9 posts tagged “chefgurl”

ChefGurl is moving this coming weekend to a place down south of Western Australia, approx 4 hours away in a tourist zone to run a cafe/restaurant with her new man whom she met off a dating site back in early December.  I'm thrilled for her and scared for her, in equal parts.  You have to admit, going halves in a business with a guy who she's just met, is a HUGE leap of faith.  I really do pray it works for her, after all she's been through the wringer and has such a good heart, it'd be nice to see that leap of faith in love and life, rewarded.  I met him at her farewell drinks and he seems really nice.  He'll have all of us to answer to if he isn't tho!

Was just talking to ChefGurl, who told me a tale about her step sister's boyfriend.  Turns out the turkey who has even gone away for holidays away to a wine region with her and been with her over a year, had a few other girlfriends on the go.  Our city is far too small socially to do that kind of thing.  You think this twit would know that.

SO Doofus as I'll dub him (Scumbag?) went to a work social affair with girlfriend # 2 and 'lo but there is ChefGurl's scumbag ex defacto who is desperate to win her back (despite pushing for her to have an abortion and treating her like dirt while she was still pregnant *snarl*) anyhoo SuperScumbag (smiling at that nickname) spots Doofus and figures he'll draw some heat away from himself and try to win himself back into her good graces by calling her to dob him in.  Sure enough it's the same guy.  Wait til those girls all end up having a chat... turns out Girlfriend # 2 works with Super Scumbag.

Well it's been an interesting couple of days.

Gilligan gave me the impression on Friday that he might be interested or at the very least saw me as a new friend.  Either way I'm pretty chuffed as he is a nice guy and if nothing else, he's been an example of everything that Angel (and his ilk), definitely can't measure up to, which has been nice. 

Friday night we went to a fund raising drinks thing which got messy.  I'm deliberately vague to keep confidentiality.  I wondered vaguely if Angel was there, knowing that if he was he couldn't help turn into a guardian angel so to speak and starts hovering around.  He ends up standing somewhere where he can watch me.  Pathetic as it is part of me is flattered when he does it thinking that he does care or that he gets jealous.  Pathetic.  I don't know why in reality that he does that, some warped feeling of ownership who knows - I'm past turning myself into knots trying to figure it out like I would have done in the past.  I just know he does it.  He had come around for dinner just last Weds night after repeatedly telling me he wanted to see me and it wasn't a physical thing he really just wanted to catch up.  Uh huh.  As he went to leave he tried doing the whole cuddle good bye and not let go thing. 

What can I say I'm weak but not that weak.  He's a good kisser and I'd missed having any kind of affection or intimacy but it was at the back of my mind that with him it's just not real and I backed off and told him he should go home and he did.  It was nice until then though, relaxed companionship, no moves made by him, catching up as friends and chatting about our houses and all sorts of mundane things. That's the side of things I'd miss if I end up cutting him off but I will if I start seeing someone if he can't back off and just be a friend. 

Ok so back to Friday night, two days after him trying his hardest to be more than close to me, and he's standing a scant few feet away with his friend.  His friend, TB, is a big maori guy whom I met before I met Angel.  TB when I first met him while out with GF, had hung around me, very interested, most of the night.  We hadn't exchanged numbers though as something about him just seemed a little TOO intent/serious and I was not interested in someone who was either trying to take me home for the night or wanted to propose marraige without knowing me so I socially skipped on into the crowd and lost him that night).  About 8 months later, and I've met Angel a few times for coffee then somehow I'm coming up in conversation between Angel and TB over a few beers on a Sunday and they realise they both know me and Angel is sms'ing me.  I've never told angel that TB had acted the way he had when I'd met him - I figured that was for TB to tell him or not, after all nothing had happened and I hadn't been interested though he seems like a nice guy and not unattractive, something just put me off and suddenly he was the best friend of a guy I'd been spending time with. 

