Cozy Fires, Wine and Happiness...

This week has gone by remarkably quickly… YAY! 

Wishing my life away, as my grandmother said.  It is what it is; I look much more forward to weekends than I do Mondays! 

Tonight, I will be running again with KR, it is supposed to be another beautiful evening here in the Ohtucky!  I love the fall… spring is nice, when we have an actual spring, but fall is better, crisper, and I don’t usually get fried like a lobster in the fall like I have in the spring.  Bonfires, dark beer, Halloween… what is there not to like about fall??

Don't you want to pull a chair right up to this fire and poke it with a stick?

I want to RUN, today, now… I want to be a runner.  Sigh…. But I have to build back up to it, I know this.  I hate, hate, hate waiting!!! I have no patience.

Tomorrow, my corporation is letting us off work at noon, taking us to the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club (http://ludlowbromleyyachtclub.com/), buying us lunch, then giving us the afternoon off!

Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club

After that?? Who knows???  Usually the “bad girls” from the office will hang around and have a few drinks after the fuddy duddies leave.  Hopefully, the weather will be nice for drinking on the pontoon-ish decks of the Yacht Club!  I’m always eager to start the weekend early!

Last night, I hung out at home, had some KY wine…Blackberry wine, from StoneBrook Winery (www.stonebrookwinery.com/stonebrookwinerywines.html)... And that was pretty much it. 

mmmmmmm blackberry wine!

Did talk to a friend CG, and he asked if it (the conversation) would end up in my blog.  NOPE.  Everything doesn’t end up in the blog… NO, seriously, it doesn’t.  I’m actually pretty private about some things, SHOCKING, I know… but it’s true.

In my search for love, I only talk about the pitfalls, really, not the successes.  Though, to be honest, successes are few and far between.  I almost moved to Georgia several months ago for what I thought was a success.  But once I got home, I realized that maybe what I was most enamored with, was playing house.  That’s something I’ve never really had, and I liked it.  I am no domestic goddess, don’t get me wrong, but it was nice just having someone there, sharing things… I don’t know… I really liked it though, some day, I hope I find it, along with everything else.

Happy TrippyBeth...

Here’s another example of what I receive on the dating site.

Is it any wonder, that in my search for companionship, that I have become disillusioned?  My friend, SL, says that dating sites are “meat markets”, doesn’t think I’ll find anything real out there.  I have to believe that there are real, sincere men out there!  After all, I’m REAL, I’m sincere, there has to be ONE man out there, like me, who would appreciate me, right??  I’m not THAT bad. Right?

Pondering....

I've been super reflective lately... could TrippyBeth be growing up?!?!  Stranger things have happened!!

The No Over Sharing Zone.. RIGHT HERE!

Over sharing.

Ordinarily, I don’t think that I am guilty of this.  Of course, now that I am blogging, I guess it could be said that I am.  But it is for entertainment, so I think that I get a pass on it.

Today, I am in the public restroom at work, minding my own business.  C, the backstabber, from my office is in there, loudly informing the entire bathroom public of how many times she has shit in the last two days.

Excuse me???  I didn’t hear ANYONE ask.  I, for one, do not give a flying fuck.  But she continues describing the speed with which food hustles itself through her gut.

“TMI, C!” I yell from my stall.  I truly wanted to yell “SHUT THE FUCK UP” but I refrained. 

She giggles… really?

People often over share with me once they find out that I’m a nurse.  I once sat at a bar with a very handsome man who told me all about his hemorrhoids once he found out my vocation.

That’s not sexy.  I could never look at him the same way again.

I think that they expect more compassion than I’m likely to give.  It’s not that I don’t care….. wait….. yea, I don’t care.  I’m not a mean person, really, and I can have empathy and sympathy.  Unless you’re stupid.  And honestly, I’ve seen people sicker than you that didn’t die.  So suck it up.

It is NEVER ok to talk about your BMs to anyone in the general public; this includes your coworkers, and SPECIFICALLY ME.

A friend of mine used to commute with a woman who described in sickening detail her…uuummmm….female problems.  What kind of social retard are you to think that is appropriate?  Have they no shame? If I had issues like that I would not be broadcasting it to anyone, I’d be making a beeline to my OBGYN, some things you do not fuck around with!

Some people have dumb kids.

People over share about things other than their bodily functions, of course.  Several months ago I went on a date with a guy, who seemed very nice and interesting (well prior to our meeting).

We met at a favorite place of mine in Mainstrasse.

Before I arrived I told him what I’d be wearing, a skirt, I think, and heels.  He said he was wearing a “Big Bang Theory” t-shirt.  I laughed; I honestly thought he was joking.

I arrive at the restaurant, he is standing out front…. Wearing the “Big Bang Theory” t-shirt.  I was seriously overdressed.  Sigh.

But, TrippyBeth does not surrender that easily, I usher him into the restaurant.  We sit down and order beers.  I order a Guinness (mmmmm) he orders a Coors light.  This date is going nowhere fast.

He had obviously not been out in the dating scene too long, so for that I cut him some slack (see, I’m not mean). 

Then… he starts telling me about his children.

There were issues of truancy, drugs, robbery… all sorts of awful things that I wouldn’t want to be exposed to.  I really think he just needed to talk, once he started, there was no stopping him.  I just sat there sipping my Guinness as the levee broke.

I tried to interject a time or two, with some advice or to change the subject, but he was in the zone, I let him carry on.

He finally took a break long enough to go to the restroom.  I asked the waitress for separate checks while he was gone.

