What a GREAT Weekend.

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So you would think that after my Friday travel day disaster that my weekend would be wrecked…. not so.  I had a fabulous weekend.

I usually do not plan anything on the weekends that are directly after my work travel trips, largely because I do not know what I’m going to need to do (work, run errands, etc..).  This weekend, everything I did was impromptu, and it was fabulous.

On Friday, as most of you know,  I missed my flight home and spent the day in Atlanta and Milwaukee.  I did not get home until 1am on Saturday.  The entire day at the airports sucked, big time. It definitely ranks up there as one of the worst travel days ever.  I was so hung over …. could not get comfortable, and when I finally found a place to sleep, didn’t feel safe enough to actually fall asleep. I was absolutely exhausted when I got home…

My girlfriend FreeBird stayed at my house and watched the little ladies (cats).  She obviously took great care of them because they were indifferent to my return.  I love FreeBird.  When I woke up on Saturday, she and I hung out, caught up, and enjoyed a bit of time together.  Then just like FreeBird, she was off to enjoy the weekend with friends and family.

On Saturday,  I cleaned up my room and organized my closet.  FreeBird has helped me update my wardrobe… and I couldn’t be more pleased. FreeBird is so put together, so stylish… so cool.  She has now made me look fabulous and cool… She has totally set me up to meet the higher caliber men I want to meet (and feel super confident that I look awesome when I’m out!!!). 

Saturday night, GFP came over, I fed him some of my chicken parmesan, we watched a few episodes of Curb Your
Enthusiasm after smoking a bowl…  It was so mellow and fun.

On Sunday, I had lunch with a very good friend of mine and her son, My favorite 4-year-old in CA EVER!  Her name is Spicy, and her little man’s name is Little Flirt. He is just darling, and loves his Paula!  Spicy is giving birth to a daughter in a week, a week!!  She is the coolest chick ever…  I can’t wait to see her again, Little Flirt, and the new little lady!

After lunch, I ran a few errands and went to visit C-Licious.  I haven’t seen her in 2 weeks AND she and her dog are sick. I stopped by to see if I could help and to offer my help with Zeke, Black Magic/Sausage….  he loves me .. I love him. We had a great get-together, caught up on the goings-on over the last couple of weeks.  Oh, and she turned on the BBQ and cooked two packages of chicken mango sausages for me (its one of my addictions, but she supports it).  Gotta love a gal who can operate a BBQ.

Now I’m home, blogging about my great weekend, deciding if I should take the time to fill out a “complimentary membership” to a local, “exclusive”, dating service…  Apparently there are men in the area that are looking for a woman just like me – Fun and Fabulous (older, no kids, with a career, and still attractive).  I’ll keep you updated on this activity…

Harold Wants A 25 Year Old.

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So, I’m watching Millionaire Matchmaker on Bravo. I love this show.  I love watching rich men trying to find real love.  I get that men reach their 40’s and want to have a partner,  a family, a fun relationship (they’ve been too busy working or playing to focus on a relationship, and now they want one).  But they want all of this with a 25-year-old. 

I know.. … What did I just say? Yes, a “mature” man is seeking a solid, happy, relationship that includes kids with a 25-year-old.  Why?  Honestly, what do you talk about when you are 48 and they are 25?  Has anyone met/watched kids this age? Especially the pretty ones?  They are SO IMMATURE for the most part (AbFab is definitely excluded from this group). 

I went out a few times with a very good-looking 35-year-old man (years ago, right before meeting My Mr Big). Boy was he a looker…. but he was SO immature.  Even though we were only a few years apart (me being older), there was at least 10 years difference in maturity level.  I couldn’t handle it…. I had to send that fish back to sea. 

Oh, and while at the Atlanta Airport on Friday, I asked two young men if they wouldn’t mind plugging my battery charger into the wall they were sitting next to.  Of course they did it, were very nice about it, but you know what they called me? “Maam”.   Yep, these young 20-something men put me in the same category as their mother.

