A year in review...and saving the best for last...

While most people might be inclined to think 'wow, it's been 1 year since this blog was started....already?!?!' Where as I, on the other hand, have been thinking, 'it's only been a year?!?!'

So much has happened, so much has changed...and I now have more then 2 people who read my blog. Since so many of you were not here in the beginning, let's take a little walk down memory lane, shall we?

I originally started this blog because I was in an absolutely miserable marriage, I was extremely unhappy in every way, and had absolutely no one I could talk too. This was my venting spot and also the place where I hoped to learn, through self-discovery, how I could survive my marriage and possibly even be happy again. Ironically, within a week of starting this blog, my husband, The Paperweight, put on his coat one night and simply walked away.

But I still had you, faithful readers, who 'watched' me go through it all. We've been together through tough times, trying to work things out, clairity, self-discovery, and the day I finally decided it was over and even the resulting bitterness.

You were there, dear reader, as I tried to find myself again, as my parent's rejected that idea and me along with it, and of course
all of The Paperweight's bullshit.

We even got to share the experience of watching me enter the wonderful world of dating again. You were there for my first date in a decade and a half, my learning to keep my options open and my first shot at romance. You were there when I dumped guys and watched as I was dumped.
And we learned together that it was because someone wonderful was coming along...
You helped me through my fears...
And watched as I fell in love...

::sigh:: yes...my love, The Thing... [insert sappy love song of your choice here]
Or, you can read all about it in his own words [grin]
Yes, as an Anniversary treat for both you & I, The Thing agreed to write a post for me. I told him he could make the topic anything he wanted; complete free reign. He chose to describe, in his own words, the night we met...

It is quite long because he is much more detailed in the account then I was (and he tends to be way more honest so be prepared, lol) and will need to be posted in more then one section. Here is Part 1:

I go to Pittsburgh a lot. It is one of my favorite places to visit. Top 5 reasons:

• The drive up is a great chance to catch up on the recent music I’ve bought or Stern show episodes that I’ve missed.
• I get one step closer to packing up my shit and moving into one of the wonderfully worn, incredibly inexpensive, large old homes. Well built, lots of brick and glass block windows and no two look alike.
• No shortage of GetGo’s and Sheetz’s.
• It has 2 fantastic music stores – Paul’s and Jerry’s. Hours of time can be wasted in either place.
• It’s pretty close to home.

I hadn’t been to Pittsburgh for a couple of months, when I took a trip there at the end of October.

The reason for this trip was quite non self-serving – to spend some time with my very good friend, Thing 2, who was recently dumped by his girlfriend. His (ex) girlfriend is also my cousin. Despite the blood relation with my cousin, I actually had a closer relationship with Thing 2 that grew over the 11 years that the two of them were together (11 years?! Wow!)

Although Thing 2 and my cousin had split (she dumped him) over a month prior, I hadn’t been able to grab a free weekend to make the trip to see either one of them. Then one day, Thing 2 emailed me out of nowhere. His message omitted any text, just a link to a web site. It was for a band he’d recently been turned onto - an all girl band. HOT. I listened to their music and liked it. I told him so. He mentioned that they had a gig the following weekend at a small bar in Pitt and he really seemed interested in going. I very rarely turn down an invite to see live music – even if it is in a city 3 hours away – so I told him I’d head up and we’d go check out the show.

I came up to Pitt late Friday evening, just in time to catch up a little with Thing 2, have a couple of beers and then go to bed.

As Saturday evening approached (about an hour or two before we had intended to leave) I suggested we cab it over and back from the bar. This seemed entirely appropriate since the Pittsburgh PD is known for cutting little slack with regards to both under-the-influence driving and not making a complete stop at a stop sign. And after all, the whole (underlying) reason for the weekend was to celebrate (he was DUMPED remember? I have to put a positive spin on it for his sake!):

• Thing 2’s singlehood,
• His emergence from the house after a month or more of not really going out,
• To see a good band
• And an unspoken desire on my part to have him meet a girl that night – someone to distract him and let him know there’s life beyond his recently-deceased relationship – someone to make him say to me “Hey, look, would you, um, mind sleeping in your car tonight so I don’t have to attempt to be quiet when I’m having sex with this girl”

After 4 attempts to book a cab for the night (two laughed when we told them we wanted a cab for that night, the other two didn’t even pick up their phones), we finally got through to one that put us on hold for 20 minutes before we were able to talk to something that was not a recording. We were getting close to our scheduled departure time.

