Jet-Set Jmai!

Inquiring minds (ahem, Sass and Nat) want to know, so I guess it's time for me to give up the goods on Cute Bald Guy. I'll go with an acronym since, although he knows I blog, I have not been so generous as to give him my blog address, and I don't want to use his name just in case he's not comfortable with that. So I will call him CBG -- which makes me laugh cause those are my mom's initials and ...eww! But anyway...

I started talking to CBG several weeks ago... before leaving for Mexico even. We talked online for a while but he was in Jax and I am here, so I didn't really think much of it. We already know what happened last time I tried to work it out with a long-distance person, and anyway, I talk to a lot of people online; I'm just nice like that! Anyway then we started talking on the phone. I was still meeting other people but enjoying our conversations -- he's very easy to talk to; very friendly. And when we discovered we were both scheduled to be in Orlando on the same weekend for different conferences, we decided the logical thing to do would be to meet.

If you read the blog, you already know what happened then. I mean not really, but you know it went well. Long story short, on Friday I was supposed to meet him just for dinner and then return to Nat's. Since I was staying at her new digs, I didn't quite know where I was going, so after dinner I called her up, to ask for directions and let her know that we were going for an ice cream. Well, 3 hours later I called again, woke her up, and asked for directions again cause I'd forgotten what she'd already told me. SHE thought (dirty mind that she has!) that I'd gone back with him to his hotel room. As if!

We had 3 dates in as many days, and I discovered that he is a VERY good kisser ...which is so important, really! He drove down to interview for new jobs/visit me the following weekend... he is planning to move here. If he wasn't, I would have to cut him off. Or more accurately, I would never have bothered to meet him in the first place since I am certainly not planning to move anywhere except back to NYC (and even that is highly dubious!).

He asked me about a week ago, in the most respectful, chivalrous and shy way possible, if I would consent to being exclusive with him, and I recently agreed. When he called on Sunday and I put him on the phone with my Little, she asked me who he was, and for the first time in several months, I spoke the words "my" and "boyfriend" in that precise sequence.

I anticipate that my life will henceforth become rather boring for the bloggoworld. Coupledom tends to do that to people.

Ohhhhh but how I long for rewarding, meaningful, permanent, symbiotic coupledom! It's terribly cliche of me perhaps but that is truly the ONE thing I feel is missing from my life. I want a husband and a family of my own (i.e. where *I* am the parent!) and the whole kit 'n caboodle.

Anyway... the title of this post refers to the traveling that will ensue as I get to know CBG better. First it was Orlando, where I intended to visit with Nat but spent the better part of the weekend being with or texting/talking to CBG (sorry Butt!). This weekend, we're spending our first night together (yeah, no pressure there) at a hotel, meeting up on the Space Coast because that's about halfway. The week after, he's taking me away for a long weekend -- he is flying into Fort Lauderdale and then we're driving down to Key West, which I'm super excited about because after 6 years in Florida, I've never been!

All in, I'm having a really good time getting to know him, really enjoy his company, and MAN am I so excited to be into someone, finally!

In other news -- can someone please tell me how to make a blogroll?

Little Sister

If I were Nat, I'd be snoopydancing right about now.

In December 04, after finally ridding myself of that ill which sucked up all my social energies (otherwise known as law school) and learning that I'd passed the bar (now, exhale...), I sealed a promise I'd made to my friend Kim a few months earlier -- that I would volunteer for the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters organisation. December. 04. I have been waiting for them to get their act together and match me with a little since then.

I know they are a volunteer organisation and they are of course understaffed, but a year+ is a little crazy. Not to mention the random communiques I would get from them in the interim... Um, we don't have a copy of your drivers license (yes they did), can you send? Um, do you have updated car insurance? (Of course I do, but hey -- a new policy goes into effect every 6 months, people, how long are we gonna do this dance?) But I obliged and waited, all the time getting more and more drawn into my 12-hour work days and other non-inspirational daily routine-type stuff.

Then finally, about 3 weeks ago, they called me with a match. And on Friday night, I went to meet her and her family. She is so cute. She's 9, diagnosed with and currently being treated for ADHD, and SOOOOO talkative. Like this kid gives ME a run for my money. She likes to sing and dance, and draw, and she loves animals, and she likes to write stories and OMG she is so cute.

