A Little Leads to a Lot

I'm not a sugar-eater. I really just don't have much of a sweet tooth, thankfully. Usually. But I was thinking today that yesterday was just a major sugar blowout! It started in the morning: I ate a whole tube of mini M&Ms. I had bought two tubes a couple days ago: our pediatrician recommended them to help my 6yo learn to swallow pills. Do you know they're actually kind of hard to find?? I've been keeping my eye out for them and finally saw them at Rite Aid. So yesterday morning when I was craving sugar, I busted open a tube, to "just have a few." I ate the whole stinking thing.

Later, I had a mini York peppermint patty. And last night, I actually got out of bed to eat an entire Hershey bar. WHO EATS HERSHEY BARS?? We had some leftover from the trip to Ocean Shores.

Stop it. Stop it, stop it, stop it. And what a silly thing to do, because yesterday I was feeling SKINNY! My size 6 Costco vanity size jeans were downright loose on me, straight out of the wash. I was groping my own hipbones all day. You sexy thang, you!

Pre-op, this was one of my self-destructive dieting ways. I'm not sure if it's complacency, or some odd mental fear, or what? But I'd get to a successful point with my weight loss and start the odd bingeing. Not gonna let myself do it anymore! This morning, for no reason, I was *really* wanting a doughnut or a sweet roll from SBUX. What the heck? I didn't allow it to happen. Hmm, I just had my period at the beginning of week, maybe I've got some hormonal thing going on.

Anyway, today I wore my "omg these jeans are so tight there's not enough room for me to stick a hand in there to tuck in my shirt" jeans. That'll teach me. :)

Let's see, it's been several whole minutes before I nattered on about Greg and how fun it is to have a man in my life again! I spent the last couple kid-free nights with him. So fun. We didn't really do anything, just stayed at his place and you know, he cooked for me and treated me like a princess. :) In return, I provide backrubs and even a footrub last night. It was POURING down rain all day yesterday and he was out in it all day, soaked to the bone. Poor baby.

This weekend, I'm going to have him hang around the kids a bit. The kids are totally up for it. Greg's coming over after Blake's first Little League game of the season, weather willing. We're going to make clam chowder with my own little chef, Blake. On both Monday and Tuesday when I got home, Blake demanded to know where the clams were. :) He wanted to make chowder for dinner. Boy, my boy loves to cook! Greg loves to cook, too, and has since he was a kid. These two will bond like nobody's business, I am sure of it.

On Sunday, Blake has another game in the afternoon, and we're planning for Greg to come along. That will be interesting. X and his girlfriend and family will be there, I'm sure. But they're all cool. I've talked to X about Greg and had told him I'd be starting to bring Greg around the kids.

Here's an interesting development: I think I'm going to quit my volunteer program. I'm going to talk to my friend Sarah, who manages the volunteers, about taking a leave of absence. Yeah, I want a break because I want to spend time with my new boyfriend. The weather will (HOPEFULLY) be getting nicer, and I don't want to tie up my kid-free Saturdays with a long shift. There's other reasons, too. I'm not sure how much I've mused about it here, but I have been pretty tired of it for awhile now. For the last many shifts, we haven't gotten a single call-out. Eight hours in a car with nothing to do is a long time. You can't really *do* anything, because you've got to keep the radio on, which is loud, and you have to be able to respond to a call-out quickly. The last several shifts, I have really struggled with wanting to be getting stuff done at home: a full weekend day is a lot to give up, especially when you don't feel like you're *doing* anything. And maybe most of all, my bestest volunteer buddy quit the program, too. Spending the day with her was something I greatly looked forward to, and I will miss her terribly. Anyway, I canceled my last shift to go to Ocean Shores last weekend, and in a I'm-a-modern-woman-who-will-not-give-up-my-life-for-a-man way, I really just feel like I want a break from the program. It's been coming for awhile. Greg is merely the proverbial straw. But he's certainly the most appealing one, because when it's my kid-free weekend, I am just giddy at the thought of being with him!

Weekend Update - Lots of Clams and Fish

Howdy! Boy, have I ever been outside the blog world for awhile! I'm swamped at work (my boss is gone so I'm doing a bit of double-duty), I've been running around with Sparky every kid-free moment I have, I have been away from the computer. For what it's worth, Sparky lives out in the sticks and my cell phone is STONE COLD DEAD at his house. No internet, no texting, no nuttin. *Sometimes* a text will pop up, like the very funny one from Kim telling me to get my clothes back on and play Scramble with Friends with her. But usually, I got nuttin in terms of cell phone service down there.

We had a really great weekend.
Please note that I am wearing earrings while clam-digging. Sabrina was so proud.

What a weekend! We both took a vacation day Friday and rolled out of town mid-morning. Made it to his friend's cabin in the early afternoon. It was so cute! What a treat to get to stay there instead of a hotel. We had a campfire that night and roasted hot dogs and made s'mores. You can see the cabin had a great front porch and deck off the master bedroom. It was about a block from the ocean and you could watch the waves from upstairs.

It is good to have friends with connections.

Early Saturday and Sunday mornings, we made our way to the beach to go razor clam digging. It was fun! This trip was my idea, because I knew the clam digs were taking place that weekend. Greg (can I just call him Greg now, and you will know who I am talking about? haha) had never gone clam digging, which was surprising given how outdoorsy-oceany he is. We had a blast, and the clams were jumping into our bags. And I got to see how he reacted under stress when we got all the way down to the beach and had forgotten our clam digging licenses. Hmm, although I guess it wasn't that stressful for him, because I left him on the beach to dig while I walked back to the cabin and got them. But he did wonder if I was coming back for him, because while there, I decided to grab the car (oddly, you can drive on Washington beaches) and the clam shovels, then drove a few miles down to the vehicular beach access and went back to meet him. When I had left him, we hadn't seen a lot of clam holes. So I grabbed the car in case we wanted another spot. Plus, I didn't want to carry the shovels. Okay, you got me. ;)

Anyway, by the time I got back to him, he had nabbed gobs and gobs of clams, so the shovels were unnecessary. (We had started with 'clam guns' which are tubes of aluminum pipe with handles and an air hole you cover up when you pull back up to suck out the sand. The clam guns worked great.) The beach was PACKED! I was expecting this, as the last time I had gone clamming, it was a night dig and I remember being shoulder to shoulder with everyone on the beach, and a million lanterns lighting things up.

Me in my clam-digging finest.

Those are a million clam diggers on the beach.

After the digs, we went back to the cabin and set up a regular ole clam-cleaning operation. Dunk them in near-boiling water, submerge them in cold water to pop the shells off, and then proceed to hack away surgically separate clam guts from clam meat. I had done this before, but Greg took to it masterfully and was soon cleaning at twice or three times my rate, I think.

