Beginnings
Pam and I met in Anchorage, Alaska, some time in 1990 or '91. We were both stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base as we served in the 962 AWACS squadron.
I don't remember how we grew together. I do remember a bunch of games of racquetball and some other activities. Our time together was pretty stilted at first because she was a commissioned officer and I was enlisted—relationships between officers and enlisted was extremely verboten in those times.
Moving past that took a long time, and a lot of my cooking to win her over. We secretly courted for months in Alaska, then another year apart while I was in Oklahoma.
I remember sneaking out to Palmer, AK, from Anchorage for a movie date. I can't remember the movie, but I do remember slinking down in the seats to make sure nobody saw us. Mind you, Palmer is roughly an hour away from Anchorage, and not really a date night destination for most people.
I also remember a halibut fishing trip out of Homer. Pam always had moderate sea sickness, and we ended up cutting the trip a bit short. The best part of the trip? The after-docking photo of the crew and our catch. Pam was hiding behind a log piling with only the tips of her shoe and hat sticking out.
The hardest part of wooing Pam? Winning her cat Carmen over. Pam had a rough spell and had picked up Carmen from a shelter, and they'd formed an intense, deep bond. Carmen was an intense cat and **extremely** protective of Pam. I ended up having to bribe her for months with cat treats.
Somewhere six or so months into the relationship I took a nap on Pam's couch while she ran out for a Master's class or some other errand. I woke up an hour later, opened my eyes and looked straight at Carmen's face, inches from my nose. She'd climbed up and laid down on my chest while I was sleeping. It took me a few moments to calm down from intense terror, but after that I was in great shape with the kitty.
The woman was much easier to win over.
I don't remember how we grew together. I do remember a bunch of games of racquetball and some other activities. Our time together was pretty stilted at first because she was a commissioned officer and I was enlisted—relationships between officers and enlisted was extremely verboten in those times.
Moving past that took a long time, and a lot of my cooking to win her over. We secretly courted for months in Alaska, then another year apart while I was in Oklahoma.
I remember sneaking out to Palmer, AK, from Anchorage for a movie date. I can't remember the movie, but I do remember slinking down in the seats to make sure nobody saw us. Mind you, Palmer is roughly an hour away from Anchorage, and not really a date night destination for most people.
I also remember a halibut fishing trip out of Homer. Pam always had moderate sea sickness, and we ended up cutting the trip a bit short. The best part of the trip? The after-docking photo of the crew and our catch. Pam was hiding behind a log piling with only the tips of her shoe and hat sticking out.
The hardest part of wooing Pam? Winning her cat Carmen over. Pam had a rough spell and had picked up Carmen from a shelter, and they'd formed an intense, deep bond. Carmen was an intense cat and **extremely** protective of Pam. I ended up having to bribe her for months with cat treats.
Somewhere six or so months into the relationship I took a nap on Pam's couch while she ran out for a Master's class or some other errand. I woke up an hour later, opened my eyes and looked straight at Carmen's face, inches from my nose. She'd climbed up and laid down on my chest while I was sleeping. It took me a few moments to calm down from intense terror, but after that I was in great shape with the kitty.
The woman was much easier to win over.
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