Eight, plus 1

**Spoiler Alert** Schmaltz ahead.

(Not sure what schmaltz is? Click here for the definition.)

(Oh. Sorry. I didn't really mean the literal chicken fat version of the word. I meant the first definition on this page.)

Today is the eighth anniversary of the day after Christopher and I had our first date.

I know it's a little odd to mention that, but I think that, for me, it's kind of an important day. You see, when we met, I had been going out on a decent number of dates. Not long before, I had been going through a "dry spell" and had decided that I really needed to get out more, so I had set myself up with a couple of online dating sites and decided to just jump in with both feet.

And, mainly, all that got me was wet. (And not in any kind of adult double-entendre sort of way.)

And then I had a date with the most gorgeous pair of brown eyes I'd ever seen. They showed up at my door one evening for a night of pizza and beer and a movie. (Which, in retrospect, is kind of funny, because although we both love pizza and movies, we're not big beer drinkers - but I think that just sounded right when we were setting up the date.)

So, we had this really good date, and the evening ended with him leaving and saying we should get together again the following week. We couldn't make plans for the coming weekend, because it was Labor Day, and he was going to be out of town with friends.

And, anyway, I had two more dates set up with different guys for that weekend. (Like I said, I'd jumped in with both feet.)

Labor Day weekend rolled around, and this guy that I'd only had one date with was out of town, and I went on the first of my (scheduled prior to the date) dates. And for pretty much the entire date, I felt like I was doing something wrong. Like I wasn't supposed to be going on dates with other people.

I don't think I actually even had the second date I was supposed to have. I'm pretty sure I cancelled it in advance with an excuse of "something came up..."

But... anyway... The point of all of this is that, although the first date on August 28th was pretty darned good, I think that the fact that August 29th found me with someone new on my mind is pretty important, too.

So today I toast Eight Years, plus a day. Schmaltz and all.