“If you’re being chased by an angry bear and you realize you’re also being chased by a swarm of renegade killer bees, nothing has changed, keep running.”

 

I’m not quite sure why I’m posting that quote today.  It’s not that it really has anything to do with anything, I just liked it.  And it’s my blog.  So there.

 

Not much has been happening – I’ve been working too hard for a job I don’t love and GI Joe has been out of town.  I haven’t been talking to anybody else either.  So much for going out of 2008 with five first dates!  Oh well.  I got to 3, almost 4 and I got tired.  Eh.  Points for effort. 

 

But with that said, I just re-read my November horoscope.  Apparently, the new moon tomorrow arrives with an entourage of planets, so I’ll notice a flurry of activity from November 27^th to December 27^th.  Those crazy planets and their entourages.  Indications are good for beginning a new relationship during this period.  Oh wow.  I’d better get some rest tonight then!

 

Side note:  Happy Thanksgiving!  May your day be filled with presence and gratitude!  And may your Black Friday shopping be filled with short lines, good deals and approved credit cards!

I had a third date with GI Joe last night.  Yep, third date WITH THE SAME GUY.  Whoever thought that was possible??  We had a BLAST!  We went to Dave & Bus.ters to let out some of the inner child – and plus I talked enough sh*t to be the NFL’s Player of the Week, so it was time to put up or shut up.

 

And boy, did I put up!!  I almost felt sorry for the guy.  I beat him at basketball, driving, skee-ball, trivia, etc.  He did manage to beat me at jump rope and the horse races, but still, I was the queen of the evening.  And for the record, we didn’t attempt a shooting game because, well, I suck, and well, that’s his job.  But we joked and laughed and had a fantastic time!

 

He walked me to my car.  I thought, okay, it’s time for him to make a move.  So he hugged me and ran away.  HUH?  I don’t know what’s up with that???  Maybe he’s scared, maybe he’s gay.  Who knows!  But he did text me afterwards telling me he had a great time and that we will definitely have to rematch in the future.

 

Moral of the story, I’ve made a really good “FRIEND”.  Ooooh, I used the F word…NOT good news for him!  He’s going to visit his parents for Thanksgiving, so I won’t see him again until after the holiday.  All I know is homeboy better step up his game if he expects this to go anywhere.

I talked to Mr. Date #4 for a few hours Friday night.  We had a decent conversation and so we set up a date for Saturday.  He was going to leave his house (45 minutes away from me) at about 10:30, so we could get together for lunch and maybe head over to Dave & Bus.ters for some hoops afterwards.  He said he’d call me when he was leaving.  Fair enough.

 

 

 

11am rolls around.  No word.  11:30am.  Nothing.  So of course, my immediate reaction is that I’ve been stood up.  No worries, I wasn’t that excited anyway.  So I head out to run errands. 

 

I get a text from him at Noon saying he’ll be there in 30 minutes.  Uh huh.  I didn’t respond. 

 

At 1pm, I get another text saying, “You busy?”  A text, no doubt, because he knows he screwed up and doesn’t want to face a live phone call.

 

 

 

I text back, “What happened to leaving at 10:30am?”

 

 

 

His response, “I’m here now.”  That just pissed me off.  Oh, I’m supposed to just sit around waiting for you so that whenever you show up, I drop everything and give you my time?  I don’t think so!

 

 

 

So I essentially told him that it was a matter of respect and all it would’ve taken was one phone call to say he was going to be late, but when I didn’t hear from him, I’d made other plans, whether I really did or not.  The funniest part is that he drove all the way up here (apparently for 2 ½ hours since he said he was stuck in traffic.  Uh huh.  At 11am on a Saturday morning?  Whatever.)  Anyway, good thing gas prices have gone down.  Hee, hee.

 

 

 

So, to my surprise, I also heard from GI Joe this weekend.  We had lunch yesterday and watched a little football.  He’s cute in street clothes and we had fun, although there were no real romantic overtones.  He’d touch my leg slightly, give me a hug when I saw him and when we left, but that’s it.  It was just a date.  Is this what dating is really supposed to be?  Going out periodically and taking it slowly, getting to know each other?  Hmm.  Weird. 

