Stories from 2010: Boy Meets Girl

2010 was an up and down year for me.  Of course, you've already read about 3 of the lowest moments from last year - now, you get to read about the highlight!

2010 was the year I met "The One".  Or as she is known to her co-workers, "TC".  I will need to come up with a nickname for her in my blogs, but for now, we'll just go with TC.

So, how do I know she's The One??  Well, when you know, you just know.  Right from our first date, walking along the beach eating ice-cream (I know, total cliche), I knew TC was a special woman.

First, she was willing to start seeing me even though I was unemployed at the time.  I think most women tend to run from an unemployed bum guy, but not TC.  I kind of figured she just couldn't resist me.  I mean, c'mon , it's ME for cryin' out loud - job or no job, I'm friggin' irresistible!  Excuse me while I pull my tongue out of my cheek.

However, as it turns out, TC simply doesn't judge people by their circumstances which is one of the things I love about her.

However, you probably want to know how it all started so that you know how you can find your own Screaming Meanie and/or TC.  Well, our passionate love affair began with baseball.  Yes, baseball!

I manage a co-ed baseball team, and after our 2009 season, 6 of the 7 girls on my ball team weren't coming back - some couldn't return, others just weren't being invited back.

Anyway, I put out a call for new teammates, and TC's sister (who I went to high school with) said her and her husband (who is now her ex-husband) wanted to play.  A short time later she messaged me and said her sister wanted to play too.

That kind of surprised me.

I didn't know TC in high school - the year she started grade 9 was the year I was graduating grade 12.  However, over the years, I had seen her hanging around her sister's Facebook profile and I was certain she had spotted me there once or twice too.

Not long after spotting her on Facebook, I had run into TC a couple of times at Tim Horton's and introduced myself as her sister's friend.  She was......underwhelmed.  In fact, it almost felt like she was seriously annoyed that I was pointing out our almost-kinda-sorta-relationship-by-association.

So yes, I was a wee bit surprised that she wanted to play on my baseball team.  After all, she didn't really like me.  Right?

However, after she registered to be on the team we became Facebook friends, and as you know, you're not really friends with anybody until you're friends with them on Facebook.  So, ergo, we were almost best buds.  Practically.  Sort of.

The very first thing that struck me, was how much she talked about baseball on her profile!!  Players, teams, games, strategies......this wasn't someone who was a casual fan.....TC was hardcore about her Blue Jays!

She was at the Jays home opener and she posted pictures.  I nervously posted comments.  Nervous because even though we were Facebook friends, I still wasn't sure if she liked me, or if she just added me in order to get a better spot in the batting order.  I certainly didn't want to annoy her any further, but a girl who likes baseball - how do I stumble across an opportunity like this and not take a shot?

So we conversed for a wee bit via Facebook, commenting on pics, status updates etc.

And then, the season started.

Let me tell you, I had no idea, but TC is the Babe Ruth of co-ed baseball!!  By "Babe" I mean she is freaking hot, and by "Ruth" I mean..........SHE IS FREAKING HOT!

During one of our games, her sister casually dropped the bomb - TC recently became single!!  The problem was, the guy she had just dumped was unemployed.  Yikes!  There was no way TC was going to want to get involved with another unemployed bum guy was there??  Probably not.  But.......

I increased the amount of Facebook conversations I was having with TC.  We flirted, we talked baseball, and we talked about my job search.  In fact, I was updating her constantly on my job interviews, prospects and results.  I wanted her to know that I wasn't an unemployed bum, I was simply a victim of bad circumstances.  Circumstances, that I was proactively looking to change.

So after lengthy discussions about baseball, kids, past relationships and Star Wars (oh yeah, in addition to baseball, TC loves Star Wars too!), I slyly let her know that if I had a job, I would love to take her out on a date.  TC sent me the following message.......

Well now that you know everything there is to know about me we'll have to go out lol. So hurry up and get a job...although apparently that doesn't matter to me hahaha. Just remember I'm a low maintenance girl. I don't need much.

Since I'm a strong manly man I don't mind admitting the following - my heart soared!!  I think I may have jumped around like a lovestruck teenage girl.....but there's a chance that might have just been gas.

And with that, our first date was set - ice cream and a walk along the beach.  I wish I could have done a nice dinner, however, being unemployed, my budget didn't allow for it.

Since that first date, we haven't looked back!  From the start we were seeing each other almost every day and very quickly we fell madly in love.  And it's not just me - my family adores her!  My kids love her, my Mom thinks the world of her, and my brother and sister really think I've hit a homerun with TC.  I agree.

I love that I can be myself around TC.  I don't have to be perfect all the time, she accepts my flaws and embraces them.  I can be silly when I want (which is often), lazy if I need to be, when I'm grumpy she tries to cheer me up, and she is very liberal in doling out affection.

The thing I love most about TC (not counting any of the dirty stuff) is that she makes me laugh every day.  And that's not just talk, or an exaggeration, she literally says or does something every single day that makes me laugh hysterically!

She's my lover, my friend, and my muse. She supports every crazy whim I have and I feel there's nothing I can't accomplish with TC by my side.  I'm truly becoming a better man because of her.

I really have struck gold with her.  I can't imagine my life without her in it, nor do I want to.  We now live together and are in the process of purchasing a house.  Things are quickly getting very for exciting for us, and I can't wait to share every adventure, every challenge, and every waking moment with her.  I love her to death, and sometimes, I still have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.