It Was Today, 8 Years Ago
Around this time of year, 8 years ago on a Thursday, my friend Todd called me at work from where he was living at the time, in Vermont. I was having a bad day, and said "I am a little stressed out today, that's all." My friend Todd said back to me "You should come to Vermont, it's so relaxing here."

I didn't think much of it at the time. I had to hang up the phone because I had to go off and do something job related--probably something mundane like explaining how to use a fax machine to a software engineer. (How is it that these people can program computers to do whatever they want them to do, but couldn't seem to understand how a fax machine works? "Oh, you put the paper in and dial the number? Really? Cool!" LOL.) The day wore on, and it just got worse. I decided I wanted to get away for the weekend and spend some time with a friend. I called my friend Todd back and said "Hey, does that invite to Vermont still stand?" He hesitated and said "Uh... sure!"

On Friday afternoon I drove up to Vermont to see my friend. I met his Mom, and I met Harmony, his trusty Labrador. He showed me around all weekend. He and his Mom took me to Lake Bomoseen to water ski, he took me to the swinging bridge, and to Buttermilk Falls. We had a wonderful time at the Rutland Ethnic Festival, where we both sampled an African dish made of goat meat, and listened to some mariachi music too.

We sat out on the porch looking at the stars and spotting satellites in the sky until late at night. Then Sunday came, and it was time to leave. It was 20 June, and our very first kiss was when I was leaving and I kissed him goodbye.

If you told me on this weekend 8 years ago that I'd marry this friend of mine, I would have sworn up and down that it was not going to happen. "We're just friends!" I'd say.

Well, we're still friends. He's the best friend I've ever had. But now he's so much more than just a friend. He's my accomplice, my partner in crime and in everything else in my life, and the very first person I'd pick to go on an adventure with me.

Happy anniversary Todd. Thank you for making the last 8 years of my life the best I've ever lived. You are the best one, ever.