San Juan, Puerto Rico

Wow, not a care in the world.  College days flying off to San Juan for a Chemical Engineering conference, I knew there was a reason I ran for office in AICHE.  I did have to buy Magan's ticket and I think we stayed one extra night in the hotel, so there was some expense, but not much for these crazy college married kids.  We flew out from Jackson, MS, and stayed the previous night with the Storms (family name...9 kids...crazy big house) in that area. 

 

Don't remember much from this trip, as most memories have slipped on by.  We had a very short walk to the beach from our hotel.  I tried to order McDonalds in spanish, and I think the lady just told me to give it up.  "Tomo un numero uno y un cherry pieyo".  Me and Magan roomed with Transito and Marcia (Storm...#3 of 9).  Don't remember a thing about the conference, but it was great getting to visit old San Juan.  We also skipped the Bacardi factory tour for the El Youngue rainforest, which was OK. 

 

The Pool at the hotel was pretty great, and had fun with friends from college.  And...I am 100% positive I did not take the picture of the long blonde haired, bare chested Frisbee guy.  I don't remember his name right now, but he was super cool...back to the picture...that was not me...so surely it was not..."Magan, Magan, do you remember taking this picture".  Just a small giggle from her at her computer when she is confronted with this 15 years later.  Hmmm....  Anyway, a fun trip.  Lots of virgin pina colodas, and fried bananas seem to make the memory bucket. 

 



 

The Ride

"Do you want a Countdown?"  "What are they going to do honey?"  "Three...Two...ARRRRGGHHHH"...and thus began a video still available on youtube courtesy of my good bud Rod Cude. 

 

Magan and I were on our honeymoon, and decided to try this reverse bungee while down in Gulf Shores.  Magan was adjusting something from her hair and ended up jabbing it into her finger when we were shot into the air.  Haha, this is one of those memories that has completely left my brain, but glad we captured photographic and video evidence that Magan and I once were crazy...then we became a serious couple with 4 kids within 8 years....ARRRRRGHHHHHH....Magan watch out!  We are still in that bungee together...bouncing thru life...screaming...terrified...but after awhile...wait for it...smiling and laughing with each other.  

 

 

Christmas 1999

Chattanooga again with Magan

So I have some duplicated pictures, but this is from an album where (learned from Granny) I would old school blog, by typing out my captions and putting them below the pictures.  With that said, I will stop writing now, and just let my old school blogs show what hilarious humor I had at the time.  Hasn't gotten any better unfortunately.  

 

Chattanooga with my gal

First trip out of state with Magan.  We have made it to many more states since, but the first trip was to Chattanooga.  It is kind of weird looking thru albums before digital pictures...not very many pictures.  Anyway, I knew Magan might be the one, when she put up with me on that trip that morning.  I have always had stomach issues when I don't eat breakfast, or when my schedule it made up, and she sat patiently at a McDonalds on the way that morning as I "overcame" my stomach issues.  How embarrassing!  Still is embarrassing, but now shared with future blog readers to see that it worked out anyway.  Oh well, we hit the Aquarium (Just one building at the time, not two as it is now) and I don't know if we saw any of the fish, just smiling and googley eyed at being together, holding hands. 

 

Ruby falls was next, and Magan has gotten much better taking pictures as this picture below of me is really not very good.  :)  Anyway, we met the cutest little girl in the cave, and just had to get her picture.  I have always had a soft spot for those little girls.  Magan says this girl was another reason she fell in love with me...knew I would be a good dad.    And I think this picture with John was when I got home, it was right in with this trip in my album, and I liked it, so I guess John was happy that I was home from Chattanooga also.  :)  Crazy to think he was that little when I had already moved out of the house. 

 

So to be fair to the timeline, this is really close to the end of me and Magan's relationship.  Shortly after January 1999, and after I began work in Grenada, MS, things just didn't work out.  If facebook was around, her status went to single, and mine to "Its complicated", but I was just in denial.    Probably lots of reasons why, with me being a butt as primary.  Anyway, knew I had something good, but also knew I messed it up.  Maybe she will take me back...Just have to wait and see.  Scatterings of memories for that dark period they call 1999...but those are for another blog.  Ended '99 in Chattanooga back with Magan...but never would have thought it at the beginning of '99.  

 

Crazy little thing called Love...

Where did it all begin?  Backward blogging really challenges the memories, as some are so clear, but others are mixed in a soupy collection of good, bad and ugly.  But it begins just prior to where this written note alludes too...and while cloudy, there are two memories that pre-date our K-mart romance....

 

The first was a basketball game at Danville perhaps, which was after a Math tournament.  Don't know why we would have been playing basketball on a Saturday, but I remember math, I remember lunch, then I remember basketball...so that must have been the order.  But more than any of that, I remember Alan driving me and a collection of gals to the basketball game after the tournament.  And that collection of gals included Magan, Deidra, and Jessica.  This was during my senior year of high school, and my self confidence with girls was somewhat at a peak, altho at 17, self confidence is probably just an unhealthy mixture of testosterone and imagination. 

 

But at lunch, I had a long talk with a local Vinemont cheerleader, that shall remain nameless, but the conversation peaked my interest.  Then on a crazy high (figurative, not literal), I started flirting with the other gals in the back seat on the way to the basketball game.  And that crazy high made me think, crazy as it might sound, that I had a shot with Magan Ratcliff.  Alas, it did not work out at this time, but there was a spark...perhaps something to explore later...which leads to the second memory that is murky, and Magan does not remember, which makes me question it, but I still see a last period of school, and that sweet smiling Magan working out upstairs in the gym.  She has probably never had the will power to work out without someone to talk to, and that day I was one of the lucky ones.  I don't remember a thing she said (haha), but remember that she was beautiful that day in a little pony tail, and so sweet. 

 

Which leads to a K-mart romance that began with many many nights chatting  away next to that Black Elantra.  Loving to see her laugh, and doing everything I could to see it as many times as I could before she would leave me.  At the time, her boyfriend was in the store working the night shift, and my gal was probably at home with parents.   I floated home with heart beating fast after those late night conversations.  She most likely sped off hoping to not get a ticket as her mom was going to kill her for being late...again. 

 

Then it finally happened, during the summer after my freshman year, and as soon as I could get her alone at K-mart, we sat together during breaktime with the smells of crazy bread in the background.  Conversation continued just like it had always...both of us laughing, me intoxicated by that smile...dear me that smile...and those eyes.  I was not dating anyone, and she informed me that she had been seeing another guy at K-mart (It is a small world at K-mart), but it was not serious.  So out it went..."So if another guy asked you out, could you be free tonight"...And she said yes...head spinning...happy dance...hold it in.  The kiss was later that night, haha, after a trip to Denny's.  Kids, no poking fun, I was 18 and we were in Cullman, Denny's was the other side of town, and guaranteed me maximum time with the most beautiful girl I have ever met. 

 

And at Denny's, we ran into Misty Jo ?something?, and she invited us to a play the following night at Wallace.  So there you go, May 16th, 1998, and I took Magan out on our first date.  Looks like City of Angels was the first movie, although she often thought it was Deep Impact, but I later corrected her, and helped her realize that was with another guy.  And of course it was brought up many times later.  But K-mart was where it all really began...and the start of a wonderful summer where this stock boy LOVED each call of Code 1 to the front (Need Buggies), because I got to walk to the front and see that beautiful girl in one of her stunning long sundresses, sometimes hair up, but more often down.  Still love to make her laugh, but when those eyes squint tight and that smile goes wide, I am still that stock boy longing to get a glimpse of her as I walk by to get more buggies.