I had moved to Alaska in 1991 not knowing what every man should know, there are at least ten men for every woman there. A popular saying with the men is “You don’t lose out, you lose your turn.” A popular saying with the women is ” The odds are good but the goods are odd.”

The third day I was there, I went to the first-ever wine tasting at THE hotel on this small Alaskan island. I was laughing with some friends when I heard a female voice firmly say, “I’m going to marry that man, do you happen to know his name?” As the crowd parted, I looked up to see this serious looking red-haired woman staring at me. Beside her was a woman that worked at a desk across from mine. Cheerily she yelled across the room, “Hey Jon! You’re in luck! One of us wants you!” I turned an unmanly crimson as the crowd started to applaud. The red-head crossed the room, took my hand, and shouted out, “Hands off girls, this one is mine!” How right she was! Three dates later I found myself a married man. Sixteen years later, as we are about to celebrate our Valentine’s Day (no kidding) anniversary, I still find myself in a blur about how it happened!