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pancake fun!
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If only...
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Between Merida and Cancun, Mexico
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Salmon BLT Sliders with Chipotle Mayo by howsweeteats #Salmon #Bacon #Chipotle #Sliders #howsweeteats
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Lamb Sliders with Tzatziki by fotocuisine #Lamb #Sliders #fotocuisine
Single… and Looking For a Friend
So you are probably wondering. Is this a duplicate post? Nope… just realized that The Man and I work better as friends then as a couple. Don’t worry, I’m not upset. Within the same week I also found out my ex fiancé got married. I knew both were coming. Actually, it was funny that after I learned about my ex, I also forgot about it in less than an hour, until someone called to ask me how I was doing with the news. I am happy that he found someone as he is a great guy that deserves it. Same goes for The Man. Our relationship had been drifting apart for a couple weeks so I was planning on having “the talk” anyway. Turns out so was he. It was comical, we got together last night and after pouring me a margarita, he says the words “so, we gotta talk” and the first thing that I do is laugh, get a big grin on my face and say, “Sure, go ahead”. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling since he was thinking the same thing that I was! He just is always the first one to get to the point!
When we tried our relationship again, it was absolute bliss for a few weeks, than we fell back into the same routine. We both were adjusting, not changing, but more like compromising ourselves to accommodate each other. And at some point you want to stop because it gets so tiring, you start to feel like you are going crazy and want nothing more than to feel like yourself! There was nothing bad about our relationship; it just was kind of there, floating along…more like a friendship. So we tried and it didn’t work.
I am thankful he came into my life and is still there. He got me interested in things like sports, country music and reading again. He also was able to open my eyes to view the world in a different way. I enjoyed that I was able to teach him things like expanding his pallet even though I don’t think he found eating as pleasurable as I do!
Since he is still my friend, it’s not like I won’t ever see him again. What I will miss (as selfish as it sounds) is the permanent date. Might have been one of the reasons we didn’t break up sooner. Knowing that I had a something to do with someone every Saturday will be missed. I hate the fact that I don’t have a guaranteed companion to explore and experience new things while still being able to enjoy the company. If I could, I would place an ad for a best friend and it would read something like this: SWF looking for female to be platonic friends. Must like company & enjoy fun activities besides getting buzzed at a bar. Willing to accompany me on vacations & dinner outings. Pleasurable conversation a must! I will let you know how that goes but I think I am better off waiting for the friend store to open so I can buy one!
Now I have to go off on my own again, being a single girl. Why is that such a scary thing? Why is being alone so bad? IT ISN’T but it is always nice to have someone to be with. Maybe I might sign up for SINGLES IN THE 303…maybe… but for right now, I think I will go back to being myself. This means going out to dinner alone, volunteering, getting back to ballet & tap classes and spending time with all of my coupled girlfriends when they have the time. Plus school starts up in a couple weeks so my hours not spent at work will be filled with hours of completing homework and studying. Perhaps I could put together a core group of girlfriends, something that I never have had as they always seem to be males, and go from there. I am also due for a vacation as I believe my last official one was my engagement trip. I have been itch’n to go somewhere, it just doesn’t help that all the deals seem to be for Vegas, a place I have never been however, always a place to go with your closest friends…never by yourself. Maybe I will hit up a beach in Florida or California on my own first then save Las Vegas for my birthday in October. In the mean time, I am going to finish unpacking my box of toiletries and such that once lived under The Man’s sink and get on with the rest of my day… and life.
A Man’s Relationship with PDA
What?! I am stunned, flabbergasted and would still be in slight disbelief if it wasn’t for it being true. How could I have possibly gone through my entire dating life and not known that most men do not like Public Displays of Affection?
It is definitely an interesting realization. If you remember, The Man and I were having problems in the beginning of our relationship because I was SO affectionate however he was not. This was a first for me… every guy before was always touchy feely; wanting to hold hands, kisses while out to dinner and such. The stereotypical puppy dog love, what is normally pictured in cartoon with bugged out eyes and floating hearts; or the type of people that whisper about to closest person to you, “those two should get a room”, as the couple sits cozy on dim light couch at Jet Lounge, ignoring everyone and the world around them.
I have to say I was shocked to find this out. I knew The Man had his reasons behind why he was not a fan of PDA, but then I started asking male co-workers and friends how they felt and the same answer came up time and time again … they are just not a fan of it!
