Top Ten: Best Dates with Scott

In honor of St. Valentine’s Day this week, it seems appropriate to remember my ten best dates with Scott. Now, while the rest of the world thinks it’s a Hallmark holiday, I beg to differ. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s tomorrow’s post.

Here’s to TEN GREAT DATES with my hubby!

BEST DATES WITH SCOTT…in chronological order

1. Duncan Dining Hall. I know, it doesn’t sound too glamourous eating lunch in the hustle and bustle of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets dining hall. But, this one was our very first. A blind date, in fact. And, well, it turned out pretty well, don’t you think? I’ll give a shout out to Roderick and John who witnessed it. Lessons learned on this date? Scott has gorgeous blue eyes. Pizza and salad are not great first date foods. Listen to your roommate, go on the date and don’t chicken out.

2. Chi Omega Biker Ball. Remember the date, honey? Ok, he probably doesn’t, but this was what Date #1 led to. I needed a date, he wanted a t-shirt. After the party, we headed back to my dorm room, drank Clearly Canadians (we were so rebellious) and talked until 3am. I think I fell in love that night 🙂

3. New Year’s Eve with George Strait. The evening before the “big” game (A&M vs. somebody in the Cotton Bowl), we went to the George Strait concert. What a fun night. Again, up until who knows when talking. This is a theme, isn’t it? Three years later, Scott proposed in the same spot. Ahhh.

4. San Anton. This was the true test. Scott met my dad. Dad says Scott shook his hand so hard it almost fell off. He passed the test. Whew. We ate mouth-watering Tex-Mex on the Riverwalk and had great conversation. I think we “officially” decided to start dating that weekend. All I remember is that he had on a cowboy hat and Wranglers and he looked quite dashing. Ok, well he had on more than that…

5. Scavenger Hunt. This was during summer school and Scott sent me on a hunt through campus. He even came up with some clever clues. The Chi Omega house, Sully, Albritton Tower (there was even a Vanilla DP from Sonic there!!) – great fun.

6. Kyle Field 50-yard line. My sophomore year, Scott had me get all dressed up, had a friend pick me up from the sorority house, blindfold me and drive me around until I was completely lost. When the blindfold came off, I was staring straight at Scott standing on the 50-yard-line of Kyle Field. OMG. Hey, we’re Texans. This is football. And, the guy I was completely head over heels for was there. Does it get any better? We enjoyed some Olive Garden, toasted to a great date and even ran a few plays. HA, like I know how to do that. It was just amazing to be in a place that we both loved so much. Looking up in those stands realizing that in a few short days, they would be full of screaming fans. But, for a moment, we had it all to ourselves. Of all the dates, this ranks as #1. I’ve never forgotten it.

7. Bridges of Madison County. Ever see that movie with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood? Well, when we lived in Iowa, we were a stone’s throw from there. So, for Scott’s birthday, we packed the picnic basket and headed to Madison County. We saw some pretty amazing covered bridges, visited all the “sites” from the movie and even hung out at the red light just for kicks and grins.

8. Piazza Navona, Italy. You knew I’d eventually get there. On our last trip in 2003, we wandered over there, camped out at a table and made friends with the waiter. I think we were there for at least 4 hours. Italians know how to enjoy a meal. Americans could learn a thing or two from them. Why do you think the country motto is, “The good life”?

9. Anniversary #10. This one was a few months after “the” surgery, so we stayed close to home. We ventured to San Antonio and to the Riverwalk. But, we stopped in for Mass at a beautiful Basilica. It was a quiet little peace of Heaven that we don’t often experience. Afterwards, we took a few moments to look around. The artwork was just stunning. We stumbled upon the priest and began chatting. He found out it was our tenth anniversary and offered to give us a blessing. Just when I thought Scott couldn’t surprise me anymore, he holds out a beautiful ring and asks the priest to bless it. Hey, I’m not a crier…but this did it. It was an anniversary band that he and my Uncle Dee (an incredibly talented jeweler and owner of Carriage Casting in El Paso) designed. This one doubles for #1.

10. Spurs Basketball game. Last spring, when I was 5 months prego with Clare, we headed to San Antonio for the game. Now, this wasn’t any ordinary date. Scott does it right (see #6). We had front row parking, awesome seats that overlooked the court, our own waiter and real chairs. Yes, I vaguely remember something about a basketball game???

Babe, I LOVE YOU!!!