Rolla Out the Barrel

I lost the race by five measly seconds. Usually we rushed away from Rolla, not toward it. But with the winter storm blanketing the Midwest in ice and littering the roads with wrecked vehicles, police shut down parts of the highway between Springfield and Saint Louis. As a result, Kelly could not make the Saturday trip. But then Sunday came, and with the opened highways, we decided on a rendezvous (big chuckle) at our midway point. She crossed the finish line just before I did. I guess she wanted to see me sooner- that’s how sweet she is.

A few minutes after we arrived in the parking lot of Panera, our usual hangout in Rolla, we drove to Fort Leonard Wood and lunched at Cracker Barrel, a favorite of Kelly’s. I never ate there in my life until now, but I enjoyed the change from the burgers and fries I usually consumed. Our date then took us to Wal-Mart where we bought a few Christmas gifts, including the “K” tree for my apartment which I had no intension of decorating. I planned on being away for the holiday and saw no need for all the fuss, but Kelly and I will be exchanging gifts prior to her and Kristine’s flight home to New Jersey and opening presents around a houseplant just wouldn’t be the same. Unfortunately, after I get back to Saint Louis, I need decorations for the tree. I believe they're located between menswear and automotive.

We ended the night around 6:30PM after some hot chocolate, or “cocoa” as Kelly called it, which made me smile, and we kissed good-bye in the Cracker Barrel parking lot. I loved that simple evening with her. I guess I won after all.

Just the two of us....

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A Tale of Two Cities and Hotels

September 22, 2006
The weekend began on the wrong foot. As I entered the city limits westbound on I-70, a very upset Kelly called me from our sixth-floor room. The conversation centered on reservations made at the hotel. We were supposed to be staying at the Marriott near the Country Club Plaza, but instead she phoned from the Marriott at 12th and Central in downtown Kansas City, MO. To be honest, she was much more upset than I, but with good reason. Had Kelly booked a room at the one near the Country Club Plaza, a quick elevator ride to the second floor would have dropped her off at the ballroom where several schools, including hers, promoted their respective graduate programs for the McNair Scholars students. Instead, she inadvertently reserved a twenty-minute drive down Broadway.

Even though Kelly appreciated the rose and card I gave her regardless of the circumstances, to me its symbolism rang hollow had I not offered to drive her to the hotel across town and spend the evening with her behind the table while she greeted prospective students. During the lulls in student traffic, we engaged in talk about our relationship where we agreed on some things and disagreed on others. Eventually, the night came to an end. We packed up the brochures, folders and banners, choked down some McGarbage we picked up on the drive back, and then fell asleep.

September 23, 2006
The next day, we headed down to the Country Club Plaza and half-heartedly explored the Art Fair as we made our way to California Pizza Kitchen. It was one of Kelly’s favorite restaurants (I am winning her over to the Texas Roadhouse though), but after 10 months, I believe it was the first time we ate there together. After lunch, we just strolled through the shops in the area: The Paper Source, J. Crew, The Gap, Pottery Barn, Aldo, Halls, and sipped a drink at Starbucks. Exhausted, we went back to the hotel and grabbed some rest. Later that evening we drove into Kansas City, KS to Dave’s Famous BBQ for one last mega-meal before our diet.

September 24, 2006
Sunday arrived and it was time to drive back home. Before hitting the road, we went back to the Country Club Plaza for a “healthy” lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. We tipped our waiter $1 each to show our sincere gratitude for the superior service he avoided giving us. So in spite of the weekend starting off on the wrong foot and ending on the wrong foot, a shoe purchase at Aldo before our farewell hugs and kisses ensured that those two feet would at least look good.

- SMR

he said, she said

What attracted you to Kelly?
It was her soft eyes. I especially love looking at
them in the morning.

What does she do to make you laugh?
There are actually two things that make me laugh.
One is when she moves her head to the beat of the
music, and the second one I will not say because I
want that little quirk to remain pure. :)

Where was your first date?
Starbucks in Springfield and Silver Dollar City in
Branson.

What has she said that surprised or flattered you?
That she liked my butt.

Was it love at first sight or a friendship that blossomed?
I am not one for love at first site. But I certainly
wanted to get to know her and fall in love with who
she is.

How do you settle your differences?
Can't really say we have had many differences to
settle at this point in the relationship. But there
have been compromises like meeting in Rolla.

Do you agree about the temperature in the house?
LOLOLOL

How does Kelly let you know that she cares about you?
She drives 3.5 hours to see me and a few "I love
you" cards when we are apart.

Are there places you would like to revisit with her?
Christmastime at Silver Dollar City.

Who in her family adds the most in your relationship?
Certainly Kristine has the biggest influence.

What attracted you to Steve?
Warm smile and gentle eyes

What does he do to make you laugh?
Steve's laugh makes me laugh.
He's pretty hysterical up on his soap boxes too.

Where was your first date?
Officially started at Starbucks –
then we hit Haruno's, SDC and Brew Co.

What has he said that surprised or flattered you?
That I'm "hot.” LOL. He's always telling
me that I sell myself short. I often wish I could
myself through Steve's eyes.

Was it love at first sight or a friendship that blossomed?
Definitely more of a friendship that blossomed.
However, Steve did something that truly made
an impression on my heart.

How do you settle your differences?
Negotiations and Compromise -- typically
ends with 'whatever'.

Do you agree about the temperature in the house?
Most of the time, NOT.

How does Steve let you know that he cares about you?
Steve is very affectionate and sincere.
His words and actions demonstrate his love.