We saved the clam guts for fish bait, and headed down to Westport (we were based at Copalis Beach) so Greg could try fishing off the jetty. I couldn't fish because I didn't have a license, and the new licensing period starts 4/1/12, so it didn't make sense to buy one. But I proved myself a masterful sort of graceful rock jetty climber who did not fall, which impressed Greg tremendously.

We stayed at Copalis Beach and dug clams there (and Mocrocks Beach) but fished in Westport.

Westport has a really long rock jetty that everyone fishes off of, and there's good reason. Greg caught his limit on the first day pretty quickly: ten kelp greenling, plus a couple perch. The second day the fishing was slower but he still almost caught the limit, plus another perch and a few fish he threw back.

We didn't make it to the end of the jetty, but got pretty close. It is HARD to walk on!!

Kelp greenling. Tastes like ling cod.

Oops, if I'm not careful, this will turn into an all-pictorial post. :) We had a blast. Greg was super happy fishing and you could tell how glad he was to have me out there with him. At some point the evening after fishing on Saturday, he even said, and I am pretty much quoting, "This weekend was a big test for us. [implied: YOU] This is what I love to do, I was really hoping you enjoyed it, too." See, I told you this whole dating thing is really a series of interview questions and practical exams! Whew, I passed. And so did he, for the record. ;)

Okay, watching Greg fish was actually totally hot. You would think this would be boring, it was not. I had a great time, plus, all I had to do was loll around on the big rocks in the sun and cheer for him when he brought in a fish. :) I played a little bit of Scramble with Friends, but the cell phone service was spotty (although ironically, MUCH better than at Greg's house). When I lost signal during a couple games, I was peeved, and thus pretty much kept to chatting up my fisherman.

Hot.

p.s. - watching other fishermen is boring, not totally hot. So it's got to be the right guy for the hotness factor, haha.

So we got tons of fish, and then we found a fish cleaning station at an RV park in town. Here, we had a slight difference of opinion. I said, duh, this is private property. He seemed to think using it fell under some "we fishermen take care of each other" domain. I asked him if he had a fish cleaning station in his yard, would he feel the same way if he looked out the window to see someone using it? He went looking for the manager, haha. Whom he actually didn't find, and decided to use it, anyway. I told him I'd come visit him in fish-jail. Not that Greg using it would cause it damage (a fish cleaning station is just a big sink with wide flat areas for cutting, and a hose and such). This man is meticulous - that station was cleaner than he left it.

Remorseless trespasser. Fishermen unite.

On Sunday when we returned to the scene of the crime went to clean more fish, the manager came out and actually razzed Greg for using the station without staying there. But Greg is an amiably fellow and pretty quickly had this very strange and freaky manager chatting easily and seeing the error of his ways in being indignant about us trespassing on his property. It's all for the love of fish, you know. The manager did hard-sell us on staying there next time we're in Westport, but I got the vibe off him that he'd be peering in windows at night. Nuh-uh. He actually asked me to get out of the car so he could show off the cleanliness of the bathroom and laundry room (which were both impeccably clean, by the way). It was a concrete building - I was sure he was leading me to my doom and was glad Greg is a big guy who could kick his butt.

Okay - watching Greg clean fish? Sexy. Who knew? He had all that fish filleted out in the blink of an eye. And I'm telling ya - this is a good guy to be with when the internet and banking industry collapse and we are all forced to fend for ourselves. Greg took that fish from the ocean to my dinner plate in the blink of an eye, and it was gooooooooood. Plus, he can build anything, fix anything, clean anything, cook anything...talk about your handy guy. Holy smokes, mama is hot for that. Did I tell you he gardens? And cans his own stuff? WHO DOES THAT??

Uh, we did have a couple of semi-serious talks this weekend. Not in a 'moving too quickly' way, but more in a 'let's run down the pros and cons of this relationship while you squirm uncomfortably' way. He said he had reservations about my young kids, especially given my youngest is only six. He said that was basically like starting over with kids and he had not intended to do so. (Duh. He's not stupid.) Lots of kid activities and kid-driven agenda. But he really likes me (this I know for sure, hehe) and he's willing to do it. He likes that I have a lot of free time, too. And sexist-piggedly, but honestly, he likes that my younger ones are boys. He's boy heaven, I tell you. Hunting, fishing, boating, ATV'ing, camping, working around the yard - oh yeah, boy heaven. My boys will eat him up. Blake only chatted with him for a few minutes last weekend and he already speaks of him with admiration. Last night at the grocery store, Blake mused out of the blue, "I was thinking Greg must be about six feet tall. He's a big guy." I said, yep, he is actually about six feet tall. (mama says yum.) Blake just nodded his approval, haha.

Anyway. Totally awesome weekend involving lots of sunshine, clams and fish, surf and sand. I was SKEERED to get back on the scale this morning, ack! I didn't feel like I had gained weight, but I had done my fair share of snacking this weekend, too. But the scale said, "Nope, you weigh 146." This is apparently what I weigh, because I have been sitting here for the longest time now! I'm actually doing a five-day protein drink diet with my friend Sarah this week (breakfast and lunch only). She wanted to, and I thought maybe it would help me break my pita-chips-and-york-peppermint-patties habit I've fallen into lately. 'Cept I forgot to do it yesterday, so I'm running a day behind. We'll see if I get cranky this afternoon when I want lunch.

Ahhhh...that's enough of an update for now. Really great weekend. I am heading back to his place tomorrow after work for a couple days, which means I will need to unpack and repack tonight. A bit of a hassle, but I am totally looking forward to seeing him again. And I am motivated to save my vacation time (of which I have very little) because yesterday he called and asked if I could take off three days and go to Oregon with him next week. Alas, I cannot! I DO NOT WANT TO MISS OUT ON OPPORTUNITIES TO GET AWAY! That's okay - it's his kids' spring break and he is/was taking his daughter to the sand dunes to ATV, and is/was meeting his sister there. But the weather is looking iffy and it sounds like he's canceling it because it would mean spending my kid-free weekend away from me so they don't freeze on the dunes. He said his daughter doesn't mind postponing the trip until I can come the weather gets warmer. ;)

Good times. Happy, happy.

Positive Influence

You know there's a million articles out there about "the seven types of friends you should have," or "the friends every woman needs in her life," etc. Those are always an interesting read, and happily, I have a pretty diverse group of friends in my life. If you read the blog, you are pretty aware of the major players: Kim, who keeps me motivated and challenged and firmly grounded in reality (and besides fitness and romance, I have thrown some of my most petulant single-parenting fits at her - she is probably extremely grateful she lives a state away); my BFF Nancy and the rest of my "family," the core group of friends I hang out with on my free time; Sabrina, who is always challenging me to be my most-glamorous self and is chock full o' spot on love/life advice (she has never actually been wrong, and she'll remind me of that when she has the opportunity, such as when I balk about her advice, haha); my Sugar Daddy, Don; my fellow stair ninja Barb; my always up for an NPR-event friend Tina; etc. I have lots of wonderful friends and they are all just tremendously positive forces in my life in some of the same, and different, ways.

