Ancient History: Me and My Hubby

For about a year now, I've been very slowly going through all my digital picture files, and choosing the best ones to set aside for printing.  I first got a digital camera in 2004, and for two years, I was really good about printing out copies to put in physical photo albums.  But I kinda ran out of steam, until Sly came along, and gave me a whole new reason to get passionate about saving memories.  So now I basically have five years-worth of photos to catch up on.  Ugh.

It. Is. Taking. Forever.

Anyways, as I was sorting through some of my backlogs today, I was really struck by something.  So, Tom and I have known each other since 2003, our freshman year of college.  We became friends, and remained that way throughout college.  As the years went by, we became increasingly close.  And then one day - really, it was actually as sudden as "one day" - almost five years later, we both realized we had feelings for each other.  And soon after, we started dating.

But looking back at some photos of the two of us from our "just friends" days, I am incredulous, asking myself, "how did we NOT REALIZE that we liked each other??"  Anyone besides myself would look at some of these pictures, and be sure we were a couple in them.

A Christmas party

A party at Tom's place

Halloween

At a bar with friends.  Please ignore Tom's terrible facial hair.  And don't worry, as soon as we did start dating, I informed him that he could never have a mustache again.

Out with friends again

  

Helping to cook for a Newman Center event.  We both volunteered to cut onions together in the back room so we could talk about something privately.  I don't even remember what it was now.

Dancing in Tom's apartment at his fancy Ides of March party.

At a friend's Hollywood-themed party

Posing as a dorky 50s couple

This last picture shows me with a bunch of friends at my Cottage, the weekend I finally realized that Tom was the guy for ME, and not for the many girls I'd tried to set him up with over the years.  By the end of the weekend, just four of us were left.  After Tom busted out a bottle of whiskey and insisted we all share it, we all inadvertently got drunk on a Sunday afternoon (!).  It was then that it dawned on me - all in a flash.  It was so clear.  Tom and I were so alike.  We made so much sense.  We were supposed to be together.  I realized that for a while, I had had feelings for him, and just hadn't recognized what they were.

As they say, "in vino, veritas."