So here's the thing...

...the longer you stay away, the easier it gets.

I've written a dozen posts in the last two weeks--but none of them have managed to make it to actual written text. I've composed a billion of them in my head...but that hasn't helped you lot very much, now has it?

So this may be long, this may be short. It's late, so hopefully the latter.

Item the first:

I went for a drink--okay several--with a man I met on POF. He's a cable-guy. I was quite clear about just wanting to be friends. He seemed fine with that. Later that week, we then went to the movies and had coffee. (We saw Juno--it was a lovely little film--the critics are all correct about this one. Not Oscar worthy as a film, but Ellen Page was fantastic--SHE deserves one...but I digress.) It was okay. I think he was confused about what I consider 'friends' to be. I think he gets it now. He hasn't called me since. I'm okay with that.


Item the second:

Lent began. I gave up coffee. I had a wee bit of an headache on the first day, but nothing much since. I didn't 'cheat' on Sunday, although most clerics say that Sundays don't count because they're officially Feast Days. But to me, it's cheating. So I don't do it. Unless I get desperate. And I'm not there yet. Maybe this Sunday. We shall see. I'm okay with Lent too.

Item the third:

I met a really nice lady on POF. We met for coffee. I had tea. I was okay with that. She seems really nice, if a bit gung-ho. She's from here. Always been from here. Got a bit of an issue with people's social status. She seemed a bit taken aback by my job. I'm thinking she's going to have to learn to be okay with that. That was last Wednesday. We're getting together on Thursday night a local pub to play Guitar Hero. Should be fun. I'd be okay with that.

Item the third:

That same night, DD--my corporate security guy-- came to town again. This time, his intent was entirely social. He met up with us for coffee, and then I went back to the hotel and we drank beer. I got the impression the last time he was in town that he was developing a bit of a crush. This time I was sure of it. He's lovely to talk to--and not unattractive. (I actually had unpure thoughts LOOKING at the guy--first time that's happened in YEARS. Could just be desperation talking, but hey...it was a pretty nifty feeling.) But you know...dipping the quill in the company ink. Not a game I want to play again. I learned my lesson about relationships on the down-low when I was with Luke. Even still, it was nice to be flirted with.

He actually managed to very subtly and very professionally sneak a 'you're a very attractive woman' into conversation. That's impressive. It's also the first time I've heard it from somebody whose opinion might matter to me in a VERY long time. So long, in fact, that I can't recall the last time. Well...I can. It was 2 years ago during the Summer Of Men. So I was due. I was actually VERY okay with that.

I was even okay with the very cheesy and half-hearted comment when I said 'okay, I have to go' and stood up and put my coat on. "Do you really?" *snicker* I mean really...who says that? *laugh* I pretended I hadn't heard him and talked about work as I walked to the door. It was kinda flattering. I needed that. I'm okay with being flattered in a sincere way.

Thing the third: (Am I at 3?)

Friday of last week I went for beer with a fellow I met on POF a looooooooooooong time ago. We'd been on MSN, but then we stopped talking because I started dating Billy...and then I deleted him. I added him as a Facebook friend when he asked me to a while back, and we've been joking around ever since. So when he saw me on POF again, he messaged me on MSN...and we've been chatting it up. He's very funny. We went for beer on Friday, and it was nice. He's very funny in person too, but a lot more reserved and shy than he is online. I didn't expect this. I'm finding that I probably should, but I'm pretty much exactly the same in person as I am online, so it never occurs to me that other people will not be. Anyway, he was fun. We chatted up a storm. We'll be pretty good friends, eventually, I think. I'm very okay with that.

Item the fifth: (I scrolled, that was actually 4 up there. Deal.)

**NOTE** I am absolutely in LOVE with the auto-draft feature. I just hit a mystery button and my post disappeared! I thought I was a goner in Old-Blogger-style fashion. But no! I was saved by the Auto-Draft! Wheee! I love you new-blogger! I love you Auto-draft! I am VERY okay with you! *HUGS*

Item the sixth: (that was not going to be an item, the auto-draft thing, but it was so special a moment to me that it deserved its own bullet point)

