Welcome to the Suck: Week 6 Recap

Welcome the the Suck:  Week 6.  Wow.  I have had such a fun-filled, exciting week.  So action packed that I haven't had enough time to blog about it.  What a nice problem to have!  I have one hour until I have to leave for my next activity, so I'll get in as much as I can.

Tuesday, Oct 5

I went to my very first Zumba class.  It was really fun!  Now I see what all the hype is about.  It was a great workout too.  If you're not familiar with Zumba, it is an aerobic/dance class set to Latin music with a lot of focus on the hips.  It was really fun.  When I got home, I got on Match.com and I had an email from a guy I'll call "Irish Mike" asking if he could call me the next night.  We had been emailing and e-flirting for about a week I guess.  He gave me his number, I programmed it into my phone, and I gave him mine.  I told him that I was going to a friend's birthday dinner the next night, but that I would try to catch him on my way home if he wanted to call. 

Wednesday, Oct 6

After work, I headed to Kroger on the way home to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner.  Johannah's birthday dinner was at a restaurant in Buckhead that didn't currently have a liquor license, so we could bring our own!  How cool is that?  I was in the car on Old Alabama Connector where I'd had a previous breakdown and used my knowledge from A&E's Obsessed to get through it.  I was listening to Dave FM, and they were playing a song by Broken Bells.  The song instantly took me back to a gorgeous sunny weekend afternoon not long ago where Justin and I had lunch on the patio at Midway Pub in East Atlanta Village.  The restaurant was playing the whole Broken Bells album, and Justin and I discussed it at length; what we liked about the song, how it was cool that Danger Mouse and the singer from The Shins formed this new group, etc.  I also thought about how we used to call each other on the way home from work to discuss what was for dinner that night (or if he would be "working late," etc.).  Then it hit me:  I wasn't angry anymore, I was sad.  I missed him.  I missed those fun lunches and dinners and shopping and conversation we used to have.  I missed watching 30 Rock on the couch and laughing and quoting the show the next day.  I started crying.  I turned off the radio and called Mary Jane.  She didn't answer.  I called Mom.  She didn't answer.  I didn't want to call anyone else because I was on my way to the store to get the bottle of wine.  Should I even go to dinner tonight?  I'm sure Johannah would understand if I told her I had an emotional breakdown and didn't feel like coming.  I wasn't sure what to do.  Would I be upset the rest of the night?  Then I turned the radio back on, and Coldplay's "Speed of Sound" was on.  I don't know why, but now every time I hear Coldplay in a weak moment, I think it's God telling me that I'm going to be ok.  I think because He knows that they are my very favorite band.  And whatever helps me through it, I'll hang on to it.  So I sucked it up, put my shades on, waltzed into Kroger and got my new fave bottle of Clos du Bois chardonnay and headed home to change.  I had done laundry the night before after Zumba, and my jeans weren't totally dry yet.  I didn't like any of the ones that were actually dry, except this 1 pair that I hadn't worn in 2 years because they were too small.  I tried them on a few months ago and couldn't even button them.  I tried them on that night and they fit.  I couldn't believe it.  I felt like filming a commercial:  "Get results fast!  The Divorce Diet really works!"  So I put those on and headed out to dinner feeling like a new, thinner woman.  I had a great time at dinner, and at 9:00 sharp, my phone starts buzzing and it's Irish Mike calling.  He left me a funny message, and I called him on my way home.  We talked for half an hour, and he asked me to go out on Friday night.  We made plans to meet at Fado on the rooftop bar at 6:00 after work.  Mike said that he was going to his nephew's football game at 7:30, so happy hour would work for him.  Then I got on the computer and had received an email from a guy I'll call "Redhead Matt" whom I'd been chatting with.  He said he wanted to meet me.  So I wrote him back and told him I was free on Saturday.  I'm so glad I decided to go out and not let my weak moment get the best of me. 

Thursday, Oct 7

After work, I went to Suzanne's house to have dinner.  I hadn't been to her new house in Alpharetta since she moved there almost a year ago.  And we hadn't seen each other in quite a while it felt like.  So we were overdue for a visit.  She happened to have Clos du Bois at the house, so how could I say no?  We caught up and I told her and John about Irish Mike and they were so excited for me.  We watched The Office and the Braves and I ended up spending the night since I was having a good time and didn't want to leave (and I wanted to have 1 more drink).  I slept like a baby. 

Friday, Oct 8

I woke up at the McGhee house, drove back to Staci's and got ready for work.  I had decided to wear the same outfit on my date that I had worn to Johannah's birthday dinner (Johannah and Sarah approved it as a great first-date happy hour ensemble).  I started getting nervous around 3:00.  But I was also excited.  I was late since I severely overestimated the fact that I was going against traffic to get to Buckhead and the fact that I haven't driven in Buckhead during rush hour in years.  I ended up being 15 minutes late, but it was fine.  Mike said he was happy with his pint of Guinness and sports on TV waiting for me.  We had a good time.  We talked and laughed a lot.  He paid for our beers and appetizers.  We stayed until 9:15.  I had a feeling that his telling me about his nephew's football game at 7:30 was an "out" for him, and I'm probably right.  But I thanked him for missing the game to hang out with me.  He said, "It's alright, I'll see my nephew later this weekend."  He walked me to my car, gave me a hug and said he had a good time.  I thanked him and got into the car to drive home.  Before I even got back home, he had texted me saying he had a good time and we ended up texting back and forth for a while once I got into the driveway.  He said he would call me Sunday or Monday.  I came inside and got on the computer to read an email from Redhead Matt (he's a really cute redhead by the way!).  He apologized for taking a little while to get back to me, but if I was still free tomorrow night he'd like me to meet him at the Windward Taco Mac and he gave me his cell phone number.  I texted him and said I could meet him tomorrow night at 8:00.  He texted back immediately and said, "That's great, see you then."