 

He did do one thing that I though, okay, this is guy could work for me.  He used a coupon at lunch.  Now to normal people, that might be offensive or even embarrassing.  But come on, we’re in a recession and saving money excites me.  I went to the grocery store this weekend and between sales and coupons, my receipt showed that I saved 75%.  My total was $8.91 for 4 bags full of things…yogurt, milk, bread, Ad.vil, sandwich bags, oatmeal, paper towels, toilet paper, croissant rolls, etc. 

 

 

 

So that’s why a guy with a coupon excites me.  Of course, the funniest part was that I’d brought the same coupon with me even though he was paying…just in case he’d wanted to use it.  We may just have a little more in common than I think.  And he did mention “next time”.  Wait, a THIRD date?  WTF???  That’s insane!!

So much for that job.  The interview went well and I was able to effectively wow them with my brilliance and charm. 

 

But THEN, they had me take an Ex.cel and Acc.ess computer test.  Apparently, they didn’t care if I could get those programs to do what I wanted them do…they wanted me to know all the shortcuts for the programs, so in essence, I failed the test.  Somehow, I just don’t think I should have to dedicate brain space to memorizing shortcuts if I don’t have to, in order to get the right end result.  Whatever.  I’m letting it go and moving on.

 

More than just failing the test, I had an a-ha moment during the interview.  I don’t want that job.  I don’t want to work in finance anymore.  I’m so much more creative than this and finance just makes me pissy.  So now it’s just a matter of getting someone in another industry to hire me for my creative brilliance…although I have no experience and nothing to show them why they should hire me.  Leap of faith, please?

 

In other news, GI Joe asked if I was available on Sunday.  Hey now.  That sounds like a second date.  What are those?!?!?

 

And I haven’t heard from Mr. Date #4.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  I did get a text from him at 10:45pm the other night saying, “Are you still up?”  I wasn’t, so I didn’t respond.  We had agreed to do something Saturday, but I haven’t talked to him and I’m not excited anyway, so I’m not holding my breath.

 

Plus I have some resume rewriting to do this weekend…and some brainstorming in how to beg potential employers for a chance.  And a date or two.  Should be a fabulous weekend!

GI Joe finally emailed me.  He’s been off work (that’s what happens when you get Veteran’s Day in the middle of the week and work at a government job) and only had my number at work.  Okay, so still, he emailed, not called.  Whatever. 

 

A friend (who totally rocks) asked me what my likes and dislikes about him were. 

Uh. 

*crickets* 

Hmm. 

*awkward silence* 

You know, I just really couldn’t come up with a convincing argument for either likes or dislikes.  He’s somewhere in between spending the day watching TV and spending the day watching movies.  Hence, I’m fine if I go out with him again and fine if I don’t.

 

So, in the meantime, I have date #4 of 5 in my plan to go out of 2008 like a loser.  I figure if I get rid of all that loser-ish-ness in 2008 by having five first dates, 2009 will bring me nothing but success.  This new guy is military too…but he’s younger and doesn’t seem to understand that I don’t just go to work and go home, sitting waiting for the right guy.  I do other things too.  So, if you’re in the Vegas betting pool, odds goes like this:  Me being single favored by 22 over me having a relationship with date #4.

 

On a more positive note, I do have a job interview this afternoon.  Kind of like dating, I’m going in with no expectations to see what they offer me.  Basically, I’m assuming it can’t really be worse than what I’m doing now, so anything is an improvement.  Of course if they give me millions of dollars, an opportunity to work from home, lots of vacation time, and really hot coworkers, that’d just be even better.

Thursday’s date actually went fairly well!  GI Joe was decent looking, pulled my chair out for me, and smelled good when I hugged him.  He emailed me on Friday saying that he had a great time and asked if it was okay if he called me sometime.  Considering I don’t actually have his number, sure he can call me.  And I would be willing to go out with him again, in spite of the fact that my mom told me (based on my date recap and go with the flow attitude), that he wasn’t “bad boy” enough for me.  Go P. Diddy.  But she’s wrong.  I can date a nice guy.  I’m sure of it.

 

So of course, that night, I dreamt of our wedding.  Outdoors, slight breeze, gorgeous day.  He was dressed in his Army dress-up clothes and I was dressed in a perfectly white, perfectly fitting wedding dress. The minister (or whatever) declared us man and wife.  And then logically, that’s when the Blue Angels approached for their jet flyover. 

