Last month was deep and dark. So let’s love it up this week.

Lord, that is incredibly corny. But I’ve mentioned many times how much Jeremy has changed and helped me, so let’s dive into how we met. This is going to make his head so dang big.

Jeremy and I met when we were 15/16, in 1996. He’s five months older than me (lol). I started working at Kmart first, and then he started not long after. He likes to call me his “blue light special”.

Now, I always thought I’d fall for a blonde, tan surfer-type guy. You know, like I was really going to find one of those in landlocked Ohio 😂 But a girl can dream, right? Well, Jeremy was blonde and tan… but more farmer vibes than surfer.

He was nice to everyone, and of course, all the girls thought he was cute. (Jeremy, stop reading here!!)

I don’t remember if it was him or the girls, but he did go on a few dates with coworkers, several of whom were my friends. Did it hurt? OF COURSE.

But here’s the deal—I was shy, pretty dorky, not cute… which basically meant not noticeable. So yeah, he went on maybe 1 or 2 dates with girls we worked with. And yes… I may have secretly (okay, not secretly now) sabotaged a few of those. “He seems really quiet, and you’re quiet… that’s gonna be a weird date.” Or “Umm hello, he is totally not your type.” Do I regret it? HELL NO lol.

I tried to get noticed, but in that super awkward, dorky way. I remember it was snowing and icy at work, and he was out getting carts in the parking lot. I was at checkout, and they asked if anyone wanted to help him get carts from the lot. HECK YES, I DID. I had never in my life pushed carts, but if it meant maybe catching his eye? Absolutely. He says now he thought, what is wrong with this girl being excited to get carts in the snow?

We were friends. We’d take lunches together—well, I’d try to time mine with his. It wasn’t a date; it was just a group of coworkers hanging out. I remember getting him a 17th birthday card and the Beavis & Butthead CD. Remember those machines where they like drew the birthday card that you picked out and you stood and watched the machine do it? It was one of those cards lol.

One time we were smooshing boxes in the back and I got brave and said, “We should do something sometime.” And he said, “We should.” And then… nothing 😂

Eventually, not too long after that, he did ask me on a real date. We went to the movies. Nothing happened, calm down. We just went to the movies. And I have no clue what we saw. I think we went on a second date, but I don’t remember that one either. The third date? I remember that one.

He planned it. Dinner at Pizza Hut in Piqua, then we saw Anaconda. He says now that he picked a scary movie so when I jumped, I’d grab his hand. Did he really have that much game?! I have no idea lol. But I mean… it worked.

We still weren’t “boyfriend/girlfriend,” but I asked him to junior prom. And are you ready for this?? This dude goes, “I’ll let you know in X number of days.” I don’t remember how many, but he waited exactly that long to give me an answer. He says now he always planned to say yes, but wanted to make me sweat. DUDE… do you know how sweaty I was?!?!

I remember the day he officially asked me out. And I don’t know why I’m telling you this because it makes me look real dumb, but whatever.

He had put in his two weeks at Kmart. I was so sad. We didn’t go to the same school, didn’t live in the same town. This was before cell phones and the internet. I just figured—well, that’s it. He’s gone.

It was raining. We were outside in the parking lot, saying goodbyes. I was crying (yes, I know, pathetic)—but I truly thought we’d never see each other again.

Then he goes:
Jeremy: “Wanna go out?”
Me, sniffling: “When?”
Jeremy: “Umm… no, like… date.”

BAHAHAHAHAHA. Yep. I thought he meant like go out somewhere. He should’ve taken that as a sign and ran 😂 But he didn’t. And we’ve been together ever since.

It’s not The Notebook, but I love our story. As dorky and silly—and yes, cringe, as the teens say—as it is… I love it. We truly grew up together. We’ve spent more of our lives together than apart. We learned how to be adults side by side.

We went to both junior and senior prom together. We got engaged fast—just a few months after we started dating. We started in March, and by August we were engaged.

We were at the mall and ran into a friend’s boyfriend at the jewelry store. Of course I had to see what he was getting. I gave him my opinion on a few rings, and apparently I pointed one out that I loved. Jeremy remembered that—and that’s the one he got me. I still wear that same ring today.

We graduated the same year (different schools), bought our first house three months after graduation, and got married in August 2000.

Since then? Countless houses, cars, jobs, businesses, life. But I wouldn’t trade any of it.

And I’m still glad I sabotaged his dates.
#sorrynotsorry

xoxo amber g.