Hey, today is my and David’s 32nd Anniversary. Our first date, a blind one, was on Tuesday February 12th, 1985. I remember every detail of that week well. We first spoke on the phone on Sunday the 10th. I remember this because 60 Minutes was about to come on and I called him before it started to ask if he’d be available to talk after it was over. I was being deliberately coy. Or so I thought. He said yes and I called him for our first real conversation at 8:00 PM, after 60 Minutes was over. I asked him out for Tuesday night, the 12th. I had tickets to see a play at Empty Space Theatre and asked him if he wanted to go with me. On Tuesday we met at The Mark Toby for a drink, went across the street to have dinner at the Red Onion, (we debate this, I think it was called the Red Onion but David thinks it was the Red Cabbage), and then off to see the play. Which we walked out of. It was called Husbandry and it was slow and tedious and dreadful. Even on a first date we were both nodding off. Then I drove him to where he was living (Fremont, in his sister’s basement) and we stopped at Baskin Robbin’s on Greenlake Drive and had ice cream. In front of his sister’s house I looked him straight in the eye and asked him if he wanted to have a second date. I had found a lot of flakes during my dating years and was getting more and more direct with guys. He said, “Yes.” I said, again wanting to not be vague and not waste any time, “When?” And he said, “Tomorrow.” I took that as a very good sign. We kissed once and he got out of my old Ford Courier pick-up truck. I remember being completely ecstatic driving home to Capitol Hill.
I called David in the first place because he sent me a very well written letter. He sent me a letter because I placed a personal in The Weekly when they only ran STRAIGHT personal ads. (This was decades before men seeking men or women seeking women ad categories.)
We had our second date on Wednesday night. I had not (and I swear to god this is true) watched TV in years prior to this date. I didn’t own but a 12 inch black and white little plastic TV and I was going through that “I’m too good for TV” bullshit phase that young people try on. David wanted to watch something and he thus introduced me to something called Dynasty. We made out a little bit after Dynasty and then he went home. Again I asked, as he left, if he wanted to see me again. I had a stack of other letters to open and read if he did not, but I was so hoping he did. He did. He asked if Friday was possible. It was.
The next night, Thursday, David had another date from a different personal ad in he found in The Weekly. I didn’t find this out until years later.
On Friday we talked on the phone (because I couldn’t text him back then!) and we decided I’d make us dinner at my house which was at 2202 East John Street on the lower east side of Capitol Hill. I told him he should bring a toothbrush. He did. We have never been apart for more than six days in a row since that night.
WRAP THIS UP:
The Mark Toby went out of business. The Red Cabbage, or Onion, went out of business. Empty Space Theatre went out of business. Husbandry was never performed ever again anywhere in the world (I hope). Baskin Robbin’s might still be on Greenlake Drive tho’ most of them have gone out of business. I’d have to remember to go to Greenlake to check on this and the streets there make me crAZy so I likely won’t. The Weekly is a lame and sad version of what it once was and I predict it will go out of business within a year. 60 Minutes is still on TV and we both watch it every Sunday night while having dinner. 2202 East John Street is still standing and I drive by it at least once a week, I’m sure we all do since it’s on an arterial. And guess what? Dynasty is back on TV with a whole new cast and we are recording it and watching it weekly. Oddly we seldom make out afterwards. But hey, less making out happens in your 32nd year. Then again, 32 years and we’re still in business.