Notes from My Brain

Random, random list......this is what happens when nothing big happens, and I don't post for a week. Sorry, peeps.

1. Have I told you about my stalker here at work? Yeah. His name is Cleveland, and he stalks me. He tries to talk to me and ask me questions about my personal life. He has asked me for my phone number and if I have a boyfriend, etc. Needless to say, this is pretty awkward and not really welcome on my part. Not only do I have a boyfriend, but I would never date a student here at the school where I work, anyway -- it's just not a good thing to do professionally. Cleveland became so persistent that I had to tell him that my boyfriend would beat him up if he saw him talking to me. I also dropped heavy hints about my boyfriend's "temper", "weight-lifting" and "gun". It got so bad, that I began to wear a fake engagement ring to work, and walk to my car with other people.

He disappeared randomly and suddenly, last fall semester. I thought I was in the clear. Until this week: he requested me as a friend on myspace. It kind of freaked me out because my page is private, so there is little (if any) identifying information to be found by random people. He had to have sat there and hunted me down from some big list and remember what I look like. It kind of creeps me out. I denied the request and didn't reply to his drunken e-mail. I hope this will be the end of it. If he tries to talk to me again, I am going to call security. But part of me is freaking out a little, because what if he's a psycho and this will just royally piss him off??? Ugh.

2. It's official: I suck -- SUCK-- at dieting. At this point, I figure I might as well give up until after the cruise, because let's face it -- I'm not going to eat well while I'm on that boat. There will be a chocolate buffet, people. A chocolate buffet. Take a minute to imagine that. Yeah. I'm toast. This is in addition to the 24-hour pizza and ice cream station. So really, it's a lost cause. But I swear on all things sacred that I will go hard-core diet when I get back. I have to. Or else I will truly be a heifer. No, seriously -- it's starting to piss me off. There's no reason I can't lose at least 20 pounds. That is not even that much. I am being ridiculous, y'all. There's really no excuse.

I have been pretty good this week, after totally blowing my diet last weekend--more on that in a minute. Thank goodness I have very little junk food in the house right now. That helps a lot. I am still working out a lot, but not quite as much as I used to.

3. Speaking of last weekend, I went shopping with Barbie (aka the girl that Repo dated after me) and one of her friends. We had a good time, and I got some really cute stuff: a square-neck "going out" top in this color, an embroidered, tie-back, semi-see-through summery top in a pale dusty blue color, a cable-knit sweater for work in this color, a pair of jeans, a green/lavender/white-striped sundress and a new pair of black flats (old pair had been chewed by Toby). I also used my Sephora gift card from Xmas to buy some Nars blush. Thanks to some gift cards and great sales, I only ended up spending $100, including lunch at Steak n Shake.

Oh, how I miss S&S. We used to have one here in Columbia, but it closed down. They are my favorite burgers and shakes EVER, so I have been experiencing some withdrawals. My cheeseburger with pickles and half-chocolate/half-vanilla milkshake were so freaking delicious. It's kind of good that the closest one is an hour away from me. Or I really would be in serious diet trouble.

Although I had fun, I did get kind of annoyed hanging out with Barbie and her friend. They are both 23, and I had forgotten how immature 23 year-olds can be. I'm sure I was the same way when I was their age. So I was glad to get home at the end of the day, and away from all the drama and hyper-active ditziness. They are fun girls, but I need them in small doses.

4. I was supposed to get some Magic Hat beer for CN while I was in Charlotte. He loves it, and they don't sell it in SC. But I couldn't find any in the areas we were in. I felt really badly, because he was looking forward to it. So to make it up to him, I made him breakfast on Saturday morning: fried eggs, turkey bacon, sausage, french toast, hashbrowns and biscuits. He brought the orange juice and we had a feast!

By dinner time, I still felt like a lame girlfriend for letting him down, so I made him dinner, too: Chili Mac, which he had never had before. It's a dish popular in the midwest. You put spaghetti noodles on the bottom (NOT macaroni noodles, as some imposter recipes call for!), chili beef (which has been cooked with chili spices and beer) on top of that, then kidney beans, diced onions and lots of cheese. It is soooooooo good! It is very similar to Cincinnati-style chili, only I don't put cinnamon in it. But if you ever get the chance to try Skyline Chili or any other Cincy-style chili, you will love it! I know the cinnamon sounds weird, but trust me. Nothing beats this meal on a cold, rainy day.

5. I am still doing pretty well on the budgeting. But I can see the effects of the increasing gas prices: although I am buying the same things I buy every week, my Wal-Mart bill has been slowly creeping. All the stuff I used to buy for $50 is now more like $55-60. Ouch. In order not to de-rail all of my budgeting hard work so far, I am only bringing $200 with me on the cruise.

I figure, I have already paid for my ticket, which covers all my food. I don't drink alcohol. I will probably drink tap water for most of the cruise (I don't really drink sodas anymore). I don't gamble. I won't use their over-priced spa/salon. CN and I have decided not to spend any money on the $100-a-pop excursions. Instead, we are just going to find a beach and pop a squat. If we order sandwiches from room service before we get off the cruise ship in the morning, we can even avoid paying for lunch! The only things I am planning to spend money on include: half of the parking at the port and a few souvenirs. So I am thinking that I will be able to only end up spending about $150.

6. I am really excited about my upcoming orientation for Big Brothers Big Sisters. It will be in 3 weeks!!! I hope I do ok on the interview. I hope I like the little girl they pair me with. I hope she likes me! I was thinking of some fun activities we could do together. Here's what I've come up with so far:

take Sammy for a walk
bake a pie or cookies
color in a coloring book
play with Barbies
paint our fingernails and watch a movie (maybe a Disney princess movie??)
play a card game/board game
read books (I like reading books to kids)
go to a museum or the zoo

What do you think? If any of you (Becky!) have little girls, please share some fun ideas with me! I don't really know what kids are into these days. I'm worried she will be let down that I don't have any video games at my house.

7. I know a lot of you also read MJ's blog. Well, she doesn't really blog about her personal life anymore. She now does a dog-related blog. So that means, any dirt about her dating life will have to come from me. I would love to divulge some stuff for you, but I need to talk to her and see what she is ok with. I don't want to step on her toes. But I'll see what I can do.

8. CN and I just celebrated our 7 month anniversary. Hate to get all sappy on you, but it has been the happiest 7 months of my life. He is everything I have ever wanted or hoped for in a relationship. I honestly didn't think that men like him existed. And I know he must feel the same way, too, because he FINALLY dropped the "L" word a few weeks ago and gave me a key to his place. Aw.

Ok, more on next week's cruise coming up in tomorrow's post!!!

Listed Updates

Greetings, dear readers. I have typed and re-written this post 3 times this week, trying to make it more coherent. But I give up, partially because I think I'm getting sick. I do not feel well at all -- headache, queasy tummy, feeling out of it-- I think I'm going to go home and go to bed. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't have the flu, because it's going around hard-core in SC right now. But I really want to post before I leave, so I will just list everything here and now, despite its disorganization and randomness.

1. I paid my taxes yesterday morning. One less thing to worry about. Unfortunately, I didn't read your comments until yesterday afternoon, so I was not able to take everyone's advice and avoid H&R Block. But at least they are done now, and I know they are done correctly. Yes, it cost me an arm and a leg, and apparently I was doing everything correctly on TurboTax, because I'm getting exactly what TurboTax said I was going to get. But oh well. Now I know -- next year, use TurboTax. It turns out that my taxes aren't that complicated, and even I, Doofus Extraordinaire when it comes to financial matters, can figure it out. Chalk it up to a learning experience.

2. The good news? Now I have plenty of money for the cruise. The bad news? I probably won't be putting much any towards my credit card debt. $800 doesn't go too far. But it's ok. Now I will at least have a little cushion in my checking account. In theory. Looks like I just need to really stick to my budget. Eventually, it WILL pay off.

3. Speaking of budget stuff, I am under budget this month for gas, clothing ($0!!!), dining out AND groceries. Also, I spent $300 less overall this month than last month. So although I did spend money on my tax preparation, the personal trainer and my termite inspection, at least it won't hurt as much. I think budgeting money is like losing weight -- you have to be patient, because the hard work pays off down the road.

4. I bought some protein powder. My trainer told me I'm supposed to be eating more protein so that I can build more lean muscle. After looking at what I'm eating, I have come to realize I eat a TON of carbs. Granted, they are almost always whole grain and low fat, but I really am lacking in the protein department. I just don't really crave meat very often. Usually, my protein comes from dairy and beans, which don't have a whole lot of protein. I'm almost eating like a vegetarian on some days! So I bought some chocolate soy protein powder. I thought it would be gross, but it's actually really good! So that made me happy.

