Monday, March 17, 2008

Embarrassing teenage journal entry #1, and why I've still never been to the Prom

"March 21, 1992
Boys to hang out with this semester:
1. Rob,
2. Jean-Marc,
3. Lee,
4. Bruce (home teacher),
5. Klaus,
6. Adam

New ones I met washing my car last Saturday, at the beginning of Spring Break:
Kevin and his friend Jake and also this guy from across the street named Bill.

I have to go pick up Stacey from the airport. I'll finish later."


(This is my first mention of Jake in my journal. I was a freshman at the University of Arizona. Liz and Stacey were my roommates. Liz and I treated boy-meeting as a team sport. Apparently, this was quite a good list. Liz and #2 are now married and have four children.)

Obviously, it was love at first sight in that soapy driveway on that warm March Saturday.

You can tell by the way I wrote "and his friend Jake," that I could see eternity in his eyes. Maybe.

This is how it went:
Mi hermanita Jen and I were washing my car in the driveway of 1946 E. Lockwood the first morning I was home for Spring Break. I loved my car, a white 91 Acura Integra. When I drove around in it with my big 90s hot-rollered hair, the boys would turn and stare. Anyway, just as we finished drying, two 18 year old boys, Jake and Kevin, pulled in to the driveway, and asked if we would put a scrubbin on Kevin's Civic, tambien. I had already started to re-fill the bucket when I heard Jen telling them :

"we don't know you and we won't wash your car."

"Oh, yeah", I thought, "maybe I shouldn't seem so eager. Play it cool. Play it cool." Jen was only 15, but she seemed to know instinctively that teenage boys only want one thing from pretty girls:

free car washes and movie treats.

Wait, that's two. Anyway, once you do chores for boys, they don't respect you any more. I learned that in Mia Maids, I think.

So I turned off the hose and we chatted a bit, and I tried to resist, but then I gave in and washed the car anyway. (I can't believe I was so easy, washing cars even before the first date). I think Jake helped, while Kevin and Jen stood by supervising. It seemed the boys had driven all the way from Glendale to visit Sarah, the girl across the street, who had promised to wash the car. Since she wasn't available, they went to the next nearest bikini car wash (only with no bikinis, just shorts that would surely violate the BYU honor code. At the UofA they were very nearly prudy, however.) After the cars were shiny, we all went to the movies to see Fried Green Tomatoes. I sat by Kevin, who tried to get me to buy him popcorn by telling me he lived in his car and didn't have any money. I think Jake was chatting up Jen while mentally calculating how long it would be until she turned 16, so he could put some moves on her, officially. (He denies it now, but I was there. I got eyeballs.)

It occurred to me perhaps one month later that Jake was smart and cute and funny. It also occurred to me that since he was technically still in high school, he or Kevin could invite me to the prom (I had never been to a prom, and it was my secret dream). So I tried to flirt with them. Too bad I'm a horrible flirter, because no Prom materialized. By the fall, though, Jake and I were fast friends, and I might have let him kiss me if he'd tried. Alas, he did not. But that's a story for another day.

Here we are at Disneyland, January 1, 1993. You'll notice Jake is wearing his Mickey ears.

What does all this mean? It means Happy Belated Anniversary, Jake! You pulled into my driveway 16 years ago last Friday. March 14, 1992. I'm so glad you did.

I'll wash your car anytime.
I'm just a girl who can't say no.

15 comments:

TheOneTrueSue said...

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha! This was just hilarious.

Your teenage self and my teenage self could totally hang out.

SBrooks said...

You rock - love the ears Jake - you really haven't aged a bit! You still have that enamored look of first bitten love!

Gini said...

I love that picture. I didn't know Jake was driving all the way to Mesa to get his car washed either.. by you OR Sarah. Who was she? Funny all the old info coming out of the blogs! I'm not sure I knew you went to DL together either. I think Jake said he was staying somewhere that night!hahah

Molly said...

Cute post Kelly! Hopefully I'll be able to remember all my anniversaries, you are good!

Jolene said...

So embarassing to admit that almost every one of my journal entries from 7th grade until marriage are about boys. You have inspired me to go look up what I wrote about the first time I met Alan. I'm pretty sure I had no idea what his name was and I just called him "cute boy w/ red baseball hat".

When Hansen comes later this week, we will definitely give you a call. We may do a movie Thurs. night or lunch Friday or Saturday. They are leaving Saturday night.

One Sassy Mama said...

How funny - makes me wish I would've kept a better journal.
Yes - call JoJO and figure out amongst yourselves our lunch, movie (or both) date - good times!

jackpot said...

So cute, Kelly. You look like Felicity in the Disneyland pic (which you know is among the highest of compliments.) Oh, and I don't recall Jake trying to put any moves on me. I got eyeballs too.

jackpot said...

Apparently, my identity is linked to Will's blog. Jen really posted this and previous comment, not Will (or the wild animal his blog is named after).

jackpot said...

So cute, Kelly. You look like Felicity in the Disneyland pic (which you know is among the highest of compliments.) Oh, and I don't recall Jake trying to put any moves on me. I got eyeballs too.

Laura Gunn Studio said...

Oh boy. this is so funny. Thanks to the writers' strike, your blog has become our new family entertainment. I hope you'll come over to Melanie's during our massive makeover and entertain us in person.

Jenni said...

What a fun story...I didn't know that's how you guys met. Happy anniversary! Josh and I and the kids are coming down this weekend to visit for the week--hope we run into you sometime!

Hailey said...

Hey! I used to play "boy-meeting" too. I was really good at it. I thought about playing in the big leagues. Then I met your cousin...

Shan @ Design Gal said...

I just had a contest for embarrassing journal entries! You should have entered! There was a sweet prize too! :)

also known as shell said...

oh I love this one! the part that you should never do chores for boys because they will never respect you was hilarious! I totally cracked up!

Anonymous said...

You forgot Andrew Jackson’s Big Block of Cheese with nary a macaroni in sight.