The End, But in the Best Way Possible

                     

Tomorrow, I change my name                  

                     Well hello again friends! Man has it been a long time since I wrote something brand spanking new! I have had the most fun sharing my dating nightmares, my struggle with finding inner peace, and my quest to become happy in my love life. I have had many triumphs along the way, from calling out creeps, to finally meeting the man I had been waiting so long for. In order to reach those however, I certainly had to pay my dues. You guys, some of those dates I went on... fuck me those were HORRIBLE! I met some people that should never be allowed to interact with other humans! I made it as a single mother for 7 years and I never thought I could make it through 7 days! To all my single parent friends, I applaud you, seriously, you guys are so fucking awesome you deserve ALL the things. Not only was I welcomed with open arms into that little sub community of parents, we all had similar stories and problems, we all had insane stresses and heart breaks, yet we all relied on each other to keep our sanity. We shared ideas and offered help, we traded hand me downs and child care. We are all in the same village, helping each other out, thank you for being my people. 

For my best friends, my squad, my people... If it weren't for you all, I would not have become the woman I am today, My closest friends and family, you have supported me, held me up when I had nothing left, and you were all my cheerleaders along the way. I will love you all until the day I die. If I could have had the biggest damned wedding my little heart desired, I would have had the biggest wedding party ever! 

                    Wedding... Yeah... I got fucking MARRIED! AGAIN! What the HELL is wrong with me! Well, at least that is what I imagine some of you may be yelling, or maybe that is what was ringing through my head when I said yes to Tony. The thing is, that I knew he was the man I wanted to be with long before he asked me. Granted, this is me we are talking about and I kept that titanium wall locked tight for a long time. I did not want to fall for him the way I did, I tried to keep him at arm's length, but dammit, he just stuck around anyway. There was no pushing Tony away because he was right there reminding me that I am enough, I am a good person, and I deserved his love. He never wavered, never set unrealistic expectations, and he always, always made up anytime he caused me any sort of hurt and emotional pain. He does these things because he too is a broken human. Broken by the one person he trusted with his heart, same as me. We went through such similar pain, that it was so easy to help each other along the way. Each one of us being wiser, from our learned experiences, and being able to see and communicate any tiny issues before they become something larger than life. We have the power of hindsight on our side, being able to look back at our own mistakes and doing our part to try and do better this time around. So why am I suddenly having this hard time grasping that I am now becoming Mrs. Florence. 

                    Identity crisis? I mean that seems to make the most sense, I am having an identity crisis. Perhaps it isn't a crisis though, maybe a small bump in life? I didn't have a hard time changing my name the first time around, so excited to learn my new signature and initials, I couldn't wait until people asked my name and I would proudly give them my new name. I had the same general excitement, until I started to actually begin the process, shit, I forgot how much of a pain in the ass this is. Calling every company you do business with to give them the new name. Changing bank accounts, loans, credit cards, filling out name change paperwork for every damned thing under the sun! I had to do this twice already, this is the third time... and it will be the LAST time. I do not want anyone else by my side, Tony is the one for me. He doesn't always understand me, but he tries. This man is simply the best person I have met, he has so much patience that it is hard to believe. Florence, Leigh-Ann Marie Florence. I will get used to saying it, and signing it. 

                    So today is my final blog entry, a final toast to all the crazy antics, and a big middle finger to my ex's that made this journey so messed up. They never deserved me, and I never deserved the garbage they dumped on me. I know that, I also know that they can no longer control my life. I have let that shit go, so a great big fuck off to the emotional roller coaster that was my life for 8 long years. When we finally get to the point in our lives, when we start making decisions for ourselves and not for other people, that is when we can most easily walk away from those people that no longer serve a valuable place in our head space. They don't pay rent here, they are gone from my brain. I have a new life, a new family, and a new husband to love me in the best way he knows how. Like the tide pulling the ocean in and out, I have sent that past out into the sea. This chapter of my life has been life changing, eye opening, and made me so, so humble. 

I cannot wait to see what life has to bring me in the future. My kids are all lined up to begin their next chapter's too, with my beautiful daughter starting them off by graduating next June. This is usually where I sign off until next time, but here, this is the end of my journey. So goodbye friends, keep moving forward, and always choose kindness. The world needs more of that shit. 

                    

Real Life Love

     Hey guys, it's been a hell of a long time. I seem to have fallen off the blogging wagon. Well, maybe less fall and more leap... you see I have finally met someone that I feel comfortable enough talking about. That is, comfortable enough to tell the world, aka like 15 of you who actually ready this, that I am completely in love with this man, and I am scared to death. Read on.... 

       Most of you are fully aware of the dating nightmares I have endured. Some pitiful, disgusting, and downright awful humans, have met me at coffee shops, beaches, toy stores (that one was particularly bad), and restaurants. I have been laughed at, ignored, told to lose weight, gain weight, and been made to feel like a nuisance. Until now... Here is the story about how I met my current man. If you follow me on Facebook you already know his name, but for privacy's sake, this is a public blog after all, I will call him "Dean". 

     Yes, I met Dean online, we hit things off on that fucking horrible cesspool called POF. Many of you know that dating site, and it's not the greatest, but it's also not the worst. Dean adhered to my first, and frankly most important rule, DON'T leave me a one word or poorly written message. He took the time to read through my entire profile, and he left me a thought out, albeit lengthy, message about karaoke and how much he would love to meet up with me and sing together sometime. Now I love to sing, I have my favorite karaoke bar, and I absolutely love to watch a man make a fool of himself. I might be a little evil, but I digress. So Dean and I start chatting about karaoke and bars and how much fun we will have. I felt like I could trust him pretty quickly, which is VERY unlike me, and we exchanged phone numbers on day 1! Wow, I know, I'm fucking insane. 