He was not the guy for me and I’m sure he wasn’t ready to start any new relationships.  I do hope he gets those kids straightened out though, sheesh.

He did me a favor though, glad I found out his issues on the first meet.  I am generally not an interrogator.  I kinda like to just mosey along and find out things as I go.  My mother was an interrogator, and I hated it, so I guess I’ve vowed to be the opposite.  Sometimes it probably would pay to ask questions, like “are you married?”

I may take a road trip tonight; it is an absolutely beautiful day in the Ohtucky!!!

Oh, I am working on overcoming my fatalistic attitude, I know it won’t be easy.  Today I am trying a mantra “I am charming and beautiful”.

Charming?

Hopefully I can convince my brain, it just thinks it’s so smart! UG

Movies, Brie and Ukuleles

Humpety Hump Hump…….. Happy Wednesday!!

I hope that you’re not as sleepy as I am this morning…. I am not a morning person.

Last night was fun!!

The movie, Ruby Sparks, was GREAT!  It was the first movie that I’ve been to in years where I didn’t feel compelled to check my messages during the film!  I put my phone in my purse when the previews started and didn’t even think once about getting it back out, that NEVER happens.

**Spoiler Alert**

The movie was about a young writer, Calvin Weir-Fields, who had written a New York Times best selling novel, 10 years prior.  In the opening of the film, we see Calvin struggling with writers block.  Paul Dano, the actor portraying Calvin, made the character’s frustration palpable to the audience.  I know what it feels like to sit in front of the computer, staring at the screen, with my imagination stuck firmly in neutral.  Interestingly, Calvin used a typewriter not a laptop, and not even an electric typewriter at that!  I couldn’t pound out much on a manual typewriter, but I do like to handwrite when I have the time.  So, I suppose I can relate.

Maybe some of the reason I was sucked in by this movie is because the protagonist is a writer and wholly unsuccessful at dating.  Sound like anyone else you know?

His brother, Harry (brilliantly played by Chris Messina), urges him to go out, get laid, but that’s not for Calvin.

We see Calvin at his therapist’s office.  His therapist, Elliot Gould, gives him a writing assignment.  One page.  “Can it be bad?” Calvin asks.

Fast forward to Calvin asleep, he dreams of a beautiful red haired girl, who likes his weird little dog, Scotty.  He is so enamored with her, that when he awakes, he sprints up the steps to his study and begins madly writing.  Page after page, he can’t stop.  He is writing the story of Ruby, Ruby Sparks, the girl of his dreams.

Calvin tells his therapist that he fears he is falling in love with the fictional character that he has created.  Oddly, the therapist seems to encourage it.  This seems counterproductive to helping Calvin overcome his obvious social issues.

One morning Calvin oversleeps, going downstairs to find Ruby Sparks, in the flesh, in his kitchen.  Dano’s freak out performance was fantastic, funny and endearing.

Once he discovers that he isn’t the only one that can see Ruby, he begins to realize that she is just what he had written and that with a few strokes of his typewriter keys, he can alter her behavior, her personality even.

But, he loves her and vows to not write about Ruby anymore.

When Ruby starts becoming her own woman, not strictly Calvin’s fantasy, he is unable to deal with it.  He starts to write her again.  Yet, she doesn’t turn out quite like he wants her to…… much like Frankenstein’s monster…. Although Ruby doesn’t wander through the forest murdering peasants.  Which would make for an interesting movie as well……

The movie climaxes as Calvin proves to Ruby that he can control her with his words… a disturbing and heartbreaking scene, I found myself disliking Calvin at this point, yet I knew it had to be a means to an end.

He releases Ruby with his words.

The movie goes on to show that Calvin’s success had returned to him, with his newest work “The Girlfriend”.

The very last scene was a little predictable, to me.  It shows Calvin walking Scotty in the park, Scotty runs over to a girl lying on a blanket reading.  A girl with red hair.  You got it, it’s Ruby.  But she doesn’t recognize Calvin except from the photo on the jacket of the book she was reading, “The Girlfriend”. 

The end was a little too rom-com-ish to me, especially when the rest of it was so beautifully odd.  Regardless of that, it was one of the most enjoyable movies I’ve seen in some time.

After the movie, CC and I ambled next door to Sitwell’s.  Where we were entertained by a wonderfully quirky ukulele player.  I actually saw a flamenco guitar player friend of mine.  I seldom fail to see someone I know when out and about in the Ohtucky.

As the ukulele-ist serenaded us, I had a Parisian coffee which was made with coffee (duh), cognac, Grand Marnier and Kahlua……YUMMY!

And for my late supper, I had the Briemato, which was melted brie on a croissant with olive oil, basil, greens and roma tomatoes….. OMG, soooooo delish!

The Parisian

The Briematto

As CC and I sat there enjoying the nom-noms, we discussed dating.  CC is much more introspective than I am and could verbalize what he will be looking for when he actually begins to actively search. 

I’m not sure that I can do that.

We all know I have a long list of deal breakers.  I know some qualities I want in a man, but there is no look, specifically, that I am looking for.  Maybe if I visualize what I want, I can make it happen…… not in a creepy Calvin-Ruby sort of way though….. in a normal, grown up self aware sort of way.

TrippyBeth growing up???

It could happen………..

If I stay home tonight, that will be the assignment I’m giving myself.  Outline what I think I need in a relationship/man.

I hate homework… loved school, just not the homework.

Right now I'd love a nap.............