Rainy Saturday

Today is one of those days when I feel the negative impacts of my dating hiatus. I'm alone and lonely. For me, there's a difference. I spend a lot of my time, I'd say the majority of my time (that I'm not at work), alone yet I do not feel lonely. Today, no such case. I'm lonely.

It's been raining all day. It's cloudy and cold. I want to curl up on the sofa with someone, order dinner and watch a movie. I want someone to want to be with me. To call me and say they want to see me, let's chill and relax. To spoon in bed with. To wake up on Sunday morning and cook breakfast with then get back into bed.

Lately I've had no desire to get all fancied up and go out. Shit, I've had no desire to go out period. So I chill. Alone. Normally I'm okay with that, but today and tonight, I'm lonely.

In other news, I spent a wee bit of time with Jimmy last night and this morning. It's not what you think and I don't think this event is linked to my feeling of loneliness though it very well may be. You be the judge. And judge you probably will. Rightfully so. The time was dog-centric. His dog. Allow me to disclose...

He called me yesterday morning to let me know that he was being evicted from his apartment unless he got rid of his dog by 5pm that day. He called me because at one point in time The Ex was willing to take him. The Ex still was. To make a long story short, I wound up meeting a woman that was keeping the dog for Jimmy last night while Jimmy coached a high school football game. I brought the dog, who I love to pieces, back to my place to keep and cuddle with for the night. Luckily, a coworker of mine who recently (sadly) put his 14-year-old dog down last week wanted to take the dog for him and his family. Fabulous set up for this dog who will bask in the attention he'll receive by being the families only dog.

So after Jimmy was finished with his game he came over to see the dog and hung out at my place for a bit. We didn't mess around. We talked. We laid on the sofa with the dog a bit. It's the oddest thing, but it's clear how content the dog is when Jimmy and I are together. When we hug, he's right in there with us. When we're sitting next to each other on the sofa, he's sure to have part of his furry body on me and the other part on Jimmy. I noticed this fact quite a while ago, but never said anything. Jimmy was actually the one to say it. Even the dog is smart enough to see what Jimmy doesn't.

I spent the night spooning with the great dane. Love him. This morning Jimmy and I drove to my coworker's place to drop off the dog. We hung out for a bit. I'm confident it's a good fit and couldn't be happier for all parties.

Though I found myself smiling while watching Jimmy interact with my coworker, a guy I've worked with for over 4 years who I love and respect like family. I wanted to lean on him or touch him while he talked with them. I wanted to be in a couple with him. I liked traveling with him. I liked being with him. I dreaded seeing our exit coming, knowing it meant our time together would be over and who knows when I'd see him again.

I think I'll always have a soft spot for him. I like him and I can't have him. I play it off while with him that I'm fine and moving on with my Ex. It's a lot less fabulous than I allow him to assume. At one point last night while we sat on opposite sides of the sofa with the dog between us he asked me if I'd missed him. I responded, "I missed Rocky." "Seriously," he said. "I missed you as much as you missed me," I said in a mocking tone. He looked down and said, "I think about you a lot." "Psh," is all I could muster. But that comment combined with that look shot right to my heart and pinched it. He jumped up and planted one little peck on my lips, then went back to his seat.

Ex-factor

The problem with hanging out with an ex, no matter how long it's been since the end, and no matter how much you've convinced yourself that you're over it all and you're now a new shiny person who is capable of a friendship, the problem is, you're wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

If you loved the person at any point in time then that love does not disappear. The relationship ended, and it ended for a reason. Probably a good one. At some point those reasons, no matter how far you've pushed them out of your mind, will resurface. Those unanswered questions will come back up. The questions you'll never truly have an answer for, except you do. You admitted them to yourself long ago, but the presence, well the presence has you being naive again. That closure you created for yourself because he just wasn't worth the time. It'll open up again. Frayed ends. You'll find yourself going through the same old motions. You'll feel that pang of hurt. It'll flood back in as though you never spent all those years building a wall. Fresh cuts as if they were carved the day before. Ouch.