     Things are going well, we had made a plan to go out and sing on a weekend I didn't have my kids. Then schedules started conflicting, my work load got to be tough to juggle with any sort of social life. Pretty soon it was 2 weeks later and we still hadn't met! Yet we were texting every single day, strangely enough, as much as we wanted to hear the other's voice, we decided to leave that bit a mystery. Dean was very attractive, very well spoken, and he seemed very kind. I was beginning to worry that he would be snapped up off the market very quickly. So I finally found an opening in my schedule to meet on a Tuesday night, late. It was after 9 pm in this little town, on a warm, yet still chilled night late in June. Most businesses hadn't gotten their swing of summer tourists yet, so things were very quiet, and very few places still had their doors open. I didn't want to get lost in the crowd of a bar, and it was much too late for dinner. So we settled on taking a little walk on a trail near Sand Creek, and found a bench to sit on and talk. 

     Dean was just as attractive in person as he was online, he spoke with a smooth baritone in his voice, not over powering like most men. He was shy and confident at the same time, he had a way about him that was charming and casual, yet slightly off hand and naive to some of the ways of this new dating lifestyle. I quickly learned that Dean had not been on the scene nearly as long as I had. The hairs on the back of my neck tingled, I worried that this would be an issue. The longer we talked the more I was feeling like this would be the last time I saw him. As much as I liked him, I worried that my experiences might be too much for him to handle.  I learned that he had been on other dates, which wasn't a surprise to me at all, I mean... LOOK AT HIM! He's the whole package! He admitted that I, however, had been the woman he most looked forward to meeting. That did surprise me. Why me? My looks are average, my personality is fucking awesome, but I am certainly not without my flaws. I just couldn't see how everything I had been searching for in a man was standing right here in front of me, yet felt so far out of reach. 

     Dean and I talked for hours, it was nearly 1 am by the time he headed for home. I hugged him and drove the 5 mins back to my place... then my phone rang. It was Dean. I was shaking, I figured this was it, this was him calling me to tell me that he had fun, but that he didn't want to see me again. There was something about him that struck me as the kind of guy to at least give a woman that information over the phone, and not a lousy text. So I answered that call, and much to my surprise, he was asking me life advice. DATING advice.... FUCK. He was telling me more about these other two women than I cared to know. But I did the only thing I knew how to do, dish out the good, friendly advise that I am pretty well known for. I figured if I can't have this guy as my boyfriend, he seemed cool enough to hang out with from time to time. And who knows, maybe this friendship could lead me to connect with more people and broaden my dating pool. So we talked on the phone for 2 more hours. By the time I hung up I thought I might still have a shot! He wasn't telling me to get bent, he was telling me how awesome I was! Maybe he is just as bonkers as I am. Shit... maybe he is just as bonkers as I am. 

     So the next morning he texts me, wanting me to know he is looking forward to when we can meet again. Knowing my schedule is a total crap shoot, I let him know that I have to figure that out, and let him know as soon as I do when that can be. I have already worked it out in my head that if I want to have a chance here, it needs to be soon! Dean is a total catch!  So I tell him that if he wants to see me again before my kids come home, that is has to be later in the week. So we decide on dinner that coming Friday, this time I would drive to his town, which is about 45 mins from my place. It was a bit of an aggressive move on my part, but I truly felt the risk was worth it. He seemed a bit taken aback by the haste, but he rolled with it. 

     So we met for dinner at one of his favorite places. Talked for another hour or more, ate dinner and decided on heading back to his temporary home, an RV, for a night cap and a movie. As much as we had hit it off the first night, it was all over the second date. He was just as much me as I am. It's totally weird to see myself as a man, but I have to say, I'm happy with the result. We are different enough that I knew it would be interesting, but similar enough that I knew we would be on the same wavelength for many things. 

    Like I typically do, in total "me" fashion, I tried to wall myself off to him. I kept him close enough to get to know me, but kept him far enough away to keep most of my heart intact if he decided that I wasn't worth the trouble. About another week later he officially asked me to be his girlfriend, and about 2 weeks after that we both deleted our online profiles. 

     This last six months has been a roller coaster ride for me. I was at a very low, lonely spot in my life when I met him. He has been so kind and caring, helping me through my anxieties about being in a relationship. Showing me that compassion still exists in this world. Dean is calm, steady, and unwavering. All the things that I lack walking into this. He sees how broken I am, how broken I was. He has helped me pull down those walls I took so long to build. He is a man of integrity, and I for one am completely beside myself that he chose me. Most of you know what a damned mess I can be, how abrasive I can get, and just how fucking great I have gotten at pushing people away. Dean sees it too, and he calls me out on it. He doesn't let me get away with it, he has a way with communicating with me, working through it so I can get to the heart of what is really concerning me. He gives me space when I am getting annoyed, and he pours in just as much love as I do. We speak the same language when it comes to that. We finally found something in each other that we had been missing so much in our lives. 

     So this is me, shedding my single girl attitude. Embracing the new adventure I have embarked on, and wishing and hoping that the best is yet to come. 

.... Until next time my friends   




  

Don't Ever Lower Your Standards

     Hello all, it has been a hell of a long time, huh!? Well I have been insanely busy with work, and of course as the kids get older, they become more social, but they still can't drive themselves around, so it's Momma's Free Uber service for the time being. Soon that will change however, as Adrienne is quickly approaching driving age! YIIKES! How did I get this old!? Shit... someone rewind the clock a few years, I am not sure if I am quite ready for that. She is a great kid, intelligent and witty, but I can't help but wonder what kind of teenage bullshit she is going to pull with me. So for now all I can do is offer her my advice and wisdom and hope that she keeps her standards high. I have wavered on mine from time to time, Lord knows I need help pulling my head out sometimes. So my hope for her is that she learns from my mistakes, makes a few minor ones on her own, and walks out into the world with her head tightly fastened to her shoulders. 

     Having high standards in life is very important, it gives you a self guide on the things you wish to achieve in life, the things you wish to better, and how you present yourself to the world. I have no idea how many times in my life I have been told that my standards are too high. Whether that is with a career choice, my love life, or just my day to day living. You see, I don't have a college degree, so applying for jobs that I know I possess the skills for, yet lack the piece of paper with some fancy letters on it, I get told to "set my sights lower". Fuck you, just because I don't have a BA in Office Management, doesn't mean I can't answer phones and make appointments Mr. Can't-Tie-His-Own-Tie. 