And believe me, I need positive influences in my life. :) Look at my time spent with Cappy, when my alcohol and nicotine intake skyrocketed! I am weak, weak. Cappy is still out there, by the way - he is definitely carrying on as part of my friendship posse. But as Sabrina says, "slacks before skirts." Hmm, Cappy doesn't wear skirts. You get the idea. I have been spending all my free time with Sparky and lamented not seeing my friends (actually, I was lamented upon by a friend for being absent). Thus, I am following Sabrina's advice to not get bogged down in worry about not seeing my friends, and am greatly enjoying the newness of it all with Sparky.

Oh! This post was about positive influences. Well, I tell you, when I was hanging with Cappy, we were really eating and drinking a lot. And eating *out,* so it was more calories, too. Although we were mostly eating sushi...less calories. But totally offset by the alcohol calories.

I digress. I am happy to report that Sparky and I will be a positive influence on each other. I mentioned earlier that he had mentioned he had lost weight since his divorce. Well, he's lost quite a bit of weight! Close to fifty pounds! He's working hard at another twenty-five pounds or so, with an ideal goal of losing 80 pounds all told. Major positive influence for me, yes? He's been working out, using the treadmill, packing salads for lunch, all good things. I tell ya, if this man didn't smoke, he'd be just downright perfect.

Anyway, so we were talking yesterday (it was my kid weekend but I abandoned them at my parents' for a few hours) about weight loss and ugh, ugh, ugh, Julie's free-hanging super-nasty-awful loose belly skin. Of which she can be rather freakish about and usually insists on it remaining covered in eight layers of spandex. I had mentioned to Sparky that there is a boob job and tummy tuck in my future. REALLY! I am wearing SIZE FOUR JEANS TODAY - YOU SHOULD SEE MY ASS!! But then, ugh, ugh, ugh, all this belly...hateful, really. But not hateful in a "boy, I sure regret losing all that extra weight, cuz now I have to rock size four jeans but have a wrinkly belly under wraps" way. Not at all, I assure you. ;) More of a dayum-if-I-got-a-tummy-tuck-and-boob-job-wouldn't-I-just-be-hot-shit way. Or at least wouldn't-I-not-hate-to-see-or-be-seen-with-this-skin-mess way.

So Sparky, whom you will just adore, oh-so-tactfully (this man is smoooooooooth, I tell ya), talks about working out, and building muscle tone, and there's so much we can do to affect our bodies, even as a prelude to plastic surgery, and when he works out regularly he sees amazing changes in a very short time and do you actually remember working out and has it really been since November since you climbed the stairs with any regularity you lazy beeyatch (OOPS! Those are my own damaging thoughts slipping in there, haha).

Positive influence. We have agreed to be workout buddies, and not just in the very fun ways that we have already discovered. >;) Logistically, this might be hard, but in spirit, we'll figure it out. And really, even if it just means eating well together and not getting me drunk every night as I was with Cappy (OH, I EXAGGERATE. Creative liberties for the blog's sake. You get the idea), well, I'm already ahead of the game.

So this morning he texted me that he got up early and did a couple miles on the treadmill, which he does every morning. I reciprocated with a not-empty-threat to climb the stairs today.

And if you can stomach more talking about him, I will say that I broke one of my cardinal rules and let him meet my kids ever-so-briefly this weekend. Apparently I am all about cardinal rules of dating unless I meet the right person, then I throw the nonexistent rule book out the window! He picked me up on Saturday to go for a picnic and drive. I had him in for just a few minutes to meet the kids. My youngest, Reid, uhhh, well he apparently figured any friend of mine was a friend of his, because within 30 seconds of saying hello, Reid was tapping on his tummy to get Sparky's attention and dragging him over to the computer to see a game. Blake was quite chatty with him, Alli was very nice but pretty shy.

When I've talked to the kids about me dating, they are all for it. Blake says, "Are you kidding? I'd love to have another man around here." (Implication being that he is the only man in the house, haha, which I love.) Alli and her BFF have been *demanding* that I start dating, and specifically requested that I date a man with a 14-16 year old son. (Sparky has a 16 yo son.) Reid is generally just happiest whenever any man is around. He's sort of a "women are for feeding you" sort of guy. Since he was a baby, he has gravitated to any man over any woman in his life. ;)

As Sparky dropped me off, I had him in for a few minutes again, which was RISKY, because you never know what state the house will be in upon re-entry. But it was great, and the kids were great. They really liked him. He's one of those hard-not-to-like people. He liked them. I assured him Alli is, in fact, quite obnoxious and loud, and not a shy person. ;)

So I never would have figured I'd have someone meet the kids this soon, but I did and I survived. I asked the kids what they would think about having him around sometimes and they were genuinely all for it. Such nice kids. We'll see. Sparky is out of town my next kid-free weekend, thankfully, which gives me some time to adapt to the idea and continue to get to know him better.

This weekend we are going to the ocean for two nights to go clam digging. His friend has a cabin we are expected to be able to use (pending availability from the co-owners, we should hear today). I am excited, excited, excited. Long walks on the beach with a hot guy, here I come!

(Oh, I should say, speaking of hot guys - Sparky may be taking off more weight, but he really turns my crank as he is. Purrrrrr. He is so my type - tall, football player build, all muscles and yumminess. He has a bit of a belly on him but he wears it well. And I am really glad we will be good influences on each other to continue taking off the extras.)

So Did I Tell Him?

I realize what a rambly writer I am sometimes. Oh heck, all the time. I'm very much a stream of consciousness blogger - my entries are just a giant brain dump that I leave the willing victim to slog through and sort out on your own, haha.

Yes, I did tell him about the weight loss surgery. I told him the night we walked home from the landlord's. I was sort of stuck at that point! He had already commented a couple times on how little I eat, I had already alluded to weight loss, and then when someone is just SHOCKED at your appearance, as my landlord was...well, you know you're not talking about a 10-15 pound loss, haha.

So I told him I had weight loss surgery over a year ago. He was totally cool, and since he is just a good and tactful guy, he asked a couple questions but didn't press me for details, etc. I was hoping he wouldn't corner me with questions about how much I've lost, etc. He did not. That was important to me only because I want him to have time to get to know me *now* and get the image of me *now* cemented firmly in his head before I paint another picture of me at 117 pounds heavier, ack. I know that would be a difficult image for me to suppress if the shoe were on the other foot. As it is, he's told me that he's lost quite a bit of weight since his own divorce, and is working on another 20-25 pounds. It is nice that this is something we can share together, rather than me worrying a lot about gaining weight by being around him.

