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| What does it mean when there are eerie coincidences?
Before Joan and I were married back in 1986, we had a running joke: If someone asked us where we were going for our honeymoon we said: "Somewhere south--Braintree," a 10 mile away southern suburb of Boston. Our joke further specified the Sheraton Tara in Braintree.
Our wedding was being held in Framingham, Massachusetts, and there is another Sheraton Tara owned by the same firm, "The Flatley Company" right in Framingham. I recalled seeing a sign on the highway about a special dinner and room deal in the Framingham Tara, so I gave them a call. It went something like this.
"Sheraton Tara"
"Hi. I remember seeing a sign on the highway about a dinner and room deal for Sunday nights. Can you tell me about it?"
"Sure. You buy dinner in our Upper Crust Restaurant for $52.50, and the room is free."
"Wow, that sounds like a great deal! Plus we're getting married that day, so I'm sure we'll be hungry by then. I remember you have nicer rooms on the 6th floor, the 'Top of the Tara,' can I get one of those?"
"Yes sir, the Top of the Tara rooms are $15 extra on this deal."
"It's my wedding night, I'll be a sport! Can I book that now?"
When we arrived after our wedding, I dropped Joan at the door with the luggage and went to park the car. I returned just in time to follow Joan and the bellhop to the elevators. I followed them down the hall and we wound up in a room, but there was no bed, but the bellhop was still going. It didn't dawn on me for another moment that we were in a suite - the Presidential Suite, the finest in the hotel.
(Joan told me later that the bellhop had almost spoiled the surprise a little bit, when he took the key from the desk he said "Oh this is a nice room!", but Joan really didn't catch on.)
So we went to the Upper Crust with our $52.50 credit, and had a nice ChateauBriand for two, very nicely planked with piped mashed potatoes and grilled veggies, and a very nice night in the Top of the Tara Presidential Suite. Back in those days, $52.50 went a long way, even in a hotel's nicer restaurant.
Last night was our 20th anniversary. There's a semi-new restaurant in town that has been getting rave reviews since it opened. The only problem? It's an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet, and neither Joan nor I have ever been to such an establishment before. So I decide that, if it's OK with Joan (and it was) we'd try it out for our anniversary. Either it would be a special meal on our 20th, or we'd both get sick as dogs. Either way, it would be memorable.
Again I drop Joan at the door so she can "check it out" and I go park the car. When I get in, she's just coming back from reconnaissance, and she approves. So we tell the Maitre D' that we'd like to dine there and he gathers the wine list (we won't be needing that) and I ask him: "How much is the buffet?" and he answers $25. Wow, a little more than I'd have guessed (it's in a strip mall), but the place looks nice, Joan approves and I've always seen LOTS of people around it.
We go in and have a marvelous time. We try things neither one of us would normally eat, we have some hand-rolled things, we have lots of stuff. There was a Hibachi grill, serving up charbroiled things as well, and some Dim Sum and baked seafood entrees as well.
Everything was great. When we finally asked for the check it came.
The bill was for $52.50.
No room included this time. But that's ok, we have one of our own now.  | |
| Ron.
I am the queen of coincidences.
I have experienced so many weird experiences that have been coincidences that I don't even bat an eye any more. If anything is weird and creepy feeling just because of the passing of time I just chalk it up to how small this world is and move on.
Very neat how that happened, and it makes the day even more memorable for the both of you. Somewhere it was meant to happen...
I have plenty of stories that belong in the X-files.....  | | I love that story. | I always have those types of things happen to me. Or I will start thinking of someone I haven't seen for a million years, and poof! I run into them...or hear a long lost song...or something.
I also have seem to have some connections with my relatives that have passed....but I won't go into that.
I don't want y'all to think I'm (too) nuts!
I think it just means, some of us (and I believe we are the lucky ones) are very in tune with the universe around us. | | Well, maybe for your 40th you'll win the lottery with those numbers. | Ron,
Am I allowed to be mildly surprised that you still remember how much your hotel room on your wedding night cost 20 years later? I can't remember exactly how much mine cost, and that was 2 years ago (and I booked it!)
That is a pretty funny story though 
I've always felt that when a bunch of coincidences are grouped together it is an indicator is going on "behind the scenes". Like when I met Mike... our lives were full of coincidence: We were born on the same day of the month, our house numbers where the same, his name is the male version of my middle name, his middle name is what I would have been called if I'd been a boy, the list goes on. | Well, it was a pretty big deal for us. We got the Presidential Suite with galley kitchen and living room and bedroom and dinner for 2 for $52.50. (plus $15  ) It was the deal of the century, and after dinner we called up friends and family who were still in the neighborhood to come on over and hang out!