And for the 1st time in a long while, it was gonna just be me and Thing 2 hanging out – no girlfriend appendages to tug on our arms an hour into arriving at the bar – begging to leave because the “band sucked” or there was “no scene” or they didn’t have any good beer on tap or whateverthefuck. It was gonna be great.

The place is empty when we arrive; it is a rather long building – with the bar on the right, a few bar-stool tables on the left and the stage all the way in the back. Thing 2 goes to the bar to get drinks and I walk up to the very front of the stage, stand there alone for a few minutes, staring. It was so quiet in the place. Was this all the crowd this band was going to draw that night? Then I remembered it was only 9pm. And that it was an all-girl band. OF COURSE people would show up for that. Hell, I drove 3 hours for this shit. I’m sure there were at least 30 Pittsburgians that had got over the depression of the prior Sunday’s Steelers loss and were ready to DRINK AND ROCK OUT.

We sit down at one of the bar-stool tables and talk for a while before the 1st band goes on (Thing 2’s “band” was 3rd/headlining). Very, very good stuff -- but not enough to get either of us up from our comfy seats and lose our close proximity to the bar.

Shortly after the 1st band ceases playing, 2 girls come into view from the back/right of me or the front/left of Thing 2. At least I think they are girls, I am only able to make out 20% of their bodies as I am staring primarily at their backs. Perhaps they didn’t know I was sitting at the same table. Hm. I overhear the shorter of the 2 girls say to Thing 2, “So me and my friend have a bet,” (insert sighing, eye-rolling and jealously here) “how old are you?” What I will recount as trite conversation now ensues between the 3 of them until a driver’s license is soon produced. Commence giggling. Note: neither myself or Thing 2 is giggling.

[Fauve's note: I think he was drunk because I've never giggled in my life! um, yeah]

I was about to fake-cough in order to get a little attention over here when I noticed that I could now see 30% of their bodies (maybe it was my cologne that was finally attracting these 2 girls?). The shorter one: “We’re celebrating my friends divorce”, referring to her friend, the taller of the two. I manage to eek out a “Congratulations” and soon learn that the taller one had been with her husband for 11 years (the same amount of time Thing 2 was with my cousin) and that she had 2 children. “Way to go, Thing 2”, I think to myself, “That didn’t take long” (for him to meet a girl). The 2nd band was getting ready to go on, so the girls make their way back to the bar area. I look at Thing 2, shrug my shoulder and sniff my underarm to make sure I applied deodorant that evening.

Band 2 goes on. I like them too, though not as much as Band 1. My beer glass is empty. If I recall, I can pay a girl at the bar a couple of dollars and she’ll refill it for me. I get up and ask Thing 2 if he wants another drink. I look down at his still-full glass. He says “No,” and I start to walk away, “but you should probably ask those girls if they want a drink”. I look at him. “Those girls that IGNORED me for most of their recent visit?” Yeah. They are going to get a drink, but not from me.

As I weave my way through a couple of groups of people that are between our table and the bar, I come to a clearing where I can see the bar in full view. It’s packed. I’ll have to double park somewhere I guess. Then a space opens up -- right next to the Taller Girl. I slide in sideways, facing her (100%) and pull out my wallet. What a sucker. “Can I get you a drink?”, I ask. She says “yes” and BAM! There’s her drink. Just like magic. Amazing what $2 buys in a bar in Pennsylvania.

I decide to be polite and ask her more about her divorce and her children. Polite, meaning, it’s clear that this girl is “Thing 2’s”, perhaps I would be able to “talk up” my friend. We talk about each others work, how Band 2 was not that great (even though I liked them) and then more about her kids/ex-husband. Her friend, the shorter one (who was there with her husband) tells me to get Thing 2 and bring him over (by this time, I was away from our table for 15 minutes already). I do. He does.

As Band 3 starts to rock out, it’s clear to me that
1. I want to be closer to the stage ‘cause them girls is rockin’ out sumpin’ fierce and
2. It’s a great time for me to bail and leave Thing 2 to Taller Girl. So I announce my departure to the group. Thing 2 decides to join me.

So we head up front and fall in love with each band member. Oh, the music’s real good too.

10 minutes later, I feel a hand touch my left arm or elbow – I turn to see Taller Girl standing next to me with a smile.

TO BE CONTINUED…