3 years later on and Angel being NO Angel I'm here in this very weird place mentally watching as if outside myself with TB trying to flirt with me and telling me I need to meet a nice guy instead of the bad boys I seem to be attracted to (subtle, not).  TB then drops his bombshell, that Angel while interstate, was travelling with A GIRLFRIEND.  Despite me having asked Angel if he was seeing someone and he denied it point blank telling me he's just not ready for a relationship.  So ...the recent catch ups which were totally platonic were obviously some kind of "try to do the right thing while seeing someone" thing (I'm glad he has some kind of morals at least), but they busted up apparently while interstate and when Angel came back suddenly I'm getting sms's up to 3-4 times a night on weekends asking when he can see me.  I wasn't too amused but cynical about it.

Angel, obviously feeling a tad strange about me talking to his best friend for so long sidles up to join in the conversation after giving me a few of his 'specially warm smiles' from across the crowd.  I turn to him in drunken amusement (probably coming off like a drunken bitter lush) and said a little brittly "hey I'm sorry to hear you busted up with your girlfriend while in Melbourne!" and threw that clanger out there to see his reaction.  He stumbled verbally, didn't deny it, then did deny it and meantime I flitted off into the crowd I was with to talk to someone else in disgust.

Meantime Gilligan who had wandered off to socialise with some of the people from work and to watch the band up closer, came back to talk to me a few times which seemed to make Angel all interested in staring off in my direction a lot more.  Too bad.  I wasn't going to use Gilligan to get even though - he's too nice and secondly, throwing myself at a guy from work is not a good move, as tempting as it was for a few reasons at the time, not all of them bad ones.

Angel ceased to exist, and I kept socialising.  Angel continued to hover as did TB ..it was very very weird those two and the dynamic going on there and I really was starting to get scared about how TB thought he was fitting into things or if he thought I was honestly loose enough to jump from one friend to another ...the way he hung around all very intently, I had that impression and it really was insulting, whether real or imagined. 

I can't BELIEVE I trotted up into a building that I don't work in with someone else's security lanyard and went up in the lift to a competitor to my work's offices to use the facilities ...what can I say, there were queues about 30 women long for the ladies' downstairs and a perfectly vacant set of toilets upstairs.  In hindsight, ooo not a good thing.  One of the guys who worked there gave it to me, gave me the instructions and so I cheerfully (and a little drunkenly) made the trip all by myself.  I'm just relieved I didn't set off an alarm but also praying that the person who let me go upstairs doesn't get busted later on for me doing that - mining & resources industry isn't so keen on breaches in security.

We were leaving this large party and look who pops up to join us but DarkHorse.  I've not tried to speak to him or contact him since my birthday dinner.  He looked good but tired.  Gave me a huge kiss on the cheek and gushed on about not hearing from me, but he has not made any effort to talk to me either or any effort to catch up.  I had already begun to notice that before my birthday and I wasn't keen on being the girl who chases after some guy who she stupidly had a crush on and all for nought.  The crush was killed back in October I think but I still think he looked good.  By this stage I was getting a little drunker than I'm proud of admitting (never a good look for anyone)

We kicked on for a bit, with people dwindling away (including DarkHorse who spoke to the other girls more than he spoke to me - I think I was used as a foothold into that crowd for the evening..I don't care). 

Nasty hangover the next morning (about a 7 on the richter scale) and I had to start preparing the house for a bbq which I'd unwisely planned.  Gilligan even hired a car to drive to where I am though I'm not that far away..bit much?  I thought it was cute.  He had other plans as well which needed the car so no biggie.  So, I find out that not only is Gilligan a great piano player, he speaks german, he plays cricket, and he's starting to look cuter to me and less gawky and awkward.  Mmm which obviously means he was seeming less and less interested in me OF COURSE.  I ended up with a group of about 9 or 10 of us - nibbling away on garlic prawn kebabs, satay chicken kebabs, salads, sausages, steak.. the others drank and I stuck to the fruitjuice. 

