{ DATE #7: Karen Hinkle }

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I don’t really understand where the cliché “a rolling stone gathers no moss” came from. Are there stones somewhere that are constantly rolling and therefore are moss-less? Well, I do understand its implication. There are some people that are constantly on the move and therefore have a vibrant spirit. I know because I am one of those people. I bet by now you have guessed that my date Karen is one of those people as well.

What better sign of an adventurous person than going on a roller coaster filled date? It was a perfect day to visit Knott’s Berry Farm. The weather was perfect and there were no lines on any of the rides. We were constantly on the move and were able to maximize the park and go on pretty much everything.

Being constantly on the move may have inspired a lot of our conversation. We talked about our ambitions and all the things that we have done. I told her about my idea to make a musical that appeals to men. She told me that she has a list of 30 things that she wanted to accomplish before her next birthday. Our date helped her accomplish one of those 30 goals (glad I can be of service). Then she explained all the places that she has been. She made me a little jealous she had been to Ireland and even gave me a little info to help me accomplish the same thing one day.

After we were worn out from going on all the rides it was time to eat. Dinner was pretty tasty and filling. There was some good conversation and we finished our meal and kept talking for about a half hour. We talked about the popular misconception people have about us, work, and our living situations. The only thing that cut our conversation short was that I was starting to feel sick. Blasted! So we left the restaurant quickly to find a CVS to cure my stomach of the greasy chicken I had just eaten. One of the perks of going out with an adventurous person is that they are really resourceful. In no time we found a CVS and she pointed me to the best tasting tums.

Soon my tummy was feeling better and I was ready to go. By that I mean I was ready to chill and watch a movie - True Grit. How we fit all this into one date I do not know. Then again there is no time to waste being a rolling stone, so what else would you expect?  Speaking of rolling stones, maybe I could “get some satisfaction” from a second date.

{ DATE #6: Samantha Goodsell }

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Sometimes the stars align perfectly. Today was the most stressful I had felt since I had taken my boards three years ago.  Truth be told, I was in a negative mood going into tonight’s date. That is until this pretty ball of positive energy came knocking on my door. I opened the door and realized it was Samantha Goodsell, who I had recognized from her video application and seeing her at a party or two.

Still in a somewhat negative mood, Samantha explained the date to me. I’ll call it a “choose your own adventure” date. Basically we got in the car and she flipped a coin. If it landed tails we turned right, or heads we turned left. On cards she pulled out of a can it said how long we would drive in that direction. We chose to do this 14 times. On the last one we would do her activity. Honestly, I thought this idea was a recipe for disaster. Yet, on the 14^th card we passed right by this beautifully lit gazebo in old-town Upland.  What luck! You couldn’t have planned a better place than that for what she planned. So that’s where we parked.

We walked to the gazebo and held hands where she surprised me with a much needed dinner. She had “prepared” my favorite meal on earth with my favorite drink on earth: In-N-Out and Dr. Pepper. Someone did their research. Immediately my spirits were lifted! The stresses of reality faded away, as my mind slipped into a romantic dreamland. Then we talked about her adventures in her career as an actress. I couldn’t believe this girl was Miley Cyrus’ double for her music videos. Um… can someone pinch me?

Next we went to Scandia (a small amusement park near me). I’d say the park had around ten people in it. For the most part it was ours alone! She had me pick from cards which attraction we would do next. First I picked the bumper boats, which were good for some playful flirting. Next, I picked miniature golf, but instead we did the go karts. Lastly, we played miniature golf where we would tee off in random ways. It was so much fun I wasn’t about to let the moment pass me by. On the eighteenth hole I leaned in and kissed her. Picture perfect.

Sometimes the stars align perfectly! Some burn out quickly and others endure the test of time. The question is which star is Samantha?

{ DATE #5: Keri Murrey }

Disclaimer: To this point Rick has not had a Sunday date.  Lucky for Rick he had a few dates on the same day last week, one of which is highlighted above.  Enjoy!

