EMERALD *sigh*

The One And Only Love Of My Life!

Would you like to listen to the song I picked for this page? Click here

To my Em: A very special song I dedicate to you because You are so beautiful!

Please visit EMERALD'S CITY

The story you are about to read is true.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

And the guilty.

Well, I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. I met Em (Cathy) in a most wild and unusual way. I had been separated from my first wife for a few months and I was very lonely and looking for some nice lady to spend time with. This was in the spring of 1980 and I was a Policeman in the Air Force. Now it was difficult to pick up chicks back in those days if you had short hair. That was back when longer hair was the style for the guys. Remember those days? Even President Carter had the style.

I went to the discos, bars, and just about anyplace where I thought I could find a girl. But it just wasn't in the cards. And it was all the worse being in Alaska. Back then there were 3 guys for every girl up here. The oil pipeline was in full production, and the guys who had jobs working for the oil companies would pull into Anchorage with their pockets full of hundred dollar bills. For some reason my pocketful of quarters didn't turn any pretty eyes my way - nor any ugly eyes either. Mr. Carter paid us very well for putting our lives on the line for our country. NOT!!!!!

But, every Friday night, a local radio station would run a show called Desperate & Dateless. The way the show went was 3 people would call in to the station. It would be 2 guys and a girl, or 2 girls and a guy. The latter happened as often as Hale-Bopp comet comes by. Whoever was the 1 got to pick between the other two.

Now I had become a real pro at being the one that was never picked. I mean, I was REALLY good at it. But one time I did win. Or so I thought I had.

She called me right after our segment and set up a time for me to meet her at her Mom's house. Gee, I was going to meet the Mom at the same time as I met her. Those warning bells started to go off in my head. But I was going to at least go meet this lady.

I arrived at the house and was met at the door by this huge Amazon woman. I kid you not! I got a nose bleed just looking up at her! 6' 5" 260 pounds of woman. She was mighty pleased to meet me and extended her hand for a shake. A sudden urge hit me..

RUN YOU FOOL!

Unfortunately I was raised in Iowa and the proper manners that had been instilled in me since birth took control over common sense. I slowly extended my hand to meet hers. As our hands met, a feeling came over me that I had never known before. The cast came off my hand 6 weeks later. For a fleeting moment, I thought of contacting the WWF to see if I could get a contract for her and be her manager. But those damn Iowa ethics took over again.

Now don't get me wrong. She was a very nice girl. Polite, outgoing, and very pleasant to talk to. She introduced me to her Mom, nephews, and her dog. I found out that they had spent $1500.00 to operate on her dog when it ate their TV. Then she brought out her 2 week old baby. Cute kid. Hmmmmm. I knew then that I should have been getting so fast out of there that all I would have left behind was a sonic boom.

We spent part of the day together on a picnic then parted on friendly terms later that day. She told me that I wasn't what she was looking for -too short and skinny. I was happy until I realized what had happened.

I had been dumped by the circus strong lady.

The past December I had been in the hospital with a series of operations for cancer. I am currently a 17 year cancer survivor. But more of that in my history page.

Now let me tell you all something. If you really want to lose a lot of weight fast, do the cancer thing. I lost around 11 pounds a week with my stay of 3 weeks at the Elmendorf Health Spa. No sweat! I got all my meals in bed, and room service. They were so doting on me that they even directly inserted my meals right into my arm, I was so pampered that I didn't even have to chew my food. And here it was May and I was still looking like skin & bones.

Being the trooper I was, I kept calling the show every Friday night. What else could I do? That unsettling feeling of having nobody to spend the best years of my life with was keeping me plugging away. I just knew my jewel was out there, somewhere, waiting for me.

Then, on May 16 1980, the most important moment of my entire life happened. It was a Friday night, and there I was on the phone with the station. After the guy asked my name, he didn't need to ask my description. He knew it by heart. "Hi Ray" he would say "how are you tonight?"

Ray wasn't my real name. I used that to throw off any of the guys I worked with who might be listening. I guess I just knew that they wouldn't recognize my voice since I only talked with them every day.

The radio station "helper" informed me that I would be up with Harold. I worked with a Harold, who was also single. And that we were going vie for the fair maiden Marie. Nice name, I thought, it happened to be my sisters middle name. Hmmmm, Fate?

As they read Harold's description over the air, I just knew Marie had already made up her mind. He was 6' 1'', 205 lbs. blonde, blue. He sounded a lot better than he really looked. I was 5' 11", Blonde, Blue, and sidestepping across the street so the cars could see me. Running around in the shower to get wet.

Then it was Marie's turn. 5' 1" 110 lbs, brunette, green eyes. I was in heaven. Just to be able to talk on the phone to such a lovely sounding woman - that sweet, sexy voice - would be nice. At least I would have that opportunity! And we did just that on the show.

It was all now in Marie's hands. A commercial break, then she would give us her decision. Who was the winner? Who's phone number was she going to want?

Now I'd like to think I impressed her with my charming wit and intelligent conversation. The way those words rolled off my tongue. I was a suave, entertaining young man that no woman could resist. I was Manly!

The commercial ended. I was holding my breath in eager anticipation. "Well Marie" the MC asked "Who's phone number do you want." My heart was thumping so hard, I had to hold my chest to keep it from popping out. I had done my best to impress her. Was it enough?

"Well........" Marie said. Everything slowed to a crawl for me. I knew she wasn't an Amazon. A thousand and one things went through my mind as I listened to Marie give her answer. " I think I already know Harold, so I'll go with Ray."

I HAD WON BY DEFAULT

I have no idea how I was able to contain my excited state as the MC said "OK, Ray, Hang up and if Marie decides to call you, she will in a couple of minutes."

That brought me back down to earth. He was right! IF she decides to call me.

I sat by the phone....Ring dang it..Ring! 1 minute......5 minutes....10 minutes. It was like I was waiting for that darn Jeopardy song to end before the final Jeopardy question. Ever stare at a phone for over ten minutes?

RINNNNNNNNNNNNG.....

My hand shot toward the receiver. But my brain was one step ahead of my hand. "Let it ring twice" it told me "don't want her to know you're anxious." I picked up at the first tone of the second ring.

We chatted for a bit, got to know each other. I told her my real name. She told me hers. And she also told me she knew Harold because he had been engaged to her roommate. And he was a real jerk. We had something in common already. We both knew him and that we thought he was a jerk.

I asked if she was doing anything and if she wanted to come over. I should have known better. Like she was going to come over to my house at 11 pm when she didn't even know me. I knew she would be safe. But she didn't. We ended up setting up a dinner date.

Not quite 5 months later, we became husband and wife.

So, here we are now - Two lovers who happen to be married to each other. 17+ years and still going strong.

I've yet to begin to tell you all about her!

Emerald's

*lol* Can he spin one or what????