A more thoughtful and helpful person I couldn't have found other than in Gilligan but he made no real effort to talk to me to get to know me better but socialised with the others.  It gave me a chance to check him out more and I decided he was kind of cute.  I'm sure it'll pass but a passing observation was that he is in fact quite cute. 

He left after a while (plans today) and I don't think he drinks that much either but it was nice for him to meet some of my old old friends who are all nice, friendly and welcoming people.

ShyGuy (or did I dub him mouse I can't remember?) well the poor lad's eyes bugged out when ChefGurl's more glamorous twin arrived.  I'm sure he was enjoying the view.  ChefGurl isn't a glam chick but she's just as beautiful and more relaxed less high strung and reactionary.  I still love her sister to bits but more of a little sister to take care of kind of way.

Any-howw a tale or two was told of me being a drunken lush before Gilligan left, I'm sure it firmly placed in his mind that I'm some kind of drunken ... well I won't even go there but I figured that would well and truly kill it.  These guys bring up tales that might have happened once or twice in the whole time I've known them.  Geez... c'mon no fair.

I have friends joining me for lunch in about 20 mins so I'd best fly but there you go, latest update.  Oh and I stuffed something up at work last week which has probably most definitely made my boss completely and utterly rabid given her recent mood (and now add to that, jetlag from a trip overseas for work and a pile of urgent drama things to deal with in her absence which I tried to handle as best as possible.  I could almost swear that it was a full moon for all the crazy stuff people decided to kick up about but nope it wasn't - sadly, as we ended up using tealights to play Bocci bowling so that we could see in my backyard last night (kheh heh).  :)

Me, last night, I stayed on softdrink or fruitjuice - not a single drop of alcohol.

I spent yesterday shifting around furniture in a rental ute, (musical furniture swapsies with friends who all won out of the arrangement) and by yesterday at 5pm I was STUFFED.  I needed a nanna nap even.  Yep folks I'm over the hill that was painfully obvious on Sat night. It didn't help that I couldn't sleep after a girls night in on Fri night and sat up til around 2am fiddling around on my computer then I woke at 7:30 the next morning and couldnt go back to sleep.  OOPS.  Big oops.

SO, I rang Gilligan to explain that I was going to try to perk up by having a snooze because quite frankly, I was dead on my feet.  He could tell over the phone and laughed at me for sounding so goofy.  I promised I'd perk up and call him back.  Sure enough, my brother sms'd me suggesting he'd swing by and give me a lift.  The whole night was a comedy of errors and we didn't end up meeting up with ChefGurl and Eyore until after 9:30pm.  My brother and I were both already flat but we tried we really did.  I drank a red bull, tried playing some pool and sms'd Gilligan to let him know where we were and asked him to join me to play some snooker but he'd already fizzled and was going to turn in.  By midnight my second wind was more of a faint puff of smoke that rapidly disappeared and I was turning into a pumpkin at midnight. 

ChefGurl was in her element.  She looks fabulous, she has a mass of admirers including one particularly cute and attentive bar manager who had the night off and was out with us.  He won points with me for clowning around after realising he'd embarassed her mid goofing off herself, to make her feel better, despite being in front of her panel and a tough protective crowd.  That took GUTS.  Eyore reported back to me today meantime that she isn't so taken with him and it remains to be seen what she thinks of him - she's reserving judgement but thinks he might be a player.

The house looks great with the change of furniture though. 

Today, I've been an undomesticated goddess, shampooing my loungeroom carpet, oiling the indonesian timber furniture in the loungeroom, and doing laundry.  Borr-rrrinnng. 

Next Friday is shaping up to be a big night.  GF and I have buried the hatchett though I'm still cynical at her motives, she's frankly admitted she was a bit of a jerk so it's a little hard to stay mad at someone when they do that.  A mutual friend whom we've gone out with before for a few HUGE nights, is back in town from Singapore next Friday and she's teed up another old drinking buddy to join us a guy called Duggie (misspelled to miss any search engines).

