Happy birthday mom

Today would have been my mother’s birthday, in her honor I’ve stopped to look at the flowers and enjoyed a cupcake.

She was a great cook, a natural nurse, a full-time teacher and a creative story-teller. She was a personal shopper, a seamstress, a psychologist and a chauffeur. With all of her many jobs and responsibilities she raised 3 kids. Her favorite quote was, “just when the caterpillar thought it’s life was over, it became a butterfly.”

Happy birthday mom, I miss you everyday

They liked him

It seems like so much has happened since I last blogged. It’s kind of scary but I think I’m starting to fall in love already. I know it seems soon and kind of sudden, but the signs are there. I’m happy almost all of the time. I stop and listen to the birds when jog in the mornings. I have started jogging in the morning, actually we jog in the morning. Food tastes better and everything seems brighter. While I realize some might call it infatuation being a romantic at heart I like to think it’s the start of falling in love.

My friends got a chance to meet my guy and everyone actually got along. It was almost like the first day of school and show & tell rolled into one you know that excited, nervous feeling of can’t wait. He told a few really corny jokes which made me want to cringe, but he was charming and they liked him.

He got along well with my guy friends and they had fun talking about sports, I tuned out of that conversation… I can tell you who a few well-known athletes are and my local teams, but rules and stats, forget it. Amelie and Jilly mentioned that they liked how comfortable and relaxed he was, which makes for a good balance since I have a ton of energy and like to stay busy.

Since then we’ve all hung out a few more times and I met his friends which was also a bit scary, he took me cosmic bowling with his friends. They were so cool, they cracked a few jokes, told me some old stories and didn’t make fun of my horrible bowling skills. I have fun bowling but I really suck at it, true story I’m so bad I’ve gotten a gutter ball on the first frame using bumpers.

Would you believe his friends and my friends have hung out as well. We all went ice skating the other day to beat the heat. Yes Florida has indoor ice skating rinks, we even have a hockey team.

Everyone got along, my friends and his friends all acted like a bunch of little kids on the rink, but what makes it funny is that the little kids around us were better than we were. We were falling while the kids were skating circles and zipping by us.

While we all had a good time what’s nice is that we’re both doing a good job of balancing and blending, we spend a lot of time hanging out together but I still have time for my friends and he has time for his. I love spending time with him, but I don’t want to lose my friends in the process. I don’t want to jinx it by saying perfect but…

On separate note my latest fortunes have been repeats but I still have the gum… I hope I don’t regret my current hair style.

Will definitely keep you informed of any new developments, but for now I’m enjoying the fact that life is good.

I can breathe again…

Let there be air conditioning, can I just say one more time that one of the worst things is to be stuck in Florida without air conditioning. Last time my air went out due to a storm, this time there was a problem with the fan. Both times I was hot and miserable, this time I was tempted to crash on Jilly’s couch. Living in Florida air is a necessity, it’s easier to sleep at night and in getting my hair ready for work in the morning. Thankfully last night wasn’t too hot and it was fixed today.

Unfortunately like the saying goes when it rain it pours, my car insurance bill is due by the 25th this month and I just got into a car accident. Wasn’t my fault but Florida is considered a no fault state, so we’ll see how this works. I was hit by someone while my car was parked, thankfully they left a note, but it’s still a bit aggravating having to deal with rental car agencies and insurance companies.

On a bright spot I have a quasi date tonight with Jason, today I’m introducing him to my friends. Tonight would be one of my normal happy hours with friends, so I checked with all parties involved and everyone seems ok with him being there. I’m a little nervous but I think everyone should like him, he always has the manners of a true southern gentlemen. Our first date together was an impromptu bowling date and he brought me daisies.

He holds the doors, he says ma’am and sir to his elders, and is respectful of anyone waiting on us. Part of me really wonders why he’s single and the other part is saying don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. He was engaged once like me, he said that they realized before getting married that they wanted different things out of life.

Before I forget this week’s fortune was, “You will inherit an unexpected sum of money within the year”. While I could use the money inheriting is not a good thing for me, even though I gain something I had to lose someone in the process.

Fingers crossed that everyone is healthy and happy and that all goes well tonight with my friends and my beau. It’s kind of nice saying that, haven’t used that word or anything like it in a while. Regardless of how things go tonight, he’s not meeting the family any time soon, one step at a time right. Wish me luck.

One step at a time

“Reading your fortune out loud will bring you good luck“. All I can say is that I hope so because right now things are good and they haven’t always been that way. Right now my family’s healthy, I have good friends, I’m on budget and I have a guy that I’m seeing, since things are going well with Jason.

In the last five years I’ve lost both parents, racked up a lot of credit card debt and survived a broken engagement and those were just the highlights. I also gained some weight and in the process found out who my true friends were. So please forgive me my happiness and don’t take it for gloating when I say that things are going good right now.

On a much lighter note I did open up another one of those gum-ball fortunes… “work is like eggnog on your mashed potatoes”

I think that someone really likes eggs and I could go for some mashed potatoes.

