Date #5- Salute your Shorts!

I will get to why this blog is titled salute our shorts....it is not a sexual reference, so no need to make that joke to yourself just yet! 

The date actually started at Sara Sara cupcake, where we picked up cupcakes to go! Date #5 was worried that we wouldn't make it before they closed the doors on cupcake heaven. So, you all are wondering what kind of cupcake we each ordered: 

Mary Jo- Peach Cobbler

Date #5- Lemon Poppy Seed 

And I really do think that Date #5 could be described as "lemon poppy seed".  He was unique and quirky in his own way. I could go on with the metaphor..but it could get fruity. Ok..back to the date details...

We headed next door to Iquana Lounge for margaritas and dinner. I always order the same thing at the Iquana...and I LOVE IT! So I was a happy camper when it came to dinner. We had good conversation ranging from the standard job/work/career discussion all the way to my inability to discuss  or even hear about shots, needles and blood. (Date #5 started some story about shots in his eye..and i had to draw the line right there or i would of passed out at the dinner table). 

Date #5 was very witty and intelligent. He has a funky sense of humor paired with the smarts of an engineer which makes for an interesting unexpected combination. I was continuously surprised Date #5 and his interests and hobbies. Unexpected. 

Unexpected. Here is an example. At the end of the date, he asked me "Do you like Nickelodeon?" My first thought was, "Yeah, when I was 7".  This is where the classic Nickelodeon comedy "Salute Your Shorts" made it into conversation. It appears the Date #5 collects random TV shows and has every episode of this classic Nick show on tape. So we went back to his downtown apartment and watched an episode and enjoyed our cupcakes. FLASHBACK to to 1991!  

So to sum it up, the night was full of witty conversation and good laughs.  The only caveat to this date was the fact that it was recommended by a guy i have previously dated. Always an interesting subject to discuss on a first date.  I will give it to date #5 because he was able to hold off and not ask me about it till the tail end of the evening. I had a great time and hope Date #5 enjoyed the evening. 

No specific date set for Week 6, so if you have any suggestions: SEND THEM MY WAY! 

ALERT.....we may have a repeat dater on our hands. So keep reading for updates on this particular bachelor! 

Return of the Pre-date interview

Date # 5! (This week’s questions are brought to you by Sheana, MJ’s best friend from college who lives in LA. Sheana can’t find MJ any dates in OKC, so this is her contribution.) 

Q. How did you get set up with this date?  Mary Jo-Random.......a friend from last summer suggested we go out. 

Q. Do you still get nervous before the dates? Mary Jo- Not as much as I used to before the 52 in 52. I still do get nervous when I am getting ready, I think all girls do.
 
Q.  How much information do you know about him that you haven’t read on Facebook? Mary Jo- I know he liked funky t-shirts, so I am interested to see what he shows up in tonight
 
Q.  Who decided eating cupcakes would be a good first date? Mary Jo- He did..but i do like cupcakes
 
Q. What kind of cupcake are you? Mary Jo- Can’t remember the name.
 
Q.  What kind of cupcake do you think he is going to get? Mary Jo- I see him as a chocolate guy

Q. Are you going to dinner first or straight for cupcakes? Mary Jo-Cupcakes first, but I believe we are just picking them up and then heading next door for dinner

Q.  No matter how well this date goes, where will you be in the beginning of February 2010? Mary Jo- Watching the Olympic with my best friend SHEANA! 

Stay tuned for a post date update tomorrow! 

DAte #4- A family affair

So Date #4 occurred on Saturday evening. (I apologize for the late posting.....). 

Now this date was a bit differnt because not only was it a blind date with an eligible bachelor, it was also a double date with his sister and her husband.  Talk about pressure! Try going on a date with three other people. 

The happy family picked me up and we headed to the Olive Garden (the best salad and breadsticks in town I may add). Now the thing about going out with a family is they have tons of inside jokes and common experiences, so sometimes I felt like I missed a memo when they would get talking, but they ALL did a great job trying to include me.  I know my family can be the worst at this..so i understood. 

The thing that made me laugh about this blind date was that their friends and family were weary of ME being a crazy psycho who stabs them all to death. Now..when you think about it, I was the one at the disadvantage here. They had the 3:1 advantage across the board, so I was not a threat to them, even if I wanted to be. Now they were Sooner fans...soooo things could of gotten out of hand if they would of pushed a few of my buttons! (HAHA) 

Now after dinner we headed to the new Warren Theatre here in OKC. Now for those of you Wichita natives reading the blog, we all know and love the Warren so it felt just like home to me. But these new comers from Oklahoma were much more impressed by the theatre in general. We decided to see The Hangover, even though i had already seen it. It was still funny the second time and I even picked up on some of the details! 

