Bobby reminded me on Friday (which was April 17th), that it was the tenth anniversary of the day we got engaged. I knew the date, but it hadn’t dawned on me yet until he said something. We just celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary in March (all you mathmeticians will figure out that this means we were engaged for eleven months), and the date of our engagement (which is now also my nephew’s eighth birthday) just snuck up on me.
The day we got engaged was really fun. Bobby told me we were going to go out that night and he took me shopping and bought me a fancy dress. Then, that evening he took me to our favorite restaurant, the Peasant Stock, which was right downtown on the river. After that we went to one of our other favorite downtown spots, Samuel Johnson’s coffee house, at First & Main. After we ordered our coffee and sat down, Bobby got down on one knee and proposed. I proceeded to bawl for about 45 minutes (saying “yes” somewhere in there), and then we went home and told my parents (who already knew it would be happening.)
The following March, we had a wonderful wedding, preceded by a wonderful rehearsal dinner at the Happy Palace – a Chinese restaurant that had long been a favorite of the Rapson family. They had a huge buffet for us and even made steaks for my dad and my brother, who don’t like Chinese. It was the YUM! A really great night.
A couple of weeks after our honeymoon, Bobby and I returned to Samuel Johnson’s coffee house to celebrate the one year anniversary of the day we got engaged. We were a little late getting in the door – it was close to closing, and the guy working let us stay late when we told him why we were there.
It was the last time we ever went there. Shortly thereafter, the coffee house closed.
For our first wedding anniversary, we got all dressed up and went to the Peasant Stock, the restaurant we’d eaten at the night we got engaged, to celebrate. We both noticed that things there seemed a little different.
It was the last time we ever went there. The Peasant Stock, which had been in Dayton for years, closed about a month later.
A couple of years after our wedding, the Happy Palace Chinese restaurant changed ownership, was repainted about a thousand times, and finally, closed down. The building isn’t even there anymore. It was demolished a couple of years ago.
Needless to say, Bobby and I had to find some new favorite places to eat and hang out. For our fifth wedding anniversary, we went for the first time to Dominic’s, an Italian restaurant that had been in Dayton for 30 years. I had been there before, but Bobby never had, and I knew he’d love it. And he did! We also went there for our sixth anniversary, and several times when Bobby’s mom was visiting, and with friends to celebrate their pregnancy. When Sophie was 4 months old, we went there for our seventh wedding anniversary.
That’s the last time we went there. A few months later, Dominic’s, which had been in our fair city for THREE DECADES, closed down.
I’m sure you’re getting the picture.
In order to do as little damage to our city’s economy as possible, Bobby and I try not to have any “favorite places” to frequent anymore. It’s just too dangerous!
For some reason, places of business associated with our marriage don’t seem to do so well. Rapp Jewelers, I’d be a little nervous if I were you!
What can I say? The marriage is good. If a little commerce is all that had to be sacrificed, well then, I think it’s been worth it!
We still loved each other at the end of all that! Here we are about 11:00 at night, after we finished cooking. 
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