nine years ago, I ate the five bean soup

It's been nine years since the first date with CD. I didn't know it was a date at the time, though my much smarter subconscious probably had a clue. When my then-housemate asked me to dinner I assumed it was to celebrate the release of Mulberry 1.4, an important update in spite of being a dot release. (For the full historical timeline of Mulberry, not our relationship, go here.)

We walked to a restaurant called Sweet Basil. It's now gone from Forbes Ave and thus sparing us any overly-indulgent nostalgia, having been replaced by at least three other establishments since then. Though we had shared the house for a year, I did not know CD well, other than knowing he liked my dogs and didn't have much to say otherwise. Though I am all too accustomed to them now, silences were painful for me then so I undoubtedly babbled on and on about nothing. Food was a welcome distraction, so much so that when CD ordered soup, I jumped on board too. Never mind that it was five bean soup and I really hated beans then. (We've progressed to mild dislike now.) I don't remember much else of the meal.

What I do remember was wondering if it was a date during our silent walk home. It was raining softly, but not enough to be bothersome. Quite nice, really. I remember thinking, "If it is a date, he will try to hold my hand." Um, not a chance.... Somehow, probably by the weekend, I figured out it really was a date after all. I have more email that seemed to be worth keeping from him during the month of October, 1998, than just about any other month before or since, most of it painfully adorable. The rest are jokes about beer.