Was it a Blind Date or Wasn't it?

From the view of being outside the box, it was. I just didn't realize it could have been one until the next day. I think we were in the box of "no, it's not a blind date", even when it really was. I know, I know. Let me explain...

My friend Tyler and I both have these really cool discount cards for fun restaurants around town. They offer a great deal of "Buy one entree, get one free" for the higher end places around town. Tyler, his wife Gina, and I are all kinda foodies. We like food! OK, we LOVE food. Love to cook it, taste it, discuss it, and try new places that make it!

So this card works great, but for the deal to make the most sense, you need to have four people. Let's face it folks, my social network in Tucson has ridiculously dwindled and I only stay in touch with my girlfriends and I haven't gone to a YSA activity (besides the awful dance awhile back) since I have been here. And I haven't met any guys out in the great wide world that I would want to ask to dinner. I would have asked some girlfriends to go, but they were actually out of town this week.

So Tyler being the great guy he is, said he knows a guy who would probably want to come. Now I look back at it, I'm special for not seeing it as a blind date. Anywho, I assumed he was asking him to just come and restaurant adventure with us because we needed a fourth person to make the discount worth while. (Update: I did assume correctly, Tyler did say he only asked if he wanted to come and hang out with us, and that a single female friend would be there, but he wasn't trying to set us up. It just happens that the tag blind date still works: See look-Definition of a date: Planned ahead? Yes. Paired off? Yep. Payed for? Yep. Definition of blind: not seeing. So together, blind date, not seeing/knowing the person who you will be on the date with. haha)

Funny enough, Tyler told me about this guy when I first moved down here back in September, he just didn't take action to introduce us until this last Thursday. And by "told me about him", he only told me there was a guy in his singles ward that was nice and his name was Tyler too. (Look, I just wrote a guy's real name on here. Gasp! jk. It's only because no one who reads this should actually know him, so I thought why not. hahaha)

Anywho, I thought it would be nice to meet a new guy, but I had brought mulah to split the bill with him and everything, because again, I thought he was just coming to fill the seat. (I do really think I was in denial, because writing it all down totally points to blind date, but whatev, denial helped me to not be nervous and I liked being really comfortable)

So, Blind Date Tyler (I'll call him BD Tyler to keep the confusion on the names to a minimum) is really, really nice! He is also good lookin'! Tall, brown hair and a little facial hair scruff going on. Nice. He's from Utah and moved to Tucson 2 years ago. He has a sister and her family down here, that's what got him to come south in the first place. He actually works with Tyler too.

I think we all had a really good time. Again, it was comfortable. I was asking him questions and I wasn't nervous like I am when I meet a new guy (this is where the denial thing helped me out) I still have issues making eye contact though, but I can tell ya, I did better. lol. I'll work on it, I'll work on it, I promise! I hope he was comfortable too. We do have food tastes in common, bring on the sweet potato french fries!

Funny stuff ahead... ready... go...

Somewhere in the conversation he brings up his brother in law. He told me where he worked and it turned out that I TOTALLY know his sister and his brother in law, Kyle. Once he said where his brother in law worked, I knew exactly who he was. We were both surprised and Tyler and Gina laughed. Funny enough, Gina ended up knowing his family too! Good times.

I was in the family ward a few years ago with Kyle and his family, he was the Ward Mission Leader when Patrick got baptized. So not only do I know his family, but my family knows his family. Kyle and his wife, Liz, went out to dinner with us for my birthday a few years ago! They are awesome people with 3 of the cutest kids! They are all in my Stake in funny enough, we just had Stake Conference yesterday and today. Guess who I saw last night at the adult session? Yep. Kyle and Liz! That story can be for another day, let's just say we all laughed.

OK, back to dinner. I would have been good staying and sitting on the patio for hours, but everyone looked a bit tired and we had already been there for 2hours, so a little bit after the check came (which he picked up by the way. I even offered to cover the tip, and he said it was good, he had it. I know!) We all got up and headed towards ze cars.

No end of date awkwardness happened, because I didn't realize that it was a date. But I am sad I missed out on going for that, end of date hug. I invited him to the Eat n' Meet we are having next weekend, so numbers have been exchanged. We'll see what happens, it would be nice to get to know him more, but I am learning to not worry about it. I already put the invitation out for next weekend, it's up to him to say yes, but what a great transition into explaining the Eat n' Meet...

... my friend Cammie is amazing! She had the idea to organize a giant singles event for the 25 and up crowd where equal numbers of girls and guys will meet up at restaurants around town, enjoy themselves with good food and good company, and then head to a central location so everyone from the different restaurants can meet each other for dessert.

She asked me if I would help out with it and it's been really fun! I did something like this while I was up in Salt Lake. I don't remember if I told ya'll about it, but it was fun to meet new people. It was an Institute activity up there though, and this one is non church related.

This helped to re affirm that I am totally out of the social networking down here and I need to do something about it quick. I like to go out and play, or to go and meet up with friends for new adventures. I can't do that if I only hang out with my family, can I? No. So here I go, going out to meet new people. Perk is, I know some of the girls, but very few of the guys. Who knows... maybe my ore is in Tucson.

I am also a table captain for my group. Which means I had the privilege of contacting the people who RSVP'd and who were assigned to my restaurant. I get to be the person that helps the conversation going at dinner. Can I do that? Yes, I think I can. Thankfully, my mother raised a talker. I will know the 5 girls at dinner, but only 2 of the guys, (including BD Tyler if he ends up being able to make it and yes, yes I did ask for him in my group. haha)

We'll see how this week plays out, there is going to be some random busyness, but it's going to be one amazing week! I just know it. I'll let ya know what happens!

p.s. I should totally give a plug to Catalina BBQ Company up at Star Pass. They had some very tasty pulled pork and short ribs, with some tasty bbq sauce, but the brisket and chicken were a little dry. BD Tyler on a positive note said maybe it was just an off day. Their sides of mac and cheese and sweet potato fries, freakin' rocked though! I would totally go again.