Okay so some of you have heard this and some of you haven't. I thought since June 25 is our anniversary I would take a stroll down memory lane. Wanna come with? Here we go: Picture it October 1998 I returned from BYU (graduated) with no MRS. degree (only a BS in Science and a minor in Spanish lit). And I was a return missionary, so there was no other goals on the horizon except career and love. I worked at both. I dated and was consequently dumped by the Ugliest Dude you have ever seen. (See post titled: "Where I was 10 years ago". ) One of my dearest friends while growing up needed a favor and I had agreed to help out. Billy Jensen had just turned 31 and was not supposed to be going to the Young Adult Activities anymore, but he really didn't like the Single Adult stuff because most of the ladies were widowed grandma's. There was a BIG Young Adult Weekend Conference in San Diego that he had gotten tickets for but he needed a "date" to take him who fell into the 18-30 years old range. He also needed someone who was only a friend so he could troll for chicks without it getting weird. He asked me like a month or more before to go and I had said yes, but when the time came I was still reeling from being dogged. I had spent a few months man hating and was NOT in the hair flipping, flirting, coy, party girl mode. I did NOT want to go. I told Billy that I was sure no one would say anything about him being there and that I really didn't want to go. He threw a little temper tantrum and guilted me into keeping my end of the bargain. So I went to Fallbrook where he lived and stayed the weekend to attend a YA lame conference.
Friday night was the get to know you games. You know the ones. The kissing one, the have you ever? one, the remembering everyone in the circle name one, the limbo (check out my boobs one), the pass the orange without your hands one, well, you get the picture. So Billy and I have about a half hour in the car before we get there and he is desperately trying to make me have a good time. He decides to set a goal for himself. He wants to pick out a girl and see if he can get to know her by the end of the conference. He wants me to do the same. You had to give or get a phone number to be successful. We arrive and all the games are already going on and we stand at the double doors to the cultural hall taking it all in. He spots his prey, she is tiny and blonde and has sparkly eyes. He asks me who I will be hunting this weekend and I pick out a tall smiley guy with curly hair laying in the middle of the Kissing game with his lips puckered. Apparently he was supposed to be trying not to get caught and the girl who was trying to catch him was baffled about what to do next. Then she kissed him on the cheek and he smiled like a stupid 14 year old. He was The Player. The Unattainable. The Notorious Bachelor. He was my victim. I watched him for most of the night and met up with some of my long lost dorm room buddies, ate some refreshments and hid from the pre-mission kid who was following me around wanting to talk about his band. (agggh)
I went home with Billy after having a refreshingly fun time. The plan was to come back the next morning for the "Special Olympics". This is the put your face in pudding, put on all the clothes, pop a dozen balloons relay race one. I played but didn't see HIM. Billy made his goal and decided she was a little vapid for his taste. We went home for lunch and to clean up for the broadcast of the Padres Playoff Game. What I didn't know is that most of the people there were going to the stadium to watch it there not to the church. When we showed up to the church there were only about 20 people there and HE was one of them! Yes! The stars were aligning. So about 10 minutes before the game he came over to me and smiled. I melted and fluttered, and the song "In your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel started playing in my head. He said, "Don't I know you from somewhere?" . The music screeched to a stop, and I thought to myself can't you come up with anything better than that?! But he was even more handsome in person so I had a hard time processing his cheeziness. We tried to figure out where he knew me from. (I didn't think that I had ever seen him before, I would have remembered.) Then he left with some little just-out-of -highschool girls. Ahhh, the chase begins. I went home with Billy to get ready for the Dance that night. This was my time to get him. Dim lights do wonders for my looks, and dances were a favorable spot to prowl. I knew a few tricks.
- Don't stand in a pack of girls-to hard to ask one to dance.
- Don't let one guy monopolize your time unless you want him-it says we're together so don't bother asking
- Make GOOD eye contact when the slow song starts so he knows you want him
- Be a little coy but not over the top-you'll look desperate
- If he talks to you touch him-it says I'm warm and issue free
Anyway, we danced and talked and at the end of the night he asked if I wanted to go with him to the gas lamp district of San Diego. Actually, he teased me about being old and staying out past my bedtime so that I would go. I did. He drove me around in a pedi-cab and we talked and visited nearly all night. He did not however ask for my phone number nor try to get frisky with me.
The next day Sunday was my last to secure my man. Here is the problem, I was taught that a girl does NOT call boys, or give them their phone numbers unsolicited, or chase boys in general... so if he didn't ask for my number I figured he didn't want it and that was it. They should chase you my mom always said. On Sunday he met me at the doors of the Chapel and sat with me during the testimony meeting. He smelled heavenly. Then it was time to go and so I said my goodbye and left the building with Billy. I was totally disappointed, but I was not going to throw myself at him. Then the music starts up again and there He is giving me a business card from his pocket with his number (pre-written) on the back. He did like me. The beeeeautiful full lipped blonde liked me too. Billy was happy for me and he predicted that we would get married and live happily ever after. And we have. And I CHOSE him out of the crowd to be MY MAN.
Here is my side of the story to Melissa's post. I was living in San Diego working as a Machinist and ridding pedi-cabs on the weekend. I would hang out at the institute building taking some classes. I was dating, but felt more like I was just spending twice the amount of money doing things. One night at institute Sister Fronk told me about a young adults weekend. She said I better clear up my calender and don't plan anything. So I went and that's when I saw HER standing at the doors of the cultural hall. I asked my friend if he know who she was. I had my eyes on HER from that moment on. Waiting for the moment to ask a dumb question. Melissa was everything I had been looking for. She was funny, smart, and she never judged me. When I met Melissa I was driving a 62 Rambler.
