I met my future husband in a bar. I really hesitate to put it that way because that makes it sound like Kirby was just some random guy I met while out having some beers. I admit that at a first glance it may look this way, but I can tell you that there is much more to this story.

It all started with Shawn giving me a call one day in late March of 2001 and asking me if I wanted to meet up with him and some of his consultant friends after work at a bar called Down the Hatch. Down the Hatch? I used to love that bar and I hadn't been there in a long time. A chance to meet some new people who like to hang out and have a few drinks? Sounded like a plan to me. I soon found myself in my old favorite dive bar with Shawn and a large group of computer geeks (no offense) that I didn't know. But it was fun to meet all these new people. One after another, Shawn introduced me to his friends and coworkers. I can still picture exactly where Kirby was sitting and the smile he had on his face. Why did he stand out more than the others? I know you may not believe me when I say that, but its true. There was something about him. Just a funny side note, Kirby actually pulled his computer out to see if he could reach his wireless connection in his apartment just down the street! Now you see why I can call him and the others computer geeks. :-) What I saw in all of that though was that Kirby lived in New York. He actually lived in the Village, just down the street! That was pretty cool. I just knew that he would be an interesting person to get to know. I found this to be true as soon as we started talking. He was in to snowboarding! Wow! Before I knew it I was inviting Kirby and some others to go skiing and boarding with me in Killington the following weekend. It looked like I was going to make a new friend that liked to ski as much as I did.

Kirby and I exchanged a few emails working out the details of the trip. Meanwhile I had developed a new back problem. My lower back was in major pain 24 hours a day. I couldn't figure out why it hurt so much. Should I go see a doctor? As this was going on, Kirby sent me an email saying that he would not be able to make it to Killington. I must admit, I felt very disappointed although I didn't really know why. I guess I was looking forward to seeing Kirby again. After this news, I decided to make a doctor's appointment and cancel the ski trip. It just wasn't meant to be at that time.

So time passed. From time to time I went back to Down the Hatch to meet up with Shawn and his coworkers. Most of these times, Kirby was there and for some reason I was always glad to see him. I must point out though, that I did not have any type of crush on Kirby...at least none that I knew of. It was highly unlikely that I would ever have any feelings for a guy that wasn't even as tall as I was!

On July 24th of that same year I was at home gettting ready for a physical therapy appointment. Yes, my back was still really bothering me. It was late afternoon when my phone rang. It was Shawn. He asked, "Mel, what are you doing tonight?" I said, "Nothing really, except a doctor's appointment." So he asked me if I wanted to go to a Yankee game. Of course I wanted to go but there was that annoying appointment. I asked him if I could I show up a little late. He told me that wasn't going to work so I said I just needed a few minutes to figure things out and I'd call him back. I called the Doctor's office right away and told them I had just been asked to a Yankee game. "Could I cancel my appointment?" The receptionist replied, "What's that? You are having car troubles? You can't make it? Ok, do you want to reschedule for tomorrow? You know you can't cancel appointments last minute but since you are having trouble with your carwe will let this slide." It took me a moment to catch on but I got it. She was letting me out of the appointment without charging me or letting the insurance know. Yey! I called Shawn back and less than an hour later I was on the number 4 train on the way to Yankee Stadium.

Once in the stadium we all decided the first thing we needed to do was buy beer and food. We got in a very long line. It was suggested by Shawn that we should switch lines and go closer to our seats but no one made a move to go with him. However, a few minutes later when Kirby said, "I'm going to find a another line closer to our seats." I decided to go with him. Something just told me to go. So we were off and we were talking and I don't think we stopped talking the whole night. Well there was a time when Kirby and/ or Dave had to take a work call so I changed seats for a few moments to talk to Shawn. After all, he was the one who had invited me to the game. As soon as Kirby came back though, I was right back next to him chatting away. I can hardly tell you what we talked about except that I do remember I told him all about my "new" decision not to give guys my phone number. That just never worked. You give a guy your number and wait for him to call but he never does. I also didn't take guys' numbers. I would never call them, I was too shy. Now that I had made that clear, how could Kirby ask me for my number? By the end of the game though, I kind of wanted him to have it. Luckily, he asked me for my email address, knowing that getting my number just wouldn't be possible. :-) I gave him the address and he promisedhe would send me an email before then end of the night as long as I wouldn't think he was pshyco for emailing me so soon. I promised him I wouldn't and I went home looking forward to that email.

