AW POLL--- How did you find Mr/Mrs Right??

[perc-o-prince]

In a reply to Lee in the "Reply" thread, I mentioned that it might be a good poll to find out how we each met our partners/husbands/wives.

Rich and I met because I was tired of not finding a love interest (not sex interest) in the bars when I moved to the Boston area in 1987. I put an ad in the Phoenix in 1988, titled, "Tired Of The BS." Rich's ex read the ad and called Rich, telling him it sounded like someone who would interest him.

Rich called me, we met, didn't care for each other as more than friends. He even pawned me off on a mutual friend with whom I had a glorious 11 day "relationship" with. Eventually, we realized we were spending hours every single day on the phone, at his g'parent's house, or my hovel (apartment), and having a great time! One thing lead to another, and when I had to move to NH, he went with me!!!

What about your story?

Chuck

 

[aquarius1984]

Good lord, where do I start?

I met my Paul ironically at a wash in, the first UK wash in to be precise in October last year,

Mike King invited us over to Chester, well I got there before Paul and had chance to have a quick coffee before he came. He walked in and I had to put the mug down quickly,

Heart sunk to my stomach and a weird sensation fell upon me. I think I really did fall in love at first sight.

Took us 2 weeks to meet up again then we met weekly since then and have not looked back.

I could go all lovey dovey right now but I wont - he gets so embarressed with this kind of thing.

All I know is I would do anything for him, I know he would for me too.

7 washing machines
9 Tumble Dryers
42 Vacuums
200+ varieties of detergent
18 other appliances later and we have our own collection too.

I cant wait to move in together now. Would be so perfect...

 

[appnut]

I'm still trying not to give up hope!!

 

[jons1077]

Tony and I...

Actually met in a bar/cafe in Alexandria, VA. It's been a few years now but still remember it clear as day. Tony had moved there from Chicago that day by car...that's right, drove all day and made a stop off at the bar I would frequent. Girl needed a beer I guess!

It was on a Friday night and this place, although a gay establishment, was packed with non-gay folks that evening. It was loud, roudy, the singing was terrible, etc... I just wanted to have a celebration drink after my offer was accepting and I learned I was buying my first home ever.

I was standing off to the side watching the show and sipping my beverage (iced tea) and I kept noticing a handsome, unknown fellow walk by a few times. Odd I'd never seen this guy before when I'd go to this place usually every week and hang out. But since the festivities were getting to me that night I decided to wrap it up and head home after about half an hour. Well, after a quick potty break at least.

Headed to the bathroom doorway and this asian guy follows me in grabbing me saying I needed to meet his friend who has a crush on me. The only way he'd let me go to the bathroom is if I promised that I would meet his friend. SHEESH!!!

Anyways, it was Tony (thank goodness cause he was the only hot guy there!). Pushed us together and said "talk!" Turns out Tony didn't know this guy either. He just decided we looked good together, made us meet, and took off. Who knew???

Hope y'all enjoyed the story.

Jon

 

[soapnsuds]

I haven't! (Hard to believe, I know!)

But I'm glad y'all did and thanks for the stories!!

 

[Unimatic1140]

I was invited to his house for a party, he answered the door, I walked in and it was total love at first sight.

 

[rp2813]

At a bar even though both of us were pretty much done with the bar scene. I was still feeling jilted by a guy and then he brings his new BF by before going out with him. So a mutual friend dragged me out to the local gay bar and I had knocked back a few and switched to Calistogas by the time Dave walked in with some friends who had also dragged him there. I had to make the first move. We exchanged numbers. He called the next day to invite me to a little dinner/party thing he was having. I went, kicked in to co-hosting with him and I more or less never left. We kept my apartment as a little love shack getaway for about a year. He had his two daughters living with him so my apartment was a nice refuge sometimes. 23 years and 4 grandkids later we're still making it work (a testament to a fairly open relationship) and we'll have both daughters, all grandkids and great grandma & great grandpa for Thanksgiving in our new place this year.

 

[~sudsshane]

Match.com

My previous relationship had ended after 2 years and I decided I was going to relocate to Orlando from Ft Lauderdale. I was determined to be single for a year max and work on me, physically and emotionally. I did just that and have no regrets.

Flash forward exactly one year from my breakup and I decide to give Match.com a try. I was on Match.com only one week and went out on my first date with a really wonderful guy. He was everything I was looking for in a partner. He was smart, witty, great sense of humor,handsome and highly educated. Needless to say, he never gave me the opportunity to date anyone else. lol!