So if most men don’t like doing it, why do they? I have come down to three main reasons on why a man would be affectionate in public: because they want to, because the girl wants it, and because they are marking their territory.
Now, since I know more about the women side, I will address those as well. I believe that women are similar to men. They like it to “feel” loved, to show the public that they are taken – as sexist as it sounds, and because they just want to.
Ok, back to the men… I found this article on AskMen.com so maybe this is one of the reasons why men are so against it. Ha ha… According to the article they’ve “broken down some of the most common PDA attacks and their proper place in your relationship”. For right now we will disregard the fact that they refer to a woman showing her love for her man as “PDA attacks” and get to the good points that they do make.
To summarize what the article states, there are two acceptable forms of PDA: hand-holding and kissing (within limits). Space invasion and butt smacks are acceptable but tacky and not advised. Declarations of love, pet names, babying are completely unacceptable. I know I tend to take the guys point of view on some of these things, but unfortunately I will have to do it again and agree. I think for the most part it depends on the location or situation. One of the points that they talk about is space invasion. This is where the “claiming territory” comes in. After reading the paragraph, I believe that the constant touching in public with previous males was because we were younger.
Now looking at it from another angle, I think the peck kiss is like a marking of the territory or putting on a show for others to let them know that you care about the person you are with but with no real benefit to either party. One of my biggest rules has always been, if you are going to kiss me, I want you to KISS me! Kiss me like you MEAN it. What is the point of a small peck good bye; you might as well just hug or wave and say “see ya”!
Since learning of this new profound information I have adjusted to reflect it. I refuse to become more stiff and cold, but I have gotten better about being more conscious of when I start to make The Man feel uncomfortable in public. I have since calmed myself down on all “unnecessary” PDA like silly peck kisses after making fun of him or before getting up to go to the bathroom. But I refuse to give up the small gesture of touching his thigh when he makes me laugh or giving a kiss when smiling doesn’t seem to be enough.
So I guess in the end I want to give some advice to the ladies out there. Pay attention to the way that your man feels when you are out in public and getting all touchy feely. Look at their expressions, their reactions… heck, maybe even ask them how they feel about it. You might be surprised with the answer. Yes, if you are in your teens or early 20’s it might be a little different, but those of you that are beyond the infatuation stage, just might come to the same conclusion as me. No matter what the case, just keep everything in check, make sure that you and your partner feel comfortable in your own skin and are respecting each other’s own comfort zone as well.
Women Can Plan Dates Too, Right?
Apparently not this one… maybe I just over think it too much or are am too anal-retentive to do it? You see, recently I wanted to be the one to plan the next date (ok ok, actually it happened today. I was trying to plan for next week) however, after 4 hours of researching and trying to plan I have ended up empty handed and gave up.
I know it sounds lame… how can I not come up with a date idea? Well I can, I just seemed to have picked the wrong weekend to do it! I have been craving a nice night out on the town; you know the one that you put a real effort into your outfit, hair and makeup. Possibly even buy a new dress that makes you feel confident and sexy. I think this feeling stems from me feeling very frumpy lately. I wear frumpy, boring cotton clothes to work and then anytime I have been out and about, it has been t-shirt and jeans with sneakers. Now don’t get me wrong, I love wearing comfy casual clothing but every once and a while you need a change. I feel like Denver has something against me this week and that all my ideas only seem to fit into the month of July.
So my recent date ideas were:
- Going to a fun charity event
- Dinner at Fruition, then maybe dessert in a park and a swing set
- Dinner on the Bistro Vendome patio
Then I started thinking about summer outdoor events
- Going to an outdoor movie in the park
- An outdoor festival; whether food or music
- Activities like hiking, swimming or golf
- Botanic gardens, zoo, museums, or art galleries
The only charity event worth going to is Janet’s Campat the Shanahan’s home, but I really don’t want to spend all that money. I like charity events where the ticket price isn’t so high so I can actually bid on the auction items or be able to donate. Not just pay for the cost of the event. That’s why I am looking forward to Taste the Nation on July 18th. I couldn’t get a reservation at Fruition (5pm or 9pm) and didn’t really find another place that I knew both of us would like. Of course I found a great place for brunch though (and I am sure I won’t remember it next time I want to go to brunch). There is a park movie playing next weekend but I REFUSE to see New Moon (Twilight lovers, no need to attack). Would love to take him to the Jazz Aspen Snowmass 20th Anniversary Show, however, I have family plans during the day on Saturday, so a 3.5hr drive is out of the question. Which is another reason we couldn’t do any of the other day time outdoor activities like even City Park Jazz on Sunday. I am booked on Saturday day and he likes to have Sunday to work on his backyard as he is the in the middle of completely re-doing the landscape.