Same goes for my love life... I see an attractive man and lose all courage to speak to him because all those voices telling me he is "out of my league" are stitching my mouth shut. I know what I have to offer, and I know I am not the best looking woman out there. Does that really mean that I can't have my cake and eat it too? 

     I have had a checklist of sorts for the things I wish to find in a man. Since my divorce I have dated many that haven't quite fit the bill. Some were way off the mark, others were close, but missed a few important ones. I have been holding tight to that list though, determined to find this man who fit me, who made me smile from the inside out, and who took the time to show me every single day how much he cares for me and my kids. In my mind, this man is kind, loving, and considerate. He can sing, or at least carry a tune here and there. He is attractive and has done well for himself in life, not "rich", just comfortable. This man would put me at the top of his priorities list, and also have a spot in his heart for my children. He would embrace my weirdness and love me for me, not who he thinks I might become. In his eyes my flaws are just facets to my shining personality, his heart beats for me and only me. Now I know that there are some weirdly specific things on that list, and I don't really care what you think about that! It's my bizarre list and I am sticking to it! And it's a damned good thing that I did! Because I have met that man! 

     WHAT! No way! She must have finally snapped and thinks she has met this insanely specific man.... I know that's what you're thinking. Don't call the nice young men with the long white coats to take me just yet! He exists! I am so happy, and not in the "floating on cloud nine" kind of feeling. It's more like, I am finally grounded, feet firmly planted and for the first time in a long time I have a vision of what my future looks like. Yes I know how that sounds, and no, I am not crazy... well, maybe just a little... but I am still me after all. I am cautiously optimistic, and excited for what this may bring. 

     I see changes in my life ahead, and those changes will affect many areas. Housing, job, love, children, all these things will need to be re-evaluated and adjusted. You see that is the tricky part with dating and having kids. So many things have to come together perfectly. It's not easy, and I truly believe it can be done. It will take time and patience on all parts, and when it all comes together, I hope with all my heart that I will have my happily ever after. My life has been nothing but chaos these last 5 years. I have had moments where the chaos has controlled me, and where I have somewhat controlled it... nonetheless, it has still been a mess. If anyone deserves a happily ever after, it's me. So I am going to take it.

Until Next Time Friends

 

Shower Fantasies

     Hey guys, I just have one question, why in the hell do we deep think/fantasize/feel emotional in the shower? Is it because we are naked, and therefore feel more open to the part of our mind that allows those thoughts and feelings to come through? Well you all know me, I googled that shit. Turns out that is close to what happens. When we do something that is relaxing, calming, or creative, our brains release dopamine. That release allows our sub conscious mind to come into consciousness, allowing our brains to become more creative, and also allows us to problem solve. Interesting.... fuck you, I found it interesting.

     Well during my shower this evening I was playing my vocal jazz station on Pandora, and dancing in the shower, naturally.... and I just kept thinking, one day I will find a man who is going to slip in quietly, and watch me do my weird little dance in the shower, and he will smile and fall more in love with me. In that raw nature, the dance like no one is watching, sing like no one is listening, kind of uninhibited person that we all hide from the outside world, he will find beauty and grace.  OK, probably not so much grace, as I probably have the rhythm of a blind bongo player with one arm and a hook for a hand... nevertheless, he will be happy to call me his. In all my quirky glory, one day it will happen, well, at least in my shower induced, dopamine laden fantasy... it happens.

       I have also come up with possibilities for all my financial troubles... most solutions aren't exactly legal, but hey, this is my shower fantasy! If I want to open up a Rent-a-slut I can! There are no laws in my fantasies. I also have a hit-for-hire service, we primarily work with those that have been cheated on... so I'm a little jaded, show me anyone over the age of 30 who isn't and I will show you a fucking liar! That also reminds me, I once laughed at myself for a solid 5 mins after having a vision of liars pants actually catching on fire.

     So after all this thinking and fantasizing, a small part of me wonders if I have already met this man and told him to fuck off... or perhaps he was really creeping me out by staring at me from the dark corner of some smokey bar. Shit... I guess I am left with the fantasy. I'm not complaining though, because this man is tall, dark and handsome. He cooks for me, draws me a hot bath, and is amazing in bed. Until he manifests into reality, and doesn't irritate me with his grammar, I will hold onto my fantasy man.

Until next time friends!

Be Fierce

     Hey guys, haven't felt the writing bug much lately. I have started a new job, I am back to housekeeping, cleaning vacation rentals. It is very hard work, but I am making more money and I am happier. I am not seeing the guy from Spokane anymore. That is a long story, one that I am not sure I wish to share at this point in time. He is very sweet and kind, but ultimately, just not the person for me. I felt bad that I had to break things off over the phone, but when you live 2 hours from me, I can't really drop everything and drive over there. I never recommend delivering bad news over the phone, if you can help it. In person is always better. I need to move on, and keep forward motion. I am not about to let the little things drag me down this year. I have a lot to live up to and I am excited to keep moving on with my life. Good things are coming my way, I can feel it in my heart.

     I have been actively working on many of my friendships, making sure that I keep my friends close to me. In this life we live, we need people that are fun to travel with! Who wants to walk the road of life with boring people? Sure as fuck isn't me! I love my little circle of people. We are pretty awesome, and I couldn't be happier. I have a few that offer some deep intellectual thought, and conversation. I have a couple that keep me grounded and focused on the path ahead, and I have a few for emotional support. Family is important, but never underestimate the value of friendships. 

