Ah, what a boring day. Ended up being at the office pretty much all day, which I didn't like. Supervisor got to leave early, but I had to stay. Not the first time this has happened. This "being the employee that's good enough to be trusted with stuff" thing is not cool. I'm going to have to hit them with the flex at some point. Spent the day playing a bunch of online spades (with random idiot partners) and commenting on Seesmic.

This $200 date idea was funny, though. People approached that from all different kinds of angles. My thing is that it's extremely hard (to me) to figure out how to spend $200 on one date here. Maybe two dinners at the Melting Pot and then...some show? Shows don't come here that often. Also, it's really funny how no one mentioned the idea of being worth at least $200 but everyone wanted to talk about people having to spend that.

Anyway, I'm here in bed now and I've eaten dinner so I'm going to lay down and probably go to sleep. No plans for the evening.

Nothing to talk about from Wednesday or Thursday. Both days were pretty normal. Slow at work, didn't do anything once I got home. Had an emergency situation that left me answering the phone for the last three hours Thursday (such happens when people are sick and others are on vacation). Saw the "wrong" third floor secretary while playing receptionist - even with my current stance on relationships, there is a "right" third floor secretary...and the "wrong" one isn't bad herself - and I heard Thursday morning that the Moon is incredibly cheap (5-10) on NYE. Looks like that's where I'm going, if I go anywhere. Need to go grocery shopping at some point Friday.

Exchanged the suit for another one I like more and then drove back. Drive wasn't that bad, especially once I got off 75. Got back here around 6 and then did some unpacking before eating and then going to sleep early. Of course I don't feel like going to work, but go to work I must.

Kind-of funny how one of my friends made this big deal about seeing me while I was down there but then it didn't happen. Had a time set up and everything, but she let her past take precedence (which is why there would never have been a future for us, even before Wednesday). I'm used to the situation happening - for all the talk, we've only seen each other twice in six years: I've seen my friend from Philly more often than that - but the reasoning was just...not good. Ah well. Unfortunately I have to take her to this wedding (I asked a while ago because I didn't feel like going alone and she also knows my friend who's getting married), but after that I'll be cool.

I found it funny that I got a mass text from a girl I used to talk to. She really should have erased my number by now. Oh well.

One thing I forgot to mention: I have the best friends in the world. How do I know? Friends were congratulating other friends they don't even know on their engagements.

Alright, time to get out of this bed.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Mine was pretty good. Saw a lot ot family, ate well...probably similar to most of yours. Two of my friends proposed over the weekend, so now I have four friends who have weddings imminent. The irony is funny, for "previous post" reasons. I think it's great that they're taking the step, and of course I wish them all the best.

Saturday was pretty normal: I actually stayed in the house all day. Watched football and slept until going to church with my mom in the evening. Didn't go out Saturday night.

Mom and I are going to the mall to exchange a suit and then I'm getting on the road. These hours on the road might not be...well, they're going to be whatever. I never like drives back because I always think about things that get me down. I'd spell that out, but of course it'd be counterproductive. Hope everyone has a great day.

Had a really short workday yesterday: only three hours. We were able to get off at noon. Had a couple delays that didn't allow me to leave until 1, and I got here around 7. Talked with my dad and cousin - who I guess is visiting for the holiday - and then took a nap before heading down to Boulevard.

I'm not sure whether the night was great because I was so excited about going, the music, or the seeming attention I got. Whatever it was, I had fun. The music was as eclectic as I remember, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Left a little bit earlier than usual in case something came up today (hasn't as of yet).

I may or may not drive around today...guess I need to drop off gifts if I don't do anything else. There'll be some football-watching, of course. Not sure whether I'm going out tonight, but it's kind-of doubtful since I'm going to church in the morning. Anyway, Merry Christmas Eve to everyone.

