My New Car!

I just realized I never told you guys about my new car!! It is sooooo, sooooo wonderful! It's a 2008 Hyundai Elantra...which I know isn't new, but you guys, it only had 7700 miles on it when I bought it, so it's practically brand new! Definitely the newest car I have ever owned. It is awesome! It did come with a car payment, but after the load of trouble I've been through with cars in the last year, I'll take it! Now I just need to get seat covers of some sort so Miss Allee doesn't destroy the seats with her wet and muddy paws every time she is in my car. :)

Look What I Got This Weekend! :)

From a BOY!

(And no, not my dad.)

:)

The Moss Family Comes to Portland!

My friend Andrea, an amazing woman my sister and I both worked with at camp in Utah years ago, lives about an hour north of Seattle. Her husband, John, is in the Navy, and he's been deployed since the spring, leaving Andrea stateside with her two small kiddos until he returns a few days before Christmas. She is amazingly positive and upbeat about the whole thing, as I'm sure it hasn't been the easiest thing ever. Love that girl!

Anyway, she decided to bring her cute kids for a visit on their way to Utah for Thanksgiving. They were here just overnight, but it was SO much fun to see them! :)

Andrea's kids had never met Amy and Sterling, but they seriously couldn't get enough of them! It was so cute. They wrestled and snuggled and loved on them like crazy. :) We had to watch some movies just to try to calm them down a little. Yeah...after six hours in the car, didn't really work.

The kids LOVED playing with the puppies! That was one of the major reasons they came to visit, so the kiddos could have a playdate with the puppies. :) Andrea's kids were the first little kids my puppy, Allee, had ever met last year in December when we went up to visit. Allee is still pretty hyper and a little crazy, but once she calmed down, she was SO good with the kids. They were climbing on her, laying on her, hugging her, tossing her around, and she totally loved it. :) It made me really happy.

Can you tell this kid is missing his daddy? Talk about needing some male bonding time. He snuggled right up to Ster. :)

Good thing Amy loves kids. :)

Thanks for coming, guys! It was great to see you!! Safe travels, and have a wonderful holiday in Utah! Can't wait for John to get home!

P.S. Sorry about the red-eye in the photos. My primitive photo editor can't fix them without them looking like weird alien eyes, so I figured red-eye was preferable to alien-eye. :)

Amazing Rainy Sunset!

The sunset on my way home the other day was SO beautiful--I'm not sure I've ever seen anything quite like it. These are kind of weird photos, because I just snapped them out my car window when I stopped at red lights, but seriously, even though it was pouring rain, it was gorgeous. It was like the whole sky became a giant rainbow.

On the First Day of Christmas...

A year or so ago, I was blog surfing and I read about this thing people do called a swap, where you sign up, get a partner, and send each other fun packages. I LOVE to get packages in the mail, so I thought this sounded great! I have always thought it would be really fun to participate in a blog swap, and it just so happened that Sami, a friend from high school, is hosting one themed around the 12 Days of Christmas on her adorable blog, Symmetry in Motion. The idea is for us grown-ups, who don't often get visits from Santa anymore, to get a little holiday cheer and a surprise to open every day for the 12 days before Christmas! Since I know Sami, I thought this would be a fun one to get in on, and a way to make a new friend!

Wanna play? Check out Sami's cute blog, and click this button to get there:

Girls' Weekend in Vegas, Part 3 (Last One!)

Saturday morning, exhausted from our eventful evening the night before, we slept in a little and just hung out while we packed up and cleaned out our amazing hotel room. April and Janna put together an amazing breakfast of German pancakes with strawberries and homemade buttermilk syrup (O.M.G. it was UNBELIEVABLE!!) and virgin pina coladas. SO good! :)

Then we might have for some reason thought it would be a good idea to act like five year olds for a minute...or ten...

We checked out of our room and went to explore the village attached to the hotel for a little shopping...

Then I had my first ever experience at In-N-Out...

Before we headed out "hiking." I say "hiking" because we actually did very little hiking, mostly just driving around and goofing off and taking photos! :) April took us out to Valley of Fire State Park--GORGEOUS!! We headed first to Rainbow Vista. April told us there were almost always wedding parties there taking photos on the weekend, so we weren't shocked to see a limo there when we pulled up. We were, however, more than a little surprised when we realized they weren't just taking pictures, they were actually getting married!! Just the couple, the man performing the ceremony, and the photographer. So we tried to be discrete, but it was hilarious. We sneakily snapped a photo to remember the occasion, and seriously, the BEST part is the bride's hair...

(You MUST zoom in on that hair if you can't see it, because it is pretty...amazing.)

Then we just took a bunch of photos and enjoyed the beautiful views.

After "hiking" we headed back to the Strip to make our second attempt at catching the water shows at the Bellagio, and this time we were successful!