Now this entire family was from Guthrie, Oklahoma. The only thing I know about Guthrie is that I drive right by the exit on I-35 on my way back to Kansas and it was the original capital of the state of Oklahoma.  They all had a great sense of pride for their hometown and loved everything about. I guess you could all say, that I am not a small town girl...so it was fun to hear about their life in Guthrie! I did catch myself humming the Donny and Marie song.."I'm a little big country, I'm a little bit rock and roll." HA! 

All and all, I will say that I doubt I got on a triple blind date again but it was a great chance to meet some interesting people.  With everyone there, it was hard to get to know much about any one single person but I hope they got to know me a bit and had an enjoyable time. 

Well...Date #5 is set for Tuesday...so keep reading. 

Date 3- Hole in ONE...or two!

You all know the miniature golf game on the PRICE IS RIGHT!!  Hole in one.......or two!  Lets just say, I always needed the "or two" when it came to my putting skills. But, lets not get ahead of ourselves. Back to the beginning..

Due to Date #3's lack of knowledge of the OKC metro, I actually picked him up at his doorstep! I felt like the boy doing the date planning and driving but we all know how much i like to plan, so I was happy about it. We proceeded to good 'ole Celebration Station for a rousing game of miniature golf. I should of known I was doomed to loss from the start because after not even a minute I let go of the score card and it blew away into the water bumper car pool. I should have known that was God's way of saying that we should not keep score because I was bound to lose.  Needless to say, Date #3 got a hole in one, and I kept getting robbed by the miniature golf gods. I played all 18 holes, but Date #3 lost his ball on Hole 17...so actually he forfeited the game and i am the winner ! (i always find a way to win).  

Speaking of winning, Date #3 was a good sport and humored me by playing DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION with me! Now those of you that know me, I LOVE this game and totally kicked Date #3's ass on total points! But giving him so credit he did keep up with me! 

Next we headed to Bricktown to get some dinner.  We had a GREAT dinner at the new sports bar in Bricktown with TV's everywhere! They even had HDTV in the bathrooms. (date #3 thought this was GREAT! ) From here we went next door to the Bricktown Brewery to have some local ales but when i got carded, i realized my wallet was MIA!  Now most of you that know me, would know I would flip out and start to panic to find it, but i attempted to remain calm and pray that it was in my car. After Date #3 attempted to call Celebration Station in search of my wallet, we walked back to my car, only to find it sitting on the floor boards.  Funny side note, on our way back to the car we walked next to a couple where both the male and female had the exact same hairdo! Honestly, I am confident that i would not be able to date anyone with my exact hair style, so sorry to all you  potential suitors with shoulder length layered hair! You are now excluded from eligibility! 

So, from the car we decided to head back to Bricktown to Bolero! We had a great time here just chatting and drinking! (My favorite bartender was not working, so i was a bit disappointed in my drink. No Blueberry yummy tonight). The date was moving onto Hour 4, when I decided to drive my date back home and call it a night. For those of you that are wondering, this is the longest date to as of yet! So now the bar has been set....

I dropped of Date #3 at his house and was excited to watch a bit of SportsCenter on his TV. (i still don't have cable in my apartment).  If only there were real sports on instead of just baseball...haha! I had a great time on our date and I hope to see #3 again! 

But don't forget...Date #4 is set for Saturday night! Plans looks to be dinner and a movie at the Warren Theatre! 

So stay tuned for more info on Date #4. 

Lets try two dates this week...

Alright everyone....It looks like i have both Date #3 and Date #4 scheduled for this week! 

Date #3- Thursday-Miniature golf challenge! (i need to practice my putting skills) 

Date #4- Saturday- This is actually a double date..not sure on the details but looks to be very interesting! 

More specifics to come as the week progresses! If anyone has any GREAT FIRST DATE ideas...send them my way! I am already struggling to think of fun and creative ideas

Date #2-Bowling was a Bust

Well everyone, tour guide barbie didn't do so well planning ahead for this date. Did i think to call ahead and check the availability of lanes for the night? Of COURSE NOT! Who thinks Red Pin would be all booked up on a Tuesday night. So....no bowling occurred but don't you worry my friends! The date was still ON! (even though i had to leave my Santa Clause socks in my purse for the night). 

