What Happened on Saturday

If you read last week's post, you know that Saturday had the potential to be complete chaos since I invited basically everyone I knew to join my group for some Mardi Gras parades. Some people made it and some people didn't, but the ones who did seemed to have a great time (regardless of the fact that my dad was poking people with a questionable screw he found on the ground). Among those who showed up - a guy I met online.

On the surface it seemed like a great plan. I'll be surrounded by people who know me and can protect me in case this guy is a serial killer or something. Need a little liquid courage? Drinking is perfectly acceptable at Mardi Gras. Things not working out so well? I can always throw out a "great to meet you, but I need to go help my friend with her baby" or something like that.

After a couple hours of playing the "Oh, is that him?" game and texting back and forth about how I'm in a purple shirt standing next to someone in a pink wig (and then chasing the woman in the pink wig when she kept walking away from me - thanks for that), he showed up and we met in person for the first time. We talked a little from a few feet behind the vast stretch of parade route real estate my group had acquired. He asked if I knew everyone (yes) and if they were all family and friends.

And that's when it hit me.

This was the most uncool first meetup/date I could've ever planned.

Hi! Great to finally meet you in person! Allow me to now introduce you to my parents, my brother, my brother's girlfriend, my best friend and her husband, baby, parents and brother (who I lived with for 3 years). Over here are friends from college, and on that side over there is more family - my great aunt & great uncle, cousins, their kids, and their friends.

That's right - on the very first time I met this guy, he also met most of my inner circle, including my freaking parents! What was I thinking?!?!? Color me shocked (note: sarcasm) when he stuck around for a few minutes and then said he was leaving, but with a promise to come back. Yeah right, buddy. I just introduced you to my parents after 5 minutes of you actually knowing me. I certainly wouldn't hold it against you if you ran. Joke of the day came from a friend who said that guy's Saturday blog update would read "Crazy Chick Introduces Me to Her Parents at Initial Meeting."

But then the strangest thing happened....

He came back. And he stuck around. In fact, he fit in so easily that one of my college friends spent most of the night thinking he was a relative. At the end of the night, he said he enjoyed himself and thanked me for the invitation.

We have plans to see each other again this weekend. :)