When Jerry met Brandi...

Jerry and I met in Wichita Falls, TX. We were both opening a new Home Depot. That was my first time with the company and Jerry had been with them for years.  I was finishing up my last year of school, working at the Midwestern State University's post office during the day, and then cashiering at night and on the weekends at The Depot.  Jerry was the 'return to vendor' clerk that came with a nice Monday through Friday schedule 7:00am-4:00pm. The only times I would see him is when I was going in early during the week to close and I made a point to go in early just so I could see him walk out. Yes, I was a stalker. I had a pretty good guy friend working with me at Home Depot, who was gay and loved that he was given the duty of setting us up on a date. Well, it was days later that Jerry came through my line with his buddy, both reeking of booze, and I knew he knew, or so I thought. I made the comment, "drinking are ya'll?" He goes, "yeah jealous?" What a jerk. The next day I went in early to "check my schedule" and it just so happened that Jerry was in the break room. I asked him what he had planned for the weekend and he said, "what do you care?" Yes, that's right he was a jerk again to me. Maybe he didn't know afterall. I guess I was attracted to that because I had asked my friend if he had anything set up yet. Sure enough, there were plans for a big group to meet, have some drinks, and then go to a honky tonk. Thinking back on all this, I was really classy too, I remember wearing my Atlanta Brave's jersey, jeans, and flip flops. I'm sure my hair was in a messy bun too. I guess I wasn't going to try too hard to impress him. Needless to say we met up and there was all sorts of awkwardness. I wouldn't sit by him and kinda ignored him. I don't know! I didn't know what to do! I loosened up after a few beverages and agreed to ride the mechanical bull. That really is an art by the way, but I think that's what finally broke the ice and then we danced together. Even in flip flops I could dance better than him. I remember telling him he needed lotion for his dry hands. Funny. We talked for hours in the parking lot and then we went our separate ways without a first kiss.


We went on our first official date July 2003 and he was late picking me up because we were at Toby's until 5:00am. When he finally arrived, after changing out of what I was going to wear because I was disgusted he was so late, we went to El Chico's where it was once again awkward, went to the movies to see Pirates of The Carribean. I thought it was funny the whole movie because it wasn't two weeks prior to that I went on another date and saw that movie already. I just played dumb. Dating is the worst. Nobody enjoys feeling awkward and trying to get to know somebody. My main critera were they had to be a Christian, make me laugh, like sports, and drink beer. If you didn't fulfill those you were out! I like to have fun and laugh.


I don't think it was even two weeks after we were 'talking' Jerry told me he loved me and that he was going to marry me. I was a little shocked. He would wait for me to get off work and be sitting in the parking lot. He had become the stalker now.


Well, September 20, 2003 rolls around and I get off work and go into Jerry's house and he is waiting there in his wrinkled plaid shirt, wrinkled jeans, and in desperate need of a hair cut got down on one knee and proposed to me. Exactly 6 months later, March 20, 2004 we got married.

We stayed in Wichita Falls for a short time after the wedding and me graduating. We got Jake, our chocolate lab who several years later became a very good dog. We then bought our first house in Granbury, which was a real fixer upper. I didn't mind the work because I loved the floorplan and the price of the house.  I actually loved being overwhelmed with all the remodeling and enjoyed being close to Jerry's family. Jerry and I pulled out all the carpet and tiled the entire house. I single handedly grouted/sealed the tile in that whole house and painted all the rooms. It was very rewarding. We lived right by the lake and would put Jake in the back of the truck and let him go play in it. The bad part of all this is that we both were working in Fort Worth, spending a ton on gas, and 10 hours a week in our vehicle . So, we sold our house and started building a house in Fort Worth.