It's about damn time! :)

I've been writing this blog for a few days now, actually, I took notes about this part in one of my many Wednesday meetings; such a multi-tasker I can be. :) Though, is it multi-tasking if you're writing and not listening to what's being said?? :)

Anyway, I've been writing it in my head actually; today was the day I decided that I had thought of too many good words in my mind that I didn't want to forget any more of it so it was time to actually write it down. :) It's been a long time since I've written and in fact I usually don't write much at all when I'm happy and my last few blogs have been really boring, just catch up writing and not much very interesting, but I have this compelling feeling to write about how I feel right now.

The last few years I wrote about this journey I was on to find myself again and then find a relationship where I could be that same person every day. I thought it would be more of a struggle but actually, it's more of a mental thing. It's about telling yourself that no matter what, all that matters is that you find someone that loves you for you, whatever that may be. If someone sees who you are and isn't fascinated, interested, disgusted, and excited, you don't want to be with them anyway. :) Life is messy in so many good and bad ways and keeping up on who you think you should be is just way too tiring, I can't imagine having to keep it up for years and years, it's not worth it.

Anyway, I don't have to. :)

I feel proud and grateful that I seem to have found someone that accepts me for exactly who I am. And from the very beginning, all he has seen is me, because that's all I've shown him. :)

My tummy doesn't do that weird, something is wrong, twinge. I can trust. It's predictable, and surprising all at the same time. It has progressed in stages, I have not pushed myself or the relationship further than I wanted to go. And that's saying something, for me. :)

It's like getting what I have asked for all these years and I want to revel in it. The sheer normalcy of it is amazing, comforting, and real.

I guess I just felt like sharing. :)

And Chrstmas came and went....

So I had this blog started already, sometime in November about what I should do for Christmas when it all seemed to fall into place.

I got to wake up in my apartment Christmas morning, not alone, and open gifts. :) The only thing missing was the tree but I'll work on remedying that next year. I'm not sure that my apartment would fit a Christmas tree anyway. On a perfectly wonderful note, I didn't guess ANY of my gifts! I can't tell you how awesome that is for me, I love to be surprised and all the gifts were PERFECT for me!

We had a leisurely morning (even though we were up way to early) but then got ready and headed over to his Mom's house for Christmas brunch. The snow was horrendous on the side streets but his car loves the snow and he drives it very well so it was all good. :) His family is very nice and even got me gifts themselves! How sweet is that?!? :) I was very embarrassed, even though I knew they were coming, but the stories they told behind them helped, it was something to laugh at anyway. :)

The day after Christmas was slightly more busy then originally planned since he had to stop and get me a battery (this cold was too much for the two yr old one I had I guess) and change it out for me. We took Ros to daycare and headed north where he met my mom (she was on her best behavior), one of my brothers and he almost beat her at Scrabble. (there was also a minor disagreement with the Escape and the snow drifts but a friendly neighbor and a shovel solved that issue) :) My mom made us lunch and we stayed a little longer than planned but managed to get to my Dad's with about 45min to hang out everyone and take pictures.

Today we are going to his Dad's and that should wrap up the meeting of the immediate family anyway. I'm not really nervous and surprisingly wasn't nervous when he met my family it was all very laid back and fun, I would say one of my most fond Christmas's.

Life is good.

And I think having this apartment is going to force me to shed a lot of garbage I've allowed to accumulate, it will be good to get a little lighter. :)

I hope everyone had an AWESOME Christmas as much as I did. :)

Has it really been that long?

Wow! I have not been this lax before in my blogging, I'm almost disappointed in myself! :)

But what's a busy girl to do?

Update: Phlem boy didn't work out, didn't have many high hopes with him living so far away so no really big loss. :) Plus it was decided pretty quickly after my blog so it's just as well I guess.

I'm to tell you that I've met a new guy, his name is Mr. Slipons, or I call him Mr. Shy. He's also dead sexy. :)

He told me to write that and after today will be able to read my blogs which he hasn't in the past as I've blocked them from everyone in order to prevent him from snooping. You guessed it, he's a computer nerd. :) He's also reading over my shoulder now as I type this.

I've been sick and not wanting to write lately but since it's been so long I guess here's the long version since we all know I don't have a short version. :)

Halloween: I had a super-fantastic costume, I put on a latex witch nose and the cape from a few years ago and voila, I was the witch from Snow White.