So back to Harold.  Patty tells Harold the 48-year-old millionaire, that a 25-year-old will only be interested in you for about 10 seconds AND DO NOT WANT a family and kids at this stage in their lives (clubbing is their #1 priority).  She thinks he should be fishing from the 33-38 year-old pool (still 10-15 years younger than him).   Harold fights back… they have a discussion, and he finally agrees that he is willing to meet an “older” woman…

I don’t know what ever happened with Harold and his new dating pool…  The show is about to end and there has been no update.  So, as nice and cute and rich as Harold is, his brain must not be functioning properly…   Obviously money can’t buy you a brain. 

I found a transcript of the Episode with Harold in it…   My favorite lines from Harold are:

  • “I guess the reason why I deal with all the hassle from Patti and Chelsea (the ladies from Millionaire Matchmaker) is that I’m really determined to find the last piece of the puzzle for me, which is falling in love and having a wife and kids. “
  • “I wanna, you know, get married and have kids.  And so, with younger women, it makes it a lot easier.”

 Like I said, money can’t buy intelligence…  and that is a must for me.  Sorry Harold, you are not going to make my Roster!!  😉

Observations from the Atlanta Airport.

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So, I missed my flight from Atlanta to SF today…. by minutes.   AirTran (an airline I have nothing nice to say about) let me pay an extra $300 for the privilege of taking a later flight.. a much later flight.   My new flight departs at 5pm.. takes me to Milwaukee, where I get on an 8pm EST flight .. and get home at 11pm PST.  Yes, I arrive home exactly 12 hours later than expected, and I get to spend the entire day in the Atlanta airport. 

Here are a few things I’ve observed during the lat 4 hours …

  • Atlanta airport wireless connectivity sucks…. who do I complain to about this?
  • I just saw a woman whip her kid with a belt… I stopped and stared her down.. She didn’t care… neither did anyone else. If you hit a kid in public, lord only knows what she does at home.  Poor kid.
  • So many young men in their army green camouflage uniforms.  God they are so young.. they can’t possibly know the gravity of their decision to serve…  Do people really trust the president to make life and death decisions for them?
  • It is never attractive to wear clothing that has a name printed on the backside.  Honestly, do you really want Juicy or Pink spread across your ass?  If the answer is yes… Why? 
  • Just ate at Wendy’s for the first time in years.. when did I have a choice of chocolate or vanilla for a frosty?  I thought a frosty was just a frosty….  I can’t ever remember having to make that decision before.
  • Why does the Philipino man next to me keep staring at me? He’s actually put on sunglasses… I still feel him staring even though I can no longer confirm it..
  • How do people wear short shorts and tight skirts on airplanes? Aren’t they afraid of catching something? I would be.
  • Why is everyone so fat here? God I hope it isn’t in the water… I’ve been drinking a lot of water..
  • There are also so many flamboyant gay people here.  Not that there is anything wrong with it.. just surprises me.  I thought all the gays were in CA.. kidding people!!  🙂
  • I have 5 hours before my flight … Hope I make it thru security in time.
  • Why do people have so much luggage? What stuff do they really need?  What is it that they can’t live without?
  • I still think I have a lot of alcohol running thru my veins…  I just took another 800 mg ibuprofen to help with the headache (thanks mom!!).
  • I wish there was a place I could go to take a nap.
  • A girl just walked by with a dress so tight I could see her belly button.. not because the dress is see-thru, but because the dress was stretched so tight across her fat belly I could see, very clearly, that she has an innie. So gross.

I need to put together a page about my roster.  Seems appropriate so we can all keep track of the men I’ve dated this year.

New Developments.

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So, this entry could be titled “Safe Sex is Grand”,  “The New IUD”, or “Avoiding Pregnancy”, or any number of “this lady is NOT having a baby” headlines…  but I couldn’t think of anything clever, so here we are.

