September 12

I'm sure everyone has a story about how September 11th changed their lives or the way they look at life.  I had no idea, on that day, how much those events would change the course of my life and lead me to my husband and children.

As I mentioned previously, my boss had a trip to Mexico City planned for the 12th.  I worked for a construction management company and our biggest clients were Hilton and Marriott Hotels.  We did major renovations and new construction all across the country and were starting to branch out to Europe and South America.  There were only 4 of us in the whole company and it was a very exciting time.

All air traffic was grounded for days.  I spent hours and hours trying to arrange and re-arrange flights for my boss.  Ultimately, literally within days of September 11th, the project in Mexico City was cancelled.  No one was travelling.  No one was staying in hotels.  All major projects were put on hold.  Within a few months we were merging our company with another construction management company in California.  I hated it.  I hated the new people.  We weren't our cute little company anymore.  My boss ended up hating it too and we un-merged.  He was offered a Vice President position with Marriott in San Diego and asked me to come with him.

8 days prior to September 11th, I met the Brown eyed Man.  He didn't call me for two months but when he did, we had our first date on Thanksgiving weekend and we never stopped seeing each other after that.  When my boss asked me to move to San Diego, I just didn't want to go.  He got me a job with one of our local competitors and we went our separate ways.  He was one of the most difficult people I have ever worked with and I learned a lot from him.  I loved our time in Portland and I wasn't looking forward to the new company.  I hated it too.  I sent my resume to every construction company within a 50 mile radius of Stayton where Brown eyed Man was living.  The ONLY company to call me back was half a mile from his place and is the company where I still work today.

I started here in 2003 and Brown eyed Man and I got married in 2005.  I love our life.  It's amazing how something so far away and seemingly unrelated to me, could influence me in such a profound way.

I've just driven over 500 miles today and I have a conference call in half an hour so I have to go.  But tune in tomorrow, when I will take you to a mid-valley wedding complete with short skirts, spurs and slippers!  I know you're dying to hear about it.