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Tim
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Carol
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Birthday: |
October 14, 1963 | May 11, 1969 |
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Birth place: |
Bethesda, MD | Boulder, CO |
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Home town: |
Kensington, MD until age 10, then Gainesville, FL. | Niwot, CO |
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| How we met: | I joined the choir at Augustana, and she was already in it. I thought she seemed a little bossy at first, until I realized she was section leader for the sopranos, so she was supposed to be bossy. The first time I said "wow" was when I heard her sing the "Pie Jesu" from the Faure "Requiem." She sang so beautifully, but seemed very humble about it.... It was very cool. I eventually started taking lessons from her, and I can confirm that it was at least in part to get to know her better, being that I am generally pathologically shy. Strangely enough, the singing thing turned out to really be fun, and I've done more with it than I ever thought I would. ( I know I don't risk sounding at all biased when I say that she's an awesome teacher!). While I was taking lessons from her, I could never really tell if she was interested in me other than as a student, although we seemed to "click" in a lot of ways, so I pined away for a couple of years.... One doesn't want to rush these things. Finally, we started doing more things together, and she dropped enough hints that I eventually asked her out on a "gen-u-ine" date. As they say, the rest is history! | We sang in choir together and he played the organ for a special service at which I was singing; I fell in love with him and his musicality, but didn't tell him for another 4 years. He started taking voice lessons--I wondered at the time if it was to get to know me, but he got so hooked on it that I decided he just liked to sing. For the next 4 years he'd do things "hot and cold" as they say, but I must have been doing it too. |
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| First Date: |
Fourth Story Restaurant at the Tattered Bookcover (I mean Tattered
Cover Bookstore...). I thought it went splendidly, although we both
felt a bit awkward. (That quickly passed!) She saved the bone from
her dinner for Homer, which he enjoyed very much and which I thought
was very thoughtful! |
Fourth Story Restaurant, Tattered Cover, last week of February 2001--didn't happen for 2 weeks after he actually asked--too many choir and work obligations. |
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| First Fight: | I think it involved kitchen gadgets.... (like Carol said, though, we don't really "fight" - just occasionally have serious discussions.....) | We don't fight. I get upset and he waits for me to calm down, and then we discuss. This happens often enough and over the most inconsequential of things that I have long forgotten the first time. |
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| Meet the Parents: |
I went to their house for Easter dinner and got to meet EVERYONE (parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces,...), which is quite a few folks! They were all very warm and inviting, so they made it very easy for me. I think that was the time when I was so tired that I had to go take a nap during the visit, which I was sure impressed her parents very much! (they didn't seem to mind)
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Meeting his: Spent a week at the parents' timeshare in North Carolina, outside of Asheville first week of August 2001. I was a nervous wreck. It turned out that they didn't bite, or even bark, really. |
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| Keeping the Ball Rolling: |
It was on a steep hill to start with, so it didn't need much pushing... |
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| Engagement: |
Carol tells it much better than I do. After I decided to ask her, I decided I wanted it to be a surprise. But, of course, I needed to find out her ring size surreptitiously so that I could buy the engagement ring beforehand. I happened to notice that her hand looked the same size as our friend Margaret's (who of course was thrilled because she always thought we were perfect for each other... She just never told me!). I used her ring size when I bought the ring. Wonder of wonders, it fit perfectly, and Carol was totally surprised, so I was very pleased about the whole thing. Of course, I had this speech planned and everything, but all that went out of my head, and all I managed to do was croak out the essential words...
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Last week of September and my favorite story: so, he's been acting a little weird --distracted, for about a week, but this is not really all THAT unusual. We had made plans to go stay at a free timeshare trial in Estes Park. That morning, we had plans to visit Rocky Mt. Natl. Park--drive up Trail Ridge Road and stand at the ridge of the continental divide, do so hiking down lower. He's still acting a little distracted, but he can do that sometimes, so I don't think anything of it. He's holding on to the backpack with our lunch in it for dear life, but I just figure he's being gentleman-like, or maybe hungry. On the way back down the road, I keep suggesting we stop for the view and maybe to eat. He stops, but acts like we have a bus to catch, and won't let me eat. I finally resort to a power bar. It's elk mating season at the Park, and lots of elk and tourists everywhere, so we are constantly surrounded by people. It's also the height of the aspen turning. Finally, we drive down this dirt road to the relatively deserted end to a picnic ground and hiking trailhead. We get to eat. He is rather quiet the whole time, which is fine because I'm starving and am focused on food. He suggests we go for a walk. We start down one of the trails (about 15 minutes earlier, an old man had started down it). About 15 minutes later we come to a beautiful meadow with a stand of golden aspen, with the forest hills rising behind, and Long's Peak peaking above all. We stop to take it in, again in silence. He's a quiet guy, so I don't think anything of this. After a few minutes of this, I say "Well, do you want to go on or go back?" and he answers, "I kind of like it right here"....pause...my answer "Oookay". I then turn to enjoy another vantage point. He starts rustling behind me and says "I guess this is as good a time as any" and plops this box in my hand. As I open it I vaguely hear aslightly bashful, "Will you marry me?" At least, I think that's what he said. I was still staring at the ring in the box, in shock. |
| Wedding: |
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Of course, we have planned from the beginning to keep it simple. Although... Since I play in the church's Chamber Orchestra and she does some administrative work for them and occasionally sings with them, wouldn't it be fun to have the orchestra involved in the wedding? And, since we both are so involved with the choirs at the church, wouldn't it be fun to have a choir sing at the wedding? But of course the rest of it will be simple. But, doesn't this dress have a beautiful train?... And.... sigh. It should be a fun wedding.
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To happen nearly a year later because neither one of us had enough free time to do it any sooner... | |
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August 17, 2002
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