     I have finally learned how to live alone, and quite happily I might add. So now my concern is allowing someone into my life. Funny how we can get that way. I have lived so much of my life with another person, I honestly didn't know how to be single and alone. Considering that I have my kids every other week, I am not alone all the time. On the weeks that they are gone though, I used to struggle. I never knew what to do with myself. I was uncomfortable sitting here alone watching tv, I was uncomfortable going out to get food alone, and I was uncomfortable being seen walking all alone. Now, I am perfectly fine with it, in fact, I prefer it! I can do what I want, when I want. No one here to make me reconsider taking off for a few hours to go see a movie. I can go meet up with friends if I want to. I can sit here naked and watching movies, eating pizza and cookies, no one is here to judge me! It's very liberating! I am left alone with my own thoughts and I can be weird as fuck, not a soul around to laugh at me for dancing half naked in my kitchen to Green Day. 

     Some poor sap is out there willing to get to know me and stick around for all my shenanigans. I hope he has lots of patience and can keep up with my weirdness. I know more about my self worth now, than I ever did before. Spending a year with no boyfriend has been the best thing for me. Honestly, even when I was with the last boyfriend, I often felt alone and unloved. So for me, it has been more like 4 years single. I have learned more about myself in the last 4 years, than I have in the 30 prior. I am strong, independent and incredibly caring. I will not hold onto anyone that makes me feel less than. I know that this blog entry has been similar to some of my others when it comes to personal growth and learning how to be myself. I think it's very important to reiterate these things, not only to myself, but to those who might be struggling with who they are. I want to keep writing for the people that need to pull from my strength. For those who are wandering, lost in their own lives. I want to empower those younger than me, to keep moving forward with their lives and focusing on the life ahead of them. I want those in a similar situation to know that they are not alone, they are worth loving and they have all the power in their hearts to be strong. It comes with time, learning, and understanding that you are not super human. It's ok to break, it's ok to hurt, and it is ok to need someone to help you through. Transformations don't happen overnight, they happen slowly. We are all beautiful fucking butterflies waiting to spring out of our cocoons. 

     Ok, go fourth my fucking fantastic friends and be fierce, be amazing unicorns, and take over your life one breath at a time. Until next time.   

    

Guarded, Locked and Loaded

     Hey guys, what's happening in your lives? Same shit different day? Great, me too. Only it's slightly different shit, and a totally random day. Let me elaborate on this.
     So remember when I said that I was willing to give anyone who asked me out at least one date. One shot to see if there is a spark, a connection, something I think I can work with? Well, I gave this man one date, and I was prepared to only give him the one, considering that he lives almost 2 hours from me. Distance is a hard thing to navigate when trying to spark any kind of relationship. It puts stress on it, causes doubts, and if the relationship isn't particularly stable to begin with, can cause it to crumble rather quickly. Well here I am, 3 dates later and I find myself liking this guy. So, in total ME fashion, of course I am still guarded and keeping him at arms length. In all fairness he was warned, repeatedly. I am not an easy sell, especially to someone that lives so far away, and has other issues that I will not divulge at this juncture. So far I don't think he has any ill meaning motives, no hidden mother issues, nothing that screams serial killer or total fucking nutcase. I'm absolutely taking my time with this, considering the factors I am dealing with. My trust level is pretty low, almost a zero, but that is something that must be earned over time through actions and observations. Not something I am willing to just hand over with some random texts and whispered promises.

     I have found myself wondering lately if I am being particularly stubborn because I can, or if it's something bigger than that. I have a totally dark and twisted way of thinking a lot of the time, and I found myself wondering if someone can run out of happy. What if you are given all the happy, love, and smiles for a lifetime when you are born, and I am running out? Perhaps I do have more, but they are reserved for other occasions and events in my life. When my children get married, when I become a grandparent, you know, things like that. What if, when it comes to relationships, I have put so much into the wrong people, I am just out of it to give for the next person, whether they are the right one or not? Fuck.... Told you it was dark and twisted in there. You see, I have become so content with being alone, that I have reached a point where I don't know how to switch it back on for another person. I have a hell of a time sleeping with someone lying next to me. I don't feel comfortable sharing my space with another person. I worry that they will mess up my routine, however chaotic it is. Then I also find myself thinking, maybe this is what I need to get past my bullshit. Maybe allowing someone in will let me put some effort into life again. Make me stop feeling so content to do nothing, pick myself up and get back out into the world and find what I want.

     I have discovered that I do miss some things that happen at the beginning of a relationship. The things that happen BEFORE the relationship. Learning things about a new person. Figuring out if you are compatible, if you can blend lives and if there is a spark. It also opens you up to meeting people in their inner circle and finding new faces and new experiences through each new person you meet. I have made some pretty good friends in the wake of dating. Met people that I wouldn't have been introduced to otherwise. If for nothing other than that experience, I don't mind dating. I am certainly glad that I got rid of the online dating fuckery. That was just getting plain ridiculous. I have never had to be such a bitch in my entire life than I had to be over the few months of online dating. These men seriously can't handle being told no. They also have no manners when they get behind that fucking keyboard. I have never been hit on in such a slimy, disgusting, degrading way, in my entire life! And I grew up with loggers, truckers and rednecks!

     So I will keep you all informed of what happens over the next few weeks. I am not going to get my hopes up. I'm not even sure what I'm hoping for at this moment. I know that I am happy, just the same as I was a few weeks ago prior to going on that first date with him. I am going to keep living my life as I was before, and if he wants to become a part of it, he will have to make his place. I am really tired of making a place for a new man in my life, only to have him back out unexpectedly and taking a piece of me with him. That will not happen again, not on my watch. I am very guarded, I have my heart under lock and key, in a castle, with a moat, and a fire breathing dragon. It's going to take some serious cannon fire to get me to open up. If you are the type to root for the underdog, you should probably send some good vibes his way. He's going to need all the ammunition he can get.

Until next time.

Ramblings

     Hello everyone, I'm just sort of rambling today, I don't have anything specific to talk about. Ever have one of those phases in life when it seems like things are just sort of in a weird kind of limbo? I mean, I have had a lot happen in the last month or so. I bought a new car, I got a raise and a sort of promotion... That is a bit complicated to explain, so I won't. I don't really know how to explain this place in my life. It's like a strange place where things are trying to come together, but just haven't yet.

