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One Tremendous Year

Updated on February 18, 2013
PDXKaraokeGuy profile image

Justin W. Price is a freelance writer, blogger, and award-nominated author based out of Juneau, Alaska.

Andrea and I's first date
Andrea and I's first date | Source
The picture that Nicky showed me
The picture that Nicky showed me | Source
Source
Source

12/31/2011.


My wife and I went on our first date one year ago today. Obviously, the fact that I called her “wife” means we connected and, in the words of Ron Burgundy things “escalated quickly.” Here’s what happened.

In September of last year, the band I was playing in (Who shall remain nameless. They do not need nor deserve a mention in this positive story. That’s another story…) got a new drummer, Nicky. He and his wife had just moved to Portland from Bellingham, Washington. We became fast friends.

Fast forward to December of 2010, setting up for band practice, Nicky tells me that he knows a girl who wants to meet me.

“How does she know of me?”

“She’s been stalking you on Facebook. She’s a friend. From Bellingham. She’s really cute.” He showed me her picture. She was really cute. “She’s coming down to visit for New years’ Eve and she wants to meet you.”

I was skeptical because I’d been in long distance relationships before. I wasn’t interested in another one, but, he gave me her number anyway. We could always discuss the logistics of where to live later on.


I called her a couple of nights later. I was making steak. She told me she was a vegetarian. This was about the only thing we didn’t have in common. We both had black female dogs with curled tails, we had both been married to the wrong person for far too long, we both had three siblings (though I am the oldest and she is the youngest.), and we both thought the other was cute. These are important things. We also had in common the fact that we didn’t like the telephone.

We talked for six hours.

The ring i drew on her finger
The ring i drew on her finger | Source


We decided to meet and, since she had friends here (not just Nicky and his wife but her best friend, Nicole, and her husband Dan) there was less pressure if there was no chemistry. There was also no stranger danger, since we’d both been vouched for. I picked her up around noon on New Year’s Eve from Portland’s Union Station, and our mutual affection for trains began, as well as our mutual affection for each other. I spotted her first. She was outside the station, looking really cute, though, sadly, I’m not good at remembering what she was wearing. I know it was cute though. When she turned around and saw me, she smiled and said “Oh, you’re so cute!” which, turns out, is one of my favorite things to have said to me.

We went to one of my friend’s houses that evening, me in my footie pajamas, her in something cute. We were inseparable. We even went to Karaoke later that weekend, and she watched me perform my staples, Bye Bye Bye by N Sync and Gin and Juice by Snoop Doggy Dogg. I’d like to think she fell in love with me then, though she claims it was much earlier.

In April, she moved to Portland, in July, I proposed to her, spontaneously in the laundry room (I drew a ring on her finger with a sharpie) and, on August 20th, in Nicole’s back yard with eight of our closest friends and four dogs, we were married, in an 80's themed wedding. For the Processional, we marched, with our dogs to Elvis Presley. For the recessional, Some Peter Gabriel. Our first dance was to Hall and Oates. I've posted videos below of the songs :-)

It’s only been a year, but it seems like I’ve always known her. She always says we were made for each other.

I have to agree.





My poetry collection

Thanks for Reading.

A FREELANCE WRITER, HONORS STUDENT AND GOVER PRIZE FINALIST, JUSTIN W. PRICE (AKA, PDXKARAOKEGUY) CONSIDERS HIMSELF A POET FIRST AND FOREMOST BUT IS ALSO A SKILLED SHORT STORY, BIOGRAPHER AND HUMOR WRITER. HIS POETRY COLLECTION,DIGGING TO CHINA, WILL BE RELEASED FEBRUARY 2ND, 2013 BY SWEATSHOPPE PUBLICATIONS AND IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AS WELL AS YOUR LOCAL BOOKSELLER.

HIS WORK WILL ALSO BE FEATURED IN BEST NEW FICTION (2014 EDITION), AND HAS APPEARED PREVIOUSLY IN THE RUSTY NAIL, EFICTION, EFICTION HUMOR, THE CRISIS CHRONICLES, THE HELLROARING REVIEW AND THE BELLWETHER REVIEW. HE CURRENTLY SERVES AS MANAGING EDITOR OF EHORROR MAGAZINE AND THE BRIDGE ONLINE NEWSPAPER. HE PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS THE POETRY AND CORRESPONDENCE EDITOR FOR THE BELLWETHER REVIEW.

HE WORKS AS A FREELANCE WRITER, EDITOR, AND GHOST WRITER, AND IS WORKING TOWARDS HIS PH.D. HE LIVES IN A SUBURB OF PORTLAND, OREGON WITH HIS WIFE, ANDREA, AND THEIR LABRADOODLE, BELLA.

PLEASE VISIT HIS PROFILE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION. THANKS!

first dance, to Hall and Oates, "Private Eyes" (and note her fantastic legs)
first dance, to Hall and Oates, "Private Eyes" (and note her fantastic legs) | Source
The dogs in their wedding dresses
The dogs in their wedding dresses | Source
Source

The Processional for our Wedding was this

The Recessional for Our Wedding Was This

The first dance at our wedding was to this:

working

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