Saturday, Oct 9

I got up early to drive to West Midtown to meet Quatresa for a pilates class at Core Studio at 9:00.  She had purchased a LivingSocial deal for each of us to have 3 classes at this awesome studio at Howell Mill and 14th St.  We really enjoyed the class, then we had coffee and a little brunch afterwards. Then I headed to Augusta to meet Dad.  Justin had said that he would take the dogs permanently since Eric and Becca Thome are not able to keep them with their busy lifestyles.  This weekend was the only one for a month where I could get them and bring them back to Atlanta.  Mom was having a hard time letting go of Riggs, she has totally fallen in love with him.  So after talking to Mom Friday night and texting Justin about it, we decided that Mom and Dad would keep Riggs and Dad would bring Bailey to Augusta for me to drop her off at the house.  Justin told me that he would be gone so I could bring Bailey and her things.  I met Dad at 1:30 in Augusta and we transferred Bailey and her things from his car to mine.  I got to Gates Circle at about 3:45 and Justin wasn't there.  I unloaded the dog stuff and got my mail and some other items I needed.  I took a walk around the house and I saw that Justin had made some changes since the last time I was there.  The biggest change was to the master bedroom.  When we moved in, we had painted the walls a pretty light sky blue.  But he had just painted them a very dark gray.  The walls were almost black.  It looked like a dark lair of despair.  In the divorce settlement, I had my attorney write in that I keep all of the Celadon furniture that my mom had bought us.  That includes the armoire, the nightstands and the bed frame and headboard for the king size bed.  I want all of these things since they were a gift from my parents.  So Justin had put the bed frame, headboard, nightstands and armoire into the guest room.  So in this big dark gray bedroom was a king size box spring and mattress with lamps next to it on the floor.  It was so depressing looking.  Then I went into the bathroom where the closet is.  Justin had moved all of his clothes into it since that's where I had kept all my things and I'm sure he didn't want to look at an empty closet every day.  He had all of his ties hanging on the door.  Justin does not know how to tie a necktie.  He always just loosened the knot and pulled the tie off over his head to take it on and off.  Every time he bought a new tie, he asked me to tie it for him on myself and then loosen the knot to take it off for him.  I have been fantasizing for weeks about untying all of his ties.  So I did.  And I felt really good doing it.  So now he'll either have to actually learn how to do it himself or ask one of his co-workers to tie it for him.  Or wear clip-ons.  Then I said goodbye to Bailey and starting crying for the first time since I entered the house (which was a big improvement from the last time I was at the house).  I got so mad at Justin for even making me do this.  So I said goodbye and got on the road.  I was still crying pretty hard but was so grateful that I had 3 hours before my date with Redhead Matt.  Then I got a text from Irish Mike.  I guess he couldn't wait until Sunday to contact me again!  So that made me feel better.  Mike asked me out via text message, but said he would call me on Sunday to officially ask me on another date.  I took a 30 minute cat nap, then got ready for my date with Matt.  I met him at Taco Mac, and we had a really great time.  He was so easy to talk to.  We laughed a lot.  He is really different than a lot of guys I know (he is a cyclist and not obsessed with football).  He also paid for our drinks (I was so impressed that he ordered snake bites!) and appetizers and walked me to my car.  He gave me a hug and said we'd have to do it again.  So hopefully we will. 

Sunday, Oct 10

I went to meet Quatresa for another class this morning at Core.  It was really challenging!  Then I got some lunch, took a shower and curled up with my new zebra Snuggie and watched Grey's Anatomy and some Oprahs.  And Irish Mike called.  He officially asked me out on our second date.  But we didn't have a day that worked for both of us until next Wednesday, Oct. 20.  So we'll have to wait until then.  He said he'd do some research on the internet to find someplace fun for us to go in the 'burbs.  That's his running joke.  So I'm sure he'll plan something fun.  I also have a lunch date next Wednesday with a 3rd guy I haven't even mentioned yet, we'll call him "Ivy League V" since his profile said he went to an Ivy League school and he signs his emails "V."  So that should be interesting.  He works near my office so a lunch date will work out well.  I just got home from dinner and seeing The Social Network with Spencer, Alison, Megan and Kristen.  We had a great time (as we always do on our movie nights) and the movie was really good.  I will always think of a-hole Mark Zuckerberg every time I update my facebook status.  And the hot Winkelvoss twins.

Nighty night.  Here's to another fantastic week!