Because I like to follow the leader

Rachel's MM&M Carnival doesn't really begin until July, but, after reading several of your lovey-dovey blogs, I could not help but join in early, too.

Because that's what I like to do. I'm a followerer. On most occasions.

Without further ado, let me present the beginnings of our love story.

I’d like to say it was love at first sight, but it was probably lust.

I met him at a BCM function. He had the cutest smile I’d ever seen, and I loved his laugh. It was contagious. And then I thought, “Don’t even think about it. He’s so awesome, he probably already has a girlfriend. Give it up.”

So I did. And two months later, he started dating another girl.

Loser.

Just kidding. We probably didn’t need to date just them. Both of us had a lot of growing up to do, and, had I not gone through the experiences I did over the next year and a half, I don’t think I would have appreciated him like I did December 2003.

That’s when I realized I really liked this man, who’d become my best friend over the past six months. He had been dating the same chick he started dating in 2002, and I thought they were getting married – and even approved of it. I was happy being his friend, though all the guys I dated while I knew him had to measure up to him. And none of them did.

Girlfriend broke up with him in November, and I started “talking” (Why do we call it “talking”? I went on dates with the guy, so does that count as dating? Sure, why not?) with another guy who was very jealous of Superman – who I, at the time, had no romantic interest in. And it bothered me that Dating Dude kept putting Superman down: “Do you know how many video games he plays?” “He always acts so weird.” “Why do you hang out with him so much?” I understood it was jealousy, but single guys, let me give you a hint: badmouthing another guy never works in your favor. Superman knew that I was dating this guy, and he was uber-supportive – even though he secretly had a crush on me. “He’s such a great guy,” he told me one night. “He’ll be sweet to you forever and be able to provide well for you.” And he broke my heart.

I kicked Dating Dude to the curb. I didn't do it to date Superman. I did it because I could not date a guy who would badmouth a friend just to be with a girl.

And on December 31, 2003, I was standing in Central Park in New York City, watching the fireworks and talking to Superman on the phone, who was in Louisiana. “It’s so beautiful,” I said breathlessly. “I wish you were with me to see it.”

When I said that, everything suddenly became clear.

We were such close friends – best friends, in fact. We knew each other’s dirty little secrets and still liked each other. Just a month later, we decided to try dating…and decided we liked it so much that we decided, “Heck, why don’t we keep this up for a lifetime?”

What a great idea.



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He feel it, she feel it, we feel it, here we go

This really should be Friday, because I have a feeling this blog's gonna be random enough for Caffeinated Randomness. And if I misspelled "caffeinated," I'm okay with that.

First. Do not send your COLLEGE professor a SUPERBLY grammatically incorrect e-mail. I can understand one or two errors. I can. But the following...I cannot.

"i do not know how to create a blog. i would like to make my blog on blogger also i want to know if the first blog is due this friday the 5th or june 6th saturday. could you let me know?"

Or begin it like this...

"Good morning ms. roberts,"

Please. No.

Or take an online class...and not check your e-mail. Who does that???

Next.

I did NOT have a good day yesterday. I didn't feel good, I'd stared at a computer screen until I felt my eyeballs were going to bleed, and even a Three Musketeers bar didn't help (Rachel, I feel your pain on the Dr. Peppers...I just lack the desire for self control.). I hadn't mentioned this much to my sweet husband other than I cancelled dinner with some friends because of just the "not-feeling-gooders," and he said he would run to the store to pick up some cheese top top our chili with.

He came home and, looking sheepish, stood in the doorframe. "Well, the trip to the grocery store got a little out of hand," he said, pulling beautiful stargazer lilies (Thanks for the identification, Misti!! LOL! My knowledge of plants does not extend past roses, gardenias, and tulips.) from behind his back. My eyes started tearing up.

"And," he continued, "I thought, I couldn't get you flowers without a card."

He pulled out a card. "But I couldn't give you a card without writing anything in it, so I had to buy pens, too," he said.

Sniff. I love that man.

