November 1st, 2016 – Day 1
I put a lot of time into my last blog post, so you’re seeing this one a little late! Pardon, that. You can view that post HERE if you’re interested!
Keep in mind, I only was back in Iowa for about 24 hours before I packed up and left for this trip! So, I started out quite tired! This was also a 6-hour drive, and most of it even on the same road! Passing all the same sights again and again! My navigator was not my friend on the way here! She told me to take an exit, JUST KIDDING! So, I get back on the road and she’s like “Hey, this is awkward… But I lied again. You were supposed to exit…” RAGE! 4 times this happened… I’m done with your shenanigans, Tom Tom!
I finally arrive at 6:36pm, though I was originally going to be there at 5:49pm… Thanks again Tom Tom! You were doing so well! Maybe you Just had an off day. Get me home safe and we’ll be even. I am residing with a family friend known as Nancy. She goes to bed at 9pm, so thankfully I was there before that! We switch our cars positions around so she can leave in the morning without waking me at 6am. Which should Just be a warning label that I come with. Please advise: “If disturbed between the hours of 5-7am, I am not responsible for your inJuries or accidents.” I don’t trust morning people. The only morning people I do trust are the ones who bring me coffee. I like those people. You can wake me up whenever you please IF you bring me coffee.
We chat for a while, and then she heads to bed. Shortly after I did too. I laid in bed for about an hour on my laptop, then I got a text message. Knowing instantly I am no longer going to get any sleep tonight, I sit up and reply. We only ended up chatting until about 1:26am. I guess that’s not an about, that’s pretty specific… I’m not someone who falls asleep texting, and I don’t like it when other people do. But I did fall asleep, twice. I woke up both times, so we did actually bid our farewells; however, I did cut it close two more times than normal. Whoops!
November 2nd, 2016 – Day 2
I’m close to the coffee shop, literally Just 2 miles away and I get a text message from Liz. It reads “I’m exhausted” — Now I’m getting a little upset because my last coffee date got cancelled and I drove nearly an hour to be at this one. But all is not yet lost, let’s pull over and see what she means. She was not cancelling, and good thing for it! I would have gone and had coffee anyway, but it was a lot nicer having someone there.
Normally I learn about people when I go on a date, and in some ways I guess I did. But it was about 4% talking, 96% laughing fits. Which was great! I go on a lot of coffee dates, and you never know which ones are going to turn out. I haven’t actually known her very long. Just about 3 months in fact, and out of those three months, I saw her twice. Once the on August 4th, and again on the 5th. Both very short encounters. Maybe 2 hours the first day, 10 minutes the second? My point is, we haven’t known each other very long. Even outside of meeting, we hadn’t talked a whole lot, but the timing lined up for me to go see her show. I suppose I forgot to mention that… I’m up in Wisconsin to see the musical she is in, and that is rather key information. Congratulations if you made it this far without any context. 10 J-Points to you!
So, it was a real gamble as to whether or not this date would actually be any good, or if we would Just sit in silence. I very rarely have a date like that, but that’s because I never shut up. I could talk forever, but I do quiet down a bit so I can learn about them. However, it was quite well. We went to Java Dock in Port Washington, WI. A place I am now very fond of! I had no idea what to get as it’s not a chain style coffee shop. But I finally got to say what I’ve always wanted to. “I’ll have whatever she’s having.” Which ended up being a Mocha coffee and it was delicious! We found a deck of cards, but it wasn’t a full set. We’re both a little OCD, and it drove us nuts. We organised them as best we could and then threw the case in a drawer. You sit and there and think about what you’ve done! Oh, and somehow her name is “Z” now? As if that’s not a copy! But I’ll oblige as one letter names are indeed the best. Then we shared childhood photos in which we were both overweight… But be careful who you make fun of in elementary school! Some of us turn out pretty well! In the wise words of Donkey “Well, now… We’re Sexy!”
Kind of an odd thing, a musical. I get to go and see her up on stage for over an hour, sometimes over 2! Yet, she has no proof of whether or not I ever even came. I can see you, but you can never see me. Though surely everyone else can. I always wear a suit when I go to musicals, and I tend to be highly overdressed in doing so. But I’m okay with that! Don’t tell anyone, but I’m writing this in that coffee shop. It’s actually the next day, but I Loved it so much I Just had to come back! High recommendation! This place is J-Approved!
