Flashback Friday #2

THE QUESTION
When was your first date? You can choose either your first date ever or your first date with your spouse - or both! How old were you? What did you do/where did you go? Did anything memorable - either good or embarrassing? If it was your first date ever, did you continue to date that person? If so, how long? If you are sharing the story of the first date with the person you married, did you know then that he/she was "the one" or did it take a longer for love to bloom? Any other memories you wish to share about those wonderfully awkward first dates?!

THE ANSWER
As a teen I always went for older guys. My first date was just prior to my Freshman year in high school. I'd met the guy over the summer at the local swim club. We'd been talking on the phone and seeing each other at the pool occasionally where I was a member and he sometimes came as a visitor with a friend. The pool had an end of summer dance for teens and I remember dancing to "Stairway to Heaven". We also, shortly before or after that (I really don't remember), went to King's Island with my older sister and her boyfriend. We ended up dating for almost two years but the relationship did not survive the "he's in college, she's still in high school" problem.

Side note - many years later after my divorce I had another first date at King's Island. This is not a typical choice for a first date and certainly wasn't my idea either time, but it does give you lots of time to get to know someone.

My first date with my husband was at a Chinese restaurant where we sat in a booth across from each other and caught up on our lives (we'd been friends since high school but hadn't seen much of each other for a number of years). The funniest part was when we opened our fortune cookies my fortune read "The answer to all your problems is right in front of you".

Flashback Friday - Cruisin'

This is the debut week for Flashback Friday, a meme by Mocha with Linda.

Here is the week one prompt and my response.

How and when did you learn to drive? Do you have any particular memories associated with getting your driver license? How old were you when you got your first car and what was it? Who paid for it?

Way back in the day (ba-dump-bump)driver's education was offered through your high school every summer. I took this summer class shortly after I turned 15. There was classroom time including a terrifying drunk driving filmstrip. Remember those? Then we drove with an instructor and two other students. I remember being very nervous - more about the other two drivers in my car than of my own driving. After passing the class you still had to wait until you were 16 years and one month old to get your license. In the meantime you had a beginner's permit and could drive with any adult(over 18) licensed driver in order to get more experience. My parent's rule was that I could get my license when they thought I was ready, not necessarily one month after my 16th birthday. During that time I drove often with Daddy. He took me to the school parking lot to practice on the ice during the winter. He was an extremely patient man and let me drive often. Early in the Spring before I turned 16 we were driving down a familiar road that had a small hill. At the top of the hill in the oncoming lane was a garbage truck that had stopped to pick up garbage. As I started up the hill a car came flying over the hill around the truck! I immediately slammed on the brakes as I pulled to the very edge of the road. I was terrified! At that moment I wasn't sure I ever wanted to drive again. At that same moment, as I sat there shaking, my Dad said, "You're ready to get your license now."

Daddy had a 1967 Camaro (it's still in the family) that, at that time, was just an older car that all of us girls drove. The first car I bought (and paid for)was also a Camaro, a beautiful silver one, when I was 18. It is still my favorite make of car although I'm not really "in love" with the new 2010 style.