You know your date is gonna be wild when they show up at your door in disguise. I answered the door around the time for our date and who was it? The Fed Ex woman. I don’t remember ordering a package. Then this “employee” threw the package to the ground. I was still confused! Just kidding. I then remembered Keri’s Fed Ex audition tape. In a way packages are a lot like first dates. Sometimes you know what is coming, sometimes you don’t. In the first moments you know what it looks like but its what is on the inside you are trying to find out.

It didn’t take long before I started to see the “Keri Package”. This girl is fun. Don’t worry, she didn’t stay in her work attire the whole date. After she changed we got in our car and went to the shooting range. This is where my masculinity was called into question. I had been shooting a few times but I am no avid gunman. Thankfully I picked it up really quickly. We used Bin Laden as our target and I let her go first. She did pretty good nailing Bin Laden right in his hat. Then it was my turn. I wasn’t the marksman I had dreamed about but we both improved as the night went on. This was important for me - apparently I have a superhero name to uphold.

All through the night we had a lot to talk about. Most of the conversation happened over dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Both of us, being extroverts, went to try out for American Idol on the same day in Pasadena two years ago. We recounted our experiences like getting fried in the sun that day. Keri, like me, also has a geeky-tech side to her. She even wants to open a non-profit one day to help kids with computers. I think our biggest commonality is that we both have a hard time answering the question, “What do you like to do?” That is a hard question to answer when you pretty much like everything. I guess you just have to answer the things you are most passionate about. Still not easy for us though.

Our date ended at my house. It was a good night. I got a surface knowledge of what Keri was all about. Luckily with Keri she is not a one dimensional character and there is a lot more to know and enjoy. That’s where there is a problem with my analogy between a package and a first date. A package has two layers: The box and its contents. A person is more like a package within a package, within a package, and so on. I could tell by the end of the date I had many more layers to discover. That alone is a reason for a second date.

{ Date #4: Andrea Candrian }

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The quickest way to spice up your life is to do something completely out of the box. A great big thanks to the staff who were able to convince Andrea Candrian to go on a public date with me. Also to her twin sister who filled out the application. While Andrea is very comfortable being in front of the camera this was a big risk to her. I don’t blame her for having been a skeptic. She is already an accomplished press secretary of a senator and traveled all the way from DC just to go on a date with me. I am humbled that she would travel so far to go on a date with me, but so glad she did.

As I drove up to the place where we would be going on our date I looked to the left and noticed a long line of weirdos in front of a Hollywood studio. I figured I would soon be one of the weirdos in that line. Sure enough we stood in that line for a few hours before being on the game show “Let’s Make a Deal”. I guess it doesn’t say much for me that I felt comfortable. However, getting in costume was something out of the box for Andrea. She had made us both our own Washington DC attire. As we waited in line we had a lot to talk about. I love talking about politics and her involvement gave me the opportunity. While we differ a little on our feelings about Glen Beck I think we actually had a lot to talk about. As long as we weren't too far apart on views I didn't mind at all. In fact it made the date all the more interesting.

We finally made it to the producers who spent about 10 seconds interviewing everyone. Once they got to us we told them we were on a blind date from different sides of the country. They were intrigued and took over a minute talking with us, writing a ton down. We thought we were a shoe in! We sat through the show and I had a blast flirting a little here and there. Though we never made it as contestants I felt like a winner being there with Andrea.

Just to make things a little more out of the box I decided to hold her hand on the first date.  Later we found out that holding hands on a first date is a little different for both of us. I explained that lately I have been learning to do that. My reasoning is this: Some people take a lack of touching or being slightly forward on a date as a sign that you aren’t interested. If you want a girl to know you don’t want to be put in the friend zone sometimes you have to do that. Hopefully we will both avoid that friend zone and make it to date two!

{ DATE #3: Sara Borg }

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Nothing is better than a girl that can socialize. When I am in a relationship with a girl I often pay attention to how well they interact with others. Sara Borg and I first met up at the Cowboy Surfer Grill for some brunch. Immediately I noticed how well she interacted with the waitress and the other customers in the restaurant. We had some of the best service I have ever had at a restaurant because of the connection she established with the waitress. It was pretty impressive for a restaurant whose motto is “Come for the food, not for the service.” For the record their food was really good.