5. Well, it looks like Kelvin Sampson might be getting the boot. Nothing's finalized yet, but it doesn't look good for the basketball coach at my alma mater. Which really stinks, because it's the middle of a GREAT season for us!!! I'm hoping it will all work out. I'll probably post more about this as it develops, because I have more to say. I just don't feel well enough to ramble on and on about it right now.

6. CN told me my butt looks smaller. I decided to override the Automatic Female Response (AFR) of, "So, you're telling me that my ass used to be fat??!!" and decided to just take the compliment with some gratitude. He's so supportive. He knows I hate my butt. I don't know if he was just saying it to make me feel better or what, but I sure am glad to have someone cheering me on.

7. Although I didn't want to go, I dragged my (smaller?) butt to the gym Wednesday night. As long as I go on Saturday, too, that will make 3 weeks in a row that I've been to the gym at least 4 times. Go me!

8. My birthday is next week!!!! Yay!!! Although I will be 29 (EEEK!!), I can say that this is probably one of the happiest times of my life so far, even with all the money/weight loss stress. I have a lot to celebrate.

9. Oh! I almost forgot. Valentine's Day went really well. The meal I made for CN last Thursday was super yummy (the recipes are posted over on my cooking blog -- see sidebar.) and he really really liked it. Friday, he took me to a very expensive Italian place here in town (Ristorante Divino). Neither one of us had been before, and we really enjoyed it. The ambiance was great -- very romantic and intimate. The service was perfect -- our waiter never interrupted our conversation and never let our drinks get empty. The food was good, too. Their menu is pretty heavy on seafood, which is great for us, because we are both seafood lovers. Their dessert menu is one of the best I've ever seen -- chocolate bread pudding, walnut pie, chocolate cakes filled with molten peanut butter, creme brulee and something called an "almond crust", which was the owner's great-grandmother's recipe. It was topped with vanilla custard -- Mmmm!!!

I was a good girl and didn't order dessert, which I have to admit was very difficult.

CN gave me a bottle of perfume I'd been wanting. I brought home a sample a few weeks ago, and we both really liked it. It's called "The One" and it's made by Dolce & Gabbana -- ooh la la! So he did a really good job with Valentine's Day this year.

I got him a new travel case for his toiletries, because I'm broke. So my present kind of sucked in comparison. But, it turns out that he needed a new one pretty badly -- his old one was "covered in white mold or something", according to him. All together now: EWWWWWWW!!!!

A funny thing did happen on Valentine's Day. We gave each other cards, and we wrote pretty much the SAME super-sweet message to each other. How disgusting is that?? Cute, but gross.

10. Thank you, everyone for your awesome comments in the last post. You guys rock my socks. I really needed some cheering and encouragement, and y'all really helped me out. You might think it was no big deal, but it really did help me feel better! Thank you so much. Extremely motivating and helpful and supportive comments and advice!!! YAY readers!!! I feel a lot better, and I really appreciate the advice about taxes and money and stuff. :)

Ok, I'm going home so I can lie down. I feel like crap.

Half a Thursday 13

I have been racking my brain for blog post topics, and nothing is gelling. Everything I come up with is either boring or not long enough to require its own post. I think I am getting writer's block again. *sigh* I will try to do better tomorrow. For now, this will have to suffice. I suck. I know. I just don't have a lot going on right now, peeps. Sorry.

1. Heath Ledger was apparently taking Ambien, and it sounds like they may have played a role in his death. (Obviously, we don't know for sure yet). I do not take sleeping pills, since my problem is usually trying to stay awake, but I know people who do take Ambien. And I have heard some crazy, crazy things -- my friends have done things while on Ambien and did not realize it until later, almost as if they were sleep-walking. I have friends who have had sex, driven their cars, had arguments with their boyfriends -- all while on Ambien. The scary part is, it seems that no one can tell when they are on Ambien or not. This is really scary to me, the thought of doing things while you are sleepwalking, and no one can tell you are sleepwalking. I'm actually kind of hoping the FDA will take another look at this drug, because I'm starting to think it is not safe.

2. I need to start planning something for Valentine's Day, and I need your help. CN said he already has mine all planned out. I know he is taking me out to dinner, but I don't know where. He won't tell me anything else.

I asked him what he wanted for Valentine's Day and he looked shocked. "What? You don't have to get me anything! It's Valentine's Day! I'm supposed to do something for you!" he replied. (Reason #5201 on the List of Reasons Why I Date Him). He told me that I should not do anything for him at all. Which basically went in one ear and out the other. So........does anyone have any good ideas?

I already have a small surprise for him. And I did talk him into letting me make him dinner the day after Valentine's Day. But I was thinking about getting him something small and inexpensive. Maybe a gag gift. And what should I cook? Steak and mashed potatoes? Spaghetti? Lemon chicken? I think I'm going to make him a heart-shaped cookie cake, too. Complete with a sappy message written in icing.

Yeah, I know. Barf.

But it is nice to finally have a good Valentine's Day, after last year's totally crappy one. So please, if you have any really good ideas, please share!!!!

3. Thank you, everyone for your supportive comments on my last post. I have lost a total of 3 pounds, somehow. I have good days, where I am totally on-track diet-wise, and other days, where I have the self-control of a toddler (helllooo, chicken fingers for dinner last night!!). It is nice to hit the gym again. I'm back to being able to run 2 miles without stopping, so that is good. Hopefully, I will get to my goal weight eventually. I am sore today from running. So I'm proud of myself, at least today.

4. I think that DVR will be the death of me. One of the ways I reward myself for going to the gym is by....sitting on my ass, watching all the shows I missed while I was at the gym. And for that, I am forever grateful to the inventor of DVR. But now, I have approximately 12 hours of tv watching to do. And I have to hurry, because I'm falling behind. Every week, there are new episodes of all my current favorite shows:

~Nip/Tuck (obviously!) -- and I haven't watched it this week, so don't spoil it for me!
~Biggest Loser -- thank you, CN, for getting me addicted to this 2-hour-long show!
~Celebrity Rehab -- I swear, VH1 makes the most vacuous-yet-addictive reality tv shows.
~My Fair Brady -- the new season just started. This is probably the most ridiculous waste of time on television, but I can't stop myself. They are just so dysfunctional!!!
~Any IU basketball games that happen to come on tv down here -- IMHO, they should ALL be broadcast down here, because we are ranked 7th right now!!!! YIPPEE!!!! Go Hoosiers!!!
~random shows from Courtv, History Channel, TLC and Discovery.

Oh, I almost forgot. There is a new show called Cashmere Mafia. I thought it was going to be a cheap SATC-wannabe, but I figured it probably at least had great clothes, so I recorded it just to check it out. And I was instantly hooked!!! If you liked SATC, give Cashmere Mafia a chance, girls! It's done by Darren Star, the same guy behind SATC, so it has the same vibe.

So that is about 13 hours of tv a week. Yeesh. The good news is, there's always something to watch. The bad news is that it's hard to watch it all in time. I have forced myself to set up the recordings to be automatically erased in 14 days. So I'm on a time crunch.

If any of you are also hooked on any of these shows, tell me so we can chat about it!!! What shows are you hooked on right now? Do you have any recommendations for me?

5. OMG, I cannot wait to pay my taxes!!!! I know that sounds crazy, but this year I should get a nice tax refund, thanks to my house. I am using all of my refund (Ok, most of my refund) to pay down some credit card debt. I can't wait! It will feel so good to write that check.

6. KT is moving back to her hometown in New York state, and MJ and I are really bummed. We only have 2 more weekends with KT. :( It won't be the same without her. It's like we are going to become the Two Musketeers. It's just not the same. I have that Paul Young song in my head: "Every time you go......away.....you take a piece of me.....with you......" *tears up* But I'm trying to stay positive about it, and I'm grateful for the fact that we live in a modern world, complete with airplanes, cell phones and myspace.

7. Jeez Louise...that's all I have going on??? My life is practically one big yawn. I apologize, guys. But between gym trips, work, errands, cleaning and hanging out with my peeps, I haven't had a lot of extra down time for super-great blogging lately. Something cool will happen soon, and then I won't have writer's block anymore. CN did send me some funny videos recently. MJ didn't like them, but I thought they were hilarious. Hopefully, I can at least make you laugh today. Enjoy! WARNING: These are NSFW videos, so wait until your boss leaves or your kids are napping before you watch them!

Happy 2008!

Hi, Everyone! Sorry I've been away so long. Some of you might know that I work for a school, so I get extra-long holiday vacations. Today is my first day back at work since my last post.

And yes, I have internet at home, but it's very slow and so I rarely post from there.

Thank you to everyone who send me Christmas/Holiday/New Year's wishes. Y'all are so sweet. I love my bloggy buds. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season full of yummy food, great presents and lots of love.

