I’m sure we all have a favorite story that we like to share. Well, mine is the best by far because it involves love, fate and of course, Chuck Woolery.

It all started back in 1990. I was living in Orange County, Ca. working as a radio traffic reporter, and Dean was living in Los Angeles, working as a Controller for a leasing company. I heard they were having auditions for a dating show in L.A, and thought I would give it a shot. Not to meet anyone of course, but to be on TV! Dean, on the other hand, was in a bit of a dating slump, and was hoping to meet the girl of his dreams and fall in love. Actually, he was dared to do it by his roommate, Hugh.

So, the auditions came and went, and I was picked to view tapes of 3 guys, and to go on a date with one of them. After the date I would then come back on the show to share my story with Chuck Woolery (and the rest of America.) After viewing my 3 choices, I was not impressed with any of them, and asked if I could have 3 new choices. The lady helping me reminded me that this was a TV show, and they did not have time to let everyone really search for the person of their dreams. Fine, I picked the person that lived the closest to me……Dean.

I called Dean on the phone and informed him that I had picked him to go on a date. It turns out that Dean had been sitting in the system for about 6 months, and during that time had been working out a lot. Boy was I in for a treat.

We talked every night for about a week before our big date, and because our phone conversations went so well, I knew that if the chemistry was not there, we would be good friends.

So, the big day finally arrived, and I drove up to L.A to pick up Dean. I got a little lost and was a little late and have never heard the end of that. As I was walking up to the door, I found poems attached to roses on the sidewalk, on the walkway and at the front door. Wow! He had captured my heart. As my heart was pounding, I knocked on the door and when he opened it…….Double Wow! He was drop dead gorgeous. Why did this guy need help getting a date? He had a chiseled face, big broad shoulders and gorgeous thick black hair. Did I say Wow! Unfortunately, he did not think Wow when he saw me. You see, Dean was used to the girl next door, and I was far from that. I showed up with a ton of make-up, big puffy black "Beauty Pageant" hair, and the tightest jeans that had ever been worn. Not exactly the girl next door type.

Our first stop of the date took us to Malibu, California to "Gladstones" where we had lunch overlooking the beach. The conversation was moving, and I was excited, but there was still not much on Dean’s end.

Next we went to Santa Anita race track. We were still having a great time, and I sensed Dean was starting to be attracted to me. We placed a bet on a horse, and he suggested we seal our bet with a good luck kiss. So, we had our first kiss. After that we decided to go back to Dean’s house and get freshened up and go out to dinner at Ruby’s Diner at the end of the pier in Seal Beach, CA. Still having a great time, we came back to my house, watched TV and really got to know each other.

The next thing you know its morning (no, nothing happened!), and I was so embarrassed by my "morning look." My make-up had come off, my hair was flat against my head and I was in a long t-shirt. Well, it turned out that that was the point that Dean really thought I was cute. Can you believe it? I thought it was my worst moment, and he thought I looked like the "girl next door." I guess opposites do attract. Dean met my family that afternoon, and three weeks later we went back on the show to talk about our date. We gushed on the show, and Chuck and the audience could not believe that we were not making any of it up. We really had a great date (a date that lasted 36 hours).

Dean and I dated for a couple of years, got thru some obstacles, and were married on August 1, 1993. Not only was the wedding beautiful, but Chuck Woolery also stopped by to give a toast, and we also ended up on the local news that night. Yep, a wedding in true Andi fashion.

Dean and I have talked a lot about our first date and how it was fate that brought us together. We really had nothing in common when we met, and probably would not have looked twice at each other if we were sitting next to each other at a bar. We would have passed right by and would have never have known all the wonderful things we would have missed out on. Dean has taught me to be more responsible, and I have taught him to laugh a lot and to get crazy once in a while. It’s a great combination, and, of course, when you add our three boys into the mix……life is great!