Thursday, August 26, 2010

Father's Daughter

Honestly, if you would of asked me this question in junior high and early part of high school, I would of said no way in hell.  Papa Smurf and I weren't really close, he was tough on me.  I don't want to say he ruled with an iron fist, because he didn't .  But, he does come from a long string of men that are tough men, don't show emotion, let alone talk about it.  Really, in my life I have seen him cry once, maybe twice.  The last when Grandma Schmidt passed.  He might of cried at Grandma Meedel's funeral too, but I was a train wreck so I wouldn't of had any idea.  You always had to see the little stuff he did to understand his love.  Take for example, softball, my love.  It wasn't until I was in a doctor's office before my senior year of high school and my dad was asking how my knee injury would impact my ability to play in college that I realized I might actually be good - no kidding.  Up until that point, I could tell you where my short comings in the game were.  That is my dad and now that I understand him and his ways, I love him and can't imagine having another dad but him.

So back to the matter at hand, Father's Daughter.  My dad LOVES to be outside.  We joke with him about his summer tans.  See, he gets engine brown on his back side and well his front side is more on the white side.  He spends so much time hunched over in the garden that only the back side gets tan.  I remember growing up my mom use to complain about how much the water bill was during the summer months.  She definitely was not impressed with the $100+ bills my dad managed to generate and he really didn't mind because he didn't pay the bills.  But, he did have the best looking yard in the neighborhood and maximized the small garden he had.  Heck, us kids were not even allowed to mow it most times because he had his way. 

Then they moved to an acerage.  I think my mom was going to flip a top the first summer they lived there and my dad was watering the "yard".  He carefully pointed out he was only water around the house to ensure the foundation didn't crack, etc.  It was a priceless moment. 

Now that I am older, I have found that I have become him.  I know that every time I mow the yard, I need to mow it from a different angle so you don't get the tracks in the lawn.  I spend hours outside on a bucket pulling weeds.  If my lawn isn't green and weed free, I look at it from the stand point my father would not approve.  With all that said, he just might approve of the front yard.  It is a little burnt between the sidewalk and the street just because I didn't get it watered after Scott's came out last time.  (Yes, I am a cheater and have someone fertilize & treat my yard for me.)  The backyard is still a work in progress and one I am not ready to take pictures of. 

All being said - it has come a long one in the two years I have lived there.  The photo below is just from last spring.  Hopefully I will see the same improvement in my backyard by next spring.

On a completely unrelated note, I have effective rid myself of Noname Guy #1 & Guy #2.

Monday, August 23, 2010

God can you just put Mr. Right on my doorstep?

Dating sucks.  No if ands or butts about it.  Honestly, I am so done and over it, ready to give it up.  Although, my brother assured me to keep trying.  As he says "There are plenty of fish in the sea" you'll find yours.  Well I can tell you that they are not coming from Plenty of Fish anymore.  Done and over that site.

So, Wednesday, I had my first date with Guy#2 - he doesn't deserve a name, well unless DC makes me come back and name him and the other nameless guy.  Prior to the meeting, I still had to get my bike ride in with Runner.  It was hot and miserable with a 20% chance of rain.  Can I tell you what happened, yep that is right - we got the 20% in the form of a monster downpour.  You have to love the feeling of pointing your shoes down to up, you feel the water running back and forth in them.  Luckly we decided there was a chance for rain and headed back early, so it could of been much worse.  Of course, as luck would have it, I got my first flat tire as I rounded the corner off of Palmer. And for good measure, I couldn't unclick and now have a grand brusie to show for it.

After all that, I still opted for the date with Guy#2.  I figured it would either make or break my day.  As luck would have it, it broke my day.  Let's just say that with Internet Dating, the pictures they provide are subjective, they pick what they want.  This guy - well they had to be at least 5 years old - on a good day that is!  I was busted staring at his gages.  I mean they weren't huge but large enough to then wear hoops through them.  I don't get it.  The straw that broke the camels back, "Well my first wife".  Ummm, you have had more than one divorce?  I feel like a dating snob but I have waited this long for Mr. Right, if you have struck out twice already, I am not hopping for the third time being the charm.