Flash forward 5 years and I can say I am lucky to call that special man my life partner and without question, the greatest love of my life.

Keep hoping fellas, just when you thought you have given up, Prince Charming may appear!

 

[jons1077]

Isn't it amazing...

How in a bad relationship you seem to count the days but in a really good one you don't even realize how the time goes by? I can't believe it's been 4 years since I had Tony over to my place for our first dinner date. Several trips to France, Germany, England, and The Netherlands...countless US cities, holidays, country drives...YES, even a wash-in together...putting up with families (in a good way most of the time). It just flies by so fast and we just have so much fun doing whatever it is we do. I can definitely relate to Sudshane and I'm so glad the same has happened for you guys.

Jon

 

[jons1077]

Paris, 1st Class, International...

Tony taking me on my first ever trip to Europe in style. For anyone who never sat in a first class seat ever, let's just say I didn't know what to do with myself. Anyone who hasn't been to Paris or Europe in general...very romantic part of the world. That was just a fantastic time that I'll always remember.

Jon

 

[jasonl]

Me and Helen

eharmony.com

Yea yea I know they only do str8 people but it damn sure worked for me.

 

[countryford]

My story

Steve and I met through the local gay car club. I lived in Tucson at the time and Steve lived in Phoenix. The car club was having a day trip to a junk yard that had a bunch of really old cars from the 20's and 30's. So I thought I would go up and have a good time with the club. Before we convoyed to the junk yard I met Steve. He drove his car behind me and the guy I rode with. Once at the junk yard we were looking around together and talking. In addition to all the old cars there were also some old trailers filled with stuff. I popped my head in one and seen an old radio and said "Look at that old radio." Thats when Steve said "Thats cool I collect them and know how to restore them." So for the most part it was love at first sight. We just bought a house together and are working on fixing it up. He'll say that he wants something for the house, and its exactly what I was thinking. And he wants the old appliances in our house too.
So if anyone asks where I met Steve, I say we met at a JUNK YARD.

 

[volvoguy87]

Oh good lord!

I have been cursed in love. I dated a lovely woman (I am straight) for 4 months during my 3 years in Savannah, GA. My other friends said it went on 3 months too long. (She turned out to be a rather high-maintenance princess.) Within a month of our separating, I acquired my cat and thought it was a bit of an upgrade.

I love my cat, but she is no substitute for human companionship.

My life is a work in progress,
Dave

 

[rickr]

I met my dude one night on the parking lot of the gym. I was driving the 61 Olds that night, and he came up to talk to me about the car as I was leaving. I found out later that he had been checking me out for months, but was too shy to come up and talk with me.(that seems so funny to me!)
We fell in love in 2003.
He has been gone since Dec. of 2006, as he is in prison. He will come home in 2009, if he keeps his temper in check. It has been very difficult for both of us, however our love has grown stronger, and we long for the day that we will be together again.

 

[jeffg]

Jon & Tony, you guys make an adorable couple. You can just tell when two people are in love, and enjoying each other's company. What a breath of fresh air!

And Robert, luckily you got to him first. If he's half as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside you got yourself one hell of a catch.

I've been fortunate to have three "Mr. Right's" in 30 years. The first I met at a party through a mutual friend. I was only 19 and was going through a bit of a daddy complex at the time (he was 31, but looked so young I thought he was only a few years older than me). Muscular, handsome, and the 'straightest' gay man I'd ever met. We were together 4 1/2 years, the last 6 months of which were not much fun. Long story.

The second guy was an army captain, who I also met through a mutual friend. When I first saw him I thought, ain't no way, this guy is way out of my league. Freaking beautiful. We were together about 2 years.

Ironically, the third Mr. Right is the one I've been with for the last 21 years, and he's the only one I met in a gay bar. We don't have much (anything) in common, it's more a life-companion thing than a lover thing.

 

[pushtorelease]

on the "bad boys line" one Saturday afternoon when I was really bored and, er, pent up... Supposed to be an hour and here we are almost 11 years later - no one's more surprised than me. I was never the marrying kind.... Pic is us in London celebrating my 50th 9/23/07

 

[revvinkevin]

Justin (countryford)... is that car club Great Auto of Yeste

If so we have something in common!

=======

OK.... My story... is bittersweet.

