Back in 1992, KB was a first-year college sophmore at UCSC and Lori was in her last year of graduate work for her degree in computer science. For a requirement that Lori needed (and because it looked better than any other class around), she took a Women's Study class. KB had picked the class simply because it looked interesting. Now, you'd have thought that they met then and there, but you're wrong. Both met some people in the class who were fairly nice, and they both ended up invited to an evening party at the Catalyst (a club). Technically, KB was underage, but that didn't seem to matter that night, and she was dancing and jamming. A tall blonde caught sight of this and by the end of the evening, they'd made plans to meet for lunch.

By the next year, Loretta was working in San Jose, and commuting from the house she was at in Aptos. KB had a place on campus, but was over at Lori's most of the time. They both had similar passions, motorcycles and music, and they liked spending time togeather. When an ad in the paper showed up for a place they could both live at, near campus for KB, and near the freeway for Lori, they talked about it and moved in. KB took a job at a resturant to help pay for it (and some of her student loans helped a bit). Nothing but supportive, KB's parents were more than happy to help her out now and again, but she and Lori were more content to manage on their own. Something out of pride, something out of simple determination.

In 1995, Lori did, what KB calls, a real dumb thing. Knowing full well that she had weak lungs, Lori went to play in a women's rugby game while waiting for KB to finish up an exam. Lori's only explaination is that she hadn't had anything like that happen in years. Still, when she collapsed on the athletic feild and had to be rushed to the hospital, KB was a wreck. Spending two weeks in the hospital, Lori was really fine in the end, but had to swear to KB that she'd never do that without her medication around again. She hasn't.

Over the next four years, they met many people and made many friends. KB was working hard and with summer school, managed to get her bachelors within those four years. This included a few sessions of school down at UC Davis and UCLA, but it was working out. Actually, everything was going wonderfully until KB got a take on her job applications. Her stepfather's company (and he claims to this day that he didn't pick her) was hiring, and it was in St. Louis. Missouri.

The first half of 1997 was horrible. Loretta didn't want to leave California, KB didn't want to pass up a great job. In February, they seperated to "think things out" and KB moved into Cody and J.C.'s spare room. Cody and J.C. were good friends, but KB needed someone she knew and trusted like a sister, so she could talk. As it turned out, Lori needed the same thing, being miserable at home alone, and she too turned to a friend to talk. While they picked different people, the two "listeners" talked to each other, and in the end, one of them got annoyed. Actually, she was sick and tired of having KB come over and mope and eat her ice cream. Threatening to "knock heads togeather", this friend got Lori and KB talking again (thanks Mika!). Actually, the threat was pretty amusing, as KB and Mika are your average sized women (5'6"), but Lori's around six feet tall. Mika likes to call her "The Amazon."

What was Lori to do? With a threat like that, she gave in and threw herself at KB's feet. Appologizing, Lori did one of the boldest things she'd ever done. She bought a house in St. Louis (on the opposite end of town as KB's parents), talked her bosses into finding her a position at a partner company, and set the entire move up. Many late night coffee sessions helped them through this, and the worst problem was KB's student loans. That was when they made their second big decision. If we're going to move in and really do this, why not pool our money? So what that Lori still makes a hell of a lot more than KB, they're partners in life, and they care for eachother.

Now they live happily ever after, in their house in Missouri. For a while, they rented the walk-down to a friend of theirs, but now they live in the house, alone (well, with each other and two cats. KB wants a dog, Lori's refusing). In June, 1998, they plan to get married and the talk of children has been heard. KB just wishes her mother would stop calling up about dresses.... That's all there is so far! As things progress, expect more. You can read more about Loretta or KB if you want to. The main page to all of this is always there, too.

Email:

Lori - [email protected]
KB - [email protected]