Ok, I have lots of news!!!! For the ease my readers, I will write this post in an imaginary interview way, so that all of your questions can be answered. In theory.

So, VB, how was your trip home to The Czarina's for Christmas?

Well, the good news is, I did not kill my mother. WHEW. We got along better than usual, actually. Not that I have a bad relationship with her. I love my mom. But, well, you know how it is. Those of you who have a loving-yet-domineering-control-freak mother know what I mean. I got to hang out with Smurf and my brothers Fungus and Fat Dog, too. I also got to see one of my oldest friends, a girl who lives in NYC. (She lives near Chinatown, if you are curious).

Wait, weren't you going to post about New Orleans again?

Um, yes, but I left my photo CD at home. Sorry. The pics weren't very good, anyway.

So what else is new?

Well, just before I went home for the holidays, if you remember, I was having car problems and was ready to start car shopping. So Czarina called the Pontiac dealership in my hometown. The Belle family has been doing business with them since the 1960s. No joke. Needless to say, we are on a first-name-basis with everyone who works there. They are very trustworthy and the prices kick ass. So she called them to see if they had any used Hondas or Toyotas -- I told her I was never driving another GM car again as long as I live.

Czarina called me back. "Ok, they have a Ponti--"
"Hold up. Time out. No, Mom. I said no more American cars. Japanese only."
"I know, I know. Just listen. They have a Pontiac Vibe, which has a Toyota engine in it. They just stick a GM body on top when they make it."
"I'm listening," I said.
"They said they'd give you $7,000 for your trade-in--"
[Picks up jaw from floor] "Um, did you say '$7,000'?"
"Yup! And it's a 2004 with only 40,000 miles on it! It's red and it has a sunroof!" she gushed.
"SOLD!" I said.

So here is a pic of a car that is identical to mine! I love that it's red, because as you know, I am a major Indiana basketball fan, and red is the team's color. Woo hoo!!!



I miss having a V6 engine and a couple other features, but I'm loving the better gas mileage and sunroof already! Plus, it is SO much more reliable. I can sleep at night now. It's cute, but I am worried that it's kind of a "mom-ish" car. I always imagine myself in a red convertible...

Maybe one day. But for now, I want reliability and good gas mileage!

Yay! That's great! We love your new car and don't think it's "mom-ish" at all! Now, give us what we really want: some updates on CN! What's going on there?

*sigh* He is still wonderful. I will try not to gush too much. I gave him an ipod shuffle for Christmas, because he admired mine so much -- he loves it! I got major girlfriend points. He gave me a DVD I wanted (a horror movie called When a Stranger Calls -- the original one, not the re-make) and a very pretty silver necklace -- it's a heart with teeny tiny diamonds in it. YAY!!! Good boyfriend!!!! He had asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I replied, "I want you to get me something only a boyfriend would buy." Which, as my female readers know, means, "Jewelry. Preferably real." -- Ok, I'm kidding. It didn't have to be real. So I was pleasantly surprised.

Wow. CN is fantastic. You must feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

He is!!! I am!!!! We are super duper happy!!!!

Ok, now you are making us want to barf, and we like you. Can you stop gushing about Mr. Wonderful?

Sorry.

Any other news?

I got a new cell phone, and it's waaaaay fancier than my old one. Does anyone know a website that is good for ringtones? My provider's website doesn't have some of the songs I want.

My sister got me a gift certificate to Sephora, my most favorite store of all time, as I am a total makeup addict. As much as I lovelovelove it, I am paralyzed with indecision whenever I attempt at making purchases there. I honestly cannot decide. It's like asking a parent which one of their kids is their favorite. So I will hang on to the card for a while.

My brothers gave me Best Buy gift certificates, which will be used to buy more RAM for my home computer. Right now I am operating on a whopping 156k (if I remember correctly -- it's abysmally paltry in any case) and am chomping at the bit to buy some RAM so I can use the Internet from home without wanting to scream at my monitor.

MJ and KT got me yummy coffee that is hard to find. They also got me a gift certificate for dog boarding -- an excellent idea!

OH! I almost forgot!

What?

While I was at home at my mom's house, I was talking to her neighbor. He told me a sad story: his coworker had a Jack Russell terrier and he spoiled the bejeezus out of it. We're talking outfits, pork chops for dinner and a heated dog house. Anyway, one day, while he was at work, someone STOLE his dog!

Aw, that sucks!!!

Yeah, tell me about it. So the neighbor told me this guy was heartbroken and looking for a new dog. "Well........." I said. Then I told him about Toby. How I was sick of him eating my shoes and being hyperactive and how I just don't think Toby is a good fit for me.....etc.

So he told his coworker about Toby, and I gave Toby to him free of charge! He is super happy and was talking baby talk to Toby the last I heard. I'm sure Toby is munching away on filet mignon or something by now. He's hit the doggy jackpot!

Yay! All's well that ends well!

Yes, that is a great ending. Everyone is happy. So, what is your New Year's resolution?

The same one it is every year: lose 40 pounds! Only hopefully this year, I won't stop at 20 pounds and re-gain them back! Argh! I do it every time! And being in a happy relationship is really bad for dieting. I know CN will still like me no matter what I look like (several rough mornings have already proven this theory), which sort of deflates my motivation to eat healthy food. Especially when he takes me out to dinner all the time. Evenings at the gym have been replaced with evenings on the couch, snuggling.

But enough is enough. I'm running out of pants. So I gotta start running on a treadmill. I am breaking in my new running shoes tonight!!!!

And I would like the record to show that I ate a SALAD for lunch today. I. Hate. Salad. But dammit, I'm pissed off at myself, so it's time to shape up.

So yes, Healthy VB is back. Feel free to leave motivating comments for me! They are much appreciated!!!! How do you stay healthy? Have any tips or motivating thoughts for me? I'm having a hard time getting rid of my candy and pushing myself at the gym. I am watching Biggest Loser, because CN swears it motivates you to work out.

I also like to have a fun resolution: This year's fun one is to take more pictures! YAY!!! I know you are excited, because this blog has few, if any pics. But soon, that will change!!!

I want to know your resolutions, too. Share with me!

Leftovers

Is anyone out there waiting for a big, exciting report about my Thanksgiving break? Or maybe some juicy CN updates? Or a funny story about how I mortified myself in front of his family?

Then you will be sorely disappointed. :)

I did some shopping (including buying those silver shoes I mentioned in the last post, and I LOVE them -- they were on sale for $30!!) and got some Christmas presents. I am still stumped on MJ, KT and my mother. Well, kind of. I have gotten them all little things, but not enough for a whole present, so I have to think up something else. (Any ideas are appreciated! Yes, MJ & KT, even from you! I am officially taking requests!) Anyway, everyone else on my list is either scratched off or it's just a matter of my going to the store to go buy the item(s).

On Thanksgiving day, I got up and took a shower. Then I agonized about what to wear and changed outfits about 5 times. I called CN to ask him what he was wearing. "Jeans," he said. Cool! I put on some jeans and a button down shirt. I went over to his house and we watched some tv. I asked him what time they usually had Thanksgiving dinner at his parents' house. "Oh, you know, around lunch or something," he replied.

"Um, that sounds like something you should probably confirm with your mom, sweetie. I mean, CN. I am calling you CN today," I replied.

"You can call me sweetie. I told you, it's fine. Ok, let me call my mom," he said.

It turned out, the food was almost ready, and we were just dawdling, watching tv an hour away!!! Eeek! So we got in the car to make the drive. Halfway there, CN's dad called us and wanted us to pick up a newspaper for him. Well, it turns out that Thanksgiving newspapers are few and far between -- I think everyone bought one to get the shopping coupons. We tried every gas station, grocery store and quickie mart on the back roads to Barnwell -- they were all sold out! We finally found one in Barnwell. But by this time, we were about 30 minutes late and the food was waiting on us. Oops.

No one seemed upset, because they knew we were looking for a paper. When CN and I got there, we were greeted by his parents and his sisters. They had been working on a MASSIVE spread of food:

turkey
ham
gravy
mashed potatoes
stuffing
mac n cheese
sweet potato souffle
rutabagas (yeah, I passed on that...I am currently not accepting any new vegetables right now.)
green bean casserole
biscuits
grits (I think there were grits...I'm telling you, the selection was mind-boggling -- it was like a buffet!)

Can you say "Mmmmm!!!"? CN's mom makes the best mac n cheese I've ever had in my whole life. And then I brought the pie: pumpkin.......and sweet potato. The pumpkin came out fine. I just used the recipe on the back of the can. But the sweet potato pie....well, let's just say I wish I could have a do-over. It tasted fine. But I had two little problems:

1. I didn't really bake the sweet potatoes long enough. And I didn't realize it until it was too late. So the pie had teeny tiny lumps of sweet potato in it. Oops.
2. The recipe called for brown sugar, but all I had was dark brown sugar. I think it tastes better. Well, because it was so dark, it made the pie look like baked........puppy shit.

