I hope everyone has a wonderful day. If you're lucky, you'll spend it with someone you love.

Here's my Valentines Day story. You've heard enough about all of my ex-boyfriends. I think it's time you heard something about my current boyfriend of 1 1/2 years, Dave. Here's the story of how we got together in June 2001.

Please note: This is not an endorsement for meeting a man in a bar!

My friend Paula who I worked with at KinderCare and I decided to go up to the bar her husband works at one night. I'd never been in there before, so it was going to be kinda fun. I didn't really dress up or anything though, I just wanted to relax on a Thursday night.

So we're standing at the bar, only there about 15 minutes when this guy says to me, "I know you". I look over, it's Dave. We worked together at K-Mart and the last time I had seen him was probably about 4 years prior. He looked a little different, but pretty much the same. He had just walked in with his friend Jay when he spotted me.

I loved the card I got Dave last year for Valentines Day. It said something like, when we met, the angels said "perfect!". And that's how it felt. It's funny. You know those people that you've ran across in life that you wonder about now & then, what they're up to? Well, Dave was kinda like that for me. I didn't talk with him much at all when we worked at K-Mart, he actually graduated with my sister. But I remember wondering now & then what he was up to. He was a nice guy.

We talked for a bit about what each of us was up to. Then we decided to get a table. I of course ditched Paula, she wasn't looking too happy with me, but it's not like she was talking with us. So we talked for maybe an hour. His friend Jay was so funny, I guess he thought I was cute. They were both trying to buy me drinks and I didn't even feel like drinking much (plus, they'd have to pay for my drink, I could get a free one!). But, after much convincing, I had about two drinks. Jay got up and danced, we laughed.

I didn't know what either of them was thinking. If they just thought I was cool to talk to or if they were hitting on me. At the end of the night Dave asked for my number so we could hang out again. I said sure. I still didn't know if it was just as friends or more.

He called me a few days later. I blew him off. I had just broken up with someone, we weren't close, but I wasn't looking for a boyfriend. He actually ran into my sister that same night he called and told him I was giving him the cold shoulder. He called again, since I didn't return his previous call and I answered this time. I felt bad I blew him off. I just didn't know what I wanted. I get so nervous with guys sometimes. It's like I want to find Mr. Right, but I'm also scared to.

We ended up going out again, this time to Olive Garden, a carnival & we stopped at the same bar for a drink. It was the best date I'd ever been on. He was so sweet. When he picked up the tab at the restaurant, I got the hint. We drove in his classic car (Bricklin- it's like the car from Back to the Future where the doors lift up) to the carnival, since I met him at the restaurant. I was nervous when we were going on the hymilaya ride, it's the one that goes around in a circle & you get shoved into the person next to you. I thought I'd smush him.

It was so cool because we just talked so much. About everything. And he didn't even try to kiss me goodnight. It might have scared me off. After that we got together again & again. We hung out in groups a lot for a while. It was nice though, we met each others friends. It was about a week or so before we kissed.

Then I took a trip up north with Paula to visit with her family. It was planned to be a 3 or 4 day visit. The 3rd night we went to a casino and I started feeling home sick! I couldn't believe it. This had never happened to me before! I ended up calling Dave from the casino to talk. That's when he knew he had me.

It was a few months before we were intimate. And a little longer before we said our "I love you's". We had both been hurt in the past (he even had an ex stalking & harassing him for a while). It was worth the wait.

We've been happy together ever since. We joke about meeting in a bar. I am so lucky to have finally found someone who treats me well. And someone that cares about me the same way I do about him. Awe. Are you ready to puke yet?