And I said, I've gotta be honest...

Yesterday I was on Dashboard Confessional's site trying to find when his tour would be coming around these parts, because Aileen is on that tour with the Plain White T's. I thought it would be fun to scream my lungs out to some Dashboard while hanging out with a friend. Unfortunately, they're playing TODAY in Connecticut, so that plan was a bust.

However, my "websurfing" was not - I came upon this picture on the Dashboard news/blog page -


- and I had this weird moment. I recognize that couch, I thought. Those walls. I know that room... and then I remembered that Dashboard has been recording his/their latest album with Adam Schlesinger, who, last year, was producing Motion City Soundtrack's album.

It was February 2007, and my new friend Jesse told me I should stop by "the studio" after work to pick him up, as Erica, Jesse, and I were going to see The Matches that night. I was totally psyched, but more cause I was invited to this little enclave of music-making for a band I just happened to like...a lot. Jesse was an awesome dude, already proving to be a fun time, and I generally approved of him - cause he was interested in my best friend. (Okay, I know, this is getting tricky, maybe I'll tell THAT whole story another day...) Anyway, I met him at the studio, and I sat on that couch that's pictured, probably totally smiling (and squealing on the inside) while he played me a couple of cuts from what would eventually be Motion City Soundtrack's Even if it Kills Me.

After we left the studio, we grabbed a cab to meet up with Erica for dinner before the show, and, like typical rush-hour Manhattan, we got held up in traffic. It didn't seem to phase either of us though, because we had the best conversation. You know, one of those conversations. You're talking about nothing and everything and suddenly it's very deep but there's a nice rhythm between your exchange of words, with dabbles of joined laughter and smiling silences...

When I got out of the cab, my stomach felt weird. What was that?? Oh, right. We dined with Erica, then went to the show and met up with friends. We continued to joke and hold conversation with ease. We headed to the afterparty, and then as the night neared it's end, I just told him:
"By the way, I like you."

It didn't feel strange though; he smiled, didn't say much, and I told him I'd see him tomorrow, at another show. I love that night. We both regard it as pretty awesome. Because - hey oh! - now we're engaged! And so that story literally rushed into my mind yesterday when I recognized that couch in that picture and realized the last time I was in that room.

One final note - Carrabba, I'm going to veto corduroy hats, thanks -