2 years...

Well I intended to write before the clock struck midnight, but to me it's still Saturday so I'm gonna pretend that Sunday isn't here just yet...

Today marks 2 solid years for Marshall and I.  Ironically, it is also the wedding anniversary of one of my best friend's parents. Today marks 34 years for them. As my parent's anniversary is approaching in April, it is so rare to see couples together for that many years. It's hard to imagine being in love with the same person for that amount of time, but as I get older and spend more time with Marshall it becomes more real.  I can honestly say that I've never been with someone this long and had feelings this strong for 2 whole years.  I've dated many men, in search of a man just like my father. One of those handy men, who thinks they are invincible and can fix just about anything. Well, Marshall is probably the polar opposite of my father, and if I asked him to change the oil in my car manually he might die trying. Although he is smarter than the average person, he has many other great qualities that are rare to find. He is my best friend. Although no one takes the place of best friends like your parents or girlfriends, it's a different kind of best friend.  A best friend that's worth hanging on to. 

The day started just like any other, woke up to Stanlie,  in my face anxiously waiting to go outside. I gave Marshall his present that I have been working on since the day I met him. A scrapbook of the past two years of our dating experience. He loved it, and now it is a nice coffee table decoration. After taking Stanlie out Marshall came back upstairs with a jewelry box. I love him for his ability to pick out just the perfect gifts. He never asks what I want or if I need anything, he always seems to  know. I guess my shoe box full of fine jewelry along with my tackle box full of rings sent a signal that I needed somewhere valuable to store my most prized accessories. The day continued with a visit from Marshall's mom and brother. We went to lunch, the AT&T store, where Marshall and Mason both got new iPhones, and then to West Elm where Dana bought half the store and Marshall and I drooled over everything we cannot afford. Marshall did splurge on a cardboard rhinoceros that is now hanging fabulously in the living room, and is one of the neatest things I have ever seen. After the company left we decided to have a night in and we rented The Social Network. I was asleep by the first 15 minutes, but I'll take Marshall's word that it was a great movie. This explains why I am up at this hour.Needless to say it's been a perfect 2 years.

DriveTime...three words: not for me. As I entered the building, I was greeted by Jose who instructed me to sit next to the popcorn machine which had about 4 pieces of popcorn left in it. As I looked around, I saw no one like me. Everyone was staring, and no one spoke English. A few thoughts crossed my mind...do I get up now and just walk out, or do I give it a shot and see if what Andrea told me on the phone was right. I decided to stick it out, and about that time a nice lady named Gena came to rescue me. We chit chatted, wanted to know why I was there, which was a tough question to answer, and after I left I realized that 1) Andrea was right whenever she said that DriveTime would change my life 2) Dora ended up being one of the nicest cars on the lot and 3) there's a reason why I didn't apply for this job. I took DriveTime as a learning experience and was never so excited to hit the road.  DriveTime is not the job for me, but for someone else, it will be a the perfect job and an answer to their prayers.

I am learning to be humble and realize that the materialistic things in life are not important, it's the experiences and memories that you make throughout your life and the impact you have on other people. Although my ideal anniversary did not involve hanging out with Dana, I later realized that it made her day to be spending time with both of her sons....

Until tomorrow,
Monica