Once we figured out that the bowling was a no go, we decided to go ahead and stick it out at the bar to have some drinks and dinner.  Now, for those of you that read the pre-date interview, i mentioned that Date #2 was a Memphis fan...and could be considered a bit bitter.(who wouldn't be after that lost in the championship game to my beloved Jayhawks).  I tried my best to steer clear of the subject, but you all know me. Who can resist making a few jabs here and there about a missed free throw or two or three??? How do you really lose a lead of 9 in just 2:09! Sorry..getting off topic here. 

Interesting dilemma i never foresaw....Date #2 had the same first name as my brother.  I have never really run into this one before, so it was hard for me to not think of my big bro at random moments throughout the date. Honestly, they both had quite a personality few traits in common so i would of made the connection no matter what Date #2's name was. I love my brother..so date #2 should consider this a good thing. 

This date required me to draw on my college sports knowledge but i was lost when it came to baseball. Date #2 played in college, so had me beat in regards to this sport. That has never really been a "ball" sport that I have really cared to watch. Although I respect that it is America's past time, I don't have to like it. Which i don't...sorry to all you baseball fans! 

Throughout this process, I will have the chance to learn about the interworking of the "FIRST DATE" (i am going on 52 of them for gosh sakes).   

First lesson learned: when a guy brings up his ex-girlfriend of only two weeks..he is not over it. No matter how much he says he doesn't care.  Date #2 just went through a hard breakup, and this subject came up within the first 20 minutes of conversation. Now i am all for taking about the past, but it was obvious feeling were still hurt. I hope Date #2 had a nice time out last night and i could be a good distraction for him. I know i enjoyed it. 

The date ended well. A challenge of another bowling match was extended so we will see if Date #2 is willing to get schooled at the bowling alley!  

UPDATE: Date #3 has to postpone due to work, but NO WORRIES...we got two dates already on the books for next week! 

Happy dating! 

THANK YOU TRACI!

I'm sure you have already noticed, but in case you haven't.... WE got a facelift!  Although I always said I would never go farther than a little Botox, I gave in, and I think we are all happy with the results.  

Thank you Traci Hayes for the new 52in52 graphic.  You are the best!

Date #2: Pre-date Interview

In preparation for Mary Jo's second date, I asked her a few questions...

1.  Who was the date referral from?  Holly, #2 for Holly in the referral department

2.  What are the current details of the date?  Who suggested these events? Bowling at Red Pin..my idea.  He's not from around here and wasn't sure what to do...

3.  Have you been practicing bowling?  Finger workouts?  Lunges?  I have been mentally practicing....some practice footwork in the office on the way to the copier   4.  Do you have nice socks to wear?  The only clean socks I have at the moment are Santa clause...we we may roll with some Christmas cheer
5.  Will you let him win if you happen to have a super A+ bowling day?  Hell no.....a Jayhawk never lets a Memphis fan win! (he is a Memphis fan and a sore loser from the 2008 national championship game)   
6.  How are you feeling as you think about the date?  I am not the best bowler, but besides that I am excited about this one. From what communications we have had, he seems to be a fun, laid-back guy!
7.  Does the suitor know that you are doing 52in52?  Yes..he is aware of the 52 in 52. 
8.  Since you don't like beer, what are you planning on drinking during the date?  Mojito! They have great ones! 
9.  Have you stalked this particular suitor online yet?  If no, can I stalk him for you?  I have not done much stalking honestly....and even if I said no, Allison, you would still stalk him on your own. You are so talented in that area.  (FYI, I am not an online stalker...)

Dates 2 and 3 set for this week

We have a busy week ahead of us in regards to dates! Both #2 and #3 are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday of this week.  Now I have already gotten questions about the logistics of going on more than one date in a week, and I wanted to clarify....it is 52 dates TOTAL. The aim is to just get to at least one date a week but there are no rules to doubling up a week! I am trying to stock up while the kettle is hot.....! :) 

Another shout out to Holly and one to Allison for this weeks bachelors set up. 

Details of both dates are still TBD.  I don't know much about either of the bachelors this week, so this will really be a blind date.  Week #2 has not even lived in OKC a month, so I may have to play tour guide barbie.  (i take after my dad a bit in this tour guide department).  