Oh, meantime, I heard over sms from Angel last night.  He has been interstate for a week and I'd started to miss his email chats and occasional sms's (pathetic, totally I know!)  Maybe I missed the friendship and companionship because if I can be completely honest, it could be a combination of stress from work, stress about finances, worrying about sis, as well as crappy self esteem and gaining a few kgs (nothing dramatic) but I feel the furtherest thing from sexy at the moment so my normally loopy drive (scuse the overshare) is out the window for the time being.

There is no other way to describe it really for both Friday and Saturday nights but for very different reasons and emphasis.  So here goes.

Friday, lots of boys

Friday night was the drinkies night with the work crew which I'd arranged.  A sum total of around 20 odd people from work rolled up it was great!  Most of the new starters came too and they all mingled really well.  I chatted to the two hottie sons, of the charismatic old lech from work, who started with us recently.  They're just too young though and silly. 

I got to chatting with the guy from work who has been directly emailing me a bit and seems cute but dorky and awkward in his own way even though he's obviously clever to be in the job that he's in.  He's been giving off a definitely interested vibe since his first day.  That impression was not dispelled on Friday night one bit.  (ooo as an aside it's thunderstorming outside cool..dvd day in for me! I love daytime thunderstorms on weekends when I can cozy up inside the house and watch the mayhem from indoors).  Anyhow.. hmm what to call him.  Gilligan because he's tall shy sweet but socially inept.  It sounds mean but it's meant well.  Ok so Gilligan stayed quite near to me the whole evening but coming up with social clangers of comments... jokes that just went THUD and hit the ground with a reaction from the people around us of "err that was socially awkward" before moving along and not responding to it.  I felt sorry for him though - he is genuine enough and nice but has no social skills of which to speak.  Soon, my idea of staying for one drink turned into leaving for home around 10:30pmish.  Gilligan really didn't mingle much beyond my immediate circle.  It's unquantifiable but little things like before even leaving work he was gushing on about us heading down there together.  I went to give my business card to one of the friends of a work acquaintance who was there (mates of one of the work guys) and Gilligan reached over and deftly removed it from the outstretched fingers of the guy across the table from me and pretended to want to check it out before smugly telling the intended recipient he already HAS my business card (yep this would be because I attach one to every new job offer that I post out ... at the moment that can be up to 6 a week).  He then didn't hand it over but kept it. I was giving this guy my card completely for non work related purposes.  The recipient, Scotsman, was also quiet, unassuming less brash than Gilligan, and seemed like a nice guy as well. 

I guess in a nutshell, I had fun.  I chatted, flirted a little, made some new friends I would like to think, out of the recent new starters at work, and the guys were all thrilled with me for arranging it and organising a table for us all so that we could stay in one group as opposed to being broken apart and drifting in with the rest of the crowd which got quite packed at one stage.  I eventually left, with Gilligan pouting quite openly about me wanting to leave.  I think I can safely say I have a fan there, even if it just ends up being a good friendship.  I don't know how much we really have in common though so let's just see and I'm taking that as a friendship for the time being.  Oh, and get a load of this, a friend, Z, showed up out of the blue, and came to join us after I cheerfully told her I was surrounded by a bunch of great lads.  She's no postergirl herself mind you as much as I love her.  She comes over to our corner, haughtily surveys the boys before sarcastically telling me I'd lied.  I could've snotted her or given her an earful about coming down off her high horse.  There were no players or sleazebags amongst the lot of them, they were all nice genuine guys and none had been slapped with an ugly stick. Thankfully she and her partner-chasing skank of a friend left soon afterwards (ouch I'm not normally catty but I can't stand women who habitually only chase after, kiss, flirt, tease or even sleep with, men who are with partners, already taken or even married.  She's done this to a friend's live in boyfriend too with no qualms at all.  I detest her ethics even though she and I haven't had to cross swords ..y'know..handbags at dawn stuff).