Have you ever been on a date and looked around at other couples? I have, and I do it a lot. Sara and I went horseback riding on our date, something I have wanted to do on a date for a long time (good job Sara). There was another random couple that went with us. I couldn’t help but notice that we were having better conversation and more fun than the other couple. Actually I don’t think the other couple said a word the whole hour and a half of the ride. Maybe that’s their thing (who am I to judge), but the only time they talked was when Sara talked to them.

One good thing about horseback riding is that there was plenty of time to talk. I found out a lot about Sara. She grew up in Utah, but has lived in New York and obviously California. Her family seems to work in the cosmetic field, which is good because I like a girl with some fashion sense. Sara herself does eyelash extensions. Yes guys, girls have a process that they make their eyelashes look naturally long. I’m not talking about those obvious ones we see sitting on top of their real ones either. It’s a great idea, but it makes me thankful to be a guy.

One thing we talked about was what qualities we like in other people we date. I talked about how I like adaptable girls. Meaning girls that know how to react in any situation they are in. Example: A girl that cheers at a sports game, dances at a dance, cuddles on a romantic date, and socializes at a party. She talked about how she likes playful guys. It was there I told myself, “if there is a date two we are doing something very playful!” Will there be a Date 2? Dun Dun Dun…

{ DATE #2: Sara Foster }

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Every once in a while I get a deep thought that I normally never get to share. Now that I have an audience I will share a thought I had with you. You see I’m a person that wears his heart and mind on his sleeve. In other words, I live a very vulnerable life. As a consequence I get critiqued a lot, and sometimes even made fun of. I know that’s hard to believe. What’s strange is most people I see go about their life protecting and hiding that vulnerable side of themselves. I wonder why that is. Aren’t the people that love us the most the same people with whom we let down our guard? My closest relationships are the ones where people know my every flaw and appreciate my every quirk. It’s so much easier for me to establish a connection when I don’t have to first tear down the walls of an image trying to be upheld.

This leads right into my date with Sara Foster. Sara came up with a creative date of Geo Caching. Most probably won’t know what that is. Basically it is a world wide scavenger hunt where people go around finding mementos that other people have hidden. You can find the coordinates on a website and go around looking for them. So we both got on our bikes and headed out to Geo cache.

Toward the middle of the date I noticed something different. I found myself not asking that many questions to Sara, nor was I taking normal steps I would make on a first date. Then again, I didn’t have to, because Sara has little if any “walls”. I was able to get to know her just by interacting with her. She was refreshingly vulnerable. If she wanted to make a silly beeping noise while backing up her bike, she did. When she saw the statue of a nude person, she pointed it out. She thought I was terrible at riding bikes, so she made fun of me for it. It didn’t take long for me to feel a connection with Sara. She was vulnerable and it gave me a chance to see who she was whether I liked it or not.

After Geo caching we went to a small ice cream sandwich shop. There we had time to just talk with each other. I learned that a girl can grow up in a small town, run in track, be an engineer and still be socially adept. She found out I didn’t like musicals and wasn’t a Batman nut. We also had fun analyzing the random couple at the table next to us. After little debate we labeled the couple “friends with benefits.”

Before I knew it it was the end of the date and I hadn’t even made a move. Dang it! I hope she doesn’t mistake that for not being interested because Sara is beautiful inside and out. I really wanted the date to keep going, but I guess it’s always best to be left wanting more. Hopefully she felt the same. We hugged at the door, and like you always do at the end of a date, she said “I’m glad to know you aren’t into musicals!” But, for some reason that works for me. Date #2 with Sara? Strong possibility.

{ DATE #1: Sarah McDermott }

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Maybe it’s an odd place to start, but a lot of thanks are definitely in order for making it to the first date of The Mormon Bachelor. Thanks to Erin who has put in more hours coordinating than a full time job. I give thanks to her team, to the camera people, and to the girls who willingly participate. Thank you to random people like my dental assistants who have had to cut back hours at work. They all do this with little if anything to gain. What for then? I don’t fully understand. My guess is the enjoyment of sharing my crazy and fun love story. Which reminds me - thank you to everyone for following this journey as well.

