And the weekend after that...

Which would be last weekend, I met The Thing's ex-girlfriend. The most recent one. The one he had lived with for two years and only broke up with 3 months before meeting me. For now, let's call her YRLFSATP (You aRe Loud For Such A Tiny Person).

I have to admit, I was a wee bit nervous before meeting YRLFSATP. Not a jealousy thing; I know Thing loves me and I've heard YRLFSATP is slightly...um...crazy. Okay, not crazy. Let's just say she has issues. Sure, we all have issues, myself included, but she has ISSUES. (perhaps that will be her name?)
No, nervous because I (get this) was afraid she wouldn't like me. Rational? Probably not. I mean, 1) who wouldn't and 2) who cares. But, being slightly neurotic is one of my issues so let's just move on, shall we? Thing speaks very highly of YRLFSATP and always has...good person, non-judgmental, kind heart blah blah blah. So what if she doesn't like me? Worse yet, what if she's not as 'kind hearted' as Thing thinks and tells him she doesn't like me? I know they ended on very good terms...So how much influence does she still have over him?

Anyways...
I met her. And her new boyfriend, who is absolutely wonderful and pretty similar to Thing so I'm not all that surprised that YRLFSATP is dating him. However, when it comes to YRLFSATP herself...well, let me start with first impression. YRLFSATP is drop dead fucking gorgeous.

Let me repeat that...YRLFSATP is drop dead fucking gorgeous.

Seriously? In the words of my teenage son's friends 'I would totally hit that'.

Anyways...
Second impression? Refer to the name I've given her.
It took me all of a half hour to have the thought "What the fuck did he see in her?"
It took me another 15 minutes after that to think "No, seriously. WTF?!?"
15 minutes after that, "Am I on Candid Camera?"
And another 15..."Please God, make her shut up. Or at least say something nice. Or worthwhile. Or at least not whiny. Or a decibel quieter. On second thought, please God, just have someone stick a fork in my head."

I'm so far behind...

I have posts galore in my head and no time to do it. But where are my priorities?! Screw this work stuff...

First off, thank you all for your kind words and well wishes for The Girl starting Kindergarten. She loved it! I spent all Monday at work in a tizzy until The Boy called to tell me he had gotten her off the bus. He said she was smiling and laughing and said she had a good day. We went out to dinner that night to celebrate whilst she babbled for an hour about her first day at school. The next morning, as her scheduled time to leave approached (and the reason why I was there again is a blog for another day), she grew inpatient and finally put her back pack on and demanded we leave for the bus stop...15 minutes early. Ah...success!

Now to catch you up, I've been wanting to tell you about weekend before last. It was another (the third) trip to The Thing's house with the kids. A great time was had again, of course, but this trip had a twist. We spent that Saturday at a picnic at Thing's parents' house. It was a purposefully planned picnic to introduce his family and my kids. Barring my having a winning lottery ticket in my pocket at the time, it could not have gone better. My kids were perfectly well-behaved and mannerly, which they do well at most of the time...but kids will be kids and usually at the time you most don't want them to be. This time, however, they were perfect angels and got along splendidly with Thing's family. The Girl, even, became quite attached to Thing's mom, spending a good portion of the evening in the kitchen with her while the rest of us were outside playing Bocce Ball. I was a little worried about how his parents would feel about him hooking up with a divorcee with 2 kids, but I'm thinking their lack of grandchildren is working in my favor.

Big girls don't cry

Well, she did it. Some nervousness of course - even an attempt at telling me she had a sore throat at one point - but she did it.

This morning The Girl got on the bus to go to Kindergarten.

I have to tell you, it hit me a lot harder then I thought it would. The last half hour before the bus came I was so nervous I thought I might vomit. That's one thing I'm good at though. I can get through anything with a smile on my face - then fall apart later at a more convenient time. Which happened 2.3 seconds after the bus pulled away.

