Monday, June 29, 2009

I don't see why I shouldn't be kissing this, do you?



My parents took this picture of Pudge at their house this weekend. I swear to you that no Photoshopping was done to achieve this creepy, demonic look. His eyes just do that! (In pictures, I mean. Not in real life. Though that would be super-cool.)

And how was the weekend otherwise? Lovely. There's just something great about friendships that enable you to fall right back into step, after years of separation, as if you'd just reentered the room to resume a conversation started mere moments before. We didn't do anything spectacular...just talked and laughed and ate and drank and snuggled with the resident dogs and ran to the store and complained about the heat and then started in all over again. Like I said, lovely. They're mostly later sleepers than I am, so I managed to get in a little time with my parents, as well, while waiting for my friends to wake up after our late night at the bar.
I think we've all held up really well, after all these years...everyone looked great. And, believe me, nothing makes you feel better, as an all-too-soon-to-be-47-year-old, than hearing "my god, you haven't aged a day," or "you're even more beautiful in your 40s than you were in your 20s." Heh.
Of course, I'm a little depressed now that I don't get to see these people every day, but maybe it won't be another 20 years before we're all together again in the same room. I had several primary groups of close friends in college, sort of serially (first the instrumental music people, then the vocal music people, then the theatre people) (though I never actually dropped any of the groups, just changed my focus a bit), but these are the people I was close to when I really...became myself, if that makes any sense. It was great to spend some time with them again, limited as it was. And until the next time--there's always Bacefook!
So, did I even THINK about Hot Med while I was gone? You know, I did, a bit. Not constantly, mind you, but I did kind of miss him. That's probably a good sign. Heh.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

It's so hot. Whine, whine, whine.

Sorry. But it is. And maybe you'd think after a lifetime spent in Oklahoma I'd be used to the summers, but I'm not. It's "hot as the hell." (As Hot Med's sister amusingly says.) Gah.

So, what's been going on around here? Oh, many things and nothing, I guess. I've started many blog posts in my head, but none of them ever made it to the page. But I guess you knew that.

Hot Med and I are still dating, for better or worse. I worry sometimes that the thing I like most about the relationship may end up being the thing that kills it: it's relatively uncomplicated. We walk, we swim, we eat...pretty simple stuff. It's essentially the reverse of my relationship with New Guy, which was sometimes overly complicated. I suppose that's part of the appeal of Hot Med. But I worry that, sooner or later, one or the other of us will get bored. Okay...I worry that I, sooner or later, will get bored. We can't even break things up by watching TV, really...he will only watch action movies. I, on the other hand, would rather gouge my eyes out than watch a Jean-Claude Van Damme or Steven Segal movie again. Jackie Chan doesn't do it for me, either. I get why HE likes them--they're easy to follow, no need to understand the dialogue. Heck...is there any actual dialogue in your typical Sylvester Stallone movie? But they're not my cup of tea. I had hoped that as his English improved, he might be willing to expand his viewing habits...but so far, no such luck.

In the meantime, though...on we roll. Dating someone from another culture is always interesting, in and of itself. I've learned a few things. For one thing, I've learned that "the stink-eye" is truly cross-cultural. I throw a mean stink-eye, and he's never once failed to get the point. Heh. Then last night I did something in front of him that was apparently a horrible atrocity of an act, and which very nearly caused him to walk right out of my house.

So, what did I do that was so appalling? I kissed my dog on the nose. You'd have thought I had just beheaded a baby, or something, so strong was his reaction. For cryin' out loud--it's not like I slipped him the tongue! I just kissed the sweetest, bestest doggy in the world on his cute big ol' snout. He couldn't believe I kissed a "dirty, nasty" dog nose with the same mouth I use to kiss him. I told him to get over it and he sat on the couch in angry silence for an hour while I watched "So You Think You Can Dance," 'til I finally asked him if he just wanted to go home. He did...until he realized I wasn't actually offering him a ride, and then he decided he wasn't so repulsed that he was willing to walk the 7 miles home in the heat. Then we had a little talk about how dog mouths are actually cleaner than human mouths, and since Pudge lives inside and isn't allowed access to the cat boxes, and doesn't have contact with any other dogs (whose butts he might be tempted to sniff), HIS mouth is particularly clean, and finally he decided it wasn't such a big deal, after all. Interestingly, though...he said he wouldn't mind if I kissed the cats, and their mouths are much dirtier, given their penchant for licking themselves clean constantly.

So...that was interesting.

What else?