I have talked to many friends about birth control.. married and single friends.  Married friends, for the most part, have had their tubes tied and/or their husbands have been snipped. (the number of men who have chosen NOT to get snipped and forced their wives to have their tubes tied is astonishing).. Honestly, all I can think about is John Edwards.  Stupid man. If you are going to have an affair, its in YOUR best interest to be snipped. 

Anyway, given the words of wisdom  and experiences from many friends, I decided to go with the Mirana IUD.  I had it “implanted” on Monday.  Funny story…  My cervix was not dilated enough, so they had to force it (whatever they did it hurt).. and then they implanted the device.. (and that hurt worse)…  but the funny part is, that being who I am (I’m o.k. ALL the time)… I decided that I was done, got up, and fainted.  Yep, that’s right, fainted.  The doctor did tell me I looked white, and my comment to him was, “ReallY? I’m so white I glow in the dark.  All the time.” (which I really do, even with fake spray tan on)..   I took a small nap, all went well, and I was home safe and sound by noon (appointment was for 8:30am).

A couple of things:

  1. I love nurse practitioners.  My nurse held my hand, talked to me during my “confusion” phase, and helped me off the floor when I fainted (because I was “just fine”)… Love her.
  2. My doctor said that it works immediately – and he wants to know who the lucky guy who gets christens’ the IUD.. hes so adorable (he has known me for years and knows that I don’t have sex that often)..

So, there it is. I’m ready and prepared to have sex without the biggest consequence – having a baby.  I still will require a condom (lord knows what men are carrying these days)…  but at the very least, I am 99% confident that I will not get pregnant and ruin this fabulous life I’ve created for myself.

When I share the roster, you will see, there are a few men in the running for the “christening event”….

🙂

The Roster.. So Everyone Is In The Know.

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So, at the prompting of all my friends.. I’ve decided to create a Roster List. 

My friends have stated that they cannot keep straight who is on the roster (who has make it to a 3d date) and who has not…  so I’ve agreed to creat a Roster List (just my style) to keep them all informed.  However, I cannot create this list becuase I’m working, working hard.  I’ll do this on the flight home from Atlanta on Friday.

My dating life is not that interesting… I may not be meeting the one (I am still stuck on My Mr. Big. .. still so perfect in so many ways.. tonight I’m in a hotel room that reminds me of the room we shared while in Paris years ago… ).. but at the very least, I’m having a good time.. and my friends want to hear all about it.  The intersting thing – its all new to me, is that I do not sleep with men until we are close to being exclusive.  I dont want to catch any diseases… AND I like to take things slow.  I want to know that these folks are people that I want to spend time with (isnt that what a relationship is about???)..

Anyway, expect a fun update soon!  In the meantime, I’m in Hotlanta, sweating from every pore on my body…   How do people actually live here!?!?!?!?

Summary of a Fabulous Long Weekend.

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So, I had a lovely lovely weekend. A great mix of time to myself and with friends.  I did get a few things done, not everything on my To-Do list, but hey.. the list was very ambitious.  AND I also went with the flow.. so the weekend played out exactly as it should have.  🙂

I did a few productive and noteworthy things…

  1. Prettied myself up with a facial and a hair cut
  2. Watched WAY too much TV (watching all the past seasons episodes of LOST)… I’m addicted to my Roku Box..
  3. Cleaned out my button box and sewed a few buttons back onto their shirts (with the right colored thread, such a homemaker!)
  4. Ate delicious hotdogs, ribs, and coleslaw at a friends BBQ
  5. Had 2 dates with my Millionaire Match guy (Dinner on Friday, Lunch on Sunday)
  6. Took a couple of naps (one of life’s simplest pleasures)
  7. Went for a couple of runs BUT forgot my FitBit (so there is no proof of my activity)
  8. Went to Trader Joes for some delicious food items (salsa, humus, cottage cheese, frozen berries.. YUM)
  9. Sold 2 sets of drapes..

