This one was certainly a date...

[fbhjr]

The morning after the party that may or may not have been a date 25 years ago, I set off with some friends to go visit yebo in New Jersey. He grew up near a big amusement part (then Great Adventure, now one of the many 6 flags) and was working at a scout camp for the summer.
Ed (the chew the toilet seat one, not the piss on me in the night one), Dave (the crazy one), Monica (legally a midget), Greg (no short way for to describe him) and I drove down to see him.

We had a good enough time. But, the whole time I kept telling everyone “We’ve got to be back by Saturday night as I’ve got a date with the girl I just met and I don’t want to miss it.”
They got very tired of me saying it. But, they were folks it was good to remind of priorities, so I didn’t stop.

Ed’s station wagon was one of those old big ones they made in the early 70’s when gas was cheap. We called it The Nimitz as it was similar in size and maneuverability to the air craft carrier.

Being poor college students and most of the roads between there and home being toll roads, we tried to take the back roads. Dave and Ed were sure they knew the way, so I fell asleep in the back of the wagon.
“I’m pretty sure we’re on this blue line,” I heard when I woke up.
“Where are we?” I asked, knowing it was several hours later.
“We’re pretty sure we’re somewhere in New Jersey,” Ed told me. “Dave thinks we’re on this blue line on the map.”
“We should be in Connecticut by now,” I said. “Why are we still in NJ?”
“Dave thinks he’s found a good road,” Ed said.
“I tried to tell him it’s river,” Monica said. “But, they won’t listen.”
“Give me the map,” I said.
“Look, I know where we’re going,” Dave said.
“Give me the map, now!” I said.
The good news was, we were not driving on a river. The bad news was we were going west and needed to be going north east.
The upshot is, after only 6 hours for a normally 4 hour drive we got home.

Of course, between my share of gas, going to an amusement park and buying food, I only had $10 left. (Movies were $4 then.) It had been a lot of work not to spend more doing all those things. It was before the days of ATMs, and even if there had been one, it’s not like I had any money to take out anyhow.
Not a great way to impress a girl you want to impress.

When my (now) wife showed up I made the offer “I’ll buy the movie tickets if you buy the popcorn.”
She accepted and we went off to see Return of the Jedi.
Both of us had already seen it. It had been out for 2 months.
She mocked the Ewoks.
She did.
During the movie and everything. (I am not happy when people talk in movies...)

But, it all worked out.
It was a very hot humid night.
When we went back to my apartment, the air glowed around the lights of the city.
It was a very special night.

Comments

[yebo.livejournal.com]

Part of the punchline to the "Drive down and visit Yebo" bit is that I got the next afternoon off (no mean feat in a scout camp), but James Brown was playing at GA, so by the time I got there, the park was closed.

I ended up seeing fbhjr and the group for about half an hour when they came to the weekly camp picnic. They did, however, get to see more of me than anyone intended....

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

I still remember Monica saying "So, they don't wear anything under those loin cloths, do they?"
I hadn't looked...

[temperlj.livejournal.com]

Very Romantical :)

[64tbird.livejournal.com]

"She mocked the Ewoks.
She did."

Well that is because she is awesome to the power of 10 awesomenesses with awesomeness on the side.

(edited for spelling of made up words)

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

Well, since I'm still with her, you can tell how much it upset me, right?