...The role it (and Myspace too, I'm sure) has played and will continue to play in people's longevity in our lives.

Like...50, 30 and even 10 years ago, when you graduate from elementary school, for example - especially if right after, you then proceed to move out of state and all the way across country like I did - it was pretty much guaranteed that, instantly, there goes anywhere from 75-95% of the people you met while there, by the time you reach adulthood...

...but not with Facebook!

Also, say you leave a job in New York and go to another in a completely different company or even industry waaay over in Arizona or, hell, all the way out in Switzerland or Brazil...

Chances always were that, with the maybe exception of a select few people that you might've become really cool and close with outside of work at that first job, you'd probably never hear or know of most of your other former coworkers aGAIN!

Not with Facebook.

Like...what just seems really weird to me is the idea of, when you post something on Facebook, for example - a note, a link, a video, pictures, your status message...whatever - you are liable to have everyone from a college professor, to your "bff" from elementary school, to someone in high school you only dated for a couple of weeks, to your mother...ALL COMMENTING ON THE SAME THING!

I mean, and again...a decade and certainly several decades ago, most of these people wouldn't have ever even known of each other's mere existence - let alone, engage in any sort of the same dialogue, as tends to often be the case on Facebook.

Wesley sort of brought a form of this to my attention a little while ago. I believe he said he had read an article that was questioning what social networking will do to how long people stay in our lives.

It's kinda like that really commonly known saying/idea of "some people are meant to be in your lives for a lifetime, whereas others only a season"...and needing to know and keep in mind which belongs in which category.

Well, ummmm...Facebook does really kinda make that hard, lol...

And I'm reminded every time I see my various family members from all the way in California speaking, via my different postings, with, say, my friends and classmates from A&T/college...or someone I used to like in high school...and vice-versa.

It really is very interesting when you think about it...

Now, with a few clicks on Facebook and Myspace, you really can check up on what's going on with as well as, if you want, also communicate with your boyfriend/girlfriend from two years ago...from five years ago...from ten years ago...and, growingly, from forty years ago!  The possibilities really are endless.

But is it healthy?  Should we be somehow keeping within our social circle - or even just within such easy reach - potentially for the rest of our lives, many, many more people who would have otherwise been long gone from it just a decade or so ago, B.F/M. (Before Facebook/Myspace)?

Anyway...it will certainly be interesting to see just how that affects things, if at all, for people and society as a whole, as social networking continues to grow and becomes more and more ingrained in our culture by the second...

I know I haven't written a *real* entry up here in quiiiiite a while, so here goes my attempt before anything more - good or bad - happens in my life that I'll have to later recall....

Not too much has been up so far this month, up 'till this past weekend... And then this past Saturday, October 17th, was Wesley's birthday.  I knew this was the first time in YEARS that he will have been away from Denver for his birthday (last year, he was even there for a few weeks, visiting during his birthday), so it was pretty important to me that he have a good time here just the same.

The Cake...

So Friday during the day, I baked a pound cake from scratch 'cause I know he isn't a big fan of overly complicated desserts (well, he's not a big "dessert" person anyway - as aren't I), so I figured I'd be pretty safe in just making him a pound cake for his birthday... Plus, I know he likes pound cake, and so do I.  So anywho...made that during the day while he was at work (I wasn't to work 'till the evening), and then managed to hide it almost in plain site, lol...that night so he wouldn't know about it 'till the next day. And he didn't.  So anywho, that night, on my way home from work, I stopped by Wally World and, among one or two other things, picked up some candles, whipped cream (well, more - already had some, but wasn't sure if it'd be enough), and strawberry topping for the pound cake.  Headed home, inserted the candles (20 regular, rainbow-type candles and one big "7" candle - for 27, lol), trying to spell out "Wes" on the cake, but that just wasn't happenin', so I ended up goin' with WC (his initials), resecured its hiding place and that was pretty much that for that night.

Then the next day, Saturday, after we both woke up and while he was in the living room watching TV, I secretly lit the candles and then Happy Birthday to youuuu, Happy Birthday to youuuu I went!

Lol, he was pretty surprised, and he did end up liking the cake - or so he has said, lol... To me, it was/is aiight. Def. not my best work, but not my worst either.

The Gifts...

