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Dallas

My Side of the Story

, 3

Dallas had his chance to talk all about how we met. Now it’s my turn. Here is my side of the story straight from my email archives.

Warning: my emails are very long-winded. Proceed at your own risk.

This was the email to my parents about that fateful day:

“On the second Saturday of this month, I went to the Provo Library. I needed to use the computers there, and I had nothing else to do. I didn’t have a job and since it was Saturday, I couldn’t really pursue jobs, so it was a lazy day. I used the computers and happened to see the book/play, The Importance of Being Earnest. I had watched that movie the night before. I decided to sit down and read the play.

“As I was reading, I noticed a guy walk past. He looked like a nice fellow, but I didn’t really think much about it. He planted himself behind the librarians’ desk and started chatting with a librarian. He was facing me and I could feel him look at me on occasion. I finished the play and started browsing around on that floor of the library. I don’t usually go to the second floor, so I was just checking it out. [Did you notice that Dallas? I was checking the library out–not you. He’s convinced I was definitely checking him out.] The guy came up to me and asked me if I was lost. I said no and wondered how many people get lost in the library. Then he asked if he could help me find anything. I said that I wasn’t looking for anything in particular but was just wandering around. THEN he asked if I had any questions that he could help me with. It was beginning to seem that he wasn’t about to take no for an answer, so I just asked him to show me his favorite aisle to look through. He took me to some aisle and started mumbling things that I couldn’t understand. I think he was nervous. He then mentioned something about this book that he had seen that looked really good and he was saying that he wished he knew how to find it. He seemed at a loss as to how to find that book, and I was beginning to wonder what kind of librarian he was. He answered my unspoken question by admitting that he really wasn’t a librarian but rather a computer guy for the library and that he just wanted an excuse to talk to me.

[Side note: While Dallas was asking me these dorky questions, a true, genuine librarian approached us. The authentic librarian asked me if he could help me and before I could respond Dallas said something like, “It’s okay. I’m helping her.” I remember the librarian giving Dallas a skeptical look, and I was thinking it was a little strange that a second librarian would come over, but now I know it’s because Dallas was being a fake librarian and the bona fide librarian was sensing his bluff. Back to the story.]

“I decided to put him out of his misery and small talk with him. We talked for a couple of minutes. I was wondering if he would ask for my number, but he wasn’t. There was a lull in the conversation so I started ending the conversation and leaving. He said something about how since he had already been bold enough to approach me that he might as well ask for my phone number, too. I gave it to him and he gave me his. Then I left. Oh, I should say, his name is Dallas Golden. [I should also say, his handwriting was so bad that I thought his name said Dallas Golch. That almost scared me off then and there. Can you imagine–Rebecca Golch?]

“Later that day, Dallas called. He said he had tickets to the ballet Romeo and Juliet at BYU. He asked if I wanted to go. I said yes. I didn’t have any plans and I was feeling lonely because I was in a new place with roommates I didn’t know. Plus, he seemed like a nice enough guy, and if he wasn’t, I could add it to my anthology of horrid dating stories.

“He picked me up and we went. I don’t remember a whole lot about that date. I remember that he opened every door for me, including letting me out of the car. Most guys don’t do that.

“Anyway, we watched the ballet. During intermission, Dallas started asking me questions. He asked a couple and then mumbled something about going through the whole alphabet asking me a question for every letter. I thought that was a good idea and I was impressed when later, he quizzed himself on my answers and remembered almost all of them. However, he couldn’t remember where he parked, so he tried to push the button to the car on the key chain. I thought he was going to unlock it because that makes a sound and toggles the lights. No, he pushed the panic button. The funny thing about that was it was his mom’s car and he didn’t really know how to turn the panic button off. He finally got it quieted down and we went to Denny’s. I had a fine time with him. At the door he asked if I would go out with him again. I said yes. He seemed nice enough.”

How’s that for romance? I think it’s perfect–and I still have the scrap of paper that says “Dallas Golch.” *sigh*

5 Years Ago Today.. Errr… Yesterday.

, 1

How could we have forgotten that it was May 10, 2003 that Rebecca and I met? I guess we were too busy to remember.

Time for a trip down memory lane straight from the archives of my journal. Do I really dare to copy straight from my journal?

“This morning started as a regular Saturday morning. Nothing exciting happened at all. I got up and went into work. Rick is still vacationing in Europe so I’m the only one that was there in my office today. I went out to use the bathroom and there was a cute girl sitting by the stained glass window reading a book. On my way back I stopped at the reference desk and talked with Marlice.

“I was feeling pretty claustrophobic in my office so I didn’t want to go back there and Marlice and I were having a good conversation, so I sat down and talked with her for a long time. The girl who was reading by the window kept looking my way and I kept an eye on her so I figured she was checking me out, so I was checking her out right back. Patrick came to relieve Marlice so I stood up to go back to my office. At the same time the girl stood up to leave. I continued to watch her because I was debating in my mind about whether I would go talk to her. As she was leaving she turned to look at the books and she looked like she was debating on whether to go to the bookshelves. I saw my opportunity to go and talk to her. I walked up to her and asked her if I could help her find a book. When I asked her this she blushed and I’m sure that I myself blushed because I lost all confidence and my tongue became tied. She asked me which books I would read and her question further sunk me into a blubbering mess. Since my mind had gone blank, all that I could think of was the LDS book section. I walked the girl to that aisle. I then thought about Michael J. Fox’s book that I enjoyed reading and I had to admit that I didn’t know where it was because I’m not really a librarian but I really wished that I was at that moment. She then asked me what I did at the library so I told her. We continued to talk and I kept on tripping over my tongue. I don’t remember a lot of what we talked about because I was very nervous for some reason. I decided that it was time to act upon my fight or flight response and take flight back to the safety and protection of my office. Before I left I asked her for her phone number and I gave her mine, then I retreated to the safe haven of my office. I had become so nervous by the whole encounter that my leg shook for a long time. I don’t know why I got so uneasy about approaching the girl because all I was doing was talking to her. Her name is Rebecca Thomas. I found her quite attractive.