And today we're having our first Big-Little outing. I'm taking her here: http://www.fiestafortlauderdale.com/

I tried to do an html tag on that one but for some reason it's just not cooperating, so sorry!

We're supposed to try to do things that don't cost [much] money and advised against buying them gifts, especially in the early days. I'm not sure if she's too old for the Easter egg hunt? But I guess I will soon find out!

So I'm off to get ready and be a Big Sister. I'll let you know how it goes.

Etc.

I need to buy some sunscreen. I still have some of the 15 I bought in Cancun but that's too strong for the March Florida sun. Of course, my other option is to go out with no sunscreen, which is precisely what I did today... and of course now I have supplemented my fading tan with a bit of pink. It's not a proper burn and it will be gone by the morning but I should know better.

But it was GORGEOUS out and we've already discussed how I enjoy being tan. So.

My question is, why is it that when it rains, it's gotta pour? It just seems so unfair. There is either drought, or monsoon. What am I talking about, you ask? Well! There is a new boy. He's lovely, very kind, very respectful, VERY good kisser. Cute little bald head (but not bald like SFSG awho-horhay bald... that is to say, he shaves his head). I'm excited that for the first time in months, I really like someone that I've met -- because, if you've been keeping up, all the others have just been "eh.... he's nice, but..." and I just haven't been feeling it.

.

(Thank you again your Sassiness, for the brilliant period idea to segue from one day to the next! )

So I wrote that last bit (up to the period) on Sunday night and now it's Tuesday and WOW I am such a bad blogger. Fuck all, not like I have so many interesting things to say.

Oh PS I was right -- pinkishness was gone by the morning and replaced by a lovely glowy tan. This is perhaps the best reason to live in South Florida, folks... perennial glowy skin. And shut up about the skin cancer, all you naysayers.

I finally made it back to the gym tonight. Andrea was gentle with me, which is good, because I haven't been in several weeks and I swear it was all I could do just to drag my butt there tonight. I will pack my gym bag again tomorrow and plan to do some cardio... but... yeah, we'll see.

Also, I just watched "Just Like Heaven" with Mark Ruffalo (whom I lovelovelove, with his lopsided grin and eversoslight lisp) and Reese Witherspoon...and it was so cute and I cried like a baby. But the kicker of this movie? That weird kid from Napoleon Dynamite is in it and he's not exactly cute but he doesn't look like a gangly reject from the 4H Club. Movie makeup is amazing shit.

Anyway, so the new boy. I really like him a lot, and I'm looking forward to seeing him again. Except then I FINALLY met someone who seemed worthwhile from eharmony... like I said, when it rains, it pours (for me, two boys at once -- not including the other two that I have just had to have "the talk" with, so they totally don't count -- is a storm). So far, eharmony has been a tremendous waste of money. Look, I know most men are not into the fat chicks and that's ok -- because I don't want to be with anyone who doesn't find me attractive, you know? But some days the whole situation just makes me laugh because I have my photos set to be released only after a certain level of communication, and very often I get match requests from these guys who I do not find in the least attractive, but I am trying to be as open-minded as possible so I go through the whole rigamarole with them anyway, and then they get to the point where they can see my photos and they close the match. And I'm not mad or anything (though I admit I was hurt in the beginning), but I'm just thinking to myself... ok... you know.... it's not like you're Colin fucking Firth or Andy Garcia or anything... but I was willing to check you out. Man! It just pisses me off, and I think it's most damaging to my pride but what the fuck, that's what this whole dating game is about I guess. Squeeze the tomatoes, Momma Jmai used to say. Christ, she still says it. AND she wants grandkids. Woman is going to be the death of me I think.

Right. So I met this guy who saw the photos and was all "I like meat on my women" and he was quite cute and I thought we had a nice clicky kind of thing going on when we talked on the phone so I met him for coffee and now? Haven't heard a peep from him. I thought I made it clear that it's OK not to be into me but that if that's the case, just let me know. So, nothing. He was cute, too. Good job. Local. Ah well.

And then back to the other new boy? The one I was on about before mentioning eharmony guy (I'm laughing because I always type "eharmoney" and I'm wondering if it's a side effect of my job following me home, or if it's a freudian slip kinda thing cause that site is expensive!)... right, him. So he's also very cute and very nice and we talk a lot and I enjoy his company and NO I have not slept with him!!