Who (randomness No. 3) is now on facebook. Back on facebook, I should say. He had various reasons for quitting facebook the first time, about two years ago, one of which was because I got aggrivated that, when he wouldn't respond to people's messages, they'd message ME and say, "Why isn't Superman writing us back?" Because he's a boy who forgets! You've met him! You know this! UGH.

(Which, by the way, people still do, but that's a whole different blog. BUT I'll just say this -- If he did not answer when you called, why do you call me? I'd understand once or twice, but we have people who do this ALL THE TIME. He's either busy -- which is usually the case; his work hours are crazy -- or at a place where he can't answer his phone. And, NO, I'm NOT going to tell him to call you back when he gets home at 11 p.m. He's going to SLEEP. Okay, okay, I'm done...for now.)

Back to facebook. So he's addicted now. I don't know what changed, but he is addicted! He's got it on his PHONE -- even I don't go that far, haha!

And......that's all the randomness for today!

Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy

Slightly a lie -- but it's a lot better than I anticipated.

I LOVED my first class. I loved my professor, I loved my classmates, and I loved my material. I did NOT love that in three hours (he let us out an hour early) my hands were shaking from typing 10 single-spaced pages of notes (that's 6,000+ words). I also did not love that by 8:45 p.m., my eyes were drooping slightly, and my typing was getting sloppier because I was tired.

But I did love the smell of coffee beans that came from my sweet hubby as he picked me up (he had gone to a nearby coffee shop to play on his computer and wait for me). I love that I got to sleep in the car with a blanket and pillow and then simply get out of the car when we got to the house (at 1 a.m.) and transfer my body to the bed.

Did not love that Superdog, who'd been left alone for 12 hours, was wide awake and ready to play.

Did love the fact that I woke up sans alarm at 6:47 a.m. (alarm was set for 7 a.m.) and was ready to get ready for work (at 7:30 a.m.).

Did love that I treated myself with a double shot (note, not a triple) sugar free vanilla latte (no foam, nonfat milk) and a blueberry muffin from my favorite coffee shop.

Do not love that I will have to rinse and repeat next Thursday.

Do love that it lasts only until July 30.

Did not love that I was the "newbie" in the class -- all of my classmates are midway through their Ph.D. work. I was the youngest. And maybe a little intimidated. But when we got to talking and they realized this was my first class AND that I lived three and a half hours away, they started giving me pointers for what to expect for this class and from the rest of my teachers.

*smile*

Rinse and repeat next week.

This is it. Don't get scared now.

I will take my first Ph.D. class. Tonight.

TONIGHT.

I have my "luggage" all ready -- a blanket, a pillow, my contact supplies, PJs, makeup remover, and, the most needed of all, my laptop.

Is it sad that I actually have to pack to go to class?

Super Duper University is located around 3 1/2 (no traffic) to 4 1/2 (loads of traffic) hours away. In another state even. Superman is driving me back and forth, thank God. But my class is from 6-10 p.m. Thursday nights, so we'll be leaving around 12:30 p.m. or 1 p.m. and getting back around 2 a.m. Friday.

Faaabbbuuullloooouuussss.

Oh, and did I mention I have to be at work at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning?

Triple shot latte coming right up!

But I am so excited about this. Ridiculously excited. I haven't even seen the syllabus, and I e-mailed my professor yesterday with an idea for a paper proposal that I want to present at a conference in Texas next year. I even looked up articles to research.

Thank God I'm a nerd, because I think you have to be in this game. And in World of Warcraft (but I don't play that, promise -- though some people who read this blog do...LOL).

And just for funsies, my class that I teach starts today, too. It's an online class -- the first online class I've taught. Which means that TECHNICALLY -- not that I'm going to do it, but TECHNICALLY -- I can teach class AND go to class at the same time. Wrap your mind around that one for a second.

Teehee.

I am suddenly soooo glad that I'm anonymous on here, because I'd really hate for my professors to see that. ;)

WYAW: The Gift-Giving One

I'm very glad it's What's Your Answer Wednesday, because my brain apparently is still in sleep mode this morning.

