Eric - Date #9: Nike*

Name*: Nike

Age: 23

Date Description: For our date, I had decided to try out the place "Jump On It" that Jon went to with Tykwesia*.  But I kind of didn't know exactly how to get there, and we decided to go try something else instead.  So we went to a place in Provo called "Ozz" to play some pool!  When we pulled up, I thought it was going to be some ghetto place, but when we walked in to the back, they had some really nice pool tables, and just a great atmosphere!  I think it might have been Nike's first time playing.  But I was amazed at how quickly she learned!  By the end, she was kickin' my trash at pool.  It was a lot of fun!  Then we went to Kneader's for dinner, and decided to go check Walgreen's for discount lift passes, and spent some time exploring the store.  I know this might sound like a boring date, but luckily Nike has a great personality and we ended up having a lot of fun!  It was probably the best blind date I've ever been on!  She's a super-cool girl, athletic, fun and smart.  Thanks Nike for being so awesome!

Best Quality: I would say it was Nike's laugh!  She has an awesome laugh, and it just made me happy every time I heard it.

Highlight of Date: When Nike went on a streak of hitting several pool balls in, including the cue ball.  (In the picture, she had it it and it stopped as close as physically possible without falling in - now that's talent.)  "I need more chalk."

What I Admired: I was very impressed by Nike's confidence.  She's ok with trying new things and having fun with it.  It seemed like we have similar personalities, which I think is pretty cool.  Also, she loves being busy and is obviously concerned about others' welfare.  She's definitely someone I want to get to know better.

How do you know the person you're on a date with? Blind Date set up by my Sister!

Describe Nike in one word?  Intriguing.

What is her favorite activity? Snowboarding, Volleyball, Travelling

In summary, this was the best blind date I've ever been on!  Honest.  Thanks Sis and Nike for making it happen!

Disclaimer: The photo is of our date, just not of us.  :)

*Name has been changed

Eric - Date #8: Xena*

Name*: Xena

Age: 24 (although most people say she looks younger)

Date Description: This was seriously a super-epic-awesome-"funner"-amazing date!  So today as I was waiting at the Driver's License office waiting to renew my license, I got a text from a guy in my ward saying he had 4 tickets to the Jazz game tonight - on the FIFTEENTH row!  So I called him, and got 2 of the tickets!  The first person I thought of to take was Xena (I was already planning on taking her out sometime), because I knew she'd be so much fun to take!  Well, I was right.  We had tons of fun!  Wait 'til you read the "Highlight of Date" section.  So we went, ate some dinner there and watched the Jazz pull out a W after what seemed like inevitable defeat!  The end of the game was especially riveting.  (I like that word.)  Then we took a walk down the street to delay taking packed trax trains home and got on a much less crowded one.  Simple, and super fun.  Thanks Xena!!!

Best Quality: Xena's best quality is truly unique.  There aren't many people who understand my sense of humor (my sister is one who does).  But Xena gets it perfectly.  She laughed at all my dumb jokes and puns, and plays along wonderfully.  That's definitely unique.

Highlight of Date:  If you don't like to laugh, you'll probably want to move on to the next section.  I hope you can envision each of these.  Trying to catch confetti in our mouths (20 pts) or hands (10 pts) and then being trumped at the end by the old man who had inadvertently caught one on the top of his head!  The black guy on the trax platform wearing his pants around his thighs and a pick stuck in his 'fro.  Me flipping out and holding our breath around smokers (Xena liked this one).  Screaming higher than Xena for the Jazz.  Poking coats to see how warm they are.  Massaging our cheeks from laughing so hard.  Me refusing to text Kyle Korver's date hotline for Xena (how would I stand a chance against that guy, after he saw Xena?).  The ingenious plan to walk down to (closed) temple square to avoid crowded trains.  Our fellow Jazz fan (a girl) who was getting so upset when the Jazz were losing.  The man who was dancing on the court while we were waiting in line for our food - and when I said "please fall over"... he did.  Walking on the curb, because it's "funner up here".  Thinking there was a step when there wasn't and stomping my foot down in front of a poor little boy coming up the isle - Xena thought "why is he stomping his foot so hard right in front of that poor little kid?".  The lady who stopped her car when she saw that I was about to march across the street.  Backing up in front of Xena's house.  This is just the beginning, it truly was an epic date.