     Well anyway, so I have been trying to get back into eating healthy and working out. Let me tell you, 34 isn't the new 24. I don't give a fuck what anyone tells me. Damn, my body is wanting me to get into shape, but my joints are like "Whoa Bitch! We need some TLC." For me, the biggest issue is my hips, let me tell you, after 3 kids and the fact that I am "double jointed" (yeah I know it's not a real thing, hence the quotes, fuck face.) It has taken a toll on my hip joints and they need a few days of recovery between workouts. Another project I have been working on is helping people discover essential oils again. It baffles me that people are so afraid to learn how they can help you in your everyday life. As I'm sitting here typing, I'm running myself an Epsom salt bath with lemon grass oil for muscle aches and a touch of lavender for my frigging sanity. I will rub my sore hips down with a muscle cream called Deep Blue, and I will be able to walk tomorrow without maxing my dose of ibuprofen. I might start a separate blog for that if the time comes where I have educated myself enough. Right now I'm still learning and experimenting with my own blends and remedies.

     So, other than that, my life has been rather boring lately. I haven't really been on many dates. I recently had some friends that I thought were good, turn out to be quite toxic. I found a couple new friends and reacquainted with some old friends that I had lost contact with. I can happily say that for month 2 of 2016, it's been good so far. I have not regretted anything I've said or done. I only learn, and move forward. Life is too damned short to dwell on things that you can't change. Apologize for your wrong doings, learn from your mistakes and just try to do better tomorrow.

Until next time friends

Sad Products for Singles

     So I have noticed, as I'm sure most of you have, that there seems to be a whole host of products aimed at the singles crowd. We have all sorts of things that are totally useful, single serve coffee systems, single serve dinners have been around for a long time, and of course the ever growing list of single websites and apps so you can meet other single people! Yesterday while I was shopping at Walmart, I had to stop and do a double take at a new product I saw on the shelf. Single serve cakes, not like what you see in the bakery already made and iced, no, these are little cake mixes that come with a container of frosting and a 6 inch disposable pan to cook them in.... I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I imagine that sales meeting for Betty Crocker had to go a little something like this... "Cake mix sales are on a steady decline, what can we do to boost revenue!?" Suddenly all eyes turn to Mary, the divorcee who just adopted 3 cats this year. Then someone pipes up... "What about single serve mixes?" Everyone looks at the CEO, he smiles... "Perfect! And we will include a disposable cake pan so they can toss it in the trash when they have finished crying into it."

Yeah, yeah yeah, I have an active imagination.... get off me.

     Well after this trip down imagination lane, I decided to google other products that are geared specifically for single people. Fuck... It's depressing out there folks. Since I love you all, I have found the 4 items that I found most depressing. Here you go, enjoy my laughter and tears.

     The "Boyfriend" body pillow. I know most of you have seen this thing posted on facebook, twitter and instagram. It is a pillow that has half a man shaped torso and an arm. It's the epitome of being forever alone. Not only have you just totally given up at the point in which you purchase this item, but anyone who does come over to your place will see it and agree with you. I imagine they would show themselves out at that point. This thing is sold on Amazon and I shit you not, the description says, "replace your boyfriend's arm with a pillow in shining armor!" Fuck me... Really!? Get the fuck out right now.  OH! and for you single men reading my blog, they also have the "Girlfriend" body pillow, complete with perky little booby cushions. You're welcome...

     Next up I found a cook book! Not just any old cook book, oh no, apparently we single people must take our sad lifestyle a step further and give up using a stove all together! MICROWAVE Cooking for ONE
Fuck... fuck... FUCK NO! Shit, are you kidding me!? For fucks sake people do not ever buy this! I didn't find the link for purchase, thank the heavens, I wouldn't allow any of my friends to buy this. If you have this in your kitchen call me, seriously, call me so I can come over and beat you within an inch of your life with that useless piece of shit and I can teach you how to cook a fucking decent meal. This thing is sad in so many ways. If you know anyone that has this just do them a favor and set it on fire and roast a hot dog. I promise it will taste better than anything you have made out of that cook book.

     Now I could use this next product for when I have finished writing today's blog. A pillow that dispenses tissue. For those lonely nights when you are crying yourself to sleep! For the days when you are sick and have no one to take care of you! Hooray! I found many links to describe this product, yet I didn't actually find a link to purchase it. I suppose that if I had looked a little harder I would have found the link, but I was too depressed to want to actually find this damned pillow. I might have bought it.

     This last one I found, I may actually use it. It's a body lotion wand. This thing looks like one of those back scratchers, you know what I'm talking about. Instead of scratching, it has little bumps on it that will rub lotion into your back. So now you can get lotion on your back when no one wants to touch you! Yay! FOREVER ALONE! No need for a person to spend time with! Just buy all this shit and adopt 20 cats. You might be lucky enough to have kids like me. Single parents aren't really alone. That's what all the well meaning old ladies at work tell me! I keep the vulgar thoughts to myself and just say "yeah.... that's true...."

     So if you guys find some products for single people let me know! I want to check these things out. If I find more I may write another blog about the new wave of depressing shit made for single folks.
Until next time friends! Try not to buy any of this shit, seriously, I'll have to hunt you down and beat you to death.

Passive Aggressive Dating

     Ok, buckle up for the rant. I can no longer contain the irritation caused over a passive aggressive asshat! First off, let me say that I have been chatting with this guy for over a month now. He lives in another city and it has been difficult between our schedules to actually make time to meet. He might even have a link to my blog, come to think of it, so, if he's reading, I hope he takes some pointers for the next woman he speaks to.

     I work full time, HE works full time and then some. I have kids, he doesn't. So in addition to the conflicting work arrangements, I have the added complication of having time with my kids that WILL NEVER BE COMPROMISED! Fuck you if you think that I am willing to sacrifice the time I get with them. This basically leaves me open to go on dates 2 weeks a month. Then you have to factor in the time I spend with my friends. So that takes my 14 days and cuts it to about 10. Then factor in my early morning work schedule, so I really don't like to be out past 9pm on a work night. So that turns into only 5 hours per night of the work week that I am potentially free to meet someone. Then of course Friday night and all day Saturday. Sunday is my day to relax and prep for my children to arrive home. I think that I'm down to 6 days in a month at this point. Never once did I let on that dating me would be easy. I tell every man that chooses to have any contact with me that I am busy, and I truly mean that I am BUSY.

