Skrinkering Hearts

In two days (two days!) I leave for Reno for a long weekend.  And I thought to myself last week, that since I won’t be blogging much (at all?) while I’m vacay-ing in Nevada (with my roommate, who has never been!) that I’d try and get in a few solid posts of sustinence in here.  Well, looks like I’m not going to be able to deliver.

Because I haven’t had time.

My weekend was consumed with boat rides, realllllly yummy jello shots, jetskiing and then bruising (you should see the size of this thing!), belting out tunes on a three and a half hour ride with the sunroof open and the windows down, getting a spec lost and that being totally okay, feeding a duck we named Daisy, making friends with a wedding party at a local bar and a guy who was a dead ringer for Bob Saget, and sunning ourselves.

And then this week has been busy, really busy at work.  And I’ve been spending time doing last minute things you do before a trip.  Like laundry and kittysitting arrangements.  And getting together for dinner with ex boyfriends who now have a 10 and a half month baby boy.

Oh and then there’s that triathlon in a week and a half that I should be spending more time training for.  I mean I’m running, but the biking?  Not so much.  I’m doing this one with a friend and afterwards we are all heading to a Pat’s opening day party, and I’m taking the next Monday as a personal day, because I can.

So anyway, what I’m trying to say?, is that I wanted to, I had every intention of, getting a meaty post or two in before my trip.  It just doesn’t look like it’s in the cards.  Oh, speaking of cards, I learned how to play Texas Hold Em’ (is that how you say/spell? it anyway?) this weekend! 

I’m realizing this post is kind of scattered.  So while I’m at it, I’m going to bullet, just a spec.  Because it’s how I roll, truly.

• I’m reading The Time Traveler’s Wife.  I’m loving it.
• I have a soul mate post in the works, which seems to be kind of a theme of late.
• I met a cute guy, with a good head of hair last weekend.  He didn’t talk much, and when he did, he taught me about birds, and nesting.  This was a bit concerning.  He had nice eyes.
• I love babies and children.  Lately, I cannot get enough of them.
• Spell check on here is not working, again, so please ignore any mistakes.
• I tried uploading some sort of “podcast” on here, and I’m sure you can all just GUESS how that went.  I proceeded to make a cocktail directly after, while watching The Hills, on the seat of my pants. 
• You all probably know about my addiction to shoes.  And accessories.  But cards?  Lately they have taken the cake.  I cannot buy enough cards.  I always have to have some on hand “in case.”
• Lately I’m digging this song and this one.  I’m going to see him (!)  next week, and her in October.
• Diet Coke Plus?  Seriously?  Really baffles me. 
• Lastly, I will leave you with a new good head of hair pick, so I’m at least good for something!

Hope that everyone has a great Labor Day weekend filled with friends and family, end of the summer festivities and grilled things, and a smile on your face knowing fall is right around the corner.

I awoke to a distant, but familiar cool breeze on my exposed skin.  I was tucked under my covers, wearing a tank top and girlie boxer short set a friend had gifted me on my birthday.  For the first time, in a long time, I was sleeping sans AC.  With the two windows in my bedroom cracked open, I awoke that morning to a cool breeze, and the warm sun.  I could hear the neighbor watering her garden, and the noise was overwhelmingly calming.  Peaceful.  It was early, for a weekend.  But I wasn’t bothered by the 7:00am wake-up call.

 As I was lying there, slowing working my way out of a foggy slumber, I pulled the covers down and let the sun and breeze peak in on me.  I turned to my nightstand and turned on my ipod, listening to the sweet tunes of Ben Harper as I let the outside, in.

Fall.  I could feel its presence, its hesitant, reluctant entrance in the air outside.  Autumn.  My favorite season and time of year.  Cosmo nuzzled up next to me, purring, and warm to the touch from the sun.  I closed my eyes and contemplated the upcoming season, the wrap up of a great summer.

Later that day I’d be spending the afternoon on a boat, with a group of close friends, on a lake, quite likely sipping a cold beer as the wind breezed through my hair (now minus 6 inches).  Not long after, Labor Day will be here, marking the end of yet another summer, this year to be celebrated in Reno.

And things will begin to cool off.

The weather, the calendar.  Things will become less hectic, weekends with fewer obligations and plans.  A summer that has so effortlessly flown by, jam-packed, filled to the brim with sun and fun, heat and humidity, cocktails and patios, road races and triathlons, long weekends and beaches- it will slowly fade away.  In will creep a new season.  My favorite season.

