Date again Mom?

Recently, having been out of the dating scene for a while, I decided to ask the kids what they thought of their mom dating again!

Well, much enthusiasm ensued and then I wondered 'why the ecstatic-ness?'  So I asked why they were so excited for Mom to date again - to which my daughter (age 9) replied "we just want you to be happy Mom!"

I explained my happiness and that I didn't need to date someone to BE happy - that I had them, me, my friends, my work, and was really liking this town and move - and that I felt QUITE HAPPY...

My daughter had her fingers to her chin, deep in thought - then stated "we just want you to be EXTRA HAPPY then Mom, like the cherry on top!"

How wise, little one, how wise!  : )

Life's changes

Since this blog began, it was originally designed to share dating stories, but also incorporate tales from the trenches of womanhood, I will share a story about life's BIG changes!

I recently found myself as a single mom with not much child support in need of new employment.  I was blessed enough to have 5-6 months' time by my current employer, but it was still stressful nonetheless, and to boot, I had just purchased my own home after 4 years of efforts and looking!  OY! Long story short, when we trust that all will work out (not naively, but really trust AND still behave, act, have efforts that support things working out) and we surrender to the many possibilities life has to offer, life really does offer good things!  To handle it, I had to take better care of myself than ever before, I had to search and work diligently on job prospects, and plan for the worst ALL at the same time.  I made good financial decisions, cut back in preparation, asked people for help, continued exercising, eating well, stress management, and lots of movement meditation, Nia, counseling, life coaching and visualization to keep me on good solid ground along the way!  Boy, I am not kidding when I say it takes a village to raise me! ; )

I never saw myself moving for years, but as I grew open to seeing new things, applying for jobs all over the country, it grew on me and I still new the right job, place, and situation would open up in time.  The job I accepted did mean a new town, new place, new people, new surroundings and many new opportunities.  I was scared, nervous, had two young children, but I KNEW and TRUSTED that all would work out!  Even my day to interview at the site location was insanely meant to be - rentals, schools, After school care, even a group of belly dancers helped me see if the puzzle pieces would fit - and they all 'magically' fell together.

Since moving here, things have been challenging, sure, I do not have Rose-Colored glasses on - but they have not been as difficult as I had thought - no crying, no wanting to move back, nothing.  I'm really wearing my big girl panties!  It is what it is and I moved here to embrace this change and give it a real shot.  And by giving it a real shot that sometimes means making myself be outside my box in meeting people, trying new things, and it has been FUN! 

So, the job is wonderful and going far better than any other and better than expected - what a relief!  The kids have been adjusting and getting better and better.  We are all making friends, joining in things, and finding cool things to do here.  I even accepted a date with a nice fella and have been enjoying myself immensely on that front as well.

Life's changes - I've experienced LOTS of new all in a year's time - embrace it, change is good for the soul, and God really doesn't give you more than you can handle - or perhaps thinks we should handle it! Growth, learning, development, skill-building...go with it!  : )

Being Open - in ALL kinds of places!

Well, I have decided to be open to meeting people, but have recently discovered a couple things.  People SAY there are still good men left, but nobody KNOWS any!  HA HA So here is a funny story about meeting people in all kinds of unexpected places!

I was meeting with a couple insurance agents getting quotes.  While waiting for things, small chat ensued and upon getting an idea of who or how I am, one joked that I was quite a catch!  I said after my recent ponderings over where the good men are, said "I AM a good catch, but where are any good men to match me with if there are some left then?" He said he had someone in mind and proceeded to tell me about him and got VERY excited about the possibility!  We carried on about our insurance business and I asked him WHY he thought of that guy and me - what made it click for him, what his reasons were.  He shared them and I agreed AND at the same time realized how transparent I am and come across to the world!  HA HA

Well, there was a knock at the door and I joked that it MUST be him....but it REALLY WAS - as evidenced by the other two agents getting red in the face, giggly and quiet, not quite knowing how I pulled THAT one off!  So, that left ME to say something to this poor, unsuspecting fella (who was tall, dark, handsome and intelligent like they said!). 

I introduced myself, asked who he was and let him in on the fact that we had just guessed that it would be him and that they were conspiring to set the two of us up!  We all laughed, and he didn't quite know what to do about that!  He had to run, and the one agent said "I'm talkin to you when she leaves!" HA HA
I DID be brave, left my number for him, said I was game because you never know...we'll see if he calls!

Breaking the Rules!

So, I have so many rules that all the lady friends tease me...see posts below for a fun time! 
Well, even I was bound to break one...or two.  I did!  I stepped outside my box, was logical, thought it through and then BAM...broke a rule!

My friends and I went dancing one night, and I believe RULE #1 is to NOT give my number to a guy in a bar!  You can just imagine where this is going, but here's the story...and the learning experience!

My friends and I noticed this REALLY GREAT dancer early in the evening, he was just amazing to watch...we watched, then did our own thing for some time.  I lost a friend and went to an area with a platform so I could see better, when lo and behold I was standing right next to that fabulous dancer!  Here is what we noticed, he did ANY kind of dancing, never left the floor, and never had a drink in his hand...aside from being attractive!  So, I decided to be brave and said he was a VERY good dancer, fun to watch...small chat for a few minutes later, he asked why I didn't ask him to dance, to which I replied "you were ON the dance floor the whole time!" so he grabbed my hand and asked if I would please dance with him!  We did...for HOURS!  Without leaving the floor, without that awkward leaving the dance floor after the obligatory single dance...it felt so natural, so smooth, we just kept dancing...!  Two step, jitterbug, more and more, slow and fast.  Then the music switched to hip hop and he went with that too - very well I might add!  My dream come true would be a guy who can dance! 