After all this searching I realized all I really wanted was to have a good time with The Man and that anytime I have had a good date it was because it was unplanned! Just between the two of us, it was the going to an outdoor community event, then grabbing food and drinks somewhere. It was the conversations and the people around us that made it fun. I have really enjoyed the low key evenings of a local Rockies game then off bar hopping around town. It was never because we had concrete plans for the entire evening. I wouldn’t consider myself a spontaneous person, but that doesn’t mean that I have to stick to my plans or the whole entire evening goes to crap. I wanted to plan a date that would have been fun for The Man and for me and he didn’t have to think or do anything. I think with most dates, you do something that reveals a little of what you like doing along with what they like. I don’t know how guys do it time and time again? Maybe it is just me, but there is a lot of pressure! I think I have planned only a few dates, but mainly because of the fear of it failing horribly. Heck, I even did that just the other week with Luisa, tried to plan a fun night out for her, but spent more time stressing about where we would have fun instead of actually doing it. After giving up on plans, we just started going places and ended up having fun driving all around town and stopping at different bars.
I dislike when the anal-retentive perfectionist planner inside gets the best of me. That’s why today after feeling overwhelmed and trying to make everything perfect, I have thrown my hands in the air and gave up. At that point I would rather just stay home, cook a meal, hang out in comfy lounge pants and maybe watch a movie just enjoying the company.
So I guess what I would like to say is, thank you to all the men out there that come up with fantastic ideas on your road to wooing a woman! (And same goes for those women that have that ability to do the same.) Thank you for putting up with neurotic women like myself that want to have the best night but are so caught up in their own head to be able to spit anything out. It makes it so much easier, that we can calm down knowing that you usually have something up your sleeve or have the ability to play it by ear. It is wonderful to be able relax and just spend the time getting to know more about one another, usually laughing along the way. I appreciate you and all the effort that you put into dates! Now I am curious as to what we are going to do next week… after all this, it could be the “nothing” we have planned, which could turn into the best date yet …. *smiles
*Authors note: I wanted to make sure that you know my perfectionist qualities are not related to my most recent post, but is something that has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. Just ask my mother, I cried when I got my first B on a paper and swore they were going to hold me back a grade. I try and use the term “Pobody’s Nerfect” and is something I work on all the time. I know that I am not nor can I ever be perfect and sometimes it takes me a few tries to let go and accept it.
Do you even know how you like your eggs?
Do you remember Julia Roberts character in Runaway Bride and how she didn’t even know how she took her eggs because she always “liked” the same style of eggs as her mate? Why is it that many women go through a relationship trying to be the perfect girlfriend instead of just being themselves? We are constantly reading articles on what a man wants, what he think looks hot, and what these 100 men think of… Why? Why must we try to wrap out brains around what a man wants, why can’t we, geez I don’t know, ASK HIM?!!! Ugh! Instead, some of us walk around, gradually altering ourselves to becoming the person we think they want us to be so as not to be rejected. These changes can be something small like participating in an activity you hate doing or something extreme like agreeing with him about not wanting kids thinking you can change him later. I am sure that we have all fallen into this bad habit at some point but to what degree? I can’t deny that I was never this girl, slowly losing myself when transitioning from a “me” to a “we”. It can happen very slowly and easily and before you even know it, you have no idea who you are and what you really want.
I have been better over the last 4 years, defining myself as an individual in the relationship. Knowing full well that you have to hold onto who you are and what you believe in. If you start to conform to what you believe is what the partner wants, you will end up losing your partner. They liked you for who you are and if you lose that, what makes them want to stay with you?
The reason I bring up this up is I found myself doing that again with The Man. The Man and I have been hanging out almost every weekend since our breakup. Usually involving an event, whether a sporting event or a festival, then followed by food, drinks and tons of talking. It wasn’t until we got to talking about our relationship as friends that we realized both of our faults and the mistakes that we had made while together. I had discovered that I was trying to conform to what I thought he wanted. I remember the feeling of walking on eggshells at times, but couldn’t think of the reason why, until now; that I was never really being my honest true self.