Gumballs

Found something kind of interesting at a boutique this weekend, “Fortune Gumballs” …

Jilly felt like visit some friends in Orlando and I tagged along for the ride.

We were able to take a little stroll around the downtown area have brunch and get some gelato

Then I spotted these cute little gems in a store, while the gum is not my favorite I love the fortunes, so far… “Don’t confuse love with egg salad.”

To be continued

I’ve missed the online WordPress community and my blog, who knew that e-dating would take up so much time. Between the messaging, the phone calls and the meeting in person online dating feels like a full-time job. Unfortunately none of my prospects have yielded any results, in fact they remind me why I haven’t dated in a while.

There was my disaster date Eric who seemed like a nice guy whom I’d have a lot in common with since we had great phone conversations. I pulled up to the restaurant that we were meeting at a little after him and saw him spray himself with a horrible smelling baby powder cologne. It went completely downhill from there. He kept texting someone else on our date, then again I didn’t want that smell to rub off on me. If it weren’t for Eric I never would have believed Ami’s theory on smell.

Ami claimed that unless you like the way a man or woman smells its doomed for the start. She said that there have been several studies on the subject and that your perfect partner will have a scent all their own despite cologne and lotions. Then there was something about smell and chemistry, but you’d need to talk to her on that subject.

My next bad date was meeting for drinks, with a guy who was recently divorced, and seemed like hated women because of it. He basically cursed his ex-wife through out our whole date even telling me that she got pregnant on purpose. Strangely enough he wanted to go to dinner afterwards.

After that there were a couple of just ok dates and there was one bright spot, Jason. Jason was cute and fun, he even wore purple. Our first date was a bowling date and he was ok with me beating him. I’m not the type of girl who will just let a guy win or act stupid, but you don’t want to hear about that. Jason physically was my perfect type of guy, great height and not too skinny, not too fat. His arms looked like they’d be perfect for hugs and cuddling. He made me laugh so much during bowling that I even agreed to go to dinner.

At dinner Jason and I laughed and joked all while getting to know each other, it didn’t even have an awkward interview feel. He flirted and I flirted and there was a tiny little kiss at the end of the date which gave me butterflies. We’ve agreed to see each other again, instead of saying he’ll call me he actually made plans for another date and yes I will wear purple….

Letting go

I think George Michael sang it best when he sang “if love me say you love me, but if you don’t just let me go”. Recently Amelie’s ex boyfriend has been calling her and she’s considering going back to him because they have history. Granted when they were happy together in the beginning, but towards the end, they made each other miserable. Maybe they should just let each other go and explore, maybe they’ll be much happier in the end by not being attached.

My latest fortune got me to thinking about all of the attachments that we have. I’m attached to my family and friends which is great, but they think of me as one way and sometimes can stifle my growth as a person. They don’t do it on purpose and I’m sure that I’m guilty of the same thing, we all are. Sometimes we hold onto people and things because we’re afraid, we make assumptions that change is bad.

It’s easier to settle into familiar routines seeing the same people day in and day out because we know what to expect. Amelie might be guilty of this. She is thinking about going back into a relationship that’s not fulfilling her needs, even though there might be something better for her out there. It’s the same with things, we become emotionally attached to things trying to fill some type of void, when sometimes it’s better to just let go.

Earlier this summer I let go of the things I was hoarding, it was just stuff that I had formed attachments with, and once I let it go my space felt better. I felt better, lighter somehow. So to continue that trend and to become more generous with myself I’m letting go of my bad habits and my toxic relationships. I will let go of the frenemies that I’ve made along the way. I will let go of everyone who wants to pigeonhole me into this mold of what they think I should be.

I’ll also let go of the bad dates that I had recently in hope to find someone better, like maybe Eric. He’s only 2 years older and hopefully being honest about everything he’s written to me. So far we’ve had a lot of nonstop texting through the site and I like him. I like his sense of humor and adventure based on what he’s told me. We’ve decided that we’re going to meet up sometime over labor day weekend since neither one of us has plans and this weekend will most likely be a wash-out thanks to tropical storm, soon to be hurricane, Isaac.

In the spirit of this fortune I promise to take whatever relationship I fall into with whomever slowly, not smothering anything before it starts. Hopefully this is not just velleity, my word of the day.

Let the games begin

Online dating should come with a warning label, beware of what you might meet.
I heard from friends that people don’t tell the truth on their profiles, but wow. My latest fortune told me to “do something unusual tomorrow” so I had two dates scheduled for this past weekend I read their profiles and we chatted for a bit, but they were nothing like their profiles.

For starters I’d like to date someone close to my age, I think I’d have more in common with a guy in his twenties maybe early thirties, then with someone I their forties. It is not meant to be an ageist type of thing, it’s just that I’m trying to get myself established. I’m just starting to stand on my own two feet and I’d prefer not to hear when I was your age from the guy I date.

