any way the wind blows,: March 2016

hello, it's me again! remember how I only update this thing when I go on dates or vacations? well, I went to my last girls choice dance on Saturday, and IT WAS A GOOD TIME!

so, first, I need to share a throwback.

2013-14 Timpview Sophomore Homecoming Royalty, Sep. 20 2013

so when Josh and I were nominated as Sophomore Homecoming Royalty 2 years ago, neither of us were 16 and we couldn't date yet. I still had braces, my hair (which was supposed to be very curly) went flat within 5 minutes, we barely said 3 sentences, and well...we were sophomores. but 2 years later, my braces are off, I know more about how to do my hair, Josh and I have become great friends, so I thought that it was time I asked him on a real date, rather than ride on the back of a moped with him at a football game. One thing to know about both Josh and me is that we are two of THE biggest 80s rock music fans. even though I mainly listen to alternative music, I was raised on 1980s rock music, and I went through a nonconformist phase in my younger years where I wouldn't listen to Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers and I would only listen to Heart, Boston, Pat Benatar, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Guns N' Roses, Bryan Adams, and Queen (OKAY, their best era was in the 1970s, but 1. they went into the 80s, 2. they are classic, and 3. Queen's Greatest Hits was the first album that wasn't the Wiggles that I remember listening to over and over again, so they count!). When I found out that someone shares my love for 80s rock music, I just have to ask them on a date, using 80s rock music. and I'm sorry I took no pictures. but I wrote JOSH- "I can't fight this feeling anymore..." so I'm asking you to MORP! and I made cookies with letters of my name on them and scattered them so he would have to unscramble my name. He really appreciated my REO Speedwagon reference. His answer was really funny: he got a Payday candy bar, but he crossed out all the other letters except the "p", so his note said: "yes, I would P[ee] to go to MORP with you!"

the day date ranks really high on my list of day dates. we went to this really cool pizza place in Park City called The Junction for lunch. and this place completely matched my aesthetic. It had the coolest red tile, a bunch of beer cans on the wall (ok, maybe that didn't match my aesthetic exactly), old diner-style tables, and guess what music they were playing? 80s rock! Josh and I knew every word to every song. but the music wasn't even the best part. the food was so good. I got this really good chicken pesto pizza, and he got this really good looking burger with lots of pork on it. so if anyone needs lunch in Park City, go to The Junction. it's right outside the outlets and it is SO GOOD!

the really cool bathroom

for the actual date, we went on the zipline at Olympic Park. it was described as an "extreme zipline that drops 40 stories and goes 55 miles per hour!". I wasn't too scared until we got to the top. so they strap you into the zipline, and you are secured behind this gate, and once it opens, you go flying. so after I got strapped in, I started freaking out a little bit. but this "extreme" zipline wasn't very "extreme" or scary- it was just fun! you do go fast, but not so fast it makes you sick. it's supposed to simulate the feeling of going off an Olympic ski jump, and I loved it! the only complaint I have is that it's really cold, so I would recommend wearing gloves. but if anyone needs a good date idea, PLEASE DO THIS!

Josh and I post-zipline

the group pre-zipline

after a long (1 hour ish) drive home filled with good music, "never have I ever", and good conversation, we all went home, took naps (or at least I did), did our hair, and it was time to continue the date! so I put in the new 80s rock playlist I made, picked up Josh and Rebecca and Joe (the other couple in my car, obviously), and WE HAD A GOOD TIME! the chosen picture spot was literally this path on the side of a road. which was also downhill. so we had to be really careful to make sure there was no slant in the pictures. but they turned out really well! for dinner, we went to Carabba's. the wait time was a lot longer than expected, but lucky for the boys (and myself and some other girls), the Kansas vs. Villanova basketball game was on, and Carabba's has FLAT SCREEN TVS. so even though we were hungry, we were watching a good game! even our waiters were getting into it! I ordered this really good shrimp pasta called Fettuccine Weesie, which you say WEEZY and I couldn't stop saying WEEZY so I annoyed everyone (or hopefully they were more focused on the basketball game). after I ate too much bread and weezy, we were on our way to the dance! it was at the Manor at Riverwoods, which was really nice! the music was good, and everyone looked good! one of the better school dances I've been to. and of course, for the after dance party, I made my famous peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, which were devoured within 10 minutes. we all went to Lindsey's, played ping pong, and everyone drank Italian Sodas, and Josh was able to find me a Diet Coke so I was really happy for the rest of the night. it was definitely one of the most fun dates I've been on, and I truly loved every minute (even the really hungry ones).