So, Saturday brought date number 2 with previously mentioned no name guy.  This guy was on sitting on strike 3 and well, he didn't even get his bat off the shoulder.  First off I had issues with his weight.  Again back to photo issue, in no way did it accurately depict that he is 350 lbs (which I learned from him).  Strike 2 occurred when I got stood up the Saturday before.  Well, our date was delayed because it was more important for him to do the fantasy draft for his roommate who was out of town.  Whatever.  So, he had mentioned going to Fredricksburg for the day, he wanted to bet on his friends horse, and then get something to eat.  So, in my mind that meant a quick bet, walking through the stores in Fredricksburg and then grabbing some supper.  Oh, how wrong I was!

I got in the car and he informed me that he thought it would be faster to go to San Antonio versus Fredricksburg.  It was then that I realized that his "date" idea was to go to the horse track.  Now, let me make this clear, I realize horse races can be fun.  However, this wasn't live horse racing, it was simulcast.  He knew the old people that were there because apparently he goes every three weeks or so to the track.  Yep, Strike 3.

So, back to the drawing board.  God can you just put Mr. Right on my doorstep?  It sure would make life easier.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Date like a man...

So you don't get played like a girl.


So far this week I have two dates set up with two different guys. Of course, both are not until Saturday & Sunday which means that gives me 4 other days left this week I can add dates. <>

Saturday is date number two with no name guy. He and I went out last Wednesday to the Round Rock Express game, which for those of you back home is in the same league as the Omaha Royals. He was another guy I met off of PlentyofFish.com. Honestly, I have give up on that sight and haven't really been looking for dates just because I haven't meet anything of quality lately. Quantity can never substitute for quality, no matter how many dates.

We had a nice time at the game, it is just I don't know. He is a lot bigger than his pictures let on. On a good day, he probably has 75 lbs, if not more, that he could afford to lose. I had a good time, it is just that I never pictured dating someone that big. So, we are giving it at least a second date. Saturday he wants to head to Fredericksburg for the day. I am going to give it a whirl. Wish me luck cause it is a LONG walk home from there.

Sunday, well this will be date number one with a personal trainer from the same site as the above mentioned guy. We are meeting for "coffee" at Little Woodrows. In Austin lingo, that is a sports bar so something tells me there isn't going to be coffee ordered, lol.

There could be a third date this week too. This guy has been on the hook since probably May. I get random text messages from him but have never met him. Whatever, it isn't like he is making my day painful. But in any event, he finally decided to get off the pot and wants to meet.

Hmmmm, three dates in one week with three different guys...I might need to start going by Jiggalo. :)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Once upon a time, long, long, long time ago....

I blogged. 

I can't believe it has been that long!  Yikes! 

Well, what can I tell you...hmmm.  Nothing really exciting has been going on.

4th of July - well that was uneventful and probably disappointing.  I went with a few members of the secret society group from Lowe's to TGIFs downtown so we can have dinner and then watch fireworks.  Well, at the end of the day, the service was so bad we actually missed part of the fireworks because the waiter couldn't get his act together.  He honestly threw our cards at us and told us to go, he would comp our meals.  We didn't stay out too late because at the end of the day, we were too hungover from the day before. 

A few weeks after that, Runner joined me and a trip to the Curtis Cabin for the weekend.  A weekend of R&R was what the doctor ordered for us.  I think one can summarize everything with saying that we did see Elvis and MulletMan was dancing with CrystalGayle.  It was good times with Big Country & his family!!!

Work, well my day job work is now on day 10 of hell.  We changed our website security to require dual authentication.  You would think we are asking people to log into Nasa.  No one can remember a 6 digit password or answers to security questions.  We have been yelled at, cursed out, threatened, honestly had no idea how long work days could be.

Men, well that is a subject we will leave for another day.  Nothing worth reporting.  People in general like to say that woman are full of drama, well all I can say is that really, I think it is the men who have drama and woman taken the fall for it.