The rest of the weekend was filled with church finding adventures (I'll tell you about that sometime), good food (Janna made gumbo--YUM!), chatting, playing games (Nertz, anyone?!), Wii, and just good times relaxing and catching up with amazing women.

Thanks, girls, for an amazing weekend--it was JUST what I needed!! And a great way to end a crappy year and kick-off a new, great year. Love you all!

Next year on my coast? :)

Girls' Weekend in Vegas, Part 2

Once we finally got to bed, we did manage to sleep in so we weren't totally exhausted the next day. We made scrambled eggs and I brought awesome pumpkin chocolate chip scones for breakfast and we feasted. Then to the business of...hanging out. :)

We played karaoke games on my Wii (good idea about bringing it, April!) while the incredible Miss Valeri gave everyone (well, everyone minus Janna) awesome haircuts (thanks, Val, you're the best!). April completed the "makeover" fest by introducing everyone to Bare Minerals makeup (which I have now completely converted to), so by the time we all got dressed and were ready to go out, we all looked pretty awesome! :) (If I do say so myself...)

We headed down to the strip to pick up tickets and grab a bite to eat before we went to a show. We might have been a little camera happy over the weekend (between 2 cameras, we have almost 500 photos for four days!), so when we walked in and the professional photographer wanted to take our photo, we decided to do it.

I think the one we took turned out pretty good, too, though:

Then we headed in to find our seats. April had called me a few months earlier and asked if I thought we might be interested in seeing "Phantom of the Opera" together. "Phantom" was the first show I ever saw on Broadway in New York, so it has a special place in my heart. Plus, there is honestly nothing I love more than seeing a live show, especially a professional show. I have always been a huge musical nerd. :) Anyway, April told me the theater was built just for the show, and that it was a slightly shortened version (so basically the parts on the cd that I usually skip because they get tedious aren't there--awesome). I thought it was a great idea, and when we checked with the other girls they agreed, so a few weeks before we got there, when April heard about a smoking deal for "locals" on the radio, she jumped on it. She called me back to say, "Well, I was about thirty seconds too late to get good seats...so we're in the second row." EXCUSE ME?? THE SECOND ROW?? AMAZING!!

When we got inside the theater, we found out she was wrong...our seats were in the FRONT ROW. Yep, front row seats at "Phantom." It was INCREDIBLE.

The show was amazing. I totally had tears in my eyes practically from the moment the overture started. We were SO close we literally could have reached out and touched the actors sometimes. (P.S. Up close and personal, Raoul was SO CUTE!!!) The best part was watching Val's face--it was the first major professional show she'd been to, and you could tell by looking at her how much she was loving it. :) It was amazing. We decided to shell out for the professional photos (because, really, how often do you get to sit FRONT ROW at a show like that?!), and it was well worth it. (We cheated a little though...for $45 we bought one copy and scanned it for everyone...I mean, seriously? $45 for 2 photos? A little much, don't you think?)

Then, to round out our incredible girls' night out on the town, we went to an unbelievable dinner at Pampas, a Brazillian style grill. April had found a sweet coupon for $100 off (yep, you read that right--this girl rocks the deals!), so we decided the splurge was totally worth it. It's kind of like Rhodezio's Grill, if you've ever been to one of those, so waiters walk around with all different kinds of meat and shave it right onto your plate. Soooooo delicious! I think we probably ate our weight in grilled pineapple, but it was worth every bite (and every cent).

We rounded out the evening with a trip to the Bellagio to see the gardens, all decked out for Halloween and a (failed) attempt to see the water show (don't worry, we remedied that later).

And to end our evening, on the way back to the hotel, we stopped by the famous Las Vegas sign for a photo op, just to prove we were actually there. ;)

So, that was our big event day. The rest of the trip was a little more low-key, but gosh, it was fun to spend a night out on the town with four of my high school besties. Love you girls!

More to come...

Girls' Weekend in Vegas, Part 1

For everyone who keeps asking me to write about it, here's a post (or two...or three) about the girls' weekend some friends and I had in October!

It was definitely a long-time coming. We started talking about it over a year ago when my bestie April was just about to have baby Logan. When her first baby was born, I met him when he was three weeks old. I met her second little one when she was three months old, but we were having trouble figuring out when I would get a chance to meet #3. Our other friend, Janna, and I were going to try to fly down last spring to visit her in Las Vegas, but between expensive air fare and crazy schedules, it just didn't work out, so we decided to postpone it until the fall.

Fast forward to June, when I got an email from Southwest Airlines advertising an amazing sale. We had several other friends who had mentioned being interested in a girls' weekend (all girls I sang with in our show choir, HiLites, during my senior year of high school), so when we realized that the fare sale wasn't going to last long, we picked a weekend, sent out an email to everyone who had mentioned they'd be interested, and within the span of four hours, seven girls had planned to get together in October, and three of us had purchased plane tickets! Crazy. It came together SO quickly that it seemed like it was definitely what we were supposed to do! Unfortunately two girls ended up having to bail because of family stuff (we missed you both!), but the five of us who got together had a blast!