Re: # 4, I went with my GFP to a BBQ …  it was a lot of fun, I met this really cool woman who I just connected with on LinkedIn. I look forward to talking with her again…  Oh, and did I mention that the food at the party was delicious?!?!?

Re: Item #5, I will definitely be seeing Millionaire Match guy so he needs a nickname.  From now on I will call him Raymond.  He looks and has a voice like the main character in Everybody Loves Raymond, thus the nickname ( I know, so NOT creative).   Raymond is Lebanese, interesting, fun, engaging, has his own set of close friends, has a demanding job, has a good sense of humor…   He is definitely into me, and I’m intrigued by him.. so there will be more dates with Raymond. 

Now I’m back to work… updating power points and creating new demo documentation… wooo hooo. But, my manager is on vacation, so it’s a quiet week… I should be able to complete everything by the end of the week!

Lazy Days Of Summer.

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Zoey Napping

Sophie In Her Catstand

I love the summertime. I love the weather, I love the clothing, I love going out, staying out with friends. 

Today was an extra warm day for those of us in California.  Certainly not “hot” by South and East Coast standards, but hot for those of us whose blood has thinned because we don’t experience extreme temperature differences here near the coast in beautiful CA.

Anyway, the cats have been lying around all day… lethargic.  Here are a few pictures I snapped of them living it up here in Sunny CA!  And even though I’m being just as lazy, I did not take a pic of me…

Why So Many BMW 740Li’s Today?

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I spent the day NOT doing what I was supposed to do (tackling that pesky to-do list).  Instead, I spent the morning going for a run with my friend, C-Licious.  I picked her up and dropped her off so I could see her new appliances. She got a new refrigerator – with an auto ice maker.  Knowing how much I love ice cubes,she had to show me, and I had to see it. Today I drank a tall glass of ice-cold water, compliments of my friend and her new Stainless Steel Sears Elite.

I then showered and went on my 2nd date with MM guy.  He asked me to lunch, I said yes.  We had a lovely lunch, a great time together, it is easy to be with him.  He was born and grew up in Lebanon. He was there during the Lebanese Civil War..  I’m intrigued by him and his history.  I look forward to learning more about Lebanon (my own research) and his stories.

Now, I’m sitting home , catching up on all the seasons of Lost (yes, that’s right, sitting at home in my undies watching TV, attractive isn’t it?)  that I haven’t seen since my separation…  I’m addicted to this new little Roku box. I have so many shows to watch, streamed from Netflix directly to my HDTV..  all for the low low cost of  9.99 a month.  Honestly, I may have to add this little box to my list of addictions.

So, the title of this blog, although I’m having a great day, I can’t help but think of My Mr. Big. He drove a 740 Li, and I saw at least 6 of them today – I couldn’t help but slow down and see if he was in the car (even the parked cars.  I know, such a dork).  As much as I like MM guy and enjoyed lunch, I would have loved to have gone to lunch with my My Mr. Big, come home and taken a nap (we sure enjoyed our naps together, “one of life’s simplest pleasures”), make dinner, watch a movie, and make love (for the parents) have great conversation.

There is/was something about My Mr. Big… the way we were together.  It was just so easy, so natural.  I imagined him enjoying the beautiful day with his kids – swimming, golfing, tennis…  he loves doing outdoor activities with his kids.. and he has this bronze skin that is just to die for. I do wish him well, want the very best for him, but I do still miss him.

So, as I catch up on LOST, I wish he was lying next to me, his head in my lap, my fingers running thru his hair, just enjoying his company.  So alas, another evening alone missing what I can’t have.

Easy Breezy July 4th Weekend.

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So I just finished doing all my travel expenses.. gosh, I’ve been procrastinating doing them, now they are done. Feels so good.  My weekend can now begin..