Yesterday was...well..yesterday. Nothing great, nothing terrible. Packed my clothes and stuff, and now I'm just mentally preparing myself for this day at work (adrenalin will take care of the rest). I have 6-9 hours at work, 6 hours of driving, and then 3-4 hours of club action before I get back into a bed. Have a feeling today will be interesting. Hope y'all have a great Friday and if I'm not back before Sunday - should be, though - a Merry Christmas and/or happy holiday of choice.

To fill in some space from the last 8 months, I may post some stuff I've written in that time over the next week.

Should be little surprise that I'm up already, given what I wrote and went through last night...but I figure it might be good to catch everyone up on everything else that's happened in the last eight months or so. I finished my time up at the firm and then went home for a little while...only to end up back at the firm in July in a different department. It's cool at times, at other times not so much. I'm actually going back to my original position in a few weeks.

Family is fine and everything: had a new arrival...one of my cousins had a baby girl a few months ago. Thankfully, there have been no departures that I recall. Friends...Bubble and his girlfriend broke up, and he promptly dated her best friend. They were the ones who threw the housewarming party at which I met the last of the seven girls I talked about in the last post. Have two friends who are getting married in March (I'm going to the second wedding) and one other "has plans"...not that I believe in superstitions or anything, but I don't feel like saying anymore on that until everything is clear.

I bought tickets to WrestleMania for myself and a friend (going back to the last post again, I bought the tickets at the exact time I went through situation #5), so I'll be in South Florida for that. Matter of fact, it's the same weekend as the second wedding so that works out. The first one is on the last day of legislative session, so I can't make that. It'd be the equivalent of someone in retail not going in on Black Friday.

As far as me physically, I'm lifting regularly and I started back running last week. My weight has seemingly hit a plateau, but said plateau is 20-25 pounds higher than it was a year ago so I'm happy.

Did have the best birthday week ever at the end of June/beginning of July. Went out six straight nights, spent time with family, saw Transformers with friends...it may have been the best week of my life period.

As for the subject of my last post, I'm just dealing with it...it's going to be weird transitioning into a life in which I'm not considering dating anyone. Needless to say, that's been a rather big part of my adult life for my entire adult life. I think once I get past the feelings that pushed me to that point (which had my head hurting so badly that I went to sleep) I'll be able to transition just fine. I think people don't really believe me just yet, but that's fine: they'll have time...and lots of it.

It's been forever, although I've meant to come back. Finally had something big enough to come back with. I am through with women/dating. I've had enough of the nonsense and games, the dishonesty, the lack of basic respect and common courtesy. The remainder of the post will cover it in detail. Seven different situations in the same year have pushed me past my breaking point.

First up, Super Bowl Sunday. I'm at my friends' place and I go answer the door. This attractive woman says she has the wrong place. She then comes back up a minute later and figures out that she has the right place. As the game went on, she and I somehow ended up sitting next to each other and also found ourselves being the only ones watching the game (and talking to each other about it). I didn't try to talk to her then because I honestly felt terrible most of the time after working out earlier that day. I did tell the hostess that I was interested a few days later. Long story short, the girl and I started talking.

Conversation was decent, and we had a few other things in common. She had the idea of us playing some one-on-one basketball, which I agreed to. She and I talked a few more times and talked about seeing each other again. We set something up, but she kept pushing it back (maybe 3-4 times, IIRC). At that point I clearly had lost interest and never called her to confirm the date. When she didn't call back, I knew I made the right decision.

Second situation: this I can't even blame on Tallahassee, as this one occurred at home of all places. Maybe a couple weeks before I went home, someone asked me when I would be down there. I told her when I'd be there and she then said that I'd figure out how to get in contact with her, which I did. We exchanged numbers and a couple weeks later I was home. Called her after I was there for a couple days. Normal run-of-the-mill five-hour conversation. Couple days after that, she invited me to a concert she was going to. We met up and had a great time. Concert was great, we walked and talked afterward, and she hugged me tighter and longer than anyone ever has. Including family and including relationships. The next night I spent with family and friends (separately), during which I texted her and explained why I wasn't going to call that night. She said she was cool with it and I told her I'd call her the following night, which I did. She returned my call...11 days later. To top it all off, she called at 12:40 AM on a Friday night/Saturday morning. Now anybody who knows me knows I was dancing at L'Boulevard Cafe. I listened to the voicemail and I texted her to let her know that I got the message but was at the club and would call her back the next day. This time it only took her three days to return my call. We maybe talked for 20 minutes, and it was clearly awkward. I did invite her out to see Transformers with a few friends and me for my birthday, knowing she would decline. She said yes...and then didn't show. Funny thing is she still talks to me online like nothing happened. Part of me wanted to cuss her out, part of me wanted to ask her what happened. I wasn't even attracted to her like that. I could have been in time, but I surely wasn't yet so we're not talking about a "coming on too strong" or suffocating situation.

