The Dynamic Duo

St. Patrick’s Day. March 17, 1973. UltraMom and UltraDad’s first date. I can hear you “oohing and aahing” already. Isn’t that sweet? Yes, yes it is. We seem to have a penchant for marking events in our lives with major holidays. After all, our wedding anniversary is Feb 2 on Groundhog’s Day. It all happened a little something like this…..........

Set the scene: I was in my first year of college at Idaho State University in Pocatello, about 50 miles from where my family lived in Idaho Falls. UltraDad was newly discharged from the Army, and had , with his brother Chuck, bought a dairy farm in Howe, Idaho. His parents had recently retired, also to Howe. I had become good friends with UDad’s sister, also called Kathy, and we went to each other’s houses sometimes on weekends. Her family was really nice, especially her brother, John. My own brothers tended to, at best, ignore me, but John was different. He was very considerate to his little sister, and even more so to her friend. He went out of his way to spend time with us, playing games, saddling horses and taking us fishing and on picnics. He volunteered to drive us back to college or pick us up from (neither of us had a car). I wished he were my brother…........

The invitation: I was intrigued to open my mailbox one day and find a card addressed to me in the neatest printing I had ever seen. The return address was Howe, ID, and it was a cute, funny card from my friend’s brother. I can’t remember exactly what the card said now, but I’m sure I still have it around here somewhere. But the gist of it was that he was asking me if I would go out with him. At first I was totally taken aback, and it took a while to adjust my thinking from “cool brother” to “possible date.” I tried to discuss it with Kathy, but she just shrugged and said “If you want to go, go.” I did, so I did.

The date: John picked me up at my parent’s house in Idaho Falls on the evening of March 17. As befitting the date I dressed entirely in …....purple! Actually, I guess I didn’t think about it, and in case you’re wondering, there were no pinching consequences. John was far too considerate (and shy and nervous) to attempt such a thing. Besides, I don’t think he wore green either, but I don’t really remember. I had on a lavendar long-sleeved shirt with a darker lavendar jumper, and my hip-length honey-blond hair was tied back with a purple ribbon. My parents inquired as to our plans, and John said he thought perhaps dinner and a movie. My mother helpfully asked if I hadn’t mentioned that I would like to see the Alice in Wonderland movie then playing. Well, I HAD mentioned it, and I DID want to see it, but I was still totally mortified, and denied it vehemently. We ended up seeing the romantic comedy “Jeremiah Johnson”. For those of you who are from another planet and have never seen that Robert Redford movie, I was making a little jest. It is actually a mountain-man drama with lots of killing and revenge, a far cry from Alice in Wonderland, but I enjoyed it all the same. For dinner, we went to the gourmet restaurant of McDonald’s for their Big Macs and fries. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was my idea, or maybe John wanted to go to a restaurant that shared his last name? Anyway, I had a little problem with the straw dispenser, and spilled straws all over the floor.

The aftermath: I don’t know. That was a long time ago. I guess we must have had a very good time, because we continued to go out. And he continued to give us rides to and from college, and took me on wonderful fishing trips and hikes, sometimes with and sometimes without the sister. I remember one time when he drove his sister back, and I had stayed at school for the weekend. He took us out to Shakey’s for pizza. I was starving, cause I hadn’t eaten much that weekend. My campus meal ticket was only good for weekdays, and I was fairly thrifty, so I tended to eat as little as possible when I was there for the weekend. Consequently, when that pizza came, I dug right in. John hardly ate any, but was completely enthralled with the old-time black and white flicks they were showing; old “3 Stooges, Little Rascals, Larel and Hardy”, that sort of thing. I’m not sure I had ever heard him laugh so much. Me? I was too busy eating. I learned later that he really didn’t even like pizza.

The after-aftermath: So, on Groudhog’s Day this year, we had been married for 31 years. I still haven’t seen Alice in Wonderland.

Sentimentally yours,

UltraMom

Dating: Summer 1973

The Wedding: Feb 2, 1974

31st Anniversary, Feb 2, 2005