The best day of my life....

11 years ago today, I got up on a Sunday morning and put on my best summer outfit. I had a date. It was a blind date, with the son of one of my best friends Jay. Jay had been trying to set me and his son up for a while. Finally, he went ahead and scheduled the date. He told me that his son would call me and then pick me up on Sunday morning. We were going to the car show - with Jay and his wife Sheila. A double date. With your date's parents. Does it get better than that?

Jay said that he felt bad for both me and his son, we didn't have any friends, he said. He figured we should at least meet so we would have someone to do things with. I figured that even if it didn't work out romantically, we could be friends.

Jay's son, Trevor, picked me up on Sunday morning. We headed out to Jay and Sheila's house. On the way, we made pleasant conversation. We stopped at Starbucks and then arrived at the house. We were all going together to the Forest Grove Car Show. While we were getting ready to leave, Jay wanted to introduce me to his dogs. I went out back with him and both dogs came running around the corner. Jay had treats in his hands. One dog, Godzilla, grabbed a treat from Jay and then came to smell me. The other dog, Junior (a rottweiler) ran right past Jay, probably thinking I had a treat and bit my hand. OWEEEE.

It hurt and for a minute, I was in complete shock. I ran into the house and looked at my hand. Trevor asked what happened, I told him and showed him my hand. The blood drained from his face. It was a pretty deep bite. I went up to the kitchen to wash it off and Jay pulled out some whiskey to wash it out. I put my hand in the sink and he poured in on my hand. Then he took a swig. Then he poured more on my hand. I felt like I would pass out and was embarrassed. Trevor was standing back, looking like he wanted to leave and never come back.

After Jay got done disinfecting my wound, he put a band aid on it and said "ready to go?" I wasn't ready to go. I wanted to go home, actually I wanted to go to the Emergency Room. I was on my best behavior and said "yes, let's go".

It was about 100 degrees out and as the day went on, my hand continued to swell. We went to the car show and has as much fun as you can have at something like that. I kept thinking that I just needed to get through the day and then I could take myself to the ER. I smiled and didn't make a big deal out of this injury.

After the car show, we went to lunch. While sitting at lunch, Sheila saw my hand and said "someone needs to take her to the ER". So after we finished lunch, Trevor drove me to the ER.

Visiting the emergency room on a first date presents all kinds of issues. We don't know each other, I am trying to be brave and happy when I am in pain and want to cry. They ask all kinds of personal questions in the ER. It was embarassing. Trevor joked about it and made me laugh when I wanted to cry. When the nurses found out it was our first date, they said "if you get married, you should do it here" and "if this works out, what a great story". Just what you want to hear on your first date!

The doctor came in, did some xrays, gave me a bunch of shots, including a tetnus shot and cleaned my wound. When he found out it was our first date and how the day had gone, he said "you got bit by a dog and STILL went to a car show? If it doesn't work out with him, give me a call". Trevor was sitting there for all of this. Again, so embarassing!!

We finished up at the ER and headed back to Jay and Sheila's. We had now been on our date for about 8 hours. It was finally time for Trevor to take me home and I was so relieved. I wanted to feel sorry for myself and take off the happy face I was wearing!

As we were driving home, Trevor said to me "I had a really good time today". I busted out laughing and said "yeah, it was really great". I thought that was such a ridiculous thing to say and also thought it was very sweet. He was making the best of a screwed up situation.

I got home and we said goodbye. No kisses or anything after this date. Trevor told me he would call. I didn't know if that was true or not but I hoped he would.

A couple days went by, my hand got infected and I had to get some antibiotic shots, take a couple days off work and make multiple trips to the doctor's office. Trevor called me on Monday and we set up a date for the following Saturday night. Years later, he told me that the reason he called me for a second date was because I was such a trooper. I made the best of a difficult situation. He was a bit disappointed, not so many years later, to realize that I was not really a trooper. Once I became comfortable with him, he realized that I am a big baby and that if the dog bite happened today, things would be much different!! But my acting paid off. He called me, we went out again, I moved in with him shortly after that (like the next day) and 6 years later we got married.

We could not be a better match. He is the yin to my yang. The way he made me feel that first day, is the way he makes me feel all the time now....comfortable, at home and safe. And he makes me laugh. No matter what. He did it that day in the ER and he does it every day now. What could have been one of the worst days ever turned out to be one of the best days of my life.

This first date the at the car show turned into an annual thing. Every year we went there to celebrate our anniversary. On our 6th anniversary, we went, just like always. I had been wondering for a while if Trevor was ever going to ask me to marry him. I figured it was doubtful, I knew he wasn't really interested in being married again. We had gone to dinner the night before to celebrate and he gave me a bracelet as a gift. I remember thinking "no ring again this year". There was no way Trevor would buy me a bracelet AND a ring. As we walked around the car show that day, I was thinking how great it would be if he proposed, but he never would. No, I was never going to be Mrs. Trevor Bryant. Never. We were there with Trevor's family and some friends. We found a place to have our picture taken. Every year, we had our picture taken. I have a coffee table covered in pictures of us from the car show. As we posed for our picture, Trevor moved away from me. I turned to look and he was on his knee, with a ring box opened. He said "will you begin our life together with me?" I don't think I ever said yes. I just said "oh my God, Trevor....oh my God".


Trevor can never surprise me. I almost always know what I am getting for birthdays and holidays. This day, this one day, there is nothing that could have surprised me more.

July 16th is a very good day for me.....