Jenny and Shawn Hatfield

SAVE THE DATE!

2009-01-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

Please celebrate with us as we tie the knot on October 17th, 2009! Our ceremony will be taking place on Rodeo Beach near the Marin Headlands. The picnic reception will follow at the Fort Barry Parade Grounds, which is adjacent to the Marin Headlands Hostel. We hope to see you there!

When Otter met Platty: He said

2009-01-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

While officially we met on the 16th of May, 2006, we did “meet” beforehand on a dating site called Nerve. I had set up an account in hopes of meeting new people but never put any effort into contacting anyone. I suppose you could say I was just trawling for bites. Jenny contacted me and after a few brief exchanges, I decided to let it go, mostly because she had no photo on her profile. Ironically, we ended up meeting in person at the Polo Fields but at the time, hadn’t made the connection to our previous Nerve encounter. I don’t really remember too much about the day we met other than her careless friend knocking my newly painted bike into some chain-link fence so it’s no surprise her memory of that day is of me as a jerk.

2006 was the year when San Francisco fell in love with the track bike and it brought all sorts of people together, people who otherwise would never have met. People from the widest array of backgrounds and interests were suddenly coming together to explore, train, and discuss all things fixed-gear. To meet these needs online, several local members of bikeforums.com came together to start a forum specifically for and about San Francisco fixed-gears. It was here that I met many of the people I now consider my closest friends.

I used the forum mostly as a way to organize group-rides and it was on these rides that I really came to know Jenny. She was devout cyclist. And she loved pushing her limits. I naturally gravitate towards these kinds of people, as I love not only pushing myself, but others too. It’s one of the reasons I’ve garnered the nickname “coach” by many of the local riders.

Over the last couple of years Jenny and I have spent a great deal of time together on the bike, and a lot of time out together socializing with friends. We’ve set each other up with dates, lamented at their failures, and confided in each other our wants and needs as lovers and companions. It’s funny to think that over all this time, what we really wanted was each other. I suppose we both had some baggage and some issues to work out to come to that conclusion, and during the 2008 race season, we began spending a lot more time training together. A good portion of training is spent recovering from efforts, and it’s during this time that Jenny and I had a lot to talk about. I grew closer to Jenny, and with that, my feelings for her changed. I suddenly found myself strongly attracted to one of my dearest and closest friends. Predicaments. This is a tough place to be. On one hand, here you have the potential to realize something truly great, on the other, rejection and subsequent awkwardness. Not an easy choice when it involves someone you truly care about. To make matters even more confusing, my intuition was telling me Jenny was changing the way she felt about me too, but I was too scared to act on intuition alone. Fortunately for the both of us, she was brave and during a conversation one day over Instant Messenger, popped the awkward tension with the truth.

1:14:23 PM Jenny: there's a question i want to ask you
1:14:31 PM Jenny: but don't have time at the moment as i'm leaving the office in 15
1:14:48 PM shawn: what does it relate to
1:14:56 PM shawn: i'll start thinking about it
1:14:59 PM Jenny: relationships
1:15:10 PM shawn: any particular aspect?
1:15:46 PM Jenny: umm...
1:16:04 PM Jenny: it's hard for me to detail it specifically without being somewhat...
1:16:10 PM Jenny: maybe not an IM conversation, hahaha
1:17:15 PM shawn: is it about someone specifically
1:17:28 PM Jenny: yeah
1:22:55 PM Jenny: let me put it this way. i guess a number of things have happened recently that have made me think about a person in a different light
1:23:24 PM shawn: that's cool
1:23:53 PM Jenny: in a romantic way, and just not sure whether to say something
1:24:08 PM Jenny: what would you do?
1:24:09 PM shawn: that's a tough one
1:24:55 PM shawn: i would pursue it, if it feels good. i'm all for experiences that are driven by the heart
1:27:21 PM Jenny: yeah - i guess i'm just worried about rejection, haha
1:27:27 PM Jenny: or awkwardness
1:29:20 PM shawn: i say go for it
1:29:30 PM Jenny: haha - easier said than done
1:29:58 PM shawn: do i know this person?
1:30:07 PM shawn: do they ride bikes?
1:30:38 PM Jenny: what if i was to say that it's you?
1:30:46 PM Jenny: *embarrassed silence*
1:31:23 PM shawn: is it me?
1:31:37 PM Jenny: ummm....
1:31:54 PM Jenny: yeah
1:31:55 PM shawn: strange you would say that
1:32:00 PM Jenny: now i feel totally embarrassed.
1:32:00 PM shawn: i have been feeling the same
1:32:13 PM shawn: and haven't figured out what to do about it…
1:32:34 PM Jenny: really?
1:32:36 PM shawn: yeah
1:32:41 PM Jenny: wow

We spoke later that night over Instant Messenger and while we were both undeniably overcome with excitement, we had both become incredibly nervous about our next move. While it’s not such a difficult transition to go from friend to lover, it does make it incredibly difficult to make the first move. In walk whiskey. Ah yes, a fantastic friend to the inhibited. A couple of shots later, and I’m on my bike headed for her house.