“Later on in the afternoon I received a phone call from Mom. She asked me if I would like to take a date to the ballet that was happening tonight. We were originally going to go together as a family, but they decided not to go after all and they gave the tickets to me. I decided it would be the perfect chance to call the girl I had just met and to invite her to go with me. When I called and asked her she said yes. I was a bit surprised by this because I thought she would have turned me down after our unusual introduction earlier.

“At six o’clock Mom came and picked me up because I had left my car at home since I have been having troubles with one of the tires locking up. I couldn’t exactly take my date our in my car, so Mom agreed to allow me to use their minivan. I’m sure that my mom was really excited to have me out and dating, so she was more than happy to lend me her car. Unfortunately, a minivan is a really dorky vehicle to be driving on a first date. I can only imagine the thoughts going through Rebecca’s mind when I picked her up in a family van.

“I went and picked Rebecca up at her apartment and we went to the ballet up at BYU. The ballet we saw was Romeo and Juliet. I liked this ballet better than the Nutcracker. This was Rebecca’s first ballet and she says that she liked it. After the ballet we went to eat at Denny’s because nothing else was open at the time. We were at Denny’s until midnight because we were talking so much. When I dropped Rebecca off for the night I asked her out again for next weekend and she agreed. I guess I didn’t sound all that retarded this afternoon. I had a really good time this evening.”

My Delayed Flight Home: A Play-by-play

0

My flight from San Francisco to Salt Lake has been delayed. Although I am anxious to get home to see my wife and baby, I feel no impatience.
There is a couple standing by the check-in counter waiting to board the plane. They have been standing there for the past hour as if by forming the line early it would cause the plane to arrive sooner. Maybe they are standing there so they will be able to obtain their seats sooner. One hour of standing surely can’t equal fifteen extra minutes of sitting. The man must have hemorrhoids that just flared up because he just loudly abused the gate attendant because of her lack of information. Please, please, please don’t make me sit next to him.
There is a teenage girl nearby who is wearing her sleeping jumper so she is ready for the slumber party being thrown on the plane.
The call has come and it is now time to go.

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I’m now in the air. Boarding the plane always reminds me of the slow heroic march of astronauts portrayed in movies as they board the space shuttle. This time is different because the plane is too dinky to dock with the terminal thus we we entered the plane via the tarmac, giving me an opportunity to smash my large wad of gum to the underside of the plane and jamming my iPod headphones into the gum giving a mighty good impression of a plastic explosive. Don’t worry–I took a picture of myself since it may be the last time you see me breathing in free air. Well, you may have figured out that we made it off the ground without incident. I’m thinking they must not have sen my handiwork or that I didn’t actually do it, but would have if I came prepared with a fist full of chewed up bubble gum and if I were actually willing to throw away a perfectly good pair of headphones.

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On the plane my seat is occupied by a girl. According to the stamp on her book (she has dog-eared the library book!), she is a student at San Jose University and based upon her braces, the vivid red fingernail polish she wears, and her choice of literature, I figure she is a freshman although she looks much younger. I’ve let her retain my seat by the window although thus far she has yet to take in the beauty of the world outside the window.
The stewardess comes from the Land Down Under which gave the safety instructions more interest because of her accent.
There are two girls up one row and to the right of me who are thumbing through a women’s magazine pointing out the cute guys. One has chosen Matthew McConaughey as her guy of choice while the other fingers George Clooney as hers. Kevin Kline is passed over.
The stewardess has come by with drinks and I have juice while my seat thief took the hard stuff (coffee). I felt quite uneasy as they passed the hot brew over my lap and I was grateful that we didn’t hit any turbulence.
The man on the other side of the row is looking at pictures of his family on his iPhone…
Whoa! We just drastically changed directions downward causing my stomach to turn upside down. That means that what I was about to say is more exciting because I was about to say that I wish I were home and now we are just about there!

We’ve landed and I’m just waiting for the two most important people to pick me up.
My seat partner spent the entire landing nervously hopping about her seat. She still never looked out the window.
I’m convinced that our landing had more of the stomach sickening G-forces than a roller coaster and that it would be cheaper to just take a flight than to pay the expense of Disney Land.
Rebecca has just called and it is time to go home! See ya.

Prom

, 4

Our ward had a prom!  It was so fun.  Dallas and I got all dressed up, dropped Brooke off at a babysitter’s house, and danced the night away.  We were able to get our pictures taken by someone in our ward.  It was such a fun date night.

Unfortunately Brooke didn’t enjoy the night as much as we did.  She screamed for two hours and threw up her bottle before finally crying herself to sleep.  What a little stinker.

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