December 20, 2007

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:06 am

Konichiwa Songfighters,

I'm here, enjoying listening to an interview with Ron Simmons. No better way to start a workday.

QotD:
How did you meet your significant other?

We've had conversations in the daily log about dates but I don't think we've ever covered this. if we have, then someone else can make a QotD.

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:49 am

I think this is a good one. At my workplace (3000-4000 employees) we tend to hire a lot of fresh-out-of-college people, and they move to the area from out of town. So some of us started a "recent grads" group to introduce new people to ones that were here already and knew fun things to do and where to live and suchlike. We had a lunch to plan out events to have, and in going around the table introducing ourselves and saying where we went to school, M was there and said that she had gone to Dartmouth for a PhD, I asked her if she knew a good friend of mine who had left William & Mary to go there. She didn't, but a good friend of hers was also friends with him (and I found out later that they were going to set the two of them up on a date, but it didn't end up happening) and that started our conversations. Then I had to track her down by using the work phonebook and invite her to future lunches

-bill

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:52 am

If I had a pet I'd say something snarky about picking my SO up at the animal shelter, but I am (and always have been) single. I'm just not wired for dating I guess.

roymond · Post by **roymond** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:07 am

fluffy wrote:If I had a pet I'd say something snarky about picking my SO up at the animal shelter, but I am (and always have been) single. I'm just not wired for dating I guess.

You mentioned recently chasing someone from work (maybe just in your head). What's up with that?

I got a new job two months before my first wedding, building graphic design systems in a publishing group (at Time Inc.). Lots of pretty designers and creatives, some of whom became good friends. After separating from my first wife a few years later, I met a "friend" (a designer there) to watch the Wimbledon finals (Graf vs Seles). It almost didn't happen because of the usual comic errors in such things. But fortunately the match went on for hours and things worked out. After the game we decided to get on a train north of the city and hike around a park. The weather was really nice, so I borrowed a pair of her shorts (thus, we joke I got into her pants on our first date). Tennis, hiking and skiing were favorite activities for both of us so we kept busy for three years before getting married.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:14 am

He wasn't from work (he's someone I've known online for a while), and I wasn't chasing him so much as I finally met him at a party and ended up sleeping on his couch, but so far nothing's come of that.

erik · Post by **erik** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:14 am

Standing in line for the rest room at the Eiffel Tower.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:27 am

erik wrote:Standing in line for the rest room at the Eiffel Tower.

I don't know, I was a little drunk at the time, but I thought we were already IN the rest room...at least thats how *I* remember it.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:29 am

I think I've caught a slight cold. Not a bad one, just a little 'one side of my nose is stuffed up and my throat is soar' kind of thing.

Things are going well in my camp except I can't ever seem to catch up my finances.

qotd: Rosie and I have been off and on since childhood but we met in an upstairs bathroom back in Powder Springs, GA. Rosie who? Oh, you can see her anytime, shes featured prominently in my avatar. hey HEY hey!

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:38 am

QotD:

My wife and I met in High School. We both went to school to become writers. We were in the same classes frequently but I didn't really talk to her until we had creative writing class. She hated me because she thought I was a conceited bastard. I disliked her because I thought she was creepy (she used to talk about horror movies endlessly). For a while, it continued like that until the second quarter of school. Second quarter came and we ended up hanging out because we had no one else to hang out with. That quarter, our drama class got a chance to see Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Brodaway. We both went and had a hilarious time making fun of the show. Then showtime came and we ended up seated at opposite ends of the theater and ended up missing each other. We started dating soon after. It's now 15 years later and we're still together and celebrating what we've considered one of the best years we've had together.

Post by **Spud** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:49 am

QOTD:
We were both undergrads in the University of Washington's Architecture Dept. She knew about me because I had a habit of making an entrance when attending classes. You know, arriving late, carrying too much stuff, etc.

One day, there was a social event going on, and we ended up talking. We were discussing deadlines, etc., when I mentioned that I wasn't going to be able to study on Saturday night because of a birthday party I had to go to. She said that it was too bad because she was planning on inviting me to a (sorority) dance. I said that was great, I could cancel the party, because it was MY birthday, and she was stuck with me.

For the last 30 years, anyway.

SPUD

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:58 am

I was working a long shift in a kitchen. We were short staffed, so I had worked 3 weeks straight, and on the day in question (aug 17!) I said "fuck it" I'm going out!

