Reflections of a Breakup.

one-day-things-will-get-betterI’m now 4 days into the breakup.  My first weekend without ATrain.  It’s hard.  Weekends are going to be the hardest because that is when I have extra time on my hands.  The time I would usually spend running errands and hanging with the ATrain.

First, the fact that we are broken up doesn’t surprise me.  ATrain and I had been talking about our relationship, where we were, and had a few very frank conversations about what we each needed to make a relationship work.  So, having the conversation on Tuesday wasn’t a shocker in that we were talking about our relationship and our needs.

What I didn’t expect was that it wasn’t a conversation we had. It was him telling me that he had given thought to our past conversations, and that at the end of the day, he didn’t want what I wanted, and he didn’t care to meet my needs.  It was so abrupt. And on top of it, the parts about him being desired by other women who were/are waiting for me to get out-of-the-way AND his unexpected trip out-of-town this weekend…  It all just took me by surprise.

Yes, I’ve been mopey and sad.  No one likes to be rejected, especially by someone they love and care for.  Will I recover, yes. But it will take time, there is a lot of thinking I need to do.  After 4 days, I’ve come to realize that I’m very sad for myself.  ATrain has become a best friend.  He is also a very good friend to my friends.  He is definitely in “my circle” of very close friends.  He hasn’t called me today – and I miss that.  And I miss him.  It sucks.

But there is something else that is really upsetting to me.  It’s the question I keep asking myself.  Why did I wait so long to put my needs on the table?  What was I waiting for?  I believe I spent most of last year just trying to figure out what I wanted. And when I finally figured it out and was able to clearly articulate it, it took ATrain all of a week to figure out he didn’t want to go there.  So just like in my marriage, I spent a lot of time in a relationship that in the end, was never going to give me what I needed.  Why am I doing this to myself?

I just don’t get it.  With ATrain, I never felt safe. I never felt that I could let my guard down.  When we were living together I used to have dreams that I would come home from work and he was packing my things up and moving me out – and moving someone else in.  I was having these dreams over and over…  when things where really good between us.  I realize now (hindsight is 20/20) that I never felt like I could fully depend on him, that I had to be careful. Of course, I must mention that my worst years professionally have been the years I was with ATrain.  I do feel badly for him in the sense that I was not in a good place, and maybe he just didn’t know how to support me.  Who knows.

But things did get a lot better between us when I moved out….  but once you move out, move “away” from the relationship, it is very hard to bring it back together.  And that is where we were – trying to bring it back together, come together in a better way.  We all know the outcome of that effort.

I will be taking the great advice offered on Trifectatribe.com and spending a few months alone, remembering, analyzing, reflecting, and basically just mourning the loss of another relationship.  And when I’m ready to open up and make room for friends, family, and the like, I’ll get up and out..  It will happen.  It’s just a matter of time.

Regarding a few comments made on my Breakup post:

  • I’m NOT upset that ATrain beat me to the punch wrt the breakup. I’m startled and hurt by the way the message was delivered and how quickly It feels that I’ve been forgotten.  It feels eerily similar to my experience with my ex-husband – he’s recovered rapidly and on the road to a new relationship before we are even over.  Why does this happen? Why do I take years to recover, and my ex’s can zip right out and find themselves “new girlfriends” within a week? So they don’t have to be alone? What is it?!?  Tell me!
  • Regarding finding the diamond in the rough that is looking for a girl like me.  My Ex was that.  He was a quiet one that I noticed behind a computer monitor way back when..  and look how good that worked out for me.  By all appearances, he like it so much, he let it happen again while we were married. 😉
  • I do believe there are good guys out there. I believe there are men who actually like and want to be in a relationship.  And these kinds of men, when they notice a great gal, will speak up and go after what they want.  And at this point, I want to be healthy, happy, and ready to engage.

There is a lot of work I need to do on myself.  To figure myself out (again) and get to a happy, healthy place.  I need to be sure of myself, sure of what I want, and this will get me to where I want to be – in a relationship where both parties are getting everything they want and need.

