Warning: long post ahead

The year was 2000 and I was 20 years old. I lived in Austin, TX, and was working on my undergrad degree. I had recently met a guy, (at a bar!), and we had gone out a couple of times. He was a decade older than me, plus he had a blonde, beautiful “BFF”, so I just wasn’t taking him too seriously.

One day he called me up and invited me to an annual NYE party at said friend’s bosses house. Apparently everyone gets dressed up and the house is pretty amazing. He has gone the last couple of years and had a lot of fun.

I tell him that I would love to come, but I really didn’t have anything suitable to wear. I apologized and insisted he would have a good time anyway because BFF and her husband would be there. He accepted my declination and made another date for a more innocuous time.

Later that day he called me again. He sounded kind of sheepish; not at all the confident guy with whom I was used to speaking. He asked if he could buy me an outfit to wear because he really wanted to spend NYE with me. I was a little bewildered because, even though I always dated gentlemen, this was new territory for me. I agreed and he said he would drop by later with his credit card, oh, and btw, did I want him to bring me some take-out on his way? Y’all, I called my mom. He could be “the one”.

Well the next day I go shopping, buy a, (hideously ugly in hindsight), sparkly dress, plus some shoes to match. The big day comes, and I am having a pretty fun time at the party. Everyone is older than me, and that makes me feel insecure, but I am trying not to let it show.

BFF girl suggests we take a cruise around the neighborhood to smoke a joint. We agree and so we all go out to my date’s car. She tries to climb in front and my man says “BFF, BarreBuns is my date, let her sit in the front”.

I guess that made her mad, because a few minutes later she turns toward me and says, “that sure is a pretty dress you are wearing, (my date’s name) sure has good taste”. I was so embarrassed. I didn’t really know what to say, and the entire rest of the drive was really awkward.

As soon as we got back to the party, my date pulled me aside and offered an immediate and genuine apology. He said the ONLY reason she knew was because he had called her to get a woman’s opinion on whether it was sweet or creepy to offer to buy me an outfit. She said to go for it, so he never thought she would be an ass like that and bring it up. He blamed it on her level of intoxication (high, so high). Spoiler alert: yes she was drunk/stoned, but also a jealous bitch. Watching her watch me walk down the aisle on my wedding dvd never gets old. Hah!

He offered to leave immediately, even though there was still an hour to go before midnight. I shook it off and we continued on. I can’t really remember much else that sticks out from that night.

Anyway, clearly he turned out to be “the one” for me. Here we are, going on 17 years married and proud parents of two super sweet little boys. I am an attorney turned full-time SAHM, (entirely my choice), with no school debt. My husband paid it all without mention. He is proud to support our family, and often tells me that I am the one with the hard job. He also refers to the money as “ours” and separate bank accounts run one way only. I have one and he doesn’t — I had 20k cash left over after I closed my law practice; he suggested I put it in a separate account since I wouldn’t have my own private income anymore. My money has always been for my frivolity, while he does the heavy lifting, re: mortgage, bills, etc.

It’s good to be Queen.

Someone commented this morning that they liked my last post from several weeks ago about my HVM. Thinking back to happier times was really fun! Thank you girls for letting me indulge and completely forget about CoVid for a bit this morning.