All The Good Ones Are Gay, Married, Or They Take Visa

I was having lunch with my friend yesterday. She was lamenting the fact that, although she'd like to break up with her boyfriend, she doesn't want to be alone during the holidays. I asked her if being with someone who makes you miserable was better than being alone. Without hesitation, she said yes.

I told her that maybe a good money making scheme would be a rent-a-date business. We could sign up some single men and match them up with single women who need a date for a Christmas or New Year's Eve party. She said that had already been done, and it was called an escort service.

How afraid of being alone do you have to be to stay with someone who doesn't make you happy?

How I Met the Girlfriend

I went out with my ex-husband's cousin and some other friends on Friday night, and we wound up at a fun little bar in STL. My friend brought along his sister in law. After a couple of hours, he asked me if I'd seen his SIL. It's not a big place, so after looking around and not seeing her, I surmised she must in the ladies' room. Yep, there she was, hunched over the toilet. "You okay?" I ask. "uhh huhh," she replies. The bartender comes over to me and says "Your friend is pretty drunk, you need to take her home." Um, okay. Apparently at some point she became my responsibility, which I immediately passed back to my friend. She ain't my sister in law.

We pour her in the car, and my friends and I go to this dive diner, have ham and cheese omelets, and go back to the house to watch The Office. Funny stuff.

Fast forward to Sunday - the ex drops off our daughter and asks me "did you have fun Friday?" I say yes, figuring his cousin had said we were out. No big thang. He calls me later, around 9:45, and I figure he just wants to tell our daughter good night. Oh, no, he wants to talk to me. Yippee. The Cowboys are on, damn it! But I gave him the almost final draft of the divorce papers a few days ago and figured he wanted to talk about that.

He tells me he took our daughter to the park and that my friend and his SIL were there too. I say okay. He says "I just wanted to let you know." "Let me know what?" "That I'm dating her. What did you think of her?" I say, "Um, I drug her out of a bar after watching her puke. I'd say she needs to learn to hold her liquor." He thinks I'm kidding. Bless his heart.

So, yep, that's how I met his girlfriend.

Time Flies...

My, it's been a while since my last post. Of course, no one knows this because apparently no one reads this (according to my site meter).


So, to catch up those of you who read it but don't register on the site meter, the big news is that my husband and are I divorcing. He moved out in September, and we will file after we fill in some blanks in the paperwork.


Am I happy? Kind of. Am I sad? Kind of. Is this weird? Probably. When I tell people, the usual reply is "oh, I'm sorry." I really want to say "don't be, because I'm not." I suppose that may sound callus and unfeeling, but it's really for the best. For everyone involved, not just me.

In the past two months, the stress level in my house has all but diminished. My girls and I get along better, and we spend more time as a family. I know that they hid in their rooms or buried themselves on the computer just to avoid interaction. Or the arguments. I don't blame them. I wished I could sometimes.

He seems to be doing better too. I found out this weekend he's been seeing someone for about a month. I say, good for him.

I guess it's hard for some people to realize that divorce isn't always a bad thing.

Super Shopping

The new Super Wal Mart opened in my town last week, amid glorious fanfare. Well, if you count an inflatable Energizer Bunny and our local high school band as glorious.

Anyway, I went on opening day. Wow. I've been in Super Wal Marts before, but my word. This thing is HUNIMBOUS*. There's a Home Depot next door (of course, they come in pairs) and you could probably fit two of that store in the Wal Mart.

I went again on Sunday for grocery shopping. I have to say, I've been looking forward to it finally being open so I don't have to go one place for groceries and another place for shampoo, soap, golf balls, etc. I noticed that, even though the food prices were a bit higher than the grocery store, I ended up spending less because I didn't have to go to two places. I tend to get glassy-eyed in Wal Mart and buy a lot of stuff I don't need. But, if I hit the food side first and buy ice cream, I will tend to spend less time browsing in the shoes, nail polish or home decor departments so my ice cream doesn't melt.

*Hunimbous is a word my daughter made up when she was 2. It is a mix (I think) of huge and ginormous.

I'll Drink to That

While browsing 1800Flowers, I came across a category called Happy Hour Bouquets. How frickin' clever is this?

Communication

My daughter Jessica called me on my way home from the gym last night. We talked until I got in the door. She was upstairs in her room - I was on the phone with her downstairs. I then told my other daughter, Kelli, to sign off the computer. She told me she was IMing Jessica. I said, "well, you can't say we don't communicate around here."

I have been known to pick up the house phone in the kitchen and call Jessica, who is in her room upstairs, to tell her dinner is ready. I email people at the next desk. I have sent a text message to my husband while we're at the same party. (Of course, that message said "we need to get out of here!" Not exactly something you want the host to hear.)

I remember when my mom yelled for me out the front door. I still do that to my youngest but that's only because she's 8 and doesn't have a phone. Yet.

The Big 1-8

My oldest daughter turns 18 today. I'm so proud of her. She's smart, beautiful, sassy, doesn't take any crap, loves with her whole heart, and is just a wonderful child.


Happy Birthday Jessica.