Monday, May 26, 2008

Changes

So I'm back...

Happy Memorial Day!

Where shall I begin?

I start my new job June 2nd and I cannot wait!! My last day at my current job is this Friday and the day I walk out those doors will be the best day of my life to date. No joke. You have no idea how many times I've dreamt of that very moment. And I have to admit, I never thought the day would come. I basically feel like I've been dead inside for the last three years during my time there. Now I feel free!

Naturally, Deborah is freaked out by my leaving; it's her worst nightmare. She's cleaned out the bags of Grandma's cookies from four floors of vending machines, which leaves two floors to go in our building. Will she successfully go through all six floors before my last day? I sincerely hope so. She keeps asking why the vending machine guy hasn't refilled the cookies yet. It's not his fault the supply exceeds her demand. I said, "Deborah, you're like the cookie monster." Her response, "I know. They used to call me that when I was younger." For some reason, Stripes and I upset her the other day so she ignored us all Friday. I honestly have no idea what set her off but it will be interesting to see if she continues to hold a grudge my last week.

As for my new job, I will actually be doing things related to my major so I am very much looking forward to that. TheGuy's sister hooked me up with the job so if it turns out I really enjoy it, I will forever be indebted to her. I'm feeling fairly positive about the potential of this job so I hope things work out. Another great part is that I'll be working downtown so it's only a few miles away which means I will be taking the city bus, drastically reducing my gasoline costs.

It seems as though there was a brief interlude where I wasn't living up to my partying ways, but have no fear, I seem to have made up for lost time in the past month. Last weekend I was out for a bachelorette party and towards the end of the night, C-Sharp and PFunk showed up so I sat at the bar and drank with them. When the bar closed, we planned to take a cab to another bar that stays open later but we couldn't get a cab. We kept walking and walking and then C-Sharp said we could probably get a cab from The Loop, which is in the opposite direction of my place. So I ran away from them in the street, being the stubborn drunk I am, and decided to walk home. Right before the bridge I cross to get home, one guy decided to relieve himself in the bushes right beside the park bench so I yelled out, "Hey, you're gonna get a ticket for public urination!" He said, "Oh yeah? I'll pee in your mouth!" I learned nothing shuts me up faster than "pee in your mouth" so I went on my way. As I was nearly halfway across the bridge, the pee guy called out, "Hey girl! Wait up!" I just kept walking without turning back. He continued, "I know you hear me! Hold up, we may as well talk since we're going the same way!" I quickened my pace and exited the bridge to a side street. Maybe next time someone tries to tell me not to walk home from the bar by myself, I'll actually listen. Maybe.

Friday night was sorta interesting. One of TheGuy's friends from college was in town for the weekend so a bunch of people got together at a bar in NE. You may recall I bumped into MJ there a year ago. Before we headed there, we stopped at another bar in NE and met up with some of TheGuy's friends. We were supposed to meet at 9:30 but one of the guys recently moved here from Kansas City so being that he wasn't familiar with the area, he agreed to pick up another friend from a suburb 30 miles outside the city. There were only about twenty people in the bar but it turned out that I ran into one of Buzzkill Biatch's friends. She was there with her husband and another couple so we sat and talked with them for a while.

Eventually TheGuy's friends showed up and we had a drink, then headed to the other bar. As we were walking in, I told TheGuy that one of the bartenders liked me so hopefully he would be working so he'd hook me up with drinks. TheGuy's response, "Just act like you're gonna sleep with him."

When we first went up to order drinks, there was just one dude behind the bar but it started getting busy, so the bartender told one of the wait staff to "get Ryan." I couldn't remember if that was his name, but apparently it is, as he showed up and took my order. I started a tab with him so I went to get all my drinks from him throughout the night.

So TheGuy had stepped outside to wait for me, as it was uncomfortably hot inside and it took a while to get a drink, but he waited for me to walk to the table on the patio where everyone was sitting. Prior to this, I had wondered if LP was going to be there because she is good friends with the girl who was there from out of town. Sure enough, as we walked up, LP was there with her bf at a table of about 15 people. They were at the opposite end of the table, however, so there was never any interaction between TheGuy and LP. I don't know how I felt about it. It was weird and it made me want to bring up the fact I knew he tried to date her behind my back. But I resisted.

Instead, I got really drunk (super strong drinks will do that) and had fun talking with MJ every time I went back inside to get drinks. After I bought the second round of drinks, he said, "By the way, you look fabulous tonight." It was sweet and flattering. No one has ever told me I looked fabulous before. And oftentimes I don't like when people are so forward, or especially if they say it as a "line" but he's not like that. I mean, he's smooth but I don't think he would say things like that unless he genuinely meant it.

Later on, he had told me he was going to get off work soon so he would come out and say hi. The next time I went back for drinks, his shift had ended, as he was sitting at the bar. He said he'd gone and out found me on the patio but that he hadn't wanted to interrupt since I was with such a large group of people. Probably that, and the fact I was surrounded by two dudes on each side of me. Conversation is kind of fuzzy but we made plans to go biking/rollerblading for Sunday since he always sees me running and lives just across the river. We exchanged numbers and then he sent me several texts over the last hour of bar time. First he wanted me to come out and say bye to him because he was leaving and then his second one said, "So glad to see you again, can't wait to hang out :)" I thought that was sweet. And his last one said, "And I'm not that young!" But he really is. I think he's like three years younger. He told me but I can't remember due to all the rum. Yup, he's a baby.

