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This is Laurel's version of the story:
Kevin says he remembers seeing me at Minicon (an area science fiction convention) back when I was 17 or so, probably. I was being young and goofy and wearing fuzzy slippers. And then in some later year, he was working a late shift on the Bridge (communications headquarters for the con) and I walked in and presented him with a glass that contained peat moss, champagne, and a AA battery. He asked what it was, I told him it was a "cocktail" (though I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a very strange mini peat bog).
Kevin says this was memorable somehow. I wish I remembered him, I just remember that someone was working on the Bridge at that time who I didn't know, so I was rather shy all things considered. As for that "cocktail," it's a long story involving sleep deprivation, silliness, and the fact that I was the convention's "peat bog consultant." Yes, you really probably had to be there.
Kevin and I know we were at Minicon year after year, but we don't really remember other interactions very well. We also know we were at other conventions and concerts and parties at the same time, but don't remember talking to each other. We know we attended many of the same Cats Laughing concerts, but don't recall seeing each other at them.
Fast-forward to 1998 or thereabouts when we did begin running into each other and taking more notice of each other. We later ended up working together on web projects for Minn-StF and Minicon, which is when we first started exchanging emails and later phone calls.
We also started chatting more at area conventions, Minn-StF parties, and other events.
Somewhere along the line we became friends and then really good friends.
Later on, after Kevin broke up with his long time girlfriend-- probably years and years after he should've done that and after the relationship had been dead for quite a while (according to Kevin and many of his oldest friends), we started to grow closer and think maybe there was more to this than friendship.
I'd been single myself for more than five years at this point and wasn't looking to get involved with anyone and certainly not with anyone who was already involved with someone nor with someone on the rebound. But I really liked Kevin a lot and we really enjoyed spending time together.
It was all rather more stressful than we would've liked at first, but by now we've been together for about three years or so we think. More or less. It's hard to know what to count, because we were good friends before we actually started seeing each other romantically and that friendship is surely the foundation for what we have now.
I lived hundreds of miles away from Kevin for at least one year of our relationship. We've both endured unemployment and health problems and deaths in the family and other Not Fun stuff during this time. I take it as a good sign that even when one or both of us were feeling pretty low, we always manage to laugh together.
Our being together now seems the most natural thing in the world and it's hard to imagine we ever weren't together. I think it's a good sign that Kevin's friends and family say he's happier than they've ever seen him and my family has said similar things (about me, that is). We get along. It's extraordinary and wonderful and we're both very happy and very lucky to have ended up together.
Laurel Krahn & Kevin G. Austin
4316 Bryant Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55409-1709