Different route today-a story to tell

We all enjoy the internet obviously. We've all made connections with groups, websites, and people. Some of us have made friends online. Some of us have turned these e-friends into real life friends. I've met quite a few people from online, many of which have become close friends. I even have a buddy who met a woman online from another country, and is now living there with her. It's been a wonderful thing at times to sit in front of this screen, and this the story of *my* great internet connection.
It was 1997. I had been away from my ex wife for quite some time, and living with a friend. We were both single, and spent most of our off time fishing. I wa still pretty new to this whole internet thing, so I sat in his place for hours surfing, reading, and printing off page after page. It got fun, and it got addicting.

One day I stumbled across the AOL singles/dating thingy. I thought, hmmmm, wonder whats in here? I did the little search engine deal, and low and behold, pages and pages of single women close to me. WOW, how cool is this?? I start looking, and the more I looked, the more I laughed. "Divorced-8 kids-more tattoos than teeth".....ok, pass. Next-"Cuddly bunny for you", hmmmmmmm. The pic pops up and it's quasimoto with a slight drool problem and scars on the knuckles from dragging the ground. ( I'm not that bad at judging people, just exadurating a bit lol) I'm looking, and laughing, and really enjoying myself. Sure, it was wrong, but hey, it was amusement.
I looked at those a few times, then one night one particular profile just seemed different. Same age as me...divirced.....2 kids....local.....lets see the picture. Oh yea, she's definitly NOT the hunchback, this one's beautiful! Somewhere in the profile, there was a spot for something like "about me", and this one just had one line. "hillbilly girl with all her own teeth" OK, that one made me laugh out loud!! The little icon was lit up saying she was online, and I thought, what the hell, and sent an IM. She was kida standoffish at first, but we got to talking. It lasted at least an hour and a half. I really liked talking to her, and told her to just call me. She was at a friends, it was 1am, and she said she would call when she got home. Well.....she did. At 2:30, just to see if I would actually wait, lol. We talked on the phone till at least 4 or 5 am, and she had to work the next morning, ooops. I told her I really wanted to meet her, so she told me where she worked. I had to laugh since I knew exactly where that was. After all, I put the sprinklers in that building....yea, I think I can find it, lol.

We met the next morning. I was in the store, and she came running in, 20 minutes late. I kinda snickered as she ran past me, and I said "you look like someone who was on the phone too long", to which I got the response "and you look like the ass that KEPT me up so late". Joking right off the bat, I like this. She came back around, wearing that lovely store blue managers vest, and we talked for a while. I asked her out, and we went out that very night. Yep....Country Kitchen, lmao nothin' but class.
After that first night, we dated for just a few months when I moved in with her and the kids. The following May, we bought a house and moved from the old farmhouse she was renting. After about a year, I asked her to marry me, and a year after that,. on September 9th, 2000, I married my Lisa.
So here we are, pushing 11 years together, and 9 years married. I've never been happier in my life. I've said it before, and I'm not ashamed to be a guy that says such things. She is my life, my guiding force, and my light down this path we are on together. Don't laugh at the e-dating websites and commercials, theee things really happen folks........look at me.

By the way.......this is the actual picture I found that night. Now how could I pass her up????