Thursday, May 22, 2008

Almost a marathon in years ago

Sue and I met 26 years ago today at a restaurant called the Peppermill. That restaurant has changed hands many times over the years and I am not sure if the building even exists anymore.

We were introduced by my next door neighbors at the time(Lynn and Louise). Sue worked with Louise and Lynn and I had just started a business together(K & M construction).

Sue had volunteered to help Louise lay sod at their house and Lynn and I had a one day remodel job which was the first paying job we had ever bid on as a new company.

We were going to install a set of double doors from a master bedroom that would open out to a patio area. The important thing to note is the word "double. Now this was 26 years ago and we thought it would take us 4 hours maximum to install the doors and the interior casing and the trim on the outside. We thought we were going to make 300.00 for a half day of work(37.50 an hour). We were going to be rich!

The lumber yard had quoted a price as a single door, not a double door so immediately the profit was almost entirely gone. We didn't want to go back to our first client and tell them the lumber yard had only quoted a price for a single door. We thought this was not the thing to do, so we went ahead with the job as planned realizing we weren't going to make much money, but we were hoping they would be happy with our work and possibly give us some referrals.

To make a long story short, we ran into some other issues, had to buy some extra material. Our 4 hours of work turned into 9 hours of work. When it was all said and done, the profit for the day was a whopping $16.00. We split everything 50/50 so our first day in business, we made less than 1.00 an hour. It was a Saturday so we still made 16.00 for our little company. Little did I realize at the time, that was an omen of things to come and our business together ended less than a year later.

While Lynn and I were off making the big money, Sue and Louise installed the sod at Louise's house. As a thank you, Louise invited Sue to come to dinner with that evening to celebrate our big payday. The first thing I remember about Sue was thinking that she was so cute.

Being a totally oblivious man, I had no idea that this was a set-up and Louise was off playing matchmaker.

Anyway, we had a great time at dinner and a couple of months later after being prodded by Lynn and Louise, I finally got up the courage to ask Sue out on a date. I was so nervous, just shook like a leaf as I stared at the phone. I finally got the nerve to dial the number and she had left work early that night and I had to go through the agony all over again the next night.

Happily, she said yes when I asked her out and here we are 26 years later, with two wonderful kids.

Sue, thanks for saying yes, even though you played so hard to get :)

1 comment:

  1. Yes, you were very oblivious and did not take ANY of the HINTS that I left you! I remember thinking that night that I met you that you were the most honest person I had ever met. I don't know why I thought that then... but now, 26 years later, I know why I still believe it today! That was the best favor I have ever done for anyone!!!

    Love you!
    -sue

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