Funny story about Week #3 already. Earlier this week, i got a text message out of the blue that read...

"is this the 52 in 52 Mary Jo" 

and of course i responded with

"YES. This is her. Is this a potential week 3 date"  

and the date was set! It is just that easy fellas. All you have to do is ask.

Pre date interview for both dates to be posted soon, so stay tuned !

1 down 51 to go

Before we get into the first date details, i wanted to clear up a few things that people have asked regarding the purpose of the blog.  Many young men have been worried that this blog would just turn into a boy bashing blog. For those of you that know me well, know if anything this would be more of a Mary Jo embarrassing moments blog than anything else.  It is not my goal to humiliate anyone besides myself with this social experiment..so no worries fellas! (No names will be used..so you are all safe to date me!)

Ok..now onto the date details.....

Honestly, i was running late due to a phone conversation with my boss (the brains behind this dating campaign) when i looked up an realized i was going to be late on the first date. What a way to start...if that is not enough, I was a wink and smile away from being pulled over for wreck less driving. (there is a funky intersection downtown that i never know who has the right away and apparently I like to turn out in front of moving cop cars).  OK never mind that, back to the matter at hand, THE DATE! 

I was nervous walking in that I would have to wonder the restaurant with that "I am not sure who I am looking for face"but to my pleasure "Week #1" (this is the proposed nickname for the guy) was waiting right by the front door. We sat in the bar and have a great deal of laughs with the bartender. Apparently my lack of love for beer did not go over well with the bartender and he was determined to find a beer i liked.  With the hundreds of options, we were bound to find at least one. (i only like the beer that tasted like a raspberry wine cooler..go figure). 

Conversation was great and lighthearted as "week #1" was interested in my motives and plan for the 52 in 52 campaign. Once we got past the logistics and reasoning behind the whole thing, the date was off and running! 

I could not of asked for a better way to start 52 in 52. The conversation was intelligent and very personable. "Week #1" even felt comfortable enough  to call me MJ, which is something that I notice but others may not. We talked about sports, oklahoma city hot topics, greek life, food, high school nerd activities we both participated in, and much much more. "Week #1" is a lawyer, so you may expect a very analytical in-personable guy, but we was quite the opposite.  I had a wonderful time getting to know him and even learning more about the "Sooners". (blah) 

So....this date gets a THUMBS UP! Sadly I know all 52 will not go this well, so stay tuned...

  

 

Date #1: Pre-date Interview

Mary Jo has a date tonight, Tuesday, June 2. As the unbiased and non-fictional narrator, I will be performing a pre-date interview before each of Mary Jo's future dates.  I also, on occasion will make comments about Mary Jo's answers. These pertinent comments will be featured in parentheses.

Q: Who was the date referral from?  

Mary Jo: Holly

Q: What are the current details of the date?  

Mary Jo: McNellie's for dinner and a drink or two... (www.mcnelliesokc.com)

Q: Flats or Heels?  

Mary Jo: Flats.

Follow-Up Q: Any particular reason?  

Mary Jo: McNellie's isn't as much of a "heel-y" place, and then I was wearing a dressy top, so I wanted to even it out with some flats...

Q: How are you feeling as you think about the date? Nervous? Excited? Like you have the flu?  

Mary Jo: Work was really busy, so I really haven't been thinking about it. However, when I get off of work and relax, I think I will get excited for it.

Q: Does the suitor know that you are doing 52in52? 

Mary Jo: Yes and he was really excited to be #1

Q: Have you talked to the suitor on the phone?  

Mary Jo: No, only facebook messaging... (allison insert: beware future suitors... we will facebook stalk you!)

Q: How are you planning on recognizing the suitor at the meeting place? Or is he picking you up?  

Mary Jo: There is no plan for this... I am pretty sure that he will recognize me in the jayhawk costume. just kidding.

Q: What did you eat for breakfast?  

Mary Jo: nothing.  

Q: Are you missing any TV shows tonight to go on the date?  

Mary Jo: Actually, I picked Tuesday due to the lack of good TV. (ha, I should have known!)

Date #1 coming soon

Just to keep everyone updated, the first date is quickly approaching! I am headed out to a local pub for dinner and drinks tomorrow night...so tune in for date details! 

Honestly, I am excited to dive right into this and see what comes of it. Most of the time I let my nerves get the best of me in situations like this but in order for this to work, I have got to learn to just be the crazy MJ that we all know and love! So...here goes!

MJ