So yesterday, i felt as though it were a dream or some type of a romantic comedy that i would secretly like... i.e. you've got mail. haha, tom hanks, meg ryan, classic!
I found out yesterday afternoon we didn't have bus call that evening but instead it was this morning. So with me sporting a smile and the feeling of spontaneity drenching the humid air, i decided to take Rach, my girlfriend for 8 months :), on a spontaneous picnic dinner in Centennial Park (thanks to Randy for the recommendation, i am still new to the city). It was around 5 o'clock when i decided this, so i knew good and well i needed to kick it into hyper-speed and get all the "fixins" together before it was too late! Without hesitation i ran to the local grocer (a.k.a. the Neighborhood Wal-Mart) and picked up the classic assortment of picnic delicacies. here is a glimpse if the menu i contrived:
Main Course:
turkey and cheddar sandwiches on wheat bread
A La Carte:
green and red grapes, on or off the vine
macaroni salad, chilled
doritos, flavored cool ranch
Dessert:
two pieces of cheesecake
Beverages:
bottled water
mountain dew, by the can
welches sparkling red grape juice (a must for any picnic)
After i left the neighborhood wal-mart, i dropped all of the groceries off at the house. and that is when it hit me "I DON'T OWN A COOLER and i need one if i have any hopes of making this picnic happen, so i drove a mile down the road to the wal-mart super center. there i puchased up the cooler, bug repellent candles, two plastic plates, 2 plastic goblets, and headed for the check out. as soon as that receipt hit my fingerprints i bolted toward the my car. put everything in the trunk, unlock my door, sit down. and again i forgot something. flowers! dessert! oh no, i am dropping the ball. so i jog inside for a quick recovery and grab some cheese cake from the bakery (it was really good, fyi) and some orange roses from the garden center ( i thought they were a good summer-esque choice) "Finally i have all of the necessary makings of a picnic," i thought to myself. I looked down at my clock to see i only have an hour until i am meeting her up. About this time it is 6 o'clock, ah the joy of rush hour traffic, we all experience it. luckily it wasn't too bad by this time so i made it home relatively quickly.
She drove to my house. I told her to text me when she got close, she did. but my phone was on its charger in my room, FAR away from me, on VIBRATE. so you can see the odds weren't in my favor. haha. I luckily got the cooler stocked and hidden away in the trunk of my car, with my trusty guitar as its passenger companion. So i'm in my room bout to check my phone, when i hear the front door squeak open, i politely yell, "uh, cl..close your eyes!" fortunately she did and avoided seeing the flowers i had nestled on the sofa in the den. i run in there and smoothly transition into presenting my pretty eyed girl with her flowers. she was flattered. i was relieved.
your chariot awaits, me lady.
Now for the fun part. the picnic! I tried my best to keep it a surprise but she could smell it from a mile away. I don't know how, but she did. Maybe there was a slight leak in this supposed air tight scheme?!?! or maybe i just wear my emotions on my face? or maybe i gave to many clues? yea, thats probably it. blast! my surprise plans were foiled! this girl is good. i mean blood hound good. she made sherlock look like a amateur scavenger hunter...ok, joke taken to far ha. Needless to say, i still attempted to deny her accusation until we finally arrived there. almost missed my turn, she almost thought she was wrong. ha.
we found a quaint little clearing amongst the trees, with the parthenon lighting up in the distance. so like the sooners in the land rush of 1907, we marked our territory with a the blanket/dining table. great news is we made it just in time for the sunset. perfect! as it time went on, the sky grew a little darker, the candlelight became more evident on our faces. i've always loved that effect. her smile accompanied by the flickering of candles was beautiful...after dinner i played a few songs for her on my guitar (could've written a sng right there!), which brought our first picnic (both individually and collectively) to a close.
oh what a fun night it was. sitting under the stars with her, watching constellations come into focus. intellectual conversation. laughs. even more laughs! and your telling me you the only other alternative is a restaurant, accompanied by music blaring in the "background" and noisy conversations.
i can get used to this whole picnic thing :)
-andy
