Eileen and John both have worked at US WEST for a number of years, but the first time John and Eileen saw each other wasn't until 1996 when John was in the same building as Eileen interviewing for a different position within the company. This was when the sparks first flew, but it wasn't for another year that John and Eileen actually met.
One year after this "love at first blink", John was asked to support the computer systems of the group that Eileen worked in. The two of them were introduced so that John could get information about the network from Eileen. From this point on, they saw each other often since John had to keep coming to Eileen's group to support them. With the help of Ivan Hyde, who let Eileen and John know that the other was single, the ball started rolling. Eileen asked John (or was it John asked Eileen... you'll get a different story depending on which one you ask) if he wanted to go to lunch with her. He (or she) said "yes" and they had lunch at Leanne Chin. This lead to their first date.
The plan was to go to Underwater World at the Mall of America, but Eileen was late (as is common with Eileen, John soon discovered) so they missed it. Turns out she had been in the process of adopting a new kitten, Baby Ruth, so that her other cat, C.J., would have a playmate. Since John loves cats, there were no hard feelings. Because they were late for Underwater World, they ended up having dinner at Tony Roma's and then playing air hockey and video games at the arcade. The rest is history...
Three years later, John proposed to Eileen on September 24, 1998 after attending the wedding of Eileen's friend Anne.