Although, seriously, look at this lunch he packed me. I am eating like a king, I tell you. He made Chinese last night: flat noodles and pork, sweet and sour chicken, and shrimp. I was d.y.i.n.g. So delicious. This man is a keeper. He packed me a lunch this morning with a small tupperware of leftovers, a piece of banana bread and an apple.

Yum.

Okaaaaaaayyyyyy. So it's time to catch you up a bit on this rapidly-progressing relationship. It's a little embarrassing, but it has all felt good and right, so what the heck. It just sounds like it "should not" move this fast.

I met his kids last night. They came over for dinner. He has a 16-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter. They were great: very nice kids. Very warm and welcoming and pleasant. Easy to talk to. Now, I would have thought this was too early, myself. But he and I talked about it and he wanted us to meet. He had assured me the kids were fine with him dating and having a girlfriend. I would have thought it would have been better to wait and see where this relationship goes - I wouldn't want to complicate kids' lives with a here-and-gone girlfriend, and if they didn't like me...well, I wouldn't want to complicate our relationship with unhappy teenagers, and no foundation for our own relationship to try to weather through it.

He was coming from a little more of a practical angle. I have my kids half time, he wants to be able to see me as much as possible. He doesn't want to have to skate around his kids, and he doesn't want them feeling unwelcome or that they have to "schedule" time to see him. He said he'd rather have us know each other and be comfortable seeing each other so his kids will feel welcome. They don't have a set custody schedule. The kids are older and have busy schedules and friends and such: he says he just tries to get as much face time with them as he can.

Anyway. It was a little awkward and a little soon, but he was very confident in the decision, although he was sweet and said if I was uncomfortable with it or wanted to wait, he would definitely make other plans. Argh, I agonized over it. Not that it felt wrong to me, but it just felt *soon.* My friend Barb, who remarried several years ago, and said she and her ex met each other's kids after only a couple dates (she was a f/t single mom) said, "Check the rule book. Oh yeah, there is no fucking rule book!" (Pardon my language, haha, but really, it's needed for emphasis here, don't you think?)

So, anyway, the kids were great and I liked them and they seemed to like me. No icy or chilly vibes were in the room. And while I'm spewing my guts, I might as well say that I have also met his mom, who is up here visiting from his hometown in southern Oregon. I have myself a real country boyfriend. ;) His mom is very cool, as well.

Whew! So last night was my first of two kid-free nights, and Sparky had starting making invitations and arrangements for me to spend them with him before I had even left his house this weekend. Yesterday I came to work with my little overnight bag and I rode the bus down to the P&R after work, where he was waiting for me. Today we rode in together, along with his coworker buddy, whose truck was in the shop. Yes, I've met the buddy, too. He was a very nice man who teased me about the perceived-to-be-wealthy suburb I live in, calling me "Miss Medina" and "Bill Gates' friend." And when I got out of the truck at my office and told the buddy to close his eyes because I was going to kiss Sparky now, he said, "Damn, Greg, my wife hasn't kissed me like that in over ten years! Hang on to her!" (Oh, yes, Sparky has a real name, it's Greg, haha.)

The boys are picking me up after work, and I get one more night with Sparky before I go back home to the kiddos tomorrow. I wonder what's for dinner?? ;)

Oh, it all feels very fast but I am having the time of my life and am very happy. And as friends have said, Sparky and I have both come from long marriages, we both have our lives in order and know what we like and don't like and what we're looking for. So it's okay that things move along a little more efficiently. I can honestly say I have SCOURED this man and his life for red flags and I have not unearthed a single, solitary one. He is just a fantastic guy and I am really liking him a lot.

p.s. - Happy 11th birthday to my son Blake, who would like a cell phone, a facebook account and an XBOX live subscription. And no time limits on the computer. And no bedtime. Somebunny's trying to grow up too quickly for me! ;)

Let's Talk Weight Loss Surgery

Gasp - what a novel idea for a weight loss surgery blog. I've been prattling on about my new crush, and sort of glossing over the weight loss stuff. That's easy to do when 1) you're not losing weight, 2) you're not exercising, 3) you're smoking again, for Pete's sake, how stupid are you and 4) really, all I'm thinking about is the new crush.

But it's been 13 months since my VSG surgery and that warrants some attention. You'll see that I'll work the new crush into this post, too, haha. But first a quick check-in:

• I've lost 117 pounds and am 6 pounds off my first goal of a normal BMI, or 140 pounds.
• The weight loss has really, really slowed down, and that is in part to my own behavior and in part because, well, I'm really pretty close to goal. In fact, the scale had bounced up to 150 at home, which sent me in terror back onto better eating. NO MORE 150s!!
• While the weight loss has slowed down, my body is still always changing. I cannot tell you how happy I am that my hanging gut no longer hangs onto myself. You know what I mean? It's just a flabby gut now - I am not quite able to do a "pencil test" like I saw on some movie or read in some book a million years ago. How do you know if you need to wear a bra? Put a pencil under your breast and if your breast holds the pencil in place, you need to wear a bra. (That was in the book or movie, haha, I wish I could remember the reference. Probably some Judy Blume book.) Anyway, I will absolutely let you know when my tummy can no longer hold up a pencil, and it feels like it will be very soon.
• Which is not to say that my stomach is not a disaster area. Ugh! Ack! Such awful loose skin, all wrinkly and stretch-marked, etc. Would I consider this a negative of the WLS? NO FREAKING WAY! Sometimes I do feel sort of badly about having gotten my body into this condition in the first place. But mostly, I'm just freaking stoked about the weight loss. :)
• Control top stretch camis, like Spanx or the ones I have, Assets from Target, do absolute freaking wonders to deceive the world about the disaster area that is my stomach.
• Oy, my breasts. Long, dangly pendulous things they've turned into! There is a breast job and tummy tuck in my future, I assure you. I do not know when, but it will happen. Even the "side boobs" are bad - maybe worse because they just sort of hang there and even like to puff out over the top of my stretch cami.
• I should make people sign a release form before seeing me naked. Oy. I did forewarn Sparky before subjecting him, haha. (Oh, see, I *can* go two minutes without talking about him!)
• Most days, I do not even remember the girl I was before this weight loss. And I am systematically eradicating her from the records, haha. I have my police volunteer ID to retake, then I think all the old pictures are gone from my IDs.
• Some days, I am still mentally 263 pounds. I am very funny about guessing what sizes I'll wear when shopping. Folding laundry can be a total mental head trip as I look at my new clothes. I will wake up feeling fat and like nothing will fit, only to find that some piece of clothing has gotten too big.
• I am LOVING dressing like a girly girl. Putting on makeup and earrings and cute outfits and such (ugh, I still struggle with shoes - I love cute shoes but hate painful feet with a purple passion). Sabrina in my office has been working on the re-girlification process for me since long before my surgery, but I am happy to say that it has finally "took." Now I'm just trying to build a supply of cute things so I'm not just rotating a handful.
• My eating is really quite good, I'd say, though I do have to be careful about little things. I have taken to buying two mini peppermint patties a day at work. Why? I do not know. Little opportunities for calories to sneak back in are something to watch.
• Sparky (oops, see, again, it was another couple minutes between mentioning him) isn't much of a drinker, but he does drink, so I may have struck on the perfect balance for me. Whereas when I drink, I will have two or maybe three drinks, when he drinks, he will have one or maybe two. Just adopting this "grown up" mindset will probably be very beneficial for me and my caloric intake, haha. I spent the whole weekend with Sparky and had probably three drinks total. This is more than I would have had if I were home alone, as I really am just a social drinker - but far less than I would have had if I had spent the weekend with oh, say, Cappy for instance, or my BFFs. Cappy had elevated my drinking to all-time highs, it really wasn't looking great for a distance plan.
• Speaking of Sparky, there is great incentive to take the rest of this weight off. He picked me up! I should like to be picked up more often. ;) I cannot tell you when/if the last time I was picked up was - high school??? Plus he has a great motorcycle with a super-comfy seat just for me. I want to ride on it, and I don't want to be "oh crap, she's weighing my bike down again." :)
• Some things about my eating seemed to have changed permanently. I used to eat a lot of spicy food, and I pretty much can't anymore. I can handle a little heat, but not too much. I am more lactose intolerant than I was, although I can eat a little bit of anything. I do not enjoy drinking pop. I can eat crunchy bread (oh my, can I ever) but not much regular bread.
• I am like the biggest self-molester you ever met. ;) All these bones!! I am completely fascinated with my hip bones - I don't think I ever felt them in my adult life, haha. I'll be sitting at the computer and notice I am just squeezing my forearm to feel the bone. Who knew people were so hard inside???
• In short - holy camoly what a great process this has been. I am loving this new body and new lease on life. So flippin' cool.

