The Beginning

As I've mentioned before, while on this staycation, we're taking turns inconveniencing both PTB and M&M with our loud and cluttered presence.

(For those of you behind the times, PTB is Josh's mom and M&M are my mom and her husband Mark. Now keep up, will you?)

Their two locations are about 2 and a half hours apart, and somewhere in between lies Ann Arbor. We met up there to transfer people and suitcases, and also because it was a beautiful fall day to walk around the University of Michigan campus.

I love going back and appreciating the beautiful campus and pulse of the city that I remember so well from my four years there. And this time I could stop to enjoy it because I wasn't cramming before a test or marching around in my ROTC uniform. I couldn't wait to take some pictures with the kids among all of the old buildings with the leaves falling in the background.
Of course, it turns out that wasn't possible because some idiot had left the camera on and drained the battery. Oh, and the idiot was me.
So I had to enjoy it without pictures, but if you have no proof that it was a lovely fun outing, then maybe it really wasn't after all.

Anyway, our visit there reminded me that in that very city was the start of it all. Where I met Josh, and eventually moved beyond merely tolerating him to falling in love.

As a matter of fact, even a little part of Alex and Derek were there those many years ago.
Yep, little ovaries with such potential.

Forgive me, I got carried away.

Josh was one of the first people I met on campus, along with the rest of our ROTC class, as we warmed up for the physical fitness test required at the start of the semester. I didn't think too much of him at first sight. I kind of wondered if he was someone's little brother, because even at 18 he looked a little... prepubescent.

No offense, darling, you were always handsome.
Just a little baby-faced (which explains why his current mustache growing skills are a bit behind the times for a 30-year-old).

He was, just as he is now, self assured and tactlessly honest. I thought him arrogant and annoying, but the truth is he was his own self, and always has been. Funny that it's one of the things I love about him now.

Though we're working on the tact ;)

Josh and I also found ourselves not only in the same astronomy class that first semester, but also in the same lab group. No small coincidence in a school the size of Michigan. The class must have had at least 500 or more students, and the lab groups no more than 20.
This is where I first gained an appreciation for exactly how smart Josh is.
He completed all of our lab assignments with no effort whatsoever, while I concentrated on trying to make it to class wearing something other than pajama pants. (I mostly failed at that.)
I thought he was doing my labwork to be friendly, since we knew each other from ROTC, but now he informs me that he had some ulterior motives.

But don't worry folks, I did not sell myself for some astronomy help. It would have taken something much better than that.
Like Biochemistry.
I kid, I kid.

Although I do now find it interesting that it took us almost 2 years before we had our first kiss. Because I have to be honest with you, I was a bit of a...let me whisper this...tongue slut.

Ach! Now it's out, and if you don't want to read my blog anymore I'll understand. I promise it didn't go any farther than kissing(ish), but I have to admit I was a little free with the lip service.

Note to self: look into college homeschooling options for Alex

Now where were we before I went and got all confession-y on you?
Oh yes, Josh and I were just friends, no benefits.
Except Astronomy.

And then it happened. Josh hit puberty, hit the gym, and the final stake through my ambivalent feelings toward him: He got a girlfriend.

Oh, it's on.

To be continued...because holy cow is this post getting long.