Here is to a healthy, happy 2015.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.

keep-calm-move-on-from-ex-boyfriendSo tonight was the night.  I had dinner with A-Train, as we do many nights, and he let me have it.  The breakup. It’s happened.  He said the following:

  • He will always love me, love my quirkiness
  • wants to remain friends (this is a shocker, he always told me that if we broke up I’d never see him again, that I would be “on my own”)
  • That I’m super special, I don’t know it, and it will upset him to no end if I end up with someone who doesn’t recognize it or treat me as well as he did
  • That now I can “move on” and date whom I’d like (he said it as if I had someone in the pipe)
  • AND that he is going away this weekend…

All his topics caught me by surprise, however, the last one was “it” for me.  I know men – they don’t break up with someone unless they have someone waiting for them.  Every boyfriend/husband I’ve been with this has been the case.  Men don’t move on unless they already have someone else.

I don’t know who the ATrain has met or where he is going, but he is on a natural high, he is now rich beyond belief and it doesn’t surprise me that he’s “found” a new woman.  He even told me tonight that women ask him how I’m doing, in anticipation that we have broken up so they can pounce.  Is he a catch? Totally.  Is this what I need to hear while he is breaking up with me? Absolutely Not.

So there you have it. I’m back on the market.  All 43 years of me, worn, weathered, battered, beaten beyond belief, in no shape or form to date.  I’ll need to get healthy before I get back out there, which given the way I do it, I’ll be reclusive for the next 6-12 months, focus on my health.  Maybe now I can lose my extra weight (because I’m hiding away??).. who the hell knows.

What am I going to do?  I’m going to recover, focus on my career, lose some weight and get my confidence back. THEN I will begin dating again. Then, maybe then, I’ll meet someone who wants a partner in crime, someone to wants to be taken care of AND wants to take care of someone…   WE shall see.

Boy am I tired.  Life has got to be/get easier.  Will this breakup make my life easier?  Time will tell. For now, I’m surprised that it happened now but not surprised that it happened. And it will hurt like hell when I find out who ATrain is courting (it always hurts to know you’ve been lied to)..

Effortless & Natural.

effortless and natural  I’ve been obsessing about my relationships these days…  Why? Because its time .. time to “pull a Paula” and put together a T-Graph of pro’s and cons..  do I have time for this? Not at all. These last few weeks at work have SUCKED … yesterday I got to the point where my mind was a blur ad I could no longer physically see anything. I went home, got in the bathtub, and cried for about 20 minutes.  It got me through today.  Happy Friday everyone.

So why am I thinking about “Effortless & Natural”?  I’m reflecting on my relationships.  The one I’m in now was E&N for the first 6 months, but its been soooo hard these last 3 years.  The last 3 years of my marriage was difficult – see anything in common?  Yeah, me too. I try my damnest to make something work that just isn’t meant to be.

When I met my now ex husband, I had that lighting bolt feeling, that time moment where time stood still for what seems like forever.  Then  and everything we experienced felt so effortless and natural…  I knew he was the one until I learned he was sticking his dick in other peoples vaginas…

Then I met My Mr. Big… same thing.. lightening bolts.   Our relationship worked for me, seemed so effortless and natural.. but alas, he disappeared.

Then I had a long string of dating mishaps… until I met ATrain… whom I’ve dated for 3+ years and we are not committed.  I felt bolts when we first met, but then I spent soooo much time seeking his approval (vs. asking for what I want/need) and in work hell… now, I feel I look at the relationship and realize that he is doing me a favor!  I think he wants to break up with me but not hurt me….  I know, crazy.. Who doesn’t want to be with Paula?!!?!?

Maybe its me – but I’m becoming much more clear on what I want, what I need, and where I see my life going.  As strange as this sounds, I want someone who:

  • trusts me, and who I can trust (integrity is a must)
  • is a partner, someone that truly has my back
  • wants to take care of me – and this DOESN”T make me a gold-digger…  which is a huge epiphany for me
  • lets me take care of them (none of us can go it alone)

I love ATrain, love him. Can’t imagine my life without him. I love his strong personality. But for the last 3 years he hasn’t made room for me, for my personality, for the things I want and need…  There is only room for ATrain for himself and his son in his life.  As I reflect,  I realize that he never made room for me because I was soooo accommodating.  What do I mean?  I just wanted to make him happy and making him happy was a full-time job.  I gave him control, and with that he turned into a demanding 4 year old.  And now he is used to having someone of my caliber and quality around without having to work for it.

I’m looking for Effortless and Natural…   tell me your experiences … are you married to E&N?  How does your relationship work?

