Sam and Carl

In 2019, months before COVID, they both swiped right on Tinder. Just as Forrest Gump quoted his mother, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get,” neither of them had any idea what they were getting into or where they were heading.

A few days after the Tinder interaction, they scheduled their first date, which was dinner at a lively restaurant in Walnut Creek, California. Looking back, they were both very unsure as to whether this was even a good idea. Carl arrived early, thinking Sam may not even show up, so he ordered several of his favorite Cuban-inspired appetizers, settled in, and decided to enjoy the food and music scene. Sam gave up biting her nails long ago, so running late was her way of handling what she expected would be an awkward introduction on a cold, wet night.

Sam spotted Carl, the guy sitting in the booth alone, and thought, “Oh! He’s super cute.”

He so graciously welcomed her to his table. Though they both started talking nonstop, Sam didn’t hear anything until Carl said, “I can’t take you to the movies because you can’t bring in outside snacks.” Sam thought, Oh! He considers me a snack! To say the least, she was flattered. To this day, Sam loves this pick-up line.

San Francisco is a wonderful place to date and fall in love, just as Carl’s parents did years ago. Sam and Carl took in the sights on hikes, enjoyed many restaurants, movie theaters, music festivals, and more. They even spent several days in New Orleans, another wonderful place to date and fall in love, just like Sam’s parents did years ago. Again, Sam and Carl enjoyed the cuisine, swamp tours, and walks through the French Quarter.

They are now very happy puppy parents to a Sheltie, Sookie. They live in an urban

area, near the foot of the Bay Bridge, where they enjoy diversity in books, art, movies, music, and sports. They frequently visit nearby dog parks and take walks along the often breezy marina.