The men in my life: Matthew

Ok, seriously, how can I NOT go gaga over this actor? 1. He's an Austinite and die-hard Longhorns fan. 2. He prefers his Airstream trailer over a fancy hotel room 3. Three words: Just Keep Livin' 4. He was arrested for smoking pot while dancing around in the buff and beating on bongos 5. Pabst 6. Just look at him!!!

It was the summer of 1996 when I went to the Colonial Village theater in Rockford, IL to watch A Time to Kill. I walked into the theater excited that my favorite John Grisham novel was made into a movie. I left the theater starry eyed over its lead actor. In fact, he's the only actor I've found attractive in the past 13 years. I'm still a sucker for those Texan peepers!

I fell in love with Austin, TX back in 1998 when I flew down to visit my friend Aaron S. I spent a week at his place with my other close Wisconsin pal Andy R, and the three of us tore up the town. Andy and I flew from Mitchell to Dallas, and Aaron picked us up from the airport in a Mustang convertible. We drove the three hours back to Austin, Andy and I knocking back a few beers along the way. We drove straight to 6th Street. I mean, our luggage was still in Aaron's trunk. We went straight from the airport to the Library and proceeded to engage in a mean game of Golden Tee. That entire week was such a blast. We hiked around the Barton Creek Greenbelt, ate at the Salt Lick, climbed Mount Bonnell, rabble-roused at the Tavern on 12th and Lamar, spent another whole night on Cedar Street, and then attended this crazy house party/crawdaddy boil where I was thrown into Lake Travis and came back to Aaron's place wearing some rasta guy's tee shirt because mine was covered in sludge. Aaron was dating this girl Jennifer, and she and I bonded pretty quickly after going to the local grocery store to pick up some live crawdaddies.

I came back to Austin many times after that. Sometimes I'd see Aaron, and sometimes I wouldn't. I started striking up some new friendships, including an equine vet I hoped to start dating. I visited McCombs at UT with every intention of moving there in October 2001 and starting my MBA program full-time in the fall of 2002. In May of 2001 I even picked out my apartment off Spyglass Drive (Misson Barton Creek) and put a deposit down. I loved everything about Austin, especially SXSW, Stubbs, the Red River District, and Zilker Park. I was so ready to leave the Midwest!!

Then on June 20, 2001 I went out on a blind date that changed my life forever. I didn't know it at the time, but this blind date was going to become my husband 4.5 years later. During the first three months of our dating I postponed my Austin move because everything about Mike M felt right. I mean, everything. He didn't know it yet, but I did.

Life is crazy sometimes.

Anyway, Matthew McConaughey, I must let you know my husband has offered me a free night with you should you ever knock on my door, but I had to promise my husband the same should Elisabeth Shue come knocking instead.

Congratulations on being my only non-musician crush in the past decade and a half!

Best wishes with Camila and Levi. Just Keep Livin'!