1999 was a first for many things. August I finally got a computer to waste valuable time at home and secondly I tried out the singles website for that somebody special. Mostly the former comes to mind.
Olivia was a surname of somebody that I have seen at that time. She had a wicked sense of humor and a crazy laugh but she had the longest red hair. It went halfway down her back. Anyway, we were set up by my best friend. I had some reservations but I started talking to her and then it was decided that we would meet in her neck of the woods.
Still, Olivia had a hot tub and that was a shock and a pleasure to try that out. 100 degree temps outside with howling winds and rain but it was a revelation having a glass of wine and keeping each other warm, which wasn't hard to do. She had a couple of Rots, one named Hannibal and the other Babydoll, to which I kinda freaked out when I first saw them after arriving from the airport. Hannibal tolerated me but Babydoll accepted me right off the bat. Upon taking pictures of me and the doggies, Baby Doll would get closer till one picture she was on my lap.
The five days up in Portland came and gone. Olivia n me did some record hunting, Djangos and Everyday Music were the two best stores I went to. Everyday Music has survived over the years after FYE and Wherehouse Music went by the wayside. I did convince Olivia to come out here for New Years, to bring in 2000. I do believe that New Years was my favorite all time event despite the cold, we did truck up to Galena to spend the night and celebrated the coming of the year at some East Dubuque bar. I did take Olivia to the pawnshops and she bought a few CDs and odds and ends to take back home. But at the same time, she caught a nasty cold that lasted a good three months, till the next time that I would see her, in March. But by then, we were going in different directions. I always felt guilty about her chauffeuring me to Everyday Music the last time, but I do remember having lunch at Taco Time and thinking it was much more better than Taco Bell.
Since 2000, I haven't gone back to Portland. I can still remember most of the memories tho' my memory is getting rusty on a lot of things. While I continue on my road to bargain hunting and not changing much in this life, she eventually did find somebody closer to home. Her daughter is quite the artist I'm told. She still is a friend via social media (she actually looked me up last week) but we have yet to talk, but I'm sure once the moment comes, we'll chat a while. But for the best place to find off the wall music, Everyday Music was the place to go.
Apologies to Olivia for the constant dogging of wanting to go to the music stores. You have earned your angel wings being with me in that time. To which I think were the best years of being with somebody like you.