The next day I woke up and there it was. Seeing kirby@thecave in my inbox was like seeing a smile right there in front of me! He told me that he had had a good time at the game sitting next to me and talking to me. But he also told me that I had given him the wrong email address! No, I wouldn't do that. But I did! I left off the numbers on the end of my address. I guess that is what a few beers can do to you...or maybe it was just nervousness. How did Kirby know that I hadn't done that deliberately? How did he know that I didn't do that so that he wouldn't be able to email me? Let me be the first to say that I am soooo glad that is not what he concluded. I am also glad that the computer geek in him shone through and he didn't give up until he found my true email adress embedded somewhere in one of his computers. This message was the first of many that had me checking my email very often. Kirby's emails made me smile and I couldn't get enough of them.

Very soon after, Kirby asked me out on a date. The only problem though is that we couldn't even wait until the date to see each other. We found excuses twice that week to see each other, once with Shawn as our chaperone and once just the two of us. It was on that night with just the two of us that we had our first kiss! On our "first date" I was so nervous I coud hardly eat. Kirby though, didn't even wait 'till the end of the night before he was asking me out on a "second date." By then I had pretty much forgotten about his height and was focused on the fact that I was having fun and definitly wanted to see him again. Although I had been nervous, I had also felt so comfortable with Kirby, so happy, and so...I still can't find the words!

Before I knew it I couldn't picture my life without Kirby in it. The mere thought of him put such a smile on my face. I knew that there was something special between us although sometimes I couldn't quite believe it. This had never happened to me before. It was all so natural! Is this what love was all about? Being in love was so wonderful! And it still is! I can't tell you how many, many times I have and still do think to myself, "I must be the luckiest person in the world! I have fallen in love with an amazing person and guess what? I get to spend the rest of my life with him! What could be better than that?"

It was a mid-winter's night in the Village. The beers were flowing at Down the Hatch, a dive bar at the end of my street. Just another Wednesday Is Booze-day for the Avanade guys working on the i-Deal project. Shawn Murphy, always the social gentleman, had invited his friend Melanie Davis. Why someone would subject a non-geek friend to a social outing for beer drinking computer geeks is beyond me, but I'm glad he did.

I remember the first time I saw her. She walked over to the group. I was sitting at the table and thought to myself, "Wow!" My second thought was "Not in a million years" meaning that I thought she was hot but also I thought there was no way someone like her would ever got out with me; not even in a million years. So instead of putting myself down thinking she would not go out with me, my third thought was she was most likely a snob and/or pretentious.

Here was a classy, tall blonde looking hot. An uptown girl, if you will. And me, well, I'm a Village bum. I prefer jeans and a t-shirt when I go out. And there were plenty of well dressed consultants in the room that night so why would she be interested in me?

She said hi and we introduced ourselves. I then went back to my conversation with my friends.

Later in the evening, Melanie came over and we talked. Wow! She's into skiing. "Man, I wish I could date someone like her," I thought. She was super nice and easy to talk too. And she was so into skiing that she invited a group of us up to Killington for the weekend. She's brave too to invite a group of strange, computer geek consultants that she had just met for the first time.

I agreed to help organize the trip - something I would rarely do...right! I collected everyone's e-mail address including Melanie's and sent out the invite. Melanie and I exchanged a few e-mails about the trip. It was definitely going to be a good time. But I got stressed out about the trip - imagine that - so I bailed. Within a couple of days, Melanie had to bail out of the trip as well because of back problems. The trip to Killington was cancelled and Melanie and I stopped e-mailing each other.

A few months had passed and during that time I would see Melanie out at a WIB or two. We always said hi to each other but we never really talked.

Towards the end of July, Murphy had organized a group outing to a Yankee's game. My friend John was in town on business so I invited him. Unfortunately [which later become fortunately] he couldn't make the game. We're only a little more than two hours away from the start of the game and we have an extra ticket. I told Murphy and he said he knew someone who might be available for the night. It was Melanie. She had a doctor's appointment that evening for her back but she agreed to come anyway.

Before leaving for the game, Dave and I are talking about Melanie. He says to me that he thinks she is a nice girl and would like to get to know her better. Dave's ex-girlfriend was joining us for the game - Dave was trying the "Let's be friends" thing with her. Problem was she didn't like it when Dave hit on other women, so I agreed to play interference for Dave since I wasn't interested in Melanie. Besides, there's no way someone like Melanie would ever what to go out with me. Not in a million years.