Oh Yes, You Betcha

Did I have a great weekend? You bet your sweet bippy I did! Wow. I am in total "like" with Sparky - he is just a great guy, all around. Really, really fantastic.

Let's see, so Thursday I tried to poison him with the curdled soup and then locked us out of my house. He was still totally game to see me on Friday, which shows a possible lapse in good judgment on his part, but I took advantage. I ended up spending every minute of the weekend with him and we rode into work together this morning. Gasp! Hey - I'm an adult. :)

We rode into work together this morning with my "Julie-size portion" of lunch he packed for me, which consisted of a delicious fresh veggie and pasta and crab salad he made for lunches last night. With a sliced strawberry and a piece of homemade smoked salmon that he knows I like. This is not a hard man to be around. :)

This was waiting for me by my purse this morning.

Such wonderful fun. I had a great weekend. The weather was absolute junk, but we did go for a drive to see a couple lakes he likes to fish. And we went to Cabela's. ;) And there was a reference to how he will "turn the city girl country." Umm, wrapping me in a blankie in front of the fire and plying me with amazing kisses and great food all weekend is a pretty good way of making me forget the city, I'm just sayin.

We played wii bowling and he tried to re-teach me cribbage (I did know how to play at some point), and we got the boat and the motorcycle started for a bit, which shows promise of springtime to come. I just had a great time and I have to say the chemistry between us is hot, hot, hot and I am looking forward to enjoying this play out.

On a WLS front, I do have to say, eating with someone new, particularly someone who is cooking for you (OMG can this man cook!!!) is a little strange for all parties. My portions are very small, of course. I think he got over very quickly any idea that less than a clean plate meant I didn't love it. By the end of the weekend, many meals later, we seemed to be in a total groove on the cooking and eating.

I tell ya, I've got quite a crush. I spent the weekend scouring for red flags and have not found a single one.

Date Night Comedy of Errors

Didn't I tell you I was afraid this home-inspection date would be the end? The tipping point on the scale as he weighs out my young children, the relative distance between us (okay, it's less than 30 miles and we work just a couple miles from each other), and now my slobbish ways and questionable cooking skills? I envisioned him bidding me a sweet adieu: "I like you, but no, sorry. Happy trails."

Well, it didn't quite go like that, but it had potential, haha. First off, fortunately my children did leave the house as clean I as had left it in the morning. This was nearly assured by the fact that I called them each after school and threatened to kill them if that house was not spotless when I walked in the door.

Sparky picked me up directly from work, so I knew I'd have no opportunity to shield him from any damage. I had made Chicken and Gnocchi soup in the crock pot the night before...which had great potential to be delicious, had I not screwed it up! I *KNEW* I shouldn't add the half and half before leaving for work yesterday morning. I KNEW IT!! But I did it anyway. I didn't add the gnocchi, and I didn't add the baby spinach, but I sure did add that half and half. Ugh. It got all curdly and over-cooked looking. It tasted okay, though. How very disappointing. I made him eat it anyway, because WHAT THE HECK ELSE WAS I GOING TO FEED HIM? I did make some yummy turkey and havarti sandwiches to go with it.

Ah, well. Maybe he's a knight in shining armor and he sees cooking as an opportunity to rescue me. :) Well, you know, I am actually a pretty darn good cook! I just don't have a lot of "specialty" dishes that I whip out for special occasions. I have no "potluck special" dish. I throw things together and they come out well. But no date night dishes, really. I love baking, too, but, you know, baking means eating and eating is the work of the devil. Oops! I guess it's not that bad. :)

Okay - so I tried poisoning him with my soup and he still stuck around, so it was time to bring out the big guns. It was a GORGEOUS clear night - 60 degrees at almost ten at night. We went outside to my back patio and took in the stars and chatted. And drank a little of the blackberry vodka I've been home infusing (see, I have valuable skills). And yes, smoked. Shoot me.

Because it was such a gorgeous night, I had no shoes or coat on. And what better time to lock yourself out of the house for the first time?? Got your new guy over to the house for the first time, you have failed to wow him with your cooking, you may have, in fact, poisoned him...what else is there to do besides lock yourself out? I am smoooooooooooottttttttthhhhh like silk, baby!

Hrumph. Of course all the doors and windows are secured. I am stocking footed and coatless, he is coatless. Fortunately, I have a coat and shoes in the car. Unfortunately, I have no spare keys stashed around the place. I *USED TO*, sure, but the kids were locking themselves out frequently and bringing in the spare key from the garage and leaving it in the house. Nope, no keys!

My landlord only lives a couple blocks away, and they are cool. Not so cool that I want to wake them up at 10 pm, but cool enough that I know I can. So, we walk up there. I ring the doorbell, of course it looks like the husband is not home (firefighter) and everyone is asleep. The wife is remarkably, incredibly gracious to have me standing on her doorstep with a large strange man in the middle of the night. Of course, they have two or three big barking dogs and her oldest son, who is almost as tall as a door frame.

