Where It All Started...

Michael and I met in Salt Lake City, Utah where we were both working in minor league baseball for the Salt Lake Stingers.

We have an amazing LOVE story.... goes a little something like this...

Michael was the Director of Corporate Sales. I was a lowly intern in Public Relations, trying to break into the industry. During the day, he was the boss of all the interns, except me. During the evening, we both worked in the Press Box, Michael working the sound controls and running music for the games, me making a complete mess of the scoreboard! I became good friends with several of the players... being the chatty, public relations person that I am. Well, Michael had some animosity towards one of the players... his name was Gary Johnson. Gary had been a huge top-prospect for the Anaheim Angels in the years before. He had even had a "sip of coffee" in the big leagues (as Michael calls it), but he had gotten married the year before and returned to the team a little over-weight and out of shape. Michael found this to be rediculous and would make fun of Gary. But Gary was my friend... and if any of you know me... I stick up for my friends! So, as Michael ridiculed and mocked Gary behind his back from inside the Sound Room in the Press Box, I would defend Gary. It soon became the joke of the press box that Mike and I had this flirtatious little rivalry!

One day Michael was being particularly cruel, saying that Gary wouldn't even be able to hit another home run the rest of the season. I mouthed off... and the bet was on! We bet a lunch on whether or not Gary Johnson would hit another home run during the remaining 3 months of the season.

Weeks and weeks went by and Gary Johnson wasn't doing so well. Anxiety and jokes became more frequent visitors of the press box and all the other staff members took delight in staying tuned to our little bet.

Finally, on the last night of the season, behind by 3 in the 9th Inning, 2 Outs, bases loaded, Gary Johnson stepped up to the plate. He hit a GRAND SLAM!!! It was a riot! All the staff in the press box were cheering wildly.... not because we had just won the last game of the season on a grand slam, but because of the irony of our little bet! Someone yelled out... "Mike, that deserves a dinner!"

The next night, Michael took me, the lowly little flirtatious intern out to dinner. The rest is history!