romantic memories of a childless New Jersey

As my time as a childless person is coming to an end, I feel this need to document things I remember about the great times I've had pre-children. It's not that I think I won't have great times once my children are born. It's more that I fear I'll forget the things I've already done because there will be so many new things to experience and remember. So here are a few memories of my first few months with SP while "stuck" in NJ:

• My first date with SP: I wore cream-colored pants and a purplish Banana Republic top that had a dip at the neckline, black sandals with green sparkly toenail polish. My hair was shoulder length. What he wore: khaki pants and a navy blue shirt with a rainbow stripe across the chest. His hair was dyed blond in parts. We went to a great Vietnamese restaurant in an NJ strip mall, outside of Phila. It took us forever to find the place. There was no first kiss at the end of the evening.

• When we went to a Greek festival together in Cherry Hill, NJ, probably our 6th date or so. I had the biggest zit of my life on my chin and made a weak attempt at covering it up with makeup. We were sitting there in the October darkness with outside lights, eating our moussaka and spanikopita when SP says to me, "I think you have some spinach on your chin." I was horrified inside, but I calmly responded, "No, it's a giant zit." At the time, I thought he shied away because he was grossed out. Later in our relationship, he told be he just wanted to grab me and kiss me because I seemed like I didn't even care and he loved that.

• Our first Halloween. I showed up at 6PM to help give out candy and have dinner that SP was cooking for us. Turned out he had not turned back his clock that weekend and thought I was a whole hour late, but he didn't mention it until halfway through the date at which time I reminded him of the time change.

• My 25th birthday. He brought me a bottle of Chianti because he knew I'd spent a year in Florence during college and how much that meant to me. He gave me a beautifully illustrated book about jazz and gospel. He took me out to a wonderful sushi place in Collingswood, NJ. Weeks later I found the tag that went on the bottle of wine that he himself had illustrated.

Who knew NJ could be so romantic?