So, I went to the bar... in the same place I worked. I rarely went out. hah. She was playing pool with two friends, saw me and said (as a movie quote) "oh yes, he will be mine".

The three girls proceeded to pick me up. Like a typical guy, I thought they were all after me... hahaahh.

We connected right away, but she left for Van. the next morning for a job she had. I had planned to move to Van., but I wanted to see if something was gonna develop when she got back three weeks later so I took the risk and changed my plans. She came back and that night I showed up at her place... and two days later I moved in. We now have two kids, and we love each other to the end. We never lived apart other than the three weeks between the day we met and the day she came back really... It's awesome. My mom always said "you'll never meet your signficant other in a bar" and she couldn't have been more wrong.. sorry mom!

(she loves my wife too by the way... !)

So love at first sight actually can happen.

That's my story.

Rabid Garfunkel · Post by **Rabid Garfunkel** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:06 am

I think Mz. Conduct's version is far more entertaining than mine. Even if some of the facts have been adjusted for entertainment and persona polishing's sake. Heh.

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewart ... 1&id=33199

Text might not be work-safe, depending on the filters you have in place. But hey, she writes a sex advice column, so consider yourself warned.

anti-m · Post by **anti-m** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:21 pm

Cartoonmonkey and I met at the animation company where we both worked at the time. At that point, we were both involved with other people, but we did a lot of hanging out -- usually as a drunken mob with the rest of the animation department. I always fancied myself "one of the dudes" so I didn't imagine any of the animation boys to be a credible threat.

(Now that I'm older and wiser I'm finally beginning to understand that this is always a mistaken impression. It doesn't matter if you can beat them at pool -- The boys will still check out your ass as you lean over the table. Oh well.)

In any case, about 3 years later after we no longer worked together, C-monk and I finally got together. It was a wretched and messy affair that involved a "divorce" from my then partner of 7 years. Don't go down this road, kids! It's an emotional clusterfuck!

But, things finally smoothed out! We've now been together 4 years now, and we're a pretty kickass pair, if I do say so myself.

My last boyfriend and I had a much more romantic-sounding first meeting-- He stumbled upon me in a deserted street where I was playing a Leonard Cohen song -- He stopped to listen, then borrowed my guitar and played a Leonard Cohen song for me. A good story, but the relationship never lived up to the mythos of that first meeting, unfortunately. There's a moral in there somewhere...

roymond · Post by **roymond** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:35 pm

anti-m wrote:My last boyfriend and I had a much more romantic-sounding first meeting-- He stumbled upon me in a deserted street where I was playing a Leonard Cohen song -- He stopped to listen, then borrowed my guitar and played a Leonard Cohen song for me. A good story, but the relationship never lived up to the mythos of that first meeting, unfortunately. There's a moral in there somewhere...

That's a great story.

I met my first wife in St John (even though we were born the same year in the same hospital in NY), went diving with her, spent the night, and then promptly left for home the next morning. She figured she'd never hear from me again. Wrong. We got engaged a year later to the day, and married a year later to the day on my farm in VT. Still good friends but we weren't right for each other.

Post by **Lunkhead** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:50 pm

After just listening for a long time, I started sending songs in to SongFight!, and started posting on the boards. Ken noticed that I was in Berkeley, too, and said we should meet up some time, which we did. He also said I should go to the SongFight! show in SF in December '03, which I did. It was both fun and awkward. I felt very stupid introducing myself to people as "Lunkhead", but it was cool to meet people "in real life" that I knew from the boards and to hear the bands. (Now I can't quite remember the roster that night, but it was stellar. KNI for sure. Prayformojo, too. Sonofsupercar? MC Frontalot? Yook?) Ken knew Erin and had invited her to sing with him, so I met her briefly that night, but we kind of met "for real" later. Mo moved to China, so Ken asked me to play guitar in the New Incredibles. Erin was still singing backup for Ken. Then mutual friend David got involved and we started Loyalty Day, and we all started hanging out a lot, drinking heavily, and ultimately dominating all our competition in SongFight!

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:04 pm

Hey Lunkhead, you left out the part where you & Erin went from bandmates to a couple.

boltoph · Post by **boltoph** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:11 pm

Niveous wrote:Hey Lunkhead, you left out the part where you & Erin went from bandmates to a couple.

And here I was, thinking the couple was Lunkhead and Ken. Sheesh.

I met a girl once, at a bar two years ago, I was playing guitar and singing at that bar.

Now we're engaged. Go figure!

