You blew it. But, somehow, it still worked out.

[MrNewportCustom]

Sometime during the early '80s, on a first date, I rang Pamela's doorbell, was greeted by her family and the two of us were off to see Cats at the Schubert, in Los Angeles. My route to the theater was simple: Interstate 10 west, interstate 405 north, Olympic Blvd. east, to Avenue of the Stars south and down into the flourescent tube-lighted bowels of the parking garage.

Unfortunately, the route I actually drove wasn't quite that exact.

The first thing I did was forget to stay on interstate 10 westbound and found myself heading due north on highway 101. I turned around, got on the 10 east, turned around again and headed west to the 405, where I confidently went south instead of north. I turned around at Venice Blvd. and headed north, promptly missing the Olympic Blvd. off ramp. Which is easy to do because there are no ramps - on or off - at that particular intersection. I turned around somewhere up the hill, got back on the 405 (again) and exited onto Santa Monica Blvd., which is south of Olympic, and somehow managed to go in the right direction for the first time that evening. I then turned north on . . . oh, I don't know, but it was about a mile before Avenue of the Stars. Easy enough to correct.

I somehow managed to get us to the Schubert before show time. I parked the car a few levels down, got her door and we headed up the elevalators. Two flights up, I remembered that the tickets were still in the car. I turned around, pulled them out of the glove box, and still managed to make it back to my date before she could wander off with a more experienced driver with a much better car.

How I got a goodnight kiss and a second date with her I'll never know. lol

What adventure have you embarked upon, only to botch it completely, yet still have it end well? Any kind of event. The more you botched it, the funnier it is, lo these years later, the better.


Lee
__________________________

Still trying to find my way.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

did kinda the same thing...went to the j street mall for some window shopping in downtown sacramento, ca...more of a stroll instead of shopping since we were getting to know each other...hadn't been there in awhile so when we were leaving i ended up heading north on the freeway instead of south for miles and miles until i finally found an exit...turned out ok though b/c we laughed and got a chance to talk some more as i bumbled around in the boonies trying to get back to civilization...i've messed up several dates with such things that turned out fine...i think some women tend to like a man that makes honest, cute mistakes...please correct me if i'm wrong, ladies

 

[ShooShooBaby]

i think some women tend to like a man that makes honest, cute mistakes...please correct me if i'm wrong, ladies

you mean, someone who's a human and not a robot? i would agree with you on that

i'm a terminal klutz and terribly absentminded. i'm sure i've had many moments like these... but i think i've blocked them out!

 

[Mojave Jack]

When I pledged a frat as an undergrad, we had a party to meet our Big Sisters from our Sister Sorority. I bought champagne for the evening, which I had apparently left in my car a little too long on a semi-warm day. Within minutes of meeting my Big Sis, I proceeded to dent the ceiling of the frat house with the cork, and douse her full in the face with the contents of the bottle. Champagne dripped from the ceiling for about ten minutes, and I think that's about how long I stood there with my mouth hanging open while she tried to get the champagne out of her eyes and hair. Reacting slowly, the only towel I could find (remember, this is a frat house) was as stiff as a board with God knows what, and about as soft as piece of Berber carpet.

Somehow I still ended up getting a kiss goodnight!

 

[Tango Yankee]

Not me, but my wife...

I asked her to marry me in the late '80s after we'd been dating for a couple of years. This mostly meant I was driving 200 miles one-way to see her (and her two kids) on the weekends. She said no. I went overseas at the end of 1990.

Over the years we kept in touch and even saw each other a few times. I returned to a stateside duty station in 2002. After about a year we started seeing each other again (this time with a 500 mile drive!) and at Christmas of 2003 I asked her again. This time she said yes! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Sometimes we "what if" about all those years we could have been together, but there's really no point in doing so. We're just lucky that we did finally get back together.

What's been interesting for me is finding out the ways that I influenced her and her kids (now my kids, too, even though they're adults ) in ways that still show up these many years later.

Regards,
Tom

 

[Story]

It's been called the "MaGoo Factor".

 

[Flivver]

I attended a parochial high school that I absolutely hated. So I never studied, didn't pay attention in class and spent all my time working on/reading about cars and radios. My grades were terrible. And I didn't care.

In November of my senior year, one of my best friends said he was going for an interview at a local engineering college and did I want to go too. I said "sure". After all, my dad had graduated from this school, and I *did* want to be an engineer. Somehow, I always thought I would attend this school but I hadn't the foggiest idea how.

So I went for an interview, along with my friend. The interview with the Dean of Admissions went well. He seemed to be impressed with my SAT scores and the fact that my Dad was an alum. He didn't seem to care at all about my really poor grades. When he asked me if I had applied for the early decision program, I didn't even know what it was!

The Dean told me that the deadline for submitting an early decision application had just passed but that he would make an exception for me. I had to fill out the application and write the essay that night and bring it all to him the next morning. He told me to call in a week to find out if I was accepted.

One week later, I made the call and was told "You've been accepted...will you join us?" I don't think anyone ever accepted an offer so quickly!

I was the first kid in my High School class to be admitted to a college...*me*...one of the worst students in the class. No one in the class could believe it!

So I buckled down, started to study and found I could actually get good grades! I learned Calculus over the summer and started college in the fall ready to go. I worked hard in college but graduated near the top of my class.

Guess I was a late bloomer!

But I often wonder how things would have turned out if my friend hadn't invited me to come along for that interview.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

that's a helluva story, flivver...

 

[Flivver]

that's a helluva story, flivver...

It was certainly the luckiest break I ever had!

 

[SamMarlowPI]

no kidding! lol