In a person’s life, he or she goes on maybe eight zillion dates–give or take a couple of billion. Most of those are just a blur. But there are a few that stand out. Here are some of your more memorable dates. . . .
Bonnie: “I met Ronnie at work and didn’t really know him very well. I decided to give him a chance. He called before he came to get me so I could give him directions to my house. About 20 minutes later, I heard his car in the driveway. Instead of coming to my door, he beeped his horn. I stood in my kitchen in total astonishment. No guy has ever beeped to get me. I guess I didn’t leave quickly enough, because he beeped again! I dragged myself outside and reluctantly got in his car. The first thing he said to me was, `Today at my other job, I kicked three guys’ (butts).’ This was his way of trying to impress me! We decided to go to the movies. While in the theater, he talked back to the screen, not in a quiet voice only I could hear, but in a loud voice, so the whole audience could hear. I was so embarrassed, all I could think was, `Why me?’ “
Lisa: “We went to the movies at the drive-in. Around the middle of the second movie, I had to go to the bathroom. I carefully noted where we were parked and left. Then, I came back to the row we were in and could not find the car. I looked in all the car windows trying to find my date. I walked up the next aisle too. No date. I was so embarrassed I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t remember what kind of car he had or anything. Finally, I went up to the snack bar and told them my dilemma. They announced over the loudspeaker would my date come and pick up at the snack bar. Luckily I remembered his name. He came to fetch me and as we walked back to the car, almost every head in the parking lot was turned our way.”
Jennifer: I was involved in a long-distance relationship with the cousin of my ex-boyfriend. I had met him two days before he was to move back to Colorado from California. We then continued the relationship on the phone for another month. Then I went to visit him. It was my last night in Colorado before I went back home. It was lightly snowing. When he came home from work, he told me to get ready, but he didn’t tell me what we were going to do. I just knew he had planned it for some time. We went to a snow mobile rental place, then he took me out the back and walked a bit to a horse-drawn carriage with two gorgeous horses and warm wool blanket. We rode for a while, then stopped at a tent where dinner was waiting. We had a lovely dinner with warm apple cider, but to tell you the truth, I can’t remember what the main course was. The carriage ride back was magnificent, with the snow falling. At the end of the date, he gave me a beautiful, single, long-stemmed, red rose. Our relationship ended one month later, but I will never forget that night, except for what I ate for dinner.”
Julie: “He was my dream of a man, and I was so excited for our first date. I bought a beautiful new silk dress. We were going to the theater and then to a late dinner. He had gotten wonderful seats, right in the middle, about 10th row. I happily sat down. But when I went to get up, my dress was stuck to the seat with big wad of gum. My dress was ruined and so was the evening because we could never get the mood back again.”
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Send your relationship tales and questions to Cheryl Lavin, Tales from the Front, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL. 60611 or e-mail clavin@tribune.com. Please include day and evening phone numbers. Letters may be used in whole or in part for any purpose and become the property of the column. Have you ever been in Tales from the Front? Send an update of your relationship.
