The Meeting of My Better Half

Since today is mine and Kristin's 4th wedding anniversary I thought it fitting to tell the story of our meeting and courtship.  Some know the story well, but for others this will be the first time.

I met Kristin Marie Ashley on Halloween night, 1998 at an on-campus party of then Longwood College (now university) in Farmville, VA.  I was brought to the party by my friend Charles who was a commuter student at the school.  There was quite a few people at the party and a funk band on stage was pumping out Parliament tunes.  While there we met up with a female friend of Charles, who had a friend of her's in tow.  This friend was Kristin.  I remember my first impression was that she was gorgeous and had a killer smile.  I also remember being a little nervous to talk to her.  I had just turned 18 a few days before and here I am talking to a college girl.  Granted she's only a year older than me, but she was there at college and I was merely some "townie" (even though I wasn't from Farmville, but farther to the south in Keysville) who had just graduated from high school earlier that year.  Most of the rest of that night is a blur, but I do remember sitting next to and talking with her later that evening after a large group of us ended up hanging out in a cemetery after the party.

As luck would have it I would see her quite a bit over the next few months.  At the time though it was because she had started dating my friend Charles (he's still a very good friend to the both of us).  None the less, we always enjoyed talking when we did see each other.  As fate would have it, Kristin wasn't the only person Charles was dating at the time and after a few short months, Kristin found herself single again.  At this time though I was now dating another Longwood student, but always enjoyed running into Kristin here and there.  My time left in VA was also running short as I would soon be heading to Air Force basic training in the spring (1999).  I did enjoy my first kiss Kristin before I left though.  I'll never forget that night. :)

So basic training and  tech school came and went and again.  While home on leave after tech school, and before leaving for Okinawa, Kristin was one of the first people I went to visit.  Actually saw her a couple of times during those two weeks.  2 years in Japan went by and we stayed in touch off and on during that time over the net.  Taking some vacation time between Japan and my next assignment in NJ I again hung out with her a few times.  It was during this time that I started thinking about how much I really enjoyed being around her.  It was not meant to be yet and a few months after getting stationed in NJ, I found myself dating a girl up there.  Kristin and I kept in touch online though off and on throughout that year.  Around the end of 2002 we probably stopped chatting for a bit as I got ready to head to Korea in early 2003.

The real start towards our marriage came in the end of 2003, beginning of 2004 when we started talking online again.  It was during this time when that I began to realize that through all the years gone by , here had been this wonderful woman, right under my nose.  The more we talked, the more I started to feel that this might truly be the person I'm supposed to be with.  So one day I decided it was now or never and asked if she thought we should give each other a serious chance.  To my extreme happiness, she said yes.  I also made it very clear to her that I was not going to be dating her simply to date her, but that it would be working towards something serious.  I think the closer we got to my leaving Korea, the more I realized that she was, in fact the one I was supposed to be with.  I knew even before we started dating that I was going to ask her to marry me, but knew it was best not to rush into anything, regardless of thinking it was meant to be.

Her and I pretty much agree that the first day I met up with her in VA while I was home on leave in February 2004 after Korea was the start of our dating.  The next year in 2005 I proposed to her at the Carraba's Italian restaurant in Columbia, SC after an engagement ring managed to come as the topper to a piece of cheesecake for dessert.  We were married that next year and the rest, as they say, is history.

I love you Kristin Warshaw.  Very truly and very simply.  Now, always and forever.




That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Current song playing:  "Baal T'shuvah" by Michael Hedges

More Messing With Macro

Vitamin M, originally uploaded by VirginiaSouthern.

So if there's one thing I've got plenty of out here when I'm not at work, it's time. In finding ways to occupy my time, besides my math class and making figurines out of hardened dryer lint, I've been delving into the world of macro photography. It's still a work in progress as I mess around with different things, but it's definitely opened up a new world of possibilities for my photography.

