Sushi and Baron Munchausen

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm back in the game. At least that's what I'm telling myself, for now. After weeks of lackluster love stories and no real spark with anyone (since the most Beautiful Boy alive), I have finally had a good first date!

Now I know, I'm probably getting ahead of myself. But there is no better feeling than waking up the day after a great first date and feeling all excited and nervous and mushy inside. It's a much heightened version of when you meet someone and give your number to him or her and wonder if he/she will call. It's like Christmas morning and you are waiting to go downstairs and open your presents.

Jesus I hope I'm not getting all mushy for nothing. This is what years of bad dates that never stop calling and great dates that never call will do to you. So here goes:

I ran into an old friend this Tuesday who I knew from my very first job many years ago. I didn't remember his name, but I did remember his friend's name, The Bartender, who used to come in and visit him all the time. Keep in mind we're talking seven years ago or so, so I remember very little about this guy except that I used to have a huge crush on him and he was very funny, and never asked me out.

Well I gave him my phone number, and exciting late night texts ensued (no, not that exciting, dirty mind)

Him: So if had asked you our years ago, what would you have said?

Me: I would have said yes.

Him: That sucks, I never thought you were interested in me

Me: Whatever I always had a thing for you ;)

Him: So what would you think about us hanging out now?

Me: I would be interested in that.

Him: Awesome....so what about Thursday?

Me: Sounds good :)

So I've been waiting impatiently for last night to be over before I posted again because a.) I wanted good material and b.) In case I got stood up I didn't want you all to know about it.

Here's how it went:

We decided to meet up at his house and then I would ride with him. Got there and his house was clean and smelled good, which is always a plus. We go out for sushi, which is great, and laugh a lot about the over-attentive wait-staff( we had like 3 servers) and the fact that I was given training-wheel chopsticks. In fact we laugh a lot in general, as he takes himself less seriously than many people I date and is very witty. Does notice that I am slightly self-conscious(points against me), but opens the car door for me when we leave (of course, I try to reopen the other side and end up locking it)and pays without letting me see the check.

The whole date was kinda like that...funny and comfortable, but enough awkwardness to know that it was definitely a first date. He kinda babbled a little bit, which I think shows he was a little nervous in a cute and good way. We talked about my obsession with karaoke and our mutual obsession with Heroes.

We were going to go to a movie afterward but got out of dinner in that awkward in-between movie time, 8:00, so we went out for ice-cream and then went back to his apartment down the street to hang out until the movie started. I met his roommate and then I played wii for the first time, which I was of course not good at (being bad at video games and sports), but he was appropriately patient with me and didn't crush me too badly at wii tennis or bowling. At this point we're passed the idea of going to the movie (terrible movie week anyway) and decide to watch a fun 80's classic he had just picked up:

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. That's right. See, and I really like this about him. I love campy 80's movies, and I love that he loves them without a bit of self-consciousness. My favorite part is where the bumbling and awkward Vulcan squeezes a diamond out of coal for Venus Uma Thurman. Anyways.

Neither of us realized exactly how weird that movie really was though. I mean, it is out there. Robin Williams is the King of the Moon whose head won't stay attached to his body(after more earthly, achem, 'pursuits') and just in general a lot of craziness. At some point we ended up doing some cuddling (very pg rated). He is one of those playful flirting guys, who likes messing up a girl's hair and hitting her with pillows and plays footsie, but then tells her her hair smells good.

You know, more and more I'm realizing what a big kid this guy is. Not that that's a bad thing, just different for me. Usually I date guys who think they are grown-up and act pretentious but yet still behave like 4 year-olds when it comes to intimacy.

But we never got to the kiss in the midst of all of this! There were several opportune moments that neither of us jumped on. Then it was all of a sudden really late and I had to go and we shared a hug at the door and I could just feel the awkwardness of "will we kiss" in the air. Then we both kinda went for it, and bumped noses a little bit and I pulled away a little too fast and there was no tongue but it wasn't exactly a peck either.

Yeah so that was weird. We will just have to see what happens.......