 

A jet flyover at a wedding??  That’s the most bad-ass idea I’ve ever had in a dream!!  Or in real life for that matter.  I’m off to the patent office to claim that idea as my own.  If, by some miracle I actually do get married someday, I’m soooo having a jet flyover.  I don’t care what it costs.  We might be feeding our guests via Taco Bell’s catering service, along with BYOB and a boom box DJ with cassettes where we will have that awkward silence as we wait for the tape to fast forward or rewind, but whatever.  Jet flyover.  So worth it!!  And I will be nice enough to at least give my guests the choice between a regular or soft taco, but only one.  Please include which you would like in your e.vite RSVP.  (Postage is expensive.)

 

Other than that, I went to the Nuggets game last night and wondered if I would see Mr. T (who I dated in March) or run into that other guy I went out with who interns at the Nuggets (it was just one date, so don’t hate me that I can’t remember his name) – all while attending the game with JC, another one of my exes.  Gee, something about that whole scenario just didn’t seem right to me.  Seriously – it’s no wonder I’m starting to think that I might’ve exhausted my possibilities!!  But still – JET FLYOVER, people!  Keep hope alive that it could actually happen!!

Date #3 is tonight with a gentleman we’ll call G.I. Joe.  He’s a lifelong Army man, so there is no better name for him!  We’re having coffee, so in theory, if it doesn’t go well, I can be in and out in 5 minutes flat.  If all goes well, there could be a, “Hey, you wanna grab dinner after this?”  My schedule allows for either outcome.

 

The good news about this one is that he’s got no baby mama drama and seems to be fairly intelligent.  Bad news is, I’m not sure he’s got a sense of humor with his military attitude seriousness.  So we’ll see – I’m going in with no expectations.

 

In other news, I’m in the second round of job interviews for a new job.  Of course what they call “second round” means that they haven’t ACTUALLY talked to me and they haven’t ACTUALLY expressed interest.  They just want me to take a Behavior Profile Assessment.  I can imagine how I’ll answer the questions – don’t express interest in killing people, don’t say that I’d like to be rich – especially if it takes an En.ron-type process to do so, work though conflict and don’t threaten to slash tires.  Got it.  I’m a shoe-in for the job if that’s all they’re looking for!

 

That’s all for now – I’m off tomorrow to go for a 10 mile run, bake cookies, shop and head to an Open House.  So enjoy your weekend!!  Unless G.I. Joe is sooo exciting that I just have to post immediately to share his amazingness with the world, I’ll talk to you Monday!  Happy Weekend!

We did it, people.  We’ve elected an amazing man to the Presidency of the United States.  Wow.

  

 

As I was watching Obama’s acceptance speech last night, I remembered doing a report about the civil rights movement during my freshman year of high school.  My group put together a presentation that included audio clips of a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.  When I first heard the speech as I was looking for that perfect sound bite, I cried.  It was 1991 and I knew that we were still so far away from the equality that MLK spoke of. 

 

 

 

And last night, as I toasted and sipped champagne in celebration, Obama’s speech made me cry for a different reason.  Because we’re so much closer.  My grandfather, who was born in 1918, and has been known to use the “n” word to describe people of African-American heritage, voted for Obama.  And he’s excited to see what this country will become under Obama’s leadership. 

 

 

 

It’s not just a factor of race either.  It’s the fact that Obama is a true leader and he represents all people.  He gives an amazing speech and can inspire the nation, but at the same time, I think he really believes in what he says.  He really believes that this country deserves to be great, he believes that we have been great and that we will be great again.

  

 

This is the first time in my life that I’ve cared about the presidential race.  This is the first time that I’ve made a donation to the campaign and this is the first time that I am honored to wear a t-shirt with the president’s name on it.  I have three of them…and there’s no doubt I will continue to wear them as his presidency gets underway.  I guess more than anything, there’s renewed hope that our current state won’t last forever.

  

 

So, thank you to Barack Obama and to each and every person who voted for him.  Especially, thank you to the state of Colorado for turning blue for this election.  Today, I’m proud to live in Colorado and even more proud to be an American.  THANK YOU!