Perhaps even more awkward was in breaking the news to our friends. Many of them saw us as brother and sister. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times the response was “ew!” or “gross!”

I cannot be more thankful of all that’s transpired since first meeting Jenny back in May of 2006. We’ve forged a long lasting, deep, meaningful relationship, built on friendship, trust, and love.

GUEST BOOK

2009-01-14T21:50:00.001-08:00

SCHEDULE

2009-01-14T21:11:00.001-08:00

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16th:

We will be hosting a casual dinner either at our home or a local restaurant for out-of-town guests. Stay tuned for details and let us know if you'll be available to attend!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17th:

CEREMONY: Our ceremony will be taking place at 1PM on Rodeo Beach. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring layers of clothing as Bay Area weather is unpredictable!

Cyclists: Meet at 11:30 by the Joseph Strauss statue for a group ride to Rodeo Beach. Dress up your bikes and bring bells and noisemakers for the procession across the bridge!

Drivers: Please click here for directions to the ceremony and reception.

RECEPTION: Our picnic reception will be at the Fort Barry Parade Grounds, which is a short distance away from Rodeo Beach, and will begin at 2pm. Blankets will be provided, but please feel free to bring extras for your own comfort. We encourage you to bring any games as there's plenty of room for kickball, badminton, bocce ball, frisbee. There's also a basketball court that can be used for bike polo!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17th
For guests spending the night at the Marin Headlands Youth Hostel with us, there will be a light brunch served in the morning before we check out at 11AM.

DIRECTIONS

2009-01-14T21:09:00.001-08:00

CEREMONY: Our ceremony will be taking place at 1PM on Rodeo Beach. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring layers of clothing as Bay Area weather is unpredictable!

BY CAR: Please allow at least 1 hour to drive from downtown San Francisco to the ceremony location. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is limited at both the beach and the reception area.

Take Lombard / US-101 N across the Golden Gate Bridge. Take the Alexander Avenue exit immediately after you cross the bridge. You will then merge onto Alexander Avenue. Take the next LEFT that appears on Alexander Avenue onto BUNKER ROAD. You'll see a sign that says FORT BAKER / MARIN HEADLANDS (TUNNEL ROUTE) that guides you in this direction. Once you turn LEFT, you'll drive through a TUNNEL and continue on BUNKER ROAD for about 10-12 minutes. Take a soft LEFT onto MITCHELL ROAD towards RODEO BEACH. You'll see a sign for the Marine Mammal Visitor Center, Rodeo Beach. PARK near the PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE that leads to the beach.

Once you cross the pedestrian foot bridge, head to your far left at the southernmost end of the beach at the rocks; this is where we're going to tie the knot!

BY BIKE: We will be leading a group ride to Rodeo Beach and we hope you can join us by bicycle! Please meet us at 11:30am at the Joseph Strauss statue. It's located in the small park at the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge and is across from the gift shop.

You can rent bicycles from Blazing Saddles.

Please feel free to dress up your bikes and bring bells and noisemakers for the procession across the bridge!

RECEPTION: Our reception is at the Fort Barry Parade Grounds, which is a short distance away from Rodeo Beach.

BY CAR: Drive away from the ocean and back onto MITCHELL ROAD. At the STOP SIGN, continue STRAIGHT on BUNKER ROAD. At the FORK in the road, VEER TO THE RIGHT and CONTINUE RIGHT past the YIELD SIGN. Follow signs to the Marin Headlands Youth Hostel and turn LEFT at BOSWORTH ROAD. Turn LEFT at SIMMONDS ROAD. Follow signs to the HOSTEL and PARKING; you'll pass the Marin Headlands Center for the Arts on your LEFT. There's one large lot for PARKING that will be on your RIGHT.

Walk up SIMMONDS ROAD. You'll pass the main building of the MARIN HEADLANDS YOUTH HOSTEL on your left. Keep walking until you reach the smaller ANNEX.

Then you'll be able to walk down the stairs to the FT. BARRY PARADE GROUNDS for our reception.

BY BIKE: We will lead you to the Fort Barry Parade Grounds! Feel free to bring a bike lock, but there's plenty of room for bikes to safely relax under our watchful eyes in the meadow.

BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO: Head down the hill from the Hostel and turn LEFT on SIMMONDS ROAD. Turn RIGHT on BOSWORTH ROAD. Turn RIGHT on FIELD ROAD and follow the sign to SAN FRANCISCO / SAUSALITO. Merge RIGHT onto BUNKER ROAD. After you go through the TUNNEL, continue STRAIGHT and follow signs to US-101. There is a $6 TOLL to cross the Golden Gate Bridge toward San Francisco.

