17 April, 2009
You asked for it, you got it, Toyota
Josh, 31, Salesman
My office is relatively small. There are 5 warehouse guys, 4 office ladies, 3 salesmen... and a partridge in a pear tree. We are located just west of the Salt Lake International Airport. Which basically means that you better bring your lunch or expect to drive 20 minutes to the nearest food oasis. We are in the middle of nowhere. (We even had escapee cows out to pasture across the street one day.)
I got my job through a guy in my singles ward, so now we're coworkers now as well as fellow YSA. One night I told my visiting teacher about my 29 dates... who announced it at a to-do where Josh was present... who then decided to share it at work. Good grief!!
Well, I used this to my advantage one day. I was in a rush (probably from sleeping in after one of my many dates) and forgot my lunch at home. Oh the humanity! A hungry Wendy is not a pretty sight!! Josh and Justin were talking about Subway, so I said to Josh, "How about you buy me lunch and I'll call it a date?!" Josh is tall, thin, and relatively handsome. He owns his own home, and is the talk of the singles ward. He's pretty crazy, but a lot of fun... He's also not anyone I've ever even considered being interested in (despite our coworker's hopes). All these things make it so I feel I can be a lot cheekier than I would normally.
Well, imagine my surprise when he replied, "Ok. But I'm not paying for Justin's!" So we took everyone's sandwich orders (and their money) and went to the local Subway for lunch. He didn't bother opening my car door, but I wasn't bothered either. We chatted about the weather, about Google, and about the dangers of being picky with big lunch orders. It was a good time, albeit a short time! But I'm totally counting it -- we planned on it, we were paired off in going, and he paid. Done and done!
15 April, 2009
Tax day, anniversary of Lincoln's death and the sinking of the Titanic
14 April, 2009
Girls Don't Like Boys, Girls Like Cars and Money
Jason, 32, Physical Therapist in training
I met Jason about 5 years ago in my YSA singles ward. He had recently gotten home from his mission, and he and his brother started coming to our ward. I'd been suffering with a very stale crush, so Jason was a breath of fresh air to me! He's tall, dark, and (I think) handsome, and really charming! I befriended him right away, and tried to invite him to this and that. He often couldn't go because of his strong family ties, but would make time for me when he could. My favorite memories were talking on walks we'd take on those perfect summer nights, and driving around in his old beater of a truck.
I discovered that he had a lot of admirable qualities and a wisdom that only comes with life experience. He also had a wicked sense of humor, and I do mean wicked! He can give you a grin that makes you wonder if he's a really funny guy or a complete psychopath! (I'm pretty sure he's just really funny...)
Well, time passed. He moved away, and so did I. I'd get over my secret crush and then I'd get a random email or text from him that made it all come back again. Curses! Eventually, his impeccable timing and disarming manner drove me completely mad, and I pulled what my friends and I refer to as a "Lisa Holiday*"!
...You know when there's that guy that you ardently admire and love, and you just want to get it off your chest and tell him?! Then you'd discover that all this time he'd felt the same, and all those what-if's would finally be answered?! Well, that's what she did. And so did I... For the record, pulling a "Lisa Holiday" may take the pressure off your chest, but in the end you'll wish that it was back on. In the form of a large rock. That will hide you from your shame. And you'll wish that you'd never taken that holiday from sanity.
Annywaay, for some reason, he was still willing to be my friend after all that. And even willing to help me on my way to 29 dates. I'd tried to connect with him, but his ridiculously busy schedule would not allow. He finally felt bad enough to squeeze in a lunch date with me, and so begins our tale.
He apologized profusely for being more than an hour late, but for some reason, I didn't mind too much. It could be that he's upgraded his vehicle to this beauty!! He says that he'll leave it to me after he dies. I told him I want that in writing.
I tried to explain that I love him as well as his car... but that may not be true! This car I lovingly refer to as the Batmobile. It. Is. AWESOME!! Not only is it gorgeous, but an incredibly smooth ride, even at 120... I mean, yeah. Back to lunch.