The past month of being just friends was fantastic and I really enjoyed our time together! The main reason being so clear now; I could finally be myself. For the first time I could feel comfortable in my own skin because I figured that if he didn’t like me for who I really was, then he wouldn’t want to hang with me. (Authors note: I want to make it clear that this was a pressure that I put upon myself, not him telling me to act a certain way.)
Welcome to my newest story that started two weeks ago… Throughout the past month while we were friends, I think we were able to feel more comfortable with each other when there was no expectation or pressure to be something other than who we really are. We were just ourselves enjoying each others company being completely honest with one another. Throwing all the cards onto the table, sorting through them only to realize that despite the hand we were dealt, you still get the entire deck in the end.
I have never been one to go back to a relationship. I was a firm believer in when you break up with a person you don’t go back. You broke up with them for a reason otherwise you can find yourself in a horrible dependent relationship, breaking up and getting back together multiple times. But it took some kind words from friends for me to realize that it doesn’t always have to be that way. That sometimes adults make mistakes, that there is no mold that all relationships must fit into and that in the end, all that matters is that the two in the relationship are happy.
So yes, the Man and I are giving it another go but I am hesitant to say that we are “back” together. The word back implies that you are returning to the same place you left off. It is different this time, almost like a completely different relationship plus, you take into effect that we never really had a “break”, so I think the best way to describe it would be our relationship has taken a change in a better direction. Who knows what may happen or what will develop but I can make these promises to myself. I will make sure to watch and be aware of flags, whether they pop up as red, yellow or green. To always be honest, with him and myself, to make sure the lines of communication are open and flowing between us. Keep myself grounded enough to remember that I am not the only one in this relationship, that it will take two of us to make this work and if in the end, we both tried our hardest, than that is all that matters. I am ready to jump in and swim with my new clearer swim goggles, knowing that I cannot predict where point B ends but maybe it’s the journey of getting there, at a nice healthy pace, that counts.
Somewhere Between My Head & My Heart
Oh the joys of sitting inside my head….Have you ever found that being by yourself having time to sit inside your head can only lead to trouble?
I did such a great job over the weekend being positive and really understanding why everything happened but it wasn’t until yesterday when I spent most of the day alone inside that I had a lot of time to sit inside my head, making matters worse. I of course have to think of all the things that I did wrong in my relationship, especially being the person I am. It is a love/hate relationship with myself. I love that I am able to psycho analyze myself but sometimes I tend to over think things (just ask Tim, we’ve had MANY conversations of my thinking going way too far that I seem to get lost) and would explain this very lengthy post!
When I had finally kicked myself out into the real world (needed a few things from the store) I was walking through the store chatting on the phone with my mother and she asked me, “Why do you always date unavailable or unobtainable men?” Wow….it was something that I never really thought of, especially with all the information that I have learned about myself throughout the years, before and after therapy. But it was true! Let’s go through the list of serious relationships.
First & third – Richard/Coulter – Unavailable by location – when we first dated, he had just turned 21 and I was 17, I couldn’t go out to all the places that he was. The second time around, he REALLY was unavailable because he was either in another state or country!
Second – Jeremy – Unavailable by religion – he was Jewish and I was not. Plain and simple, cut and dry. Let’s put it this way, even though we dated for almost 3yrs, I never met his mother.
Fourth – Tim – Unavailable by age – this one I knew and kind of planned after therapy. He was recently divorced and we were both looking for someone to learn how relationships work in a healthy way. We both knew that there was no future except in friendship, which still exists.
And Last – The Man – Unavailable by emotion – This one I knew from the moment we started dating but chose to ignore due to him having EVERYTHING else I was looking for in a man. I just figured he would warm up over time.
So of course I have to ask myself the age old question of “Why?” I think that maybe I was still “testing the waters” and trying to figure out what I am looking for in a spouse. I’ve gone through a range of men, from one end of the spectrum to the other and now know what I want and need for a partner. Now it’s just a matter of finding him.
