March 23, 2012 Friday Afternoon

Had a nice dinner last night to celebrate our 23rd first dinner together. I did order something different and was not happy when the steak came with mushrooms on it. I did have to send it back. I do not eat mushrooms. Came home and spent the night watching the last two episodes of this seasons The Walking Dead. Was surprised how many main characters died in the final shows. Went to bed around 10 PM.

This morning I was up at 6:30 AM. Fed the dogs and gave Vito his shot. It was raining when I got up this morning and it appears it will continue all day. It is in the 50s so it is nice enough outside. Went back to bed until around 10 AM. Got up and showered, met the guys for lunch. Had a great lunch as always. Been spending the afternoon watching court shows on TV, listening to the rain fall. The dogs have been sleeping all afternoon due to the rain and darkness. Making some left over spaghetti and salad for supper tonight. Have plans to go to lunch with a guy I worked with a few years ago. He is coming into town so Tony can see his truck and possibly fix it in the future, and have lunch. Will eat at Tracks Bar, two blocks from our home. No other plans this weekend.

Twenty three years ago today Tony had a date with the guy he met the Saturday before. He called me the minute he got home and we spent the night talking on the phone. The next night we met at his father's tavern here on the Eastside and I met his sister and dad for the first time, it was a Friday night. On the night of March 25th, we spent our first night together. It was a Saturday and I worked all day. Met Tony at his apartment around 7:30 PM, a one room apartment. We look back and laugh now how I took the liberty to bring an over night bag with me for that date. Guess I was planning ahead, yah, that sounds better than the alternative. Our first night together was so nice, tender and sweet. Remember another red flag, the next morning when Tony was in the shower I looked through this stack of bills on his table. I remember seeing this months electric, gas, phone bills, etc. Then continuing through the pile seeing last months electric, gas, phone bills, etc. And then continuing to see the next months, and so on. I should have ran away fast, LOL. That and the closet full of laundry and the sink full of dishes. LOL. Remember how when I met Tony at his apartment he was all dressed up. He actually went out shopping that afternoon for a new pair of jeans, a shirt. I still can picture him today looking so nice for our date. Tony is not a shopper so this was exceptional for him to do all this for a first night together. Guess he even cleaned the sheets, LOL. After breakfast the next day, which was Easter Sunday, we went to my apartment because me ex was at his parents house in Chicago for the day and I needed to get home to my two dogs Tiny and Shadow. I was still living with my ex partner at this time. I remember so well as I was drying myself after my shower I looked through the crack of the door and saw Tony on the floor playing with the dogs. I knew right there and then 'he passed the puppy test', and he was the one. We took the dogs for a walk and I then spend that next night at Tony's apartment. Still can not believe all this was 23 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. Going forward we spent at least 3 night together a week and in May we moved in together with another roommate in a three bedroom home with my two dogs. We lived there for a year. On a sad note, that roommate died of AIDS a couple years later. I never knew and not sure he did that entire time we lived together. Is is sad how many friends we both have who have passed from AIDS. Makes me appreciate the days I get because of the advancements in treatments for AIDS these days.