At the end of my birthday week I actually met someone else at a club. We had good conversation and she seemed to really be into me. We saw each other once before I came back here and she said she traveled a lot and would come up here. I called her pretty regularly, and then two weeks later I called and found out she changed her number…without telling me. Everything was going great, no sign of anything bad…but poof.

The fourth instance happened in late August. I wasn't having the best night to begin with (thanks to seeing my ex), but this pretty girl made it all better. We started dancing together and every time she moved to a different spot on the floor she held my hand and led me to wherever she was going. She even kept dancing with me after her friend left the floor. Left the floor herself and actually came back to find me - in a different spot than where we were before. After all that, she then asked me my name (although I was going to ask her and she honestly just beat me to it). She said she had to go and I asked for her number. She said she didn't have a phone (which gave me pause, but I played along) but gave me her email address and said to email her. I put it in my phone and showed it to her for verification. I emailed her Sunday afternoon...nothing.

There are two that really pushed me over the edge. This one is the first, and it goes back almost 13 years. Spring 1999 I met this girl at a friend’s birthday party. We hit it off really well, went out and had great times together, the whole nine. Somehow we lost touch. In late September she found me on FB. We talked for a while that night…and just about every other night. Once again, things were going great for a few weeks. I then started to notice that she was on FB less and less around late October. Finally in early November I saw a status she had and asked her about it. She played it off and we had a normal conversation…until she asked why I was still single and I said I was waiting for her to take me off the market. She told me then that she was talking to someone else the whole time. Actually had the nerve to still say she wanted to meet for lunch in Orlando when I went down there. At first I agreed, but later thought better of it.

Situation #6…basically, I met someone who only wanted to communicate via text message. Truth be told, I wasn’t that into her (the texting thing was a big part of that) but I was getting over the above situation so I gave her more of a chance than I should have. As if the texting thing wasn’t bad enough, we only texted once a week. I’d start and she’d reply and all, until she wouldn’t. Wash, rinse, repeat. Finally got tired of the nonsense and stopped texting her after Thanksgiving.

The last situation, as one would imagine, is the one that really did it. Went to a housewarming party. Started talking to this girl who was sitting on the couch next to me. Turned out we had a few similarities. Conversation was really good, and then we danced together for a while. She actually played some music that I’d previously only heard at my favorite club (some bachata I hear at L’Boulevard Café, for my Miami people). Things couldn’t have been any better. She’d had a long day and was really tired, so she actually fell asleep on me on the sofa for two hours. I just let her sleep. She finally woke up and we went our separate ways. We talked and had great conversation, and had two wonderful dates. She even kissed me on the lips at the end of both dates. After the second date, though; our conversations became much shorter and less frequent. I called her last Wednesday and three days later she still hadn’t returned my call. I really started to wonder about things. Going against my own better judgment, I called her again. She apologized and said she was really busy. She called Sunday and asked me to meet her at a park. We walked and talked and she gave me the “you’re a great guy, but…” speech. Now this wasn’t that bad, as she said she still wanted to be friends and keep our dinner plans for tonight (Wednesday) that we made before she gave the speech. So tonight comes and I call her. Of course, she forgot all about it.

You go through that many situations in which women can’t/don’t show you even basic human respect and common courtesy, you reach the point that I’m at – which is that of being through.