Why the rush? I have recently been thinking about this question as well. Why am I putting such pressure on myself to get married and have a child? I think it comes from a few things as I approach my 28th birthday. The day after my recent breakup I watched the movie The Back-up Plan, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O’Loughlin with the synopsis being “After years of dating, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has decided waiting for the right one is taking too long. Determined to become a mother, she commits to a plan, makes an appointment and decides to go it alone. That same day, Zoe meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin) a man with real possibilities.”
One of the reason’s I saw this movie was a couple years ago (after my engagement) I said that by the age of 30 I was going to have a baby with or without a man. This was a great plan for me, except for the few main problems. 1 – it is VERY selfish, 2 – I am not THAT old and 3 – I have decided to go back to school so now I wouldn’t have time for school, work and a child. I always wanted to be a young mother. My mother gave birth to me at the age of 28. She always thought of herself as an older mother, so what will that make me?
I know that 28 is still very young and that women are now getting their careers in place before getting a family. But what about me? My career won’t be up and going till my mid to late thirties. I guess I am antsy. I know what I want, how to get it and what to do with it once I get it. I would hate to have all the knowledge but never get to put it into action! I have joked that I will end up an old maid with 17 cats but the truth is, it is an actual fear.
In the mean time between now and then, I need to get back to directing my energy toward other things. It is time to start volunteering and dedicating my time to other activities and stop focusing on my lack of relationships. If you remember, I used to have a “life list” (also known as a bucket list) on my website. Well I still keep that going and since moving back to Colorado, I have added many of things that I want to do in my beautiful state. Oh, and don’t worry. You will still get your fun relationship posts as my BFF Tim has recently decided to enter the dating world, so I will have plenty of fun posts along with more bar observations!
See, spend enough time inside your head and soon enough you’ll figure it all out…at least for the time being. *smiles*
Too good to be true
Do you ever have those moments, where everything starts to fall into place? Where after struggling, your life just magically starts to come into sync? I think we as women, start to wonder, what is going to happen? It is only once we realize that everything is coming together nicely that we wonder, what part of life is going to fall through?
For me, it was the very large aspects in my life. I had recently gotten a new apartment, (I haven’t had my own place in almost 3 years), a new job (which I have been meaning to tell you about, next post, I promise) and a new guy (which has been an interesting ride). I never wanted to mention it for fear of jinxing it, but I knew something was going to fall; I just wasn’t sure what it was. Well, it all came into fruition last night. The Man came over last night and broke up with me. Now now, before you go throwing me a pitty party, please understand that it is probably for the better.
I won’t go into intimate details, because I don’t think that airing our dirty laundry if fair, especially since he doesn’t have the option of his own input. What I can tell you, is this whole situation just plain sucks! We only dated for 4 months, but knew each other for 7. I enjoyed this man’s company and the time we spent together (especially all the laughter between us, even during our break up). I don’t think I have ever respected a man that I dated so much as him, or had a man that respected himself.
————— (Forewarning, this is where my psychological mind kicks in) —————
Sigh… I feel that because of his experiences in past relationships and watching his friend’s unhappy relationships, that he gave up on the relationship before it had a chance to bloom or go anywhere. Whether it was the fear of the future or he really knew that he didn’t want to be with me. I think with relationships, sometimes you can’t sit by the edge and dip your toe in to test the waters, but instead that you have to dive in head first, with your full self; mind, body and soul. I don’t feel he was ready for that, or at least, to do that with me.
But you have to remember, that a relationship is a two way street. If he had already made his decision on how he felt, there is no point in me sitting here trying to defend my case. I respect the fact that he was able to be honest and that he didn’t want to be in a relationship. It saved me the time before getting too emotionally attached and then feeling totally let down. I do wish him the best and hope he finds someone that he does fall in love with, because he is such a great gentleman. Such a gentleman, that he did ask to continue being friends, but unfortunately, I need some time before I can do that. When you connect with a person on an intimate level, it is hard to take the relationship back to friendship. I know that it is possible, because that is how I got Tim as a best friend! Until that time comes, I will miss The Man… but I am glad and thankful that he gave us a chance because it did allow me to learn some things. I am looking forward to the possibility of a future friendship with him as well!
So yes, I had a gut feeling that something was going to change; I just didn’t know what area of my life that was going to be. I have to say, (for selfish reasons of course) I wish it was a different one, because in these days, even finding a job would be easier than finding a man to enjoy spending time with! Ha ha! In the end, I think I already knew and had seen some of the red flags, it was just a matter of paying attention and acknowledging them is the trick. Oh well, at least I prepared myself for what could have been a possibility, which in the end turned out to be the reality. Just more practice for the future.