The Paperweight and I just turned and looked at each other...then put our arms around each other as we both started crying. We then walked back up my driveway, arm-in-arm, to get in to our cars and head to work.

This is the girl we had to take to her first (of 3) specialists at the local Children's Hospital at the age of 10 weeks...

This is the girl who was in and out of doctors offices the majority of her life...

This is the girl who was having her first surgery a month after her second birthday...

This is the girl whom I, after being gowned and masked, carried in to her second surgery 5 months later when the 'something to make you sleepy' wore off to soon and she was terrified. I held her and sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as they slipped the gas mask on her face...And continued to hold her for the next two days straight when there were complications from the anesthesia and she wouldn't wake up...and would quit breathing whenever they removed the oxygen mask...

This is the girl who has an allergic reaction to everything, is painfully shy, so timid and fearful that she once didn't take a bath for a week because I bought a new shower curtain, and couldn't talk until the age of 3 & after two surgeries...
who has a third already scheduled for October...
and whom we know may need a fourth by one of the other specialists...

We almost missed the bus this morning because it came about 5 minutes early. We were only half way down when we heard it. Paperweight ran ahead and waved so it would stop. I scooped up The Girl intending to run her to the bus when she promptly and sternly said "Put me down!" I did, of course, and she took my hand and we ran together to the bus. The bus driver (god bless her soul!) smiled out the door and gave a very friendly 'Hi!'. The Girl raised her head for a kiss, and I whispered a 'good bye and have fun' and up the bus steps she went.

"Put me down!" she says...

Yep, it's time for me to let her go...

I know...

I did so well posting there for awhile. But don't worry, you haven't missed much. Mostly it's been just getting ready for the kids to start school next week.
Note the plural there. The Girl starts Kindergarten on Monday. [sigh] Where has the time gone? Don't worry though. I'm not all that mopey about it. While it gives a little tug at the heart to see my baby growing up, it's wonderful to see how far she's come. My shy little baby has turned into a bright beautiful girl.
Of course, this is the same blue-eyed blonde cutie who realized for the first time this week that if she farts in the bath tub she can make bubbles.

One more item for the memory book, eh?

Follow-up and misc. items

Nielsen…Thanks for the links. I liked Josh Joplin. Try checking Denison Witmer and Josh Ritter (his Girl in the War especially).

Regarding Kelly and Coolchick's comments about wanting to see pictures of Jac:
So after work Tuesday night, I'm outside hanging out with the kids and my next door neighbor when the phone rings. Sweet Jac is on the line, thinking of me as she passes through Pennsylvania on her trip East. We gabbed for about 1/2 hour when all of a sudden she says, 'Oh shit, I was talking to you and not paying attention and now I don't know where the hell I am. Wait - there is a sign that says Route --- North and South"
And I said, "Holy Shit Jac! You just passed my exit! You're 15 minutes from my house!!"
Long story short, I had her get off at the next exit, packed up the kids in the car and met her there. We didn't get to hang out long because it was already getting late and she still had some traveling to do, but after 8 years, we finally got to meet. She is way cool and a lot of fun, so if you ever have a chance to meet her, do it!

I've briefly mentioned in passing that The Girl has had some medical issues throughout her life. We found out Monday that she will need to have surgery again. This will be her third in three years. She goes in October 1 and if all goes as planned, they should be able to do it same-day. Start the good vibes now, please. And The Thing, sweetie that he is, has already scheduled time off work so that he can drive up to be at the hospital with us.

Vacation details

Some high-lights, in no particular order:

Walking the length of Haight Street in San Francisco, including hanging out at the intersection Of Haight and Ashbury.

Being drunk and/or having sex 18 hours out of every 24. I love vacations.

Spending a couple hundred dollars in Amoeba.

Getting my bribe gift from The Thing; a Canon SD1000 digital camera. Good thing I got on the plane, eh?

Driving the Pacific Coast Highway, putting more then 400 miles on the rental car and putting that new camera to good use.

Collecting sea shells on the beaches in Santa Cruz.

