So I have been forbidden by Em to say more about Sunday, August 16, 2015 until given the green light by her. If you are reading this post, then red has turned to yellow has turned to green. Yay!!
This blog is a copy/paste from what I wrote back in August.  🙂
So I failed to mention in my “What the H-Ekka” post an important detail. Emily met a guy. At Stockmen’s. Not Stockman’s, but the Aussie version of the fantastic State Fair watering hole. This was our first text exchange after meeting the fellow.

  

So I couldn’t stalk him. Damn. But I figured he was just a passing bloke, probably would get a similar message the next night of another handsome fellow that captured Em’s eye.  

But the next day I sent her this note, just to see…

  

Well well well. Little Emmer Demmer was playing it cool. Interesting. Knowing her like I do, and reading between the lines, that translates to “oh god, he’s really cute and awesome and I hope he calls”. I knew she liked him.

Next night, Stockmen’s is blessed with Em’s presence again. And this transpired.
  
Looks to me like little Emmer Demmer didn’t really care about the auctioneer at all. She was pissed that Tim the Pilot didn’t call.  

The next day was Sunday, the day that Jay and I were taking the kids to Ekka. She didn’t say much about the situation, as we were too busy being amazed by the randomness of Ekka. And then this happened. The scene was straight out of a movie. There was instrumental music playing over the loudspeakers in the show arena, a happy, slightly romantic tune. And Em’s phone rang. You couldn’t wipe the smile off her face if you tried. 

 
For the next week, I could have taken several pictures like this in different outfits at our house. I haven’t seen anyone talk on the phone this much since high school. Em’s phone would ring, she would look at it, smile, say hello, and then she would disappear into her room for hours. HOURS!! And if I would happen to pop my head into her room, she would get all blushy and tell me to get out.  

I knew right away that this was a good dude. In this day and age, not many guys take the time to call. Yes, a text message or a Facebook post is sweet and stuff, but there is little substance and is too easy to hide behind. But a phone call. You have to be interested in getting to know a person to call them. And again. And again. Good on ya, Tim the Pilot.

After a few of these phone calls, we learned that Tim is more than just a pilot. He is a heavy equipment mechanic that has a plane so he can fly out to remote areas of Australia to fix broken down equipment. And he has a repo business (Brooke will be excited about this as she is fascinated by Dog). Sounds like a guy with his head on straight.  

Keep in mind that while we all now know his last name, he doesn’t like the drama of Facebook so I haven’t been able to do any proper stalking. Crap.
We were thinking about taking the boat out on The following Saturday, so Em invited Tim to come along. He wasn’t sure if he could make it because he needed to work, but didn’t tell her no. As the week went on, the weather forecast wasn’t looking great for the boat. Em sent him a text to let him know that boating wasn’t going to happen. He used text messages effectively by replying with, “Movie?”
I wish I would have had my camera on her face at that moment. Priceless.
He did have to work on Saturday, and since he lives a couple hours away, he planned a day date for Sunday. Here’s how the day went.
Lily woke the house up at 4:00 AM.
Emily’s excitement kicked in and she was wide awake.

She showered, dressed, did her makeup, dressed again, fixed her hair, dressed again, fussed with her hair some more, and still wasn’t feeling cute enough. It is now 8:38 AM. I made her try on one of my shirts that she said “sooooo isn’t me” but made her look like Barbie. 9:05. Tick tick tick tock.  

I don’t know what we did for the next 3 hours, but just kept trying to stay busy. She was so nervous. “This is what I am 30 and still single!! I hate feeling this nervous!!!”

Finally, Tim showed up a little after 12:00. Jay won a little side bet we had going. I thought he would rock up in an SUV, maybe a Land Rover. Jay was convinced it would be a Toyota Hilux flatbed ute with a tradie box on the back. Jay won. Nissan instead of Toyota, but damn good guess. I snuck in this photo when they weren’t looking.

  

He walks up to the door, looks a little nervous, as he should because Emily looked like freaking BARBIE!!! So poor Tim. He didn’t know quite how protective I am of my family. And he didn’t know that since our mother and stepfather are 10,000 miles away, I had to ask the tough questions.  

“Hi Tim, I’m Nicole.” (Good strong handshake)

-“How are you feeling?” (Nice one, Tim, since you happened to be on the phone with Em after Jay and I went out to dinner and I might have had a teensy bit too much to drink.)

“Ha ha. I’m great, thanks. Was just a little happy last night. So, since I have never met you before and couldn’t stalk you because you aren’t on Facebook, I have a few questions.”

*groans from Emily*

“Are you a serial killer?”

-“No. Not yet.”

“Are you married?”

-“No.”

“Any kids?”

-“No.”

“Not that it matters if you do, but I need to know these things. And…are you going to bring her back safe and sound at the end of the day?”

-“Well, that is up to her.”

“Well OK. Now. Just in case she doesn’t come home safe, I need to have some evidence for the authorities. Look at the camera and smile.”

What a good sport.

  

Seriously, doesn’t she look like Barbie?!?!

This is just the beginning, folks. This dude, Tim from Toowoomba, planned a whopper of a first date.   

 I told her that I needed photo updates throughout the day so that I knew he hadn’t dropped her off in a ditch somewhere. This was the only one I got.

  

Em and I are big fans of The Bachelor, so I couldn’t resist this:

  

So yeah, the last part of the adventure was an apple pie from Yatala pies that he bought for Jay, the kids and I (well played, Tim from Toowoomba, well played), followed by the freaking drive-in movie. Complete with red wine, real wine glasses, and chocolates. Who is this guy? And how will he ever top this date?

So as I am writing this, it is Monday, 17 August, 2015. At this point I have no idea what will come of Em and her amazing date with The Bachelor From Paradise. But even if he doesn’t call her again, or take her on anymore amazing dates, I am thankful that she had one day, where one true gentleman showed her what it feels like to be appreciated, and respected, and treated like a princess. This, Emily, is why you are 30 and single. You don’t deserve to be told you are “a part time job” or that you make a guy “feel like he is in high school”. You deserve to be the center of one man’s attention. All day. Every day. Love you, sis!!