A post in which I probably should have stayed in*

When I woke up this morning, I just moved from the bed to the sofa.  I did make a nice breakfast with the last of the facon bits scrambled with eggs and cheese, which is lovely. 

I exchanged some text messages with Andy, who is in touch pretty regularly these days, and with Michael, a guy I've been talking to who lives in Blacksburg.  He's kind of far away, but not as far away as Andy, and he does seem to get to Greenville periodically.  Plus he's self-supporting (presumably).  I also heard from Chuck.  Chuck really wanted to get together today.  After spending the day on the sofa, I was restless, and wanted to do something.  I told Chuck to come on.

Of course, about the time I made plans with him, I heard from Michael that he wanted to get together.  Not only that, but that today was the last day he was available until the 26th.  Men.  I haven't actually met Michael, and I had already made plans with Chuck, so I just had to say sorry. 

Chuck came in full of enthusiasm.  If we didn't have as good a time as we did last time, well I wasn't at the top of my game.  It was nice enough.  He is just as nice-looking as I remembered. 

Afterwards, he was like "Let's go somewhere."  OK, fair enough.  I didn't ask.  I just got dressed and off we went.  Tonight I got to know Chuck better, and it's a bit more understandable that he's single.  He's pretty controlling.  I was content to let him be in charge tonight, and indeed that doesn't bother me from time to time, but most guys don't want someone in charge all the time. 

We started by cruising Main Street so he could show off his Jeep.  Yes this man is 52 years old.  It is a very nice Jeep - my neighbor asked me about it when I came outside after Chuck left last week.  It has lots of stuff on it, and it has the raised suspension and all.  If I were a car person, I guess I would be impressed.  I mean, I can tell that's nice and all.  And while part of me thought it was cute that he would ride down Main Street with the windows down just to get the compliments (which, for the record, he received), part of me thought it was just a little high school.  But there are far worse caprices. 

After that it was off to Sam's.  I guess he needed to go.  I didn't come right out with the whole Wal-Mart-is-evil-and-here's-why thing, but I did explain (quietly and without detail) that I don't usually shop at Wal-Mart.  His response was to point out the fantastic prices he was enjoying.  Well true, I know, but there is a price to be paid for those low prices - whether or not you're the one paying it.  I chose not to open the debate - I wasn't buying anything - and just pushed the buggy around while he picked out stuff.  I was glad to be out, and I always enjoy shopping. 

When we left there we went to his place to drop off the groceries, and for me to see his house.  It's a nice enough place, and he has another beautiful car there - a metallic sage-green Mustang.  Gorgeous.  I also met all the dogs.  He has a lot of dogs.  And his parrot, an African Gray that is reportedly a prodigious talker, but who mainly whistled tonight.  I was interested in all of this, but the animals seemed very interested in me.  That could have been natural friendliness, but I got the impression that they didn't see new people that often. 

Next it was off to dinner at La Parilla.  During all of this, Chuck talked.  I mean seriously kept a running commentary going almost the entire time.  Rarely, and I mean rarely, do I meet anyone who gives me a serious run for my money in the jaw olympics, but this man left me in the dust.  The problem was that once he started a story:

1) there was no editing - each and every exchange was related in detail, as close to verbatim as he could remember - there were no "Reader's Digest condensed versions" on offer here.

2) there was no change in venue - if a story started in the car, it must be ended before you got out of the car.  In order to accomplish this, if there was more story than there was distance to the next destination, he drove slower.  And slower still.  To the point that we were driving around at 18mph at points and getting honked at in traffic.  He did agree to a reluctant change of venue at the restaurant, after being asked twice.  I didn't want to just sit in the car.

3) Most of the stories seemed to involve someone trying to get the best of him, or insulting him in some fashion, and the I spit on your grave lengths he went to in order deliver that person their richly-deserved comeuppance.  Now in fairness, most of these people did seem to deserve their fate, but I was quietly noting to myself that I was only hearing one side of the story.  This led to my wondering what would happen to me if I unknowingly insulted him, coupled with the virtual impossibility of introducing this guy to Russ.  One of them would inevitably get his feathers ruffled with the other one about something, and they would be sworn enemies for life.  It was almost a foregone conclusion.  (This was in my mind because I had mentioned introducing him to the boys tonight.)

I did manage to get a word or two in edgewise by the end of the evening, but by the time he dropped me off, my ears were pretty much bleeding.  Again, I feel that this could be the product of his not getting to speak freely very often.  He's pretty deeply in the closet.  I guess I understand why, but that's a lot of pressure on the people who do know, because they're your only release.  I do feel sorry for him.  He's in a lonely place without a lot of options.  But at the same time, I'm not ready to take on his world.  That's a big job. 

By the time I got home, I felt that I had over-done it, and was pretty much wiped out.  I just went on to bed.  I did exchange some good night texts with my guys.