As you guys know, this last year has been pretty rough for me, so I was super excited to have something fun to look forward to, especially over that particular weekend which was coincidently the weekend that marked a year since Erik and I had broken up. This was also the first time I've ever taken a trip just for fun, without some ulterior motive like a graduation, wedding, etc., where the whole purpose was just to hang out and have fun with my friends. (I told another friend that, and she said, "Wait...this is the first time you've ever taken a vacation?" I thought about that and realized, yep, that's exactly what that means.)

As the time got closer and many phone calls and emails were exchanged, plans started coming together and we knew it was going to be really fun. That last day of teaching before my sister picked me up to get on the plane went soooooo slowly! Janna flew into Las Vegas from Denver early in the morning on Thursday, so the two of them did some shopping and getting ready for the trip and then picked me up at the airport that night. Shortly after that we met up with Amber and Valeri, who had driven down from Salt Lake. After a hug-filled reunion, we headed out to the hotel where we had made reservations for the first two nights.

This photo pretty much sums up our first night all together:

Come to think of it, that was sort of the theme for the weekend. :) Not a lot of sleep, but it was fabulous!

More to come...

This fun, crazy, hard, sucky, amazing single life.

I've been thinking about this for a couple weeks now, so in an effort to get it off my chest, I want to be honest and share. I know I've been sharing lots of funny stories about my rather disastrous dates lately (and I promise these stories are only the half of it!), and I have taken so much joy in reading your responses to my stories; I appreciate your encouragement more than you know! So, thanks for that. You guys give me hope that someday someone is eventually going to work out. :) I love you guys!

But in case anyone was wondering, I don't LOVE being single. Being single is not my life's ambition, nor is it my plan. It's not what I've asked for, but it's (for now) the lot I've been given. And (for now) I'm okay with it. I get to meet lots of interesting (and some crazy) new people, go on disastrous dates (and hopefully a few fun ones now and again), and share my ridiculous stories. And overall, right now, I'm happier than I've been in a long time. I know how enormously I have been (and continue to be) blessed, and I feel lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life.

That being said, the truth is, I'm just like most girls--more than anything, I want to get married. I want to have the cute husband and the sweet babies and to be a wife and mommy. I pray to God every day to bring the right man into my life, and I know He will, in time. I have faith, and I trust that everything happens according to God's plan, and when the time is right, the right person will come into my life. But that doesn't make it easier or more fun when things like this happen:

A few weeks ago, I was hanging out with one of my girlfriends (whom I love dearly, and who I know will NEVER read this or I probably wouldn't write it, because if she knew how it made me feel, she would feel terrible and that's not the point). She's almost a year older than me, and has been married to a great guy (who I introduced her to!) for several years and has darling children. So, truthfully, I don't expect her to understand my position. We were both running on little sleep, which probably decreased her tact and increased my sensitivity by several notches, and I realized that. But toward the end of our conversation, she looked at me and said, "Sooooooo, Jen. Are you EVER going to get married?"

Ouch.

It's not like I just invested seven years of my life into someone hoping for the outcome I got, but that's how it goes. No one dates someone for 3 1/2 years without hoping and praying that person is "the one." I really, really wanted it to work out. And I thought it would. But the fact is, it didn't, and this last year has been pretty hard, trying to wrap my head around it and move on. My hope is that God has someone even better in store for me, and I have faith that will come true. But asking questions like this doesn't make the waiting any easier. If it were solely up to me, of course I'd be married! But we all know it doesn't work that way. And I just wanted to be honest about that.

So, I guess the reason I'm writing this is two-fold: first, I LOVE hearing about all of you and your cute husbands (or wives) and your darling children. I LOVE sharing in those parts of your lives, seeing your beautiful babies (and cuddling them, when we're in the same place!), and dreaming about when that day will come for me. Please don't ever stop sharing your stories and your joys and struggles with your families and your lives, because they give me hope that someday I'll have my own stories to share like that. But secondly, please remember, when people comment to me (or others like me) about how I'm getting older and I need to hurry and find someone, or how they need to have all their babies soon because if they have them after 30 they're going to be an old mom, or how I must not want to be married, while I'll never let them know it, it probably stings a little.

I guess you guys have figured out by now that I'm doing everything I can to help God bring my special someone into my life. I'm putting myself out there and pushing aside my shyness and I'm TRYING. And it's fun and it's hard and it's crazy and it's great and it sucks and I'm learning a lot. That's where my life is right now, and I'm blessed to be in the position I am, with amazing friends and family nearby (and others just a phone call away), and my situation is getting better all the time. But if you think of it, would you please keep me in your prayers? I figure a few extra tugs on God's ear on my behalf can't hurt, right? And know that you are all in mine always. Love you all.

And if you know any cute single (normal, not awkward or crazy) guys, send them my way! :) (Seriously.)