So CN and I dubbed it the "Puppy Shit Pie".

But we still ate it. It was pretty good.

We all ate so much, none of us had any energy after eating. We were even too lazy to change the tv channel, which was some show about plastic surgery. And it showed all these women with really REALLY saggy or terrifyingly huge boobies and we were all grossed out. It was kind of funny, actually. Poor CN had to listen to all of us women talk about boobs. He just laughed at us.

I got to meet CN's older sisters: Oldest, Middle, Youngest. Oldest only stopped by for a minute, so I didn't really get to talk to her. Middle is a hoot, and I liked her right away -- she is really funny, just like CN. And Youngest............well, CN had given me a heads-up about Youngest, so I was mentally prepared for how to deal with her. I was grateful for the heads up -- otherwise, I would have been convinced she just hated me! She's just one of those people who has to warm up to you. Which doesn't intimidate me at all. I mean, come on, I refer to my own mother as The Czarina-- she's not exactly a warm, huggy-type person. Besides, I'm totally charming. Who wouldn't like me? ;)

Youngest and I did bond over our shared love of makeup, shoes, purses, jewelry and Girly Things in General. So I could see her melting a little. I think I did ok. I think the sisters like me.

And CN's mom is just so sweet. I really like her. Her dining room was full of her collection of these, which I adore. I have a white one with a blue head at my house. It belonged to my grandmother, and I love it. I had no idea they came in different colors! CN's mom has them in all sorts of colors and sizes. It was really neat.

She's pretty stressed out right now, with CN's dad still being sick. He had to go back to the hospital today, because they are pretty sure he's got some internal bleeding somewhere. I am still waiting on an update. CN's mom doesn't like to upset CN with bad news, so he has to drag it out of her sometimes. Anyway, hopefully he will be better soon. He wasn't feeling too good when we were down there. He stayed in bed and didn't eat much. He had a fever, but thanks to some Tylenol, he was feeling better when we left. He was glad to see me.

Oh, and I did accidentally slip and call CN "honey" in front of his mom one time. But I don't think she noticed or cared. WHEW.

I asked CN to show me some baby photos, but he managed to weasel his way out of that one, claiming that he didn't have any or that his mother threw them away. So I had to settle for looking at his awful senior photos from high school! I haven't stopped teasing him about them since I saw them!

So yes, everything went very well at Thanksgiving, and I had nothing to worry about.

The rest of my long weekend was a mix of football game watching (all THREE of the teams I was rooting for -- Virginia, South Carolina and Alabama -- lost their games!!), bowling, napping, shopping, eating, cooking, movie watching and general relaxation. I love long weekends.

And yes, CN is still wonderful. "You're the best lookin' and the best cookin' girlfriend I've ever had," he told me last night when I made him some dinner. Aw. I almost barfed. :)

Thanks

Thank you to all the readers who left comments for me on the last post. I am not quite sure on the details about CN's dad, but he was allowed to go home last night, under the promise that he would come right back this morning. So he's not out of the clear, but it doesn't sound like it's too serious right now. CN is coming back to Columbia today.

WHEW.

I wish I knew more, but that's all I've got for now. Hopefully CN's dad will be feeling better and isn't dealing with anything serious. Then we can have Thanksgiving.

Speaking of that, one of the many things I am thankful for this year are my blog readers. Everyone is so supportive and helpful. Although I know few of you in real life, I am grateful for all the contact I do have with my readers, whether it's just on this blog, on myspace or in real life. I love the blogosphere's supportive attitude and I love meeting new people, if only virtually. You guys crack me up, and your interest in this blog never ceases to amaze me. You are understanding when I don't read your blog for months and sometimes, I feel like y'all are as emotionally invested in my dating life as I am! LOL! I love you guys. Please be careful when you are traveling this week and have a great time eating and hanging out with your fams!!!

Thanks for explaining that weird advice my mom gave me. I still don't really get it, but I guess it's because I don't have any kids of my own. I will give everyone the benefit of the doubt and avoid all pet names with CN in front of his mom. It will be weird to call him by name, though. I'm very used to calling him "babe" or "sweetheart".

Aw.

Ok, enough mush. Stupid hormones. And I miss my boyfriend. It's funny how quickly you miss someone when you're worried about them, huh?

Since we only have a half day at work today, I am running errands after work. I gotta go to the bank to deposit my Holiday Bonus (which is $200 more than last year! Woo Hoo!!!) and then I'm going to the mall and hopefully crossing some peeps off my Xmas list. Including myself, because I think my Christmas present to myself this year will be these. (Does everyone else buy themselves a Christmas gift? Or am I the only one? You see, this way, I'm guaranteed to get at least one thing I like. Can you tell my brothers suck at Christmas presents? Yeah.)

Anyway, I HATE dealing with holiday shoppers, so this will be my last chance before the crowds hit. After tomorrow, I am doing all my shopping at weird hours or online. Or far, far away from the mall.

I know you are all fascinated to hear this and this is the most interesting blog post you've ever read in your whole life.......riiiiiiiiight.

Then, I am baking three pies: pumpkin, sweet potato and pecan. If I have time, I might make some of my mom's Cranberry-Orange bread. Mmmmm.

As if this post isn't rambling and random enough, here is some more stuff:

I learned on the news this morning that today is the biggest day of the YEAR for people to order pizza delivery. It makes sense, if you think about it.

Did you know that Thanksgiving actually originated in my home state of Virginia? Yup. It did NOT start with the Pilgrims in Massachus... Massachussets .... Massa....dammit, how do you spell that frickin state?! Every version I type gets a red underline.

Makes me glad I'm not from there. Anyway, you know what state I'm talking about.

I sure do hope CN's mom makes yummy food. I am going to be missing my mom's stuffing (with sausage, apples and lots of sage), green bean casserole (I swear, hers is the best), turkey gravy and mashed potatoes. According to my dad, it was "the perfect meal" -- and my whole family agrees. My mom does it up right for Thanksgiving. So CN's mom has a tough act to follow.

But she's going to make sweet potato casserole, which I have been lobbying for at Mom's house for years--with no luck. So I'm pretty excited about that. Mmmm, with marshmallows on top...

Can't wait!!! Happy Turkey Day, everyone!!! As if the food isn't good enough, we get to watch all the college football games, too! I love Thanksgiving! Go Gamecocks!!!

Best Sick Day Ever!!!

WARNING: This might be the gushiest, mushiest, sappiest post I've ever written in my whole life. If you are annoyed or have a weak stomach, you may want to just look at the pictures. :)

Ugh, I have had the worst cold all week. I'm getting better, but I have been in and out of work all week. Yesterday was the worst -- I was out all day. I felt terrible, but managed to sleep most of the morning.

When I got up to eat my breakfast, I got a call from work. Someone had sent me flowers on the one sick day I've had in months! Shoot! Luckily, my coworker offered to drop the flowers off at my house on her lunch break. Look at what was inside the box!!


(Can you see my Sudafed that I've been popping like peanuts? LOL)

CN sent the flowers to me to cheer me up since I have been sick all week! They are still in the process of blooming. Every time I go in the living room, it seems like I have another flower. They are irises (irisii??) of different colors. They are gorgeous!!

The note was so sweet, too. "Hey Babe, just thought I'd cheer you up since you're sick. Hope you're feeling better. P.S. How many points do I get for this? -- CN"

Well, needless to say, he got a lot of points yesterday. He even took a mid-afternoon break to come over and hang out with me for a little bit. Then he went back to work and I began to make his birthday dinner (yes, he actually sent me flowers the day before his own birthday! Is he unreal or what?). By this point in the day I was starting to feel a lot better.

He wanted chili and cheesecake, so that's what he got! As I waited for the chili to finish simmering, I got all gussied up (I was sick of looking gross and sickly, you know?). When I opened the door, he told me I looked so good he wanted to forget eating dinner! (Woo Hoo!!!) I told him dessert was later. ;) He had two helpings of chili and a big piece of cheesecake. He opened his birthday card and saw that I got him two tickets to the Falcons game next month. I think I must have "done good" because he jumped up and came across the table to give me a big hug and kiss. It turns out, he has never been to a Falcons game before, so I think he's pretty excited! (Yessssss! Go me!)

Did I tell you that we are having dinner with his parents on Saturday? And that he invited me to go to his parents' house for Thanksgiving? Yeah. I don't think I can go -- The Czarina would probably kill me--but it can't hurt to ask.