And, because I am simply not allowed to keep this weight loss/surgery even the remotest bit private on the rare occasions that I would like to (e.g. with men I am interested in sleeping with), how does she answer the door?

"JULIE! I didn't recognize you!! You've shrunk!!"

Ah well, at least Sparky and I had something to talk about on the way back to my place with the key. :) He was cool and thankfully didn't put me on the spot with any questions about how much weight I've lost, etc. I simply do not want to plant that mental image in his head until my current self is firmly implanted in his mind.

Ah, he's very cool. I really like him. I'm heading to his place for a lasagna dinner after work today, unless he calls and uhhhh, well, he'd like to see me but, uhhhhh, he is very concerned about one his house plants, and, uhhhhh, he's really got to scramble to find an emergency horticulturist. He'll call later, really. Really. ;)

Okay, you stinkers, here is his picture from facebook, which I have secretly appropriated. I don't have his online profile pictures because I deactivated my account, remember? :) And I like this picture better, anyway, even though it is more of a distance shot. I don't like "I took this pic with my cell phone" pictures, and he wasn't smiling in those pictures and he has such a great smile and kind eyes. He is very cute! But you get the idea, and also you can see his pretty truck, which is clean and clutter free, unlike my own car.

Here's a picture to satisfy your nosiness. :)

Babbling about Men

Let's talk men, shall we?

I am seeing Sparky tonight! Sooooo excited. Ack. We'll call this date the "well, it sure was fun knowing you, even for such a short time!" because as you know, he is coming to my house for dinner. Where he will see how I live. :) Oh, it's not that bad, jeez. And I did stay up late and clean. And I made Chicken and Gnocchi Soup, which awaits in the crock pot right now. I hope it's not too salty - that was my general impression this morning. I'm sure it's fine. I'll add the spinach and gnocchi when we get back to my place.

It's early to have him out to my house, but I wasn't really the driver of that. I believe I am a candidate in a rigorous interview process, and he is checking to make sure I am not a hoarder, haha. Slob, yes. Hoarder, no. In fact, I am one of the rare people that if asked "what would you save in a fire?" I'd be hard-pressed to name anything I can't live without. So I'd be like, "Meh, whatever. Or nothing." I used to be a shopper and a "stuff" person. That person no longer exists. :)

Okay - he's just sweet. And totally tasty. I'm telling ya - I'm enjoying seeing this man. Yesterday he was on a job site and there were daffodils blooming and he texted me a picture of them and said he thought I'd enjoy seeing them, too. Me likey. Let's see if we can paint a picture of him, shall we?

He's about 5'11" and I'm going to say, oh, I don't know, 230 pounds. He has said he is working on losing about 20 pounds, and I am a terrible weight guesser. We'll go with 230. He is all solid and muscle-y. I have felt those arms, and believe me, he is all solid and muscle-y. He works outside - really, is there anything sexier than a man that works outdoors? Am I just genetically programmed to like this? You all know I have a thing for firefighters (wow, maybe you don't, I actually haven't thought about firefighters in a long time). Anyway, given my choice between a hot construction-type worker or a hot firefighter, I'd go for...well, the firefighter because of the job security and pension. But a hot construction-type worker with job security and a pension (a la Sparky!)? Construction-type worker all the way! Plus, firefighters can possess such arrogance. I mean, really, get over your goddamn hot selves, boys.

I ramble. Sparky has close cut, but not shaved, brown hair that has widow's peaks but is not balding. He has very kind eyes and a nice smile. He is cute, cute, cute. His hands are like leather from working outside. I want to tell him to wear gloves at night like my dad (a former diesel mechanic) had to so they wouldn't split, but I am MYOB'ing.

I'm totally enjoying him. Ah, it will be sad when he dumps me over my not-nicely-organized-like-his-home. When I saw his pictures online, I *knew* he was cuter than those pictures, because a) they were just the "I took this myself on my phone" pictures (but at least not in his car or bathroom mirror like so many other guys) and b) he did not look comfortable. And sure enough, right when I met him that first night, I was so pleased because he was cute in the pics but oh-so-much cuter in person. I knew it!

He's the type I go for. Solid, football player sort of build, short hair/shaved. No facial hair (yuck). I tell ya, I have been scouring for red flags and found none. I'll keep you posted.

Thank You for the Motivation

So, getting ready to write a quickie this morning, I talked myself into taking the stairs down and back up (just 12 flights each way), so I would have SOMETHING positive to blog about exercise, haha. I owe it to you blog readers! It went very well - I need to get my butt back on those stairs. I'm sorry to report that Barb and I flopped on signing up for the Big Climb. :( Such disorganization, such defeat.

But this isn't an entry about disorganization and defeat! It's a happy entry, because this morning is GLORIOUSLY SUNNY! (and very cold) I am so ready for spring, bring it on, baby! I am going for a nice long walk at lunch time to revel in it. And tomorrow it's supposed to be 61 degrees. I think I shall wear shorts and a tank top to work.

This entry isn't actually about much. :) My weight is holding steady at 149 this morning, so I need to push it back into gear. Plus I'm just coming off my period, the second since my uterine ablation, so I normally drop a few pounds afterward. LOVE THAT ABLATION! Just the tiniest little spotting on the exact day my period was due. More like a little postcard from Mother Nature than a period: "Hi! You're a girl! See ya."

While I'm nattering about my menses, I'll just say that my GYN and a couple of my buddies forewarned me about the post-op nastiness of an ablation. Weeks of discharge, etc. Me? Not one teeny, tiny darn thing. I kept waiting and dreading and it never materialized. So happy! At my one-week post-op appointment I even asked the GYN if he had remembered to do the procedure.

Friday is my six-week post-op appointment and I'm sure I'll be given a clean bill of health. That also means it's about six weeks since I got my hair chopped, so I've been assessing whether to cut it again. HECK YEAH! I like it. I'm still not great at styling it consistently - but like I told my friend, the fun of short hair is that however it ends up is "how I meant to style it that day," haha.

Holly asked about my Sugar Daddy, so I've got to catch her up. :) Don is my coworker and one of my most beloved friends. I think he became my sugar daddy (reluctantly, and with very little payoff) several years ago when I was getting divorced.

(Let's pause for a moment while I reflect on "several years ago when I was getting divorced." WOW! X and I split three years ago this month! We'll be divorced three years in August. WOW! Okay - best. decision. ever. And if you're newly divorced, I can say that what Kim told me is true: it gets better with time. By five years out, you're recovered. I can tell that two years from now the divorce will be old news. Even now, it's pretty darn stabilized. X and I get along quite well, we parent together quite well, everything is pretty darn good. We have our moments, of course. But I was just telling Sabrina the other day that it's been forever since I actively wished him dead. And now if he died I would be so sad for the kids. And for my kid-free time. See? We're all in a much better place three years out, haha! p.s. the conversation was relevant to someone's ex's recent passing - I wasn't just musing offhand over coffee about X's eventual demise.)