Saturday I drove in to Halifax, purportedly to pick up some goods for the store, but really to drink with Steven and Duffy. On the way there, I was taking a truckload of lights to a store along the way. It's a location that sounds like Bureau. I was partway there when the shrink-wrap on my load let go and my truck spewed light fixtures all over the Trans-Canada highway. It was a good time, let me tell you. I pulled over to the side of the road, the guy behind me did the same. He put on his 4-ways and backed up a bit to give the oncoming cars some extra warning. I very cautiously deked out onto the highway to rescue the fixtures from the masses of oncoming steel. I fetched them one at a time, and bolted back to the guardrail on my side of the road. I didn't pile them up at this point, just got them off the road. Once the lights were all over to the side, I then began to stack them neatly into a large pile. I gathered them all to the side, and then spoke to the man in the car behind me. I thanked him profusely for his help and consideration, and assured him I would telephone for assistance immediately.

At this point two things happened. A second car pulled over, and the first man began to pull away. Before he could pull away entirely, I walked up to the passenger window of the second car to assure the newcomers that I was fine. Two young men were in the car, all blinged out and nowhere to go. They asked me for money. The driver got out of the car. His pants were nearly falling off, they were riding so low. He explained that they were having some trouble with their tire, and that their gas tank had a leak in it. He offered to give me one of his rings if I could part with $10 so they could be sure to have enough gas to get back to Halifax. I explained that I didn't even have a dollar fifty to buy myself a cup of coffee, let alone any cash for gas. I have to say, that I don't intimidate easily, but I was feeling quite a bit queasy at this point about the whole situation. Of course, at this point, the first guy decides it's a good time to drive away. Bastige. The car really did look like it was having issues, it was just not a good time for me to begin with--and being approached by two wanna-be thugs at the side of the road when you're already having a tough moment really doesn't make you feel all that Samaritan-like.

So buddy was disappointed, but I was being honest. I asked how far they were going--and they said Halifax. I explained how far away the exit was. I explained that I had to wait for the guy from the store to come and meet me to pick up my pile of lights from the side of the road, but that I too was headed to Halifax. (It was at this point that I realized that I recognized the would-be thugs from the Dome--didn't lend comfort to the situation, just FYI.) I told buddy that while I couldn't offer him gas money, I'd keep my eyes peeled for them, and that if I saw them at the side of the road, I'd pull over and pick them up at least. He looked quite relieved at that and said "Really? That'd be awesome. Even just to watch and make sure we're not stuck. My cell phone died while we were in Moncton--it's been a rough weekend already!"

That made me feel better. They then drove off. That made me feel even better yet.

I piled my lights at the side of the road, then sat in the truck to wait for the cube-van to come from the store to 'rescue' me. I didn't have to wait long, but it was long enough.

Another truck (with a ski-doo on a trailer) stopped up ahead and a really nice man walked back to check on me. I explained that I was fine, and that help was on the way. He was on his way to Newfoundland. I wished him snowy trails, and he went on his way.

Just after that, another car went past. Slowed...brake lights. It pulled over, then reversed up the shoulder to offer assistance. It was our VP of Human Resources. Argh. Not like I couldn't just have an embarrassingly fucked up afternoon in private. Nooooo....I had to do it in front of somebody important. Which meant that I had to confess it to EVERYBODY important. I was NOT okay with that, although he was more concerned about me than the lights, so that was nice.

Finally, the Cube van showed up, we loaded half the lights on the truck, left the other half on mine--(because who wants to play stock transfer at the side of the road at dusk? Really, not me.)-- and I was on my way again.

I got to the Bureau store (no, not furniture, merely a cleverly disguised location) at 6:18 pm. It closed at 6. There wasn't a soul around. Which left me with half a load of light fixtures, and some snow coming up. Argh! So I drove on to Halifax, dropped my load off at their store for the night, and went to Steve's. I REALLY needed a beer at this point! *grin*

Man, this story is getting long....and it's only going to get longer. I think that's it for tonight. I should be able to finish up tomorrow, if I don't make it to Gaelic. Which I likely won't. I'm so far behind at this point that I don't think I can ever catch up. It makes me sad, because I love the in person class, but I'm SOOOOO not good at online stuff. It's like university though, the classes I went to, I pulled of As...the ones that i skipped a lot? C+. Didn't do my GPA any favours, let me tell you.

Anyway--bedtime for this wee-sexy-thing. And you should go too. I'll fill you in on the rest of my rather eventful Un-eventful weekend tomorrow. Goodnight, Poppets!