Well, this weekend is the weekend that I'm journeying to my hometown for a little slumber party with some of my college theatre buddies. I can't wait. And no, I'm not taking Hot Med. (Though I did take him to lunch with my cat lady friends a couple of weeks ago, so it's not like I'm generally averse to him meeting my friends.) He has to work, so it's a moot point, really...but I wouldn't take him, anyway. Why? Well, I haven't seen some of these people in 20 years, so there's going to be a lot of catching up, and a lot of really old inside jokes that I won't want to be trying to translate/explain. I just want to enjoy myself, and not be worried about someone feeling left out. Also, he's not always particularly subtle...and sometimes he just plain lacks a filter. I'm sure part of this is due to the ESL thing, and maybe part is cultural, and part just...Hot Med, but if he wants to know something, he'll ask. And if that's a woman's age, or the like, well...he doesn't mean to offend, but he might (although most people seem to find it charming). He's getting better, but this is going to be a particularly...diverse group of people, and though none of them are particularly easily offended, I still wouldn't want to have to worry about possibly inappropriate questions about sexual orientation/lifestyle choices, you know? I don't want to stress about anything. Plus, there's going to be lots of drinking, and, as we know, he doesn't drink, and doesn't really like it when I do. So...he's not invited. Maybe next time. Heh.

Other than that, what's going on in my life? Not a whole lot. There's an evening of monologues (of which I'll be doing two) coming up in July, which should be fun. My little band of pickin' guys and I are going to do a few songs at the official opening of the new building of the theatre company that had to shelve the show I was rehearsing a while back...that's the end of August. That endeavor could prove more than usually challenging, since our guitar player will be unable to join us (something about having a newborn baby at home--where are his priorities!?--hee), and we'll have to reconfigure the remaining two boys from their usual bass and mandolin roles. They both play everything, really...so it's just a matter of switching things up appropriately, but it won't just be "grab a beer, dust off the songs and play 'em." It's something to do, at any rate.

And that, I think, is enough rambling. I'm going to go hike the Appalachian Trail now. Or cruise up and down the "coastline" of Buenos Aires. Or cheat on my spouse. Take your pick. Cover for me, will ya?

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Greater like has no woman.

Yesterday I did something for my man that no woman should ever have to do.

I tried on and purchased a swimsuit. Hee!

Hot Med is very excited about the pool in his new apartment complex, and insisted that we had to go swimming earlier this week. I said I would only agree to do that in the evenings, as I rather assiduously avoid the sun in these, my later, wiser years, and that I would have to see if I could find an old swimsuit. He had no problem with the restriction, so I looked to see if I still owned a suit. I did...but just barely. It was too small, but so old and stretched out that it still actually kind of "fit," but it was so threadbare in spots that I was forced to wear a tank top over it in the interest of public decency. "Take off shirt!" "NO!!!!" I promised that I would buy a decent suit at the next opportunity, and that was yesterday. Thank goodness Target has a decent selection of comfortable swimsuits for those of us not young and bikini-ready. And yay for boy short bottoms!

And that's probably the most exciting thing I've done in the past few days. My life has been more or less on an even keel...which doesn't make for good blogging, but which is kind of nice, for a change. I'm sure something "interesting" will happen soon. Heh.

Friday, June 05, 2009

I didn't intentionally go over a week without posting. It just hasn't been that eventful around here, I guess. I'll give you some quick bullets.
  • Spent quite a bit of time with Hot Med last weekend, then didn't really see him again until last night. (Juggling our work and his work-out schedules.) Maybe we should always wait a few days between dates. Hee. Last night was lovely--we were both really glad to see each other.
  • I think he must have mentioned the wanting a baby thing to his brother or sister, as last night he assured me he no longer wanted me to have a baby, as it might be dangerous for my health. "Maybe dead." I can't imagine that he actually went off in search of articles on the risks of later life pregnancies, so I'm thinking maybe one of his siblings told him he should back off. Heh. "It's okay--I have nephew." Works for me.
  • Hot Med and Sis will be moving to a new apartment this weekend, which is literally right on the river. We look forward to many oh-so-convenient walks and picnics.
  • It's looking like the play I was hoping to do THIS spring, and then hoping to do this FALL, will now be NEXT SPRING. Better late than never...but I really need to find a project to work on soon. I'm getting a little itchy for some creativity. Maybe it's time to stop talking about doing a one-woman show and just DO it.
  • "So You Think You Can Dance" is back! Whoo to the hoo!
  • At the end of the month, I will be having a little weekend "reunion" in my hometown with some college friends--some of whom I haven't seen in 20 years. One of them moved back there a few years ago and bought a cool, big old house, so--slumber party at Layce's! Whoo to the double hoo!
  • Today is my monthly Friday "early day," so I'm out of here at 1:00. Nap, nap, nap!

I can't even think of any more bullets--it HAS been a boring week.

I hope the weekend brings something to talk about. In a good way.

Please do enjoy your own weekends!