Hanging out in Monterey with the seals (or were they sea otters? or are they the same thing? Who gives a shit. I was there and I got pictures of the cute little buggers).

Sitting on a bench outside of the San Jose airport waiting for our flight home and having The Thing turn, smile at me and casually say, "So...when do you want to get married?"
[insert smiling and girly giggling here] I hadn't thought about specifics. When do you want to get married?
[big smile] "SOON"

California Dreamin'

Nope, didn't die in a fiery plane crash, Thank God...
I did loathe the flying bit and did not 'get used to it' as everyone said I would. I hated it and only got through it because of The Thing. He was, as always, wonderful. The trip was awesome, romantic, amazing and every other positive (ad nauseam) adjective you can think of. There will be more details and stories to come, I'm sure, but today is my first day back at work and I really suppose I should do something...maybe...

Awesome

Matthew Ryan...an incredible voice and the most amazing blue eyes on the planet (The Thing has amazing brown eyes, so I can get away with that comment, lol). While he only flashes them once in this video, the song more then makes up for it. His voice has always captivated me; it's just so raw with emotion. And I think that video being just him, in his own home, just makes the words so much more powerful...and touching... Okay, I admit it...Matthew is totally on my list. But you so need to go buy his cds anyway. Dissent from the Living Room is my personal favorite so I'd start there.

And what better way to be distracted and not think about the fact that I'm climbing in to a flying death trap in less then 24 hours?

The Fauve's Digest Condensed Version of my week

Monday morning on the drive in to work another panic attack hit. This one did not land me in the ER, because I knew what it was, but it was just as powerful as the last and lasted longer; about 5 hours. This is what happens when you work at Starfuckers, Inc. The mere drive in to the office is unbearable. So you can see why I chose not to blog about anything of consequence in a while. My work situation consumed my life last week so there wasn't anything else I could talk, thing, blog about. If the mere thought was enough to cause chest pains, shortened breath and great anxiety, I couldn't chance sitting down to write these words then.

The Fauve's Digest Condensed Version:
1) The Cunt became manipulative
2) I had to meet twice with the CEO of my company; once alone (on Wednesday) and once with The Cunt (on Thursday)
3) I thought there was a good chance I would finish out the week without a job
4) Both meetings went extremely well and in my favor
5) I am still employed
6) I will have to face the wrath of The Cunt tomorrow (she was off Friday)
7) I will only have to put up with it for two days and then I'm going on vacation

So all I have to do now is come to terms with the flying issue. I go back and forth on that. Sometimes I am absolutely terrified to the point of nausea and other times I'm just so excited about finally going on vacation and going with The Thing to boot that I'm close to pissing my pants out of sheer giddiness. Thing has promised to hold my hand the whole time and says he has boughten me presents; presents I can't have until we are at the airport.

[scoff]
As if I could be bought...

Um...
He knows me too well.
Damn it!

Sudiegirl saved me!

Sudiegirl tagged me for a meme hence saving me from writing any thing of any consequence while once again posting so you know I'm alive.

These are the official rules from Michelle/Sudiegirl:

If you could invite 10 people to a dinner party (or five if you don't feel like inviting ten), who would you invite? They can be alive or dead...to quote Michelle, "if they're dead they can be temporarily resurrected for the party but then they have to go back to being dead because those are the laws of the universe."

Fauve's perfect dinner party!

Menu: I'll just have Panera Bread cater.

Location: The lawn of the White House. (hey, it's my party and I'll do what I want!)

Guests:

1) Johnny Depp
2) Joaquin Phoenix
3) Elliott Smith
4) Gabrielle Anwar
5) Patrick Dempsey
6) Matthew Ryan
7) Hamell On Trial
8) John Lennon
9) Stephen King
10) The Thing

Now...Sudiegirl gave reasons for all her picks but...I'm lazy. I should also probably tag some people...
I'll pick:

Arwen
Jac
loislane
karamia