Always, with that person, it will be there. No matter how much you want to prove to them that you've changed. Two years later you're different now. With them, you're not. You'll morph into that sad person. They'll get the best of you. Again. Over and over. You'll never escape it until you escape them.

Fab fall

Days like today make me want to go buy pumpkins and apple cider. Hang out at a pumpkin patch and drink hot chocolate. Then I remember that I live in an apartment and it doesn't make much sense to have pumpkins. Yes, I could put them on my balcony but it's just not the same effect I'm going for. I want to pick up the colorful leaves I see lying around but what will I do with them? I know they'll just wind up in the trash. Anyway, I love this weather. And I love that it's Saturday and I can enjoy it.

Tonight I'm heading to a haunted house with a bunch of friends and I'm super excited. My best girlfriend and I have been going to haunted houses a couple weeks before Halloween for the past 10 years. We bring whatever guy we're dating at the time. The Ex is coming tonight. It's a great tradition. Sometimes we'll just drive up north until we find one. Tonight, we're going to one I saw featured on the Travel Channel. That's right, the Travel Channel, as one of the scariest haunted houses and it's only an hour away. I'm pumped.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday. I'm going to run a couple miles. Training for the Turkey Trot 5K. My first official attempt at running and organized race. :)

Eff it, I'm going to buy some apple cider. And maybe a little gord or two.

Counting Benjis

In this crazy economy, and by crazy what I really mean is awful, frustrating and depressing, I am trying to save money. It is not an easy feat. I'm sure I'm probably preaching to the choir.

Being a single girl in this economy is rough. (Even more so now that I've instituted this little dating hiatus). I envy my co workers and friends that can go shopping for the new season's clothes. I miss living in a home with someone and having dual incomes. I realize this is all a part of growing up and boy have I done a lot of growing in the past two years. I've made sacrifices and I keep on making them. I'm counting on them all paying off at one point. It's got to. I've gone back to my natural hair color and color it myself to ward off high priced salon color treatments. I get my hair cut at the Hair Cuttery for christ's sake! No more manis and pedis. My indulgements are Netflix and my gym membership. The occasional lunch trip to Chipotle. No shopping. Seriously, I can't remember the last time I stepped foot into a mall.

I must say I am proud of myself for at least being able to support myself while paying all of my bills, and still surviving. I joke that once my direct deposit hits my bank account I gotta hurry up and get rid of all of my money to pay rent, bills and loans, but thank god I have the money to pay all of those bills. To be able to live by myself without a roommate and support my two furry four-legged friends. Those two count on me doggone it! (Ignore that bad pun). But I'm doing it.

This dating hiatus has been a blessing. After getting over the initial bout of lonliness that I'm sure will resurface from time to time. But this is the first time in my life I've spent a significant amount of time by myself. I'm realizing this is me, this is it. At least for now. And that's okay. I am capable. I need to live like this is how it could always be. It's amazing to me how much I continue to learn and grow. I've realized that I have no idea what I want. I cannot committ to anything when it comes to guys. Not even dinner. Even if I manage to committ to dinner I can't committ to a time, a place. I have issues. And that's okay. I've been dating as if I want something more, but I don't. Then I wind up ditching these guys once they start to talk about exclusivitey. I like the possibility of a guy, but once I have him the possibility is gone and therefore so is my interest. So dating hiatus has been a great idea and it is a plan I'm sticking with for a while. And I'm not going to decide to get off of the hiatus because I meet a guy. I need to be off of it because I'm ready to be and if I meet a guy AFTER that, fab.

So now here I am focused on saving. I'd like to get out of my one-bedroom apartment and buy a house. How awesome would it be if I could do that on my own? I'm gonna try. Who says I can't?