"Doesn't it feel like we have been dating forever?" he said last night.
"Yeah, but it's only been like....2 months! Weird, huh?" I replied.
He nodded.
"Have you noticed that everything between us is just so....easy? Like it's just totally smooth sailing all the time?" I said.
"Yeah. With everyone else I've dated, it's been like pulling teeth," he replied.
"Yeah, I usually feel like..."I trailed off.
"...like one person is always trying harder than the other?" he asked, finishing my sentence.
"Exactly!! This is so much better!" I said.
"I know! You're the best girlfriend I've ever had. I really mean it. You are," he said.
"Really?? Well, I didn't know guys like you even existed! I am so glad that we met," I gushed.
"Me too. I've been looking for someone like you for a long time," he replied.
"Happy Birthday, Baby," I said.

Then we hung out together for the rest of the night. Just the two of us. I won't go into details, but um.........you can guess. ;)

"L" Ready?

Get it? Har har.

I have a cold, and have been vegging out on my couch. That's why I've been MIA. But I feel a little better today, so I'll give you the weekend re-cap.

Friday night was rather uneventful, but Saturday was super fun.

We (me, KT, VW, CN and Stuck) all surprised MJ for her birthday. She had no idea we were all gathered together at her favorite restaurant to surprise her with a night of drunken debauchery. She thought she was just going out to dinner with VW.

We started at The Blue Marlin for dinner (her favorite restaurant) and had a chocolate-raspberry cake from Chocolate Nirvana Bakery for dessert. Mmmmmm!!!

CN felt awful, because as he and I were taking the cake to the restaurant, he had to slam on his brakes to avoid running a red light, causing the cake to fall off the seat of the car and get a little smushed on one side. He claims I was distracting him from his driving, but I deny this. I was merely wearing a low-cut top and patent leather stilettos. I can't help it if touching up my makeup in the vanity mirror almost causes traffic accidents. ;)

In actuality, he seriously almost killed us! At the last second, I shouted, "Sweetie!! That's a RED LIGHT!" He wasn't paying attention, I guess, because by the time we stopped, we were halfway into the intersection! It was pretty funny, because he teases me for being a crazy driver, but now I just say, "Well, at least I've never almost killed us."

Anyway, MJ didn't mind that her cake was a little smushed. She was just enjoying her birthday. She had no idea we were all surprising her or that we got her an ipod for her birthday.

Little did I know, she was about to give me a small surprise. During the course of the dinner conversation, she proceeds to mention that I was messed up on Vicodin on my first date with CN.

"What?" asked CN.
"Gee, thanks, MJ," I retorted sarcastically.
"You didn't tell him? I thought you told him!" she exclaimed.
"Nope. No I didn't tell him about that. But now I have to, I guess!" I said.
"I am so sorry. I thought you told him!" she said.
"It's ok," I said.

And then I proceeded to confess to CN that I was on Vicodin at the time of our first date, but didn't want to tell him out of fear that he would think I have an addiction to painkillers or something. I was worried that he would be upset, but he wasn't. WHEW!

"Why did you go out with me when you knew you were all messed up? Why not just stay home?" he said.
"Because I knew that if I didn't go out with you, you were the kind of guy who would never ask me out again. I had to say yes!" I explained.
"Oh. Well, that's true. I probably wouldn't have," he conceded.
"See?" I said.

Then I told him how difficult it was for me to get ready and focus on dinner conversation when I'm on Vicodin, and he just laughed. I explained to him why I took it that evening and that I don't do it all the time or anything. I also said that it should show him how much I wanted to go out with him -- I spent a good deal of the night feeling nauseous!

MJ apologized to me later and said that she felt awful for letting the cat out of the bag. But it ended up being no big deal, and now he teases me about it.

We went back to our dinner. The chocolate cake was fantastic. After dinner, we proceeded to get MJ good n drunk.

She only remembers bits and pieces of the evening. She doesn't remember how KT and I made fun of her drunken walking. She doesn't remember sulking and pretending to cry whenever someone didn't do what she wanted. She doesn't remember falling down a couple of times. She doesn't remember flashing most of the crowd at Local's as she climbed up onto the bar to receive her free birthday shot. She doesn't remember crashing into a table and breaking several empty glasses, causing us to get kicked out of Bar None.

Needless to say, we all had a really fun time and didn't get home until about 3am.

That's when I got called out again. (What was it? Pick on VB day??) CN and I were driving home when he asked me a very blunt question.

"Hey, when we were at Local's, and you were all touchy-feely on me, were you only doing that because your ex-boyfriend was there? Because if that's the case, it doesn't make me feel good." he said.

Shit. Ummm.....

You see, as soon as MJ said she wanted to go to Local's, I thought, "Uh-oh. That's where Repo goes all the time. He will probably be there." But I didn't want to protest, because it was MJ's birthday. So I said ok, knowing full well what would happen: If Repo was there, I would probably try to rub it in his face that I am in a very happy relationship now.

That's exactly what happened, and that's exactly what I did.* And now, I was being called out on it. Shit. I totally deserved to be called out. I was immature and selfish and behaved totally inappropriately.

So I told him that I was only human and that yes, that was part of it. I told him I pretty much knew what was going to happen once I got there. But since it was very crowded in there, it was that much easier to be physical on the dance floor. My intentions were only halfway bad.

I can't remember exactly what CN said, but it was along the lines of, "Don't do that again. It made me feel like shit." -- a message I heard loud and clear. Commence massive guilt trip. We agreed that maybe we shouldn't go to Local's anymore. Not only because of Repo, but also because CN started to get a panic attack while we were there -- he doesn't do well with crowds.

At this point, not only was I dealing with a massive guilt trip, but now I was worried that I am going to screw up this relationship with my stupid decisions. I am going to ruin everything, because I am a moron. Crap!

So I told him I was going to take a quick shower, get into my pjs and then come over. He said ok.

Twenty minutes later, we were snuggling and talking in his bed. That's when he told me that he's falling in love with me.

WHAT?

Yeah. With me, the immature girl who uses him to try and make an ex jealous, the girl who takes Vicodin recreationally. Is he crazy? I am obviously a shitty girlfriend!

I said, "Um, really?" -- I was so shocked, this was all I could say. I was practically speechless.

"Yeah. I just haven't felt like this about anyone in a really, really long time. I have very strong feelings for you, and I just wanted to tell you because I think it's good to do that," he said.

Aw.

"But.....Sweetie, we haven't been dating that long. That's kind of...soon. I mean, I am charming, and all...." I joked.

"Yeah, I know. But that's how I feel," he replied.

"I really care about you, too. I mean, I'm not there yet, but I'm definitely on my way....are you mad that I didn't say it back?" I asked, worried. (I don't believe in using the "L" word unless you mean it. And even though I am almost ready to say those three little words, I am not quite there yet.)

"Whoa, I didn't say I was in love with you, just that I feel like I am headed in that direction!" he said.

"Are you back-pedaling???" I giggled.

"No. But I do really really care about you," he said.

Aw. Alright, I'm not sharing the rest of the conversation, because it was entirely too schmoopy and sappy, and it involved me crying, so let's just not go there, ok? Ok. Let's just say that the last bit of it went like this:

CN: Are we just going to sit here complimenting each other all night, or are we going to go to sleep?

Me: Oh. *giggle* Yeah, I guess we should go to bed now. I'm pretty tired, and it's probably like 4am.

*smooch!*
*zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....*

So what do you think? Was CN back-pedaling? Do you think he's in The Big L with me? Or is it too soon? Was I out of line at Local's? Wouldn't it have been weirder if I had ignored CN when we were at Local's? Will I ever grow up and stop screwing things up with CN? What should I do to remedy this situation/loss of trust? And finally, am I indeed going to Hell? Or do I just deserve to get smacked?

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated, as always, dear readers.

* I would like to add that Repo looked like shit. He has gained so much weight since we broke up and he looked miserable! He looked like he was really down/depressed. He definitely saw me with my new boyfriend, and I could tell it bothered him. Plus, thanks to the grapevine that is Columbia, I'm pretty sure he and his girlfriend broke up. And I can't say that I didn't get a teeny bit of satisfaction from that.....ugh, I am terrible, I know. I'm going to hell. I am slowly learning to accept this fact.

Too Good to Be True?

Warning: This post may induce vomiting due to its sugary-sweet goopy mushiness.

I'm starting to wonder if CN is a real person, or merely a figment of my Overactive Imagination. Examples:

1. Changing our status on myspace to "in a relationship" was his idea, not mine. (Cliche, I know. But I get little warm fuzzies everytime I see it. Aw. And yes, PH, I realize this dooms the relationship! LOL) Usually I am the one who wants to define the relationship first. But I feel so secure in this relationship (a total first for me), I just figured we'd get there eventually. No worries. (That being said, I would encourage every single girl reading this to keep dating until you find that guy who makes you feel REALLY secure in the relationship. It is an awesome feeling!!! I'm thinking, "OH! So this is how it's supposed to be! Aha!" You cannot put a price on it. There is an unquestioned trust, and it's amazing.)