We went to Mimi's Cafe and had a really yummy lunch. The conversation was a bit strained because he'd scraped the car on the curb in the parking lot; I think I was almost as upset as he was! But eventually we relaxed and laughed and chatted for a long while. We were having so much fun, he asked me to spend more time with him while shopping for his friend's wedding gift, so we drove to Target and played the 'Saturday-shopping couple'. It was fun! Probably more fun as a non-couple than it is as a real one! We went back to my place, wrapped the gift, and ended up chatting the afternoon away!! Eventually, we both had to get on with our day -- to his evening plans, and to my next date!
*name has been changed
Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.
Kendall, 27, soon-to-be Westminster grad and printing expert
Another wedding story: (I've been around a long time, so I have a few...) About 3 years ago, one of my best friends, Candice, met her sweetheart and planned a fabulous wedding. He had four groomsmen, she had four bridesmaids... and like something from "Picture Perfect", the happy couple noticed as they drove into the sunset that there were two of them that took a liking to each other.
Kendall and I have great chemistry. But even in our second meeting, it was evident that we are complete and total opposites. And I mean in Every. Single. Way. And though the phrase "opposites attract" may be true, it's also not a good formula for a relationship. So we never had one. Just a lot of fun flirting and hanging out.
Well, I'd planned to go out with him on this night, but got sick -- I'm sure it was divine intervention (which he doesn't believe in)! But by nightfall, I was feeling better, and I discovered that I'd previously purchased tickets to a comedy show in Provo. Well, I can't lose my ten bucks! And clearly, I can't find anyone else available on this particular night! So I called and cancelled my cancellation with Kendall.
So we went. I picked him up and we rushed down to the show... which just happened to be on the BYU Campus. (Mind you, he's not a member of my faith, or anyone else's for that matter - one of our many differences...) The group performing was called 'Divine Comedy'. Oh dear... The opening skit was about a strange LDS YSA phenomenon called Ward Prayer. *rolls eyes* Yeah... the rest of the ridiculously long performance, "Best of Divine Comedy", went from there to jokes about the BYU Honor Code, dating 'premies' (pre-mission aged boys, not boys who were born too early), and the like. It was awful. Mostly because I was sitting next to the only guy with facial hair. I mean, I like facial hair, but... "one of these things is not like the other!" And I'm pretty sure the "Best of..." could've fit into 15 minutes, instead of 130. Yikes.
We ran off campus as fast as we could -- maybe it's the age difference, or my life experience, but even I felt like we'd been abducted to another planet! -- and I took him back home to his inebriated roommates. I like those guys; they're all really nice and fun. And I like Kendall for all the fun that we have and how comfortable I am with him. But even if we're like those opposite magnets that are drawn to each other inexplicably, when it comes to anything more, I have to flip myself over and move away.
It's a small, small world!
Shane, 26, SLCC Student and Server
About four years ago, two guys moved into my singles ward - Kendall and Shane. They were best friends, and really cool! Everyone liked them. Shane went on a mission, serving the same time as me. We kept in touch, writing back and forth and exchanging pictures from the mish. I'd show them to my comp, Sister Browning. After she came home, she married a guy named Jordan. He has a cousin named Kendall. Who has a best friend named Shane. Imagine the surprise when she discovered he knew someone in her mission, who just happened to be her old comp Sister Butler (that's me)! Crazy!!
After reconnecting at the wedding reception, Shane called me and asked me out. I was dating someone at the time, so it was put off... until now. He picked me up at my house and we went for a bite to eat. At the Cheesecake Factory! I adore the Cheesecake Factory! Forget the cheesecake, their food is amazing!! I got the Chicken Bellagio; he the Crispy Chicken... yumminess. I don't know it's real name, but I'm getting it when I go back! He's become quite the foodie from working at a restaurant, but I don't mind. I love foodies. Especially when they share! Our food came on platters; we decided to forgo all restraint, and eat half, then trade. (I'm not even going to calculate how many days worth of calories we ate! But I'm guessing too many.)
