Blind Date Diaries

Four lucky (or unlucky, depending on your point of view) teens were chosen winners in the Our Generation Blind Date Contest.

One date was a hit, but one was a miss, so we asked the contest winners to tell us how things went on the dates. These are their stories …

`hope I’ll see her again’ By Johnny Denoulet

After a long day at school, I came home around 9 p.m. and my host parents Mary and Derk told me to push the play button on the answering machine. It was a very nice surprise when I heard that I won the blind date contest in The Spokesman Review.

So, the next day I told my English teacher and she was, I must say, very happy for me and maybe more than I was. Then, some friends in my English class (the funniest and most interesting class that I’ve ever had) told me that they were sure I was going to win.

So, I got prepared on Saturday before going to my blind date at Cricket’s Restaurant, where I would meet a senior from Priest River High School named JoAnne. While I was putting on my tie, I was thinking about what JoAnne was going to look like, what I was going say, whether I would be good enough for her. I thought that I have to be very polite and impressive.

Since as an exchange student I cannot drive, my host parents gave me a ride to the restaurant. But first I asked to go to a florist, where I bought with the help of my host mom a boutonniere and a corsage.

Usually, the man is supposed to wait for the girl, but it was a little bit different. I did it Belgian style. I arrived late at the restaurant (just joking for the Belgian style; the florist took a while to have the flowers ready).

I was so scared when I arrived at the restaurant, and during the dinner I had to go to the toilet twice. But I think that the presence of the photographer helped a lot.

I really had a nice dinner (thank you very much, Spokesman), with a nice dessert, an ice cream in the form of a heart that JoAnne and I had to share.

We talked to each other, but sometimes she had a little problem understanding my accent. But I think we had fun.

After the dinner, we didn’t go to the coffee shop as planned on our date, but I asked her if she wanted to go to my dance at Sandpoint High School, where she knew some friends. So we arrived there around 8:20 p.m., and we started dancing. There was the possibility to get “married,” and the photographer suggested we do it. I said: “Why not, let’s do it,” and so, JoAnne Vogrig became my wife.

Finally, we left each other at the parking lot with a hug. I hope I’ll be able to see her again. We already e-mail each other.

I don’t think I would ever go on a blind date again. If I had to live that again - but without a girl like JoAnne - you know with a boring, selfish girl that I don’t like, I think that it would be very traumatic, and I wouldn’t be able to tell her that I would like to stop the date and leave her.

But it was a great experience that everybody should try, especially if you are looking for a girlfriend like I am.

`i had an awesome time’ By JoAnne Vogrig

I saw the article in the paper on a Tuesday. It read, “Enter to win a blind date.” It sounded super cool so I immediately entered. I really didn’t think I’d get it but then I got a message that said I had been chosen.

I didn’t know what to feel — scared, excited, worried? After the initial shock I had a million questions: Who is he? Where’s he from? Will we have fun? But most of all, what will I wear?

The next day I got an e-mail that provided me with more information. Even though his profile sounded good, I was still worried.

But if nothing else I knew we’d have a good dinner at Cricket’s. My friends’ reactions were totally mixed. Some were worried for me, some teased me and said my date would turn out to be a major jerk.

One friend was so excited for me she said she could barely sleep. On Saturday a friend talked me through getting ready. He gave me a guy’s opinion on things like eye shadow, hair and clothes.

I knew I should probably dress up, but I wanted to be totally comfortable, so I didn’t.

I got to the restaurant about 15 minutes early. I sat in my car for 20 minutes in pursuit of being “fashionably late.” Before I left the safety of my car, I psyched myself up, took a deep breath and said a prayer.

When I walked in, I found only the photographer. We met, we sat, we waited. Every time someone came in, my stomach jumped. Then, 10 minutes later, he walked in. The first thing I noticed was that I had struck out on clothes. He was wearing a suit and he had brought a gorgeous corsage.

We were getting a lot of attention because of our personal photographer, but that made it all the cooler.

Dinner was great, and afterward, he invited me to the Valentine’s dance at his school. The hour drive would have given us a chance to get to know each other if I hadn’t been driving like a spaz because I was still nervous.

The dance was a blast. We swing danced (rather, he did, I tried) and got “unlawfully wedded.”

I used to think a blind date would be tons of fun, but after my imagination had a chance to run wild with all the possibilities, I’ve realized they could easily be terrible or even dangerous.

Luckily, I ended up with the exception to the stereotype - a really great guy.

I had an awesome time. My thanks to Johnny and the Spokesman.

`we had run out of things to say’ By Roy “Dateless” Dickens

Monday, Feb. 15. The day that I had been anticipating. I dressed in some of my best clothes (slacks and a red T-shirt), put some cash and my bus pass in my right pocket, a leather flower (to give to Arin) in my left and put my inevitable muffin cap (decorated with a small leather flower for the occasion) on my head, and walked out the door.

I arrived at The Ram a bit early and met the photographer.

When Arin arrived, we started talking about family, sports, anything we could think of. By the time dinner arrived, we had run out of things to say, and we didn’t really chat for the rest of the evening. It wasn’t the cold treatment, just nothing to say, nothing in common.

Datewise, the rest of the night was unremarkable. At the Globetrotters’ game, Arin and the photographer spent most of their time elsewhere, either talking to her relatives or doing whatever else she had to do. When she was there, I wasn’t really watching her. For one thing, because of the seating, I could watch the game or her, but not both. For another, I honestly couldn’t think of a reason why I should.

At 8:54, Arin said the photographer was giving her a ride home (well, they both live in the Valley). I watched her go, then turned my attention back to the game, thinking: I have just made yet another friendly female acquaintance.

And my career total of girlfriends is still zero. But then, what do you expect from a teenager who doesn’t fit in with the rest of his generation, and who hasn’t really tried to have a social life until a year ago?

Note to self: In preparation for future blind dates, create a list of small-talk topics. Also, ask Jason Stolp (a friend of mine who knows most of the teenagers on AOL) to locate a girl that I might actually successfully date.

`we don’t have a whole lot in common’ By Arin Martinez

The blind date I went on didn’t go that great. Don’t get me wrong, I had fun at times, but the rest of the time was pretty much silent. We didn’t have a lot to talk about because we don’t have a whole lot in common.

At first, I was really nervous about going. I was like, “What if he’s some sort of psycho?” But it all turned out to be all right, and Roy wasn’t a psycho. He’s a very interesting and nice guy. I’m not sure if we’ll keep in touch and become good friends though because, like I said, we don’t have much in common.

Overall, I don’t really recommend blind dates to people my age because they can be very awkward. However, if each person brought a friend, it would probably be a lot more enjoyable.