In 2019, Amanda had a social work internship with United Workers. At the time, the group was focused on establishing an affordable housing trust fund that would be funded and administered by the city of Baltimore. I was an occasional volunteer on the project which dovetailed nicely with the housing work I was doing in DSA at the time.

I believe I first became aware of Amanda at a regular monthly United Workers meeting at St John's. We didn't talk but she seemed happy to be there. We probably saw each other in passing like this a couple of times before she got up the nerve to talk to me (with her friend Jo acting as moral support/plausible deniabili-buddy) at Baltimore Taxpayer Night at the War Memorial downtown. I was immediately charmed. She was very easy to talk to, clearly shared my values, and she just seemed fun. I can be pretty dour and she really brightened my evening. I think we spoke again a few more times in the context of United Workers, but it never progressed beyond acquaintinceship.

And then the pandemic reared it's ugly head and beyond possibly running into each other at a protest against evictions or police violence, we didn't really see each other. Luckily, in August of 2021, we matched on OK Cupid. I don't know what my introductory message was exactly, but, it was something along the lines of "Hey, I know you! Do you remember me?" Y'know something really captivating. After some very awkward texting, including a full week of silence on my end which I somehow convinced myself was the gentlemanly thing to do, we had our first date at Wet City in Baltimore on August 27th, 2021. We talked for hours and it was wonderful. Walking back to my car at the end of the night, it was the happiest I had been in years.

I first noticed Dan at 2640 St. Paul during a meeting of the Baltimore Housing Roundtable. I was getting ready to start a fellowship with United Workers after recently moving to Baltimore from Detroit to attend University of Maryland Baltimore in pursuit of my MSW.


During Taxpayers Night at the Baltimore War Memorial in 2019 I made a point to sit next to Daniel. We made small talk but he wasnt really taking the bait. So imagine my surprise when after matching on an internet dating site (on the other side of the pandemic) he messaged me and said, Hey I know you!


I waited a week after giving him my phone number to be asked on a proper date. Nothing. Eventually I bit the bullet and asked him to grab a beer. On August 27th 2021 I got to Wet City first and was about to text my friends that I was getting ready to leave because Where the hell is this guy?


At the end of the date Dan very earnestly said “I had a *really* good time.” And I knew then that I was done for. I always say that in that moment I heard an audible click like the sound made when two magnets connect.


A year later Pickle and I moved in. The next summer after dinner, with friends in Ocean City, I reluctantly joined everyone on a walk to Northside Park. While the sun set and a blue heron enjoyed the nice weather Dan asked me to marry him.