Anywho, a few minutes after that, gave him his gifts.  The first thing (besides the b-day card) was that damn Madden '10 for Playstation 3, that he and my brother have been goin' back and forth about the past several months (their ongoing Madden competition, ha)... He was definitely happy about that one.  That, of course, was a gift he had actually several times mentioned, so I knew it was a good go.  The second gift, on the other hand, I wasn't so sure about because it wasn't something he'd asked for or known about.  Basically, it was/is a huge, 3-panel canvas of the skyline of Denver at night, to be hung on a wall.  In particular, it was the picture of the skyline that he'd for a long time had as his desktop wallpaper on his laptop.  It had taken me forEVER to figure out and decide on the best route to take for that thing - what picture to use, which kind of panel set to go with, what the running (and reasonable) rates are for those things, what was the best way to go about it, whether or not I should send it to the apt. or elsewhere to make sure Wes wasn't there when it'd arrive, etc. etc. etc.  But I finally figured it all out, and it at least seemed to be a good decision at the end - and most importantly, one Wesley was happily surprised about.  He wasn't expecting it at all yet still loved it, both of which were my main goals, of course.  But anyway, besides that, the third and final gift was a gift card from Best Buy to pay for half of a PS3, which he has been talking so much about and wanting so much this whole year.  Not to mention the fact that I'd gotten him the PS3 version of the latest Madden game, so it only seemed to make sense that he'd more than likely finally cop that thing on Saturday...and he did, but more on that later.

Fun with Guns!

So, after the gifts, we both got ready for the day...and soon headed out to the nearby town of Yadkinville, which is about maybe 15 or so minutes away.  The aim there was to do something I tried to set up for us last year for his brithday (after he got back from Denver) but didn't work out: shooting at a gun range!  Well, this time, it did work out.  We got there, we showed (and they made copies of) our driver's licenses & we signed a waiver form...then watched this short safety video, and that was pretty much that.  They asked us which gun/s we wanted to rent, and we went what they said were the most commonly rented ones - the glock 19 and beretta - and at that point LITERALLY left us to our own devices (oh - after instructing us to pick up a pair of safety goggles and ear protection before entering the range room, of course).

Neither one of us knew what the hell we were doing in trying to load the guns at first.  We figured out one of 'em, but then I went ahead and asked someone else shooting there how to remove the clip from the second one.  Once we got that accomplished, we loaded up the guns and were on our way!

This was both of our first times shooting at a gun range and shooting these particular guns - my first time ever having shot any real gun (besides maybe a b.b. rifle gun back in the day) - I should mention.

I started with the beretta and, him, with the glock, and may I just say how not at all expectant of that experience I was?!?  The extreme pushback/recoil was the main thing I wasn't expecting.  I felt so puny and weak with that thing, lol... Pretty much felt like such a girl.  And not to mention, I guess I didn't have my hands positioned in the best way the first time because the top of the gun hit my thumb knuckle pretty hard my first time...and I didn't realize just hard 'till after I'd finish shooting that round, Wesley asked me how "that" happened, I looked down and saw the joint cut open and bleeding! I was like...oops.

And still, somehow, even after us switching guns and him liking my initial one (the beretta) a lot more and me liking his initial one (the glock) a lot more and it at least seeming to not have as bad or intense a recoil, I still didn't manage to learn my lesson each time I'd began shooting a new round.  So basically, I kept getting hit hard by the top of the gun and therefore again cut open, causing more bleeding, the beginning of every new round...lol... It was just...not good.  But anyway, I still pushed through it, tried to control the bleeding and ignore the pain and kept on shooting until we'd finish two shared boxes of 50 bullets (w/ a total of 100).

 

That was really fun...and there were a lot of things I noticed and observed while there - well, things we both noticed and observed.  Things I won't get too into this time around - maybe another entry in the near future.  But the main thing I will say is that I can definitely understand why some people are afraid or at least apprenhensive to use or even be anywhere near a gun.  Them things are truly crazy!

Oh, and my aim was pretty off the whole time, lol...whereas Wesley's was alarmingly accurate - I was a bit concerned about/disturbed by that one, since this was also his first time at a shooting range!  lol..was like wow...just wow.

Anywho, we both had a really great time there...and both said we're definitely gonna have to do that again soon - it really was a great experience, and something different to do.  Also mentioned to Wes and later to my mom that I'd really like to go there again one day with my brother - I don't think he's ever done anything like that, but I think he'll really enjoy it too.

A Lil' Electronic Shopping...