Okay, so I was getting divorced and Don and his partner had two gorgeous properties they were selling on Capitol Hill in Seattle. An incredible house and an amazing townhome. Whichever sold first, they planned to live in the other. My own living arrangements were up in the air, so I lobbied Don hard to give me one of the properties out of the generosity of his heart. He resisted. But our friendship was forged (haha, we didn't know each other well at all at the time). Now he's one of my bestest buddies and although he's pretty lame as a sugar daddy, he does come through with SBUX or even dinner sometimes. :) Oh yes, the other part of the Sugar Daddy thing was that I've always lobbied him pretty hard to marry me and take care of me and my children. It would appease his Catholic roots, give his mom some grandbabies, and give me access to a gorgeous home with a giant clawfoot tub. I would just turn a blind-eye to his partner Doug in the house. A marriage of my convenience, in other words. :)

Me and Don at some art thing. With wine. Of course.

And it's the weekend! Well, not really, but it is the kick-off to my kid-free weekend, and you know what that means: date night! I won't see Sparky tonight, but he is picking me up from work tomorrow and I'm making him dinner. Ack. This requires so much domestic goddessness from me, I can hardly stand it. Cleaning, menu planning, cooking. Yikes! Friday we're having lasagna at his place. Not sure about the rest of the weekend, his mom is visiting from out of town. It will be a fun weekend, regardless.

Here, I am compelled to say that if I have any concerns about Sparky, it's our 'homebody to girl-on-the-town" ratio. We are pretty opposite in this regard. You can see by our weekend plans that dating Sparky will likely mean being being plied with yummy food and time spent in a very comfortable home. Umm, that doesn't suck. I'm telling you - I like kissing this guy - I'm willing to put up with a lot to do it, including being made dinner. But, it's winter and the weather is dreary (NOT TODAY, IT ISN'T!!), so I'm content not doing anything. But I'm a do-er. Is he a willing participant? He claims to be. If he doesn't want to do, will he happily step aside while I "do" with my posse? I hope so. If there is any trouble on the horizon, that may be where it lies. Although a lot of my anti-home-body-ness is because of the divorce and loneliness, etc. I may be a happy homebody if I'm happy to be home. We'll see. Let's just flag that for future consideration.

We'll see. Right now I'm just rolling with it, and I am having a wonderful time.

Transparent Motives

Ulterior Motives

Bahaha, I am still laughing about my children seeing right through my motives this weekend. Oy! Why does everyone know me so well??

We made cookies yesterday. We *never* make cookies. Not because I don't love them, but *because* I love them. And, as you may remember, my now-13-year-old has a pretty severe weight problem. And my 6-year-old son goes BANANAS on sugar. We really try very hard to keep him away from sugar whenever possible. And I had weight loss surgery last year, doncha know. I'm not supposed to be eating cookies.

First off, in my defense, I will say that I have been trying hard to find quality things to do with the kids on the weekends. I am an anti-winter person. I hate it, hate it, hate it. Cold and wet is my least favorite status in the whole wide world. A few weeks back, I was whining to Kim about what a crappy mom I am: I'm broke, there's nowhere to take the kids that we'll all have fun, etc. etc. So she urged me to just work little things into our weekends that we'll all enjoy, and then just accept that I am a busy single mom o' three.

So, cookies. I decided we would make cookies. My parents were coming over, my dad was going to do a couple much-needed projects at the house for me, etc. We'd make cookies for grandma and grandpa. I had to laugh: when I unloaded the ingredients I picked up from the grocery store, my almost-11-year-old looked at the stuff and said, "If we're going to make cookies, don't we need dough?" BAHAHA! Not all cookies come from a tube, babe!

We made snickerdoodles (my dad's favorite) and chocolate chip. They were muy delicioso. We feasted. And last night, when I was getting ready to go meet Sparky for dinner, I grabbed two baggies of cookies I'd set aside for him. The kids knew I was going on a dinner date.

"A-HA!!" My 11-year-old son yelled. "THAT'S WHY WE MADE COOKIES! YOU WANTED TO BRING SOME ON YOUR DATE!"

Busted.

Okay, yes, I wanted to bring cookies to Sparky. Is that so bad?? Didn't I get quality bonding time with my family? Didn't Blake learn that cookies don't come from a tube? Didn't my dad get his favorite cookies in the world? Didn't everyone get their sugar fix for the weekend?

And didn't Sparky get cookies, and didn't I get rewarded for that? :)

Sparks with Sparky


Okay - I like this guy. Sure, it's early, but I am guardedly optimistic. I've seen him bunches of times now and I am happy to report that I have discovered no red flags. He is just nice, and sweet, and easy to talk to and fun to be with. We met for dinner last night and it's my upcoming kid-free weekend, so I'll see him again soon. Holy smokes, we have great chemistry - I just like sitting by him. :) *crackle, crackle, zap, zap*

After my dating experiences, I have to say it is really nice to go out with someone that seems very much like what I have been looking for all along. He has his act together, a great job, a good, hard-working guy who has his own interests. He's all fiscally-responsible, sweet to me, holding the doors open (am I such a sucker for this, or what? Who knew I was so traditional?). I am just enjoying the heck out of spending time together.

I can't remember if I told you: I think it was the second time we went out...oh yes, I remember, he was driving me back to the Park & Ride. He said he liked me, and wasn't in to dating around, and he was going to take down his online profile while we continued to see each each other and saw where it went. Isn't that sweet? Hells yeah, I took down that profile! (And I am almost positive I told you that, because I just had a deja vu moment when I typed "Hells yeah," haha.)

Anyway - we went to dinner last night and I sure had a great time. Again, part of me is just hanging out waiting for the other shoe to drop, but most of me is just having a helluva good time.

Weight Loss Stuff


And you thought I forgot this was a weight loss / VSG blog. I have not! Ugh, my weight is hanging at 150 again. Um, this is due to increased carb intake, baking and eating cookies, nighttime snacking and other lax and lazy habits.

Last night at dinner, I had the perfect opportunity to divulge the WLS to Sparky, should I be so inclined. I was not. He remarked that he noticed I don't eat very much. I nodded and agreed that no, I don't eat much. He pressed. Was I trying to lose weight? Had I lost weight? etc etc. I said I had lost weight since my divorce (he has said he has, as well) and worked mostly on portion size. I simply did not feel like divulging this little bit of information. It's funny how it sure comes up, isn't it?? Anyway, I'll go there someday, but not yesterday.

It's in the Stars


Okay, I had written this into the current post and deleted it, because a) I don't want you to think I'm an astrology nut, as I am not; and b) I don't want you to think I am rushing this relationship, because I am not. But after that little bit, above, about Sparky sort of grilling me about my eating habits, I am going to post this, after all.