I will soon be in long-sleeve shirts, flannel pants, and an extra blanket at this time of morning.  Reflecting on new plans.  For Columbus Day and apple picking excursions.  Cider, and pies, apple crisp and hayrides.  Sam Adams October.  Leaves changing, and falling.  Sweaters.  Fall tones, crisp sounds and smells outside.  Wood stoves burning, pumpkin picking.  Thanksgiving.

Around the corner, new plans and new memories.

New possibilities.

Check out this week’s new hair pick, in honour (that’s for you Airam!) of today’s new baby daddy!  Woot!

**Zack and Kelly got married today on SBTB.  Mr. Belding was there, the cast from the college years.  Lisa straightened her hair, Jessie made it last minute.  They did the whole flashback thing right from the beginning of their courtship.  Kelly had the short hairdo (right before she started up on 90210).  It was a beautiful day, it was outside.  Ahh, what dreams are made of, really. 

I have been trying for forever to post pictures from my weekend away in Maine.  I never claimed to be any kind of savvy with computer stuff.  But holy hell, shouldn’t it be simpler than this?  I read the Q&A section here on WordPress.  Then I went to the damn forums?  Which are confusing?  And not very helpful, at least not in this circumstance.

Geeze, I wanted to post pictures of the beautiful ocean view from the room I stayed in.  Of the waves as they crashed onto the sand during an early morning jog.  I was maybe even going to get ballsy and post a picture of me!  But nope.  Flippin’ WordPress will have none of it. 

Which really irks me because here I was with the whole “a picture is worth a thousand words” mentality for this weekend.  Because the pictures, they are just SO pretty, so breathtaking, that the words I could come up with to describe them?  And the weekend?  They couldn’t really do it all justice.

And I’m sorry that now this has turned into a ranting post about how I suck at all things involved with uploading and embedding?, and thumbnails vs. not.  Because it was such a really great, relaxing, special weekend away, that I really didn’t intend to let any of this negativity with fucking posting pictures trying patiently to get some pictures up here, to overshadow all the goodness of the weekend.

I’ll keep trying.  But I’m about to flip out and frankly, I need to keep with the relaxed beach feel that I still feel a spec of in my bones.  So for now I guess you will just have to take my word for it, and hopefully one of these days soon I’ll be able to figure this “complex” picture thing out.

**UPDATE** Here is a link to some of the pictures that I have on flickr from the weekend. 

**UPDATE #2** Happy Birthday Brandy!! 

Today I learned that I’m 85% addicted to blogging (Thanks Airam for the quiz.  I still can’t figure out how to get the little picture on here.)  Anyway.  Because apparently I’m pretty addicted, it may or may not be hard for me to be away for a long weekend.  I’m going to Maine with my family, to celebrate my grandmother feeling pretty good lately and her two month breakski from chemo.  I have a sneaky suspicion that blogging might be pretty far from my mind while I’m gone. (And look at the picture!  Isn’t it gorgeous there?)  However.  I know me, and I’m bringing a laptop and who knows what I may or may not bust out. 

My friend B is going to check on C-mo while I’m gone, since my roommate will be at the Cape and he’ll have the run of the place for three days.  And he’s getting bigger!  Last week at the vet I was told that he “gained a kitten.”  He’s 5lbs now.  My special boy.

Anyway, I hope all of you have a great weekend!  I’m about to go search for a new good head of hair pick.  Oh, and I further confirmed my thought that I definitely got this hair thing from my mom.  She listed about 10 men tonight, over dinner and martinis, that she likes based on their hair.  (Sigh)  She flippin’ rocks.  For a gazillion reasons.  Which reminds me, I should do a post about that one of these days.

Happy pre-TGIF.

(”Nubble” is a funny word, huh?  Maybe it reminds me of nipple.  Hmm.)

Over the past month or so, I’ve gone on a few dates with a couple different guys.  After one of the dates last night, I got to thinking about whether t’is better to go on date after date (after date), yet not find a match, or to go on no dates at all, where then obviously one would also therein, not find a match. 

I came to the conclusion that at least by dating different guys, I’m getting the opportunity to see what I like, and what I don’t like.  What will fly and what won’t.  Dating can be fun and exciting and all that great stuff movies are made of, and at times it can have the tendency to be a bit, well, tiring.  Believe me, I’m all for meeting new people, getting dressed up for a date, all of that.  And that’s the good, fun part of it all.  But eventually, with any dating situation, there comes a point after the first couple dates, where you need to decide to continue with it, or let it go.  You start beginning to wonder, “can I see this going somewhere?”  And if you’re lucky, you can.

Other times, you realize, sometimes (oftentimes?) even by the first date, that there will be no second date in the works.  Or perhaps you decide to give it a go a little longer, but still, you decide that after three or more dates, that it’s just not happening. 