It's just one of those things we'll never forget. I wonder if we'll remember our 20th anniversary dinner this well? | Ron!!!! You're such a romantic  ! I bet you will remember your 20th. And by time you get to your 30th, gas will be $52.50 a gallon!
Congrats again. |
debcram wrote:
And by time you get to your 30th, gas will be $52.50 a gallon! |
 In ten years?
I hope not. But if it is, I hope to be driving something else... | I too seem to be a Queen of eerie coincidences.
There were a crazy set of circumstances that led Billy & I together.
All starting with me being stood up for a date, ok not just a date, but Valentine's day (the guy was in the E.R. which I did not know until days later) I was so upset I decided I wasn't going to let it ruin my night and asked my sister if there were any nice bars that were close. I ended up making friends with a whole bunch of people there. On later trips I had gone back to the bar and hung with my friends. Most of these people ended up being friends of Billy too.
I didn't meet Billy until two trips later to CA and many months later.
When I met him we were immediately drawn to each other.
I talked to some of my friends about him and found out they were all his friends too. Everyone thought we would make a great couple. After about a few nights of seeing us all together half the people came up to him and told him to "if you hurt her I'll kill ya" LMAO They other half begged me not to hurt him. After 6 days of spending at least 8 hrs a night talking at the bar we had our first date. I cooked him dinner. The following night he cooked me dinner and we were in love!!
The funniest part was neither one of us was looking for a relationship.
We were extremely up front with each other about all of our problems and we still wanted to be with each other. I was completely shocked...especially after I told him about the Fibromyalgia and he was still interested.
Also strange things that happened after I moved to CA including ending up working with the guy that stood me up's friend. Then the guy that stood me up ended up becoming a client at the company I was working for. I ended up seeing him at our company's Christmas Party.
I feel that everything happens for a reason....even if you can't understand why at the time it happens it will eventually become clear on why it did.
Karen, Billy and I are both born on the 7th. Different months though.
We also grew up in towns that started with "W" Many many more strange things.
Ron, Very cool story!! | Great story, Ron!  But I'm with Karen - it's amazing that you remember how much the meal & room were from 20 years ago!! Pretty darned cool!
My coincidences center around numbers. The numbers 1-0-4 to be exact, or a variation of those 3 numbers.
When we were dating, Dale had a CB radio. (What can I say? It was the 70's!) The typical sign-off was 10-4. I used to kid him about it all the time and we'd use it ending regular conversations, too. 
When we set our wedding date, we knew we wanted October. I wanted the last week-end, he wanted the first. We went with the first week-end. The date? October 4 - 10/4.
When we built our house a few years later, our original house number was 104. After a few years, the local fire department changed everyone's house numbers so they could find them easier, and we ended up with 8064. So we still kept two of our three numbers. We still live in that house.
When I started in 1980 with the company I'm still with, my first office number was - you guessed it! - 104.
A few years later when I got pregnant with my son, my original due date for him was April 10 - 4/10.
I don't remember exactly when I made the connection with the numbers, but I do remember it threw me for a loop! SO - we were destined to get married, live where we do, work where I do, and have our son when we did.
Do I hear The Twilight Zone theme in the background?  | Coincidences are so fascinating!
Very sweet stories... | I love coincidence stories! I forgot to mention, our birthdays are a math problem:
I was born in May, the 5th month. Multiply that by 2, you get Mike's birth month (October), multiply that by 2 you get the day of the month we were both born 5/20 and 10/20... pretty cool | | What a nice story! | I have a host of stories regarding coincidences..karma, or whatever you want to call it.
For some reason seems like all the guys I've been involved with have either been named Bill or Mike. Now I run for the hills if they tell me if their name is Bill or Mike...ha!
Then again, I've been seeing Kaj and his birthday is Aug 26th. Same birthday as my brother, son and Merlin. Go fiqure!
Ron, loved your story and I'm amazed too that you remember so much detail of 20 years ago. Now I have to rethink that you're lucky to have landed such a beautiful wife..there is romance in your bones! Guess Joan is a lucky woman afterall!
I also like the idea of perhaps picking those numbers on your 30th anniversary..who knows?
Marianne and the boys |
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