Post by **Lunkhead** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:14 pm

You're right. Here it is:

"At some point, we went from bandmates to a couple."

How's that?

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:19 pm

I first met my wife at Marshall's department store. I took a friend there for a job because it was a new store opening and they were hiring, I was a senior in high school at the time. Some how, I got talked into taking a job there to help set up the store, even though I already had a job as a pool service man/boy. They were paying really well for temp help to set up and stock shelves.
My wife was working in one of the departments and she was so damn cute. So naturally I had to break me off a piece of that and talked to her every chance I could. I asked her to come see my band play, but she never showed up.
We went to different high schools and she would come leave little notes on my car, signed secret admirer (didn't know it was her at the time). Then one day she said she was going to see my band play at a friends party. She showed up with her friends and I saw her and we talked about work, (didn't know it was her at this point) but my mind was on looking for my secret admirer. But I was thinking, if she doesn't show up, I'm totally going to hit this girl, so I was laying on my best charm. We played about 4 or 5 songs before we got shut down for the noise, but the party kept going. So we talked more and it was then that she told me that she wrote the letters and left them on my car. I was floored because I'm such a dumb ass for not catching on. She was keeping it a secret because she was going out with a guy and it was ending and she wanted to wait until it was over before hooking up with me. I didn't know she was too interested, because she was all work at Marshall's, but she said she was shy and wanted me the minute our eyes met. She was hard to get naked, which made me want her more. Any other girl I went out with would have sex the same day, but it took me about a month with her. A month to a horny 18 year old guy is like a life time! We got married two years later and two kids later (Christopher and Cody) we are still married and we are still sex fiends, even though I hate her guts, because she knows all my tricks.

jimtyrrell · Post by **jimtyrrell** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:22 pm

Roll call: It's pukin' snow out there. I'm working, and tonight I'm gonna go to karaoke night at the bar/restaurant down the street, if I can get there.

QotD: It's a long Grampa Simpson style story. And here it is.

In 1991 or so, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to go to a Dead show in NYC and I'd never been so I said okay. We drove down and tried to get tickets for hours and eventually I sound one which turned out to be tenth row center. It was great; nobody else in the tenth row actually had a ticket to be there. So they would 'borrow' mine, go get beers, and come back. I got really hammered.
When we got out of the show we discovered that the car had been impounded. We couldn't get it until the next day so we slept on the street outside a bus full of Hare Krishnas (because they always had someone sitting outside the bus, so it was the safest place we could find). We woke up at the bottom of the steps to the NY Public Library, and the friends I had traveled with decided that the best course of action was to find Central Park and take a nap in it.
At this point, I pulled out the $60 emergency money order I had in the back pocket of my fanny pack (it was 1991, give me a break) and headed for Port Authority. I got a bus to Worcester, where my buddy Jim Sibley was going to college (WPI). When I got there I learned that his roommate was auditioning actors for an upcoming play, so I snuck into the audition and got the part of Mephistopheles in one of the productions. I ended up staying for a year, and doing enough shows to qualify as a member of the honor fraternity for theatrics at WPI. I'm a frat boy!
Anyway, eventually I got a job at the Greendale Mall, selling t-shirts at the hippie cart. The next cart over was a coffee cart, and this girl who worked there started giving me free coffee in the mornings. About a month later we decided to get married. Our next decision was to get the Hell out of Worcester.

boltoph · Post by **boltoph** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:48 pm

Billy's Little Trip wrote:She was hard to get naked...

jimtyrrell wrote:Our next decision was to get the Hell out of Worcester.

Good, good. F'n Wustah. The only good thing about it is that club that's a diner: Ralph's Diner.

sausage boy · Post by **sausage boy** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:21 pm

Lets see if I remember this right.

Legs and I both went to the same advertising & design course straight out of high school. For the first two years we were basically acquaintances. You know, politely saying hello in class, occasional group lunches, that kind of thing.

When you get to third year in the course, they start to take on outside client jobs, so that he third year students can get some 'real world' experience. Legs landed a brief doing a logo and signage redesign for a cafe. She asked a couple of the other guys in the class if they would assist, but they "um"ed and "ar"ed. I fucking hate that. Make a decision dickwad!

So I agreed to work with her (you could tell she was desperate for someone to work along side her on it. It was a big job, really a two man operation). We spent around 6 months working on the job, during which we had to spend a lot of time in the car going to different printers and stuff. We would talk a lot about everything on these outings, and eventually (shortly after the job was completed) romance ensued!