Saturday... freaky boys

Saturday night, ChefGurl Eyore and I went out to one of Eyore's friends' parties at a inner city suburban pub which is quite popular.  Just after arriving we were having a snort and a snigger at a 3some of people outside in the courtyard - this drunk woman swinging between two guys and heartily kissing them both.  The girls and I couldn't fathom why she would stick a blinking sign over her head advertising that she was easy, to the whole pub like that.  Fair enough, private choices being kept behind closed doors if she wants to do that kind of thing, but the public display of it.. jeez.  I did joke with the girls though that at least she was getting more attention that I have been ;)  (said with a grin and a shrug).  A few mere minutes later, one of the guys walks in fresh from snogging the drunk girl and swapping spit with his mate indirectly, and makes a beeline for ChefGurl.  ChefGurl is georgeous.  Petite, blonde, big blue eyes, slim figure, ready smile and down to earth.  I could see the appeal for guys and after her recent breakup (the one she's still very very raw and hurt from - search on topic ChefGurl for background), she has no clue of the effect she has on men.  Her self esteem is at rock bottom and she assumes she is fading into the walls.  Erm no honey far from it. 

This guy Sam, wouldn't leave her alone.  He tried his little sleazy weasely black heart out but it wasn't getting him anywhere given we'd seen his performance through the window.  I didn't realise at that stage though that that was HIM.  I was unimpressed with his reaction to me smiling and saying hi to the guy who my friend was chatting to, and he didn't realise we were friends.  Instead he thought I was trying to hit on him and he did this whole austere look down his nose at me sneer and "yeah can I HELP you?" My eyes narrowed at that and I snapped back "I was only saying hello you dick" and turned my back.  As soon as I got the opportunity I told her what a jerk he was when her back was turned.  I think he realised his error soon enough and suddenly he had a lousy memory and came over to introduce himself as if for the first time and like a new boyfriend trying to pal up to the girl's friends.  PFFT fat chance buddy.  I frostily reminded him of the previous encounter. Meantime, drunkgirl comes back and throws her arms around his neck and is leaning her body into him right in front of ChefGurl who is cracking up but can't believe his audacity.  Finally he walks out the courtyard with her to talk before she leaves.  Our crowd of by then about 6 women all cheerfully piped up and said "BUUPP-BOWWWW" (aka a game show wrong answer gong-noise). "thank you for coming, but you are a loooserrr". 

Bit creepily enough it didn't stop there, and this guy stalked her around the pub for the rest of the night.  The posse of girls firstly tried nicely to explain to this guy who must have been sodden up to his eyeballs in beer, but after a few mini off the cuff counselling sessions when he tried to talk us around, we started to get blunter and finally harsher and ruder when this guy seemed more and more stalkerish.  We even dodged him by going up and chatting to a whole heap of cute boys who were travelling from pub to pub for a bucks' night.  Surrounded by men, this guy still tries to come up to bug her again. The bucks night crew all knew what the story was and stood back in silent agape amusement at the audacity of it. 

Finally, we called in one of the girls' boyfriends to bail him up and scare him a little, with the final option being to go and get a bouncer to kick his butt out of the venue (but from previous experience I can tell you, they wait outside and get crankier and crankier and brood for the longer they have to wait before abusing you when you come out, as I've had this happen before).  Guys wonder why women get rude sometimes in pubs?  Well, no excuse for it, but often, they've encountered too many of these nutjobs.  The guy seemed to have given up and walked away but nope he came back again!  She took him outside to chat for a sec and bluntly said "look this is getting downright creepy - back off and leave us alone or I'm going to get a bouncer over here!"  He seemed to take it seriously and thanked her for telling him but still didn't leave!  He left her alone but chatted to the girl's boyfriend who was now cheerfully telling him what a waste of a pair of jocks he was.  *snort*.  He stayed and took it on the chin all in the hopes of getting onside with some of her friends.  By this stage we're thinking he was mentally unwell and definitely stalker material.  We all go outside as a large group and his friend finally drags him away.  We  thought for good.  Several hours later we three pick up our bags to go and 'lo!  Yep they have shown up again and watching us like hawks.  It was downright freaky.

