Thursday Night Rendezvous

I was as nervous as a schoolgirl meeting a boy at the movie theater for the first time…

Was I ready? What impression would I make? Did I look all right?

Boy #1 knew just what to say to put my mind at ease.

“Mom, what’s that on your forehead?”

“I know, I’ve got prepubescent acne! Get off my back!” I barked before heading out the door, now more self-conscious than ever.

As I got to the minivan, I cringed when I opened the door. McDonald’s Chicken Nugget boxes. Powerade bottles. Trampled coloring books. Broken crayons. A tackle box (I hoped there weren’t dead night crawlers inside). A box of Tampax showing through the semi-transparent Wal-Mart sack. Crumbs and smashed fruit snacks on the leather seat where Boy #3’s car seat had been.

I just hoped she wouldn’t look inside.

What was I going to say? I knew I wasn’t as funny in person. What if I got tongue-tied, as I sometimes do, or my mouth took off ahead of my brain?

Would she still want to be my friend?

I rang her doorbell, and a friendly face I recognized from her videos greeted me. She was flanked by the cutest 3-year-old who immediately asked me, “Want to see my fish?” I was smitten.

I relaxed as I sat on the couch and chatted with Jody, my new (dare-I-say) friend. She had won my scrapbook contest and I wanted to buy some of her IKEA organizers, and since she lives only a couple miles away, we finally got the chance to rendezvous.

Jody? Easy to talk to. Friendly. Laid-back. Cute in that “I don’t have to get all dolled up to look cute” way that makes me a teensy bit jealous. Honest. Real.

Doug? Friendly. Funny. Hardworking. Smart. Techy. Real too.

Brenna? Sweet. Eager. Adorable. Funny. Likes to share her “stuff”. Smart.

Caelan? Bright-eyed. Amazingly verbal. Cutie-patootie. Smart.

I even got to meet the petsโ€”including the ones they have temporary custody of.
Toby? Big. Friendly eyes. Laid-back.
Zeus? Teeny-tiny. Big dog trapped in a little dog body. Curious. Quite a yipper.

I loved that, although her house was way cleaner than mine, she DID have a few things on her counters, and there were a couple toys in the living room.

I loved that she had to tell her girls, “Quit jumping on the couch!”

I loved that she just curled up on the couch and visited with me.

I loved how Doug said he was too lazy to move the garage-sale items hanging on the exercise equipment so he just skipped working out.

I loved that they were just what I thought they would be. That their blog-o-life accurately reflects their actual life. That what I “saw” was what I “got.”

How sad is it that I’m 36 years old and still feel the same desperate need for friendship that I did in the 7th grade? I know I should just be thankful for my wonderful family and my awesome sisters and not care if I have someone to run to Starbucks with after the kids go to bed. And I AM thankful.

But still…

…I hope she liked me.

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