Browsing “LOVE Series”

Dan Gamble, PR Pro and Jon Haywood, Planning Director at an Ad Agency live in Gastown with their dog Brixton.  After only a year together, they took a leap of faith and moved together from London, England to Vancouver due to a transfer with Jon’s work.  In no time at all, they have grown to love the city, their dog and of course each other.  We met at one of their favourite haunts, JD’s Barbershop (235 Abbott Street) to talk about all things love including the Eiffel Tower, secret Valentine’s cards and Duran Duran.

How long ago and how did you meet?

Jon: We met in front of a pub called the Dogstar in Brixton.   It was equidistant between where I lived and where Dan lived, so it seemed the right place to meet, it was a bit of a blind date.

Dan:  Three years ago this February.

What drew you to him/her when you first met?

Dan:  We had a lot in common and I liked that it shouldn’t have really worked but it did because there’s a big age gap.   We work in similar industries, and we worked with similar clients so we had stuff to talk about.

Jon:  We also worked on competing lines so there were things we couldn’t talk about.  “What are you doing?”  “I can’t tell you.”

Dan:  I just thought you were quite good looking Jon.

Jon: Thank you.  There was a click.  When I found out what he did for a living, I thought he’s going to understand that sometimes its not quite nine-to-five and there are moments when I can say I’m going to be late, and he gets it. You know you meet some one and leave and in your head, think “I want to meet him again.”  Oh and he’s cute! The eyes are a bit old these days anyway… you know through the cataracts.  I thought you were about 30!

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Missy Geiger, age 29, Lawyer (and Interior Decorator on Side (www.designproject.ca.) and Trey Geiger, age 33, Video Game Entrepreneur are different and quick to admit it.  They are not a finish each other’s sentences, have a lot in common kind of couple – on the surface.  But as you get to know them, it is very apparent that they are very similar in the ways that count.  Integrity, authenticity, honesty – remember those good old-fashioned values?  Missy and Trey exemplify them.

How long ago and how did you meet?

Missy:  Eharmony. The more people we tell, the more people say my cousin got married from eharmony or my sister fell in love with some one on eharmony.

Trey:  No one talks about it until you reveal that you’ve done it.  I was a mountain man, outdoorsy, she calls it ah…

Missy:  Mountain goat.  If you can picture what that looks like.

Trey: I did a lot of backcountry skiing, I worked in the video game industry and both of those things don’t really add up to meeting a lot of good girls.

Missy:  I was very social.  I met guys at the gym, but I couldn’t meet the kind of guy that I wanted to.  The dating scene in Vancouver tends to be quite shallow and non-committal and I wanted to get married and have a family.  Eventually in my dating life, I would tell people right away: this is what I want and if it scares you that’s fine, just don’t call me anymore.   So I went online. Trey invited my dog, Bear, on the first date. He was a month old and my most important possession in the whole world.  We had dinner and watched the fireworks.  We stayed talking on the beach until 3 in the morning.  And there were no games.  He would ask me out on the next date before the first one had ended.

Trey:  And you were like that too and that’s very rare.

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Karen Campbell, age 40 and Kyle Grant, age 38 are about to get married, but they did everything backwards.  They can’t even remember a time when they didn’t know each other and it’s incredibly obvious that they place a huge value on each other and their family, with sons Felix age 8 and Owen age 4.  This has kept things working for 16 years.

How long ago and how did you meet?

Karen: We’ve known each other all our lives.  He lived across the street from my house and him and his brother used to steal toys from my sister and I.  Back in 94/95, a group of us used to go out nightclubbing and we got to know each other through that. Musqueam has a men’s and women’s soccer team and we used to practice together too.

Kyle: Through soccer and partying (we all laugh) and I would say living on the reserve, every body knows every body.

What drew you to him/her when you first met?

Karen: I never told you this but I loved how he’s kind of a gentleman.  He’d be the one who’d open the door for you and we’d have nice conversations over dinner.

Kyle: I don’t know I haven’t really thought about that… (we laugh)  We were able to click and just always laugh, have a good time, and that’s what I like. I don’t know how to describe it; it just seems easy.

