Of shamrocks and lumberjacks

Slainte!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Paddy's is a celebration trifecta at the House of Zen:

1 - Our family heritage is Irish/Scottish, so it's an excuse to celebrate (read: drink to) that.
2 - The ZenHusband is a homebrewer partial to British brews (another toast to that, please) AND
3 - It's the anniversary of the day The ZenHusband and I first met. :)

Yep, 12 years ago today, this Big Lug picked up this Sweet Lil' Gal at the local saloon ... and the rest is history ... well, sort of. What's that you say? Romantic? Kismet? Fate? P'shaw. Almost never happened.

The Sweet Lil' Gal - that would be me, for those keeping score - was new in town, mourning the recent untimely death of her beloved Dalmatian, and had to work late that night ... so she almost didn't go out that night with her roommate to a local bar-and-grill.

And the Big Lug - again, for those keeping score, that would be The Husband - hadn't really planned on going to that pub that night, either. But he ended up there anyway, having a pint with a pal.

After getting a couple of girly umbrella drinks at the bar (and getting hit on by a couple of nice-but-no-thank-you guys), my roommate and I decided to take our drinks out to the patio to enjoy the unseasonably warm evening and to avoid the more meat-markety feel of the bar area.

We were out there chatting and laughing when I suddenly heard this deep, rumbling voice behind me ask if I he could join us. So, I turned in my chair and saw ...

... a lumberjack.

Seriously. That was my first impression: This tall, broad-chested, dark-haired, red-cheeked, brown-eyed, long-lashed, baritone wearing a red plaid shirt, blue jeans and a friendly smile - He looked like he belonged on a package of Brawny towels.

I said yes.

For the record, my darling Husband tells me his first impression of me was "Nice Rack."

Awww. Innit-he-suhweet?

Anyway, he and his friend (who, a few years later would serve as our Best Man) did join our table and we had a nice chat about work, beer, pets, family, our town, and so on.

That first impression stuck for a while. My roommate would tell me "your sexy lumberjack called" or ask if I was going out with "Mr. Brawny" again. Which, of course, I did.

The first date was coffee (and meeting his beautiful Dalmatian, Patch); the second was a B.B. King Concert, followed by a movie ... a candlelight homemade dinner (Don't worry: He cooked, not me!) ... a day hike in Yosemite ... dinner with his family ... Easter with my family ... After that, it's all pretty blurry. :)

As time went by, we jokingly observed the 17th of each month as our "Monthiversary". Even after we got married, St. Patrick's Day was still our other special day of the year.

Two years ago, we had a chuckle over the fact that we "made it" to our 120th monthiversary.

But today! Today marks 12 years of 12 monthiversaries a year. That's a pretty special milestone, if you ask me. :)

So: Happy 144th monthiversary, Honey. You'll always be my sexy lumberjack. :)