All the months of preparation and anticipation led up to this moment. With the knock of the door it started. ”Who would answer? Would I know her? If I’ve met her, will I remember her name? Are we going to be a match? What am I doing???” Then the door swung open and we looked at each other. Silence. I didn’t think I recognized her. “Hi, I’m Sarah McDermott.” Nope! Never met her and I can’t believe I have missed out on this beautiful girl all this time in Southern California!

Perhaps the reason for all the gratitude I have been feeling tonight is because the first thing that we talked about was our new appreciation for the opposite gender. You see, there are some definite role reversals in The Mormon Bachelor process. Mainly, the girls, instead of the guys, are planning the dates. Even though I knew to dress nice casual, I was blind as to how nice or how casual. Then I knew I would be eating at some point, but would it be earlier or later? Should I snack on something beforehand? Not so easy! Then Sarah, keeping in mind my financial responsibility, tried to keep the date around $50. She discovered it doesn’t take long before most dates quickly surpass that mark.

Sarah and I had a lot to talk about on our way to the Griffiths Observatory. This girl has done everything! Literally. She’s traveled, served a mission, studied, worked, taught, etc. I could go on and on. In fact, one of my favorite things in a relationship is when I feel like there is too much to talk about. When it feels like you can’t really finish one conversation until you are onto the next. My favorite part of the conversation was our mutual love for Ireland. The only difference is she has actually been there. “One day Rick!”

Conversation - check! Cute - check! But could she have fun? Check! In fact, I don’t think we actually grasped the concept of the observatory. We turned that learning facility into our personal playground, as we held hands and took in the view. I don’t think we actually learned a thing, not even during the educational/psychedelic movie we saw. Afterward we replenished ourselves over a delicious yet meager dinner. However, what the dinner lacked we made up for with conversation until we hugged goodbye on her doorstep. Is date #2 in the future? I would certainly be a lucky guy. Stay tuned!

{ TMB Eve is Here!!! }

The time has arrived - we are all waiting on the edge of our seats. Will Rick find true love? Will he be popping the question in a few short months after asking all the typical first date questions for the next 22 days? Only time will tell. Join us starting tomorrow, Thursday, January 13th at 8am to watch the magic unfold. Good luck Buck - we are counting on you to find Mrs. Right...

{ Plain JANE? We think not... }

This stylish New Yorker is anything but plain.  She lives a life of fun, work, play, fun, adventure, and... fun.  We think Rick needs this street-saavy beauty in his life don't you?

{ The world is CHRISTINA's Playground }

Meet Christina - a blond beauty with an adventurous spirit AND a buddy pass for life? We think Rick will be soaring high after spending some time with "Beana".

{ KERI is the total package }

This girl has got everything - a great job, great friends, a beautiful smile and STYLE... Watch out Rick Buck, you are in for a fun adventure with Keri by your side!

{ SAMANTHA the Actress }

We thought Rick Buck was dramatic until we were introduced to Samantha - talk about a match made in heaven! The question is - if Rick and Samantha starred in a romance, would it end in eternal bliss?

{ Rick Buck Ex-Girlfriends Tell All... }

With only a few short days until go-time we wanted you to get the real deal about Rick - straight from best source - his ex-girlfriends.  Please join us this Thursday, January 13th when Rick begins his journey to find true Mormon love.

{ JAMIE is a Gem... }

This girl's talents never end! Not only is she a very intelligent geologist, but she is also an incredible wedding photographer! The question is, if Rick and Jamie marry, who will take pictures at their wedding?

{ This Week In Mormons ... Part Dos }

Aubrey had her podcast of glory 3 months ago when she started out on her love-quest but this week it was Rick Buck's turn to wow "This Week In Mormons" followers with his motivations to find true love.  Click on TWIM to listen to co-hosts Geoff and Al interview Erin Elton and the Mormon Bachelor himself Rick Buck as he sets out on a quest to find true Mormon love.  We love you TWIM!