"Campy" Strikes Out

*Note: See "Adventures in Dating, Part 3" to get the first half of this story.*

The next day (Friday of Halloween weekend), I was teaching a class at a local middle school when my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I ignored it, and when I looked a few minutes later, I saw it was a number I didn't know. An hour or so later, I got a text message from the same number. When I finally had a break, I looked at it: "Hi this is "Campy." Would you like to go out this weekend?" The voice mail said basically the same thing.

So, today we'll keep track of strikes. Strike 1: Ummm...wow. Less than 24 hours later, 2 messages already? That's a little intense.

Having already booked my weekend solid with plans, I figured I would just get back to him on Monday. I mean, he couldn't really think I'd be available that very next weekend, right? Over the weekend I got an email from him that said something like:

Hi Jen.

I really enjoyed meeting you the other night. Would you like to go out sometime?

"Campy"

Pretty innocuous. When I got ANOTHER text on Monday saying the same thing, I thought I'd throw the kid a bone. I texted him back saying, "Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. Thanks for getting ahold of me. Sure, maybe we can get together sometime."

Almost immediately I got a text back:

Would you like to go on a short trip to Seaside with me on Saturday?

Ohhhhhhh, geez. We all remember how well it went the last time a boy asked me to go to Seaside on a date. We are NOT repeating that again!

Strike 2: Seaside? REALLY? That's WAY too much for a first date. No thanks. I would NOT, in fact, like to go to Seaside on Saturday with you.

This was followed almost immediately by a second text:

I think it takes more than just a few hours to get to know someone.

And then a third:

Or we could just do dinner. That would be okay, too. I don't want to scare you off.

Ummmm...can you say adequately done?

So, again, because I have a problem with being too nice, even though I really wasn't interested in him, I texted him back, telling him I really couldn't do a whole day, but I could do dinner. A few texts later, we established that the following Saturday night we would have dinner.

At this point, I knew the following things about "Campy": He is Asian, born in Hong Kong, moved here when he was 17 and has been here over 20 years, software engineer, likes to snowboard.

Strike 3: Too old for me.

Being Asian isn't necessarily a strike, but I will admit that Asian guys have never really been "my type." I'm not opposed to dating someone not my type, but I've never really been attracted to an Asian guy. Possibly one of the reasons I already knew I wasn't really attracted to him.

He texted me several more times over the course of the week, changing the location, clarifying the time, etc. He asked me a couple times if he could pick me up. I made up some vague excuse about having to be somewhere else before that so I would just meet him there. Okay, so I know he was probably trying to be nice, but seriously? I didn't want to be stranded somewhere without my car in case he was a total creep, and I didn't know if he was weird or not--definitely didn't want to be trapped in a car with him, nor did I want him to know where I lived.

So, Saturday night rolled around. He had already texted me to say he was looking forward to that evening (overeager, much?), and I was mostly looking forward to getting through it. I met him at the restaurant (by the way, Restaurant Review: Henry's in Portland is awesome! Great atmosphere, delicious food. Commercial over.) and sat down.

Pretty much right away he asked me what I was doing later. I gave him some vague response about meeting up with my sister, and he told me he was thinking of going to see a movie and asked me if I'd like to join him. I said maybe. (I know was being super non-commital here, but seriously? I needed to know if he was a total creep or if I was in for more hours in awkward-ville before I said I would spend any more time with him.)

Strike 4: Don't ask about the movie 'til the end of dinner. WAAAAAAY overeager.

We ordered and basically right away, he said, "So, how long have you been single?"

Strike 5: Don't ask about dating history first thing on the first date! Holy geez.

He asked me about how long I'd been with my boyfriend, if I'd ever been married, etc. Then he said, "Well, I'm divorced. I told you that, right?"

Ummmm, NO. Didn't mention that. Strike 6. Especially when he went on to explain he's only been divorced for 6 months, and this was after being married for 7 years and knowing her for 5 years before that. Can you say a little soon?

Followed by, "And I have a son. I told you THAT, right?"

How do you "forget" to mention that YOU HAVE A CHILD??? WHO LIVES AT YOUR HOUSE??? Strike 7.

So I now know about his five-year old son. Cool.

We talked for awhile longer, had dinner, and as we were finishing up, he asked again if I'd like to go to a movie. So, again, because I am way too nice for my own good, I agreed to go.

Now, before I go any further, I need to say, to his credit, "Campy" was a total gentleman. He opened doors for me, he paid for dinner and for the movie, he drove us to the theater--he was very, very nice. Just not for me. And did I mention he drove a BMW? (My sister said, "Of course he did. He's Asian. Asians always drive nice cars." Her response was pretty much the same when I said he was a software engineer. Of course he is.) But seriously, not for me.