Between bites we chatted about our mission experiences, our common friends, our love of food, our quirky waitress, among other topics. It was fun, and I discovered that Shane is one of many great guys that I am privilaged to know! We got a Chocolate Raspberry cheesecake to go, and he took me to "that domey thingy in Draper". Some also know it as the "Whisper Dome" or that big gazebo in Draper park. It's really a romantic little spot, and really cool, too! You gotta try this thing! It's acoustics are better than the tabernacle! We played with that, and then ate our cheesecake, and ended the night passing on our acoustic knowledge to another couple, then driving home. It just goes to show that you don't have to have some elaborately planned to-do, to do something great on a date.
Where have they gone? I found one right here!
Lee, 26, Student and something else
What do you do when you have nothing to do? Well, if you're me, you find something to do! And with "Stimulus Tuesdays" at a local movie theatre, offering $6 tickets and $1 popcorn and drinks, you go to the cinema! For tonight, I was the leading lady to one of the sweetest guys I know, and the BEST date ever! Seriously, no matter who you are, when you are with Lee, you are the only girl in the world, and your wish is his command.
Lee and I met in a singles ward I'll refer to as the Ward of Misfit Saints. We were never close, but have kept in touch here and there, and I asked if he would participate as one of my 29 dates. He, of course, as all gallant leading men do, accepted. So, off to the theatre!
It was short notice (again, I'm good at that) so I drove. We went to the theatre and decided on "Race to Witch Mountain". Honestly, can you go wrong with "The Rock" in a film? Hello! Yum! (The answer is yes, actually, but this one was pretty good!) Since we had about half an hour before the film, we ran to A&W/KFC for a quick dinner, and then chatted in the car while we ate. Then we went inside and got our popcorn before heading into the theatre... Lee's such a good date, that Jennifer Garner tried to butt in and steal him -- See! And she's married to Ben Affleck!
There is something that makes everything that much cooler when you walk into the theatre and realize you're the only ones there! One time... Jessie and I had a whole theatre at the megaplex to ourselves! For a matinee price. You can do all sorts of fun when you're alone in a theatre... Like change seats, heckle like you're on MST3K, etc. It's awesome! And since Lee and I were all alone, we decided to sit in the middle of the middle... and maybe change seats later on (We were joined by others, so it wasn't meant to be, but it was fun while it lasted)!
The movie was pretty entertaining, and that and the movie-theatre butter was totally worth the money we paid! As I said before, Lee is the perfect date, and I hope for the day when he finds the nurturing woman he deserves, because truly, he does.
Dear Bloggers,
Jessie
07 April, 2009
No Reason to Burn an Armchair
Dave, 21, BYU Student
I have a confession to make; I have a soft spot for LDS musicians. In a lot of ways, I don't consider myself a typical Mormon girl; in fact, I think I'm pretty peculiar in the weirdest sense of the word. But like most, I really enjoy seeing LDS artists in concert. I know Peter Breinholt looks funny when he sings and doesn't have the most soothing voice; I know that all of Ryan Shupe's songs sound basically the same; and I know that most of the instrumentalists and/or acapella groups are totally interchangable. But it's good clean fun, and most of their concerts are free. (I love free!)
I also love the now defunct LDS boy band Colors. There's just something that draws me to them (at first, it was the gorgeous and talented barefoot drummer)! But I like their music, too. It's fun, and reminds me of summer nights in the park. Anyway, they and their friends held a concert to benefit Paul Cardall, who is awaiting a heart transplant. -- See more about him at http://mytricuspidatresia.blogspot.com/. When I heard what it was for, and who would be there, I got tickets... Now all I needed was a date, and that would make lucky 13!
The procrastinator that I am, I waited until the day of, and then sent out a mass text to see who could go. (I'm also now a chicken, and find rejection a lot easier to take via text. I know, I am a disgrace, even to myself.) The first to reply with a yes was yet another elder from my mission. He was one of my zone leaders and for some reason we always seemed to be arguing, but never on purpose. It's a elder/sister, love/hate thing.
Anyway, Dave came and picked me up for the concert... and boy does he clean up nice! I mean, as elders, they always look nice. But now, he looked like a Gap ad!! The Andrew McCarthy-ish pink and blue striped shirt with a light blue suit jacket, dark-wash jeans, European shoes... I was impressed! And looking forward to be spotted out with this one!