So… in the mean time, anyone know a guy for me? These ovaries of mine are getting old and need to get a move on it! Ha ha
————————– FOLLOW UP ——————————–
As I have gone though my day today and re-read my post I feel the need to post a follow up. I realized that I really only talked about him. I guess that makes sense since he had made up his mind before hand and left me to deal with the aftermath. But as I said before, relationships are a two way street. So it is time to take a look at myself and what went wrong on my end.
Yes, I know that I wanted something more than he was able to provide. I wanted a relationship filled with love and trust, with the possibility of a future life. He told me he wasn’t ready for that and I, being a stubborn woman didn’t listen! We women tend to think, we are better than the last woman and even though we know we cannot change a person, we still think that it is a possibility.
I thought I could show him love…show him how to receive love and how to love. But you cannot change a person unless they want to. You cannot force a person to love if they are not willing to open their heart and receive it.
In the end, I think we both were trying to take a FRIENDship and squish it into a RELATIONship mold that just wasn’t working. Both of us individually trying to shape it into the way that worked for us, but not doing it together. He tried and I tried, and it just didn’t work, but he was the one that had the courage to speak up first. It’s weird….I didn’t cry… with my hormonal issues, I’ve been known to cry over commercials! Maybe it’s because I already knew… maybe because I felt the same way as him. I really do hope that we can go back to being friends after this; and to be honest, I don’t think there is any reason for us not to be friends. Again, until I am unable to let go of those affectionate feelings for him, I will miss our talks and laughter but look forward to the future friendship.
Sports and more….who would have thought!
Sunday was such an amazing day! I don’t think I have had a day filled with as many sports as today, and yet I really enjoyed it. I know normally I post less personal things yet this day I want to remember (for multiple reasons) which is why I have chosen to write about it. It might be a little lengthy, scattered and off the beaten path, but you should know by now, it’s the only way I work *smiles*
The Man and I started off the morning with a brunch at Colt & Gray. What a different experience than the last time I was there. I went there back in August of last year; it was an awful experience with so-so food. This time around it was totally different. One thing you need to know is, when I eat brunch, I EAT BRUNCH! I have been known to order 1-4 entrées in one sitting (but usually I take some of it home). Today, I enjoyed Duck Confit Hash with Egg Whites and Apple-Mascarpone Stuffed Brioche French Toast. I did find it slightly funny that the waiter had to question me when I ordered two entrées. Usually I preface my order with, “I am bad with brunch, I want to try it all” or “I am going to order a lot of things, because it all looks good” but instead I just ordered two right off the bat, and he had to double check that we were ordering 3 entrées for the two of us (while I still kept adding on things like a green salad and such). I ended up eating 95% of my Duck Confit and shared the French Toast with The Man (luckily). It was ALL very good and I am glad that we chose to eat there before the game. I do have to admit the coffee was good but not great, but I think after today’s brunch I might be willing to give Colt & Gray another chance at dinner. Might…
Speaking of the game, today I went to my first Avalanche hockey game! I have seen many a hockey game, but usually it was at a local college. I was so excited, since the last time I think I saw the Avalanche players in person was back when McNichols arena was still around (1995-1998), and it was with dad on “Take your daughter to work day”. It was obvious that it had been a long time since I had been to a national league game, as I can’t remember ALL the advertising that was going on in the arena. Lots of bright lights and sounds, so much so that I started to feel…over stimulated. It was the first time in years that I felt the beginning of an anxiety attack. I wanted to be there to have fun, not test me on my old fears. With my heart starting to race, my breathing increasing, hands shaking, and the only I wanted to do was cry. I STILL can’t figure out what really happened or what brought on those feelings, but a short trip to the bathroom and a venting phone call to mom helped me out, long enough to enjoy the game and the company of The Man.
