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The Nat Pack: The super fashionable, super mod, super hip family consisting of Nat, Pete, Jakob, Brock, Troy, and Ivy. Like The Rat Pack, only younger, cuter, and not as rich or famous.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Memory Monday: Reuben (Knuckle) Sandwich

When I think of the worst dates that I've been on, this one is probably the worst one.  Well, maybe not the worst one, but definitely in the top 5.  I was a junior in college, so fall of 1999.

There was a guy in my ward in college named Reuben.  I called him Ruby, I think mostly to bug him.  Nice guy and all.  He lived with about 8 guys in a house that they had dubbed the "cinna-batch".  I have no idea why they called their house that, but whatever.

So Reuben asked me on a date for a Friday night, which I gladly accepted, because he was a really nice guy, right?  Um, yeah.  Right.  I mean, he is.  But just not on this date.

He picked me up, and when we got to the car, he said, "You can get your own door, right?"  1st wrong step of the night.  I was like, "Uh, yeah, I guess."  For dinner, he took me to a stake barbecue.  We got there late, so there were slim pickings on the food.  Come to think of it, I don't even think it was our stake-I think he just heard about it from who-knows-who, and decided, hey! free food!  2nd wrong step of the night-free food for a date?  Not that I expected a super fancy expensive meal for dinner, but dinner together would have been nice instead of with 100 other starving college students.

Going back to the car (and every time we got in or out of the car that night), Reuben again said, "You can get your own door, right?"  One of the times I replied, "Um, no, I can't.  Would you please get it for me?"  Which he grudgingly did that time, but dude.  It ticked me off.

We went back to his apartment, and we watched "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".  And I totally kept falling asleep.  Reuben was in love with that movie, and so of course he owned it.  (Free movie.  Hm.)  And it was fine to sit and watch, but when he was reciting every line along with the movie, it got a little old.

Right before the movie, we went to the store and got some dessert/snacks to munch on during the movie.  I'm remembering ice cream, which I think I might have gotten one little scoop out of before he hoarded it away in his freezer.

Then we went to an Institute dance, where there was a band that was playing Beatles songs.  I thought maybe the date would improve at the dance, because I love the Beatles, but I was wrong.  So we were hanging out and dancing and stuff, and then he decided to start chatting up some random chick.  I went and called my roommates, and begged them to come to the dance and crash my date, essentially.  So my date with Reuben became a date with Reuben, Random Chick that he was flirting with, and my two roommates. 

Eventually, it was time to leave, so we left...and walked Random Chick home.  She didn't live that far away, but dude!  WE WERE ON A DATE!!!  We got back to the car, and he had the decency to walk me to my door after the date, which was the first gentlemanly thing he had done all night.  I might have given him a high five (no way was I going to hug him-I think I would have strangled him if I had gotten that close), because by then I had HAD it.

I walked in the door, and was like "WORST DATE EVER!!!" to my roommates.  They all agreed.

Reuben ended up asking Random Chick to Homecoming.  And we stayed friends, but there was no way I would have ever gone on a date with him again.  Though apparently, he felt the same about me, but before our date even started.

(I just looked to see if I had a picture of Reuben in my scrapbook.  That would be a big fat no.)

8 comments:

Rachel said...

I remember a date or two like that, and wondered "why did you ask me out if you were so uninterested!" Good story though right? I guess you have to experience the bad dates to be able to appreciate the good ones.

lexykay said...

oh man... i think there should be a class in elementary school that teaches guys how to be gentlemen and how to act on a date. for reals - stuff like this shouldn't happen!

Valerie said...

Nat, you definately need to remind me which one Rueben was. The tall skinney one with glasses? Or kind of shorter and a little more "filled out". I wish you did have a picture!
I love your resolutions...it reminds me that I still need to make mine!! I didn't even know about the Honey Bee award, but I think I need to make that a resolution. Can you get it if you aren't in YW? (I know you aren't a YW, but you are a leader...you know what I mean?)
Also, I had lasik right after I graduated college and I can say it was sooo worth it! I can't imagine waking up all these years with babies without it. I was so blind. Now - perfect vision. Best thing ever. Worth every penny.

Valerie said...

HONOR Bee. Oops. I am lame :)

Nat said...

Val- Yes, you can earn your honor bee w/o being in YWs, because moms or any other woman in the church can earn her YW medallion now if she wants. And Reuben was the tall skinny one with glasses, and wanted to be called Ranger Reub for some reason. Also, I am jealous of your lasered eyes. But I'm hoping to join the club this year.

The Staker Family said...

Bahahahahahaha!!!! That is so funny, although I am sure at the time it wasn't that funny at all.

Anonymous said...

Wow!! That's annoying, but at least you got through the night. lol I'm trying to think if I had any really bad dates and I can't remember, but that could be due to my really bad mommy brain right now:P

Valerie said...

Ranger Reub. That should have been the first warning :) Wierdo.