Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Best Boyfriend Ever! And I mean that.

Yesterday was my one year anniversary dating Aqua Rat. I'm not sure how Aqua Rat feels about the fact that it's been 10 years since I've been able to say, "Wow, it's been a whole year!" but I'm pretty damn proud to have gotten this far in this relationship.

Many of my readers, OK all three of them, know that I don't have the best track record in the dating department. If there ever was a jerk magnet, I was it. But somehow, by a great stroke of luck, I've found (or rather he found me - I was sitting still) a great guy this time.

We stopped by the hospital last night to see some friends that had a baby on Monday and then headed off to dinner to celebrate. It was an amazing sushi restaurant, and even though I'm on that stupid Candida diet (no sugar, no grains, no starch, no alcohol, just lean protein, veggies and a few fruits), it was still unbelievable. They have a "chefs choice" on the menu, so I told the waitress my limitations and they worked around them, creating 9 courses that were so yummy, that I want to go back for dinner tonight

But the best part of the day, 2nd only to giving Aqua Rat his gift, was getting one of mine. But let me back up. First, AR had scheduled a facial for this past Saturday as my present. But the spa messed up their schedule, so we had to rebook (AR, not one to miss a spa opportunity, is going in for a massage at the same time). Because it was their snafu, they are comp-ing us the facial and massage (I love it when the Bliss Spa screws up!). So that meant I still had a gift coming.

I'd told AR that we were going low key for this anniversary - while it's a very important milestone, we have the big surprise birthday trip coming up in a few weeks, so I thought we should lay low on the spending. I found a ring on Etsy.com that I love (here's a link to the artist's page: http://www.etsy.com/profile.php?user_id=5057825) and he's ordering it to be custom made for me, with our anniversary date inscribed inside. That in and of itself, is a pretty awesome gift.

But while at dinner last night, he brought out one more package. He had been saying for several days that he was, "working on a gift," for me. I reminded him a few times that we were spending frugally on gifts and he assured me it wasn't anything costly. What is was, ladies and gentlemen, was a handmade scrapbook of our first year together. (space for the obligatory sigh). I know! I'm blown away by it too. He had saved receipts, movie tickets, concert tickets, little notes, emails, photos, fortune cookie fortunes. . . the list goes on. And he narrated the whole thing and then put it all together. He even had the original business card from the first day I met him. It's amazing!

And while I love all of the "store bought" things he's given me over the last year, and I've gotten some better than great stuff, this gift really touched my heart. Because in all my years of dating (and I've been out there for a while now), I've NEVER had any guy give me something so thoughtful and heartfelt. Ever. It's the best anniversary present I've ever received and he's the best boyfriend I've ever had. And I mean that.