Love Story Pt. 1

This past weekend Jenny and I took a road trip down memory lane. We started in Lubbock, drove through Abilene, and ended with a "visit" with her dad. While in Abilene we shelled out 16 bucks to watch "Date Night" in our hotel room. Good movie, but we'll save the critique for next time. A couple of times in the movie, the two main characters, while at dinner, point out other couples and ponder as to what their story is. Not only have Jenny and I done that ourselves, but I feel that we have a pretty cool story. I thought this might be the perfect place to put it in writing. Get your tissues ready. Sit back. Relax. Settle in. Come join me as I drive back down memory lane one more time.

My pursuit of Jenny started before I had ever met her. You see, when I was a younger lad, my mom would have a young lady named Dawn babysit me and my sisters. This started when I was in elementary school, and as I grew, we became more friends, and less babysitter--babysittee, if you will. I don't think I ever really had a crush on Dawn (she was more like an older sister), but I knew that I wanted to date girls that were like her--pretty, smart, funny, etc. The first time I met Jenny, I knew she had all those qualities.

Actually the first time I met Jenny, I had no clue what I was doing. I think it was sometime in middle school, and my family was going to a show at the Amarillo Little Theatre--Oliver, I think. I remember watching the show just like any other middle school boy would watch a musical theatre production (read: trying to stay awake), but then I was struck by a young red-headed actress in the show. I looked her up in the program, and read her name--Jenny Bulla. I made a point to talk to her after the show, but I think all I could manage was "you were really good." Apes have had more charm.

Fast forward to the year 2000 and the second "first" time I met Jenny. I was out with a girl I grew up with on a date/non-date type of thing. We met up with a group of people at Logan's Roadhouse, this new swinging place where you could throw peanut shells on the ground. The group eventually dwindled to three, myself, my date/non-date, and Jenny. As we stood at my truck talking, I started to take notice of Jenny. She was obviously pretty, and Frank Sinatra would have called her red hair "Witchcraft," I do believe. She was smart, funny, witty, down to earth, laid back, and pretty, really pretty. She sucked me in like a tractor beam. She didn't know it, but she now had a new stalker...or friend...whatever.

That's the end of part one. Tune in next time for part 2.