After that, we headed back to Winston and on to Best Buy to get Wes' new PS3.  We got that, and also bought Grand Theft Auto IV on PS3.

Then we headed to Ed McKay's - a pretty popular used-bookstore at least N.C...not sure about the rest of the region or country; looked around for a bit and decided on another PS3 game and a blu-ray movie (which PS3s supposedly play) to get.  The game was one I could definitely see playing and seemed pretty interesting to both of us - it's a Sims-type where you're building your own country/society, declaring war on other countries, etc. etc... Very cool - especially, I'm sure, when combined with the online feature of PS3, where you can play against other players elsewhere in the country (& maybe world?).

Anyway, and the movie we got was The Happening, which I've always wanted to see and been pretty curious about, and so has Wes.

Oh, But Yes, We're Still Nerds...

After that, we hit up Border's Bookstore to check out a book Wesley had stumbled across some days ago and thought was really interesting and I would really like and therefore wanted to show me.  He was right - I got got really into the book instantly, lol... I also wanted to see and possibly read the original, book version of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs which I'd never before read yet he has often swore so much by and was the movie we saw a few weeks ago.  Although he did show me the book version, I didn't end up making time to read that but, again, definitely was quite into the other one the whole time we were there!

Good Eatin'...

Let's see, after leaving Border's, we drove around for a lil' while to try and figure out where and what to eat.  I was going to of course treat him to a birthday dinner, but neither of us could decide on a restaurant.  In the end, thanks to the assistance of my cell phone's internet, we decided on a place downtown called Sweet Potatoes, which had very high reviews on Yahoo's local business search and seemed to serve soul food-type stuff.

We got there, it was a pretty nice environment and we were pleased and rather relieved to see black folks mostly working there, lol (what with it being a soul food-type place and all)...

So, our waitress was great - very nice and attentive - and we ended up ordering red & white (sweet potato & regular-potato) fries as an appetizer and then I ordered barbecue duck (I've been wanting duck since 4EVER, but not a lot of places offer it, and when they do, it's usually a pretty expensive entre) - which came with red & white potato wedges - and a side of garlic mashed potatoes...and Wes ordered some massive pork dish, lol (don't remember what it specifically was).

Also, they'd forgotten the appetizer at first, so they gave us dessert for free, which we decided would be sweet potato & pecan pie...which I'd NEVER heard of combined before, but let me just say that thang was bangin'!  I think my mom and brother especially would definitely approve, no doubt.

What to Do, What to Do...

Anyway, after we left there, well...let me just say I was already pretty whooped from working late Friday night and then getting up fairly early Saturday - so as to not sleep Wesley's day away and so we could get a good headstart on getting to the gun range - as it was.  I proceeded to be pretty tired throughout the rest of the day - with some times even far more than others - but I tried to keep myself going and peppy with one-&-a-half or so 5-hour energy drinks along the way, lol...

I knew it was working pretty well after I ate at a soul food-type restaurant of all places, yet wasn't at all feeling all tired and worn down and, basically, "the itis," afterwards....

So we were next thinking about trying to go bowling, which Wesley also loves to do, yet we usually don't too often...

We called one of the bowling alleys we were thinking about hitting up and found out their cosmic/laser bowling didn't start 'till 11 - it was 9:30 at the time.  So we thought about going home and chillin' for a lil' sec., then coming back out.  I kinda knew that probably wasn't the best idea b/c although I was feeling pretty good w/ the energy at the time, I knew being back at home would definitely take away from that progress!  And it DID!

Some Recoup Time @ Home Base...

Once home and on the living room couch, I was as good as golden... Highly comfy, relaxed and feeling like I could fall out at any second.

In the meantime, Wesley broke in his new PS3 and was playing around with it for a lil' while...

I talked to my mom on the phone for a sec., and even she could tell how tired I was.

The more I kept thinking about it, the less I wanted to go back out anywhere - let alone, bowling - lol...but I knew we would still go if it were solely up to Wes...and it was, after all, his birthday...

He suggested several times that we just stay in for the night and maybe instead go the next day, but I knew he really would've preferred going then, and I thought it'd be pretty cool to go too if I just wasn't so tired and relaxed!  But anyway, I decided we'd go ahead and go.  I tried to snap out of my deep-relaxation and drowsiness zone, and honestly, the biggest thing I was really NOT looking forward to was going back out in the COLD...'cause I knew that'd only make me feel more drowsy and wanting to be and stay back in the warm, cozy apartment!

