Day 5 – Mauren & Brandon

What a great first round of dates we’ve had! If you haven’t had a chance to check out the first four dates, be sure to click the blog archive and read about the fun times we had with Cordell, Gavin, Nathan and Cody!

While all 4 of us participated in the first four days (and will do the same on the last four days), the next 32 dates will be a mixed schedule between the four of us based on our availability. So check back each day or follow our site (see the button on the right side of the page under the archives) to see which of us participated on the previous night’s date!

Today I (Mauren) had the pleasure of going out with Brandon, a somewhat shy guy that I’m really glad I got to know better tonight! I met Brandon several months ago when he first moved into the area and started attending the same young single adults (YSA) congregation that I go to at church. I didn’t know much about him though and thought this project might be a great way to change that.

Being that it’s Sunday, I had planned to do a picnic prior to an evening event we were having at church with a special guest speaker. But because it rained all week leaving the ground severely soaked and the temperature cooler than normal, I thought an indoor location might be better. But because part of the rules were that it had to be in public, I figured the next best location from the park would be a spot at the church!

We found a cozy little room and set up a blanket, complete with a picnic tablecloth, to make the most of our little adventure.

Brandon was a gentleman from the start, helping carry the load into the church, offering to fetch us drinks and requesting that I go first to making my sandwich. As we talked and ate, I learned a lot of things about him that I didn’t know, like the fact that he really enjoys rock climbing, no doubt a product of the time he spent in Utah. He also really loves doing photography, particularly scenic shots like mountains, which we unfortunately lack much of here in Houston. He recently ventured in to human photography when he was asked to shoot a friend’s wedding, but decided that working with people to make sure they’re all looking the same direction with eyes open can be a bit more challenging. It turns out that trees don’t blink. :)

While we chatted, we played the “do you know game” and discovered that we had worked for the same department at BYU and even knew some of the same people! So many fun memories at OIT.

After we finished our lunch/dinner (lunner??) we did a 100-piece puzzle I had picked up at the dollar store. Being that the point of the date was to get to know one another better though, there had to be a twist, right? So, each time one of us connected a piece of the puzzle, the other person asked them a “Would You Rather” question, using the cards from the board game.

For those of you unfamiliar with the game, each card has two (usually absurd) scenarios in which you choose which scenario you’d rather be in.

Some of our favorite questions -- 

Would you rather...

• Live alone with your grandmother in a small rural town -OR- live in a downtown apartment with 20 cats? 
• Live on top of a tower that slowly spins 360 degrees, 24 hours a day -OR- in a house near a lighthouse in which the beam of light floods into your room every 2 minutes?
• Be able to bathe everyday but have to wear the same set of unwashed clothes and underwear -OR- give up your right to bathe but be able to change clothes everyday?
• Without ever being able to wash either of them, be forced to forever use the same bath towel -OR- sleep in the same sheets?
• Have no kids -OR- twelve kids?
• Live in a world where you needed a quarter to get into every bathroom (including the one in your home) -OR- where every bathroom only had one square of tissue?
• Spend the rest of your life in a 5-mile radius -OR- never sleep in the same place more than one night?
• As a spouse taking a new name, have it be Doodoo -OR- Klepnermierhelgenermanson? Drink a glass of Dijon spicy mustard -OR- eat a super-size bag of French fries found in the sidewalk garbage can?
• Knowing you will always be within their range, try to escape harm from 3 men who are throwing rocks at you, by diving in water -OR- by hiding in tall grass?

By the time we finished the puzzle, I felt like we knew each other a lot better and discovered we even agreed on the responses to most of the “Would You Rather” questions! 

Afterwards we headed to evening guest speaker event where we caught up with some of our friends and heard from a local news reporter who is a member of our church.

All in all we had a great time and I really enjoyed getting to know Brandon better. I’m sure a lucky girl to have been out with two great guys so far. We’ll see what the rest of the project has to offer!

Well, I’m off for tomorrow but will be back for Tuesday so check in then to read about my next adventure!