Simply put, the Taurus man is looking for a wife. He’s all about putting down roots: the family, the perfect mate to grow old with, and a beautiful home to share. He’d rather follow the same routine for 60 years with one person than constantly swap partners. Sure, he’s got a lusty appetite, but most Taurus men think variety means taking you to a new restaurant. Change is too much work, and he’s not one to waste his time like that. He just wants to settle into a steady track with someone to adore. Your job is to show up and be that person. Not a bad gig, if you think about it.

The single Taurus man is constantly in “interview” mode. He carries a mental checklist of his soulmate, and screens every woman he meets to see if she fits. Although he might accept a temporary substitute, he’s not afraid to drop her if the perfect match appears. Generally, he’ll hold out for the real thing, breaking many hopeful hearts along the way.

This has been my experience with Sparky to a T. He is definitely looking for a long-term relationship, if not wife, and I am being interviewed for the position. I am having great fun as a prospective candidate, haha. But he is very astute, and all gently probing questions and he is easy to talk to. So I am sort of surprised I didn't spill my guts about the surgery. No pun intended, haha.

Bad Habits

I guess I should divulge that I went four days smoke-free and then started again. Sigh. I'll get there again.

Me Likey.

Ok, from a weight loss front, I'll admit I just had a rice krispie treat from SBUX. I saw a friend eat one this morning and it was on my mind allllllllllllllll day. But, as we know, sugar overload and my sleeve are not friends, so you can bet I'm rethinking that decision already.

So! Last night Sparky made me dinner at his house. Yes, yes, I know, that is TOO SOON! There seemed to be plausible good reasons at the time I agreed. I had a massage appointment after work, he lives considerably south of the city and takes the bus home...it was going to be late...blah blah blah. It seemed plausible. And it worked out fine. Sabrina thought he was going to kill me and chop me into bits, I was more optimistic. But I did tip off Sabrina and Don with his address, as well as my state trooper friend, whom I assured if I went missing, it was not on purpose. :) I told her where to look for the body.

(I am so morbid. Please excuse my tacky humor. But too bad Don didn't work today, because my supervisor was going to be all worried and tell him that she was concerned because I hadn't shown up for work, and had he heard from me?? But it's Don's flex day, so we didn't get to torture him.)

ANYWAY! I will say that I think one reason Sparky wanted to have me for dinner (err, have me over *to* dinner) so he could woo me a little bit with all his many good qualities, and, DAY-UM, it worked! He is just a cool guy. He had said he'd make chicken nachos. I know how *I* would make chicken nachos, haha. He did them up in style, however. He made fresh guacamole, fresh salsa (uh, Kim, I know I said I am out of yours, but I have hopefully found a local supplier!), grilled chicken, the works! So delicious! And yum, with a tasty margarita. Which was not even spiked. ;)

Great guy - fantastic house, plus it was super clean and very homey. And a fire going in the fireplace. Oh my, I'm smitten. I was going to make you read all this info about Taurus Man/Capricorn Woman matches being made in heaven, but I'll skip it for now. And yes, I devoutly agree with astrology as long as I like what I read, otherwise I am utterly convinced it is a crock o' crap. Don't judge me!

So, we had a great dinner and a fun, albeit too brief, evening - oh, this is why I was going to talk about horoscopes, I can just totally feel how both of us find stability and security the most sexiest thing in the world. I think that's why he invited me to dinner, as a bit of an opportunity show off what a catch he is. And he does so most deservedly. I had a blast, and while he is most gentlemanly, I have to say again...these kisses...holy smokes, I am hook-line-and-sinkered.

I have the kiddos this weekend and his mom is visiting from Oregon, so I probably won't see him until sometime next week. Plus, I'll be cleaning and homey-fying my house like a madwoman in case I invite him over next weekend, hahaha. But he was cool about that, too, because I complimented him on the house and said mine was nowhere nearly put together. He just smiled and shrugged and said, "That's you - this is me."

Oh my. How sexy.

Yessssssssss. That's What I'm Talking About.

Oh my! Great date last night! Me likey.

First off, he picked me up from work, since we live a fair distance from each other in opposite directions, but both work downtown. We figured it would be easier to start together rather than battle traffic. When I came out of the building, he was standing on the sidewalk in front of his (very clean) truck, waiting for me. So sweet.

Oh, I had taken the elevator with my Sugar Daddy, who wanted to walk out with me to catch a glimpse of this guy, but I told him NO WAY. And I was glad, too, because there he was on the sidewalk (a nice touch) and I would have felt silly giving him a hug and a kiss with my SD there watching and taking notes, haha.

And you'll have to forgive my hypocrisy about the very clean truck and all the other hypocritical things I say. Because I am so impressed by a clean vehicle, but mine is a dungeon, filled with gawd only knows what filth. Had his been messy, though, it would have skeeved me out.

Okay, so, we headed over to the Chinese restaurant, which is very close to my house. I really liked that he didn't press me at all about where I lived, or "show me your house," etc. He seems to be super cool about respecting boundaries, and after some of these dates I've had, I'm becoming more and more into boundaries, haha. We had a great time at dinner, and he sat on my side of the booth with me and held my hand, and it was just nice, nice, nice!

Afterward, we went to see "This Means War," which was actually a perfect date movie. It's a rom-com, but it's got a fair amount of shoot 'em up stuff for the men. We had a great time. :)

This was really great - on the way back to my car, he was ON IT asking when he can see me again. I have the kids this weekend but we're having dinner tonight. And this was great, he said he really likes me and is looking forward to getting to know me. Said that he doesn't need to date around, and while I don't have to, he is going to take down his online profile so we can see where this goes.

And holy smokes, can this man kiss. Seriously. I think those were the best kisses I've ever had in my life - and I've done some kissing in my lifetime. I can seriously feel my face flush just thinking about it now. OMG.

O.M.G. - you know I took down my profile in a heartbeat. (Which, to be fair, I did with Cappy very early on, too. And I told him when I was throwing in the towel and putting it back up, haha. I'm not good at, nor interested in being good at, dating multiple people. I'd rather pull one thread and see if the whole sweater unravels before I pull on another thread. What a strange analogy, yes?)

He is very interesting. He gardens, and even cans the stuff he grows, which I found very cute. He fishes, and cans and smokes what he catches. He's got a great motorcycle he rides during the nice weather, he's got a boat he takes out fishing and crabbing, etc. He's more of a homebody than me, but I put out some feelers about his willingness to go do stuff that I like, and he was totally cool.

Really looking forward to continuing this little saga to see how it goes. :)

ETA: And what a convenient time to quit smoking, too, because I'm telling you - those kisses were so great, I won't do anything to risk not getting more of them, haha. No smoking? No problem! Even if I didn't see him today, though, I was already planning on not seeing Cappy tonight (normally we get together on Thursdays) because my non-smoking status is still too perilous.