What I Admired:  Xena knows how to have fun, but not be out of control.  I didn't have to worry so much about dating protocols, because she was relaxed and came ready to just have a good time.  She's pretty impressive.

How do you know the person you're on a date with?  She moved into our ward!

Describe the date in one word?  Fun (ha! no one's used that one yet, i don't think)

What is their favorite seafood?  Crab legs.

*Name has been changed

Eric - Date #7: Robbin*

Name*: Robbin

Age: 19 (TODAY!)

Date Description: For our date, Robbin and I decided we would go get some ice cream, for her BIRTHDAY!  (Happy Birthday, Robbin.)  :)  It was nice and casual, and it fit well in both of our schedules!  We found out that we both love so many different flavors that we couldn't decide which ones to get!  Robbin is a great girl - she is very kind and considerate of others, always up for a good laugh, and she's super smart too!  We talked a lot about our experiences so far in the Bioengineering major, and different professors, some whom liked and others we didn't.  We talked about music too, which we both love - (Robbin plays the violin, and the viola!).  Overall, it was a nice conversation, we had plenty of laughs, and some delicious ice cream to go with them!  Thanks Robbin!

Best Quality: Her goodness.  You can tell Robbin just has a pure heart.

Highlight of Date: Standing on the rail to make ourselves a few inches taller.

What I Admired: Robbin puts up with a lot in her work environments, but you would never know it if she didn't tell you.  I guess you could say she's very stoic.  I was impressed that she can tell some of the stories that she goes through and laugh about them, even though I'm sure they were/are somewhat difficult for her to go through.  She keeps a positive attitude about it.

How do you know the person you're on a date with?  We're in the same major, but if you want the real full story, click here.

Describe the date (or the person, either way...) in one word?  Clear.

What is their favorite pudding flavor? Pistachio

*Name has been changed

Eric - Date #6: Lee*

Name*: Lee

Date Description: This was a fun group date that we were lucky enough to be a part of!  (See Shayla's post about Mr. Schmidt*.)  We went up to the house of one of the members of our former Bishopric.  He and his wife were gracious enough to host 4 couples there.  He made us some delicious stakes (fillet mignon), baked potatoes and rolls, with Martinelli's apple cider to drink!  And of course, the German Chocolate cake afterward.  After dinner, we went downstairs and played.  Seriously, just played, MarioKart on the Wii (my date was amazing at it), piano, fuzzball, pool, jukebox, and Phase 10 (Lee won, of course).  It was a lot of fun!  It was strange because for some reason I felt very A.D.D. and just couldn't stop looking at things and wanting to talk about them and stuff.  But, Lee was so cool about it and afterward Shayla told me that's how I always act, so I guess I was alright!  Thanks Lee, for being patient with me and being such an awesome date!

Best Quality: I was very impressed with how smart Lee is.  She surprised me with her knowledge about Title Insurance (who knows anything about that?) and almost every other topic that we discussed.

Highlight of Date:  Sorry, Hawaiian Haystack, but it was not the cat's song choices.  It was telling Lee (along with my friend, "Mr. C") about our amazing Art teacher and his sweet English skills.  I always love telling people about it.

What I Admired: Along with her smarts, I've always been impressed at Lee's constant kindness and excited attitude about life.  She's not loud about it, but she shows genuine interest and concern in what other people say.  I don't think I've ever greeted her without seeing her smile and ask "How are ya?" and really mean it.  Seriously, awesome girl.

How do you know the person you're on a date with?  She's in my ward!

Describe the date in one word?  Thrilling.

Random story:  So I had been up to the house we were going to before, but I didn't exactly remember how to get there.  Luckily I had three other people in my car who did know, including my date!  So we passed the exit that would have been the most direct route there, because I was so captivated by our conversation, and we had to go a longer way to get there.  I guess I just wanted to say I'm grateful for Lee's awesome navigation skills as well, that helped us get to our destination safely.  Thanks again, Lee!

