The Third Date

The third date was a do or die situation. It is the date that determines all - to keep dating or dump! I think I was the most nervous - Chris gave me all the responsibility for this date (after feeling rather dejected from the missed kiss last date).

When I talked with Chris over the phone I let him know that I was ready to go out again (he was certainly having his doubts about my feelings for him) and so relieved that I had called him. I gave him the choice of either going on a mountain bike ride or cooking a dutch oven dinner up the canyon. He chose the latter (which I was actually grateful for as I am a much better cooker than biker).

He came right on time, as usual, to pick me up from my house. We loaded all the food and equipment up in his car and we headed up the canyon. I was planning to go to Jolly's Ranch, but when we got there is was full. So we keep driving from camp ground to camp ground until we found an open parking spot and fire pit.

I had prepared BBQ chicken and pineapple upside down cake. Chris had prepared cowboy potatoes (a recipe he desperately requested from a friend to make a good impression).

We had the opportunity to do a lot of talking while we got the coals ready and cooked the food. I love being in the outdoors (for limited amounts of time), and I especially love being able to see the stars and listen to the singing of the crickets. For me, it seemed the perfect romantic evening.

We tackled several difficult topics. The first was our age difference. Chris is 8 years older that I. He was okay with it but wondered how I felt. If I had meet him a year or two earlier I don't know what I would have thought. But at this point in time I had already thought it all out. Remember by friend Dayna? --The one who's wedding I met Chris at. Well, she was 8 years younger than her husband too and we had talked on the subject many times because she had a really hard time with it at first. So, because I had already thought and talked this through it didn't seem awkward to me at all.

The next touchy subject was that of polymyosistis. That is the official name of Chris' muscle disease. He told me how after soon coming home from his mission he got really weak. Couldn't do any of his normal activities and was tired all the time. It finally got so bad he had to leave BYU and return home for a while. After seeing several doctors and finally getting a diagnosis he started to get better. He was getting better because of the drugs he was taking: prednisone (a steroid that made him get "fat") and methotrexate (a serious auto immune drug). The drugs helped his muscles and allowed him to return to almost normal activity but there were side affects. The prednisone had made his face swell up and the methotrexate literally made him sick. He would always take his weakly does of the methotrexate on Friday evening - so he wouldn't be too sick to teach during the week. (It still pains me to remember him having to drink that nasty stuff and the effect it had on him). And while on methotrexate he was under strict regulations not to procreate - as it damages the genetically passed on DNA.

That all was a little more than I expected to swallow. Things like this had always worried me in the past - but even though I was a little concerned I still felt good and calm and even loved him all the more.

Anyway - we enjoyed our food and enjoyed each other's company. I started getting a little nervous about the goodbye part of our date. I really wanted to redeem myself from my last date. I really wanted to kiss Chris, and kiss him so good that he no longer had any doubts about my feelings for him. I don't know why I didn't think about kissing him while we were up in the canyon - but I guess I was waiting for the standard goodnight kiss to get things going.

We we returned to my house. We unloaded his car and put all my gear away. I then went outside to walk Chris back to his car and to hopefully have another chance. As we started to get closer and embrace for a hug I all of a sudden saw my dad coming out from around the house. He had decided that this would be a good time to take the dog for a walk around our little neighborhood, around, and around again. Always within sight.

DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't kiss in front of my dad. We waited and waited and talked and talked, but still by dad walked that *#@&*#% dog. Finally Chris had to go and we were both left without a satisfying goodbye. I was going to have to wait at least another couple of weeks to redeem myself with that kiss as Chris was about to leave to go back home to Spokane, Washington.