Mr. Shy: It was my idea that we go to Pasta Pronto (the best Fettuccine Alfredo around), closed them down, went to Barnes and Noble and picked two books out each for the other (I know cute, right?) :) And then closed down the Starbucks as well. :) I didn't get home until after midnight. We've had a few more dates since then, I made the BEST Manicotti and it was healthy, and he made Beef Stroganoff that tasted like home. I'm actually typing this from his house and his weird ergo keyboard that I'm surprisingly better at typing on then I thought. :)

Guess what, NO KISSING!! Who would have thought I'd be able to say that? Can I see a show of hands? We've decided that the reason is because I'm sick and he has an aversion to colds. :) I'm sure it will be remedied as soon as I have a clean bill of health. Watch out, I may not see many of you once I'm healthy, at least for a week. :) He even says he may pencil me in for a week of PTO. :) Just Kidding. (only a little)

I need to go now before I get in more trouble, because like I said, he now has access to see the others so we'll see how long this lasts. :)

I guess it was the short version, who would have thought I had that in me too? :)

Just follow your gut...

Most of the late afternoon/evening my stomach has been in knots, more on that in a bit, I think I should tell you about my date first. :)

It was Saturday, and it was good. I was myself the whole time, which I am very proud of, and it didn't take any effort, also good. :)

We met up at Woodburn company stores, headed to Elmer's for lunch, had very interesting conversation for four hours, then back to the mall for more conversation and walking around. I didn't get home until 7ish and we met at noon. :)

He does have an OCD quirk but it doesn't really bother me, mostly because it wouldn't effect me, if he had to open a door 15 times, that could get annoying but it's pretty harmless. Every day of the week he wears a certain outfit with a specific color. The other quirks we seem to share, like we both agree that cereal does not belong on top of the refrigerator. :) He made me laugh and had some pretty good stories from his job, not all first date appropriate but I liked the fact that it was relaxed enough that we could be ourselves. :)

So far, I like him, he lives far away so that's a consideration but I think it's worth seeing each other again, at least. I'm gonna have to have the "friend" test sometime soon, don't want to wind up married and pregnant in two weeks. :) (S and P would never let that happen anyway) :)

I'll let you know how it goes.

Today, and what officially can be called a "tradition" since I went last year, I went with S, P and family to the pumpkin patch. There were a ton of people there, way more than before but it was a gorgeous day, bright sun, crisp fall air, and great company. I didn't get a pumpkin but I totally will next year! I just remembered I left the cider in the car! Don't let me forget to grab that later...

Back to the stomach knots....

I had been dreading a conversation that needed to be had, it went very quickly on the phone and finished by text over a three hour period. A very big THANKS go out to S and P for helping me keep things in perspective, and maintaining the higher ground, and I feel good about the final decision. It was the best one for me, I didn't give up my control, stood up for my decision, and so far there are no consequences.

All that basically means is that I will be moving the first part of December and I'll be spending tomorrow scouring the sunset corridor for the best place for me and Ros.

Wish me luck!

This crazy thing happend yesterday...

I was burgled (I hope that's how you spell it). And I'm typing this as I wait for the locksmith.

I was a little later than usual coming home last night and I was talking to S on the phone when I walked into my house like I always do. I noticed some of the cabinets were ajar. I said "that's weird, I know I didn't leave these open, I didn't even eat breakfast", turn to my left and notice there are some other things missing, go upstairs, change missing, bed mattress askew, cabinets ajar.

Then I am in actual shock, I got nothing, and most of what I do have is packed in the garage, I check the garage, it's all there, untouched, and thankfully so is my computer.

All the while S is on the phone with me and generously listening to my "this is so weird, why would someone come into my house?" over, and over, and over, etc. :) Oh, and making jokes about how it could have been so much worse. I've decided that it might just be impossible for me to not find something good in any situation, but I guess there could be worse things. :)

I decided I should probably call the non-emergency number, which S found for me and waited around for the officer to come and take a report. (it must be some cosmic/karmic duty that she's always around when something extraordinarily crazy is happening to me, I am grateful for it) :)

I went outside my front door, which was unlocked (I had not left it this way) to meet up with the police car (even they get lost getting to my house) and I notice that the handle to the hose bib is missing which was were the realtor lock box had the key to my front door, and I finally understand how they got in, and why they didn't go into the garage. This makes me feel better and unsafe. On the one hand, it wasn't someone that I know, or that has the garage code, this is good. On the other, my house key is out there somewhere and I'm certain I'm taking S up on her offer to sleep there for the night.

I now have fingerprint dust on my front door handle, and XBox power cord, to no avail. The one thing that would have been helpful, I can't find, anywhere. So I've come to the conclusion they are getting away with it scott free, which sucks, but what are you going to do?