For the last round of drinks, I went in and ordered mine first while I talked to MJ. Though I was supposed to be getting drinks for TheGuy and his friend too. Apparently I was gone for quite a while, as I later realized I got a text from TheGuy asking if I had died. Oops. So after I ordered my last drink, MJ told the bartender to put it on his tab. And then I later ordered the other two, but I am pretty sure I had already closed out my tab by that point so I don't know what happened to those two drinks. I really hope they didn't end up on MJ's tab! I couldn't carry all three drinks out to the table so MJ helped me carry one of the specialty glasses and gave it to TheGuy. All night I kept thinking how I was a bitch, but I can't deny liking all the attention I was getting from MJ.

In my drunken, only half-serious state, I hadn't realized Sunday was a bad day for me, as I had to watch Brody at my parents' house. When MJ called Sunday, I didn't answer but later called back and explained I had forgotten about watching my dog at my parents' and that I would call him later. I decided not to hang out with him though and instead went to TheGuy's house and we went on a walk, got ice cream at Grand Ole Creamery (how have I never heard of this place before? YUM!) and then met up with his friends at the bar for a while. I feel like it was sort of our "coming out" weekend to his friends. I know a lot of the same people as him on acquaintance terms, but we don't usually go out to the bars together so most people don't/didn't know we were dating.

There was one really awkward moment on Saturday night when we went to a bbq/housewarming party for one of his friends. His friend flat-out asked him if we were dating while we were standing in the kitchen, as he'd heard through his wife's friend, also a friend of mine, who had been informed we were dating through one of my friends when I received my second wedding invitation solely addressed to me, no "+ guest" this summer. It was incredibly awkward. Seeing our discomfort, he immediately apologized, saying he "just had to ask."

One other thing, LP and her bf were there again Saturday night when we met up with a lot of the same people from Friday night at a bar.

TheGuy hasn't said anything about Korea recently and I haven't asked. I had a lot of fun spending time with him this weekend, but there are always doubts swirling around in my head. I don't know, maybe I will always be like that with every guy? Sometimes I wish I could just be "normal" and happy with the way things are, but I always seem to feel restless and uncertain.

Oh, I bought a new sofa with chaise and a chair this weekend! My new furniture is tope though so I'm terrified of spilling on it, but I'm excited to be able to lay down on my couch!! Right now, I have two loveseats that are terribly uncomfortable to lie down on. I can't wait to spend hungover days on my chaise!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Big News

I got a new job!! Tomorrow morning I inform my bosses I'm leaving. Couldn't be any more thrilled about imagining the moment I walk out of those doors forever!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Maybe Bye Bye

Last week TheGuy submitted his application to teach English in Korea, stating June 1st as his available start date. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. On one hand, I know I'd be crushed by his departure - - it's only once in a great while that I allow myself to grow so close to someone. In fact, the pathetic part of me may or may not have cried in my cube at work on Friday when my co-worker Stripes decided to stop by.

Yet part of me hopes he goes since I know he's not the right guy for me. When he asked if I thought he should go, I told him I couldn't encourage him nor would I dissuade him from going. I told him to do whatever is best for him and if that doesn't include me, so be it. I may be a mess for a while, but I'll understand and get over it and continue to be his friend. Ultimately, I could never feel good about myself knowing I held him back and became the source of his regret and/or resentment, which is what I would be doing by telling him to stay.

If he decides to go, I will discontinue hanging out with him immediately. Then I'd just be waiting around, all sad and depressed and shit, and who wants to do that?

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Show Time

I managed to score two tickets to Robin Williams for tomorrow night! Last week he announced a three-night stand in Minneapolis (with proceeds going to local charities) to feel out material for his upcoming show at the MGM Grand.

He chose the small venue, Acme Comedy Co., which only accommodates 275 people so tickets sold out in thirty-eight minutes. Tickets were available by phone or website, but the small club staff only had three people to answer phones and the abundance of hits caused the site to crash, resulting in disappointment and rage for many of Williams' fans. By a stroke of luck, I was able to buy tickets online for tomorrow's show (the only night still open at the time).

I'm pretty excited! TheGuy told me Robin Williams sweats profusely on stage, going through an entire case of water per performance, sometimes using a full bottle to completely douse himself. The Acme owner referred to Williams as "low maintenance", saying his only request was "twenty bottles of water."

Craigslist posters are willing to fork over $400-$500 for a couple tickets. Even more interesting are some of the desperate pleas/proposals...

HI THERE! MY HUBBY AND I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE ROBIN...WE RENT HIS "LIVE ON BROADWAY" A FEW TIMES A YEAR WHEN WE REALLY WANT TO LAUGH..and the BIRDCAGE...forget about it. WE'LL PAY ANY FAIR PRICE and buy some drinks. I coach softball and will not be able to go to WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY so the tickets will need to be for Tuesday. It would be a super awesome, coolest thing you could ever do for a us. Wanna give back to the community....give two tired teachers a well dererved night out. SMILES AND BIG BEAR HUGS Oh yah...I am an Enlgish teacher-organic gardener-and the best darn babysitter around...Willing to trade!!!!

Playing the teacher card? Giving back to the community? We're good people! Who the hell cares? Love her misspelling of "English" teacher and her need to share she's an organic gardener. Frankly, I'd be horrified if she was my kid's English teacher. Smiles and bear hugs all around!

I’ve read all the CL posts; was it 2 or 4 tickets for $800, the idiot who bogged about his friend scorning his tickets from the inside, all of ‘em. .

There is NO SCALPING if Acme Club can help it. I was lucky enough to get 4 tickets for Wednesday night, my birthday; I’ll be 55, the OLD speed limit : )

I’m looking for another couple, age appropriate, to share them with. I’ve got the tickets, I did the research, I did the leg work, I‘ve got the dinner reservations and there is MORE.

What are you going to contribute, it has to be more than ’split it’ with me.

Send me your cell phone & we’ll discuss it.


Using your tickets to entice swingers? This is just plain CREEPY.