Dear 100hookup,
Ken's side of the story: In January of 2000, I began a new career. The changing of the year and my lifestyle seemed to motivate me to take a shot at renovating my social reality. A year previous, I had been goaded by my friend Ian into registering a profile on 100hookup.com. After filling out the questionnaire/essay, I basically ignored any subsequent contacts and eventually changed Internet providers. So, I ceased receiving any 100hookup.com info altogether. Well, New Year's rolls around, and once again, at the urging of Ian, I update my information on 100hookup.com and venture into my search criteria and make my first foray into connecting with another member. She was this amazingly eloquent and quite beautiful woman named Gail. We did the e-mail thing, eventually exchanged phone #'s and went out on a date. Date one led to two and then three, at which point I was both smitten and sure that this was the last person I would ever date. Although Gail maintains that I never officially asked her to marry me, (she says I said "you know I intend to marry you?") and there are some details to the tale, the upshot is that we were officially engaged some six weeks after meeting and will be married next April (the first to be exact, yes we know April Fool's Day, but for us that seems to be strangely apropos). She has made my life complete - a most extraordinary woman - and happily she tells me I do the same for her. (Now, if we can only survive the wedding plans.) It's been a bit of a whirlwind ride, but I wouldn't change a thing. Sometimes things just have a way of working themselves out. I mean, who knew?
Gail's side: Ken told you his story. Now, I'd like to share my side of our "happy ending." I joined 100hookup.com through the encouragement of a friend in Chicago. She was dating people all over the States. I just wanted to meet someone in Toronto. I was pretty open-minded and thought I'd give it a try. I met all sorts of people... most of them very nice, but lacking that "chemistry".
When Ken contacted me last January, I was struck by the similarity in our profiles. I thought, "I could have written that!" Even though he didn't have a photo, I replied. After all, it wasn't like I'd never been on a blind date before. He did dig up a few pictures that he emailed to me, and I thought that he had the nicest smile. Our first date was at a funky restaurant in downtown Toronto, and when he smiled in person his whole face lit up. We talked until the restaurant closed (we were the last people there).
He says he knew by the third date that I was "the last woman he would ever Date." I needed a bit more time. I was crazy about him, but I had dated other people that I thought might be "the one". After a month, he invited me to a bar mitzvah, where I met almost his entire family (his parents and various aunts and uncles were wintering in Florida). Everyone came up to me to tell me what a wonderful person Kenny is and how thrilled they were that he finally met someone who made him so happy. That was the night that I knew what I was feeling was for real.
He invited me down to his parents place in Florida after 6 weeks - that's how I met them! "Hi, I'm Gail, thanks for letting me stay with you!" And that was really when we knew. We came back and told my parents that we were engaged.
There are so many coincidences between us - we live a few blocks from each other, our parents have vacation homes in Florida a few blocks from each other, he worked at my favorite restaurant (we're not sure if he ever served me or not), we have so many of the same passions and interests. He is the most thoughtful, considerate, loving, funny, sexy, intelligent man I have ever known. I feel honored that he feels the same way about me. We are madly, crazy in love.
We will be married on April 1, 2001. I wish it was next week.
Gail A. and Ken G.
Toronto, Canada