This will make my mother CRAZY to re-live this memory because my first date wasn't exactly as she'd pictured it would be from the time I was little. I think my mom had ideas of my date picking me up at our house, me walking gracefully down the stairs and all that.

Ummmm... that's not what happened.

Before we get to EXACTLY WHAT I WROTE in my journal, let me tell you how this date came about.

I asked a boy out for my first date. Yup. Later, I made it a rule to never ask boys out, or call them on the phone and stuck with that rule until I got married to the bearded eye-roller- I even have a hard time calling him on the phone and we're MARRIED!

Really, the story about how I asked this guy out is worth mentioning, because it shows that I was really working it. I wasn't allowed to date until I was 16 years old, and well, time was a wastin' at age 16.6 years. The guys weren't busting down the doors to ask me out, so I had to take matters into my own hands.

The guy (dang, I can't even remember his name, but I sure had a crush on him!) was a piano player running around in the same circles and circuits (county fairs, etc.) as my brother and me (I've mentioned that Michael and I used to sing together, and I played the piano right?)

My church had an annual event at Knotts Berry Farm, and I decided that I wanted to go there with this guy (dang, what IS his name?). The next time we saw each other was a 4th of July event where his band was up before ours. Here's how it all went down.

I quickly put my music over the top of one of his notebooks so he would 'accidentally' leave it there. And, gee wiz- wouldn't you know, I didn't notice I had it until I had a babysitting job the next day.

I called him from my babysitting 'gig' and told him the horrible mistake I'd made and asked him if he wanted to come over and get his music.

He took the bait! I never did let him in, so it was a long awkward conversation on the front porch (the baby was asleep- I'd planned that too). Finally, I got around to asking him if he'd like to go to Knotts- not as a date, mind you- he'd have to buy his own ticket, which I conveniently had. He took the bait again!

And now- in the 16 year old words of young RisibleGirl- an account of the hot really dorky date:

First of all, I had to drive. We went to Knotts Berry Farm. I bought the tickets in advance with the understanding that Don (ha! That's his name!) would pay me back later. Well, to start with, I pulled out in front of a car when I was going to park. Then I didn't remember to let him open my door. Then we ran into my friends there and they were teasing me in front of him about it being my first date, and asking him if he was going to kiss me and so forth.

We didn't even hold hands the whole night! Then on the way home I think he tried to hold my hand, and I started laughing. Then when I dropped him off, I guess he wanted a kiss and I again started laughing. Instead of kissing him, I said, "Oh yeah, you forgot to pay me".

Hmmmm... anyone want to place bets as to whether we went out again?