REGISTRY

2009-01-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

We've registered with Amazon.com so you can spoil us as much as you like! Or feel free to contribute to our honeymoon fund!

THINGS TO DO

2009-01-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

While we'd love to have you all to ourselves, we hope that you'll also explore all the Bay Area has to offer while you're in town! Check out these links for some great ideas for activities:

PLACES TO STAY

2009-01-14T20:54:00.001-08:00

Here's a handy list of hotels just in case you feel like getting some rest at some point during the festivities!

ACCOMMODATIONS IN MARIN

ACCOMMODATIONS IN SAN FRANCISCO

ACCOMMODATIONS IN EMERYVILLE

AIRPORTS

2009-01-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

If you're traveling from out-of-town to join us, these are the closest airports to San Francisco:

Please contact us if you need directions via BART from either airport.

When Platty Met Otter: She Said

2008-12-27T20:47:00.000-08:00

Shawn and I met on May 16th, 2006 at Golden Gate Park's Polo Fields.

I had just moved to San Francisco in April and had heard about a local gathering of fixed-gear bicycle enthusiasts meeting on a regular basis at the PF's on late Tuesday afternoons. I headed over there with a friend of mine and we rested our bicycles along the fence. He accidently bumped into Shawn's Nagasawa as he was parking his own bike, and Shawn said coldly, "Watch it."

I thought to myself, "Geez, what an uptight jerk!" and avoided him for the rest of the afternoon as you can see here. (I'm sitting to the far right, Shawn's several feet away in his fancy kit).

The next time I saw him was when he was track standing in the Panhandle while waiting for our friend Dennis to go on a ride in Marin. He was wearing all white - matchy-matchy style - to coordinate with his Nagasawa. I thought to myself, "Oh, there's that asshole - but he's awfully cute!"

Given the fact that San Francisco is a small town - especially for cyclists - we kept bumping into each other on group rides and other events and came to realize that our first impressions were a bit inaccurate. A little over a month later, we were organizing our own rides together with friends (you can see my shadow in the corner):

And to Fairfax in Marin:

Shawn also introduced me Montano Velo, my favorite bike shop in the whole world. It's run by some of my now best friends - Jason and Stevie - who helped me to build my first fixed gear bike, the Baby Whip. Through J & S, I met Jason Grove who built me a road bike and my Broakland.

With all of these bikes, that naturally led to more riding, more friendships and more fun on two wheels. Shawn and I became closer friends, partying together, racing, nerding out at bike events, eating tasty food, and counseling each other through relationship woes and other problems life presented to us.

In 2008, Shawn officially recruited me for Montano Velo's Track team for racing at Hellyer Velodrome, and we started training together at the Polo Fields on a regular basis.

During this time, I had a dream that we were smooching but that his beard kept appearing and disappearing. I asked several friends about the meaning of this dream, and the consensus was that I was either 1) harboring deep feelings for Shawn yet wasn't ready to face them 2) just having another bizarro dream per usual 3) we shouldn't date because we were too close like "brother and sister". One friend even exclaimed, "Ewwwwww!" when I told him about my dream as he was so horrified at the prospect of us becoming a couple.

But soon after that, I read this Vows column in the New York Times about two best friends falling in love after 8 years' of friendship. (I've been reading Vows for about that long!) I think she summed up my emotions best with this sentiment: “I found myself attracted to my best friend. I was surprised and grossed out at the same time.” Yet I felt a kinship with this this couple, and it nudged me closer to perhaps revealing my growing feelings for Shawn.

One night, after training and rushing to see a film I had passes for, we relaxed over dinner at a local Japanese noodle house. Our conversation turned to love; we were both lamenting the fact that we were still single and wondered if we'd ever find a life-long partner. As we talked about what we were looking for in a relationship, I had a small epiphany of sorts about Shawn, rather like his expression in this photo about his noodles:

I realized that we had so much in common and got along amazingly well. Could it be...?

I was on the verge of saying something about how I felt the night we hung out together at Alamo Square, a lovely park right near his old place in San Francisco.

It was a warm spring evening, and we were camped out on a blanket talking under the stars. But I was way too nervous to say anything, even with the help of the tequila we were drinking!

Several weeks later, upon hearing he was about to go on a date with another bike chick, I decided to confess my feelings for him. Luckily enough, he admitted to me that he had been feeling the same way for quite some time, but didn't know how to bring up the subject. After we got over our initial shock and surprise, we had our first date on May 22nd, 2008, 2 years and 6 days after our first meeting. And thus:

It still amazes me that we were able to transcend our first cranky encounter to becoming best friends and then engaged. It's a wonderful thing to fall in love with a best friend because so much of the foundation has been put in place. I never would have predicted it, and I certainly believe in serendipity. I'm a very lucky gal.