Game time. We're at Yankee Stadium. The group joins the line for beers and hot dogs, but the problem was we were in line. We were standing in line and we weren't even close to our seats. So I suggested we keep walking and buy our beers closer to our seats at a booth where there was no line. No one listened excepted Melanie. So Melanie and I kept walking and sure enough we got our beers and dogs without having to wait in line. And not only that, we got to our seats long before anyone else.

It seemed like 30 minutes before the others finally showed up. Melanie and I talked this whole time. I was taken by her, totally focused on her. I really liked her. And by the time the others rejoined us, I could only think of one thing, I wanted to continue talking with just her. And that's basically what happened.

We ignored the rest of the group for most of the game. We ignored the game. And I definitely didn't give Dave his time to get to know Melanie nor did I play interference for him. I was being swept away by Melanie. But not only was I enjoying the conversation, I couldn't stop looking at her long, tan legs. Wow! She has great legs.

So the game was over and we're on the subway heading downtown. Melanie's will be getting off the train soon so I ask for her phone number. She says no. See, not in a million years. Even after a great night of conversations, leg watching, and a definite spark or two, she won't give me her number. She tells me she doesn't do that anymore. She gives a guy her number and the guy never calls. How can I convince her I'm not like that? Hell, I would have called her as soon as I got home but in New York that would have made me look psycho. The dating games in New York simply suck.

So after trying to convince Melanie she should give me her phone number, she broke down and gave me her e-mail address. "Woohoo! At least I have a chance to chat with her again", I thought. And to prove I was not the type of guy would have ignore such an opportunity by not e-mailing her after the great night we had, I told her I would e-mail her as soon as I got home. There would be an e-mail from me in her inbox when she woke up the next day.

Happy as can be, I rushed home to send the e-mail. I boot up the laptop and send out a quick e-mail:

To: Melanie
From: Kirby
Subject: hi
Hello Melanie.

I really enjoyed sitting next to you this evening for the baseball game. How about that final play, or whatever you call it in baseball?

So now you have my e-mail address. And just in case you don't see it, it is kirby@thecave.com. Now I expect a reply. And to guarantee it, I will end this e-mail with a question.

May I have your phone number?

-KIRBY

I sent off the message to Melanie and responded to a couple of other e-mails. But than it happened. The e-mail to Melanie bounced back. I had the wrong e-mail address. I used the one Melanie gave me but it's not correct. Panic set in. After all, I told Melanie I was not one of those guys who says he will call but never does. I promised she would have an e-mail from me in her inbox the next morning. But how can I make this happen if I don't have the right e-mail address? What to do? Should I call Murphy? He has her e-mail address. But it's late and he's probably asleep. Then I remembered that we had exchanged e-mails earlier in the year to talk about the possible Killington trip.

I searched my laptop for her e-mail address. No match found. I searched another laptop and still no match found. I search yet another computer...okay, I'm a geek, but I still have fewer computers than some...finally I found the right e-mail address. She had left off the numbers in her e-mail address.

I resent the original e-mail followed by this one:

To: Melanie@the right e-mail address
From: Kirby
Subject: you

Oh you are so busted. And I have it in writing. Your e-mail address is not melaniedavis@, which is what you gave me tonight. So what do you have to say for yourself?

<VERY BIG GRIN>

-KIRBY
PS
A nice ending to a nice evening. Have a good day. And I hope I do have the correct e-mail address right now. Either that or some stranger is having a good laugh right now.

Melanie responded that next day with a laugh about the e-mail address mix up. Not only that, she gave me her phone number. Over the next few days, we talked on the phone and we even met up for drinks with other friends of course. She was heading to Vermont for a family vacation but she finally agreed to go on a date with me once she returned.

Even though we met up for drinks two other nights before the official first date, the first date was a nervous one for both of us. She was too nervous to eat and I felt like a blabbing idiot. But there was definitely something special in the air that night. After dinner we went to a video arcade where she kicked my butt at a MLB game. I had such I great time that night. Little did I know I was about to have many more great times with Melanie.

We really hit it off. I was totally swept away by her. I knew early on she was the one. She's everything I have ever wanted and more in a main squeeze. She's a dream come true and I love her more than I can ever express in words.