The Eastern Idaho Drawl

"Hello? I'm looking for the owner of a blue Honda Civic."

The voice on the answering machine was thickly accented with what I can only explain as, the "Eastern Idaho Drawl." And that voice was asking for me. I was the owner of the blue Honda Civic. I immediately panicked. Had I run a light? Did I tick another driver off? Did I actually hit someone and not even realize it? I just knew it was the police and I was busted for something.

Well, of one thing I was right. It WAS the police. It was none other than Deputy Kendon Jensen. And I wasn't in trouble for any violations of the law, but I was instantly mortified at the message still on the answering machine from the summer tenants. It went something like this:

"Hey! Hey! You've reached the PAR-TAY house. Sorry we can't come to the phone. We're probably off partying!!!! Leave a message if you want to party too. Beeeeeeeep."

At that moment, being arrested sounded far better than the humiliation of THAT first impression!

So, while I was out roaming the streets of Rexburg, looking for Kendon, he was actually calling my house, leaving me a message on our ridiculously embarrassing machine. After listening to his message for the upteenth time, Camilla and I decided that the only thing to do, was to call him back.

This picture has nothing to do with the story, though it was taken very shortly after we met. Really , I just wanted to share cause he is HOT!

Now I don't remember this for a fact. But I have been ME, for a very long time, and have gotten to know myself pretty well. Therefor, I would guess that the process of calling him went something like this:

dialing: 5-2- CLICK!

Lisa: "I can't do it!"

Camilla: "Yes, you can! Just do it."

Lisa: "Okay."

dialing: 5-2-0- 3-8- CLICK!

Lisa: "What am I supposed to say?"

Camilla: "You know what to say, Just do it."

Lisa: "Okay. Okay."

dialing: 5-2-0-3-8-3- CLICK!

Camilla: "If you don't do it, I'll call him for you. You thought our answering machine message was embarrassing...."

Lisa: "FINE!"

dialing: 5-2-0-3-8-3-3

Ringing. Ringing. Ringing.

Lisa's Thoughts: "Please don't answer. Please don't answer. Well, maybe I want you to answer. Do I really want him to answer...."

And then....

There it was. The Eastern Idaho Drawl.

HELLO?

And so began our first, real live, non-internet conversation.

It went well. It went so well, we talked for an hour and a half. We talked about our childhoods. How he was so naughty that the principal used to haul he and his best buddy down the hall, carrying them by their belt loops. We talked about me growing up in Boise, him in St. Anthony. We discussed Northern Idaho where we both lived at one time. We talked about how I was feeling just days before starting my student teaching.

And we talked about our first date.

We decided that it would be the upcoming Saturday. He would pick me up at noon and the plan was to go Mt. Biking.

- - - - - - - - - -
The weekend finally rolled around and it was Saturday morning. I'm sure I was ready for our date by 10:0 am and lolly gagged around the house waiting for noon.

Just as it does everyday, noon did arrive and so did my date.

He knocked on the door and being as close to a parent as I had at school, Camilla did the honors of answering the door. She hollered up the stairs to me that he was there. As if I really didn't know and hadn't been pacing the floor for the last two hours. Oh, no! I was cool as a cucumber. Uh huh!

I walked into the living room, there he was, and these were my first thoughts:

"Boy, he's shorter than I imagined and why is he wearing sunglasses inside the house? hmmmm."

NOT on our first date. But see the sunglasses? Those are the ones he wore INSIDE my house. I really didn't know what his whole face looked like until mid date. And it looked GOOD!

I walked into the living room and these were HIS first thoughts:

"Boy, she's taller than I imagined and why is she wearing makeup to go mountain biking? hmmmm."

Sounds like we were off to a real great start!

This picture is not on our first date either, but this IS the outfit he was wearing.