The concert was a sold-out show, and though some of the songs were a bit worn, they were all enjoyable. Kind of like a oversized sweater, or the fuzzy slippers that fit to your feet. It was long, but fun to see all those old friends on stage together, and even better knowing that your ticket price was doing some good.
The concert got out a little after 10 p.m. but Dave was still willing to stop for frosties at Wendy's. There is nothing better than a frosty! Dave thinks so, too, so he gets points for that! We parked... *gasp!* and ate our frosties in the car, while I perused his iPod library. It was fun to discuss music and school and life post-mission, with no arguments this time! I liked that he was willing to make the journey from Provo to go with me, that he didn't mind being out late to spend more time together (and spend money for something), and that he let me be radio (or rather, iPod) goddess for the time we spent in his car. He gets points for that, too! I guess now that we're not elder/sister anymore, we don't need the love/hate thing. 'Like' is a happy medium!
"I've seen that face, somewhere before..."
Jake, 22, UofU Student/Cannonball employee
On my mission, I was trained by an absolutely hilarious girl named Anna! In our four and a half months together, we became great friends, and shared a lot of laughs and tears. As one of her best friends from the mish, I was asked to be her bridesmaid in February. There, I met her brother, Jake, whom I'd heard much good about already. He's hilarious, too, and a genuinely nice guy.
I got a text from her after the wedding saying he seemed to "fancy" me, so I gave him my number... and waited... and waited... and decided that I'd just get his number and invite him out! I'd been invited by a guy in my ward to attend a choir concert, and since Jake is the musical type, I thought he might like to come with me. He did, and even skipped class to do it! (Class ended up being cancelled, after the fact, but he still gets an A for effort in my book!)
So, I picked him up, and he graciously agreed to go to Chick-Fil-A for dinner, so I could satisfy my craving for the Chick-A-Flicka. Yay! And YUM!! Now that is chicken worth craving fortnightly!! It was good food, with good laughs and good company. He is so much like his sister! Which is great because we're good friends and have a blast together... In personality, looks, etc... Wow, he is so much like his sister!
After dinner, we ventured down to American 'Fark' and watched the concert; John Rutter is a great composer. `Nuff said... All that travel time back and forth gave us a good chance to chat, and on the return trip, for him to invite me to the symphony the next week - Wow! Asking for a second date before the first is over! Good form, Jake! Good form! (That always makes a girl feel good!)
Really? No, not really.
Rob, 28, IT guy for Goldman Sachs
This date I owe all to Jessie, my cohort and the owner of this blog... She is the Statler to my Waldorf, Ha-ha to my Loster. She. Is. My. Biggest Fan. She's pretty cool. She even has her very own Rob. According to her, everyone should have one. I'd have to agree. She loaned Her Rob to me for an evening out; I'm counting it as a date. And that makes ten!
He is a nice, jolly, red-headed guy, and even better - very cultured! If any of you are looking for a theatre buff, this is your guy! (Well, he's Jessie's really... but she'll share with the worthy.) On this particular night, he had his season tickets to Hale Centre Theatre. (The next night was the ballet, but that's another story I wasn't part of... can we get back to - me?!) We saw "Phantom", not the over-done Andrew Lloyd Webber, but the truer (and I think, better) version.
He picked me up and we went to Chili's - one of my favorites! We had a good time chatting over dinner and finished just in time to head next door to the theatre. We had great seats, and the show was fantastic!! The music was absolutely gorgeous, and the cast local all-stars. You really can't go wrong with taking a girl to Hale... Ha!!
After the play, he dropped me off at my house, said goodnight, yada yada yada... Next, we're going to pick out curtains!
April Fools!
What Chick Flicks Are Made Of
Justin, 29, printing guru
One of my biggest fans took me out for Number 9. He is the Matty to my Jenna, the Michael to my Jules, the Harry to my Sally... I'm almost positive my family loves him more than they do me! Though we weren't close growing up, after high school we became good friends. We never dated, though one summer I wanted to. He tends to pop up between girlfriends and at important moments in my life. And through it all, he's proved himself to be perfect in all situations. I have never known more of a gentleman. (Kudos to his mom!!)
