It Starts…

While I would love to write about The Great Carrot Dangler or talk about Mr. Forbidden Fruit, right now really isn’t the time; the reasons are complicated and certainly entertaining, but both are better left unsaid at the moment.

How illusive. 

Moving on.

Full Disclosure: While I am excited to write about these new experiences, I’ll do my best to avoid names or key details about the person, because that just seems like the nice thing to do. I mean, I’m not trying to rip anyone apart. Everyone has an equal and opposite someone that’ll love the fuck out of them. Some stuff is probably embellished (it is), but that’s just really my skewed perception of reality. With that said, if you are reading this and want to give me a piece of your mind while remaining anonymous, send me an email and maybe I’ll post it.    

Hinge (1):

We probably started chatting a week or two before we met up, but ultimately we decided that he would pick me up the day after Christmas and we would head to Sierra at Tahoe to go snowboarding. My idea. Once the decision was made, I quietly resolved that I was a genius and that either this was going to be so great, or I was going to be stuck in a car with a dumb pretty dude wishing to be vulture food. In either of these scenarios, the opportunity for adventure seemed worthwhile.

Truth be told, I was actually pretty nervous to go out with this guy. Between the podcast, the band, the pretty face, and the ex wife that’s way fucking stunning, I knew this was an uphill climb. I mean, his ex is like luxury car fine and I’m over here cute in a VW Bug type-of-way. 

The Date:
He sent me a text alerting me that he had arrived and as I exited my house I saw him across the street in front of my neighbors house with the trunk open. Immediately upon seeing me, he closed the trunk, jumped in his car and drove the additional 25 feet around the Court, only to smile, emerge, and open the trunk again. As a first introduction, I found this to be totally unnecessary and completely charming.

First Impressions:
Endearing. Simple. Kind. Edgy.

The drive to Sierra didn’t fall too far off course. He was sweet and charismatic and somehow the stories flowed effortlessly, like two old friend that had nothing but time. While neither of us looked beyond ordinary in our snowboard gear, there was certainly something about his manner that made me curious about him; he was unlike anyone that I can recall ever going on a date with and that, in and of itself, made him that much more appealing.

We arrived at Sierra around 9AM and did the usual gearing up in the parking lot. At one point he reached in his pocket and pulled out a packet of gummy worms, in case we decided we wanted a snack on the mountain. Of course, my dumb ass didn’t put it together until hours later that these were edibles. In my head I really just thought he made these little baggies with a few gummy worms in them, just in case we wanted a snack. We bought our tickets, had an honorary Bloody Mary and headed up on the mountain. Most of our day consisted of snowboarding down separately and then catching the lift back up with one another. At one point we did take an intermission for another drink, and then again for lunch. I would say that there were moments it seemed we were vibing on each other, but we also could have just been a bit drunk on snow, a cracked rib (?), vodka, and gummy worms.

Most of our getting to know each other really happened on the drive there and back. On the way home we were both pretty exhausted. I really didn’t know what it was that I thought about him romantically, and I’m pretty sure he felt the same way: Mostly nothing with a floss of maybe. I liked our conversations and the energy between us, but I could also tell that he never seemed fully present. In some ways, I felt like we could just as easily be friends.

Overall: 8/10

Doesn’t this all just sound so sweet; don’t worry, it’s coming.

That night he dropped me off at home and while we considered meeting up for a glass of wine, and we probably could have kissed, neither were in the cards. I did manage to leave my sunglasses in his car, which gave me a huge eyeroll. Believe me, if I was going to do that shit on purpose, I would have left Target sunglasses, not the ones I wear every day. The following evening I was out with Michelle having some wine at Tiger, when he suggested I stop by his place and grab my glasses, since he lived nearby. So, Michelle drove me over to his place and I sat on the bumper of his car waiting for him to meet me at the curb. Before I even knew what hit me, I had my sunglasses in my hand, his lips on my mouth, and then he was gone.

