"When Joey met Jess" or "Sleeples in Saratoga"

Let's start from the beginning, way back in July of 2008, back to New York City. My parents and I traveled to NYC and did all the touristy stuff, expended a lot of energy and building a huge appetite. We stopped in to a Korean Barbeque in Korean town on West 32nd Street and chowed down and delicious bulgogi and kalbi. My mom turned to me and asked those word a single 31 year old guy hates being asked, " When do you plan on dating someone and eventually getting married?" I replied, "I tell you what mom, you find me a nice Korean lady and I will see what happens." We all laughed and enjoyed a few more bits of kimchi and rice and topped it off with a few shots of soju. The next day to took the train back up to Saratoga Springs and did not even think about the conversation I had with mom.

It would only take a few days until my mom calls me out of the blue to tell me that she just met a nice lady and Neiman Marcus with her mother in-law, and they thought the lady's sister would be a great match for me. She was Korean, single and graduated from CU with a Political Science degree. Her name was Jessica Kim and they all thought it would be the perfect match. I was shocked, it took my mom 4 days to already find someone for me. Boy she is quick. It took me 4 days to build up the nerve and try to write her an email introducing myself. In military fashion, it was short and concise.

Hi Jessica,

My name is Joey Trudeau and I have been asked by both your sister Christina and my mother, to introduce myself. This isn’t something I have ever done, just blindly meet new people online, so I guess I will be brief.

I am in the Navy and have been serving for almost 10 years now, currently as a Naval Nuclear Propulsion instructor here in Saratoga Springs, NY. This is definitely something I hadn’t thought about doing when I left college ten years ago (I too went to CU, but as a physics major). I have the pleasure of being an owner of two lively Wheaten Terriers named Miles and Louis; they occupy a majority of my time when I am not working. Currently, I am actively pursuing my next endeavor, a post-military job. Outside of that, I enjoy golfing, softball, photography and catching up on my recorded shows on TiVo.

So tell me a little bit about yourself.

Sincerely,

Joey

Jess was nice enough to write back to me almost immediately; we started with small talk, then some more probing topic. We eventually were exchanging page long emails to each other, so the next logical step was to start calling each other. And from there, we made an instant connection. My hours of playing World of Warcraft, raiding and questing, shifted to talking to Jess about hot topics, small talk and daily happenings. All I wanted to do was call her and find out how her day was, I had to meet her in person.

I got my opportunity later that fall in Early October, I was on terminal leave from the Navy making my transition to civilian life. I flew out to Denver to see the family as well as my first date with Jess. The night was going to be a simple dinner, little would I know, that it would be the night I knew she would be "the One." We decided on the Denver Chophouse and would meet there in separate cars. Having not bought any nice clothes in years, I enlisted my sister to help me buy some clothes that wouldn't make me look like a bum. I settled on some khakis and a nice comfortable shirt, prime and in style, ready to impress. We had exchanged website information earlier, so I already knew show was beautiful, but when I first laid eyes on her outside the Chophouse, I was blown away.

"Sorry, I am late. I just got out of work," she said smiling at me and I couldn't help my heart from beating rapidly as I heard her speak. "That's fine. I didn't wait to long." We moved inside where I had a table waiting on us. Now most first dates, when dinner is the setting, the lady usually lingers on the menu then finally choosing something light. Not Jess, she knew exactly what she wanted and ordered Tenderloin Tips and Mushrooms, I was impressed how quick and decisive she was, but also how confident she was. The bread basket and butter basket came to our table, she grabbed one and began to butter it with the delicious Chophouse concoction. It sounds odd, but it was that small gesture, that click a switch in my head,"This is the woman I will marry." We finished dinner and she dropped me off to the parking garage where my car was. We gave each other a big hug and agreed to see each other again when I come back. That couldn't come fast enough for me.