Love At First Feeling.

passionate-loveYou know the feeling.  That moment you lock eyes with someone and that tingling/sensation takes over your entire body?  Have you had this before? The feeling that you know something is going to happen… you just don’t know what.   I have, but only a few times in my life.  Each time it was a doozy.  Wooo weeeh! They have all been worth it.  A few of them I’m still friends with and I love that.  Why?  Because I love their human being’ness.  I love that I still know then, that I really know them. They may not have the same feelings for me, we are not in the same state, but they are good people all around, and they have made my heart and “nether region” sizzle.

I’ve been fortunate to experience this a few times.  It hasn’t happened to me in a while, and I would really like this to happen to me in 2015.  I want to be whisked away – with intelligence, brilliance, humor, sarcasm… God, take me away!  Every man that I’ve met that has made me feel this way has an opportunity for a second change.. my heart is always open to continuing whatever we share together… except the EX.  No Integrity == zero interest.  All others had integrity, were honest as well as lovely, gorgeous, and absolutely perfect for me at the time we met.

O.k. nothing more interesting than that to share.  That “the spark” is so intoxicating, and every time I’ve followed-through on it, I’ve become a better person – better lover, better partner, better me.   Win, win, win.. 🙂

I promise myself this year that if I run across this – an intriguing male that makes my heart skip a beat – I will do something about it.  Why?  Hmmmm, Who knows what I will do?? I don’t know – but this is what will keep me/us on our toes!  I’m ready for something new, for something connected, for something fun, interesting, and different.

Yeahhhh!  Oh, and if you run into Brett Cullen, please tell him about me. I love him!!

 

New Year is A’Coming.

big-changes-coming-soonI get SUPER EXCITED about the New Year – I see it as an opportunity for reflection and change.  I love to look back on the year, see where I am, where I am not, as compared to my goals and aspirations.

This year was the first year I did not write down my resolutions – and I’m paying for it.  I have no way to measure myself, and I feel like I wasted most of the year.  I gave up on 2014 about 4-5 months ago.  A lost year for me.  I wanted to do so much, but did almost none of what I wanted.  This year, I’m starting early.

I feel like I’ve already started on my 2015 resolutions. I do not want another year to go by and be in the same place.  I’m serious about making a plan and working that plan….

One of the biggest changes that happened already is a job change.  I really wanted to call Zuora home, but they were like family that only wants you to stay a few days, not for a while.  I tried my best to stay, worked really hard to do something amazing. . Alas, I clued in that we weren’t on the same page so I moved on.  Bums me out as I loved the technology and all my customers…  but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.  I’ve been at the new company for a month now, so far so good.  I’m taking a lead, doing what I love (to organize things, make a difference), and learning new things.  I am looking forward to finding my professional home – the place that feels like home when I’m not home. So far so good.  So far there aren’t any real politics that I can see, just a great bunch of good, solid, really smart people all working towards the same objective/goal/outcome.  Great technology and culture.  I feel like I fit in.  It will be a matter of time before I figure out if I do or not.

I’ve spent the last 10 months trying to break up with A-Train.  I love him, but I’m convinced we are not meant to be a couple. For a variety of excuses reasons, It hasn’t happened yet.  He is a super nice guy, I love being around him, we just aren’t a good team.  My fear of losing him as a friend stops me from doing what is best for the both of us.  Although I still do not know why in the world he wants to be with me – I’m a horrible girlfriend.  I will someday provide a list of all the ways I’m a horrible girlfriend….

Anyway, one resolution is to write more.  I like to write, its therapeutic for me, and I love the advice/wisdom I get from my readers.  So expect more this year from me. I’m ready to deliver.

Keep me honest folks – hold me to my goals and commitments!

 

 

 

Where is My Mr. Big?

happy-coupleI miss him.  I know I’ve done a lot these last few years, and maybe I have been hard to track down given all my moves, but a day doesn’t go by where I wonder where My Mr. Big is and how he is doing.  Is he happy?  Does he wonder where I am? Does he wish things had ended differently? Does he wonder if I still think about him?  For me, what we shared was the most simple and honest of all my relationships.  I understood and liked his quirks. I thought he felt the same.  If we had questions or were confused, we confronted them.  There were no elephants in our closet (like there had been in my marriage)…

Given the way he disappeared, I don’t expect to ever see him again (bummer for me as he was a good-looking man, and laying my eyes on that piece of man candy would be awesome!).  I would love to see him, if only briefly, to get a better understanding  of what he was going through, what was going on in his head when he decided to move on.  What was on the other end that was worth giving up what we shared?  I’m not  judging, I just would just like to know.  I’ve got all sorts of ideas in my head, it would be nice to put the ideas to rest and know the truth, no matter what it is.