Have you ever had the chance to walk around the city that you live in and actually SEE what it looks like? The Man and I had that opportunity between brunch and the game and then back. The weather was absolutely perfect, 75 degrees, slightly cloudy, no wind, just perfect. I spent a lot of the time walking staring up at the sky, my eyes grazing the tops of buildings. We also did a walk through Commons Park, where the Platte River runs through. I enjoyed watching little kids playing in the park, the young boys practicing their wake boarding, couples walking their newborns with the dog attached to the stroller or passionate bike riders out on the trail pushing themselves to go faster. There is something about a scene like that, that just shows you how a city works, like each person enjoying their activity is just another cog in the wheel and a the park makes up just one wheel in the constant moving machine we call Denver. Between the people watching and noticing architecture that I have never truly seen while just driving by, I tried to breathe it all in. It’s sad that we can live in the same place for our whole lives and never notice just the simplest things that could give us pleasure.
On the way home from the game, we decided to stop and have a quick bite before heading home. The Man enjoys his sports, more than most men that I have dated. So much, that he was checking the Rockies score on his Blackberry while at the hockey game! We found the perfect spot that was showing the end of the Rockies game, along with the Masters. I have never been a fan of watching golf, but this game was interesting to watch mostly due to Tiger coming back to the game. I must admit that I would rather be playing golf or baseball then watching it, but I have learned how easy it is to get caught up in the game. Now if only I could learn to listen to games on the radio and be able to visualize it at the same time. Yeah, don’t think that is going to happen any time soon!
The day ended perfectly with some great bonding between The Man and I, getting to know one another just a little better, on a different level. I know this whole date sounds like it was planned by a male, but in fact I thought of most of it! The hockey game was my idea and of course brunch! I LOVE FOOD! (He only eats to sustain himself) and then we kind of “flew by the seat of our pants” (ok, well I was done with making decisions and didn’t really care what we did after what I had planned, because I knew that no matter what we did, I am sure I would enjoy it). Are you wondering what the next sporting event that I am headed to is? Looks like a Colorado Rockies game this Tuesday, Rockies vs. Mets. Not looking forward to the “spring” weather that is planned for the evening, but I think between the game and the company, I will find it to be a good treat after a long day of work and school. Whew… I am winded from just typing that! I promise the next post will be a little less….maybe…. *wink*
A different one…
So I have been dating this man for almost two months now….there I said it, out loud. I have been keeping quiet about it for awhile now but I figure if I have been dating him for this long, I might as well tell you about it him. For now, we will refer to him as The Man. And boy is he a different one than I have EVER dated!
First, he is an Aries, which is the exact opposite of a Libra. This has made the relationship very exciting and frustrating at the same time. “Aries Man - Romance with him will be like a roller coaster ride, where you don’t get even a single moment to think and brood… Consistency is something that does not gel well with his characteristics profile. The love of an Aries male will warm you with passion one minute and the very next minute, you may feel as if you are sitting in the North Pole.” I couldn’t think of a better way to describe my experience!
From the first time we went out it has been this way and with each and every time proving to be the same. I don’t think I have ever met a man that is the exact opposite of me yet the ability to connect on many different subjects and levels. What attracted me first was his mind… I have always been a sap for an intellectual, I am an informational sponge and any man that could feed that need along with having a wonderful conversation is just icing on the cake. I also can’t remember laughing as much as I do with him. Whether we are jokingly harassing each other or telling a story, my belly has definitely had gotten its workout! A frustrating difference between us is that I am an affectionate person. One of those touchy-feely people, that gives hugs and kisses to friends and family whenever I greet or leave them. I don’t hold back and I express my feelings whenever I feel them. He however, is not, especially in public. I will admit that he is much more affectionate within the protection of his home, usually after being together for some time but it is still something I am learning to adapt to. Another difference in our approach to dating is spending only one day a week together. I am ALL for independence, believe me, that was one of the reasons I didn’t want to start dating again was I didn’t have time and my priority in life right now is school. I like having me time and not having a man that wants to make me his world. But after dating a man for 3 months, I would hope to spend a little more time with him. I am not asking for days on end but maybe a phone call every once and a while. Sigh…
The truth is… I like him. Besides my relationship with my BFF Tim, this is the first guy that I started seeing since my engagement and after going through therapy. I enjoy the time that I do spend with him, the adventurous ride that I am being taken on and I am curious to see where it goes. I think we both have something that we can teach each other because of our ability to bring something different to the table. I can’t tell right now if it is a healthy relationship yet, but I will continue on and let it follow its course. He is definitely someone different in my life and couldn’t have thought of a better person to explore my new found road of life with. If this relationship continues on the slow and steady course that it has been, maybe you will hear more about this new Man. Only time can tell…*Smiles*