2. He does the following, without my having to bring it up: mows my lawn, takes out my trash, helps me carry stuff, holds my purse when I need an extra hand, helps me walk my dogs, takes my trash to the dump when I miss the morning trash pickup -- which is often. It's the little things that count, you know?

3. Nothing fazes him. Not my messy room, not my estrogen-fueled emotional breakdowns, not my zits, not the crazy stories about my weird family, not my terrifying addiction to sugar, not my financial woes, not my barfing on our first date, not my cellulite, not even the scary/weird/depressing stories about my exes. When my dirty little secrets come out, I am still accepted.

4. Yesterday, we were on our way to Wal-Mart and were stuck behind a car that had broken down. Most people would go around it or do a U-turn and leave the scene to go find an alternate route. Not my boyfriend! He put his car in park and got out to help the total stranger push his car out of the intersection. Who does that???

5. Over dinner last night, he was telling me about how he's picky about leftovers. When he has a to-go box of restaurant leftovers, he won't leave them in the car because they get gross. And if he's driving his Jeep, he won't even keep them at all, because the Jeep's interior is open like a convertible would be and he worries someone walking down the street will open the box and spit on his food or something. (Because that's what people do...look for open cars so they can spit in a total stranger's restaurant leftovers....LOL) Anyway, he said that one night he got a pizza before meeting up with a friend at a bar, but he couldn't finish the whole pizza. Since he was driving the Jeep, he didn't have anywhere to keep the leftovers "safe" from random spitters, so he gives the rest of his pizza to a homeless guy. Again, who does that??? And he wasn't bragging about it or anything -- he told me this story like everyone just gives their dinners away to homeless people all of the time. "Sometimes, you make me feel like an asshole," I said when he finished. He was puzzled.

6. He wanted me to meet his parents this weekend, but told me that if I wasn't ready, it was no big deal. Although I was a little nervous to meet his dad (who was described as someone who is very difficult to please -- nothing is ever good enough for him, apparently), I said ok. And I LOVE his parents. They are scarily similar to my parents, actually. His parents already knew a bunch of stuff about me, because CN had told them all about me. CN's parents are so funny and very, very nice to me! His dad even invited me to come to CN's hometown for a big festival they have in November. I even got good-bye hugs from his mom and dad. Aw.

7. CN's birthday is next week. I asked him what he wants for his special birthday dinner, and he said, "Oh, whatever you want to eat, babe, is fine with me!" -- Who does that???!! I actually had to argue with him that it's his birthday and he can eat whatever he wants. I had to drag it out of him that he wanted chili and cheesecake! LOL We had to have the same conversation about his birthday present (halfway through, I realized that he'd really like Falcons tickets, so I shut up then!). He was never going to speak up about what he wanted to get! "Oh, you don't have to get me anything!" -- Who does that??? When it's my birthday, I practically type up a list for everyone! (Hopefully, this means he will be totally overwhelmed at the Falcons tickets!)

8. He drives across the street (picture how silly that looks, y'all) to pick me up. And last night, he backed his car into my driveway so that I could unload my groceries more easily. But then he ended up unloading them all for me. He could have just parked at his house and made me carry my own groceries across the street, which is what most people would have done. Which was what I was planning on doing. Time and time again, he proves to be even more thoughtful than I would ever have hoped. It's like he can read my mind and then takes it one step farther. He anticipates things even before I think of them. I told him he needs to hold Good Boyfriend Seminars and charge $250/person. Men need to learn from him.

9. He has the ability to make me be nice to everyone, even annoying students and boring old people. I have found myself being more patient and driving more safely, too. I think before I buy (he's really good with money) and I think before I eat (he's a far better eater than I am). If he ever found out that I was rude to a stranger, had a car accident due to my impatient driving or that I was short with an old lady, I would die of embarrassment. Even when he's not around, I try to live up to his expectations. I think I'm dating a saint. I don't think I've ever admired a boyfriend so much. Even The Czarina doesn't have that much influence on me. He and I joke about how I should wear a "What Would CN Do?" bracelet.

10. He tells me that I spoil him. [Insert shock and awe here.] I literally replied with, "Huh?!" I have cooked for him a few times. And I took him to breakfast the other day. I keep my legs shaved. But that's it. And he thinks I'm awesome. Wow. That was easy.

I know it's not good to put people on a pedestal (I myself hate being on them--too much pressure), but I can't help it! I guess to me, he just stands out, head and shoulders above the rest. I'm not saying that I don't deserve him (because frankly, after all the crap I've been through, I think I've earned this!), but he definitely makes me want to be on top of my game and keep him around until further notice.

Of course, eventually, I will screw this all up. Or he will. It's too good to be true. There's no way that he's normal. He probably buries bodies in his backyard or something. Right? I mean, by now, every guy I've ever dated has let me down in some way or another. CN hasn't done it yet. I'm not saying he's perfect (if I had my way, he would stoppit with his Howard Stern addiction). I just keep telling myself, "Oh, the other shoe will drop soon enough, he'll do something stupid and I won't look at him the same way anymore. Or I'll do something really stupid and mess it all up and fall into a deep and lonely depression." -- but it STILL hasn't happened yet! Part of me kind of wants to get it over with, you know?

It's sort of like being on a roller coaster. It's so fun, but so scary at the same time. You're sure you're going to die, but you don't, and that just makes it so much more wonderful. I haven't felt this lucky in a long time. Maybe I'm just slowly going insane and he's actually an average guy. Or even worse, an imaginary boyfriend. Gah, is he even real???

Thursday 13

I'm alive, but barely. I just wish I could mainline some caffeine. *yawn*

Sorry about my long absence, but I don't have much to report! Everything has been smooth sailing, really. Since it's Thursday, I will make this a list of 13 things that have been going on so you can catch up! And nothing is wrong -- I just used the cloud logo because it's very dreary and rainy here today. Which is not helping my sleepiness!

1. I have 88 people reading this! Woot! I feel special. I had to re-send some invites today, because the guest invite only lasts for 2 weeks, so if you have been using the guest access, please create an account or face my wrath.

2. I am E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D today. I stayed up late hanging out with CN on Tuesday night, went to trivia last night until 11:30 and tonight I will be up late again. On Friday, I'm meeting up with the Happy Hour Girls, so I won't get any sleep tomorrow either! Aack! Thank goodness for coffee! If I can just hold out for Saturday morning, I will finally catch up on sleep.

3. Things are still going swimmingly with CN. He is wonderful and I'm really really happy. I think this is the first guy I've ever dated where I literally have nothing to complain about, even after dating him for a month. I swear the guy can read my mind. He is thoughtful, fun, considerate, affectionate, honest, patient....I could go on and on. He has yet to let me down. Period. Maybe I should change his name from Cute Neighbor to Mr. Wonderful?? LOL ugh, I think I just barfed a little.

4. Of course, the Pessimistically Paranoid Voice in me is saying, "Ok, no one is this great. There's got to be something he's hiding from you. He likes to wear women's underwear. Or he doesn't want to have children. Or he doesn't see anything wrong with torturing animals. Maybe he's got bodies buried under his house. There's got to be SOMETHING!! Get him to spill it!!!" -- But I'm still not finding any evidence. He's just.......really nice and sweet. To everyone, even strangers. Very normal guy. Geeky and shy, but normal. There's just nothing bad about him, really. It's kinda freaking me out a little.

5. He got tickets to the USC/Kentucky game tonight! I am SO FREAKING EXCITED. The tickets are really hard to get, especially since we are ranked 11th now. And I really hate Kentucky, because they are a big rival of my alma mater, Indiana University. So I really want to see them get creamed tonight. It should be a really good game -- both teams have been doing better than usual this year. The game is being televised nationally (ESPN), so if you watch it, I will wave to you from the crowd! I'll be wearing the garnet-colored tshirt. :)

6. I am taking MJ, KT, VW, CN and his friend The Runner to a big Halloween party thrown by S (one of the Happy Hour Girls) every year. This is the 5th annual Halloween party, and everyone has to wear a costume. It should be really fun. MJ & I are going to be Sprockets and The Runner is going to be The King (as in, Burger King). I don't think anyone else has their costumes picked out yet. CN is thinking about growing a mustache and going as Tom Selleck's character from Magnum P.I., much to my dismay. He looks very strange with a mustache -- I've seen pictures. So I need ideas, people. I am very anti-CN-mustache. Help me!

