My Romance

Diane and Marcia, seasoned contra dancers, at Still Dancing.

In four short months, Diane has moved from a face I possibly passed in a dance crowd to the woman I'm going to marry! Here's a brief look at our romance!

We Meet

I finally went to the Atlanta Contra Dance Weekend for the first time November 9-11, 2001. I'd danced one Saturday night there in 1990, but had never made the whole weekend. I rode over with Stacey Haire, who delivered me at the dance into the hands of Harry Delugach and Marcy Robinson who were all staying with Deb, a friend of Marcy's. On the way home I mentioned to Harry that I was planning to do some more dating soon, and get serious about meeting someone, but I sure didn't intend to start dating someone from Atlanta, or anywhere outside Huntsville, as I'd had enough of that.

Diane leaving her house -- soon to be for good!

For lunch on Saturday I went out with Carole Galanty and her harem and friends, which included Diane. I didn't really notice. After lunch, near the end of the swing dance session, I asked Diane to dance. She said she didn't really know how to swing dance, but I said I'd show here, and convinced her. We stood, holding hands, talking while waiting for the band. And we talked, and we talked. And finally noticed that the band had torn down and left. So I showed her the basic East Coast Swing step to our own music, before moving into the main dance hall for a waltz. We sat together at the registration table for an hour or so, and then danced through the Atlanta Swamp Opera's swan song performance.

I caught a ride back to Deb's, and Diane picked me up for the evening dance. We ate at an Indian restaurant where the waiters totally ignored us after seating us and giving us drinks. I finally left money on the table and left; we couldn't even get a bill! But we scarcely noticed. We danced together that night, and never made it to the late night party for being together. We were smitten.

We Date

She visited me in Huntsville the next weekend, and then went home to meet my folks the following long weekend for Thanksgiving. Then I went to Atlanta, and we took turns for a bit. Diane joined

Dickie, Bryan, Diane, and Ron in Tulum, Mexico

my brothers Ron and Dickie, and I for an adventure in Caribbean Mexico for a little over a week before Christmas. Then Dickie dropped the two of us off in the Tampa area to spend Christmas with Diane's family and friends.

We flew back into Atlanta the evening before Diane went in for foot surgery to fix a bunion! I spent several weekends in Atlanta after that, before she was able to travel again. By March she was travel-ready again, and came to Huntsville.

Back in October, before this romance started, I attended Life Training Weekend here in Huntsville. The weekend is a mixture of group therapy, community building, and learning self-help psychological techniques. I'd gone to get myself motivated and ready to start dating again. It reminded me a lot of the Search retreats I was involved with in college. Diane came for the training on the second weekend in March, and I worked on team. It was good therapy for both of us.

We Engage

During the week following Life Training, Diane decided to move to Huntsville, and I decided to propose. She told me about her decision on Tuesday. I told her about mine on Thursday evening at the Life Training Completion Evening, right on my knee in front of God and everybody. She said yes!

A reenactment of the proposal at Life Training Completion evening The crowd of witnesses, except Shawn, Scott, and Cindy

We don't have a date set for the wedding yet. Plans are under way! We're hoping to have her moved in by late May or June, and thinking about August or so for a wedding, if we don't elope first.

We Marry

I just told you we don't even have a date yet! Come back later. :-)