Blind Date Billy . . . Again

(Picture taken by Dain Hubley - hope you don't mind, Dain. It was just too perfect.)
Okay, I lied about not having anything to talk about. This weekend I'm going on a blind date, and I've been wondering about my sanity, because honestly, my luck with blind dates has been . . . special. Let's take a survey, shall we?
First, there was the kid my DAD set me up with because we both got the same scholarship. He took me to see Napoleon Dynamite (a movie I already knew I detested) and then to a park to play croquet in the dark and to swing dance. He flipped me upside down, which was . . . thrilling, but oddly enough, not the basis for an enduring relationship.
The blind date I'm going on this weekend is the third setup from my brother, Spence. The first one was a nice enough kid - we doubled with my roommate and his friend - and he was actually creative. We went to a place called Color Me Mine and painted some pottery. His friend was a little overconfident (obnoxiously so) and they kept speaking in Hmong (word to the wise, boys. This is not charming or impressive. You may bring up mission stories if they are ABSOLUTELY applicable, but don't work it into the conversation because you want to let it be known you went on a mission, and DON'T start talking in your language in front of your date unless you have to in order to communicate with the waiter (like, maybe you're on a date in Mexico). It's rude. Rant concluded.) but other than that it was okay. I saw him one more time . . . when he asked me to edit his poly sci paper and practically write his works cited page for him. Awesome.
The second setup was over before it even happened. My brother's brother-in-law had a friend, and when we couldn't get the date to work out, we arranged a meeting at the football game. He said after that we could "decide whether or not we want to go out."
Um . . . holy awkward situation, Batman.
So we met up so he could see if I was good enough to waste a few bucks on, and of course it was weird and awkward (probably more so for him, because I was there with all of my friends) and when he left at halftime to get food my friend Spencer Houtz threatened to put his arm around me when the kid got back. When he did get back, my friend Travis asked him who he was (Travis missed the first half) and the kid hmmed and haaed so much that I thought I should help him out, so I said, "Oh, just tell him! It's funny!"
He told him. In the most awkward way imaginable.
"Well, I've been home from my mission for about 5 years now, and my friends have decided it's about time for me to get married."
Hello? I'm standing right here . . .
We never actually went out.
I did have one good blind date experience - we went out 3 times and then decided we knew everything we needed to and weren't interested anymore. But it was a nice self-esteem boost when he asked for my number after the first date.
And now here I am preparing to subject myself to it again, but I've decided to glory in the awkwardness. What difference does it make if we like each other? I'm beginning to think that a lot of this business of love is luck anyway, which means that until you run into a person you click with you may as well have a little fun laughing at all of the ones that don't work at all. So here's to finding true love in a world in which I really wonder how anyone EVER gets together. Wish me luck.