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The musical is officially over! At least for me, there are actually 3 more showings! Sadly, I already have plans, so I will have to miss them. But man did I have fun! It was honestly really well done, and I’m not Just saying that because I know someone who is in it. You guys probably think that I Love every show I see, and you’re wrong. The shows and events I don’t care for, I don’t post about. I do have a life outside of this blog, you know?
It was like a cross between Shakespeare and Elvis… Very odd combination, but it actually turned out really well! Z was not main character, but she Just as well have been. She was in nearly every scene and had so many costume changes I spent half the time looking for where she was! A lot of the time she wore a yellow polka dot dress, which apparently she hates because it’s yellow. But she actually suited it quite well. I was going to get a photo with her whilst she was in said dress, but I totally forgot. After the show, it was Just a rampage of “Hi, what’s your name?” – “Are you the guy from Florida?” – “How do you know Liz?” – “Oh, so you’re the guy who travelled!” … Apparently, I was spoken about before I came. I wasn’t even in the show, but I had my moments of fame. I did find one of the engagements rather funny. Well, a few actually, but we’ll talk about this one first.
They ask Z how she knows me, and she tells them we met at a Bible Camp, which is true. But then the girls goes “Oh, so nothing is going to happen here then. Coming from a Bible camp…” A few things with that. One, you clearly don’t know who I am. But I’ll leave it at that. Two, Z was also at that camp, so why does that put me off the list? She was there for 3 weeks; I was only there for a few hours. But whatever, they don’t need to know who I am. I’ll keep that a secret. Though last time I checked, Z and I are Just friends anyway, so I’m guessing not much is going to happen anyway.
The other encounter I had was with a girl named Lexy. There were three girls there, she being the middle. I shake the first girl’s hand and introduce myself. I shake the second, being her, and that lasted for about 4 minutes. Then she yells “Food!” and runs away. The last girl was cute, but she left with the other. Sadly, she had started to lose her voice, which I’m sure is very difficult to deal with when you have a show to do. But I Just watched that show, and she pulled it off like nothing was wrong. Props to her for that!
I also met Z’s mother, which was different than usual. I know the cues to makes parents like me, it’s all part of my training. Yet no matter what I did, she didn’t seem all too keen to me. Must have been a predisposition against me, but that’s okay. I did all I could. Some girl gave Z a flower, and by girl, I mean tiny human. Not sure on the age, but a child no doubt. One of the pedals fell off, and Z gave it to me. I have this thing about flowers and had I thought of it, I would have brought her some myself. But knowing her, she would have sarcastically rolled her eyes and made that little noise I can’t describe. I will never forget this message she sent. I complimented her once and she replies “You can’t see me right now, but if I roll my eyes any harder, they’ll pop out of my skull”. I burst out laughing so hard I nearly fell on the ground. Queen of sassiness over here!
Oh, and another thing. Throughout the entire show, they had these weird dots on their forehead, and I could not figure out why! Seeing her afterwards I finally understood. They were lapel microphones taped to their foreheads so they could do the backup singing. I saw the mic pack on their backs, but I couldn’t even find the microphone itself… FOUND IT!
The night finally ended with yet another hug. I picked her up this time, though I didn’t know if I had or not ‘til mid-way through. She’s so light and little I didn’t even realise that she was in the air! Which is convenient, because I’ve been looking for a new ballroom dance partner, and we already know she can dance! She is about the perfect size for a dance partner too. If only she lived a little closer. Oh well, maybe we’ll dance in Java Dock someday. That sounds like fun. I’ll put that on a list somewhere.
I drive back my hour to Racine, WI, and listened to Hamilton the whole way back. Nancy goes to bed at 9pm, and it’s past 11pm. I had to be really sneaky, but I made it in. So utterly terrified that an alarm would go off because I touched the wrong thing. But alas, no alarms went sounded. No awakening was done. No special ending to the night. Simply the memory of seeing a fantastic show. This was surely worth the trip.
INSERT STATS
Fuel: $56.70
Food: $24.03
Total: $80.73