A post in which it is the finale!!

I woke to a good morning from Gary (via text) which was a nice way to start the day. 

Work was work. 

I did order my first basket from Noisy Rabbit this week.  I'm pretty stoked about it.  The money, of course, was due today.  But it was only $17.50, and I figure I would spend that much on produce anyway.  Plus this is locally grown, so relatively low petro load!

After work, I had to get Eve's birthday present so I would have it tomorrow.  I had decided, after some debate, to get a gift card from Swoozies.  I've never seen so much useless crap under one roof in my life, but then it isn't my present.  I had debated just getting a gift card to Dillard's (where Gary works), but again, not my present.  Besides, since I was just getting a gift card, a card from someplace so specialized seemed more thoughtful.  I stuck to the plan.

There are few places of business where I feel uncomfortable because I am too masculine, which makes Swoozies an unusual place.  My experience began a hundred or so feet before the threshold.  The over-powering perfumes of numerous sweetly fragranced items profaned the cool spring air.  But I persevered.

I had thought that I would just pick up a card while I was there, but the cards were of course as over-priced as everything else there.  When I saw the Mother's Day cards, it reminded me that I had those to buy also, but I'm not buying them from Swoozies.  More money to spend this week!  It's an expensive week!

I picked out my card and approached the register, where some woman seemed to be trying to return something which was causing a great kerfuffle.  I re-routed until she moved away and headed back in.  One clerk was on the phone, but a very nice, very pretty girl asked to help me.  Her smile faltered when I told her what I needed. She apparently didn't know the first thing about gift cards, and of course the woman who did was the woman on the phone.  She was trying to mouth questions to the woman on the phone, who was simultaneously trying to help my clerk and talk at the same time.  Apparently she was having little success with either. 

The woman trying to help me apologized, but the competent woman seemed invested in an on-going conversation.  I was very close to just leaving in frustration.  If the item I was purchasing had been for me, I would have.  As it was, I was just stuck in limbo, while the nice but clueless woman winced apologetically and continued to be completely unable to help me.  Thankfully, another competent woman came back from break about that time, and sorted me out in short order.  I escaped, relieved. 

That done, I headed home to have a burrito and relax.  I had decided, after some debate, to get a $30 gift card for Eve instead of the $40 I had previously thought about because I'm strapped for cash until payday, and of course everything has to be bought NOW.  When I got home, I got a notice from the tax board.  On top of the $400 freakin' dollars I paid for car tax, they want a $10 late fee because my payment was ONE day late.  In fact, I don't even know if it was one day late.  It cleared my account one day after it was due GRRRRR.  After cursing the tax commission and all of their descendants to be born naked, I put in a load of laundry and had the burrito.

My bad mood soon dissipated though.  Tonight was the season finale of Drag Race, and I was pretty excited about watching.  I made sure I got dinner eaten and the chores done so that I could be in bed, snuggled in, and ready to watch when it started.  It was a good show.  The Ru is a mistress of showmanship.  The pretty boys weren't just pretty - they really looked excited and happy to be there.  I usually don't have a lot of patience with stripper/gorgeous types, because my first thought is he wouldn't give me the time of day.  But these guys looked nice.  They probably weren't, but they looked it. 

I sent a couple of messages to Greg, and explained that I was watching the show (he doesn't watch), and he was nice about it.

To top it all off, Jinkx Monsoon won!! Yay!!  It's monsoon season, bitches!! 

A post in which I am blown away*

Pretty much.

I was up early this morning, and too excited to go back to sleep.  I made a light breakfast (my blood sugar is more volatile if I'm excited or upset) and started getting ready for Gary to come.  I had done most of what needed to be done yesterday, but there were still preparations to be made.  I was trying to take my time, not add things to the list, and not work myself into a tizz.  I did pretty well.

About the time I finished up what I had planned to do, I had a text from Gary, who was running late.  That's par for the course.  Gay men I have found are not punctual as a rule.  I wasn't upset about it, but it did leave me more time to get keyed up.  But I finished up getting ready and settled in to wait.  There was a marathon of RuPaul's Drag Race on Logo, and that helped.

You know how you look forward to something so much, and build it up in your mind until the reality can't be anything but a let-down?  Well this was nothing like that.  Gary is very attractive, just as sweet in person as he was online, and the almost instant rapport which we felt translated into the real world quite nicely.  PLUS (and even better) he seemed to feel the same way.

