August 8, 2004

This is the beautiful bouquet of roses and lilies Craig gave me to celebrate ten years together.

Craig and I went on our first date ten years ago today.

When Craig called me to invite me out for dinner, he identified himself by our many mutual friend ("Hi, this is Craig. Kim and Amanda and Joey's friend"). It turns out, we'd been living parallel lives.

On Sunday, August 8, I was in the middle of writing an important email when Craig called from downstairs to tell me he was there. I asked Craig to spell "paraphernalia" since I was typing that word when he called. We joked that I may not have gone downstairs if Craig had misspelled "paraphernalia."

We walked from my building on Third Ave. at 11th St. to Little Italy. We sat outside at one of the many cramped, delicious Italian restaurants on Mulberry Street. We talked and talked over dinner and a half-bottle of wine.

At some point during dinner, a woman at a very-nearby table got up to leave. She leaned over to us before she left and said, " Good luck on your first date! You two are adorable!"

I wish I could find her to tell her that that first date was our last first date. That it lasted for hours because we didn't want it to end so we kept extended it (walking, a bar with live music, a dance on the sidewalk outside my building). That we traveled the world together, had two beautiful children, bought a house, and started a life together. I would like to thank her for her well-wishes and tell her the happy ending.

Happy ten year date-iversary!