Matador Love

Matador Romance

I was inspired to start this page by a recent email from Denise Harrel, class of 1982. She recently married her high school sweetheart after a chance find on Classmates.com. If you'd like to see your story (or a friend's story!) here, email me. Or maybe you are looking for your old sweetheart and would like me post a note here?

Denise's Story

This just in! More Matador Romance!

I received an email recently from Lori (Kowalski) Wood, class of 1980. Here is Lori's romance story:

Keep those romance stories comin'!



		In April of 2002, I opened my email at 7:30 in the morning, as I did every morning....but that day was a little different. I had my regular email....some junk....and an update from Classmates.com. It read: "Denise, do you reconize any of these 13 names?" Low and behold...I did!!! The one person, who I truly looked for since high school, name appeared in front of me. My heart actually stopped beating for a second, I'm sure. I was unsure if he was even still alive, but there his name was....Greg Djinis. I shot an email off so fast. Something short and silly like, " Hi! You probably don't remember me....." The very next morning, I sat at the computer, opened the morning mail....and there it was!!!! "Good Morning from San Fransisco!"-Greg Djinis.....there it was!!!! After a few short email back and forth, we realized that Greg was planning a trip to Phoenix in just two weeks for his mothers back surgery. We arranged that I would pick him up at the airport when he flew in. Nothing crazy, just old friends wanting to say hello and catch up. Actually, I wanted to see if he was still the nice guy I knew in high school. Certainly not planning any romance or connection. Within the next day, I did some research and found out where Greg was working. A resort in Sonoma, California....Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa. I got up the courage to dial the 800 number and before I knew it a familiar voice was on the other end, "Thank you for calling Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa, this is Greg, how may I assist you?" There it was...the same voice I knew over 20 years ago. He just about fell out of his chair when I answered, "Uhhh...Hi Greg, its Denise!" We chatted for a few minutes and I felt like I was 16 again. Anyway, two weeks later, he came walking through the security check point at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. Greg looked exactly the same to me. All but the shaved head, which he forewarned me about. He dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around me. We hugged for what seemed like an eternity. He was trembling, and me, of course, I was crying. After he was back in Phoenix for the week, we saw each other a couple of times. Mostly I drove him to and from the hospital after his mothers surgery. Then I took him to the airport to fly back to California. It was a strange time. I couldn't shake the feelings that I had. And couldn't figure out where and how he was feeling. But there was definately something there. We spent the next several months emailing nearly every day. Sometimes we'd call. The next time I saw Greg was in September 2002. I only met him at the airport on his way back out to California for a drink. That's where he kissed me for the first time since the 9th grade! I knew there was trouble brewing....from that kiss. By the end of October, Greg had secured a job back in Phoenix. That was it!!! We both knew that we were brought back together for some purpose. We spent many hours talking about the 9th grade. Why did we break up? Why did I think about him all these years and not call or go to his mom's house? Why didn't he go to the 10 year reunion? We didn't have any answers. The strange thing is we both remembered that we talked about getting married. On my front porch, in 1979, Greg asked me to marry him. We agreed that we would wait until we were finished with college. That would mean 1986...but what date? Valentine's Day, of course!!! Well, we did break up and went our separate ways. Never really forgetting each other. We only spoke maybe a half a dozen times the rest of high school. Years later, in 1986.....we both met our former spouses. It was the exact same weekend, Memorial Day 1986. We each got married in 1986 to those people, within weeks of each other....never knowing that until now. Greg had two boys and I had two girls....all within a short time of each other. Greg Jr-Sept 1988, Misha-Dec 1988, David-Apr 1990, Mariah May 1991!!!!!!!! Crazy, isn't it?!?!?!?! So moving forward....in December of 2002, Greg once again asked me to marry him. He gave me a beautiful ring in the parking lot of our high school, where it all started according to him. And we immediately starting planning our wedding. By April 2003, we got word that Greg's ex-employer from California wanted him back,including a huge promotion. We were now moving to California, with the kids. (Well, we have 3 out of the 4, David stayed in Phoenix to finish school where he's been attending.) By June, we were all in Napa, California. The beautiful wine country. The kids are settled into school and Greg into his job. We've had lots of vistors throughout the summer. It's been wonderful. Oh...as for the wedding....we had one small complication. In June, Greg flew back to Phoenix (before the kids and I left) and we went to get our marriage license so we could take it to the priest. We didn't realize that those things take effect right a way. We got married civily on June 9, 2003.....before coming to California. However, our Big Fat Greek Wedding is still on.......what date you ask???? Valentines Day 2004, of course!!!!! It will be 18 years from the original date we were suppose to get married!!!!!! Our families are crazy with joy and happiness that we are finally back together. And you know what??? So are we.....

	I was exited to see your "romance" page on the website. My husband and I finally married after dating in high school at Shadow Mountain (we graduated in 1980), after a chance phone call 16 years later! He was living in northern California at the time. I happened to run into his mom at the mall, and told her that I had been looking for a freiend of mine (his cousin), that I had lost track of. She told me that he would know how to get ahold of her, and that I should call him, he's LOVE to here from me. I was newly single, and was not sure what to say, or how to begin the conversation, but I found the nerve in a bottle of wine, and dialed.......................... I really though that he'd been happily married for years, by now, and was hoping that his wife wouldn't answer. He picked up the phone, and I almost hung up. I said hello in a very quiet voice, and the next thing I knew, it was midnight. We had many, many calls after that. He suggested that we meet in Reno, NV for some "R&R", and I agreed (very out of charicter for me). I left my 2 kids with my mom here in Phoenix, and hopped a plane. I wasn't sure if I'd remember his face, or if he's remember mine, but I knew him as soon as I saw him. We spent 3 wonderful days together. The next month, he flew into Phoenix, and we spent 3 days here. My children loved him INSTANTLY! I packed my things for a trip to northern Cal, and we planned to stay with him for a "vacation"........... Well, it's been almost 9 years, now, and we have a son of our own, we have moved back to AZ, and i'm still on vacation!!!!!!!!!! Lori (Kowalski) Wood aka: Mrs. Craig Wood