We saw "Fair Game" (movie review: super excellent movie, true story about the CIA agent whose name was leaked to the press by the White House a few years ago, super intense...NOT a date movie...except in this situation, that was a good thing). As we were leaving the theater, "Campy" looked at me and said, "Whoa...you're really tall. How tall are you?" I told him I was 5'7". He said, "Wow, you must have really tall heels on." I didn't.

So, strike whatever number we're on now. He's short. Not necessarily a HUGE deal breaker (he was probably just a smidge taller than me), but when you make an issue out of it...I'm not that tall, you're just short.

As he was driving me back to my car, he said, "So, do you ever take your dog on a walk?" I was confused, so I said, "Yeah, sometimes, when the weather's nice." He said, "Do you want to take your dog for a walk tomorrow?" My brain was screaming Process, process, process--OH! He wants me to take her for a walk WITH HIM. Got it. I told him for the second time that night that I'd be busy at church helping a friend the next day and it would probably take most of the day (which was true). So he said, "Well, call me tomorrow and maybe we can go to lunch or something.

Another strike. I'm not going out with you tomorrow. Duh.

So he dropped me off at my car, I thanked him, and told him good night. The next day, while I was busy at church, I got a call and a text from him. I was busy and my phone was on silent, so I didn't get them until I got home, but you'd better believe I wasn't going to contact him again that day. Then I went to check my email, and this is what I found:

Hi Jen,

I had fun on our second date. I just want to let you know that I’m looking for long term relationship. I like you; you are very pretty and sweet voice. You are smart and hard working person very focus. I’m not sure if I will win you for another date by telling you how I feel about you.

Thanks

"Campy"

ASIAN DUDE FREAKING WANTS TO MARRY ME!!!! Crap. First of all, is meeting and talking for less than ten minutes really considered a "first date"? Because I would not call that a first date. Second of all, while the email is flattering, and I realize he's Asian and English is not his first language, SERIOUSLY?? He's lived here for over 20 years and HE WENT TO COLLEGE HERE!! A little grammar? Sheesh.

Strike eleventy billion. Aaaaaaaand yooooooooooou're OUTTTTTTT!!!!

I still haven't written him back. What the heck do you say to that? Anyone have any good ideas?

Adventures in Dating, Part 3

Okay, remember how in our last "Adventures in Dating" installment, I told you I was willing to try ALMOST anything to meet someone? Well, this is another story of "almost anything."

Haha...I sure have a lot of stories all the sudden! I just finally decided I should write them down so someone besides me can laugh about all this craziness. Feel free to just roll your eyes and skip these if you're bored.

So, a couple months ago, my friend Carolyn asked me if I would help her with some volunteer stuff she's been doing for Catholic Relief Services. It's actually kind of awesome, doing social justice-y kinds of things--right up my alley. Basically we're teaching people about fair trade (if you don't know what that means, ask me sometime, or maybe I'll write about it eventually). It's pretty fun to know you're doing something that makes a difference in peoples' lives. Anyway, she asked a couple of us to help her out, and that's when I met Carolyn's friend, Jill. Jill is a cool girl, a few years older than me, and also single. She, however, has got this whole dating and meeting people thing DOWN. Seriously. I don't think I've ever met anyone who is more adept at "dating" in today's world, in the big city, than Jill. Anyway, Jill found out I was single and asked me how things were going. I confessed that I was having trouble meeting people, and she offered to take me under her wing, invite me along when she goes out, etc. I took her up on the offer.

She's invited me out a few times, but mostly I haven't been able to go. I went to a soccer game with Jill and her friends a couple months ago, but that was it. So about two weeks ago, Jill texted me and asked me if I wanted to go speed dating with her.

I know what you're probably thinking. Speed dating? I mean, really? Is that even a real thing? Because I totally didn't think it was. I mean, isn't it just something cheesy people do in bad romantic comedies? Well, the answer is, yes, it is a real thing, and no, not just in the movies.

Apparently Jill knows the guy who runs these for a particular company in Portland, and he had a bunch of guys who had signed up and needed some extra girls. He offered Jill free passes for herself and any girlfriends she wanted to bring along (because obviously they need an equal number of guys and girls for it to work). Since it was free when it's normally like $35-$40, and I had promised myself I'd give everything a shot at least once, I agreed to go.

Here's how it works: it was held at a restaurant in downtown Portland. Everyone gets together around 7:00, has a few minutes to chat, sign in, etc., then they get started. Each person has a nametag with his/her first name and a number, and they give you a "scorecard." They have each girl sit down at a table, then the guys go sit at one of the tables with a girl. You have 8 minutes to chat and get to know each other a little bit; after 8 minutes, they ring a bell and the guys get up and move to the next table. The idea is that you talk to about 8-10 people over the course of the evening. They have a break with appetizers and snacks in the middle, and then you can stick around and hang out at the end (or not).