We visited for a while at the house, and then after some discussion, headed to Kannika's Thai Kitchen for a late lunch/early supper.  I think Gary may love Thai food even more than I do.  We had an excellent meal.

I had thought we might take a walk downtown and take in the foot bridge today, but the weather was vile: cold, drizzly rain.  Instead, we just went back to the house and snuggled in with a movie.  It was perfect weather for that.  So we spent the afternoon snuggled up warm in the house, visiting, getting to know each other, and watching the movie.  Well, some of it.  He had to leave too soon.

If I can keep from screwing this up...

A post in which it is a very nice Saturday*

I was supposed to meet a local guy for breakfast today, but he backed out.  I've been talking to him online for a while, but things just never seem to work out.  I wasn't terrifically upset about it though.  I have a date tomorrow, and he kind of put me on the spot last night.

I was, however, RAVENOUS.  My inadequate junk food repast last night had left me just about to die for a pecan waffle from Waffle House.  Don't judge me.  They are delectable, and have made Saveur's list of '100 Things We Love About the South'.  I called Rhonda.  If she's up, she'll usually go to breakfast with me.  I'm like Mom in that I love to have breakfast out, but don't like to do that by myself.

Rhonda was up, but she was out and about.  She had commandeered Tony's car for the day because the summer downtown 'Farmer's Market' started today.  It's something they have started doing, and it is a way to buy local produce, but it's pretty yuppified, and the prices are pretty high.  Still, you can buy heirloom tomatoes there, and other stuff from around here.  We agreed to meet downtown.

The problem was that the weather was just NOT cooperating.  Our ridiculously extended cold wet spring continues.  I just don't see the end of it.  I got ready, walked outside, sighed, and went resolutely back for a jacket.  I wasn't even sure that would be enough.  But I headed downtown and met Rhondee, who was in full buzz.  Despite the cool overcast weather, she was having a time.  She had already purchased a fig tree, and wanted some honey.  She got hooked on local honey last year.  We walked around a bit, but I had my heart set on Billy Mushroom pasta this week, and I didn't see any mushrooms.  Plus, I was starving.  Since it wasn't exactly weather that made strolling around downtown a pleasure, we soon headed for the Waffle House.  Before we left, though, I gave Rhonda the searcies I had picked up for her at the beach, which she really seemed to like.

We went to the fancy Waffle House on Stone Avenue today.  At the time it was built there was a big kerfuffle about it by the homeowners on North Main Street, who tried to get an injunction against it being opened.  They claimed that it would attract the 'wrong element' (i.e. poor people) to the North Main area.  But they eventually opened despite all, and the place was doing a booming business today.  In short order (ba dum bum) we had pecan waffles in front of us, and tucked in.  While we ate, I caught Rhonda up on the beach trip, and she caught me up on her stuff.  Apparently her focus on fresh fruit, local produce, and non-GMO foods is really working for her.  With her doctor's supervision, she has discontinued almost all of her medications.  As a brittle diabetic, she has been able to go off her insulin, and her numbers are all fine.  She is healthier than she has been in years - perhaps in her whole life! And good for her!!  I'm excited for her. 

She also informed me that she would be at the Red Party tonight.  That is THE Place To Be Seen tonight, and apparently everyone who is anyone will be there, including Rhonda and (quite uncharacteristically) Sabrina.  They are going with a group of friends.  I know the boys will be there too - they were planning what they would wear last week.  I know it's a good cause and all, but it's expensive to go, and the idea of yet another event that requires themed dress-up clothes frankly leaves me cold.  It's one of those things that Simply Everyone is doing that I really don't have any desire to do. 

Fortunately, I had a text from Nicole today.  She was free tonight and wanted to know if I was.  I had planned to just stay in and hermit tonight.  I have a date tomorrow, and since David hasn't been to the house in three weeks, there are some things that have to be done before I can have company in - especially a potential husband.  Plus I wanted to get all my regular chores done so I could play tomorrow.  But I haven't seen Nicole in a while.  Plus she is always good company.  So I told her we would have dinner tonight. 

Making plans with her kind of moved my whole day into overdrive.  I dropped Rhonda at her car, and headed home to see if I could squeeze in a nap, which I needed.  Well I didn't do that, although I did work in a buddy visit. Afterwards, I headed for Aldi for produce.

