Taya Kyle on the radio this morning

Yupp.

Right after my workout (I'm still burning!!!)

Taya Kyle was on the radio talking about all that she's been doing since the murder of Chris Kyle. She is such a great woman. That's an under statement. She went through the heartaches of dating then, she met Chris.
A true Texas gentleman. That's redundant. Most Texas men are so gentlemanly. After the snobbish, cheater, liars of Colorado, it was refreshing, for me, to move to Texas. The Texas men, in my experience, are true gentlemen. Love that! From birth, these guys are trained to be respectful. To be especially respectful even chivalrous toward women. 
Colorado boys could learn A TON from Texas men.

Taya spoke of how Chris was just a chivalrous, nice guy. Nice guys are the best! Have mostly stayed clear of the bad boy types, but, hey, bad boys are so skilled at deceit, into every nice girls life, a few crappy bad boys DO fall. lol. It's all good.

So, listening to Taya, I can relate. Chris was such a great man. No one she meets could ever measure up to the man that he was. When a woman has experienced being with a man, such as Chris Kyle, it would be tough to be with anyone else. There's no comparison.

Yes, I can relate.

I was strictly friends with a man who seemed to be of Chris Kyles character, in the 5 years leading up to my divorce. 
NO
I never once cheated on my ex with this guy. Even if I had been willing, he wouldn't have gone along with it.
Michael was quite a lot younger than me. he was a USAF Academy cadet when I met him. We would walk around the AFA Visitors center talking about everything. He was from Peach Tree, Georgia.

Soon after my divorce was final, January 2, 2007, he called me, right out of the blue! A mutual friend had relayed information to him that I was now single. He was using a satellite phone somewhere on the other side of the world.
He arranged to come to Colorado on his R & R. He wanted to take me on a cruise or meet me in Europe. I was working as a contractor for SAIC at the time. I couldn't just drop my life and leave. The contract was supposed to run until July, it was over $20. per hour with 12 hour work days. 

I HAD to do this. Start re-building my life, my financial savings after the devastation of a divorce that I wanted, yet, in hind sight, I realize, I was not fully prepared for.

So, he arranged to come to Colorado to see me. OMDG! I was so elated, excited.........and scared to death! There were definitely sparks that flew between us that we both ignored, since I was married. We both kept it in check.

Now, he was coming to see me.

OHHHH! 

I was living in a beautiful town house. 2 bedrooms, 1.5 BA.  It had a fire place, beautiful view, a club house, pool, etc. It was dangerous to have him stay with me.

I was going to do it, anyway. 

The SAIC contract was POORLY managed, so, it ended in March, anyway. I wasn't upset at all!

When I picked Michael up at Denver International Airport, we would have the time,having lunch at my very favorite, Old Spaghetti Factory, then the 1 hour plus drive to Colorado Springs, to settle in, talk, get, re-acquainted. I would use that time to compose myself.
He knew how I felt about sex outside of marriage,that I felt it was not for me, he respected that. I was happy about that, however, could I hold to that when I was single, free to do whatever. YIKES!

I had my signage ready, to welcome him to Colorado, my nerves were jumping! 

He came through the doors leading into baggage claim..............OMG! Did he look good! Smelled good, even after his long flight. He didn't even look tired. A bit tanned, a bit more buff. I was in trouble!

He was 27, I was almost 47. It didn't matter when we were together. I was overweight, he was not!
Still, the sparks were there. 

Crazy, fun, sweet, delicious TROUBLE!!!!

We got to my car, which was a moss green, mimi-van, a Nissan Quest. He busted up laughing! I asked him what was so funny. He simply replied:

"Give me the keys little lady, I'm gonna have some fun in your mama van!"

Of course he was going to drive! I loved it!

Michael's visit was wonderful, sweet, fun, full of surprises. We talked about what our life was going to be like.Then having a couple kids.
WHAT?
I hadn't thought of that.
I was still very fertile. YES!
2 children, then, a tummy tuck for me!

He slept on the sofa during his visit. We tried sleeping in my bed, together, ended up making out all night, too much temptation, plus, we didn't get any sleep that first night. He needed some sleep.

The second night, we both slept separately. I heard him snoring softly, so adorable! I woke up at 5 am, went to the gym for a workout, my usual habit. Then, I went to the Peterson AFB Commissary, to shop for groceries while he slept. After that, a trip to the Liquor store. 
Mm Hmm.
He was a Jameson kinda guy.
A-10 pilot, Alpha male, Georgia gentleman, smart as a whip, ripped, one woman man, kinda guy.

To me, the same cloth Chris Kyle was cut from.

When I was in the liquor store, I heard someone talking. He sounded just like Michael, who was supposed to be sleeping!
It WAS HIM!
This man was so full of it. In a good way.
When he saw me, there was his grin. he grabbed me & kissed me, right there! I saw some 20 something chikkies give me hate stares. GOOD! Loved that! he was definitely mine.

He had taken a taxi to the liquor store on Peterson AFB, hoping to surprise me when I got back home. He definitely surprised me, yet, not in the way he had planned. Things don't always happen the way ya think they will, yet, they happen as they're supposed to.

Over the next few days, we talked, laughed, made out a lot. He told me that he was saving up his combat pay to have my dream house built anywhere I wanted it. WOW!

This was REALLY HAPPENING!

He wanted to give me the beautiful wedding I had missed out on when I was married the first time. My ex-huzz was just too much of a selfish asshole to give that to me.
Michael, in all his alpha-ness was kind hearted, sensitive to my needs, desires.

Before he left, he told me I was going to marry him, he was going to knock me up twice, then, we were going to have the all American dream. I was so ready for him! 
He was a man with a plan. 
He bought a couple web cams for us so we could be together in that form after he left to go back to the Middle East.

We were in touch almost every day. I was in Heaven with this wonderful man. He was not even embarrassed when we were on cam & one of his buddies came in, telling he was beyond whipped. He would grin, then, tell the guy, "You know it!"
In August he told me things were getting heavy, that he may not be able to get internet for a week at a time.
I understood.
Then, the whole month of September passed.........no Michael.
No 3 am phone calls.
Nothing.
Finally in October, I got the phone call from his mother. He had been shot down, they were working to recover his body.

I hung up the phone, screamed & cried until I fell on the floor, exhausted. 
he was gone.
he was dead, I felt dead, inside.
I cried all week after that.
Panic attacks were the only constant in my life for the next 2 weeks.

I laid on my bed alternating between sobbing, sleeping, sobbing, sleeping. Have had many spiritual experiences. 
I actually saw angels at my bedside trying to comfort me. There was no comfort. I wanted to die of my broken heart so I could be with Michael.

Time passed by, slowly. I didn't talk to anyone about him. I wandered around the USAFA Visitors center, remembering. I rode horses from the stables through the USAFA trails. I lost 40 lbs of grief weight.

Nothing mattered until finally, I started to feel, again. I had to live, for me, Michael would have wanted that.

This morning, listening to Taya Kyle speak of Chris, brought me to think of Michael. Gone in body, always remembered. 

Yes, I know, very well, a bit of what she's going through.

Today is Memorial Day, remembering Michael is very relevant.

At the Pioneer Cemetary, today, during the annual memorial service, I will remember you, Michael, my love.

Gone in body, always remembered.