It was actually kind of fun, but most of the guys were NOT for me. Admittedly, it's hard to say what kind of accurate impression you can actually get from someone in 8 minutes, but basically there was the socially awkward guy who still lives at home with dad at 30+, the cocky doctor, the attractive guy who seemed like a player, the sad and recently divorced dad of two small kids, the guy who seemed to have a worse case of Asperger's than "Lee," the construction worker...you get my drift. For the most part, they were all nice enough, but I just really wasn't attracted to any of them. Oh well.

Basically you write down the names and ID #s of everyone you talk to and you can keep notes as you go on your "scorecard," then after the event is over, you can go home and go online. If you liked anyone and would want to see them again, whether for business, friendship, or a "second" date (can you really consider talking for 8 minutes a "first" date?), you put in their names and ID #s. If they put you in, too, then the website sends you their contact info (name, email, phone #). So after it ended, Jill and I sat down for a few minutes to chat about the guys and agreed there didn't seem to be any real winners. Then Jill said, "But honestly, Jen, it was free, and what can it hurt? If there were any guys who you wouldn't mind hanging out with again, you should just put them in and see if they pick you, too." I hestitantly agreed to let her put three of the guys' names in for me on her iPhone. I figured, really, why not? At least these three weren't totally weird and I had a half-decent conversation with them, maybe I'd get a date out of it.

Right away, we saw I'd been "picked" by "Campy." (No, that's not his real name, but I promise it's just that good.)

Stay tuned for the rest of the "Campy" story..... :)

Amy's Pretty Birthday Cake!!

At the beginning of October, my sister and I were watching "Cake Boss" together one night and I asked her, if she could have any cake made for her, what would she want? She told me she would want the cake she had originally wanted for her wedding--strawberry cake with whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries all over it. I thought, "Hey, I'm pretty sure I can do that!" And since her birthday was coming up, I surprised her with it at her party. :) We snapped a couple quick photos before we served it up at the party, and I was so glad she liked it! I thought it ended up being really pretty--it was four layers of strawberry cake with homemade strawberry jam between the layers, and you better believe I whipped that frosting by hand! :) Best of all? It was delicious!

"Lee" Comes to Portland, Final Chapter (Part 4)

This is the final installment of the "Lee" saga. If you want to read the others, go here:

• Adventures in Dating, Part 2
• "Lee" Comes to Portland, Part 1
• "Lee" Comes to Portland, Part 2
• "Lee" Comes to Portland, Part 3

We stopped by my house so I could change out of my skirt. Thankfully the weather was drying up just a bit, so I wasn't quite so annoyed about driving the narrow, windy roads out to the beach in a crazy rainstorm in the rental car. With my CDs in hand (to help with the awkward silence), we headed out.

We listened to the radio until it the station faded out and I sang along the whole time, then I let him deejay--he chose Coldplay. Not exactly upbeat music, but I could still hum or sing along a little bit. Okay, I know that might be kind of weird, but seriously, he wouldn't talk! I didn't know what else to do. I decided to head to Seaside, since it's one of the bigger cities and one most people have heard of. By the time we arrived in Seaside, the weather had mostly cleared up and it was even a bit sunny (still super windy, but that's the Oregon Coast for you). We found a place to park and walked down to the beach.

About this time I sort of started panicking. It suddenly hit me that his insistence on going to the beach was probably another attempt at romance ("Long walks on the beach," anyone?). I was hoping he'd figured out by then that there was ZERO chemistry between us, but alas, I was sadly mistaken.

We walked along the beach for a few minutes while he commented about how amazing the ocean is (this was not the first time he'd ever been to the beach/ocean, just the first time he'd been to the Oregon Coast). He stopped walking and this is when I knew it was going to be trouble. We stood there for a few minutes as he "subtly" sidled up next to me (okay, I'm sure he thought it was subtle). I stood there with my hands in the pockets of my windbreaker, which was buttoned up to my chin to ward off the chilly breeze.

"You know, I'm really glad I came this weekend," Lee started. (Uh-oh, here we go.) "I've had a really good time here. It's just been really nice to hang out with you. And see what your life is like out here." (He probably thinks my life is mostly driving, with long periods of awkward silence and me attempting to make conversation unsuccessfully, if he's basing it on this experience.) "Yeah. It's been good." He then stepped over next to me and SUPER awkwardly extended his arm behind me, rubbed up and down my back a couple times, gave me an awkward side hug, then patted my back and pulled his arm back. Ohhhhhhh, geeeeeeeez. He's trying to put the moves on me at the beach. I wracked my brain for something honest and kind to say, without leading him on. "I'm glad you're having a good time," I replied, probably a little too brightly.

We stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, then I suggested we drive down to Cannon Beach so he could see Haystack Rock (the big famous rock in "The Goonies"), and I started walking back down the beach. We made our way back to the car and headed for Cannon Beach. It took a bit of hiking, but we got down to the beach and walked around for a few minutes. By then it was starting to get late and I didn't want to drive the windy, wet roads in the dark, so we stopped by the candy shop for some saltwater taffy (that's what you buy when you go to the beach!) and headed back.