Because we are so comfortable with each other, it was a "What do you want to do?" intro to the date (Well, after I pried my mom away from him so I could go out with him). He quickly decided on a great little greasy spoon called Woody's Drive-In. One of my favorites! After our usual indecisiveness, we got our food and ate it in a little booth to the tunes coming from the jukebox. Awesome. Love the food, love the music, love the company... love it!
Then I ate my last bite of food, and took a bite that could've proved to be more than I could chew -- I asked him if he'd ever thought of dating me! [insert awkward pause] Turns out he had thought of it! [again-awkward pause] And decided that he cared too much about me to put me in his 'wake of destruction'... [yet another pause] Wha?? Um, thanks for that? [move to new topic!]
It's interesting to me that people are willing to miss out on potentially wonderful things in life because of a fear that they might not end wonderfully! But what if -- surprise! They do! It's sad, really. I'm sure there is truly greater rewards where greater risks (necessary ones) are taken. But I digress, and think that perhaps someday, he'll be left trying "not to think about what might've been"...
The date went from there back to our usual playful banter (some call it our constant flirting), a tour of his new home - aka construction zone, and watching a flick together on tv. A cozy evening out for a couple that never was.
06 April, 2009
Post Script
Anna called me with an update: She hadn't seen Taylor since our triple date together, but he finally caught her at her desk last week. He wanted to tell her what he thought of her sister-in-law (that's me) ... but didn't know how to say it. "Oh, here it comes. Go on, Taylor", she thought, "just give me the bad news..."
He'd expressed to her other coworker his thoughts on me a few days after our date, and said the same to her -- "I haven't been able to figure out what's wrong with her! I don't know why she's not married!..."
Wha?? Why, thank you kind sir! Cute thing doesn't even know what a great compliment that is!!
(Psst! I can answer your question, Taylor; there's nothing wrong with me! I'm just the perfect girl for too many people!)
It's just a shame he also expressed that he's "not a pursuer", because we all know that the persistent boys win! Am I right? But if it's not too insulting, he'd like to 'facebook' me. (Apparently, a new chick flick says that's an insult... Stupid chick flicks give us so many silly ideas! Don't believe them!) I say, that if he wants to be my new facebook friend, and better yet, my real-life friend, it's fine by me!
03 April, 2009
02 April, 2009
"68! 68! 68!"
Taylor, 28, Church employee
For this one, my sister-in-law set me up with a coworker of hers. Apparently, he does what Anna does, but I don't know what that is exactly, hence his job description. We'd decided to double with her and my brother, and then a coworker and neighbor of theirs wanted in on the fun, too. A triple-date! Haven't had one of these since high school!
Because of logistics, it ended up that my brother and sister-in-law (Jeffrey & Anna) picked me up, and we met the others at Red Robin for dinner. I watched guy after guy come in, and looked for recognition on Anna's face to reveal Taylor's identity - Oo! Tall, dark, athletic, wedding ring... Hm, looks nice enough... Gosh, I hope not!... "Will the real date for Wendy please step forward?"
Taylor finally arrived (actually, he was very prompt and beat us there, but didn't recognize Anna as we passed by and was waiting for her call), and we went to the table. The others came later (p.s. If he looks familiar, it's because his twin is The 'Banjo Boy'). Anyway, we had a great time at dinner, and Taylor and I discovered we have a lot of tastes in common -- like our severe dislike for tomatoes, and pretty much every other veggie (Yes, I know - tomatoes are fruits - whatever). I also discovered that Taylor's absolutely hilarious!! Some of it in a Monk-ish way (the show, not the religious person or the animal), insisting on a straw with his drink and paying in cash instead of credit card. Both good ideas, if you ask me!
We all had a great time, and Taylor is so fun to have around! He liked that I laughed at all his jokes, and I liked that he was entertaining enough to make me laugh. I decided that he would be perfect to watch You Tube with on a lazy Friday night or to shop for shoes with on a Saturday morning. Multi-purpose!