What’s the last thing he/she did to make you smile?

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For my first profile in way too long, I thought I’d take a different look at couples:  Joe Thompson, 31 and Anna Smith, 29, work in an office together.  But this time, my couple is in a play, portrayed by Darren Boquist and Ky Scott. While the actors are not a couple in real life, it was great to chat with them first because art is often inspired by our lives, and the lives of those around us, second because, as characters, in some ways the interview was more honest than others, and last, because they were hilarious.   They finish each other sentences, push each other’s buttons, and make puppy dog faces, like a lot of other couples I know…. You can see Joe and Anna in ARMED, playing July 18-21 at Pacific Theatre at 8pm, to witness Joe’s lost manhood and subsequent quest to replace it with a cannon arm. Tickets available through armed.eventbrite.com.  The play is a hilarious and over-the-top exploration of gender, expectations, and our ever-readiness to mutilate our own bodies to fit an arbitrary ideal.

How long ago and how did you meet?

Anna:  We started working together 2 years ago.

Joe:  Well I was there first, then you came along and started working there.  And I thought she was kinda cute, but I’m a little shy, I never said anything and I don’t think she noticed me much.

Anna:  I think we were working beside each other for almost a year without even talking.

Joe:  The breaking point was the office softball game.  And sadly I was out in the outfield and not the greatest –

Anna: athlete.

Joe:  It was kinda sunny that day, and Ryan, who is really not our favourite person hit the ball and I ran for it and then the sun got in my eyes and then the ball hit me in the mouth and broke my two front teeth…  (Anna is laughing almost uncontrollably)

Anna:  Just minor blood.

Joe:  And then Anna came to my rescue and that was kind of –

Anna:  our first conversation.

Joe:  She likes a guy without two front teeth (we all laugh.)

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Holly can’t stop laughing with Roger around.  I get the sense she’s been laughing since they met almost 10 years ago.  You can tell by how they interact that they had an immediate connection: Roger will start talking and Holly will finish his sentence and their banter is the perfect blend of humor and affection.  When they talk of travel and photography, you can tell they share the same love for life and it’s infectious.  They’ve turned this passion into a wedding photography business, Union Photographers, where their differing styles come together.  We met at the Prophouse Café, just blocks from their house, where we laughed and we laughed.

How long ago and how did you meet?

H: We met nine years ago…

R: At Luvaffair night club.

H: British nights!

R: Which is not there anymore. Thursday nights?

H: Yeah, Thursday nights.

R: I always worked weekends, so Thursday was the night to go out and get drunk. Pick up chicks.

H: But usually there weren’t that many good looking guys there that night, but that night there were a bunch of good looking guys, and then my girlfriend said “Oh look at that guy!” and I looked up and it was Roger going towards the bar. And then she got off the dance floor to have a cigarette, and I was dancing by myself and I looked up and he was dancing in front of me, and smiled down at me. Just yesterday I was just saying “Did we actually even say anything before we started making out?” I don’t think we did (turning to Roger).

R: No we didn’t.

H: I always say it’s our one night stand that has been going on for 9 years.

R: We weren’t really hammered or anything. We had a few drinks and then we went home and started drinking tea.

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With Greg providing a steady bassline and Kim, a lilting melody, these two definitely have a rhythmic connection.    Greg Michalski, age 36, paramedic, and Kim Urhahn-Michalski, hairstylist, (Colourbox Hairdressing, 305 west Cordova street, www.facebook.com/colourboxvancouver, www.colourboxhair.com) age 33 met in 2005 playing music.  That connection still exists in it’s latest incarnation as Significant Insect  http://www.facebook.com/significantinsect (new album to be released in next month.) How do they manage to be so sweet without ever approaching syrupy?

How did you meet?

Kim:  I played drums, Greg played bass.

Greg: We were rehearsing and I hadn’t met Kim.  She walks in and it was one of those weird things because I thought, “That’s the girl I’m going to marry.” Before that I never really cared, I thought maybe I’ll get married, maybe I won’t.   To this day, I have no idea what it was.

Kim:  And it only took you two years.  I was living with a boyfriend, and he had a girlfriend.