I wracked my brain on the way back to Portland for something to do that night. I was going to suggest a movie, since it wouldn't matter that he was awkward and not a stellar conversationalist in person. About halfway home, my sister texted me and asked if we wanted to come over that night for a campfire. Hallelujah!! Something to do!!!! I asked him if he would be up for it, and he said sure. We stopped my house to eat our lunch leftovers for dinner and to pick my puppy up so she could come play, too. Then we headed over.

When we got there, Sterling was in the middle of setting up their Wii. I had lent them my copy of "Super Mario Brothers," so Ster started talking video games with "Lee." (Apparently his ONLY experience with video games was a GameBoy that he'd played briefly in middle school. Seriously? I honestly don't know of ANYONE who never played Super Mario Brothers or XBox or MarioKart or SOMETHING at some point when they were kids, especially not a guy!!) They decided to start playing Super Mario, so "Lee" and Ster played and my mom and sister and I just hung out and watched.

Truthfully, I continued to pray the whole evening that he would figure it out for himself so I wouldn't have to hurt him and tell him I wasn't interested in dating him. (I'm not in the business of breaking hearts. Or maybe I just don't like confrontation?) After a few hours of playing Wii, it was time for everyone to get to bed. I drove "Lee" back to his hotel, hoping and praying he wouldn't try to kiss me goodbye (Amy told me I should just let him kiss me and be the worst kisser EVER so he wouldn't want to date me. :) She's funny).

He had made his flight reservation for 6:00 Monday morning, so he had already told me he would just take public transit to the airport so I didn't have to get up at 4 AM to take him (thank goodness for small favors!). As we were pulling into the hotel parking lot, I checked with him to confirm that was still his plan. Then I told him thanks for coming and gave him a hug and he said goodnight and got out of the car. PHEW!! No awkward door scenes to try to avoid or contend with. I got home and said some prayers of thanksgiving that "the talk" didn't happen...and dreaded the fact that we would STILL have to have that talk at some point. Ugh.

The next morning I woke up and was playing on facebook while I dried my hair and got ready for work. I thought about writing a status along the lines of "I'm SO glad it's Monday!" but I didn't want to make him feel bad, so I wanted to exclude him from that status so he wouldn't see it. When I typed his name in the "show everyone except..." box, it didn't pop up. Confused, I typed his name in the search box to pull up his page and (here comes the best part) HE UNFRIENDED ME ON FACEBOOK!!!!!! I mean, seriously? Are you kidding me? What are you? Nine? You freaking unfriended me on FACEBOOK? That is flipping HILARIOUS!!!! No, when I figured it out, I seriously about died. Apparently not allowing him to put the moves on me at the beach must have been what God needed me to do to get him to figure out for himself (because I can't think of what else it might have been!). But geez, kid didn't waste any time, considering he was on a plane by 6 AM and this was probably 7 AM that I realized it! HOLY COW. So, the hilarious and ridiculous end to this story is that he ended the weekend by unfriending me on facebook and I haven't talked to him since. C'est la vie.

*Post note: Because I am a nice girl, I DID text him to thank him for coming and tell him I hope he made it home safely. I got a one-word text back: "Thanks." Whatever dude.

My mom and I both think he probably has Asperger's (an Autism-spectrum disorder, or something along those lines), which would account for the complete lack of social skills. I honestly don't think he's a bad guy. He was nice, I think he was just clueless. I guess maybe I'd like to think he wasn't just completely thoughtless, and maybe there was something bigger going on there. My mom told me she thought I should gently say something in an email like, "Here are a few of the things that kind of turned me off a little," because she honestly thinks he doesn't get it...but she does like to try and help/"fix" people sometimes...

Truthfully, there were a few things that made me a little wary of him before we ever met, not "wary" like "ooh, he's scary," just wary like not really interested in a relationship. I was telling him about this girls' weekend I was going on with my friends and how awesome their husbands were to figure out things with their kids and stuff so that their wives could go spend a few days with their friends, and he said something along the lines of, "Yeah, like, look at me, I'm totally fine with you going." (UMMMM...WHAT??!! You don't have a say AT ALL in that.) And he told me I was teaching him patience because he'd never known anyone who was so busy all the time and couldn't talk every night. Holy crow.

So with that, I have a final question: I have considered dropping him an email just to say something along the lines of "Hey, "Lee," it was really nice to meet you in person. You are a really nice guy, but I just really didn't feel that special something--that spark--between us, and (based on the fact that you promptly UNFRIENDED ME ON FACEBOOK) I'm guessing you didn't either. Best of luck to you." (Okay, obviously I would be a LITTLE more subtle in my message, but you know what I mean.) I haven't done it, but it's not too late. Do you think I need to? For closure or whatever? I can't decide if I should or not.

So that, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of "Lee" and his trip to Portland. Adventures in dating, indeed!

