Thank you

Today New Guy & I have been dating for 3 months.

I know, it's incredibly girly of me to get excited each time a month goes by but I do.

New Guy is incredible! He's so smart & funny & kind to me. He has a wonderful Christian heart. His family is warm & loving & genuinely good people. He is tickled pink when I cook for him, even when it's plain comfort food. During Christmas (my FAV time of year!) he not only took me on a surprise drive to look at lights but we listened AND sang along to Christmas songs the whole time!

We have a million inside jokes & it seems like we add more every week. He lets me talk about Doondaddy (and sometimes cry) as much as I want to. My OCD & his neat freak tendencies match up nicely. He likes snuggling up to watch a movie. He's sweet to his dogs. We both like 'old fashioned' words & phrases such as tomfoolery & top drawer. Sometimes he ends a text with 'xo.'

If he reads my blog I'm sure he's gagging by now but I am so happy I just had to post a note in grateful admiration that God has blessed me far beyond what I deserve by bringing him into my life.

So New Guy, if you stumble upon this thank you for a wonderful 3 months.

You are top drawer.

xo

Things I am Thankful For

* Jesus Christ died for me and I have a home with Him in Heaven.

* I get to buy my precious nephew his very first 'big boy Bible.'

* I get outbid on the eBay things I really don't want anyway.

* Lite 96.9 plays all Christmas 24/7 from Thanksgiving until New Year's.

* My freckles will forever make me look younger than I really am.

* I can actually feel the love of my close friends.

* Cherry candy canes are only 99 cents.

* I know how to knit.

* Life here on Earth is short, the pain is only temporary.

* I know how to drive a straight shift.

* My turkey was picture perfect this year.

* My family trusts me to be the caretaker for my Grandmother.

* When I tweet, I feel like a celebrity.

* Redbox movies.

* A boss who asks how I am and genuinely wants to hear my response.

* Alabama football.

* Harry Potter.

* I have so many good books to read it's hard to pick one to start with.

* Being told I'm beautiful by someone who's not related to me.

* Friendly dogs.

* Hershey's with almonds.

* Good tires.

* Dates where you have the best time not really doing anything at all.

* High speed Internet.

* Sonic Ice.

* Getting the 'thank you' wave when letting someone in front of me in traffic.

* Making it through to the other side of the hardest year of my life.

* Looking more like my Mother every year.

* Gadsden is only 45 minutes away.

* Sunday afternoon naps.

* I have a retirement fund.

* Knowing Doondaddy is listening.

Don't get riled up!

Oh dear. I knew this day would come. Well, I hoped this day would come but in the same way you look forward to buying a new car or getting a drastic haircut. You know it's for your own good and it needs to happen but it's gonna hurt a little.

I....went on a date.

YIKES!

After joining 2 dating sites at the near insistence of my friend I met (can you say 'meet' when it's online?) a nice guy who stood out quite a bit from the freak shows and wackadoodles.

I have a fairly outgoing personality so I'd been asked out before since the big D but those were all answered with an I'm-flattered-but-I-just-don't-think-I'm-ready mantra. It just rolled right off the tongue. Even after I was ready I used this excuse I admit. It really is flattering to be asked though. My sorely bruised ego was grateful for that.

I sort of had in mind a long string of first dates. You know, lots of dinner and polite, entry-level get-to-know-you questions, a brief family history, the highlights of my resume, a peck on the cheek and call it a night.

As God continues to show me however, I do not make the plans.

New Guy is nice. Really nice. And while I pictured myself (for the first time in my life) dating around for an extended period before any chaps got a second date things are not going like I thought.

New Guy is pretty awesome and we've been on several dates. I have given only the barest of essential details to the fam (i.e. He's tall. He lives in Gadsden.) much to their exaspiration. My reply when they point out I'm grinning like an idiot is to say, "Don't get riled up" and then quickly change the subject. I think it's working about as well as that time I denied opening half my Christmas presents while Mom & Dad were gone and acting shocked when the tags were already off some of the clothes.

I really don't know what is wrong with me but doing the casual, laid back thing has never been my strong suit. Now, I'm not picking out china patterns with New Guy but at the same time I told the latest enquirer that I was 'seeing somebody.'

I'm seeing somebody. OMG

I'm being seen by somebody!

Maybe I should look in the mirror next time I say, 'Don't get riled up!'

Baby steps

Ok. It's been a while. And by a while I mean it's been the appropriate amount of time (since the big D) for me to speed drop some pounds (having tears for breakfast and the trots for dinner helps), have a nervous breakdown (I'm still working on that one) and get my Rx for Prozac. That last one should kick in 3-5 days from now so if none of you want to talk to me until Thursday I'll understand.

Anywho...I took the advice (ok, down right insistence) of some friends and joined a dating site. *eek*

After setting my filters to the highest possible "no freaks, axe murderers or mama's boys allowed" settings I got several nice comments from chaps in the area who thought I was pretty. Aww. (insert school girl giggle here)

Maybe was being a tad harsh, but right off the bat I eliminated about 3/4 of the male population in the tri-state area. I mean come on people. It's like you're wanting me to block you. Automatic cut for any of the following:

*Making a 'gangsta' face complete with sideways peace sign in your profile pic
*Having the toilet visible where you took your pic in the bathroom. (Crop isn't one of those bad 4-letter words)
*Trying to be all mysterious with answers like "wouldn't you like to know" or "I'll tell you later." Um, yeah I would like to know. Just tell me now and save us some time.
*Any type of sexual innuendos alluding to how skilled you are or the number of women your services have pleased. If you make me think of Clamidia, Gonorrhea or Herpes I'm not only moving on, but I'm blocking you and Germ-Xing my keyboard.
*Tales of how you've been done wrong by women in the past. I've got sad crap too buddy. You gonna cry on our first date?
*Bad spelling. Spell check is free honey. Use it.
*Saying how badly you want a good, honest, loyal, loving woman to settle down with. Really? I thought you'd want a stupid, rude, lying skank of a bitch who won't remember you or care to in the morning. This is a given guys, don't list it.
*A long list of must haves. You won't settle for anything less than a 5'9" Rhodes scholar with long blond hair and Barbie measurements? Hop on over to Russia pal and order yourself up a treat. (and I probably wouldn't mention that you are 5'7", 50 pounds to the greater and balding, but I'm just saying)

2004

Toxic by Britney Spears topped the charts

The National World War II Memorial opened in Washington, D.C.

Friend, Frasier and Sex and the City all aired their final episodes

A tsunami in Asia kills almost 300,000 people

Shrek 2, Harry Potter and Million Dollar Baby dominated the box office

Janet Jackson had a 'wardrobe malfunction' on live tv during the Super Bowl

Everyone freaked when gas hit a (then) all-time high of $2.11 per gallon

Ken Jennings won $2.5 million on Jeopardy

The CIA admitted there was 'no immanent threat' of weapons of mass destruction before the U.S. invasion if Iraq in 2003

Martha Stewart was sentenced to 5 months in prison for insider trading

Julia Child, Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando and Ronald Regan died

Oh, I almost forgot. It was the last year I went on a first date. Yikes.