SO ChefGurl makes as if to go to the loo and Eyore and I wait outside with our other friends as if we're waiting for her to come back for the ladies.  They make as if to bail her up or follow her but see us waiting for her and assume she's gone to the toilet and settle down to wait for her to come back.  The guy who was with us shakes his head and tells us grimly he'll deal with it.  We all didn't want a fight but it was becoming inevitable.  Eyore and I head out to the carpark to join ChefGurl thinking we'd managed to successfully dodge the creepy guys.  Instead we get to the carpark and realise our ditzy ChefGurl friend had actually gone back to the courtyard rather than using our manouever properly.  Ooops.  She was escorted out a second later by the guy who was ready to roll heads if necessary thankfully. 

GF came around to pick up her cd's on Sat morning after email-chatting during the week.  I was a little cynical after being so severely blown off for the sake of her posse.  I even joked with another friend that she must've had a falling out with them already.

Truer words were never spoken.  She arrived all chatty as if nothing had ever happened, wanting to have a big whinge about how she'd put her foot in it with her new close posse and how she's been blown off this past week.  Ah. I couldn't believe the nerve of her. No apology for previous bad behaviour (and the jury is in from the other 12 people who were there who hadn't met her previously and none were terribly impressed with the way she acted).  No attempt to even clear the air.  Instead using me as her sounding board and someone to have a cry to, when she was being frozen out as effectively as I had been by her not too long ago.  The irony didn't escape me. 

I am not petty enough though to kick someone while they're feeling fragile, as tempting as it was so I listened enough to be polite but didn't gush on about catching and didn't offer to make any plans.  At one stage she asked me what I was doing that evening, and luckily for me I had at least 3 other options for that evening and told her what my plans were and how by rights I should be at two other places as well.  It was petty but I wanted her to know I hadn't sat around as the discarded best pal, moping without any options.  I used to make time for her in my social life not any more. 

I spent the bulk of this weekend with my genuine friends, looking out for one who is still raw from a breakup and another who is raw from a friend-bustup.  When not seeing them, I saw my aunt again today for the last time before she flies back to Canada.  Is it wrong to love an aunt who is sweet, thoughtful, and seems to have more in common with me than my own mother?  That's wrong I know but it just seems that way at the moment - I really feel like I bonded with her while she was here. 

I also spent time painting some more around the house (more doorframes, skirting boards and walls), bought a few things for the house (a throw rug, new shower curtain from Freedom, a new vase to put my fighter fish in etc).

This is too sweet.  The guy who I've referred to very privately on my blog as Mouse, who used to have a bit of a thing for me, dropped me an email raving about ChefGurl after Friday's dinner.

ChefGurl has recently been hurt pretty badly by her ex (insisting on an abortion when they were at the point of getting engaged will do that to a relationship), and is probably in no fit state to consider it. I'm not going to butt in though other than to give them the chance to meet each other and get to know each other better but I've warned him that she's probably not in the frame of mind for a relationship right now.  As sweet as he is I'd hate to see him hurt by getting his hopes too far ahead of himself.  Other than that and giving them a chance to get to know each other socially, I'm staying out of it now.  I won't say a word to her.  I don't think she'd be ready to hear it anyway.  :)  But it's nice to know she's appreciated too.

They both deserve to be with someone who will treat them well and Mouse is a really genuinely nice guy.  Such a shame I can't force myself to be attracted to him but I can't.