But I made sure I was warm - broke out the puffy coat and even my scarf, and I was thinking how great it'd feel if we stopped by the 24-hour gym we both have memberships at (Rush Fitness) at some point during the night - presumably on our way home - and hop in the jacuzzi, steam room and/or sauna, what with it being so cold outside and all...

I mentioned the idea to Wes, and he was feeling it, but he was a bit apprehensive about coming out into the freezing cold after being in such hot and wet temperatures.  I was eh - we'll be straight!  Especially if we cool down and dry off properly before leaving!

So, we weren't really sure if we'd end up going there later, but we went ahead and brought our bathing suits, towels, etc. just in case we did.

Big Balls with Holes/Me Kicketh His Arse...

In the meantime, we headed on to the bowling alley, and although I was pretty warm, I just kept thinking this just was not a good idea 'cause I was still pretty tired and sluggish...but I continued to  push on through it regardless.

We eventually got to the bowling spot, and there were quite a few people there, but we were straight on a lane.

We played five games - FIVE GAMES!  Which just seemed like forever, lol, but I had a great time of course anyway...especially beating that ass three outta those five - whoo-hoooo!!

I won the first game...the second game...he won the third and fourth...and I won the fifth, babyyyyyy!!

And by the time we finished playing the fifth, it was almost 2am, which was when they were to close, so we headed on out.....after I'd finished milking like crazy how much I'd beat him shamelessly, of course!

I know, I know - even on his birthday...well, soon after his actual birthday (with it having been after midnight at that point)

but oh well!

 

Anyway, so kicking ass and being all hyped and extra competitive as we usually are when doing or playing ANYthing - bowling not being any exception - I had again regained much energy (and definitely warmth) by the time we left and wasn't at all feeling how I was just a few hours earlier!

But again, I was no longer cold - in fact, anywhere near it - either...and therefore couldn't really see too much enjoying the jacuzzi/steam room/sauna nearly as much as before...so, we almost didn't go, but...after we rolled down the car windows for a lil' bit, to let in some of that freezing cold air - and THEN Wes wouldn't roll them joints back up for the next few minutes while I REALLY froze - I was like ummm yeah, we can definitely go there now, lol

So we did.

Pores Wide Open...

My main goal was the jacuzzi, baby...but Wes wasn't really tryna do the jacuzzi - mostly the steam room - so he just worked out on the weights & whatever else in the main part of the facility while I sat and relaxed for a while in the jacuzzi.

And MAN! was I lovin' it... That thing felt so great - especially with the jets on!  I was really, really happy we went ahead and went there after all.

Anywho, after a lil' while in there, Wes and I met up again to hit up the steam room.  He had told me about that steam room on several occasions before - he's gone to it many times whereas I'd never been, but he always talks about how much he really loves it... How soothing, relaxing and energizing it is.  So I'd been wanting to finally see for myself just how big a deal it was...

So we went in, and omg...I was just like how in the WORLD  anyone can stay in here for longer than a few minutes is beyond me!  I mean, it was pretty relaxing and invigorating, but also a bit suffocating if you do too much, like, ummm...BREATHE.

Like, man... You really have to focus on your breathing and not move around too much in there... Several times felt like I was about to die, lol...or somethin' like it anyway

But Wes, on the other hand, was simply in Heaven and acting like it was nothing.

A lil' while after being in there, I got up and stepped outside for some normal and cooler air, and man did THAT feel good.  Then I thought to go into the sauna - which Wesley hates and I thought I would too b/c of the concept and me having opened the door to it once and thinking it felt like nothing less than a freaking OVEN - but I ended up actually really liking it.  I think it was even better with having just come from the steam room and therefore being soaking wet with water and sweat so that by the time I entered the sauna, the dry heat didn't feel that bad at all and in fact felt really soothing, and was drying me off in the process.

I was in there for a lil' min. - now, THAT was my Heaven!  It felt really good in there - much better than the steam room, in my opinion - and I could really see hanging out in there for long periods of time, maybe having long conversations with Wes or my homegirls or any other number of folks.  Especially when I laid down on one of the wooden seat areas was I just like...wow...

Felt really good.

Eventually came out and asked Wes to try it.  He thought it was okay - not as bad as he'd initially thought, but probably still not nearly as great as the steam room, lol...but anyway...