Weekend recap

In the name of all things random I'm offering up a complete recap of my not so eventful weekend. I'm at that spot on the roller coaster of life that you may call a down point. Or maybe just a steady, even point is more accurate. No screaming or clutching for dear life going on where I'm currently at. Regardless of what quirky name it is given, I'm feeling like simply lying back, relaxing, and doing a whole lotta nada with my very own self. I get that way from time to time. I'm pretty sure if I paid close enough attention I could get it down to a science, as in, the reassurance of this feeling about every say, 36 days or something. Then I could say thing like, oh, don't think I'm gonna want to go to dinner that night, my "me time" is due to start. Kinda like my period, another thing I've never bothered to pay enough attention to find out if it's regular. It's regular in that I get it every month...how many days in between? You got me.

So Friday, even though a nice guy who I have yet to go out with asked me out for drinks at a place nearby, I declined. No better plans, no reason, just not in the mood. Going home sounded better. And that's just what I did. I went home and hung out with my boys. Dating hiatus: full effect. I chatted with my best friend Melis. I watched some shows On Demand. I swapped the clothes and shoes in my closets. I have two walk in closets (ahh) and one of them is easier to get to than the other (due to the opening and closing of my bedroom door). For this reason I keep the current season's clothing in the more accessible closet and switch them each season. It's also an excuse for me to see what I'm working with each season and discard anything I haven't worn. I chilled and enjoyed the new crisp fall weather.

On Saturday I headed to a family party with The Ex (his family). It was a good time. Great to see everyone, especially his little niece who is not so little these days. Going on 8, she clung to me for a lot of the evening saying things like, "I never want to stop hugging you!" When I left she clutched my waist and pleaded, "Am I going to see you again??" I'm sure you will, Em, is all I could say.

Funny anecdote: For years, I'd say at least 5 if not more, The Exe's sisters and I have participated in this strange thing just between us four, where at each fam event we pass this old beat up green matchbox truck between us by dropping it in each other's purses lined up somewhere in the house. Whoever has it slips it into someone else's purse at some time throughout the night and you never know you have it until you get home. It's an unspoken thing we've just always done. I'm not even sure how it started. Well, when I got home Saturday night, the green matchbox truck was in my purse. Almost brought a tear to my eye. Then I was immediately worried because, when am I going to see them again? I can't lose this thing! And why did they give it to me?! Oy vey. I totally got the message though.

The Ex and I didn't hang out late night. He dropped me off and went out. I acted as if I was going to go out, but I stayed in. He wanted to go out together but I sensed that he really didn't even though he kept asking and saying he did. I felt like I kinda gave him the easy way out and declined. I'm just not sure about him sometimes. Things seem to be getting slightly awkward between us.

The night was fun but left me feeling sad. His family have all changed so much. All in positive ways. Having babies, gotten married, engaged to be married, buying houses. Growing up. making plans. And here I am, going backward. I'm happy for them, I am. I'm envious. Why didn't all of those things happen for him and I? Every single sibling of his has progressed forward. What's wrong with him? His oldest sister who loves to speak her mind gave me a serious rundown on his stripper ex-girlfriend. They all hate her. Good to know. But it just made it all the more real. He brought her and her kids around his family. She replaced me. Here I am now, two years later. Paranoid in bringing a guy home. Practically allergic to interacting with another guy and members of my family. He's had a whole other serious relationship since me. One where he cohabitated and shared his world. Ugh. Another reason I was happy to go home to my apartment and be by myself.

Sunday I headed to James's to watch the football game. The Ex came too. Jimmy called me while I was there. I ran outside to talk to him while The Ex came out and was being obnoxiously loud (sorta like Jimmy does when I'm on the phone). Then he got pissed and locked me outside. Idiot. They went out after the game but I headed up to my parent's place to go to dinner to celebrate my Mom's birthday. All in all, the weekend left me feeling sort of sad and the feeling seems to be sticking with me. I'm just not sure I'm happy with the direction my life is going. I'm trying to not be worried about it and simply concentrate on myself. But it's hard. Ah, well.

P.S. I realize this "weekend recap" is being posted as the next weekend is here, i.e. late. I drafted this post and never got around to finishing it, but wanted to. So here it is. My bad. (Nobody really reads this ish but me anyway!)