Ten years ago last month, ...

... I was watching The Mummy, that masterpiece of romantic cinema, with my grad school movie buddy, whom you now know as Mrs. Van Horn, at her apartment.

Under its spell, we began making out. Romance quickly became love and we were engaged before the end of the year. Ten years is a long time, but it seems to have gone by really fast. In some ways, it seems like we have always been together, and yet it still feels brand new, if that makes any sense.

Probably the best and most important thing about my relationship with Mrs. Van Horn is that we are friends. From the time we met as members of a mutual friend's wedding party in 1998, I liked her and I was struck by her beauty. I got her number from our friend and we went out once, but I almost immediately lost her to a rival. Some time after that wound down, though, our friend suggested she contact me as someone who might be good to hang out with sometimes. So I heard from her and we'd occasionally go out together.

One of those times, we talked on her porch until something like 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. Being about as clumsy with women as I can be dexterous with the pen, I asked her if she was interested in more. She said she wasn't, but that she still wanted to be friends. That f-word told me that we were going nowhere romantically, so I decided I wouldn't pursue her. I told her that being friends was fine, but that if she ever changed her mind, she would have to make the first move.

So we were movie buddies. We became shopping buddies, too, when I wanted to buy clothes and realized that I could stand to have a woman's perspective on my purchases. We took dance classes together, because she liked dancing and I wanted to meet people. She noticed herself becoming jealous whenever it was time to swap partners. She eventually had me over for that movie and ensnared me.

My in-laws tell me that it seems like everyone knew she liked me before she did from the way she'd talk about me. Close, but no cigar. I didn't see it coming, either, when I innocently sat down to watch The Mummy that Friday night.

To this day I don't think we've ever watched that whole movie straight through.

Thanks for ten wonderful years, sweetie!

-- CAV

Updates

Today: (1) Minor edits. (2) Showed post to wife, who, after getting a good laugh at my expense, helpfully reminded me that we were engaged before the year was out. We got married the following year. Tip: Don't get married too close to New Year's or you'll always screw up the year you got married!