7. Other fun fall activities we (ie, MJ, VW, KT, The Runner and CN & I) have planned include: going to the corn maze, going to "Scarowinds" (Carowinds, the closest amusement park, has special Halloween features this month) and going on a ghost tour. And then, next week, the SC State Fair comes to town. EEEEEEK!!! I love October and Halloween!!!!

8. My roommate E and her boyfriend B are in the midst of what will probably end up being Breakup #3. I feel really bad for them, because I think they are both great people, but I think they are very ill-suited for each other. They have very different families, religions and goals. There are some trust issues on his part (he snooped through her phone) and she has some ex-boyfriend issues (I don't think she's recovered emotionally from her ex, who is a complete asshole). She would never in a million years cheat on B -- that's not what I'm saying. I just think that maybe she's not ready to be close to someone emotionally right now. And his family doesn't like her and probably never will. To make it worse, when they pick on E, he rarely sticks up for her, which has been causing some problems for them. Throw in the fact that he will never leave SC and she wants to move somewhere else eventually, and you begin to wonder why they are dating in the first place. I do not doubt that they love each other, but sometimes love isn't enough. You have to be on the same page about stuff. And they just aren't. E is willing to call it quits, but B is kind of in denial and thinks they can work things out. Since they work together, E is worried how it will affect that situation, especially since B is the boss's son.

So, in a nutshell, it's a big ol' mess. I have been trying to support E and listen to her, because she is upset about all of this. I hate to see her upset right now, because she has a bunch of other personal problems at the moment. She's majorly stressed. I just really think they need to call it quits -- for GOOD. They both need someone who is better suited for them. Hopefully they will figure this out and both move on with their lives. Until then, I'll just have to keep baking her brownies! I think they are helping.

9. Butter wrecked her car the other day. She's fine, but her car is totaled. She doesn't know exactly what happened, because it all happened so quickly, but it sounds like she blew a tire and lost control of the car. She drove into a big ditch. She was a little shaken, but she's fine now.

10. CN's dad is in the hospital, about an hour away. I think I told you he has cancer. Yeah, it's not good. Anyway, CN's dad's back has been hurting. He thought it was just a pinched nerve or something, so he went to the doctor. It turns out he's got a tumor on his back. So he's in the hospital right now, getting biopsies and stuff. CN doesn't like talking about it, and I can tell he gets upset, so I don't like pressuring him for details. But he did mention that he may go down there tonight instead of going to the game, depending on how well his dad is doing. He also may go down to the hospital this weekend to stay with his parents. I told him that I will go with him if he wants me to. So hopefully everything will be ok.

11. Um, ok, how about something not so Debbie Downer-ish? I watched the Strangers with Candy movie the other night. If you liked the Comedy Central show with Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert, you will LOVE the movie. It's pretty funny.

12. Tomorrow night is the reunion of the Happy Hour Girls. We have all been so busy for the past few months, we haven't gotten together in ages. Now that the summer is over and we are all done with vacations and other things, we can start meeting up at Wild Wings again. I am very excited to have girl time!

13. I am reading two Neil Strauss books right now: The Game, which is about the Pick-Up Artist community, and The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band. CN is letting me borrow it. It's about one of my favorite 80s hair bands, Motley Crue. Have I ever told you I'm a huge Tommy Lee fan? I think he's hilarious and really interesting. Aside from all the hepatitis stuff, anyway.

CN saw my copy of The Game, and asked me about it. I explained the book a little to him. Now he's on a mission to steal it from me and read it. I told him he didn't need to worry about picking up any chicks right now. :)

Alright, now you're all caught up, my wonderful little readers! I hope everyone's having a great day! You think I put enough links in this post? LOL

The Smitten Kitten

That would be me. *sigh!*

Warning: This post might make you barf a little. I'm going to be a little gushy, folks. Sorry.

I had a great weekend. Friday night was great! CN called me about an hour before we left to meet up with MJ & VW at The Hunter-Gatherer (a bar/restaurant):

"Hey, what are you wearing? I've never been to this place, before and I don't know what it's like," he asked.

"I'm wearing a dress, but you can wear whatever you want. I just wanted to wear my new shoes, and the only thing that went with them was this dress," I said.

"Ok, cool. Hey, I invited my friend The Runner to join us. Hope that's ok," he said.

"Sure! He can talk to KT, because she's a total gym rat, and she's coming, too," I replied.

"Ok, I'll pick you up soon," he said. We got off the phone.

A little while later, he knocked on my door. I was pleasantly surprised: without any prompting from me, he rose to the occasion and didn't wear his usual tshirt and jeans! He looked really nice! Yay! Brownie points for him!

We matched. Again. I swear, we always wear black. We look like we are going to funerals all the time. *rolls eyes*

We met up with MJ, VW and The Runner and had a very delicious dinner. KT joined us right before the band started. MJ, KT and I were the only ones familiar with Loch Ness Johnny, but the guys seemed to like it, too. After talking to the band members for a little bit after the show, we all went our separate ways.

I don't remember the details (Ok, maybe I just don't want to share them!) but CN and I hung out alone at my house for a little while until he went home. I'll let your imagination fill in the details. Wowza. I was definitely looking forward to watching the game with him the next day!

The next day, after cleaning up my house a little, going to the store to buy the ingredients for dinner and taking a nap, it was time for the USC vs. LSU game. CN came over and we began to watch the game as we snuggled on the couch.

I don't really know what happened during the second half...because we didn't watch it.....

So then I started on dinner (Chinese beef and broccoli) while he told me funny stories. You should have seen how he wolfed his food down! He was entirely too excited about dinner! "This is the way to get on my good side!" he said. (I made note of this for future reference.)

After dinner, we watched Borat, which is hysterical if you haven't seen it yet. By the time it was over, we were both pooped, so we called it a night.

I wasn't planning on seeing him on Sunday, but he texted me during the afternoon to see if I still needed help with my weed eater. "Yes, I can't get this one part on," I replied. He said he'd come over and look at it.

The next thing I know, he has assembled it correctly and proceeds to begin mowing my backyard! "You don't have to do that!" I yelled, over the noise of the weed eater. He turned it off.

"I know. I want to," he replied.

Aw.

"Now that is how you get on MY good side!" I exclaimed, laying a big smooch on him, despite the fact he was very sweaty and covered with bits of grass. He told me to go back inside so he could finish up. I gave him another smooch.

Not surprisingly, this scene led to a joke between us about my affair with "the gardener". LOL

I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. He earned SO many brownie points with this move. "CN is mowing my yard right now, no questions asked. What a keeper!" I texted to all my girlfriends.

Afterwards, he left to go shower and meet up with The Runner to watch an NFL game, and I went to the local Greek Festival with MJ & KT. It was so freaking hot that we didn't stay very long -- we were melting! I went home after eating my gyro.

By this point, I was exhausted and was planning on watching a movie until bedtime. I popped in Blades of Glory and dozed in front of the tv. I wished CN had been there to watch tv with me, but he was still watching the game with his buddy. "Oh well, I've seen him enough this weekend, I guess," I thought. I fell asleep. I woke up to a text message.

"The Falcons lost again. I'm heartbroken," CN said.

"Do you need me to console you? Is this a dire emergency?" I asked.

"Yes! A dire emergency! You should come over," he said.

Cool, he read my mind, I thought.

"I'm really glad you came over," he said when I got there. "I missed you."

"I'm glad you wanted me to come over. I missed you, too," I said.

"Sorry. I've had a few beers. I'm going to be corny right now," he explained as he popped in a DVD. (Note to self: encourage him to drink beer more often.)

To avoid making my readers sick to their stomachs, I won't tell you what else he said. But I will say that we didn't watch much of that movie, either.

He's so sweet, so thoughtful, so funny. I think I'm a goner, guys. This one's a keeper, for sure.

So it's going really well. Now I know what everyone was talking about when they told me to start dating nice guys. :)

I Think We're Alone Now

...the beating of our hearts is the only sound....

(anyone else remember Tiffany?? Haha, now you have that song in your head!)

Well, now that most of us are here, all I can say is:

Holy Lurking, Batman!!!

I tell ya, nothing brings the lurkers out more than making your blog private! Yesterday, when I got to work at about 1:30, I opened my email:

44 New Messages.

Holy Schnikes! That was a new record! And the emails just kept pouring in all day long! It was so cool, because I had NO CLUE I had so many lurkers. I thought that about 25 people read this thing on a regular basis. So far, it's more like 85! WOW. Now I know why my statcounter tells me someone is reading this in Montana, Raleigh, Canada, etc.

So I am saying a big HELLO to all of my lurkers out there. Thanks for lurking. I am flattered to have so many fans and wonderful fan mail! WOOT! I am amazed at your ability to keep your mouth shut and never leave comments! As you can tell, this is a skill I do not possess. So more power to ya.