*Names have been changed

Eric - Date #5: Nicole*

Name*:  Nicole

Age:  20

Date Description:  Once again, I went with a simple date idea.  Since these are all first dates, they will probably all be somewhat conservative, or something I figure anyone would enjoy.  So, we started off by driving to a nearby restaurant, where we talked and decided to share a meal, (which was delicious by the way).  We talked a good amount and had a fun time observing some of the people around us doing some crazy things...  After dinner, we decided to go for a drive.  We ended up driving to the Bountiful temple (Nicole is from Kaysville, so it was fairly close), and walked around outside for a while, enjoying the pretty city lights and the (almost) full moon.  Nicole also showed me a short movie called "Red Eye" - a seat-gripping, nail-biting thriller that I had never seen.  It was quite enjoyable!

Best Quality:  Nicole is very accepting and forgiving.  Since I didn't know the area around where she lived very well, she was willing to forgive me for not knowing where to drive, and helped out with directions a lot without being frustrated or annoyed by my constant asking.

Highlight of Date:  The guy licking his girlfriend's face.

What I Admired:  Nicole seems to work hard with confidence at the things that she faces.  She's already into a good career at the young age of 20, and accepts responsibility for herself.  She was very humble and obvioiusly kind to everyone.  I still don't know her very well, so it's hard to describe her in detail, but from what I observed, it seems that she has always been a caring, kind person.

Describe the date in one word?  Flexible
What is their favorite movie rental store?  Cosmo's

*Name has been changed

Eric - Date #4: Betty

Name*: Betty

Date Description:  This was such a relaxed, fun date!  Betty had offered a service for a service auction in our ward.  Her service is priceless: Teaching how to make her famous oreo cookies together!  I couldn't pass that up, so I purchased her service (the money went to a sub 4 santa charity activity that our ward did).  So we decided to make it a date!  All I have to say about the cookies is that they are divine, and the recipe to make them is so complex, you'll never get it right unless you are lucky enough to get it from Betty herself.  (Her last name could be Crocker, that's how good she is.)  While we made the cookies, and for a good couple of hours afterward, Betty and I had very nice, long conversations about all sorts of stuff!  From Christmas stories, to talking about clothes racks being pulled down in department stores, fingers being almost cut off, relationships, and modesty.  It was really enjoyable to just be able to talk with her, and not worry about what topics to bring up.  The conversations just flowed from one topic to the next, and we shared a lot of common views on those topics.  Betty's a pretty amazing girl.

Best Quality:  I've always been so impressed with Betty's genuine generosity.  I think if any person sat down and looked at all of the amazing gifts that Betty is willing to give, without reserve or hesitation, they would be as astonished and amazed as me.

Highlight of Date:  There probably wasn't just one moment that stood out to me on this date, but overall being able to talk so freely with Betty was so valuable for me.  I treasure the conversations that I am able to have with people like her.

What I Admired:  Along with her generosity, Betty is always very hospitable, caring for other people, and has her head on straight about life's issues, especially as a single.  She cares for people deeply, and is always willing to be a friend to those around her.  She has the heart of a princess, and lives to make others' lives (and her own) as happy as possible.

How do you know the person you're on a date with?  She's in my ward!

Describe the date in one word?  Uplifting

What is her favorite type of music?  Oldies, and music that is similar (pure - like Betty herself).
*Names has been changed.

Eric - Date #3: Alias

Name*:  Alias

Age:  27

Date Description:  You'll find out I like simple dates.  Alias and I just came to my house and made a delicious fettucine alfredo dinner with chicken, green beans and garlic toast on the side!  She was awesome at turning the chicken and checking on the noodles.  Even though I did the sauce slightly wrong, it turned out alright, and we enjoyed a nice home-cooked meal together!  After taking a break, I decided to show Alias my mom's new favorite wii game/work-out assistant, the wii fit plus!  There are some sweet games on there, like riding a bike, a segway, a skateboard, kung fu, and a snowball fight!  I was very impressed with Alias's natural balance and ability to understand the concepts of what to do on these sometimes bizarre games!  After laughing about our video gaming abilities, (and my inabilities), we sat and chatted for a little while.  It was a very nice, simplified, enjoyable date!

Best Quality:  Alias has always impressed me with her high moral standards and incredible understanding of how the Gospel should be lived.

Highlight of Date:  Pulling out the first batch of garlic bread.  "What the?"  Oh, and we matched.