So I feel like I am starting a relationship with this guy but now I've been so .... conditioned, I guess is the right word... by the online dating business that I feel like I'm always supposed to be looking out for the next best thing coming around the corner. Which is not to say that I think I would be settling for this guy, just that I have talked to and met so many people recently and haven't until now had any desire to just stop and say... ok, this is it... I'm going to take the money and run, no going for the million-dollar question.

At this rate, I am NEVER giving poor old mom those grandkids that she's always on about. Someone knock some sense into me!

Yay I'm Tan!

Well lookie look who's updating her blog. -coughcough-finally-cough-

I have been so lazy. At least I've managed to make a few meaningful comments here and there this week.

Also, thank you muchly SassySass! You fixeded my recent comments problem! I had set it to European date stamp... that's what messed it up. But it's all better now. I still want to name the comments something silly but I can't remember anymore what gayness I wanted to use so oh well.

Completely unrelated annoyance? Tonight on my way home from this really weird corporate function thingy, I stopped to get gas. I always go to the same gas station because it's on my way home from work, and it's always super crowded, because it is the cheapest gas around for miles (thanks Dubbya!). So tonight was no exception, I could barely wedge my car into the driveway thanks to this moron behind the wheel of a late 80s-model boat barely disguised as a car... there are 8 pumps and no one understands the concept of a LINE at this place. I finally managed to get to a pump and then this 9-foot tall guy with a doo rag started getting all belligerent with me because I didn't want to buy any of his bootleg movies. I have got to stop getting gas in the ghetto.

Right. So. Vacation. How weird. After ALL that drama, we wound up at the hotel where, joy of joys, they actually DID have a reservation for us... but can you imagine that it was NOT for all-inclusive? Thank goodness Sara had the foresight to bring her receipts which proved that we paid for the all-inclusive deal. Have I mentioned that I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER deal with these people EVER again? And just in case any bloggers out there ever get a hankering for a sunny beach vacation, may I suggest that you NEVER EVER EVER EVER deal with mxresorts.com or travelcomm.net either? Wow. They suck.

Honestly, when they "messed up" our reservation, the "manager" had the nerve to tell me that honestly, I was all wrong about the resort, how he had personally stayed there and actually it was very nice? Well whoopdeefuckingDOO you stayed there... you also work for this total scheister company, that doesn't say much for you now, does it? Also by the way... what you think is completely fucking irrelevant to me because THIS is what I requested and YOUR dumbass employee fucked it up. So shut up and fix my reservation.

Of course they never did fix it.

So we wound up at el cheapo Cancun hotel... but it wasn't THAT bad. If you're used to 5-star (or even 4-star) treatment, you will be miserable. But we tried to go into it with open minds because one way or the other, that was our holiday deal. It was clean(ish), the beach was nice, the staff was friendly and helpful (except the maid who decided that a few stray coins left on the nighttable were intended as a tip for her... is this really the protocol? So weird. But it was like the equivalent of $2 USD so who cares?), and the food was fresh and good (if boring, especially after a few days... I keep saying, we basically ate grouper and guacamole for a week).

Also, I bought a timeshare. Weird. I never thought I would fall for that crap but everyone I talk to agrees that I got their bare minimum, best possible deal.

But YAY I am so tan and lovely... and this is a weird thing about me, but I just feel more comfortable tan. I mean everyone likes having that tan glow but I mean I just look right. My dad is Egyptian so I have an olive-ish complexion which -not for nothing- doesn't look very nice when I'm pale. So I enjoy being tan because as I get older, I get paler and I don't like it.

And we went to visit ruins and snorkeled and swam and sat on the beach and joked around with all the Europeans on vacation there (most of whom were also in their hotel because SOMEbody fucked SOMEthing up). All in all it was a good time and we came back without killing each other which is always a plus when girls go on holiday together.

In other news, I miss my cat but I know she's got a better home with Diane and little Olivia so I'm not too-too torn up about it. Plus I can visit ... although it's kind of long for a short visit and if I spend a long visit I'm likely to have cat allergies. Maybe I'll stop up there on my way to Nat's this weekend.

So yeah that's my update. I also have online dating updates for y'all but my imaginary carpal tunnel is kicking in so I think I'll write about that later. Also I was going to post some pics of el Mejico lindo but I'm too lazy for all that jazz just now.

Yay I'm back! I missed blogging.