A friend at the time who belonged to a gay outdoor recreational group (Great Outdoors) asked if I wanted to go on a weekend ski trip in Big Bear (CA). Wow, the last time I went snow skiing was 10 years prior, so I said Yes! It was a nice event and it was great to get away... AND my legs were only sore for a couple days after! LOL They had rented two 3 story condos which were less then a 1/4 mile from the ski slopes!

Saturday night was a "Welcome" dinner - mixer and that's where Daniel and I first met. We exchanging phone numbers, then on Monday I called to say hello. From that day we were together for 12.5 years. Unfortunately that's as far as it went though. It's been about a year since we broke up and it's still hard. But hey, life goes on, right?

Some day (soon I hope) I will meet a guy (Mr Right?) that will help me move to a new chapter in my life.

 

[alr2903]

At a bar, I have had my Randy for 17 years, we both had common friends, yet we had never met. Over the years there were 4, #1 was cruel, #2 had issues that not even the "Betty" could resolve, #3 was widowed with children, committed suicide by gun, I was bitter to the core. Two years later, I would meet Randy at an afterwork happy hour, he had me with one smile. Both our faces are gettin older, he still has that same smile.

 

[panthera]

Through this site!

And in front of an avocado green Maytag A108.
At Arc.
I confess, I was strongly attracted to him from the first time I heard him laugh on the phone.
I've had the great good fortune to have a life filled with true friends and people who cared about me. Meeting the man I hope to marry has really been a blessing.

Lee, I follow your comments with mixed feelings. Yes, I very well know what it is like when one doesn't fit in with the reigning fairy queens. They are hurtful bitches.
The party/bar club in your age group has OD'd on too many episodes of QAF.
If you want to meet someone worth getting to know, there are just plain a few realities you need to confront.
Nobody wants to be the focus of your anger and frustration.
Most guys are shallow jerks. Most pretty boys are only that.
So? You aren't looking to build a life with someone who is a jerk...and if physical beauty is your focus, then you are in for a very sad life.
Play to your strengths. There are gay men everywhere. The really interesting ones, the ones you would want to be friends are going to be living real lives, doing real things. Join clubs, volunteer, do things. Do things which are not specifically aimed at meeting the 'right guy'. You may meet an awful lot of nice straight men and women and not so many gay men...but all those nice straight guys and women are going to have brothers or college roommates or friends whom they would love to introduce to a nice guy. Nice straight men are a rarity, they tend to have female and gay male friends. That's a tip, worth it's weight in gold.
Again, nice. If he isn't the stuff of which friends are made, he isn't the kind to be your lover.
Cheap dates are ok when you're a kid of 16. At your age, it's time to grow up and look past the idiot bar scene, killer queens and cheap sing-song boys.
Speaking of volunteering, did you know that there are still people out there who have Aids and need help?
Hell, one of the nicest women I know in Cheyenne is a big-wig in the Republican party (who'd a thunk it?) volunteers her time, not just her money, at the animal shelter, Habitat and several other good organizations. She knows every single gay man in town, their marital status (I mean that literally, stay away from the questioning and the bi-s, dahling, they can smell your desperation a mile away).
OK, you get the point. Get up off your butt, forget the ass-hole queens. Do you see the ladies running the rest of us off this board? Hell, no! They try, but nobody with a life cares. So, dear Lee - get yourself a life first, look for people to be friends first and lighten up a bit.
Oh, I know it's trite, but it's true. There are a hell of a lot of nice guys in their late 30's and 40's who were not such princes in their 20's. Men (sometimes) do grow up.
ps: Any guy whose first priority is finding out how hung you are, how wealthy you are or how pretty you are is not husband material.

 

[maytagbear]

Still single here,

but, making an effort to have a good time along the way, no matter what.

I do things, I read, I go to art openings, and concerts, and hang out with friends at coffee shops and the like...(not bars, I don't drink, and haven't in 25 years)....just trying to have a nice life no matter what.

I have a FB, and he is just that, a FB, and not a BF("boy" friend). For those of you who know, him. He's not the settling down sort (lots of reasons) but most of the time, we have fun.

However, I am convinced that when it happens, it will happen.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[kenmore58]

It's ironic that my best friends in Mass would start a thread like this, since in about two weeks, I'll be "celebrating" the anniversary of my two-year "divorce," but the "how-we-met" story is funny.

