I've put off [for far too long now] finishing the account of my absolutely fantabulous Valentine's experience, mostly due the how horribly I feel now noting how entirely dreadful and un-wonderful some people's experiences were... especially in comparison. Including, but not limited to, a friend of mine actually in tears before me as she tried to understand the mystery of the male mind and how to properly convey serious needs, etc. etc... Oh my shees! it saddens me greatly... you have no idea.
yet at the same time, I want the opportunity to relish in the great memories and truly appreciate what wonderful possibilities really do exist. So I will continue on in my telling of the stories:
where was i? *looking back* ok, just barely even into the vehicle/s...
*glazing over the immediate reaction of venting regarding the aforementioned miscommunication issues* we arrived at the church in high style, and with prefect timing. [Although this part of the story sounds much more exciting from Mr. Miles' viewpoint, I shall try my best to convey the atmosphere.] Boys parked, and girls sat... it was awesome! I was ready set for an entire evening of "the treatment" and wasn't about to miss a single moment of it all! As he gathered himself & things, and slowly exited to vehicle I got this quick ping of sinking thought that perhaps he wasn't going to either 'step up' or 'get the hint' (as he wasn't in the original discussion, weeks before, of the night we were intending on developing,) yet quickly shrugged it off as I'd barely completed my freak-out thoughts and he was soon at my door! He graciously opened my door, and lent me a hand as I exited the vehicle. *sigh*
Somehow in all of this, he ended up thanking me for waiting/allowing him to be a gentleman! Hello!? *all up ons* anytime, anyplace!
*avoids deeper discussion of our current society and the decay of such opportunities and attitudes*
that's basically the highlight/best memory of the evening, for me... there's plenty more where it came from, and I'll continue on; it's just what sticks out to me more than anything else!
moving on...
we all walk into the church, greet others who are also there for the evening, and begin to loiter about in small talk. Beth & I ogle Heather's amazing dress, while Caleb's busy showing off her scar from surgery! Hugs, attempts at humor, and many compliments are shared all around. I believe this is also where the forever [now] famous lines were first uttered, "dude! ...I mean, ma'am."
soon getting back into vehicles we were headed over the the VanDyke's for appetizers... as Jonathan lets me into the car, he's talking about the music he chosen for the evening, asking of my preferences. I assured him I like "just about everything except..."
he closes the door before I can finish my thought... as he walks around the car I continue, speaking mostly to myself, "country... unless that's what you're about to play!"
Once he got in the car, he was quick to inquire of the rest of my thought... though I tried to hold back before I heard what was about to come out of the speakers. Praise God it was nothing of the sort, and actually a great musical choosing for the evening... meanwhile, in the other car they were rockin' to my mix!
we arrived, nabbing a prime parking spot, and were quickly whisked inside the VanDyke's beautiful home. Spread out on the kitchen island were little plates with 3 finger foods each: sourdough rounds with spinach and artichoke dips respectively and a tortilla wrap with salsa and other stuffs inside. I passed my wrap onto JJ, so I'm not sure exactly how it tasted, while the breads and such were amazing!
thus began the saga of "do I have anything in my teeth?"; Beth constantly hiding her face as she gives me small glimpses and I nod and/or shake my head in disbelief... all night long! It was hysterically amusing.
Part of what made the evening spectacular was that we were dressed to the nines! all the while many others in the progression were not. As we had already planned on the dress up part, and only left the activity at the discretion of the boys, not going all out was never an option or even considered despite the atmosphere. So all night we got to hear how lovely, beautiful, amazing, etc. we were... hooray! Plus, I'm sure, it was fun for them to see us 'young' folks running around, having fun, going all out, and treating each other accordingly!
As we're standing around the kitchen, chatting, laughing and finally getting into the groove of things, shaking off any sort of early evening jitters or tensity, Tim grabs everyone's attention and makes a quick announcement. First thing he says is, "musical rides are fair game!"
Every single one of us [in our immediate party, at least] had the initial interpretation/reaction of, 'yeah, we had music in our car!' only to just as quickly note he meant swapping vehicles and such... so Tim & Renee joined us in Jonathan's car for the next stint of driving. Along the way they proceeded to tells us how they met/began their relationship. The tag-team tale was highly entertaining vs. the usual one-sided versions you hear.
At the Piedra's we had soup & salads... nothing to write home about, with the exception of a pasta salad that was to die for! There I got a chance to catch up a bit with Mike & his wife ¿Leslie?... Mike oft poking fun at poor Jonathan's ordeal/accident the night before, and Leslie telling me about her job and other interesting aspects of their life.
Caleb & Heather hopped in the back of the car with us, and we headed out to the Sherwood's house for a sit down dinner. The girls were wonderful waitresses, taking orders from each individual, "for chicken we have 'creamy cheesy' or '[zesty som'n]'... and what would you like to drink? coffee, tea, water, or 'Love Potion #9'"
So sweet...
There's where I finally got the chance to break out the camera. Beth nabbed it from me and snapped away as well. We got some great shots just sitting around the table, as far as I'm concerned. Plus, I got all artsy and played around with settings, shooting the centerpieces and decorations on the table!
As we were leaving, suddenly a few men noted I had not a coat on me... next thing I knew I had 4 offers to take theirs *smug grin* I politely declined, as the car was right outside the door, and honestly I was fine.
I've yet to mention exactly how complicated the whole 'musical cars' thing really got at various points. Who's going with whom? I had already gotten in the car at times... Do I now let myself back out to let them in? Do they simply crawl all along the back seat? It was crazy at times!
One thing that rang true of every single interaction, however, was the simple astonishment and impact on each of the women who rode with us... as I'd quietly/patiently wait for him to walk around and open the door for me. They'd ask, "are you waiting for him... is he going to... wow!"
just a little extra som'n som'n for the peoples, you know! *giddy grinning*
The Wold's welcomed us with an assortment of dessert plates: lemon meringue soup, a chocolate cream pie, & cheesecake with raspberries and a chocolate sauce drizzle. I was happy/content with my choice of the cheesecake *licking lips* mmm...
I plopped myself down betwixt Beth and JJ. Tim came around with coffee, and before I could say a thing, questioning where to set said coffee, the young man made leaps and bounds (similar to those I remember noting in Argentina...) off the couch, and around the corner, getting a tv tray to set before me. I'm tellin' ya... they don't make 'em like this much anymore! but I like it...
*still not done* I've gotta go for now... until we meet again!?
