how i didn't get set up

Once upon a time there was an attempted set up.  It went a little like this.

 

jeff:   so i hear you are single again
and i have single friends
and i like you both
discuss
chelle: LOL
i am glad you like your friends
jeff: heh

This may have set little old me into a bit of a panic.  I didn't want to be set up.  I didn't want things to be weird.  I knew exactly who Jeff was alluding to and I really was enjoying doing my own thing, and spending large quantities of time alone with a book, my tv shows, and making a real effort to see friends I hadn't seen in awhile.  And we all know what chelle does best when faced with even the mention of such things.  She puts her foot down, loudly, shakes her head violently and essentially screams NO.

However, the friend Jeff mentioned in his roundabout way just so happened to be quite a bit of fun, and so we started hanging out without Rach or Jeff since they had returned to Montreal and we were both missing our sidekicks.  Jeff didn't mention anything again, I was very clear with Rach that I wanted nothing to do with their set ups and that appeared to be the end of it.

Then came the Grey Cup.  What a surprise that I don't love football or have any interest in watching it on tv.  I don't mind the occasional live game, or group game - I'm all about the visiting and food.  This year, however, I'm sure you all remember that the Roughriders made the Grey Cup.  Not watching the game didn't seem like an option, so when I was invited over to Friend's, I accepted.  

We spent all day together, sort of watching the game but mostly talking.  I'm pretty sure I saw most of the important bits.  And I know we won, so that's all that matters right?  After the game, we went for supper and talked some more.  Then we went back to him place and watched some tv and talked even more.  Finally it was more than time for me to leave.  It was easily midnight and I needed to work the next day.  So I'm getting my stuff on, saying my thank yous and goodbyes when I notice Friend is standing much closer to me then the rules of personal space really permit.  It is then that my brain dies.  "He's going to kiss you!"  I panic.  I say goodbye so fast I almost run into the doorway and I do trip over the threshold.  Luckily, I don't fall.  I get in my car, fully aware that my brain has just malfunctioned, and wondering how exactly at 27, I have just reverted to being 14.  I burst out laughing, and laugh to/at myself the whole way home.

Luckily he didn't hold it against me, and somehow he did get the courage up again to actually kiss me.  Second time around I didn't run into any doors.  With the exception of of a few days where one of us has been out of town, we've spent every single day since the Grey Cup together.

For his birthday he requested I change my facebook status to "in a relationship" mostly because it's something I said I would never do.  You know, much like I said I would never take part in this little set up.  Happy birthday boyfriend, a blog post will not do justice to just how great you are, or how happy I am because you came into my life but we are certainly "in a relationship."

birthday extravaganza con't

After our delicious supper and a small wardrobe adjustment, we continued our evening with what every good birthday must contain - dancing! Remembering how well the hose turned out for Rach's stagette, I decided to head there first with plans on bailing if it sucked.



We were joined by Xtina and some of her fabulous friends/aquaintances. They were wonderful because they were so fabulously nerdy. They convered the whole spectrum of the nerd scale, which I highly appreciated. The friend was my favorite type of nerd - nerdy interests but some social skills, very funny, and generally confused by those operating on a lesser intellectual level than himself. The two aquaintances were the extremes. #1 was more of a traditional nerd. As in a geek. Little social skills, even less interest in posessing any. #2 had the long hair and glasses, reasonable social skills, less intelligence but potentially a closet full of costumes and magic cards. There was also an aquaintance girl whose role did not become obvious until later in the evening. She seemed very nice, awesome and normal but seeing as we were with her friends you knew she must have some secret nerdiness locked away that she can bring out when she wants to.



Back to the hose. Hmmm, I should have assumed the luck we had the first time was just that - luck and maybe attempted another local. It would appear the Hose has developped several fatal flaws and therefore should only be attempted in a large pack. Flaw number 1, the good music appears in very spaced out sets. Unless of course you are a gangsta' and then they temporarily interrupt what you like so people can dance every hour and a half. Flaw number 2, the age of the patrons. When I go to a bar, I always expect to see what I like to fondly refer to as "the creeps." You know them, they're old, they're creepy, and occasionnally they drink enough that they think talking to you is a good idea. At the Hose on Friday night, those creeps were not 40-50, they were 25ish. WHAT? If I were to draw you a box and whisker graph of what the average age at the Hose was, this is what it would look like:




Naturally, when this is your age dispersion, stupid drunk boys happen. They yell. They also come up to your table and try to hand out straws. This is awesome for many reasons. No one really wants a straw in their drink that a stranger has manhandled. A drunk stranger. Some people are more opposed to this than others. Some people, are nerd #1. Having not said a word all night as far as I know, he must have been sitting in the corner working himself up into a big ball of angry. All the drunken stupidity must really have gotten to him, and drunk straw man is who pushed him over the edge. Contrary to his very nerd nature, he could no longer contain himself. So angered was he by the drunken straw touching and handing out, he grabbed a straw off the table, stood up, and whipped the straw at drunk boy's back. This may have been on of the funniest things I have ever seen. I was in awe. I mean, drunk boy didn't even feel it and nerd #1 was practically shaking he was so angry. I sure hope he felt better after the release of the pent up anger, cause we made him stay there for at least another hour. He confided to Xtina later that "he's never been a bar person." I resisted the great urge to call him Captain Obvious, I was pretty sure he wouldn't find that funny.