My ex of 11 years and I met one night online in a chat room. We did the instant messaging thing back and forth for about an hour and then all of a sudden, I stopped getting replies back. Thinking that he was blowing me off, I signed off and went to bed. The next morning I received this lengthy, two-page email wanting to know where did I go, did he piss me off, etc., etc.

Anyway, after that, we chatted for some time, finally met in person, and had an 11-year relationship.

We've still remained friends and it was a great ride. Still looking forward to meeting the next chapter in my life.

Ron

 

[paulc]

I met my partner Mike whilst out clubbing with a friend. She convinced me to go and speak to him. We failed miserably at trying to have a relationship, neither of us were ready to settle down, for four years we both dated other people. We spoke every day and spent a lot of time together ( much to the annoyance of the people we were dating!). Then four years ago everything just seemed to click into place, we ran into each other on a night out and BAM!!! it hit us that we should just stop messing around and admit that we were ment to be together and bloody well get on with it!!!

Four years later ( 1st oct this year ) we had a civil partnership. He's an amazing guy, has the patience of a saint ( I have Bi-Polar) and I know Iam the luckiest bloke in the world!!

Here's a pic of us, Iam on the right.

 

[toggleswitch2]

~I have a FB.

LOL me too. The first ex called my 2nd ex the FB.

Fat Ballerina
Former Boyfriend
Fu--ing Bitch

Chronological order:

1- College party on campus
2- Dance floor, Manhattan discotheque
3- Dance floor, Long Island club/discotheque
4- AW

*#1- Every time we "got busy" his mother would call. She would be amazed he who was calling. (NO caller ID back then).
We laughed that she got a twang in her tw--, er.... lower body.

*#2 and #3. Contrary to popular belief, I do some of my best work vertically. Ducks and Runs. Apparently knowing how to properly and seductively shake one's money-maker attracts the bois like bears to honey. And y'all laugh when I post belly-dancing. LOL Actually my abilty to cook and clean and do the butch and macho things too don't hurt any.

My major key to attracting them appears to be saying out loud, "I'm done, no more, I want to stay single and I refuse to deal with the dating scene." BAM I get run-over by a truck (lorrie).

My church offers fewer prayers with each successive marriage, with none by the forth. *LOL*

 

[christfr]

dont laugh but i met sean on line. that was 2 years ago this weekend. he came to my house and we went to dinner. he walked in and i just about fell over. by the time dinner was over i knew he was the one. im thankful every day

 

[jasonl]

I never was one to "Play tha game" when it came to finding love. I'm not much to look at obviously and my lack of confidence was the final nail in the coffin. So, trying to find Ms. Right was not an option.

From what I can tell, the best relationships "just happen". Such as Rick meeting his guy in a parking lot and Keven finding his on aw.org. When you stop "looking for love", it just finds you... sometimes.

I met Helen on Eharmony just by chance. I figured, "Aw, hell, she's from Tennessee. That would be a good place to live." 2 years later I'm married and owning my own home in TN. As Joey Lawrence would say.. "WHOA!"

 

[panthera]

good for you, Jason

Of course, Eharmony discriminates against inter-racial and same-sex marriages, as well as against Christian/non-Christian, so it isn't for everyone.

 

[everythingold]

I met my wife at (gasp) church. 12 years of marriage, some wild times, some bad times. Man, woman, gay, straight relationships are difficult. In the end I think being with someone day after day is much more of a practical arragement than love/lust/and wild times.

 

[countryford]

revvinkevin

Its the Arizona chapter of the Lambda Car Club.

 

[veg-o-matic]

Thank you, Yahoo Personals.

I met my Keith two years ago Monday, and it's like we've been married from the beginning.

Our first date was a casual stroll around the park, Keith chatting and me listening (I'm really shy). After that we went to lunch and had a good time.

Date #2 was the following day when he took me to a friend's wedding.

Fast forward 8 months when he moved in and we've been fighting over the covers every night since!

I waited 46 years to find my beloved.

It was worth it.

veg

 

[ptcruiser51]

In my living room

My best friend met him at the gym and brought him over one night to visit. Mike had moved here from Queens some time before; it's hard to meet guys in North Jersey due to lack of venues. You'd think being next to NYC it would be the opposite, no?

I had extricated myself from an abusive relationship about a year before, and had pretty much washed my hands of relationships, period. BUT, I knew he was the one the moment he walked in the door.

We were together for 17 excellent years until I lost him to lung cancer in 1998.

Since then: No dates, no mates, no hope. It's OK, my memories still keep a smile on my face.