• my mother is travelling south of the state with my aunt and a friend for the better part of this week.  It'll feel strange not speaking to her most evenings but a relief in other ways when she calls me multiple times a day.  I'm so used to letting her know when I leave the office late so that security-ways, someone is monitoring if I don't get home given the bus ...even walking in the city centre after 7pm isn't that safe.  Must become more independant tho.  You'd not peg me from this post as being the girl who has lived over the other side of the country from her family for 2 years, dealing with prowlers, and living in a strange place knowing noone, as well as moving interstate driving for 4 days with a partner spelling me while I was asleep. I'm a little leery of my personal safety in some situations ... a hangover from my youth I guess.
• ChefGurl's had asked me to do her a favour as she was flying out in the wee hours of Saturday morning.  She wanted to have a new lounge suite delivered to her vacant home (she moves in this coming weekend after a messy breakup).  I was to receive a call on Saturday morning arranging a time that I could meet them there for them to drop it off rather than perching my bottom down on a drafty floor all day. Just as well.  I pottered around all day waiting for that call and finally hopped in the shower at around 3:50pm.  Of course, on cue, my mobile echoed through the bathroom to the tune of Austin Powers theme song (lame, but oi it's fun).  The poor delivery guy.. it was his first day and he claims his store didn't tell him to ring me first (whether they did or not who knows).  He was parked in the driveway hoping I'd let him in.  No such luck.  I explained the facts of life to him sympathetically enough and he offered to get the store to call me back with another time.  My concern?  He had that furniture in the back of a truck, the store would've been closing around that time.. where was that lounge for the remainder of the weekend huh?  I doubt he went back at that late stage and dropped it back at the depot! Ah well.  She won't be thrilled though.
• My past week on holidays was filled with trips to a port town about 45 minutes out of the city with my aunt, checking out the coastline and taking happy snaps with her, having lunch with my sister and nephew and family, catching up with friends.  It was a great week off but so filled up that I almost feel like I didn't have a chance to really chill out until the weekend.
• I purchased a copy of True Lies (tacky and so very 80's but I still love it as a fave when home sick to chill out to brainlessly), and Hero on sale.  I'd thought Hero was the one I hadn't seen but it turns out that it was "House of Flying Daggers" and I stuffed up.  oops.
• Catching up with Angel for dinner.  We'll see if we can catch up as friends huh.  Though I don't think platonic friendship is necessarily in his thoughts.  I should cut him loose but I still enjoy his friendship and he's been fairly upfront about where he's coming from and doesn't assume anything, really.  More hopes.
• My nephew is ill with the flu ... it's really heartbreaking to see the little guy with normally boundless energy almost wilt under the weight of this bug.  I love that little kid.  Another nephew is on the way. :) 

Later in the night last night, feeling a bit cynical about any chance of anything aside from friendship happening with DH, and feeling a little vulnerable for some attention, I sms'd Angel to see what he was up to and suggested catching up later in the evening.  We were on a half promise depending how messy his night with the lads got and that didn't phase me in the slightest. My ego was a little dented when I didn't hear from him.  I'm letting that 'relationship' go - it's outlived it's usefulness (and to be completely honest, it was never about the s*x as he isnt' that fabulous in that area, but it was nice to occasionally have someone who is a friend, to come by and stay the night and snuggle up especially after a bad week or if I'd been feeling low).  I'll keep in touch with him as a friend instead.

Meantime ReAcquaintance has rung me and sms'd me to suggest catching up for dinner sometime soon and apologised profusely for not catching up sooner (I've gathered now that he is definitely keen in more than friendship and I'm not sure how I feel about that but I'm still treating it as catching up with an old friend and not overthinking it).

It is grand final day for our football code today.  Our state's team was in the grand final and it was a huge deal.  I was madly trying to process some visa applications yesterday with my door locked to stop people bothering me, with faint sounds rising up from the main street of the city below, of girls whooping and shouting out "go the XXX!" (name of the team) 

Today, the shops were more or less deserted, with stores who would normally not be visited by me on a Saturday due to the heavy traffic at times not having anyone at their counters.

