Miscellany

I've been thinking I needed to blog lately but nothing seems to be coming to me. Well, that's not entirely true, things come to me at times when I can't blog (like when I'm at work) and then I can't remember them later (like now).

But anyway, I read all these other blogs and they seem so fluid and fun and light...like a conversation with a good friend would be. Then I think of mine and feel like they're very...structured, for lack of a better word. It's kind of like reading a book. I love reading a book that is light and funny because it just goes so quickly. At Nationals in Atlanta two years ago, I stopped by to talk to Julia Quinn (whose books I love and as a person...well, let's just say I'm glad she didn't press charges after the incident of '05 in Reno...). I remember telling her that I loved her books because they read like she just sat down one afternoon and typed up the whole thing. The next day (or two) after that, I went to her workshop and she said the highest compliment she gets is to have someone tell her exactly that. I wanted to ask her if she was referring to our conversation the night (or two) before but didn't because she may get told that all the time. But anyway, those are my favorite kinds of books to read.

On the other hand, I loved Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. LOVED it. But it was hard to read. At the time I read it I was reading five books a weekend (all part of a contest - not for most books read but to get enough chances at a win - prize was $250 gift card to any bookstore and I really wanted it...not that I have a problem or anything). It took the entire weekend to read Pride and Prejudice. But I loved it anyway.

So, it doesn't have to be an easy read for me to love it but well, it does help. But anyway, I feel like some blogs are the Julia Quinn book type of blog and others are the Jane Austen book type of blog - you enjoy them but man are they hard to get through. I don't know where my blog falls in there - probably in some other category - but just know, I'm working on having the Julia Quinn book type of blog. :-)

In other news, I told my boss (well, actually my boss's boss) that he scared me. I told him that today. He's really the nicest man you'd ever want to have as a boss but he makes me really uncomfortable and just scares the bejeezus out of me. He kept asking why and I told him I didn't know. Then I told him that I hoped his knowing would maybe help the situation. Then for the rest of the day, every time I saw him, he'd curl his lip up at me and growl. I think we're going to be okay - now that the ice is broken (somewhat). :-)

Oh, and then I was talking to one of my work directors (my secret crush, who happens to be married, so we're just close friends). Not sure how the conversation got started but during the course of the conversation I said something about my visa bill being high this month. Told him it was in the neighborhood of $500 (which is a lot to me). He started laughing hysterically, which I thought was kind of rude but he ended up telling me his has run anywhere from $1800 (minimum) to $8800 a month. $8800 in one MONTH????? What the heck is he doing that costs that much? He said several months in a row were that much. If I didn't have anything taken out of my check and didn't need things like food, rent or other essentials, it would take me two months just to pay that bill! This is the same man who told me his daughter wanted a $450 designer purse for her birthday next month. She'll be 13. And he's seriously thinking he'll "work something out" for her to have it. I don't think if you added up the amount of money I've spent in my entire life on purses that it would equal that amount. I think it's insane! But kind of explains the huge visa bill, don't you think?

But anyway, the 12 year old...er 24 year old, that asked me out finally showed back up to work yesterday (he'd been *cough* sick). He sent me an email asking how the holiday was. I said fine. He replied asking what happened while he was out. I replied with "nothing out of the ordinary". He sent me another email asking if we were still going out. I said he might want to stop by my office to discuss. So he did. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Are you married?

Him: No.

Me: Well, I was told that you told someone you were. (in case you didn't know, I tend to get right to the point...very direct)

Him: (looking pissed - and not because I was asking him this, but more like he didn't appreciate someone telling me his business. but I could just be projecting here) Who told you that?

Me: I'm just saying that someone told me you were married.

Him: I'm not. (not looking quite as pissed, as if he realized he didn't want to show that emotion...but again, I could just be projecting here)

Me: Well, I was told that you said that the seven year old was your wife's by a previous marriage. You can mistake a 'yes I'm married' or 'no I'm not married' but saying a child is your wife's by a previous marriage is kind of hard to misunderstand. (did I mention I'm pretty direct?)

Him: Well...I'm...uh...(through gritted teeth or my active projecting imagination) they're all ours.

Me: (made note that he didn't say the child was his but rather 'they're all ours' which would be what someone who helped raise a child might say but doesn't necessarily reflect a shared DNA) Were you married?

Him: Common law married.

Me: Did you get divorced?

Him: (blank look on his face)

Me: You do know that in the state of Texas a legal divorce is required for a common law marriage, don't you?

Him: I didn't know that.

Me: Yeah. You'd have to go through the courts to get a divorce.

Him: But we didn't have any assets. She had a car and I had a car.

Me: Doesn't matter. You'd still need to get a divorce. So, then, you're still married?

Him: I don't...I didn't... (pause) We signed papers. (I'm guessing the declaration of independence or some such thing.)

Me: (deciding to drop the marriage thing) Why did you move down here?

Him: I want to be a tennis pro and there's a great program here to help that. (Baytown, Texas has a great tennis program? Interesting...)

We talked for a few more minutes before I agreed to go to lunch with him on a day to be determined. I told a co-worker about the conversation and she said "Tennis pro? He told me he moved down here to get into criminal law. He said he wanted to be a police officer."

Apparently he's a pathological liar and since that's a deal breaker for me, so there'll be no lunch. Or anything else. Guess someone else will have to help me with my New Year's goal to have a scandalously inappropriate affair this year.

Oh, did I forget to mention that goal? ;-)