     Secondly, I will not put up with someone who makes me feel guilty in anyway for being a working mother. I work hard and I raise my kids. If you can't deal with that, see your way out. I will not tolerate your passive aggressive texts. Fuck you, fuck off, you fucking fuck. Telling me that you're going to just give up on trying to meet me... fine, then don't meet me. I apologized for it being difficult. Then telling me that it is not for your lack of trying.... Oh, then it must be that I am not. OK then, Captain Dillhole. I'm done.

     When will these guys learn that you can't tell someone how "understanding" you are, then turn around and be an ass? That might be the way it works in the bars, or how it works with those thirsty hoes just looking for a dick to ride. I am not any of these bitches. I am perfectly content waiting for someone who truly understands my life and is willing to hang around and see how amazing I am. I think that I am worth the wait. The right man will agree with me. I treat my man good, no, better than good.... amazingly. I will go to the ends of the earth to make them feel welcome in my arms. I will settle for nothing less than the same treatment. So the next time that you feel the need to get hacked off at someone for not dropping everything in their life to meet you right now.... take a moment and try to understand how difficult it might actually be for them to rearrange their life for a few dates. People work, have kids, plans that were made long before you came stumbling into the picture. Don't force something to happen, it will happen in due time. Until that time comes, make your own plans, do your own thing and for the love of Fuck, don't plant your happiness in someone else's  garden!


Until next time my friends.

The "Friend Zone"

    

     Ok, I know that very many of you have heard this term. Shit, many of you think that you have put someone in the Friend Zone, or you think that you are in it. Well I'm here to tell you.... IT'S NOT A REAL THING! Fuck, come on. All these people whining about being stuck in the Friend Zone. Boo Hoo, so-and-so put me in the Friend Zone. Bitch please, no they didn't! You put yourself there. You decided to be their friend after they rejected you. Or what really happened, is that you didn't have the balls to even tell them that you wanted to date them to begin with! So instead of growing a pair and asking them out, you cry bitch baby tears over being put in this mythical place.

     You have no reason to be crying and whining over it. How about you suck it up and go to the person that you'd like to try things with, and fucking tell them! All it takes is about 10 seconds of courage to spit out the words you want to say. The worst thing that can happen is that they will tell you they aren't interested. In the grand scheme of things is that really the most horrible thing that they can do to you? Hell No! They could be that crazy bitch that tossed your shit in the front yard and set it on fire! If you really believe that they are your friend to begin with, they wouldn't hurt you like that. A friend would feel badly if they had to let you down, so they would do it kindly. Instead, you're out there in the bar, or online, dating the craziest bitches and then calling that person who "Friend Zoned" you and bitching to them that you can't find anyone decent to date!

     I am here to tell you that it's not the worst thing in the world to put yourself out there. I have done it a few times. Is it hard? Yes, absolutely. You know what is harder though? Never knowing if they feel the same way. I have gotten the chance to go on a date with someone who was a friend. It's not that bad. You can get a feel for the romantic side of them and see if you are compatible. Worst case scenario is that the date is SO BAD, that you loose that friend forever. Best case scenario is that you end up with an amazing person to date, that already knows how fucked up you are and totally loves you for it. Take that chance. If they end up not in your life afterward, it's because they really weren't supposed to be there. True friends will stick around.

     So good luck out there! I hope you will go out on the limb, and tell a friend that you have been thinking about them in a different light for a long time, and that you would like to see if something could come of it. 

Until next time my friends!  

The New Age of "Dating"

    

     Ok, today I have a rant post. This is directed at some of the online "dating" apps. I use the term dating VERY loosely here, just like the men and women on the sites! HA! Tinder, Grinder, Hot or Not.... these are not dating apps, they are hook-up apps. This shit makes getting laid easy. Personally I hate that people are so damned willing to give it up these days! It's pretty much expected anymore. You chat for a few mins, flirt heavily, send nude pics and then you meet up! Gross, and they wonder why STD's are so widespread. Did you know that 10% of adults in the US ages 20-29 have Herpes! Those are just the cases that KNOW they have it! 1.4 Million have Chlamydia, 330k have Gonorrhea, and 17k have Syphilis! Well now, that makes me want to swipe right, how about you!

     Not only is this becoming such a fucking joke to call it dating, it is making the idea of monogamy something of the past. I like to call it the "Grass is Always Greener" complex. The person who is supposed to love you and care for you, just can't help but wonder if there is another person better for them out there. I get it, I totally get it. However, maybe you don't go looking for it while you are supposed to be focusing on the person you have chosen to be with. You picked them! You said that you loved them! How can you expect them to be devoted to you, when you are too busy looking for the next bed to warm?

     I hate trying to dig through all the bull shit to find one decent man to try this whole relationship thing with. I have found the liars, the users, and the useless fucks. The guys who only want to sext, the asshats that only want a hook-up, and the liars that say they are single when they aren't. Although, all these might be attached men due to the fact that they want no commitment whatsoever. The casual dating is not my style, not in the sense that a lot of men seem to think anyway. To me, casual dating is meeting for drinks after work, coffee, working out, generally keeping things simple and not stressing about fancy dinners and putting out!

     Be careful out there people, use protection and please don't use these sites to cheat on your significant other. If you don't want to be with them then break up with them. Do not string them along and make them believe that you still love them, because if you are willing to actively look for another person to spend your time with.... You DON'T love them at all.

Until next time my friends!

    

Sexual Misadventures and Dating Catastrophies

     Hello to my new friends! So I wanted to share some of my crazy misadventures, and some of the things that have happened to me while meeting up with dates I met online! Fuckery... purest in form. That is the only way I can describe some of these encounters. Read on, and enjoy!