Bachelor number one completely lied about his age. We had a date scheduled for Friday, nothing big, just drinks and maybe some tapas. The restaurant choice was perfect. I’ve always wanted to go to Spain and this place was styled after a Spanish restaurant complete with flamenco dancers. My clothes made me feel good, I was having a very good hair day and my shoes were cute and comfortable. So far everything sounds good only my date was supposed to be in his twenties and was old enough to have a twenty year old.

It was already off to a bad start and I was trying to be polite and at least have one drink, when he said the words, “when I was your age….”. Yuck, that sounds like something my dad would have said when he was alive. On a bright note I did find a new restaurant that I like and will definitely have to go back to.

The second guy well, he just seemed nothing like the guy online. The guy that I chatted with online seemed outgoing and his profile made him sound like someone who likes to be active. The guy that I met for brunch on Sunday was quiet, and by quiet I mean getting him to talk was like pulling teeth. He said he liked camping and the outdoors, but the last time he went was when he was 10. He loved sports, only hadn’t played any since high school unless you include video games. He seemed like a nice guy but we really didn’t have anything in common in person.

I know I’m not perfect and actually can admit most of my faults very easily, but I’m honest. My online profile has my real age, my real body type (curvy, I’m still working on getting rid of 20 pounds), and my real activities, minus the blog. I admit I had a few rough years and am paying for them. I admit I’m still working on the while budget thing and was actual very close this month. I admit I haven’t found my dream job but I had an idea for a few children’s books, however I digress. Based on this weekend I’ll be single for a little while longer. All I can say is that I hope my dates get better, although bad dates would be perfect to write about, so stay tuned more to come.

Dream a little dream….

“Find many dream boxes. Ask a friend to select one. Then dream together” was what my last fortune read well now I love my girlfriends and my guy friends but I think that it’s time for me to start dating again so that I have someone to dream with. When I was younger I planned on being married by the time I turned twenty-five and unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, that dream didn’t work out. I was engaged twice, but couldn’t take the plunge.

With the first guy I was engaged to we knew it was a mistake as soon as we moved in together, we were too young and hadn’t finished college. With fiancé number two, I can only say that we had different ideas on marriage and dating, I wasn’t up for an open marriage and don’t share certain things very well. That being said I think that I am ready to share my life with someone, so I’ve opened an account on one of the online dating sites.

My handle is “1985Mermaid” and I can’t wait to see what bites. I thought the mermaid thing was cute considering my name and I needed something easy to remember. To help me write a bio, one of my friends gave me this great site which almost writes your ad for you like a mad lib, despite what you might think I really suck at talking about myself. The picture choosing was the fun part. Amelie‘s done this before and told me to use some action shots, while my friend Sam said close up, just me and no bathing suits. I ended up using a shot from last Halloween and another singing karaoke.

The picture might change, but what I’m looking for probably won’t. I’d like to find a partner, and I still dream of getting married and having kids before hitting thirty-five. The other thing I dream about is finding a new job preferably something that’s a bit more creative. I guess it’s time to let myself dream again.

Go,go gadget go

Well my latest fortune didn’t really give me any advice but it did give me something to reflect on…. “you are a bundle of energy, always on the go”.

Am I really always on the go and is that healthy? There’s always something to do work, eat, and play. There are 24 hours in a day, 8.5 are spent at work, and I confess to getting 7.5 hours of sleep at night, that leaves me with 8 hours of free time. Somehow I don’t feel like I have that much free time, 2.5 hours to eat and 1 hour to get ready in the mornings still leaves me with 4.5 hours. Hanging out with Jilly, Amelie, Sam or any other friends at night I’m left with 1.5 hours roughly. Somewhere in that 1.5 hour span of time I can commute to all of these places and write a blog, but no where in there does it include time to meditate. Thank god for weekends.

Last night to kick off the weekend I hung out with my coworkers at a karaoke bar close to work. On the one hand I work with a nice enough group of people to hang out with after work, but on the other, not a single one got up and sung karaoke with me. Mike, one of my coworkers claimed that he did not have enough drinks in him yet and a few others said that they couldn’t sing. Isn’t that the whole point of karaoke, to get up and sing regardless of whether you can or not?

In my experience the bad singers who are having fun with it are more enjoyable than the good ones who get really serious. I’m also biased because I’m a very bad singer but I do sound great in my car and the shower. Still I think everyone had a great time, and hopefully not all at my expense. I just wish at least one of the people my group had gotten up to sing. I probably should have invited Jilly out, I know she would have sung and the guys would have hit on her.

The point of me mentioning the karaoke is, well am I really at the right job with the right people? I spend a majority of time at a job that uses no creativity with people who don’t have the chutzpah to get up and sing. Being on the go constantly, am I spending my time wisely? I know I said it before but, thank god for weekends. Maybe I’ll go to the beach by myself and reflect today but before I do just have to share one last picture with you…

It’s all original color and completely untouched, sorry if it offends any non-gator fans. Gotta love Florida.