I think of “us” now, especially as I move onto yet another phase in my life. I wonder what it would be like to have him by my side. If he would support it, steer me in a different direction…  I respected him, his experience, and his advice.  And to some degree, wonder what it would be like to have him by my side.

If anything, I don’t understand why people who loved each other so much can’t stay in contact, be friends, be supporters, be the cheerleaders we all need in our lives.  I’m not a jealous person, so I don’t get how people can choose to drop out of someone’s life … if you loved someone at one time, don’t you still love/admire those qualities about that person?

Anyway, this is a short post about missing someone who is special to me.  He taught me about love, passion, and happiness, and that all of it IS possible with a partner (vs. on your own). I know how to get there on my own, but the cats meow is when you can get all of the above WITH a partner.  Thank you Mr. Big. Wherever you are, I hope you are happy, smiling, and at peace with yourself.   xoxo.

A Year In April.

In April, it will be a full year since I’ve seen or heard from My Mr. Big.  I can’t believe it.  A FULL Year.  I never thought it was possible, us not being together, now its been a full year since we’ve had any contact.

As far as I know he hasn’t tried to reach out to me.  I’ve wanted to respect his privacy and wishes, so I’ve only thought about him.. except one time.  I did send him a Happy  Birthday email on his birthday in December.. no response.

Crazy how life changes. How you can go to thinking that someone will always be there for you, with you.. and another minute, they are gone, gone forever.  I’ve always believed that life can change in an instant…  this experience is no exception.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wonder what happened to him, wonder where he is, if he is happy, why he chose to stop all contact..  But as a dear friend tells me, its my lot in life to wonder about things that I will never learn the answer to.  We are thinkers, wanderers, my friend and I, destined to roam this earth wondering about things beyond our control…

I did and do love him, My Mr. Big.. always will.  He brought such joy to my life, gave me a new perspective on life and love…  I was lucky to be with him, even if just for the short time that we shared together. I do miss him…

A Quick Update And Warning For The Ladies.

Hello All. I miss you!  I’ve been so busy with work and recovering from the flu that I haven’t had a chance to write.  I’ll be surprised if anyone is still around, reading my blog.

Work / Life balance has been extremely difficult these last few months.  Any spare time I’ve had has gone into running errands…  I’m working nights and weekends these days.. ATrain has been making dinner (I’ve never had my own personal chef… I do now!), taking care of me and the cats, just being an all around sweetheart.  A get this – he LIKES doing it.  It makes him happy.  I do not see any resentment or anger towards having to pitch in more…  He says he supports my work, knows I have to do it, and enjoys making my life easier.   I know, sweet.

We have talked about moving in together….  no date planned as of yet.  We would move into his home (its bigger and in a better neighborhood). I will rent my home out – furnished (which I’ve done before – not this home but another property I own in Utah)…  He did have a cat door installed for me and we turned one of his bedrooms into an office for me.  The rest is on me get a few things done and move on in…  Crazy.

Other than that, here are few ideas rolling around in  my head for blog entries: 

  • I love that there is a blogger community and we watch out for each other.  Check out this story – read this post  –  Thomas Murray – A cautionary Tale – then go to Jenni’s site, who blogged about her experience with this selfish sociopath.  This is her last day of her visit with him – http://ohjenni.com/2012/03/05/puerto-rico-part-4/  – but you will want to backward and forward as you desire to get the full story.  Ladies, consider yourself warned. There are men out there that get their jollies off lying and seducing women … scary.  FYI – I just read an article in this months Vogue – An Old Flame Dies Out ,  where a very successful woman had this happen to her as well – with an Old High School sweetheart.  Who reached out to her.   Who spent years lying to her.  He planned it … planned the whole thing.  IT can happen to anyone.  We are all susceptible to wanting what we want and what we want to see in someone. I know I stayed married for too long, loving a person that was not at all who they really were (my EX).
  • What is wrong with fashion this spring?  Lace and Jacquard.  Fugly in my opinion.  Boxy and fugly. You want to walk around looking like a doily?  Not me. How about a curtain/drape from the 1800’s?  Nope,  not me either.  When I start seeing people wear this, I’m going to take pictures.  Maybe it looks good on a hanger or an emaciated model, but ladies please…  say no to this fashion choice this spring.  What is right – bright blue shoes!!!