So what’s on my roster this weekend?  A few random things.  With all that I had going on work wise, I just didn’t have time to make many plans.  And the two girlfriends I do most everything with are out-of-town, so I plan to have a quiet weekend to myself attacking my 500+ to-do’s and seeing a few friends.  I’m actually looking forward to it.

Here is just a taste of my 3 day weekend to-do’s:

  • Get a facial (today at 3:30pm .. yeah!!)
  • Unpacking some final boxes (I’m down to the last four, I’ve committed to unpacking two of them)
  • hang the final two blinds in the office
  • pick up a few prescriptions
  • pick up more vodka (here I come BevMo, I love you!)
  • pick up more cat food
  • figure out how to reduce my Astound cable/internet bill (or just switch to Comcast)
  • Sell a few items on craigslist that I no longer need (if they don’t sell, off to goodwill they go, I have a no-clutter zone in my house)
  • mail some stuff to my family

I know.. bet you are all jealous.  In addition to my to-do’s, I have a few other activities with friends planned.

As most of you know, I have taken my profile off all the lam-o dating websites (Match.com back in March, POF in May).  I heard something about a site called MillionaireMatch.com .. and I signed up. I opted for the free version, so I can only reach out to men who reach out to me first.  Doesn’t bother me – every man I’ve reached out to has not worked out (if they even bothered to respond).  I think men need to do the “hunting”, they enjoy the chase, that’s what interests them, so I’ll give that to them.

Anyway, here are the “outside of my house” activities I have planned:  

  • I have a date on Friday.  Happy Hour with a gentleman from MM. I’m looking forward to it.  Seems really nice and works in my industry – at least if there is no connection, we can go on (and on and on and on…) about software and work travel. 
  • I have tentative plans to  have drinks with C-Licious on Saturday.
  • Nothing on Sunday.. maybe I’ll get all my to-do’s done ??
  • BBQ on Monday with my new girlfriend Peter, GFP.  Yes, the only man who I’m friendly with from The Roster. Love this man.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and are able to spend some quality time with yourself, your family, and your friends.  Enjoy the 3 day weekend!  I know I will.

Random Great Day – Run, Hula, and Roku.

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What a day.. .I did everything I wanted to.  I worked a few hours…  but after all the focus and dedication to the demo, it was nice to concentrate on something that doesn’t require so much brain power.

After working this morning, I went for a run. The weather here in Northern California was amazing – sunny, warm, with a slight breeze.  I went to the Bay and did my 40 minute run alongside the water.. combined it with a bit of cross-training (push-ups and triceps lists)…  I could have gone longer, but it was good to not over exert myself in the heat ….. it was a perfect day  and the perfect amount of exercise (and I’ve got it all on my FitBit).  I’ll write later on how much I love my FitBit. Obsessed with it really. I wear it everywhere, even to cocktail hour

Second, my Roku came and I set it up ALL BY MYSELF!  I am in loooooooooooooovvveeee with this new toy.  It allows me to stream movies and TV shows from Netflix..  I’ve already got 30 movies/shows in my “Instant Queue”.. I’m so excited.  I no longer have to wait for my DVD’s.. So, not only can I watch movies/shows from the comfort of my living room, I can watch from the road on my laptop and potentially my cell phone.  God… I’m never going to be “out of the know” on recent shows.

Lastly, I had some hula-hooping fun with my friend’s daughter, Hooping Queen.  We hula-hooped for an hour, then went to dinner..our favorite place with lots of beans (we are both bean girls).  She is such a cutie pie (turns 7 next week!!!).  She taught me a few things, like how to hula hoop from my neck (yes, it definitely hurts). I taught her a thing or two, one being the Cowboy Lasso…  fabulous time.  We made plans for a sleep-over.. should happen sometime this summer.

Honestly, its days like this that make me appreciate my job and what I do…   Every now and again I get one of these “free days”…  and I do not waste a single second of it.  I do the things that are important to me, that recalibrate me..  God I’m so lucky.

So, off to bed I go, with a smile on my face and as happy as can be…  Yay me!