So, I tried the steam room once or twice more while he was in there, and I actually finally got used to the breathing, especially when I positioned myself a lil' better in the room (by eventually sitting on one of the bottom seats rather than the top ones and finding out that it was a lot cooler and much less water vapor/mist at the bottom, presumably since heat tends to rise of course).  But THEN, the lil' mist-spouting thing again came on and started pushing out loads and LOADS of new steam, and I was just like omg... It felt like the thing was pushing sprinkles of boiling hot water directly against my skin...which at first I tried to ignore but eventually got to be a bit too much.  The joint just wouldn't stop!  So I again left the room, lol...and Wesley didn't even know (the room was just that white with steam) 'till the thing stopped.

I quickly headed back over to the sauna, and again, was really enjoying that.

So anyway, not too long after that, we decided to go ahead and call it a night, Rush-wise...so we showered in our respective locker rooms and got dressed and eventually left.  Oh, and before I got completely dressed, I did go back to the sauna a few times, lol...and for a while those times, actually... It just felt so good!  Ha, but anywho...we did both eventually leave the whole place.

It Ain't Over Yet...

By then, it was around 3:30 or so in the morning.  I kinda felt like a milkshake from Cookout, which I hadn't had in quite a while - since probably earlier this year, actually - and when I mentioned it to Wes, I found out he was down too...so we hit that up...and I got a fudge-banana nut milkshake while he ordered a banana pudding one...and omg, that thing was SO freaking GOOD!  I didn't even expect it to be that good or, really, to even want it that much after getting it, but dayum...after we did, I was so glad we had!

I killed that thing.

Anyway...we were soon back at the apartment and proceeded to stay up several more hours - in fact, 'till about 8:30 or 9 in the morning! (that used to be a regular thing for us, actually, but especially with us both having been working mostly days the past few months, yeah...hadn't at all really done that in quite a while!)

Payback's a B*%#!

And somewhere around...well, probably not too long after we got home from Cookout, actually, my nose started trippin'... I was like oh Lord...but still thought it wouldn't be that big a deal.  WRONG!

Man, it was runnin', and I kept sniffing and periodically sneezing...then periodically turned into frequently, and by around 7am, it felt like I'd somehow managed to gain a full-blown cold! I was like ain't this about a blip!

And I knew a big part of it might've been going from the freezing cold outside earlier to jumping between the jacuzzi, steam room and sauna and then later back to the freezing cold outside, lol

But I knew that wasn't necessarily it... The fact that I'd been fighting with vengeance sleep since much earlier that day - tryna ignore and suppress it with energy drinks and carrying on, yet in the meantime making it worst by doing every damn thing including bowling for some hours, eating a full dinner meal, so forth and so on!

So, yeah...my body clearly wasn't liking me too much at that point.  Wesley, on the other hand, was perfectly fine, lol... Made me sick! (no pun intended)

So around 7:30 or so, I warmed up and drank some Thera-flu, knowing good and well that whatever tiredness I'd caused for myself in the past 24 hours or so was about to be even worsened even further by taking such a drowse-inducing medicine as Thera-flu!  But I knew it might also help me feel a lot better, cold-wise - even if not until later...

So after that...I was up for a lil' while longer, as mentioned earlier, talking to Wes and watching a lil' TV and whatnot...and then eventually, closer to 9, I finally laid down in the bed and tried to turn in...and, surprise, surprise - that didn't take long at all, lol.

Sweet Dreamin'...

As for the next day...well, later on that day, should I say...I know I woke up once, maybe around 12 or 1pm to again talk to & hang out with Wes for the next hour & a half or so...then very easily went back to sleep and was out 'till almost 6:30pm (only having awakened one other time for a sec. to look at the clock around 4-something).

I figured I'd go ahead and get up at almost 6:30, lol - again, not wanting to sleep the day away...especially with me still considering it Wesley's birthday weekend!  So, got on up...and quickly realized how much, MUCH better I felt from the night/earlier morning before!

97% Recovered...

No more sniffles...no more sneezes...no more crazy and intense congestion in my face... I felt almost good as new, but still a bit drowsy and like...I don't know - could still feel the linger post-feeling of having recently been sick.  Hard to explain.

But nevertheless, I was definitely more than good to kick it with my baby for the rest of the evening.  That evening ended up being a pretty laidback, stay-at-home one - especially compared to the day before.  That night, we ordered food from Macaroni Grill, Wes went to go pick it up, and we enjoyed it pretty much.

