Somewhere Over The Rainbow: Does anyone know what time it is???

"Does anyone know what time it is?"...

That was the question that changed my life. Literally. I was waiting in the hallway outside of my new french class, along with everyone else, for the teacher to get there. It was January. I had just returned from spending 3 weeks at home for Christmas and was back in Charleston for another semester at Trident Tech, a local community college. The plan was to continue going to school, making good grades, and after a year of being in Charleston I could apply for in-state tuition and transfer to the College of Charleston. But for now, it was Trident Tech, and I was taking French because I'd taken it 3 years in high school and knew it would be an easy "A". And I was lonely. I'd met a handful of friends the semester before, and I loved living in Charleston, but after spending a wonderful Christmas with all my friends and family...I was lonely. I was always pretty friendly in all my classes- seemed to make new friends easy enough, and especially now that I was so far from home, I depended on my classes to meet new people. Pretty much all of the people I hung out with the semester before I'd either met at school or at Pier One where I worked...so on the first day I was always looking for a new friend or two.

...But back to the hallway. I was leaned against the wall and it was rather quiet, you know- everyone waiting on the teacher, no one really wanting to talk...maybe a little awkward, even. Then, breaking the silence, a guy directly across the hall, facing me, asked (no one in particular), "Does anyone know what time it is?" I looked up, he and I made eye contact (simply because we were across from each other) and I shook my head. He was tall. VERY tall. He had long, curly dark hair. Dark eyes. Earrings in his ear. Smelled stongly like cigarette smoke. And wore a long (no trench coat-but very big) black, leather coat. His name was Richard Andrews. And at first sight, he was not someone who would have ever caught my eye. He looked kinda "dark". I thought nothing of it, but a couple minutes later he walked across the hall, squatted down right beside me, and opened a very thick book and "pretended" (I was certain) to be reading. Ugh. I would've rolled my eyes if no one would have noticed. That's what I wanted to do. I was a little jaded at the time because a boy I'd really liked (who apparently didn't have the same feelings :)) had sorta broken my heart just before Christmas break...and I just wasn't looking for the "real deal" that day...at all. And this guy, whoever he was, who was pretending to be smarter than he was (because who, really, could EVER read a book that thick, by Des Cartes, no less!!!) and tried to catch MY eye (how conceited I was!) by squatting beside me...ugh. Ugh was all I could've said, if I'd said something. But, thank goodness, I didn't. :) On the other hand, he'd been the only person who'd started any sort of conversation (and he seemed nice, albeit dark :))---and I was, after all, looking for a new friend in this new class...so when the teacher got there and opened the door, if I remember correctly, I think I kinda hoped we'd sit near each other. And we did. He was a back row kind of guy...I was a back row kind of girl. He sat in the very back left seat. One girl filed in, in front of me, and sat directly beside him. Oh, poor girl...if she'd only known she was gonna be stuck between US! And then I sat on the other side of her.
That was the beginning. Of the beginning. That was 8 1/2 years ago now. Hard to believe. That dark guy is now my husband- one of the brightest people I know who, for sure, lights up my life! :) Funny how ironic life can be sometimes. And I still wonder- if, before he "popped the question" (the time question, I mean)...the angels were smiling and waiting...

It's been the BEST week...the best vacation I have ever had. Just being back here, where it all started, we keep looking at each other and sayinf, "Can you believe we have a family???" We have had so much fun just being parents together, with no one else around. Just us. In "our" town. We've told every person we can our little story...how we met here...and how we're back on our 5 year anniversary to celebrate. We've gotten lots of "Oh how sweet!" and "Congratulations!" and "What a great love story" comments from locals. And we've remembered so many almost forgotten memories that sights and smells and songs have brought back to our mind's eyes. There is much, much more to that first day of french class...for another night when I am less sun burned and less sleepy!

Until then...some of our favorite moments from yesterday and today...