Blog Title Orgins

Once upon a time in 2011, Gordon and I were young and single adults living and working in Houston. It was late on a Friday night, I had no plans, and I had just gotten out of teaching an evening section of a "college prep" (remedial) English class at a Lone Star College extension site somewhere in New Caney, just north of Kingwood. It was cold, and late, and I really didn't want to just go home and go to bed.

So, I searched up movie times and sent out a mass text - as young singles are wont to do - and told a wide range of people that I intended to go see The Muppet Movie that evening and would meet anyone, anywhere to do so if they wanted to join in.

Gordon responded. We found a showing somewhere in the 9 pm range at a theater that wasn't particularly near either of us (it had been out for a while), and we agreed to go for it. I went ahead and updated the info on the group text, you know, just in case anybody else wanted to jump in. Then I got lost on the way to the theater and ended up in Egypt, Texas (which I didn't actually know existed) and Gordon bought my ticket and routed me to the theater over the phone. I remember thinking that he was a really nice and the whole situation was pretty embarrassing, but I was determined to go out and see a Muppet Movie with friends, dang-it!

In the mean time, I also get an "I'm in!" message from a girlfriend, Mauren Kunz, who made it to the theater as well.

Gordon waited outside for me with the tickets. I told him I'd get him back sometime and said thank you. He said, don't worry about it. I asked if he had seen Mauren. He said she was already inside.

We were literally the only three people in the theater.

It is one of my favorite movie going experiences of my life. I was so, ridiculously, giddily happy. Muppets are one of my happy places, so that's not so surprising, but the company enhanced the experience. I sat, watching this perfect opening number, knit boots dancing on the empty seat in front of me, next to this guy who seemed equally into it.



And I remember thinking maybe he was a little into me, and I didn't mind that at all. (And Mauren was there too. We would all joke later about our "chaperoned date" that night.)

After the movie we said 'bye to Mauren, and Gordon walked with me out to my car, refusing to take my money for the tickets ("I'm a wealthy man!"). I invited him to the Christmas party Katy and I were throwing at my mom's place (my mother was out of the country).

We weren't dating, but this was definitely the point of inception.  So that opening number goes like this. And it's great, you guys. And whenever I hear this song, it takes me back to that moment, sitting there in that theater with Gordon on my left, and thinking, "You know what? This is pretty perfect."

So, thank you Bret McKenzie for writing a perfect song, Jason Siegel and Nicholas Stoller for writing a perfect movie, and Gordon (and Mauren) for a pretty perfect night.
Incidentally, I was searching for some images to go along with this post on the web and came across the cross-stitch that is hanging in our bedroom which our friend Gisela Hacker had made for us in our wedding colors by some relative of hers because she knew this story. Apparently lots of people on Pintrest like it, and there are other people who have since used the pattern modeled on ours. So that's kind of neat!



Oh, and the blog title comes from this great, nonsensical moment:

"Life's a fillet of fish, hey!"
[beat]
"Yes it is!"