Sam and I met at the Hansa Clipper where I bartended part time. A somewhat regular, and terrible tipper at the time, there was always a good rapport and banter. After losing Alan, Sam checked in to see how Ida and I were doing and in particular seeing if I was getting therapy. He even gave a referral or two. Months passed and he got a job at the VA in Oregon (to start in just over 2 months). On my suggestion we celebrated by going out on the same side of the bar to the Grafton and it wasn't long after that we became inseparable. 2 months before he left, we saw each other nearly everyday and the connection was undeniable. With 2 flights between us, there were many trips to Oregon and a few with Ida. We talked nearly everyday for hours, video calls, and weaving in and out of our day with constant connection between our trips to see each other...he still sends morning texts and gifs everyday. We eventually settled on using Las Vegas to meet to save on commute time since it was only 1 flight for each of us, and usually getting heavily discounted rooms. Luckily we did not live together during Covid since Ida had remote learning and I worked from home. Sam proposed on a cold 37F night on a 10 day trip to Chicago at the beloved Due Lire in Lincoln Square on the lovely back patio November 27, 2020. Over the next year he secretly schemed to take a job in Chicago not telling me til August 2021...and he moved to Chicago and in with us in October 2021. Finding a true partner is rare and Sam and I share a deep love, values, twisted humor, and real comfort in being there for each other. Our ketubah says it best.

I moved to the Lincoln Square neighborhood around 2016-2017 and would frequently walk by the Hansa Clipper after getting off the Brown line at Western. One evening after work, I noticed a very strikingly beautiful woman working behind the bar. Well, it did not take long for the walking by to become walking in, especially when she was working. I immediately became enamored with Tara, her beauty, cutting wit and warmth captured my heart. As I became somewhat of a regular at the Clipper, I got to meet Ida and order many helpings of dinosaur soup. Tara and I became friends sharing more about our lives instead of the typical “bar” chat. She shared with me that her Partner, Ida’s Tata Alan had passed suddenly. In that time, I wanted to be a supportive friend and make sure her and Ida had what they needed. When I would come into the Clipper, I would always ask how she and Ida were doing and offer any assistance with connecting to grief counseling and mental health support. As our friendship grew over that year, I shared that I would be moving to Southern Oregon for work and wanted to celebrate with her. She famously said, “We will be on the same side of the bar.” That evening when we went out and did indeed sit on the same side of the bar at the Grafton, I knew she was special and didn’t want our time together to end. As I was preparing for the move to Oregon, we went out for drinks at another Lincoln Square institution, Barba Yianni where we both professed our love for each other. We found ways to make the long distance bearable with frequent trips to Vegas, Tara and Ida coming to Medford often and my visiting home here in Chicago. During COVID I knew I wanted to marry Tara with all my heart and began planning the proposal, so on a chilly November 27th 2020 at one of our favorite Italian restaurants, Due Lire under the warmth of an outdoor heat lamp I finally did. December 2nd 2023 is the next chapter for us and hope to celebrate with you all!!!