My realtor is only showing my house by appointment only and called the locksmith for me, that was nice.

And now I wait, and wish I could be napping. :)

Time for a refresher...

Two weeks between blogs?!?! I'm slacking! :)

To be fair, I was sick and in Des Moines, IA all week last week, that's my excuse; oh, and someone has obviously made the world turn around a little faster on its axis then usual because since when, is half the month over without me noticing!!

Don't blink - by the time you open your eyes it will be Christmas and you'll be wishing there were presents under your bare ass but smelling all christmasy and beautifully all decked out in blue and silver tree. :)

Why would getting older make the days go by faster? It must be that paycheck to birthday to party to thanksgiving to christmas to new years, thing. When you're five, not much is happening in your span of influence. It's all grilled cheese, macaroni, peanut butter, jelly, and "give me back my barbie's head right now!" Not much to mark the span of time, but enough. :)

Well that was random! :)

Okay, no call from "malique" date (the names have been changed to protect myself) :) It's all good, he wasn't ready to settle down, or at least not with me, that's always good to know right up front. :) Going on a new date with "Phlem boy" (it's really a funny story, I'll tell you all about it when we break up) :) Meeting in the middle and we'll see where it goes, he's a little bit laid back and I'm a little bit crazy, it's been known to work for some! :) Not much else happening, Mr. Longman only wants to email write now, which is fine, I get the feeling he's short anyway. :) Red Sox is a bore, one liner, week in between emails is not my style; even if I only update this every once in a while, at least you're getting more than five words! :) I've closed out a ton!

Quick Hits:
Work is busy with a few random vacation days thrown around here and there. Hopefully we'll get goals for 2009 wrapped up quickly so we have some semblance of where we are headed as a business. Direction is never a bad thing, especially at work. :)

House is still for sale, price just dropped to poor house levels, we'll see what happens in three weeks, if nothing, I'm leaving the headache to the bank, hopefully they will have better luck than me!

And...

With that I feel amazingly refreshed! :)

Time for bed!

I have a theory...

My mom is truly and utterly mental. And I don't mean that it a funny haha way, I mean that in a, quick, make sure she's taken her pills today way.

On Wednesday I called the first place on my list of places she had told me, thank god I wrote them down, and made reservations for 7 after speaking to my brother to see if him and his wife and girls would come. Then I called my mom and told her where the reservations were, what time (noon), and who was coming. She seemed in a good mood and said thanks for organizing it all. I quickly hung up, no use in drudging up the simple fact that I had been more than willing to organize it and with the information she had given me, and was able to just fine, though I didn't need the added insults. :) I called my other brother the next day and he said he had a surprise boat charter ride around the Olympia harbor. I tried to tell him that she didn't like surprises but he insisted that she would like this one.

Anyway.

I called this morning and got the directions to her house since I was meeting her there instead of the restaurant. She was in an ultra positive, sickly sweet, pay attention to me it's my birthday, giggly mood. It was a complete 180 degree turn around from the person on the phone screaming at me just a few days before. I got there 10min early just to be safe. She confirmed with me that she was "picture ready" and was in heels (not the greatest shoes for charter boat riding).

Anyway.

It was a BEAUTIFUL day. We ate outside under umbrellas and the food was really good. My brother and his wife were late as usual but everyone got a chance to eat. My mom loved all her cards and that she got to go to one of her favorite places to eat. We did narrowly escape one minor incident where she proclaimed that she had never hit any of us kids with a belt or other utensil, just her hand. I was silently and frantically mouthing for both of my brother's to leave it alone, which after a few seconds they eventually did. No use getting into an argument when she was obviously either not in her right mind or didn't want our dirty family secrets bared to the general public or my aunt and uncle who were also there.

Anyway.

She knew slightly about the surprise and in general I think she was pleased by it, she loves the water and being on boats and with all of us there doting on her I'm sure she had a good time. I think she would have rather had different shoes on but she didn't really complain so I don't think it was that bad. The boat was electric and the "captain" was really nice.

I think the only reason she doesn't like surprises is because she can't manufacture a predetermined response.

Everyone but my aunt and uncle went back to her house for an hour or so to visit then we all left. I asked her when I left if she had a good day. She said that she had but it wasn't in her "fake" way but in her, "this is the last shred I've got of my good attitude, so take it and leave me alone" way.

Overall, not a bad way to spend a Sunday, no real drama, and I'm pretty sure the only thing we will hear about later is the fact that she wished she hadn't worn heels.

I couldn't expect better. :)