We never did get around to that game or the movie we bought at Ed McKay's but hope to very soon.

Oh, Please, Weekend - Will You Never End????

All in all, fantaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous weekend - one I didn't want to ever end and was really sad when it did!

I didn't even get around to returning any phone calls I had been meaning to during the weekend (but kinda thought there was a good chance I might not, with it being Wesley's birthday & everything), except to my mom...

But I will do that in the next few days, for sure.  Evans...Vanessa....Rob K....Jackie...and brother (James): I got ya, don't worry!

In the meantime, just really glad Wes and I were able to have such a great time this past weekend - especially with not having traveled too much further than our typical playground of Winston...

Must do (especially the shooting range) again soon!

Things In Store For Later...

Next Tuesday - Oct. 27th - Wesley and I will be hitting up A&T's homecoming comedy show, and I just can't wait!  He and I have been to a few comedy shows together - only during the cruise we took last month - and we had a blast together each time...not to mention the times we've watched comedy stand-up specials on TV many times together and enjoyed it.  So in trying to make at least one homecoming event this year at A&T, as well as trying to hit up another comedy show con mi bebe, I was really aiming for us to make that comedy show!  And it looks like we will...

My brother already got our tickets...and he plans on going as well, but I'm not sure if it'll be with us, with his girl or with his teammates/friends.  Probably one of the two latter, if I know him, lol...

But anyway...either way, I and hopefully we will be there!  Then the Saturday that follows - Oct. 31st/Halloween - Wes and I are both off and plan on making it out to Chapel Hill for UNC's Fright Night/Halloween on Franklin St.  I hope we're not too old for it, lol...as I believe it's mostly a college-student thing, but oh well, whatever.. I've been wanting him to check that out for YEARS - since even before we started dating!

I've been a few times in the past, with either Jackie or Alex, and had a great time every time!  It's a really cool event, and I'm even happier that with Halloween falling on a Saturday for a change, Wes and I actually have a greater chance of being able to go and hopefully not have to worry too much about time, sleep & work the next day (depending on whether or not Wesley has the next day off, which we don't know for sure just yet).

Not sure yet if we're gonna dress up - Wesley said he'd like to and is down for it, and so would and am I, but...I just have no idea what to be, and whether it'll be a costume I should almost completely make up on my own or actually buy an official version of.  I just don't know, but either way, we plan to be there!

Earlier that day will be A&T's homecoming game, and I haven't yet figured out whether or not I'll be attendance to that, but I'm thinking more than likely not.  I'd like for us to hit up at least one football game this year - and homecoming would probably be one of the best to do it - but...I'm sure those ticket prices ain't no joke - plus, if we do nothing else that day, I'd just really like for us to make it to Chapel Hill for that event.

Aside from that and the rest of this month, late-November is when R. Kelly is supposed to be coming to town - Saturday, November 21st in Charlotte and Sunday, November 22nd in Greensboro - and I just cannot WAIT!  Haven't yet gotten tickets, but plan to soon.  This'll be my fifth time seeing that man, and I know still not my last!  I could see him in concert forever, I swear...and probably will, as long as it's possible.  Plus, I appreciate that, unlike many other artists, he actually makes efforts to truly make his rounds around the country during every tour - hitting not just the likes of New York, L.A., Miami, Detroit, his homecity of Chicago, and other big-name cities, but also other cities throughout every region, including smaller ones like Greensboro - and, even besides that, has a tour every few years!  That's some serious commitment and love for what he does, in my opinion - especially considering how long he's been in the biz

So, yeah...I will be in support this time around again too!  Looks like I'll be going with Wes, and my mom might go too - not exactly sure about that just yet.  And I know my brother is interested in going, but of course with his girl, lol... I think that'd be cool, but whichever combination of us does end up going, I just know I'm gonna have a blaaast regardless!

Glad it isn't until late-November because it still buys me time to get tickets - and especially decent tickets, hopefully - and to make any other necessary plans around that time...plus, it'll be just about a week or so before my birthday!  But besides that, I really can't wait... Very much looking forward to it, indeed!

But anyway...I do believe that is it for now.  Back to work...

 

Oh, and One More Thing - Me and My Big Mouth/Keyboard Key-Obsessed Fingertips...

