister

Shelley said...

I'm still reeling over the description of your outfit - sounded definitely like a Jackie O ensemble! Great story on how you met.....

Betsy Brock said...

That is such a fun story! It could be a movie! :)

Lavinia said...

What a colourful couple you two made! (ha ha ha). Sweet story, I love it!!...and quite 'fashionably' told. I do think what you were wearing that day could be suitably worn on the streets of any large metropolis today. However, as for what the mister wore...well, perhaps it could be of use in an Austen powers movie. Tee hee! Ah, bell-bottoms, I remember them well....funny how we all thought they looked so great at the time! Kinda like the hair-out-to-there in the 1980's!

Nana Trish is Living the Dream said...

This is such a romantic story. Ahh! I would love to see a picture of you and Mister during that era. You are a wonderful writer. Your outfit sounded great. I was a size 8 once upon a time also. It was last in 1995 and unless I get serious about my eating I will just keep growing and growing. UGH

MuseSwings said...

Ladies, thank you for your (sigh) comments! Sparkt - good story! I love to hear how people met. It's always so interesting to find how we find each other.

ChaChaneen said...

Holy smokin' rockets! 6 months later you were married! Whoa! ha ha

I LOVED the way you described your outfit! So darn fun!

I gotta go lay down and put a cold compress on my forehead.... 6 months later!

MuseSwings said...

Janeen - you are just a hoot! I'll bring some of that raspberry cordial to go with your cold compress.

dianasfaria.com said...

What a great story! You wrote it all so well I can see everything as if I were there.
& striped bell bottoms, that is classic!