If there's one thing I've got plenty of to photograph right now it's 800mg tablets of Motrin, or Vitamin M as we refer to it in the Air Force. It's the military's cure for all ailments from a runny nose to a limb hanging by a thread. More to come from the macro world soon.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Current song playing: "Sir Psycho Sexy" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Back To Back Anniverseries

As we wind down the month of April, I look forward to next week and the coming anniversaries of two very important events in my life.

The first comes on 28 April marking 11 years of service to this great country of ours.  While that's certainly a huge chunk of time, it still feels like yesterday that I was stepping off the plane in San Antonio, TX about to embark on something that would radically change my life forever.  Through good times and bad.  Through 4 assignments and various trips around the country.  I'm proud to have worn the uniform of the United States Air Force for these last 11 years and look forward to the experiences that the next 9 years will bring.

Airman Basic Warshaw trying to be serious around his Uncle Wayne after just graduating from Air Force Basic Training. June 1999.

The day after though, 29 April, is the most important anniversary in my life.  This is the day 4 years ago that I married my soul mate.  This marriage was the culmination of 8 years of friendship (with two years of dating towards the end).  They often say that when looking for a companion, we miss that which is right under our nose.  That would definitely describe how things were with Kristin and I before we decided to start dating.  Finally towards the end of my tour in Korea in early 2004 I finally pulled my head out of my backside (Kristin always laughs when I put it this way) and ask her if we could start dating.

Never before had I met anyone who completed me so perfectly.  Kristin is one of a few people (I know my Momma is reading this...lol) with who I can completely and totally be myself, no matter what.  There are so many things we have in common, yet many things we do not at all and that's what makes our relationship so good.  I certainly didn't want a carbon copy of myself.  Regardless of what we do it's always a good time.  Whether wandering around the Irish countryside in search of castles and other ruins to check out or simply sitting on the couch watching a movie together I just love being with her.

Being out here and away from her makes me feel like I left half of myself back in the states.  Spending our anniversary apart this year is definitely a bummer,  but I keep going because I know I have her love and she has mine.  It's definitely for her and Katrina that I do this.

I love you my sweetheart.  Very simply and very truly.  Now until the end of time.


That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Current song playing: "Dance on a Volcano" by Genesis

It All Adds Up

Ah, Thursday night.  That means two things:  pizza and math class.  As far as the latter goes, I'm now a little more than halfway complete and I have to say that for the first time EVAR I am actually enjoying math.  Anyone who has known me for awhile could tell you that I have always hated math.  I'd use it where I absolutely had to since it cannot be escaped, but beyond that I wanted nothing to do with it.  For some reason though this class has allowed me to actually enjoy it.  I think that a big part of it has to do with the fact that I'm taking this for something I want to accomplish (finishing my associates) as opposed to being forced to do it when I was a kid.  Another factor is probably my crazy Bulgarian math professor and the way she is not only able to break it down so I can understand it, but that she can do so while injecting humor and keep things lighthearted in the classroom.  Whatever the reason, I'm glad that I can actually enjoy this and enjoy school period.  It's given me the drive to not only finish what I need to for my associates, but to also start working towards my bachelors.  The journey has definitely begun.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Current song playing:  "Baker St. Muse" by Jethro Tull

Change Of Scenery

Change Of Pace, originally uploaded by VirginiaSouthern.

In line with the changes I've made to the layout of this blog, I figure it was only fitting to post a picture of...well...change. :~)

In addition to the change in design, I plan on trying to post here a little more often. It's difficult for me though sometimes to gather my thoughts together after a sometimes mind-numbing 12 hour shift. So goes life in the land of the eternal Groundhog Day (if you don't get this, watch the movie of the same name). I suppose at the very least I could always make my night off a regular night to post. Then I can simply supplement that with any random thoughts that my wandering mind may hatch.

In other news, I'm now only 45 days away from seeing my wife and daughter. I miss them terribly and this whole separation thing became old some time ago. This short term of suffering will most certainly provide my family with a better life in the long term, but boy does getting there suck. C'est la vie. June will be here before I know it. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Current song playing: "Scheherazade" by Renaissance