Are there places you would like to revisit with him?
Banff National Park, Chicago and NYC

Who in his family adds the most in your relationship?
His mom.

ksk

Rowepede 2006

Where do I begin? I was nervous, excited and a little overwhelmed at the thought of being out of the country in a house full of "12" strangers that I didn't know and no air conditioning. Let's just say I was stretched; however, I truly enjoyed meeting the Rowe's. There was a lot of love, laughter and drinking. Alberta was absolutely beautiful, Banff National Park was breathtaking and the Calgary Stampede was "HUGE." There were definetely a few tense moments, but the worst part of the entire trip was when everyone got deathly sick (a horrible virus). It had a domino effect on the house and what a nightmare. 12 people, 1 house, 2 cars, a teething baby, extreme heat and having to be at everyone's mercy wore on me quickly.... I was very ready to get home, but I wouldn't trade this trip for anyting and would love to visit Alberta again. I survived Rowepede 2006.

ksk

How do I love thee....

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

ksk

Jersey, here we come!

Over this fine weekend (March 4th-7th), I took Stephen home to meet the parents. It was a wonderful weekend for us! My parents loved Steve (who wouldn’t? he’s just one of those genuinely nice, likeable guys). Dan (my brother) loved Steve – he continued to give me two thumbs up throughout the weekend. I love it…. Well, here’s a breakdown of the visit for those who are interested:

Saturday, March 4th
Our morning started off bright and early on Saturday. We somehow miscommunicated our departure time, so let’s just say that we had a few hours to kill. However, we were able to laugh about it --- and it was nothing a Starbuck’s couldn’t fix. Smile! We flew in that afternoon – meeting up with my mom at the airport. Upon arriving home sweet home, Steve got a grand tour of the little old farm house on Preakness. We then had some lunch and rested for a bit, we were both pretty exhausted. My dad and Dan were at a men’s retreat, so we caught up with them over dinner. Of course the family seemed to be a little mellower than usual, lol – but, that’s expected with making ‘good’ first impressions. (Just kidding, Mom and Dad. SMILE). Saturday night we all piled in the car and made a trip into NYC and strolled through Times Square while sipping on Starbucks. It was pretty stinkin’ cold, but we all had a great time! There is nothing like NYC – the sights, sounds and smells.

Sunday, March 5th
Sunday was church and, of course, there were lots of introductions made – Calvary Temple always extends a great deal of love and warmth (okay, maybe a threat or two was extended to Steve, but that was because he’s dating Pastor Dan’s daughter. LOL). After a yummy home cooked meal, Dan, Steve and I headed to the mall for some shopping and bonding. Dad was able to take Sunday night off, so my mom, dad, Steve and I headed to a diner for some ‘getting to know you’ question and answer time. Steve passed with flying colors! Actually, this was an amazing time for me -- I truly enjoyed listening to my parents share from their hearts about their desire for me to be in a healthy relationship with a Godly man. I also appreciated hearing Steve’s sincerity regarding his admiration and love for me. I am blessed and grateful!

Monday, March 6th
Steve and I decided to head back into NYC. We took the transit bus into port authority. Believe it or not, one of Steve’s favorite artists, Marc Tetro, was there at the ArtExpo held at the Jacob K. Javits Center --- so, we went to check out his booth and meet him. Very cool! After cabbing back to Rockefeller Center and enjoying hot dogs and sausage from the street vendors, we decided to tour NBC’s studios (we got to see SNL and Conan O’Brien’s studios – it’s amazing how SMALL they really are). It was a great tour! The day flew by soooo quickly and we needed to head back to Jersey; however, we have already started our wish list of places to see for future visits. Steve treated the fam to dinner and the night seemed to slip away from us. Bummer!

Tuesday, March 7th
Unfortunately, Tuesday morning arrived and before we knew it, we were headed back to Newark Airport. I always hate goodbyes and I'm not so good with them. I couldn't thank my parents enough for their warm hospitality to the man I love.

We boarded the plane feeling refreshed.... and relieved that this visit was a HUGE success! My turn will come in July (yikes)!

ksk

My saved up wishes are coming true.

When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out.
Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973)

Upon officially meeting Steve at Starbucks, I remembered thinking -- not bad. SMILE! After just a short time of visiting with him over coffee, I felt very comfortable. My first impression was that there did seem to be a true sense of warmth about him, a genuineness. I think if you look closely, you can see it in his eyes!

There was a moment at Silver Dollar City when I felt as though I was given a chance to take a glimpse into Steve's sensitive and caring heart. He was staring at the BIG christmas tree just inside the park, christmas carols were playing, people were crowded all around, when Steve said something along the lines of, "This time of the year can be such a lonely time for so many people." Call me crazy, but that moment stood still in time for me -- I remembered standing there and just gazing at him, thinking to myself, We have a winner! It was evident that he wasn't saying it for me to be impressed, for all he knew -- I wasn't listening. However, I was...

After knowing him now for about six months, I can say that I've fallen in love with this beautiful soul. As I've said before and I'm sure I'll continue to say for years to come -- I am blessed!

ksk

Who Needs Summer and Winter When It's Springfield in Fall?

After a few weeks chatting with Kelly, I wanted to meet this woman whose great attitude and personality always made me "kik."

With Thanksgiving approaching, we agreed upon a Saturday during the holiday weekend to get to know one another better over a cup of coffee, a little sushi, and an evening watching some of the finest "Redneck Broadway" Branson had to offer. I arrived at Starbucks a little early and sat anxiously in my Xterra waiting for another Nissan to show up. When a white Altima pulled into the parking lot, I made a call to Kelly's cell phone hoping to confirm that she had just arrived. Grrrrrr, my call went to voice mail.

I watched as the driver got out of the car and made her way toward the door of the coffee shop. My gut feeling told me (and noticing how beautiful she was, certainly hoped) it was Kelly. I walked over to her, inquired about her name, and it was there, in the parking lot of Starbucks on S. Campbell in Springfield, MO, we met for the first time.

- smr