it was also where she met her husband, dan mockbee. what was she like? what drew you to her? >> michelle was funny, attractive, intelligent. >> reporter: i've heard you say that pictures kind of don't do her justice. >> no. no. no. michelle was much more -- there was a vibrantness to her. i mean, she was beautiful. >> reporter: it was at a thermo fisher christmas party back in 1999 that dan first summoned the courage to ask her out. you'd been thinking about michelle? >> oh, absolutely. i'd been working on her for a year, so. >> reporter: he asked michelle to stick with him that night. and she did. and then everything went sideways. >> it was the worst date in the world. >> reporter: what went wrong? >> i don't know. i was totally off my game. i couldn't speak. and i thought, "oh gosh, i've done screwed this up totally. this was terrible." but then i asked her out again and she said yes and -- >> reporter: well, maybe you did something right. >> i must have. i don't know. or she felt sorry for me, gave me another chance. i don't know. >> reporter: michelle's family soon met h