Hopefully, we won't have to be all secretive and stuff for too long. I wish that Google would stop cacheing (sp?) my blog, too. It has a bunch of posts on there, but oh well. What can you do?

I'm sure you wall want a CN update. Because if you're anything like me, the love lives of virtual strangers are the most fascinating things EVER. So here is your update.

There is no update. I haven't seen him since our Sunday Smoochfest. Crazy, considering he lives across the street from me, I know. But we are both busy. I think he's getting kinda antsy, though, because he seemed really bummed when I couldn't hang out with him Wednesday or Thursday. Tee hee.

So instead, we have resorted to one of my specialties: communicating through obnoxiously flirty text messages and novel-length myspace comments. Barf, barf, I know.

On Saturday, I'm going to his house to watch the game (and I swear upon all things holy that if Blake Mitchell throws THREE interceptions this week, I will fly to Baton Rouge myself to personally kick his ass!!!).

Then we're going to my house so I can make him dinner, and he is entirely too excited about this. "Ok, I have to calm down. Let me think about baseball and Angela Lansbury for a minute..." he said, when I told him what I wanted to make. You'd think no one has ever made dinner for him before-- he was that excited.

Time for a totally unrelated and jarring change of subject. You know me!

I did some shopping the other day and had a fantastic, wonderful experience.

All my male readers are saying, "Oh great. I accepted the invitation for this?!" -- ha ha! Yes, I am talking about shopping again.

I have been lusting after this one pair of Steve Madden shoes for months. I think since about April. Every time I have gone to the mall, I have picked them up, held them to my chest and cooed over them. Alas, I was not willing to drop $60 on a spontaneous purchase. After all, it's not like I would wear them every day.

But Wednesday night, I walked into Dillard's to behold......SHOE CLEARANCE. *fans herself.*

I walked up to the section for my shoe size, and there they were in their full glory: the LAST pair of my shoes. In my size. For $23.

[insert chorus of singing angels and heavenly beam of light here.]

Needless to say, they are in my closet right now. Pair #62 (I think....) I just need to find a killer outfit to wear them with...

So I might go shopping after work today to see if I can find something perfect to wear with them tonight. MJ, KT and I (and yes, VW and CN are coming, too) are going out to dinner and then we're going to see our favorite local band. So it should be a fun night.

I might post again later on this afternoon, peeps. I promise it won't be as random and incoherent as this one. Because after re-reading this, I fear I should be on ritalin....

CNN

Cute Neighbor News. Get it? Har har.

Thanks to all of you who left advice for me on the last post! I don't like being involved in stuff like that, so I will just try to keep out of it as best as possible. Hopefully that will be the end of my involvement.

You have all been waiting patiently for a CN update. I have to admit, I have been stalling out of paranoia. You see, I am worried he will find this blog. Last Saturday, we were out with a group of friends, and the subject of myspace came up. If you are familiar with myspace, you know that you can have a little blog on there. "Do you have a blog?" he asked me.

Oh.

God.

"No...." I trailed off, quickly changing the subject to something else.

Great. I just lied to him. This is just perfect. First I tell him I have food poisoning when I really didn't, and now this. Ugh. I am getting a pit in my stomach just thinking typing this. I don't like lying and I'm terrible at it, too. So who knows if he even believed me???

But what else was I supposed to say??? "Yes, I do, and I talk about you on it all the time. Feel free to check it out so you can learn about how much of a total freak I am!"

As if this wasn't bad enough, long ago I stupidly set my myspace URL to the same name as my blog pseudonym, Virginia Belle. (And yes, I know you are all going to go and myspace stalk me now. Go ahead. I'll wait. It's private, anyway, so don't get too excited.) Anyway, if you Google my pseudonym, my blog pops right up. Oh boy. I do NOT want him reading this. I learned the hard way last time about telling guys you date about your blog. Never again!!

I would not really be worried about this if it weren't for the fact that he does background checks for a living. So he's paid to be a stalker. He probably has all of the research skills that I have. Is it only a matter of time before he thinks to Google my myspace URL pseudonym? Aaaarrrgh. I feel so stupid right now. Instead of being the hunter, now I am the hunted. Getting a taste of your own medicine is always a bitter pill to swallow.

I have some choices. Deleting my myspace and starting a new one would be waaaayy too obvious. I could make this blog invitation only, which would mean no more new readers. I could delete all of the CN posts. I could edit my blog to make it look like it's not ME, but some other girl who happened to use the same pseudonym. I could make it say that I'm a sales rep who lives in Colorado or something. I could even just end this blog and start a new one. Or, I could just hope for the best and continue about my merry way. What do you think? Am I being paranoid? I need help, guys!

I am trying not to think about it. So let's just move on for now. I know you want some scoop. I will warn you that this will probably be kind of gushy. So suppress your gag reflex for the time being. I will do the same.

First off, every time he and I hang out, we have great conversations and he usually has me in stitches. The guy is hilarious. Example: a text message conversation we had yesterday, after the cable guy came over to his house.

CN: The cable guy thinks you're hot. He saw you walking the dogs.
VB: OMG, don't tell me that!
CN: He was all about me hooking him up. He wanted me to give you his number: xxx-xxx-xxxx
VB: Yesss! Now I can get free cable! Thanks, CN!
CN: Just kidding. Alright, I will pay your cable bill if you don't go out with him.
VB: Ok, FINE! Gah!

And did I mention he's got dimples?? Oh man, am I a sucker for dimples....they are like kryptonite.

He and I met up with MJ and her boyfriend, VW for trivia night recently. We had a good time, although we sucked at trivia! CN wanted to do it again tonight, but I already have plans.

Saturday night, we went bowling with MJ & VW and Mr. & Mrs. Bill. There were a few more people there as well. We all had a really good time, especially MJ, who beat the crap out of us. And since she won't give me a straight answer, I will never know if MJ and VW were working behind the scenes to encourage CN to make out with me or not. As if I am not shy and nervous enough, I have to deal with meddling friends. Yeesh. After bowling, we all wanted to go to IHOP, but it was packed, so the group split up. CN and I decided to go to a Waffle House in our neighborhood instead.

When our waffles came out, the waitress neglected to give us any syrup. There was some syrup on a shelf nearby, but I didn't want to touch them because the handles were all sticky and goopy. I was willing to wait for the waitress to give us some syrup that wasn't sticky. I explained this to CN, and he stood up, grabbed one of the sticky syrups and said, "Tell me when." -- and then he syruped my waffle for me! Aw. Bonus points for him. I thought that was so sweet. Not too many guys are willing to syrup your waffles for you, you know?

As he walked me to my door, he said that he wants to take me out alone sometime, because we have been doing nothing but group dates. Ca-ching! More points. He totally read my mind. Unfortunately, there was still no smooching going on by this point. I guess I just wasn't feeling it. I'm not keen on kissing in public or in front of my friends. And I hate having a first kiss on my doorstep. It makes me feel like I'm on stage. I don't like it. So although I could tell he wanted to, I bolted inside at the end of the night.

MJ, of course, wanted juicy smooching details the next morning, but I disappointed her yet again. By this point, MJ was totally annoyed with the both of us, and nagging me incessantly to get on with it. "I'll do it! Lay off, already!! He's shy and it makes me feel shy in response!" I said defensively.

The next day, I was puttering around my house when he asked me if I wanted to go to Steak n Shake for dinner. Mmmmm!!! Burgers and milkshakes!!! Twist my arm!! Unfortunately, when we got there, we learned that tragically, Steak n Shake has closed down. After briefly grieving for the loss, we went to another burger place, where we had more fantastic conversation. Actually, I kinda hogged it, and he let me. More bonus points for him...

When we got home, it was still early, so he invited me over to watch a movie. We settled on Pan's Labyrinth, which ended up being AWESOME. It is one of the best movies I've seen in years. And he got more bonus points for putting up with one of the most annoying things about me: I am one of those people who talks throughout movies. I know, I know. It's so irritating. But I yell at the characters and critique the movie the whole way through. Aside from some much deserved teasing, he let me get away with it. Wow. He got a lot of points for that one.

His house was totally freeeeeeeezzzzing, and so he tucked a blanket around me and turned the air down. Then he said I could snuggle up to him to stay warm, which I did. Aw. He smelled good. Yay!

As he walked me back to my front door, he said he has not been coming over, because he doesn't want to be "that guy". I told him that was good, and that I was doing the same thing, because I didn't want to be "that girl".

"Oh, no, you can totally be that girl," he replied. Aw.

Ugh, this post is making me barf a little. Sorry. I'm trying not to gush. I'll stop, because I'm annoying myself at this point.

But he is a good kisser. :)