     So not too long after I was separated from my husband, about 4 months or so, I decided that I needed a test if you will. A test man to see if I was still emotionally attached to my soon to be ex Husband. After a few weeks of deciding that I would bite the bullet and sign up for an online dating profile, I got a bite on Facebook of all places. An acquaintance from high school was going out to a local bar and wanted to know if anyone might want to join him. I went ahead and met him. I turned out to be the only person that responded to the request. We sat for a few hours and talked, caught up on some things, then decided to leave. No sooner had we left the bar, he turned and kissed me. It was wonderful! Soft, yearning, and a little bit forceful, I was turned on. We agreed to head to my place. We got right down to business, and that's when things got nasty... and not the good  kind of nasty. He was sweating profusely, it was so fucking disgusting, that I made every noise and muscle spasm in the book to make him finish and get off me! Mission was accomplished! However disgusting that guy was, I quickly realized that I was shut down emotionally. He never got a call back, because let's face it, ladies don't have one night stands. We hold auditions and if you aren't up to par, we just don't call you again.

     After him, I gained my courage and dated a few guys. I give them nicknames because I didn't care to recall them by name for all my stories told. Plus, there are a couple with the same name, it keeps them from getting confused. Please don't think me a slut, a whore or anything of the sort! I didn't sleep with all these guys. Many of them never made it past a first date. Here we go! I'll try to make this as painless as possible for you... Lord knows it was hell for me.

     Clingy guy, I dated him for 3 months and was suffocated! He was an idiot, I literally felt dumb just hanging around him. I had to flip the bitch switch to get him to leave me alone finally. Muscle guy, he is cute, funny and younger than me. We had fun, maybe too much fun. I'm still friends with this one, he has someone amazing in his life and I wish him well. Then there was the Lizard. His nickname was decided on because of his kissing style. Let me also mention that this guy was a self proclaimed "amazing kisser". GAG! Geeky guy, I felt bad for him because our date was interrupted by some of my insane friends at the bar. He was so scared he didn't even walk me to my car afterward.
Boring guy, took me to tea and a book store at 3 in the afternoon. It would have been a good date if he wasn't so dreadfully boring! Leave me alone guy! Oh man... this guy was a real piece of work. He was doing alright until after the second date. We were having a perfectly normal conversation the next day. Then for no reason whatsoever, he tells me to leave him alone. He later says he was having a bad day... No problem buddy! I don't have time for a ride on your Bi-polarcoaster. I'm OUT. Really Tall Guy got a knife pulled on him for being an epic fail dumbass. He "playfully" pushed me on our FIRST date... His playful push almost made me eat shit on the sidewalk. I told him not to push me and that I had a knife. The fucking moron then decided to grab my hair and pull my head back and joke that I couldn't do anything. I had that knife whipped out of my purse and snapped open so fast he didn't even know what the hell to do. He later text me and said I scared him. GOOD! Stupid mother fucker.
I can't forget the You should go home now Guy. That poor sap drug my puking drunk ass home from the bar one night. It was an epic fail night that ended with me waking up to him staring at me. I asked him how far away he lived. He replied that it was just up the road from me.... I said "you should probably walk home now. Lock the door on your way out." Thankfully I never saw that one again... Talk about a bad experience!

     I have still kept my faith that one of these times I will actually meet a decent man. I know they are out there. The odds should start swaying to my favor before too long.... right? I mean the world is full of shitty human beings, this I know. However, I know very many good ones too. One of them is bound to find me and treat me like the beautiful, crazy, half bitch I am! He will touch my butt and feed me tacos, and do the housework that I don't want to do! Ahhh, yes, I have faith...

Until next time my friends!

    

The Importance of Great Friends

   
      I don't think that I can stress it enough to everyone, how important it is to have amazing friends in your life at all stages. These people in the pictures are some of my amazing friends that I can count on to stick by me through think and thin. They make me laugh, cry, laugh until I cry, and forget all about my worries if just for a few hours. It's so incredibly important to find a few people like this to keep around. I wouldn't trade a single one of them off for anything. Each person in these photo's offers me something different, yet they all offer one very similar and very important thing.... LOVE. Don't roll your fucking eyes at me! If you don't love your friends then you're doing it wrong. Read on...

     We can act insane together and none of us judge the other. We embrace each other and all the quirks that come along with. This is how to live life. One moment at a time, one day at a time, and one crazy wild ride all the way through. Be the support and back up to your friends, and you will have some of the best relationships come out of it. I think that the relationships that my friends and I have, are stronger than any other relationship I have ever been in. We know how messed up the other one is, how dark and twisty that rabbit hole can get, yet we accept that. And we are comfortable in knowing that they are just as accepting of your own dark and twisted brain.

     Keeping people around when you are going through happy times is probably more important than just venting to them about all your troubles. We lift each other up when one is down. We can't all be the Debbie downers! We slap a smile on our face until we trick our brain! Trust me, when your friend starts laughing and smiling when they started off the night with a forced grin... there is no better therapy in the world. It feels good to help someone. Plus they start to laugh at you when you make silly faces and say "Smile Fucker!" Ok, well my friends do... we have a special kind of relationship. You might want to come up with your own ways, mine can be offensive to some. Best part about my friends is that they aren't offended easily.

     These people are my sounding board, my go to, and my courage when I need it. They will give me their opinions on men and dating, on work, on other friends and on the ex's of course. They will guide me on my journey through life.

     I know that I kept this blog post more on the serious side, and I hope that it was still a good read. These people deserve nothing but respect from me. I can joke around and be sarcastic to them, have inside jokes and poke fun at them... But no one can love them like I do.

     I hope you will all go tell your friend(s) how much they mean to you! Give them a call, text, or facebook message. Let them know what they have brought to the table. Tell them what they have done for you. I bet that some of them have no idea how much they might mean to you.

Until next time my friends!

Muddling through Boredom

    
        

          Hello my wonderful friends! I have a few topics to share with you all today! I hope that you all enjoy my thoughts and opinions.
         