Well, without thinking of 'hooking up' and the 'exchanging' of numbers, I was so in the moment I was shocked when they announced 2nd to last song and we had danced for a couple hours!  I joked that it didn't seem he'd be letting me go for the last 2 songs and he replied that he'd have a hard time letting me go at the end!  He then did the usual of wanting to go hang out, grab a bite, or exchange numbers, and the whole while I was stumbling over my rules...refused to give him my number, telling him of my silly rule, to which he suggested we step outside, then I wouldn't be IN a bar and could give it to him, or I could take his number instead.  I kind of agreed! 

On our way out, I found my friend again, only to find out she had dislocated her KNEE!!!!   Well, this fella had said he was a medic and we got to find out he wasn't LYING!  He stepped up, helped for almost an hour getting her ice, wrapping her knee and helping to the car.  He even phoned ahead the hospital we were going to head to.  Then he turned to leave to let me handle it from there, and said so cute over his shoulder 'I told you I was a nice guy!" and I said I'd break my rule and give him my number and I did! 

Well, here is where my confusion comes into play - he hasn't called.  Danced for hours, not drunk, wanted my number, wanted to grab a bite to eat, wasn't lying about his profession even, called the hospital doing what he said he'd do...and yet hasn't called.  What gives?  Did he think because I wouldn't that I wasn't really interested?  The funny thing if that may be the case, is that I WAS interested...enough to break my first and foremost rule TO give it to him! 

Here's what I am thinking...my defensive self-protecting ways wants to further stick to my rules now and not EVER give my number out.  The brave outside-my-box self thinks I was meant to bend or break my own rules...I made them, I saw logically that he seemed fine to give my number to him and it did break all my thinking and boundaries that I wouldn't or couldn't meet someone in a bar.  Maybe that was all that was supposed to happen, regardless of him calling...though DANCING the night away again would have been amazing, and throw in a dinner or something too!  Could have been fun! 

I guess here's to jumping back in AND breaking the rules!

NEW RULES!

Well, all my single ladies, I have 3 original dating rules you can find below, but I am now incorporating some NEW ones, namely some ONLINE RULES!

1. Watch out for SHORT profiles - they don't put enough thought, time, or effort into it and how can you tell them apart without some details?
2. Get to the meeting quickly, but also not too quickly!  Example: You don't want to be emailing for a few weeks, then maybe a phone call or two finally before you meet.  BUT on the other end, you don't want to have a connection then meet the next day either!  You want to be taken seriously and that you are worth meeting, but you also don't want to appear desperate and completely available!
3. Watch for the men that say LONELY, or 'missing someone' and other such things!  Those are likely the desperate ones, looking for you to fill a void.  Each person should be whole, complete people looking to share some fun in life with a complimentary partner...that's it.
4. If you email and they don't reply, leave it alone, you only want the ones interested in you anyway.  
5. Feel free to let them take the lead & ask for your phone number, or personal email, etc...or even to meet up somewhere.
6. ALWAYS meet somewhere, drive yourself, make it public, make it time-limited in case it does not go well.
7. HAVE FUN!!!  This online thing is supposed to be a vehicle to MEET people, that's it!  Get to the meeting, see what happens from there, one date no harm done!  Free meal?  Maybe...

Later gals!

Ski Trip - Lawyer

Well, one match.com guy I went on 5 or so dates with and I felt comfortable & when he invited me to go skiing to Big Sky, I decided things were going well enough that I accepted!  It sounded fun, getting away, and I had never skiied there! 

So Saturday we headed up, he was sweet, affectionate, excited, funny, all the same.  He paid for everything (he's a lawyer, I don't think money is an issue!) and it was seemingly very fun!  All went well Saturday night, even given the awkward 'overnight' scenario. 

So what happened Sunday morning?  I woke up with Jekyl!  He was irritable, snippy, rude, short with me, uninterested in a damn thing I had to say, walked off into restaurants and rooms without me, all kinds of stuff!  I think we both could hardly wait to get home. 

BUT, the skiing WAS amazing!  I kept telling him he could go do black diamond runs if he wanted to, that I didn't want to hold him back, because I just wanted to ENJOY the skiing without pressure & without his irritations. I wanted to ride the lifts with interesting people, like the couple guys from TEXAS here for a medical conference.  Life is great, no sense for grumpiness! AND, if he was that way in the beginning when one is supposed to be on your best behavior, then what would I possibly be getting into?  YUCK!  No thanks!

Coffee Guy

Well, here is an interesting scenario.  After all these previous guys I was trying to see how to meet a guy, not have it be with friends, with alcohol, and not for too long in case it went badly, and I thought of it!

I emailed one guy that I found intriguing on the site, and I said that I was going to cancel my membership as it wasn't meant for me to meet people this way.  But he intrigued me at least in writing and if he felt like meeting me in the real world, I frequented the Off The Leaf Coffee Bar on Friday mornings about 8:05-8:30.  I said that on a Monday and forgot about it, never really thinking that someone would show up!

Well, I did do my usual stop on Friday morning, grabbed my drink, visited with the friendly staff, got the paper, ran into a friend and said hello, then sat at a table...when here comes this incredibly handsome fella who says to me "Where's your box of crayons?"  I was STUNNED to say the least...that he showed up!  And the crayon line?  He had said in his profile that he ran with scissors, didn't obey the speed limit and coloered outside the lines...so I had replied in my email to him that I came with my own box of crayons for doing just that! 

Well, we visited for an hour and I thought it was GREAT! I would have completely seen him again...I gave him my phone number and haven't heard yet.  He said he could be such a procrastinator and had even sat down to reply to me a couple times then got this coffee email and decided to come.  So, if one is going to procrastinate THAT much, I'm not interested...even though he was DAMN cute and intelligent!  Too bad!