1. When do you start purchasing Christmas gifts?

2. Do you wrap, bag, or just jerk the tags off?

3. What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever received?

4. Have you ever done or have given to you a "donated in your honor" gift? Like when you buy a cow for a family in a foreign country to raise and eat, and the gift to them is donated in your (or someone else's) name?

My answers:

1. I start June 1. That's the first day of Bath and Body Works' semi-annual sale, and that's usually my cue to start the gift-buying. I've already purchased eight Christmas gifts (not all from BBW, mind you).

2. Jerking the tags off is usually my fail safe, but I try to at least put it in a bag. Wrapping rarely happens. I'm a horrible wrapper.

3. My boss gave me a weird iPod holder thing (and at the time, I did not have an iPod -- no one in our office did) and a chocolate candy phone. Ugh.
**EDIT: As Misti reminded me, I actually had a worse gift. Someone (not even saying what category this is in) gave me cheese one time...smelly, soft "cheese" (though the jury's still out) floating in opaque water. And I'm definitely one to try new things, but this was something not even I could muster up.

4. Negative.

For more Fun WYAW, visit Linda!

Superdog has a boyfriend

Yep. My little pup has a beau.

When she was a little over a year old, a white poodle named Beanie would come visit her from time to time. He'd even leave her "gifts" in the yard so she would realize that he had come over when she was not outside. Superdog LOVED seeing Beanie. Beanie just loved seeing a female dog. He wasn't in it for the love.

Meet Dog X. I call him Dog X because I don't know his name, but he lives across the street from us. He is a cute little Rat Terrier, just a little bit bigger than Superdog. He is in loooovvvveee with our little Chihuahua. He came a'courting a couple of times, and Superdog turned him down flat. But that little dog did not give up. On his third try, Superdog decided that she might just like him, too.

And so the doggie relationship has begun.

They haven't played with each other since (both like running and chasing; it's what holds their relationship together), but they have communicated to the chagrin of both sets of owners.

Dog X will be in his fenced in back yard, and Superdog will be inside. And they will bark. To each other. A lot. Both have very high pierced barks. Not a good combo.

Dog X is very well-behaved. I took Superdog outside to frolick and do her dirty business outside, and she spotted Dog X across the road with his owner. Neither dog was allowed to cross the road (even though Dog X has to come visit, but I think he was cautious since his owner was outside with him), but they both stood at the edge of the grass, just watching each other.

I'm telling you, it's better than a soap opera.

Second chances

This is what God the Lord says — he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:5-7

It's amazing how much I change and still stay the same.

Last year I went through a "re-creating" of myself, I guess you'd say. When insanity happens, that's what you've got to do. You evolve, or you stagnate.

I always think that I'm glad I am no longer the person I was a year ago, or two years ago, or five years ago. It's growth. I want to be a better person, therefore I continually change to mirror Christ's love. It's an uphill battle, but I have my running shoes.

I like to believe that I'm a better person than I was before. Don't we all? We'd like to think our experiences mold us into wiser, kinder, gentler people. That's what I like to imagine, at least.

But I don't know if I've really changed all that much or if I've just said that I've changed.

I may have changed one bad habit, but have I adopted another in its place?

Do I really show Christ's love, or is it just to people I've deemed worthy?

I'm looking for a second chance for myself, a chance to crush my pride and open my eyes to the needs of this world -- traits I thought I had. It's a second chance to the doors I closed.

Sigh. I'm not mopey today or depressed, I promise. Hubby and I are making homemade pizzas tonight and watching Battlestar Galactica (yes, I think I already mentioned I'm a major nerd). This just stems from from the sermon last night and a short talk with an old friend.

(For those of you who know me personally, this has NOTHING to do with the crazy people in my life. That is a dangerous situation in all facets.)

So here's my second chance, starting June 1. I'm down with it. ;)

P.S. I go to my first doctoral class Thursday. Eek!! I'm so excited!