A friend of mine who recently broke up with her partner, after they found out she was pregnant and he demanded she have an abortion, is feeling a little low and in need of company which I was only too happy to provide.  We spent the day snooping through house ware stores - I behaved fairly well though as I have a mortgage payment to meet soon.  We had just started snooping and shop attendants had stopped to watch little tv's set up in corners of the stores at some venues.  I got an sms from DarkHorse (DH), asking me what I was doing for the game.  I rang him back to tell him that I had plans to shop, then go home to paint walls and have a glass of wine or two with a friend of mine back here at home but that he was welcome to join us.  He'd been asking as he had plans to go to a pub with some friends and wanted to see what I was up to (I'm still not sure whether to join me or have me join him or to find out what the other girls were up to).

I joked that GF and her posse had cheerfully told me that if I planned to talk my way through the game, then to forget it and not to join them though I was tentatively invited.  DH was more horrified I think than I was not thinking that was very polite.  I was quietly chuffed that he was loyal enough to me as a friend to be annoyed by that and dismissive of what the other girls were up to and more interested in what I was up to, considering joining up with ChefGurl and I later.  This after I talked with him for a little bit on Friday night after we barely missed each other at a local bar after work.  He'd just gotten back from another trip to Korea the previous night and sounded a little tired.  

ChefGurl and I continued to snoop before heading back to my place to start painting.  With the music up loud (oldies but goodies - U2 and Queen) we bopped along in front of half painted walls with the windows open and a slight breeze blowing through my place.  Max of course couldn't handle it and fell scrambling into a paint tray at least once.  I half hoped DH would join us but I really didnt think, with the party atmosphere around from the grand final, that he would end up leaving the pub that he was at. 

My bathroom is now painted, and a base coat & one coat of pearlescent paint in my bedroom - it's a little pinker than I wanted which i'm not thrilled with, but it's looking great.  My room looks like a bomb hit it though as I had to pull a bunch of clean clothes out of drawers to lighten up a tall boy in a corner to shift it out to paint behind it.  They're on the floor where I tossed them (on a mission to keep going).  Just as well I never heard back from DH. I'm sitting on the couch typing, with streaks of paint in my hair and over my hands and clothes.

Jeez.  DH... I was chuffed he made the effort to find out if I was out.  Angel, a bit miffed as he should've been thrilled that I suggested catching up again but that's pathetic of me and he was saying goodbye to a friend who is going to travel overseas. To be honest, the whole Angel situation has died down to a comfortable friendship without much spark there for me anyway any more.  ReAcquaintance... mmm.  He's a nice guy but he's so very very different from anyone else I've gone out with before and much older than me which is not something I've ever been interested or even considered before... mm.  

Confession: as pathetic as it is, my heart lifted to have had DH make an effort to touch base with me today.  Not asking about the other girls or anyone else but what was I up to in the hope of possibly catching up.  The thing is, he is just merely a nice guy, interested in friendship in all probability.  I shouldn't let my hopes get out of proportion but I really do like him.  Simple.  He's a sweet thoughtful gentleman GUY (very very male in a lot of respects) whose quickwitted sense of wry humour I appreciate.  I'd kill to have him as a male friend but I think the attraction/wishful thinking side of things might possible ruin any chance of that long term but we'll see.

Oh and I got a disgruntled phonecall from GF who told me in a wry way that I was lucky I didn't go as she herself was bored out of her brain at the fanatical fans watching the footie on the screen and theatrically covering faces (the winning team won by 1 point). 

My low mood of a few days ago has dissipated.  Instead, I'm focussing on my other friendships and still seeing a bit of GF, but not thinking of her as the best friend that I used to.. letting go of that a little now.

Hey do any of you guys buy yourselves birthday presents? Little things that you have your heart set on, buy them for yourself rather than wait to see if anyone picked up on the fact that you wanted them?  :)  Well I do.  I bought myself a moonstone pendant set in silver that I'd been admiring.  I really need to watch my finances as I've stretched them a little too far though.