Let’s see, what else.  Did I  mention that work is crazy? And that ATrain is awesome?

Meet The Sig Others Weekend.

Last week it was visiting my parents in Utah. This weekend ATrain and I spent the weekend in the city that never sleeps:  NYC babe! 

Unicorns and I were talking a month back about how much we wanted to see each other…and meet each others new beaus.  She found a great deal on hotel rooms on our company CorperatePerks website. We booked the rooms, bought tickets for the The Book Of Mormon show and the plan was made.  In addition to meeting up with Unicorns, GFP also happened to be in NYC with his new girlfriend…So, we had ourselves a “Meet the Significant Others” weekend in New York City!

We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria, a great older hotel with larger than normal rooms.  We upgraded our room to get a King+ junior suite so the room was bigger than normal.  It had additional space that had a couch and a few chairs (and a unstocked wetbar).  It was really nice. 

Friday night we all had drinks at the Waldorf then off to dinner at a great French Bistro on the Upper East Side.  Saturday we all did our own thing during the day. ATrain and I met up for drinks/dinner with Unicorns and her new beau. GFP did his own thing with his girlfriend….

Sunday was a lazy day but we had to meet early for dinner because we wanted to eat before our show, which started at 7pm.  We had dinner at Becco.  I have to say that I wouldn’t go there again.  The food wasn’t that great, the service was o.k..  our waitress was great but the restaurant was way too crowded.  Why? Because they put up to 6 people at a 4-top.  They sat a family down next to us, where one of the diners  basically was sitting in Katie’s lap…   It really wasn’t kosher.  This set ATrain off and he let the waitress know that given the overcrowding already, that it wasn’t really reasonable to put more than 4 people on the 4-top.  The waitress basically said they always do this (as I looked around the room and sure enough, they indeed do). We did end up moving to a corner in the room, in the back. It was very tight – waiters had a hard time getting to each table .. and they couldn’t even get to me. I had to lift my plate up to be served….   It was slightly embarrassing that ATrain made a big deal about it given that the restaurant does indeed do this (seemed like we were the only ones not in the know).  But I do think that the restaurant has just gone over the top with their seating there is a line that needs to be drawn with the overcrowding for a buck.  Given that the food wasn’t that great, we will not be going back there.

The Book Of Mormon musical was so much fun.  I haven’t been to a show for a very long time, and this was so funny, I’ve not laughed that hard in a long time.  There are mormon quirky things that I wished had been in the play – like how Mormons love their sugar and anything jello, the way there is a mormon caste system (born mormon is better than a converted mormon), etc.

Oh, and I saw Maya Rudolph  at the play. I said hello to her, that I loved her work.  She gave me a smirk, an eye-roll, and then just walked off (or continued walking, I don’t think she ever really stopped).  Now here is the thing – If you want to be a star, and you become a star, and then someone recognizes you, why don’t you just say “thank you”?  Why be an asshole about it?  I’ll never get it.  You spend your entire life to become a star, you dream to be a star, and when you finally become one AND people recognize you as one, you snub them.  So stupid. 

Anyway, I’m on my way home now, enjoying every minute on my Virgin America return flight.  Thank you Virgin America for having  customer focused and happy employees and the nicest, cleanest planes on the market.

Introducing The Family.

So, I’m home tonight.  I just finished up with dinner at my favorite watering hole with ATrain.  We are doing very well…   so well in fact, that I’m taking him home to “meet the parents”.  I was thinking about it tonight, I’ve NOT introduced my parents to anyone except GFP in 5 years.  Tomorrow I’m taking the ATrain home with me to meet the parents.  5 years.  5 YEARS.  I keep repeating it because I can’t believe it.  My EX never came to Utah with me – I think he thought my family was beneath him (he was spoiled and elitist IMO), the last time he did was 2007.  That means that my parents haven’t met anyone that I’ve been with or dates in the last 5 years.   I know, I keep saying it, it’s just so surprising. No wonder they all think I’m a lesbian!  🙂

BTW, ATrain is Jewish, my parents are Mormon. I didn’t even know that there were Jewish people until I left Utah..  needless to say, there wasn’t much of a Jewish community in Provo Utah in the 1980’s… 

Finally, I should be working, I have a  TON of work to finish up before I can call it a night, but I wanted to share this momentous occasion.  I will let you know how it goes. With any luck, I’ll be able to take time away from work and actually do something fun for a change… like blog!