10 Years

Posted by Deek May 31, 2017

10 Years

If you were to go to Barnes & Noble and pick up the autobiography titled "The Married Life and Adventures of Nin & Deek", you'd know that this week has great historical significance. According to legend, the story began something like this:

On May 26, 2007 I went to a friend's house to celebrate his and his brother's shared birthday. They aren't twins but they share a birthday. What do you call that? Birthday twins? It's not important but let me know what you find out.

I don't remember everything that happened that night because the memories of meeting Nicole made everything else seem so insignificant. But I do remember sitting on the couch with my friends while two mysterious girls sat by themselves at the wet bar. It was Nin and her friend Liz. I used the excuse of wanting to get some Laffy Taffy, that was in a jar behind the bar, to break the ice and talk to them. Or did I use them as an excuse to get some Laffy Taffy? I think you'd agree that either scenario would have been acceptable.

Now this part of the story I remember as clear as day. Nin might (would definitely) tell it differently. My friends and I were planning on going to Lava Hot Springs that next Monday (Memorial Day). I did my best to convince Nin that she needed to quit the job she'd started a few days prior so she could come with me. Had the weather forecast not changed to predict a storm on the day we were supposed to go, I still believe she would have quit her new job to spend the day with me. She'd tell you otherwise, which is likely a more accurate account of what actually transpired. My memory is not to be trusted.

We eventually made it to Lava Hot Springs the next week and I seduced her with my cat-like reflexes and flawless acrobatics off the high dives, as clearly demonstrated in this video. Who could resist such graceful perfection?

It still stings. But at least I fared much better than this uncommited patron:

After we starting spending time together on June 1, 2007, she was mine and I was hers. We both knew it from the start and spent almost 90 consecutive days together. We've been inseparable ever since. This Thursday, June 1, 2017 marks ten years since that first date. That is roughly one-third of our lives spent together and I can say that they've been the best of my life. Nin's probably had better...

This Thursday we're adding another June 1st milestone that isn't quite as precious as the two little juveniles in the picture above. Thursday Nin will start her chemo treatments.

Knowing what's coming up has really made us want to take advantage of each day and maximize our pre-chemo adventures. We've been going to all of Nin's favorite restaurants before her taste buds get rocked by chemo. We've spent every possibly minute enjoying the beautiful weather. Eating every meal on the back patio, naps in the hammock, bubble parties, sidewalk chalk, scenic drives, walks around the neighborhood, and a magical trip to our cabin for Memorial Day.

We're not looking forward to chemo but we are looking forward to killing all of the cancer in Nin's body so we can get back to adventuring our hearts out. We'll make the best of these next few months even though we know they will be hard. We'll get through it together because that's what we do.

My family visited us at the hospital after Nin's big surgery earlier this month. Unbeknownst to us, my brother paparazzi'd this picture of us. I was hesitant to post it because it didn't want it to seem like I was tooting my own horn.

I'm posting it anyways because it makes my heart warm every time I look at it. I love this girl with everything I have and I know she'd say the same about me. We got this.