I digress. It was weird to be in a bar with creepy 25 year olds. I always thought there was a process to becoming a creep. It would appear it's inborn in certain people. But we didn't get to bent out of shape by it, there was of course dancing to be done! True, it was dancing with 17 year olds by the nicest guess, but Sexyback is Sexyback. On the dance floor is where we met Elbows. He swooped in out of nowhere and appeared to belong to no one. We were suspicious, it seemed very likely a dare on behalf of his friends that he come dance with the two 'old girls' on the dance floor in the most ridiculous way possible. His manner of choice? The elbow dance. Much like the uppercut, with no cutting. He also favoured the twirl, the group sway and his grand piece de resistance was trying to push himself off our shoulders and onto the speaker (failed on all 3 attempts). I kept expecting Elbow's friends to show up and politely escort him away. They never arrived. Luckily, bad music eventually did, and we sadly had to leave the dance floor and Elbows behind. Whatever became of him we don't know, as far as we know he is still cutting up a rug on the hose dance floor.

It was finally of an appropriate hour to be able to leave and head to Diva's for what was hopefully to be better music, and a slightly less intoxicated crowd. It was here that the girl's role became known. She was nerd #1's girlfriend!! I never saw it coming. She ditched them to come with us, which was almost as unexpected as her dating nerd #1. Not unexpected was running into a fight on the way out. Want to make your bar look busy? Simple, don't let anyone leave! An approved practice since 1925!

Diva's was mediocre, but still fun. Kev and crew showed up and confirmed that all of Saskatoon was mediocre - hypothetically due to the long weekend/rolling stones concert combo. Twas a good birthday indeed.

birthday extravaganza!

I had been warned by Big Red that we had supper plans on Friday at 6:30. So I wasn't too surprised by him arriving at my house unannounced at 5:30. I was surprised that he arrived with flowers! Absolutley gorgeous flowers. These are the only flowers I've ever received from Big Red, but he picked them out like he'd been doing it all his life. A true expert in flower selection, Big Red bought me a bouquet that's gotten nicer looking over time instead of uglier - every day a new lily has opened, and these flowers appear to have genetically modified stem cells because the rest of them aren't dying. My boyfriend the prostar.

After I finished getting ready (and said goodbye to NSFG and D) we went for supper. Secret supper. My 3rd gradish attempt to break Big Red's will and have him tell me where we were going failed miserably. A year and a half later he appears to be completly immune to my pestering. So I found out when we were a block away.

In attempt to win some kind of "best boyfriend ever" award, he took me to the Taj Mahal. As Kilometers would say "OH MY GAWG." You see, Big Red doesn't like Indian food. I believe he has been quoted using the word 'hate' and 'Indian food' in the same sentence, several times. Well it was fan-freaking-tastic. So good that Big Red is willing to admit he doesn't hate Indian food anymore. He's not yet willing to add a like or a love in there, but this is huge progress. Besides, I don't think I loved Indian food the first time I ate it either but I sure do now. Anyway, back to our meal. We shared an appetizer platter that had the best pakoras I've ever eaten on it. I mean, I'm not sure I'd be willing to agree that what we had at the Taj Mahal and what I'd know previously to be pakoras were actually the same thing. For supper we shared 2 dishes - lamb and spinach was Big Red's pick, while I chose chicken with oranges and almonds. Then for dessert homemade mango ice cream complete with a sparkler.

I was all so good, and the staff was so awesome. You can tell how proud they are of their restaurant and how much they love what they do. The father and son duo were always around to answer questions, make sure everything was perfect or just to chat.

Well played boyfriend, well played!

i heart my friends

I have pretty awesome friends. Seriously, you rule. Even if you did forget my birthday was this weekend, I understand cause I forget birthdays all the time. Actually, I remember them several days before and then forget the day of only to remember again the day after and feel like a total twit and bad friend. So, no hard feeling about the birthday wishes or lack of.

Back to my friends. Not So French Girl and D decided to come visit me all the way from the queen city. How awesome a present is that?! They couldn't come down for the weekend since D had to work, so instead they came Thursday night. I'm still working Thursday nights for my mom, so they had supper with other friends until I was finished. Then we went for delicious and funly named drinks and food. I think by naming something a "purple nurple" you make it taste better. I was proved right. Mmmmm. The company was also spectacular (which goes without saying, but for extra reinforcement I said it) AND we spoke mostly French. Good stuff.

Back to my house where we met up with Kev and his not from Austria girlfriend. D turned into Magiver so we could enjoy wine with our conversation. 2 screws, pliers, and some elbow grease = tasty. After exerting all that effort D didn't even have any wine, but the rest of us enjoyed it for him. Kev regaled us with stories of his travels across the world until the wee hours of the morning.

I had to work Friday, so I met up with NSFG and D for lunch at my most favorite lunchtime restaurant. Jake's, you make me so very happy! Adding to the happieness, I ran into my favorite coworker from my old school. Fitting seeing as she is the one who introduced me to Jake's. If you have never been to Jake's for lunch, you need to make it a priority, it's really that good.

After school, I visited some more with NSFG while D slept in the papasan (all the while maintaining he wasn't tired and didn't need a nap). NSFG helped me get ready for supper, and then when they had squeezed all the goodness out of Stoon that they could in 24 hours, they packed up and left. This leaving coincided very nicely with the arrival of Big Red who may or may not have encouraged D to buy NSFG flowers.

Thanks so much for coming guys! Come back any time! I know you're saying it's my turn to go visit now, which I will, but don't be shy about announcing you want to sleep in my spare bedroom anytime. This goes for everyone else too.