         Well, it has been kind of a quiet week for me. No dates scheduled, nothing crazy happening, and I'm just happy to have some quiet time for myself. So in this (hopefully) short period of calmness, I shall focus on my own needs and wants. I highly recommend that every person in the world do this from time to time. I don't care if you are married, a parent, young, or old, take time for yourself! Ideally this time would be long enough to center yourself and find your happy. For my own sanity, I take walks around this beautiful town I live in. There are a lot of nature trails where I can get some peace and feel like I'm grounded.

          Now I mentioned that I hoped this was a short period of calm, that's because I find that a few things happen to me when I remain still for too long. I stop thinking that anything sounds fun, I turn down invites to go out and I end up binge watching Netflix. Then I start to feel depressed and lonely, which is stupid since it's a product of my own making. So, I hope that I will not have too many days where I'm not scheduled to do something.

          The online dating has been going slowly, which isn't a bad thing I suppose. I'm quite selective on who I respond to. I'll share with you how I sift through the Who's Who of human shit. First off, like everyone else, there has to be some sort of attraction there. Be it your choice of words, physical appearance, or the way you come across through my computer screen. I'm willing to look past the physical appearance, for the most part, if a man engages me in an interesting conversation. I like intelligence, I crave it. I am not the type of person that can overlook someone's intelligence for beauty. A man can be drop dead gorgeous, however, if he's ignorant, I can't even pretend to like him.
Then there are the "Hi" guys. COME ON! give me more to work with than that. This includes, but is not limited to, these lousy attempts at conversation: Hey, Hello, Sup, You are hot or 'your hot' (come the fuck on, grammar people!), Hey Sexy, Hotttttttttt.... etc.....
This will not get a response out of me about 95% of the time. If I spoke to you after a message like this, congratulations, you caught me in a weak moment. If the conversation doesn't progress past pleasantries however, I will become bored with you and will end the conversation by no longer responding.
Now I'm left with the physical appearance. I'm just like everyone else, I'm sorry, you have to be somewhat good looking. If you look like you have lived under a bridge, or should, I probably won't talk to you. There is a certain level of creep factor in appearance. I can't exactly describe what it is, but if I look at your picture and feel uneasy or just plain grossed out, you're not getting a reply. You should probably lower your standards and try again.
 ALL that being said, I will still end up dropping off the map for about another 60% of the guys I actually try to converse with. Some of them are just boring, or don't take the time to get back to me, or just end up not being what I am looking for in a man.
It just seems to boil down to a few factors, be interesting, be unique in how you speak to me, make up for what possible physical shortcomings you might have in your personality, and above all else be respectful! Not only to me, but to yourself and others. I hope that gave you guys a little bit to work with, and I hope my girl friends out there read this and saw some things they liked in my personal screening process. It's overwhelming and can be really scary out there! I wish you all the best.

          I hope to have another cooking post for you guys this week. I had a delicious pork chop, baked potato and steamed broccoli last night. I didn't take a pic though. I'll try to be better! Let me know what you'd like to read about! Comment, send me an email, hit me up on Facebook! I love hearing from people.

Until next time my friends!



         

  

Double Duty Chicken!

     So tonight I will actually give you a cooking entry! Yay food! So I know what you're thinking already, "that's a lot of food for one." and you would be right, except for the fact that my kids are with me for the week. So what I decided to whip up for dinner is chicken breast that will pull double duty as a chicken pasta salad for tomorrow! Woohoo for stretching the budget!

     So to start off with, I didn't find this recipe online, this is just what I whipped up in my own kitchen out of my own food loving mind.

     The chicken breast is seasoned with crushed rosemary, black pepper, rosemary sea salt, onion powder and garlic powder. I do not cook with specific measurements, so don't even ask me how much is on each chicken breast. I added a moderate dusting of each seasoning to both sides of the chicken and rubbed it in. I cooked the chicken in a pan pre-heated to Medium, with a healthy dollop of organic coconut oil and 3 whole cloves of garlic. Covered and cooked approx 10 mins each side then removed the lid, and turned up the heat to medium high for about 2-3 mins to cook off the excess liquid and to brown the chicken. Please check your chicken with a thermometer to ensure it is cooked to the food safe temp of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I used the old method of giving the thickest part a poke with a fork and ensuring the juice ran clear. Do not do this unless you are 100% confident in your own cooking skills, I don't recommend it.

     Ok, now for that fun and colorful pasta salad! Again, no exact measurements! Shit, I don't have time for that! Cook yourself some pasta, I chose small shells, you can get what ever floats your boat. Chop up some veggies, don't ask me what to put in there... I don't know what you like. I like many veggies, this has carrots, red bell pepper, broccoli and sugar snap peas. I also added real bacon bits because bacon is fucking awesome. I will chop up one of those yummy chicken breasts and toss it in there too. The dressing for this particular salad will be made with about 1c. of olive oil mayo because I like it, and a half packet of Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch. Toss the salad and then eat it! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! get your head outta the gutter...

     Now this is the only time I'm gonna explain to you why and how I can cook without specific measurements. I first learned to cook by grabbing a packet of seasoning at the store, you know what I'm talking about, the shit they don't even keep in the spice aisle. Well after a while cooking with those things I decided to take matters into my own hands and googled what kind of spices were in them, trust me when I say this, THROW THEM OUT! Holy hell there is a lot of bad, and useless shit in those things. So I went to the store and began stocking my spice cabinet, buy in bulk bottles these things: Garlic powder, chili powder, and onion powder. Most of those seasoning packets contain one or all of these things. Then add in other herbs and spices. Rosemary, Oregano, Ground Cumin, Basil, Ginger... I could list everything in my spice cabinet but that would be another blog. Second reason I don't really care to measure is that cooking is really a feeling in the kitchen. It's just knowing what you like, and figuring out your own taste. It can become a very relaxing and enjoyable experience. Especially when you can cook with someone you love. One day I hope to be back in the kitchen with someone I love, creating pure awesome in a pan.      

     So happy cooking my friends! Until next time...