What the hell was that!?

We continued talking over the course of the evening and the following week. On Saturday, I had just finished up at the gym and was sitting in the CVS parking lot when he asked me if I wanted to stop by for coffee. I ran back into the CVS to buy deodorant, eyeliner, mascara and a myriad of other drug store items to slather on my face before getting to his place. “Are you almost here?” Umm…  Should I tell him I’m sitting in my fucking car outside of his place trying to look less like a Goddamn Volkswagen!

“Be right there!”

Coffee was quick and simple. We talked for about 45 minutes, kissed a few times, and then he told me he needed to finish his laundry and deliver some late Christmas goods. I went home. Over the next few days, we still texted here and there, but I could tell that something seemed different. At one point he mentioned that he didn’t know what he was looking for or what his intentions were. I suggested that we just makeout now and he figure out whatever his intentions are later.

“Ok”

I ask him if he wants to hang out that evening since neither of us have kids and he says something about needing to do laundry, get a hair cut, and clean his place. I give him a hard time about his shitty prioritization skills, (I was going to go to Victoria’s Secret to buy some panties, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. Ok. I lie. I totally shamed him with this information) and he tells me to come over in the evening. After work I go to Nordstrom’s because I decide I’m classier than VS (obviously), and then home to shower and change. I listen to music loudly, put on the closest version of post-shower, movie makeup, and head to Temple for a pre-makeout Cappuccino since I’m fucking old and need all the help I can get. 

“Ok. Come over”

I park my car at his house. 8:17pm
I head into his place and am greeted with a huge smile and a kiss, and he walks into his bedroom and starts putting some of his laundry away.
I warm myself by his heater and we chat casually for 5-10 minutes.
I take my shoes off and pull him on to the bed.
He kisses me. I kiss him back.
He kisses me. I kiss him back. Awkward pause.
He kisses me. I look at him.
He kisses me. I kiss him back. Awkward pause
He kisses me. I stare at him.
He kisses me. I kiss him back. Awkward pause.

Awkward pause.

“Okay, I really need to finish putting my laundry away and straighten up my place. I just got home and didn’t have time. I really wanted to see you and makeout with you for a minute… but…”

Ummm…
You’re being serious? 
I think I should go.

8:41pm

Painting in the Backyard

This last weekend I decided to revisit painting with Kennedy. A few months back we started painting with watercolor, and that was great, but I should have known that finger painting would have been a total disaster. I think it was one of those situations where I was really excited to have her finger paint, and she was completely against it. The minute the paint hit her fingers she kept saying “dirty” and getting really upset, so we had to throw in the towel. For whatever reason in my brain, this manifested to me believing that she really didn’t like to paint. I was so relieved when I put out a plate of paint in Sunday and she just went for it. I think she asked for me to reload the plate at least four times, and she probably painted every other page in the notepad. It could also be that Wish bear and Tenderheart bear (her muses, of course) helped a little too.

Lemon and Lavender Buttermilk Cake

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Everyone deserves a homemade cake on their birthday, preferably one that is a bit ugly. When I was a kid, we all got unsightly homemade birthday cakes, it’s just the way that it was. Kennedy’s first birthday cake was no different. The lemon glaze was so good, I doubled what the recipe called for and threw my pride out the window. Do I feel shame?

Hell no.

Kennedy’s First Birthday

Keeping things simple this year, Kennedy’s first birthday was spent next to the rose garden on Capitol Park with a few close friends and family. Actually, we were going to go to McKinley park, but rumor has it that they are having a serious flea problem, and that just killed that idea. I considered sending out invitations and having a moderate celebration at home, but I figure there will be plenty of years for obligating friends and they should be off the hook while they can. It was nice to just sit in the park with people who wanted to celebrate with her, eat some of the Lemon Lavender Cake I made the night before, and open gifts.

The birthday suit: One Shirt | Crown | Moccasins