Greg:  For some reason that didn’t matter, I thought that’s fine, I’ll marry her anyway.  And I think that’s why it worked out was because we never pushed for it, it just sort of happened.

Kim:  When you’re in a band and you’re trying to make it, I couldn’t date anyone in my band.   It was off-limits, I didn’t even really think about him.  I fought it when Greg first sent me a cute email.  (I’ve still got it somewhere.)  Greg is very awkward about women.

Greg:  I sent her an email, something ridiculous like, if we were in England, I guess you could say I fancy you.

Kim: It took a few more emails of convincing.  (laughs)  We played in two bands and would commute together.  We were in the studio from 11pm – 5am and there was plenty of time to talk.  Then we started dating and we hid it from the other guys in the bands for a month.

Greg:  See you think it’s going to be this awesome story and then when you say it out loud, you’re like oh god, we’re twelve.

Kim:  When we told the band, they called up their wives who said, “I knew it.”

What drew you to him/her when you first met? 

Greg: I found her very soothing, I just found I didn’t have to put on an act.   I don’t want to say I didn’t have to try, but there was something honest.  You know when you’re dating some one, and you try to be funny and the girl tries to be what she tries to be? But with Kim it was just really relaxed.

Kim:  We were pretty good friends for two years.  I had a really awkward moment about a year before we started dating.  I got out of my car and I saw this guy walking down the street and I thought “Damn, who is that?” Really he knew all of my horrible tour stories and didn’t judge me.

I find Greg is very honest; he doesn’t put on airs for anybody.  (turns to him) You’re always exactly who you are.  And I think he’s very caring, which sounds really cheesy, but I mean it in the way that he always wants to do more for other people if he can.  He’s always talking about going away to Honduras and helping to bring medical supplies to kids, and working in clinics and I like that.

Greg:  It’s not just because she’s beautiful, she’s very genuine. There’s no BS, she just who she is, very goodhearted and very – nice.  She’s got such an incredible generosity and good heart.  She’s never really in a bad mood.  She’s got the odd… headache…

Kim:  I never really use my head as an excuse.  (laughs)

Greg:  Sore throat, sprained wrist, whatever….

What are some special moments or memories that you still talk about? 

Greg: There’s a lot of on stage moments in my head.   It’s cool to be rocking out to a song and look over and see your wife playing drums.

Kim:  I play in other projects without Greg but Greg has never played in other projects without me, so I’ve never been able to go to his show and just be his groupie, which would just be so cool.  I would love to be your groupie.

Greg:  A lot of it centres around music. There’s moments that I’m not so proud of.  There’s the usual sort of man jealousy stuff, I admit it.

Kim:  We backpacked across Cambodia for a month, so there’s moments like, oh hey remember when that douchebag tried to scam us at the border at Cambodia.

Greg: The trip that we took to Cambodia happened a couple of months after we got married.  It was a real test of teamwork.  We got to Bangkok airport and we couldn’t leave.  Rebels had taken over the airport and shut it down, so we had to back pack, back through Thailand, across Cambodia, into Vietnam.  We weren’t even sure if we had flights, and it was like 4 in the morning in the back of a pick up truck.

Kim:  We took a video camera and we have video of us like “So it’s 3 o’clock in the morning and we’re waiting for the border to open at 7am. “

Greg:   The teamwork machine never broke down, well except one time in the 6 weeks.  We got lost in Bangkok.

Kim:  This was after the bus ride from the Cambodian border, which was supposed to be an air-conditioned bus.  We had to share one seat in the back of a mini van for 4 hours.

Greg:  So then the cab driver was screwing us around and I will admit, we were at each other’s throats.

Kim:  Then we took the most fun tuk-tuk ride – a motorbike with a cart on the back.  The guy thought that we were brand new, with the packs on our back.  But we’d been riding tuk-tuks for the last 5 weeks.  He took us thru the streets of Bangkok as fast as he could go, weaving thru the traffic, and it was like he expected us to be like “oh no, oh no.”  But instead we were like “woooooo!!!!”  Just letting it all go.

Do you still date?

Greg:  Kim’s got some limited dietary stuff going on so we have a …READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>