Which got me to thinking.  There are certain things that I kind of make a mental note of on the first date.  This is very likely not an all inclusive list, but it’s a work in progress.  These are things that I notice on a first date, which help to determine if a second date is in the cards.

You prove to me, that to you, chivalry is not dead.  I’m talking about opening the car door for me.   Holding the door for me wherever it is we choose to first date.  It doesn’t need to be as serious as offering the shirt off of your back the moment the temperature changes, but noticing, in general.  Taking notice of the fact that I have a pretty pair of earrings on, or a funky clutch.  Complimenting something, it doesn’t matter how small or insignificant.  Just at least noting that I’ve got something that you like.

You are at least witty to a degree, and can handle and dish out some sarcasm.  You make me laugh.  And you’ll know it’s not a fake laugh because I’ll probably do the breathe-in-weeze-noise if you really nailed it.  Have some good comebacks.  Be able to take a little teasing and sarcasm.  Because if that’s not how you roll?  Then you and I, a good match won’t make. 

You seem interested, and present.  Now I know this sounds like a no brainer buddy.   But believe me I’ve been on dates where the opposite is the case.  Don’t answer your cell phone or texts whilst I’m sipping my beer.  Give more than one word answers when I ask you, “do you like your job?”  And then, ask me, at least a couple questions too.   Talk and share about yourself, but at least then give me a little floor time as well.  I’m interested in learning about you; if you’re in this for more than just the night, then I hope you want to learn about me too.

You have a basic knowledge of modern day media/music/movies/gossip, etc.  I’m not saying you need to know the name of Ben and Jen’s baby girl, or what Alec Baldwin called his daughter on that tape-recorded message.   I’ll be able to tell you that kind of stuff.  But at least have a working knowledge of what’s kind of… in right now.   Know who Jack Bauer is, even if you don’t watch the show.  Understand that the Sox aren’t doing so hot right now.   Please know what I’m talking about when I bust out an Office Space line (Or at least be able to comeback with an equally funny quote.  I once dated a guy who had never heard of Tommy Boy or Billy Madison- no lie.) Be able to discuss what kind of music you’re into, and have a freaking opinion on something, even if you’re disagreeing with me.  There’s no bigger buzz kill than a guy who doesn’t know what he likes, wants, prefers, etc.

You dress appropriately and have good hygiene.  This one sounds sort of basic, and I’ll be the first one to admit that I am picky when it comes to this stuff.   But you wearing an unfortunate wash of jeans isn’t going to be a deal breaker if you at least appear assured that you look good.  I figure that’s something we can perhaps deal with down the road, and once I’m smitten with you, that might not matter.   As much.  And it would be nice if you smelled good.  Don’t bathe in the cologne; just a hint of it is key.   And it’s probably too much to ask and this is where the pickiness really comes out, but why not grow your hair a little bit before our date?  I’m just sayin.

You’re confident.  Remember Mr. Friday?  Well he was a guy who verbalized his internal talk.   So if he made a wrong turn and thought he was an idiot, he said “I’m such an idiot!”  Yeah, so swoon-worthy, I know.  I’m not saying it’s not all very fine to be a little nervous or anxious about the first date, and hey, I get it.  I’m there too.   A little bit of that stuff keeps you on your toes.  But I don’t want to hear all the dirty details about said nervousness.   Don’t fess up to me that you haven’t been on a date in five months, or that you needed help picking out what you’re wearing.  Work with what you’ve got, and be confident that you’re a guy that I want to be on this date with.   A spec of nervousness or clumsiness is endearing.  But just take a deep breath, another sip of that beer, and feel good in your skin.   Or at least fake it.

And lastly (for now),

You’re on time, and you know when to call it a night.  Don’t show up twenty minutes late to wherever we’re meeting.   And when the date has clearly gotten to that point where we’ve exhausted all conversation, let’s just call a spade a spade and be done with it.  There is no need to order a third cup of coffee.  Let’s just end it on a high note and not drag it on and on.  And on.  If it’s going well, leave me wanting more.

What are some things you notice on first dates that help to determine if another one will happen?

Today, at 7:27am, I cried during an episode of Saved by the Bell.

 I’m not sure what this really means.

I haven’t utilized the password protection option before.  Blogger never used to have it (and I wished it did).  Now that I have it, I haven’t really found the need for it (go figure).

But, I got one.  A “shh” post.  Which is nothing huge and all wicked secret, but, well, if any post is good for a little protection, this one might work.

Email me at skrinkeringhearts @ gmail . com for the password if you wish.

New Hair Pick for Friday!

Anyone know who this stud is???

Hope everyone has a great weekend!