**And, wow, writer's note: I toooooootally meant for this entry to be an update of everything that's gone down since my last real entry earlier this year, but ummmm yeah...what turned out to be a very brief, few-paragraphs update of this past weekend ended up being....well, just look at the entry.

So...yeah...guess I'll get on updating about the rest of the past several months in perhaps the next entry...**

In the past, when I would be dating or "talking" to a guy who wasn't the best or was downright bad for me, I wouldn't hesitate to quickly run to one of my homegirls to vent, seek advice and, yeah, basically go on a mutual, several-hour "male-bashing session," if you will.

Wesley and I have definitely had our share of typical relationship issues and frustrations, but even still, there has been something quite different about this relationship that has hardly ever given me that same feeling and tendency as in the past.

Before, I would literally have a sort of "me vs. him" or "us (me and my friends) vs. him" mentality, which is what made it very easy to try and sort out any of my many frustrations, grievances, complaints & so forth about me and any particular guy at the time's interactions with each other - either mostly on my own or with some of my closest female friends. I mean, I would also express some of it to him but would be often find myself with further frustration and basically couldn't WAIT to get to one of my homegurlz for one of our sessions!  Especially since most of the time, they'd have their own not-so-good dude that they'd be dealing with at the time and would need to vent about too!

And now, it's just really weird.  Like, whenever I have an issue with Wesley or some aspect of our relationship, I still do often try and sort it out in my head, don't get me wrong, but besides that, I'll share it with him and pretty much him only, with VERY rare exception.

And the craziest thing is that it isn't even a conscious thing, where I'm trying to protect his/our privacy or anything, but rather just a natural habit.  I don't at all have that same sort of...adrenaline rush, so to speak, to go running to one of my homegurlz or even my mom when he does something that irritates or annoys me or flatout pisses me off.  It's crazy!

And unlike my previous automatic mentality of "'me & my friends' vs. him," I just tend to think of Wesley and our not-so-pretty moments as us.  Just us.  Or even us vs. us, so to speak.  Sort of like his version of us versus mine.  Either way, I just always know that it comes down to both of us working and figuring it all out together.  And I just rarely ever have a desire to go to anyone else about it.

Sometimes, when I do think about talking to someone else about some sort of issue going on between Wes and I, I even actually feel like I'm sort of betraying him or us in some way.  Or like I'm being disloyal.  It is so freaking WEIRD!  lol...like, such a totally different feeling and experience, compared to the past!

Before, I would actually feel some sort of...pleasure, I hate to say it, lol...but pleasure and relief...from getting things off of my chest concerning someone I was dating or "talking" to at the time, to just about anyone but him.  Most of the times I've done it or even thought about doing it during the course of Wesley and my relationship, I've actually felt a certain level of guilt.

He and I have actually talked a few times about the prospect of confiding in others about things going on between him and me at any time...and we've both expressed the understanding that there will be times when we go to the people closest to us - be it family or friends - to share certain things, be 'em good or bad, about one another.  And yet, still, I just don't often find myself having the need or inclination to do it.

Is that a sign of growth?  A sign of a totally different type of relationship with this person, compared to my past?  A sign of him being a very different type of guy than most of the ones I gave my time & attention to in the past?  Of course, it could also be me just being in love, especially since I never was before, and this being my only really serious relationship and with lifelong potential, no less...

Anyway, sometimes, I actually feel kinda bad - or at least a little weird - for not really having those things to express among my friends anymore.

And then I think sometimes about sharing some of our - Wesley and my - good times, but eh...no one's tryna hear a whole lotta that, ya know?  And I don't ever want it to come off like I'm trying to brag or am talking about him or him & I a whole lot, so I usually keep a lot of that to myself, particularly unless solicited otherwise.

When I was single and/or had a triflin' dude on deck - well, I've always been somewhat of a romantic - so I used to really dig people's sweet, fairytail-ish stories of romance with their significant others, whether it was coming from a male or female, and would be genuinely happy for 'em.  Some people are like that, some aren't.

A lot of people - especially women - really do like hearing and talking a lot more about drama rather than the good times...especially if they find themselves experiencing a lot more drama than good times in their own love lives.

So I just kinda go with the flow...

But anyway, back to the main topic at hand.  How interesting and relieving it is to be in a relationship with no more major drama - for now, anyway, lol - where I would actually rather and am much more likely to go to my guy about our issues, rather than everyone else