"Lee" Comes to Portland, Part 3

*For this to make sense, first read "Adventures in Dating, Part 2," then ""Lee" Comes to Portland, Part 1" and ""Lee" Comes to Portland, Part 2."*

My sister had asked me to bring chairs from my house to the party, so I loaded up chairs, cake, beverages, and everything else I was supposed to bring and hit the road. It struck me as a little odd that he hadn't offered to help load the car, but I brushed it off. We got to my sister's house and parked in Sterling's spot (he hadn't made it home from work yet) so we could unload. We grabbed everything except the chairs and ran inside. I introduced my sister to "Lee" and asked if she needed the chairs, and she said to bring them in before I moved the car. As I headed out the door, Amy called after me and asked if I needed any help. Note to guys: ANY other guy in my life who had been with me would have said something along the lines of, "Here, Jen, give me your keys and I'll go get them." It wouldn't have mattered if it was my dad or a guy friend or a boyfriend, literally any of my other friends would have done that. "Lee" didn't even offer to help, even after Amy asked me if I needed help. Ummm...can you say common courtesy?

I ran out (by myself), grabbed the chairs, put them in her basement, then moved the car so Ster could have his spot. By the time I got back in, my mom had finished getting ready and had already been introduced to "Lee." I helped Amy get some last minute things finished, and then people started coming.

You guys, I seriously did my best that night. I sat (on the floor) right next to the big recliner he had chosen to sit in. Sterling's best friend was the life of the party and kept everyone laughing the whole night. "Lee" barely said a word. When he did, it was again just a little too loud, kind of awkward. I realize I was the only person there he "knew," but Amy also had friends there with dates who didn't know anyone except their date. It wasn't like he was the only one who didn't know anyone, and no one else seemed that uncomfortable. I honestly didn't know how to make it any better. Also on the common courtesy thing...he got up several times to get things for himself or throw plates and stuff away and never asked if anyone else (including me) needed anything or offered to take anyone else's plate. Again, any other guy I know would have asked me (and everyone around us) if they wanted anything else, offered to take their plates, etc. Anyway the party was fun, despite the awkwardness, and mostly I was just REALLY grateful for something to do with other people!! And other people to talk to and interact with, since he wouldn't talk much...which still seems weird since he wanted to talk my ear off on the phone EVERY DAY.

We left my sister's house around midnight, and I took him back to his hotel. I told him I'd pick him up for church at 10:45ish the next morning, and I headed home. By this time I had decided that I was NOT attracted or interested in him, and so I was trying to devise a plan that included letting him know that without being a jerk, and how to spend the rest of the weekend without feeling totally miserable about the whole situation. I called my mom, who agreed with my assessment of his awkwardness and lack of social graces.

The next morning I picked him up at 10:45 and we headed to church. I prayed literally the entire time that somehow God would make him figure out for himself that there was no chemistry so I wouldn't have to break his heart or hurt him unnecessarily. After Mass, we went to go find some lunch.

Sidenote: another guy I used to date told me once that one of the major things he looked for in a girl was, if he unlocked her door and let her into the car first, to see if she reached across and unlocked his door for him. Another common courtesy, and second nature to me (apparently I passed that test, or I don't think he would have told me, and I know we wouldn't have gone out for as long as we did!). He told me he wouldn't date someone who didn't think about things like that. Consequently, ever since that has been something that has caught my attention as well. So the weekend that "Lee" was in town, I was driving a rental car (my car was totalled and I hadn't had a chance to buy a new one yet) with manual door locks. So every time we got in the car, I let him in first. NOT ONCE did he reach across and unlock my door, even after church when I had to wait like 2 minutes for the lady on my side of the car to back out of her spot before I could get in!! I can't say that was an impressive part of the visit.

We went to this awesome place for lunch that I love--Salvador Molly's, so unique and "Portland-ish." Knowing I am deathly allergic to peanuts, he sat and ate a whole bunch of them in front of me before our food came (well, at least I had a good excuse not to have to kiss him!). At this particular restaurant, they bring you empty glasses and a pitcher of water. He poured himself water, but none for me. Note: another bit of common courtesy...you always pour drinks for whoever is sitting around you with an empty glass...especially if you're on a date!

So he barely ate any of his lunch, and then I asked him what he wanted to do for the afternoon. Without hestitation, he said, "Can we drive out to the ocean?" Now, he had asked me the day before how long it took to get to the beach, and I told him it took about 1 1/2-2 hours each way, depending on traffic (not exactly a short trip). Nevertheless, he wanted to go to the beach. *sigh* I did not AT ALL want to go to the beach, nor did I want to spend FOUR HOURS in the car with him, but I figured, at this point, the least I could do was make sure he had a good time on his first trip to Oregon, and that if he wanted to go to the beach, that was probably a fair(ish) request. So we went.

Stay tuned for the final installment of "Lee" Comes to Portland...