Then & Now: 10 Years Later

Ten years is a long time. It's an entire decade. A tenth of a century. The length of the Friends series. And the approximate amount of time needed for a Twinkie to become stale. It also happens to be how long Mr. PC and I have been together.

Let me take you back. It was 2000, and Mr. PC and I were both high school sophomores. We were in the same Spanish class. He thought I was funny. And I thought his accent was muy caliente (though admittedly, his accent probably left something to be desired, but my teenage hormones were clouding my thinking). We talked. I tossed my hair around, which he liked. He tossed around his PSAT scores, which I liked. One thing led to another, and 3 months and one 6 hour phone call later, we were officially dating.

We've been through a lot together in the last ten years: prom dramas, college admissions, dorm food, a 3 hour time difference while I lived in DC for 16 months, the dissolution of N*Sync, a family divorce, an episode of micturition syncope, and our own development into full fledged adults (well, maybe just 83% adult, but close enough).

When people hear we've been together a decade, they're shocked. Understandably. 10 years is a long time, and a lot has happened since the Pin-ster and I became an item. Let's take a look back, VH1-style, in what we'll call "I Love 2000 and 2010" (because who hasn't spent an entire weekend watching those shows? Oh, you haven't? Yah, me neither. Sheesh, who does that anyway?)

Music Players:

Then: The discman

[Source]

and now: the iPod

[Source]

Top News Story of the Year:
Then: Elian Gonzales

[Source]

and now: Haiti earthquake

[Source]

Popular Song:
Then: "Who Let the Dog's Out" (Oh, you know you want to listen to it!)

[Source]

and now: "Empire State of Mind"

[Source]

Our President:
Then: President Clinton

[Source]

and now: President Obama

[Source]

And finally, Mr. and Miss Pin Cushion:
Then:

[personal photo, circa a track meet]

and now:

[personal photo]

A lot has happened in the past 10 years. There is less hair tossing now a-days. And his PSAT scores have been replaced by his PhD status. But a lot has stayed the same (like our inability to find someone to take our picture, apparently). We've grown up and grown together. We're the couple we are because of our long history.

How long have you been with your dude or dudette? What life changes have you been through together that have made you the couple you are today?

Somebody Pin-ch Me!

Can you believe that was the best Pin Cushion pun I could come up with? Believe it! And get used to it, 'cause there's a lot more where that came from!

Dud puns aside, I just want to tell all of you lovelies how excited I am to be the newest member in the hive! My Excitement Cup (similar to a Crunk Cup, but with less bling) runneth over. Check out just how excited I am:

Source: (surprisingly [since they're so professional]) these are all personal photos!

Let me break it down for you a bit more by providing a play by play of my thoughts when Pengy's acceptance email hit my inbox:

1. "Whoopee! I've been waiting for this email for months (okay, just weeks, but it feels like months, and that's what counts.)"
2. "Oh crud. Now that the email's finally here, I'm too nervous to open it . . ."

Chews on lip. Clicks on the email and squeezes eyes shut. Slowly peels one eye open and . . .

3. "What the dealio?! I'm the newest Bee?! Cowabunga!! This is going to be legendary!"
4. "Oh man, these readers won't know what hit 'em. Mwah ha ha!"

Now that you've all gotten a glimpse into my brain (not much else clinking around in there [it's like a hot air balloon up there people]), I hope you'll stick around for more! I've got lots to fill everyone in on, and plenty more to do before my July wedding to Mr. Pin Cushion!