Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Becky's SoCal Weekend

So apparently, I talk in my sleep. And I laugh too. That's what my friend Becky, visiting me (finally) from Michigan, told me the other night. I must have been having a fun dream!

Becky and I have become super awesome friends over the past year and a half (thanks to our mutual friend Matt) and this weekend was the very first time that we got to meet each other!

She's always wanted to come out to Long Beach to visit me and one day I told her to just ask God to open a door for her to be able to come. She did. One week later, she told me that her job just happened to be sending her to Southern California for a few days! Woo hoo! God is so good!

So ever since I picked her up at the airport Saturday morning, we have been laughing and cracking ourselves up. It's been so much fun . . . .

On Saturday afternoon, I took her to one of my favorite restaurants here in Long Beach and had Lebanese food. There was this super hot waiter there with the cutest eyes and the most adorable smile and *cough*ahem* nice jeans! We were laughing so much because we both agreed that we kept getting mixed signals from the guy. It seriously looked like he was flirting with BOTH of us! In the beginning, he'd make serious eye contact with me (with oh so dreamy eyes and the cutest smile). Then he'd look over to Becky briefly. Next time around, he'll smile at her and move on. Then he'll come back and put his hand on my back and ask how things are but he'll be looking at Becky. So he was totally engaging both of us!

We were both cracking up because we also agreed that we were BOTH incredibly obvious in our oogling! Yeah, he was probably playing off both of us because he wanted a big tip (which he got). LOL.

Oh yeah, he was also wearing a gold band on his left ring finger. Argh!!!!

BUT......

While Becky was in the restroom, he totally initiated conversation with me about his love for dogs! Long Beach has lots of dog lovers and so we often saw people walking their dogs along the sidewalk where we were sitting.

It was sooooooo cute the way he was talking to me when it was JUST THE TWO OF US!!!!!!

(ROFL - Becky just read that last line and she said "gag me!")

Anyway, Becky returned and I thanked the guy (Jonathan, sigh). Then he looked (straight?) into my eyes with that oh so super cute smile and said "Hey be sure to come back okay?" *grin* He was talking to me because he knew that Becky was visiting me from out of state.

Becky and I walked away like a couple of school girls!

Sigh + Fawn

Then we went for a walk around Belmont Shore, the beach and the pier as we were just chatting and laughing.


We went back home to my place to relax. Then we went to Hot Java (coffee place) with Shawn to meet up with Dave until a few other SoCal GCN'ers arrived for our dinner at Ambrosia's. Good times. Lotsa kissing! (See photos in film loop at the top right corner of this blog! HUGE thanks and hugs/kisses to Dave for most of the quality photos.)

Afterwards, we crashed at my place (the unofficial SoCal GCN Hostel).

Sunday morning, we went to church service at Open Door Ministries (in Long Beach). This was Becky's first experience at an affirming congregation. After the service, someone randomly told her, "You must be straight because there is NOTHING gay about you!" Becky laughed so hard!

[Side note: Becky is one of our hugest "allies"! She has an incredible heart and passion for the GLBT community. She even competed at the last Gay Games in Chicago as a triathlete for team HRC! She's one of my heroes! Read about it here. ]


After service, I took her to Lake Perris to meet my family because it was my brother's birthday bbq/picnic. Yeah, bringing a girl to meet them confused my family. LOL, i had just come out to them too! So I told them all that Becky and I met on Match.com. Of course, I told them I was kidding! But it really was kinda weird. How do you explain to your family that you are really good friends with someone but that you are just now meeting for the first time?

Anyway, it doesn't matter really.


We drove back home to Long Beach to relax a bit before heading out to Santa Monica's pier and Third Street Promenade. On the way there, we picked up Shawn in downtown Los Angeles.

We had a great time hanging out, watching sidewalk entertainers and people watching. Right before dinner, we saw a large crowd salsa dancing in the street. So Shawn asked this random girl to dance with him. It was hilarious! The video is dark but you can see him in action here:



It was super fun hanging out together at the Promenade and Pier. Of course, we had to grab an ice cream cone before closing the evening. =)

So of course, Becky doesn't want to go back to Michigan. I told her just to stay here and have someone pack her stuff and send them here. It'll be so awesome when Becky finally moves out here. She will too. It's just a matter of time. Until then, i'll have to wait until October when she comes out again for the Long Beach marathon. I'm also toying with the idea of visiting Michigan sometime in the Summer.....hmmm.

4 comments:

Steve said...

Look at that hot salsa dancer go! ;)

Even though I have some latino blood, I never learned to salsa...I like eatin' it though!

A couple of weeks ago, the bf and I were at a tapas bar here in town and they had salsa dancers...then they had free lessons. We both said we should find a couple of girls to go with us....maybe sometime soon.

Great post, eric!
-Steve (GCN-ps403)

Anonymous said...

what a fun weekend. becky is one of the most amazing people i've ever met. she's beautiful on so many levels. now...if we can just get her to relocate here permanently.

p.s. i really need to go dancing more often.

Anonymous said...

This weekend was so great. I feel blessed and honored to know you and call you my friend.

Thanks so much.

Love ya

B

Anonymous said...

Eric,

For me, Becky is a wonderful woman. Also it was great seeing an old friend I haven't been in contact with for almost two years.

God has blessed us with wonderful people in our lives and for the rest of eternity.

Dave_62