W for Wayback Wednesday (Part 1)

Before jumping into the first in the new series I'll call Wayback* Wednesday, I have to say that I have the best, most lovely readers and bloggy friends in the whole wide world! Thank you all so much for your support, encouragement, advice, and positive thoughts. You all are so beyond wonderful that I’m finding myself at a loss for words as I try to think of a way to tell you all how much you mean to me. Just know that I appreciate and adore every single one of you!!

I’m gonna leave the heavy stuff behind for today and lighten up a little bit. This is the first in a series I’ll call Wayback Wednesday. I was thinking about doing Flashback Friday, but I thought it might be a little more fun to do this smack dab in the middle of the week. I hope you enjoy this post, lovely reader!

(*I am aware that it should be two words. Call it artistic license. It just looks better to me that way, so I'm leaving it.)



Welcome to the first in the series of my Wayback Wednesdays! We’re gonna jump into the Wayback Machine and travel to Monday, August 21, 2006…

I HAVE A DATE!!!!! 

I'm sure you remember the guy I met online, the one I barely mentioned in my last post (Editor's Note: You, lovely reader, will not remember this because you weren't reading this on my myspace blog back in 2006; back then I wrote as though I were talking directly to my friends/family.); we'll call him M, since that's his first initial and I'm not yet ready to reveal his full name.  Well, after a week of emailing back and forth, and the obligatory "This is an awful photo of me, but it gives you kind of an idea what I look like" exchange, he said, "I have to say that you sound great!"  He also said that he thought that I was "a very smart, sassy, and fun girl" with whom he could definitely get along.  Cool, huh?!?!?!

So, he asked if I would consider calling him and he gave me his phone number.  He said he didn't want to be too forward, but he thought that there's only so much that can be said through email.  I agreed, and I didn't think he was being too forward.  We decided I'd call him Friday evening.  It was a phone date!

Oh. My. GAWD.  I cannot even being to tell you what a wussy dork I was all day Friday.  I was a complete freakin' basket case!  I was really freaking out.  BFF kept me cool. She kept reminding me that it was just a phone call.  I kept telling myself that the worst thing that will happen is that we won't click, and oh well.  I mean, I'd already gone way out of my comfort zone in the first place by responding to the guy's ad, so what was to stop me from going a little further and actually calling him?

I had been so impressed with myself for stepping so far out of my comfort zone already, and I'd obviously survived it, so I'd survive this too.  When I got home from work, I showered in order to help calm me down and to "look good" for the phone call.  Don't ask.  Like I said, I was a fucking whack job.  I decided I'd call him at 7.  He'd said he'd be home from work by 6:30, and I wanted to give him a little time to unwind before I called.

At a few minutes before 7, I dialed five of the seven digits.  I promptly hung up the phone after dialing that fifth number.  My hands were shaking, I was sweating, my chest felt tight.  It was utterly ridiculous!  I was just dialing a phone for god's sake!!!!  Finally, at exactly 7 o'clock, I dialed all seven numbers.  The phone rang twice, and I started freaking out that he wasn't going to answer.  Oh wait!!!  Maybe that was a good thing—yeah—I could just leave him a message that way; it shows that I made an effort by calling, and now the ball's in his court.  (Hey, I totally admit I was being ridiculous.)

He answered after the third ring.  We said our hellos and immediately launched into a conversation about everything.  It was like we were two old friends catching up—totally comfortable with each other—and talking about whatever came to mind.  The conversation wasn't awkward at all, ever.  There were no moments of silence; either he was asking me questions, or I was asking him questions, or we were telling stories of our lives, work, family, and friends.  We ended up talking for two hours!  It was such an awesome conversation!  We have a lot in common, and he's a really interesting, really nice guy.

Some quick stats:  He's 29, rides a motorcycle in the summer (which worries me a bit), has some tattoos, plays in a band (stand up string bass and guitar), is working to become a pharmacist, is close to his family, and likes pets.  Oh, and the weirdest thing of all?!?!?  He lives less than two miles away from me!!!  Fate?  Who knows.

He had joked in one of our prior emails that he'd felt like he was entering into a situation similar to the show "Next" on MTV.  For anyone that hasn't seen the show (Oh, admit it, you've seen it!), the premise is that one person is looking for a date.  They put five possible dates on a bus.  The possible dates get off the bus one at a time to meet, and briefly interact with, the dater.  If the dater doesn't like the person, they say "Next!" sending the possible dater back onto the bus and allowing one of the other possible daters a chance at romance.  The possible date that didn't work out gets a dollar for every minute they spent with the dater.  It's a horrible show; like a train wreck--you want to look away, but you can't help but to watch in horrified fascination.

So, anyway, back to my point.  I responded to his analogy of the situation by saying, "Well, I hope I don't get ‘nexted’ too soon, and if I do, I hope it's not because you decided to make me wear some kind of ridiculous outfit, realized I looked ridiculous, and then kicked me back to the bus."  He responded that it was a horrible analogy and that there would be no crazy outfits or strange buses.  It was very fitting then, that an hour and a half into our conversation he said, "Elle, you've been talking to me for over ninety minutes now.  You can either take a fictional ninety dollars, or you can go on a date with me."  I just about died.  How clever!  We already have our own inside joke!!!!  (Well, guess not, now that I shared it.  Well, if you ever meet him, pretend you don't know the "Next Joke," 'k?)  I responded that, while I could probably do so many cool things with that fictional ninety dollars, I thought I'd have more fun on a date.

We made tentative plans for Wednesday.  I wish I could tell you every word of our conversation, because it was sooooo cool.  I can't though because (a) it would take forever to transcribe a two-hour phone conversation, and (b) some things should be, and are, sacred.

I was just thrilled.  M seemed so nice and was definitely funny, and we really seemed to click.  Neither of us has ever done this before (this being "internet dating"), so we commiserated over how nervous we both had been and still where.  He sounded so excited to meet me Wednesday, and I know I'm excited.  He told me he hoped I had a fun weekend, I told him the same, and he said he'd call me to confirm our date.  I barely slept at all Friday night.  I was just too giddy; I just didn't know what to do with myself!!!

When I didn't hear from him Sunday, I got a little worried. I didn't remember when he'd said he'd call, so I just tried not to think about it.  I worried all day today about whether or not he'd call.  I was really getting myself worked up over it.  I really, really, really wanted him to call.  He finally did at around 7.  We now have a definite date set.  We'll be playing mini golf, meeting there at 7 (seems to be our magic hour!).  Then, we're just going to play it by ear.  Maybe that's it. Maybe we just play mini golf.  Maybe not.  Maybe things go well and we decide to go for a quick drink or something.  Who knows?  All I can tell you is that I'm too freakin' excited.

It's ridiculous!  I feel like a teenager again or something!  I was bouncing all around the apartment tonight after we got off the phone. I know that I'm going to be a complete and total wreck leading up to Wednesday at 7.  It's going to be horrible.  My heart already races just thinking about it.  I'm so nervous!!!!  I keep telling myself that, worst case, I get a friend out of the deal. 

I think the important part is that I actually did this!  I responded to an ad, emailed back and forth, worked up to a phone call, and now have a date scheduled.  I mean, holy crap!  I've entered the dating world!!!  WTF?!?!?  How'd that happen?!?!? Okay, I'm off to do more bouncing in the hopes that I can get rid of some energy and actually sleep tonight.  WISH ME LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!