What I Admired: You can tell Alias will be a fantastic mother and support her family and friends in everything good that they do. She's always trying to learn and improve herself, and you can tell she's done that for a while, because she is very smart and self-mastered.

How do you know the person you're on a date with?  Hmmm, my home stake, elementary school friend's sister, my current ward... You pick.

Describe the date in one word?  Simplified

What is her favorite color?  Blue.

*Name has been changed.

Eric - Date #2: Prune Hilda

Name*: Prune Hilda

Age:  27

Date Description:  For my date with Prune Hilda [PH], we decided we wanted to go snowshoeing!  I had never been before, but had heard a lot about it from some of my friends and it sounded like a blast, so I had wanted to go for a long time!  Luckily, even though it was my first time, PH was a pro.  We went to REI and rented our snowshoes (and PH got a new membership there - {sweet!}), and then drove up Millcreek Canyon to find some trails that she had looked up.  Luckily for us 4 wheel drive or chains weren't required, as a lot of the snow from this week's storms had been melted or plowed off the roads.  We set off on a trail called Grandeur Peak.  At first, I was amazed at how difficult it was to climb in the snow with big slabs of plastic strapped to my feet, and PH was just cruisin' along like it was no problem!  After a while though, it seemed to get easier.  We didn't quite make it to the top of Grandeur Peak, because we hadn't planned very well how dark it would get while we were on the mountain.  So when it started to get darker, we decided to head back down.  It was so beautiful up there, both in the daylight and at dusk, because the snow was bright enough to let us see on our way down!  After returning our snowshoe rentals, I was just smiling because of how happy I was from being up in the mountains with a good friend!

Best Quality:  Prune Hilda has a quiet confidence that I really enjoy.  I don't know how else to explain it, but you can tell she's not worried about what will happen next, because of how confident she is in being able to deal with whatever comes her way.

Highlight of Date:  For me, it was the Chocolate and Peanuts, Sharkies, and talking about thinking.

What I Admired:  I was impressed by PH's stamina!  What a tough, athletic girl!  When she goes on hikes or hears stories from people, she tends to think about how those stories or experiences could be used in a sacrament meeting talk or a gospel-tied lesson.  I like it when girls are spiritually-minded like PH.

How do you know the person you're on a date with?  She's in my ward!

Describe the date in one word?  Refreshing.

What is her favorite quirk?  Kicking snow off the car's "flaps".

*Name has been changed (I hope you already knew that).

Eric - Date #1: Silver

Name*: Silver

Age: 20

How do you know the person you're on a date with?  She is my sister's friend.

Date Description:  This was a spontaneous date to help me get off to a great start as soon as I could!  The date started shortly after midnight on the 1st of January, 2010.  It was only an hour long, but that kept it casual and a good way to get to know a little about each other.  We actually had three couples total (only 2 are shown in the picture), and it was a fun group date!  We drove down to a nearby 7-11 and each got hot chocolate (except one of us, who instead got a water).  Silver and I also decided to purchase some Extra Polar Ice chewing gum - (we discovered we share that as a favorite gum flavor).  We had a lot of laughs in the one hour that we were together, talking about career plans and the people we work with, how some people can be totally opposite, yet get along just fine!  Specifically, she told me about a co-worker who has several tattoos and gauged ears, whereas silver (as seen) is a clean-cut, modest, and ink-less young lady.  Even though they had opposite backgrounds, they got along great and shared a lot of stories together!

Best Quality:  Silver's overall attitude about life is overwhelmingly positive!  So much so, that it's contagious.  You can't help but look on the bright side around her.

Highlight of Date:  For me, some highlights were showing Silver the classic, delicious combinations of hot chocolate that are available at 7-11, driving over piles of snow, and hearing her laugh.  (It's a good laugh).

What I Admired:  Along with her attitude, as mentioned above, Silver just seems to always be happy.  She has a great smile, and it was cool to see her willingness to accept things as they are, and not get upset about the little things that others would find embarrassing, annoying or just plain negative.  I've always enjoyed people who stay happy despite their circumstances, and Silver is definitely one of them.

Describe the date in one word:  Extemporaneous  :)  Here, I'll help you:  Definition

What is her favorite gum flavor?  Extra - Polar Ice (also listed above)

*Name has been changed.