I'm by no means a traditional kind of dude.
I would say that this picture does more explaining than words ever will. I never thought that the grocery store I work at would be the setting to meet the woman I would not only fall in love with but decide to share my life with, as well.
I always noticed Shay when she came in. With no name to go by I always referred to her as the hot chick with the pin up tattoo. I had no idea she noticed me as well. I just know I always stared at her when she was in the store (because I'm creepy, apparently). Her eyes were maybe what I noticed first....maybe. Shortly after I received a friend request via myspace from her.
Flash forward to summer 2007: I had just finished performing live on a local radio show with my band. The DJ and I decided to round up some other friends and hit up Grumpy's for some much needed beers and Karaoke. While trying to find a song to B.S. my way through I looked up and saw the hot chick with the pin-up tattoo walk through the door.
I'm awkward, clumsy and not very social. Especially when it comes to talking to the opposite sex. So it took quite a few (a crapload, really) of shots/beer/antifreeze to get up the guts to even stumble my way through a conversation with Shay. We spent the rest of the evening sitting on the patio of Grumpy's talking over each other about music and planning a future date.
Over the next few months we spent every day we could together and pretended to take it slow. It was inevitable. We knew it was more serious than a passing fling. I think I first noticed how strong my actual feelings were when I realized that she was not only willing but seemed to enjoy coming to the flophouse apartment I shared with my heterosexual life partner, Colin:
Seriously, it was a section 8, beige carpet, broken main door, hell hole of an apartment. Our kitchen looked like Afghanistan on a bad day but Shay had no problem coming over and trying to keep up with my immense alcohol tolerance.
I know I'm a lucky guy traditional or not.
-Ted