I found some beautiful mushrooms for $1.50 a pint (as opposed to $2.50 a pint at the store, even on sale) and headed home to start cooking.  I made Billy Mushrooms (browned in butter, then de-glazed with white wine, then soy sauce, then lemon juice, adding thyme and garlic along the way - scrumptious!), then added them to a cream sauce and mixed with pasta.  Gorgeous lunches for next week. 

I cleaned up the kitchen and straightened up the house before getting ready to go to dinner with Nicole.  I actually ended up ready early, and had some time to relax on the sofa with a Glee marathon before she got there.

Dinner tonight was at The Melting Pot.  I hadn't been there in years, and had been craving fondue lately.  Nicole used to work there, so she knew exactly what to order.  The service was excellent, the meal was delicious, and Nicole is great company.  We had a lovely dinner, and she came back to the house to visit for a bit to top off the evening.  Despite the rain, it was lovely. 

A post in which I have an intriguing conversation*

So work was work, and I got a lot done.  I buckled down and almost completed the Canadian slides, although there are the usual hold-outs for completion. 

The conversation continued via text with Gary.  Like all day today.  I worked, and was productive, but I was really waiting for that next message.  We made plans to see each other this Sunday, and I'm pretty excited.  I'm broke after the beach, but I should be able to swing one date this weekend, especially for someone that sounds so promising. 

Gary is the same age as I am.  He sent me a picture yesterday that looks really cute, but the one he sent today is not as flattering.  I immediately started back-pedaling in my mind and that makes me nuts.  I am such a man - so visually oriented.  Here is this perfectly nice guy who sounds so great, and even likes the same freakin' tv shows that I do, and I'm worried he isn't going to look a certain way.  That's nuts.

I wonder if I'm secretly undermining my own chances and choosing unavailable (long distance) guys.  I wonder if I'm trying to sabotaging my own chances for happiness; or trying to prove to myself that it 'doesn't matter' because I ended up in the internet vortex tonight for no good reason.

I was wiped out.  Allergies hit me hard this week, and I've just kind of been dragging home and going to bed after work.  I didn't really feel like doing anything tonight, but there I was, out there.  I nibbled on some cucumber salad and surfed online.  Eventually this culminated in a very enjoyable but ill-advised buddy visit.  It was fun though.

Afterwards, I didn't want the perfectly healthy and toothsome burritos I had in the house.  What I was really craving was cheese sticks, but unfortunately Burger King doesn't have those (for some reason I thought they did).  I bought myself off with fries and a vanilla shake (purchased from a surprisingly courteous BK employee), which I took home and wolfed down in secret, like Cherry Boone eating out of the dog dish.  Why do I do these things?

A post in which I share a gratuitous picture

Of my friend Nancy, just because she's adorable, and because I love this picture :)

A post in which things are going pretty well

I called Eve first thing this morning to tell her Happy Birthday, and to tell her I would see her next week.  She seemed fine, but then with them you never really know.

Amazingly, I am back on top of my desk.  We finished the US short form today and I got it in for approval.

Also, I had a hit on Growl'r from a nice guy named Gary.  He lives in Columbia, and we ended up talking on the phone tonight.  He's nice. 

Tonight was dinner out with the guys.  I really shouldn't have gone, but it was at Della Ventura, and I just couldn't resist.  It was good to see everyone, and although the signature 'pink sauce' has been better on other visits, Della's on a bad day is better than most Italian restaurants on a good day.  Joe was there, and greeted me personally.  He is such a nice man that I really like the idea of spending money at his place.

I sat with Jake and caught him up on the beach.  Lee and Joel billed and cooed.  Bill and John bitched about the service (which was a little slow).  When we got the checks, the waitress had 15%'d us.  I used to leave extra, but these days I just take it that she hedged her bets and decided on the sure thing, so that's what the server gets.  Since the service tonight wasn't so hot anyway, I didn't feel at all bad about not leaving extra. 

It was a good day.

A post in which I start closing the month

It was month end.  But I knew that.  All in all it went pretty smoothly today, especially when you consider that I was one day back from vacation.  Jeffrey, my helper in Manilla, has really stepped up to the plate.  He's very helpful.

After work I called Dad.  It's Eve's birthday tomorrow, but it isn't my week to see them.  I asked him if they had plans tomorrow night, and he confirmed they do.  They're having dinner at The Open Hearth (which she loves), and she made the reservations for 6pm, which lets me off the hook.  There is no way that I can be there by then.  So I told him I'd call her tomorrow, and just see them next Tuesday.  He sounded fine.  Easy enough.

That done, I went home, had a burrito, and went to bed.