Most of you know that Rob and I met on the internet, most of you also know that I am a seasoned internet love finder, or looker is a better word.  However, Rob is not.  This was his first time on a site like this but I had gotten a free subscription to Match.com and had my profile on for about 3 months.  I had gone on dates with several men I had met and of course, hadn’t found the one that quite “matched”.  For anyone who has ever gone on a blind date – which is very much like an internet date – it’s very intimidating.   When Rob wrote his first letter to me I was just about to turn my profile off and be done with it for the time being.  I had come to a point where finding someone was not as important as getting through with my associates and graduating, etc.  I was beginning to feel happy on my own for once in my life and feel like I didn’t need to keep hunting.  When the time was right I would find that person, or they would find me, or I was content to be happy on my own.  Rob’s letter was somehow different than any of the others I had received, and I know I have said that before – girls in Tennessee – but this was more different than before.   He seemed to have some of the same values and interests as me and there was “something” about it that sucked me right in. 

Of course I had to write back.  Now I will say that Rob is MUCH, MUCH better at remembering details than I am – so some of this might be a little patchy.  I just remember that he wrote back very promptly, like that night and so it went – and very quickly.  Rob and I found each other on line that night and went straight to IM-ing each other on some messenger program.  We quickly decided to talk on the phone.  Since I am so “experianced” in this arena I had given Rob a fake name and told him I lived somewhere other than at home with my parents.  Not only for safety but also because I was 26 and had just moved back in with Mom and Dad.  I was embarrassed to be honest and since I thought he had potential, and I thought he definitely did at this point, I didn’t want to ruin it by letting him find out I was a loser so quickly.  (haha)  I knew he didn’t live at home and he had a good job and seemed normal.  Of course I know he’s not now – but at that point I thought this guy was quite the internet catch.  So it was funny when I had to tell him that, no, my name was not Lane, and no, I didn’t live in West Bloomfield with a girl named Ami.  Luckily he understood my reasoning behind it and didn’t think I was just a big, fat, liar.  Rob and I were on the phone till about 7 or 8 a.m. I think and then he had to go to work, with no sleep.  We had talked for 8 hours and I could have talked even longer.  I know, I know, I could talk to anyone for that long, but he did some talking too, and the conversation was better than I have ever had with any man.  Everyone says, “you’ll just know” and “you’ll find your soul mate” and “when you stop looking, they will come to you”, but I thought all of these things were phony baloney.  Until that day.  I wanted so bad to believe that this was it – but I was afraid.  Apparently not to afraid though because we decided to meet that night.  After talking that long on the phone I thought, either we wouldn’t have anything to say to one another or we would pick up where we left off and I would be even more infatuated than I was at this point.  I have to say when Rob and I where talking that night before, we had sent one another pictures of ourselves and Rob’s was by far the worst picture I have ever seen.  Not  just of him, but of anybody, and he would agree to this.  He looked very mean and angry too.  I was able to set that aside – thank goodness – and just let myself forget about it, wait to see him in person.  Some day I will have to get that picture and post in on here.  I think Robbie is the cutest boy in the world now, but then, I wasn’t sure he wasn’t some big, mean, angry skinhead.  (haha) 

Rob was going to come to the States but left it up to me.  After going back a forth a bit I decided to drive over through the tunnel into Canada to meet him.  Keep in mind I had not been over to Canada since I was 19, going to the bars to drink with my girlfriends.  I don’t remember what it cost then, but I forgot at this point, that is cost anything.  He had asked me out and being naive as I am, I thought – he’s paying, why do I need money?  Well a smart person would have brought money to be safe, but I am not that girl.  On the way to Canada I was talking to him on the cell phone and realized I didn’t have any money and he informed me it was going to cost to come over.  Instead of me having to turn around to go to the bank Rob said he would come over the bridge and get me, give me the money I needed to get across and then we would go back over and go on our date.   Rob will tell this part differently, but he gave me bad directions and told me to stay on I-75 when really I needed to merge onto I-375 and so on my way I went.  To industrial – ghetto-land and got so lost I couldn’t even find a phone.   Yes, I did have a cell phone but again I was not that smart girl and didn’t have the charger, and it was going to die fast.  I finally did find a pay phone, but had no idea where I was.  Rob had to call my cell, let it ring once so I knew it was him and then it would die.  I would then call him back from the pay phone I was on at the gas station in nowheresville and try to give him landmarks.  After 15 minutes or so and much explanation he realized where I was and left to find me.  It was rush hour and took him about an hour to go about 15 miles.  Much to my relief when he arrived he was NOT that angry skinhead.  I was relieved and excited, but nervous too.   After all that talking and getting to know one another you’d think we would just run up and embrace each other, but that was not the case.  I think we were both to scared and thinking this couldn’t really be happening.  It’s hard to grasp the whole internet meeting thing – but I would recommend it to anyone.  My mother and father were not to keen on the idea when I first started doing it, but what’s the alternative, the bar?  How safe is that, and honestly what kind of quality do you find there anyway?  The only thing Rob and I had when we first wrote and talked  – and granted it wasn’t that long before we saw each other in person – but all we had was communication and I think it’s the reason things worked for us so well.  After driving across the bridge and 15-20 minutes into our date – we had known each other for years.  I never thought this could happen to me.  I thought I had found love before but it has never been like this.  I am truly a lucky person and I remind myself of that often.  Our first date was typical dinner and then we decided to get coffee and go to the park.  One thing about our date that made me think it was the real thing was that I wore a sleeveless top.  I know it seems pointless – what’s the big deal with a sleeveless top??  But, again for those of you who know me – I NEVER wore sleeveless anything, unless I was forced.  I have never been completely comfortable with my body and my arms are the worst part in my mind.  With Rob I didn’t feel that self-consciousness – I wanted him to see me and for myself I wanted to be as comfortable and real as possible.  That silly shirt made me feel like I was conquering some huge hurdle – on our first date – to lay it all out there – fat arms and all.  Rob of course took me to the famous Tim Horton's and I will say the coffee is good there.  I don’t think Robbie would have felt as if our date was a success without that stop.  We went to the park and had a wonderful time sitting by the river with the Detroit skyline (it’s nice from the Canadian side) in front of us on a sticky summer day that turned into a cool summer night.  I could not have asked for a better first date.  We shared things that I never thought I would with someone I only knew a day or two.  Rob’s mom passed away 10 years ago and she is still a HUGE part of his everyday life.  After that night I felt like I knew her and that she has been hanging around since the start.  Rob has a wonderful family and they have welcomed me with open arms.  If his mother were here today I am sure her and I would be the best of friends, but I know that she watches us and hopefully I am what she wanted for her son.  Robbie is everything I ever wanted and I know she is a big part of the reason for that, you too Harry (xoxoxo).