Another week

I just realized that I haven't blogged since LAST Friday. That was a week ago, People! WTF!! I guess I really do use this space mostly for bitching and complaining. Without having a problem, I don't seem to have much to blog about. How sad is that? Wait! Not that I don't have anything to bitch about. That's a good thing. That shows me that my life has improved - okay, maybe it's just my outlook on my life that's improved. Either way, I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. Could this actually all be because I am feeling better about myself due to the weight I am losing? Interesting. I'll have to think/ponder that for a bit.

I need to find other things to blog about instead of just using this as an outlet for my bad attitude or feelings. I guess my blog will have to grow with me or be left behind. I have met so many wonderful people in the blogosphere that I am going to make my blog grow with me. I would hate to lose contact with the 5 or so people that actually read my blog. :-) By the way, if you stop by, please leave a comment. Let me know you're here. I'd love to hear from you - even if it's just to tell me to grow up. Tell me what you'd like to know about me. Help me find things to write about. :-) I could always use inspiration.

I found a neat website this week. Such Simple Pleasures. She posted about how her "romantic" husband proposed to her. Since you all know that H and I were married in an appliance store (read that entry here), I thought you might like to know how he proposed. Let me lay the ground work for this...

We met in the middle of August. My divorce wasn't final. I refused to date until my divorce was final even though my "roommate" had moved back to his mom's (in another state) two months prior. The divorce was final the end of August and H asked me out. Another guy we worked with asked me out as well. I was casually dating both of them. I don't know what the other guy expected (maybe a horny divorced woman looking to "get some" but since I never "got any" I didn't know what I was missing). That's another previous blog somewhere here. I invited the other guy to my house for pizza and a movie (and that's what we did...pizza and watched a movie). I guess he thought that was code for something else because at work the very next day, he mentioned to H that I was "weird". Whatever, you long-haired freak!! Seriously, his hair was past his waist and he probably spent more time in the bathroom each morning than I did.

H being the "romantic" that he is totally agreed with the Freak and said, "Yeah, she really is strange...I'd stop dating her if I were you." The dude did - no skin off my nose. Leaving the door wide open for H. Of course, I didn't find out about this until MUCH later. :-) By the end of September, I had talked H into moving in with me. At the time, he was living with his parents, pulling guard duty each month, and having to drive about 30 minutes each way to see me (longer when he was coming to/from guard duty). He was at my house everytime I was. I told him, "You're here whenever I'm here, you might as well move in and pay half the rent." Since Loser "Roommate" ex-husband was still paying half the rent on the place because his name was on the lease until the new year, H and I each paid half of my half of the rent. Damn I'm good and even impress myself sometimes. :-) He bought it and moved in. WooHoo!

Of course, my parents being who they are were not a bit happy about it. I kept hearing that we were living in sin, how he would never marry me because "why would he buy the cow when he could get the milk for free," and other things that just made me worry. My big comeback to them was that I was going to try this dude out before marrying him because I was not going to get into another marriage that was a roommate situation instead of husband/wife relationship. I even asked them if they blamed me for that and they said they couldn't and that they would probably do the same thing. To them, I was still living in sin, though. And they wonder why I made sure they didn't meet H before we were married. I'm not stupid! Duh!

Anyway, they put doubts and worries in my head. I would cry to H and tell him that I really needed a commitment from him and told him about the cow and the milk theory. He laughed at me, held me, and said he wasn't ready to commit. I understood that, really I did. In the end, I ended up talking him into a commitment. I even told him that I didn't need a diamond engagement ring because I have my grandmother's one carat, round, solitaire. We went looking at rings and I told him that since I already had the diamond, that I wanted the band to be special and a bit different. I really wanted a band that had both of our birthstones in it (Ruby = him, blue topaz = me), but couldn't find anything with rubies and blue topaz and we really couldn't afford to have something specially made. What we found instead was a band with 5 stones - rubies and diamonds. It has 3 rubies and 2 diamonds. I love it! My rings together symbolized me int he form of my grandmother's ring and H in the form of my engagement ring. Everyone who saw my ring thought it was cool. We used that as my engagement ring and I added the solitaire when we said our "I do's". We can't seem to do anything in a traditional sense. I know. We definitely made the whole thing our own. Isn't that what it's all about?

Anyway, he ended up proposing to me on my birthday (which was sweet and what I told him I wanted). I think I took a lot of the joy out of this whole experience for both of us because of my insecurities. I didn't realize that then, I've only realized that in the past few years. I really need to apologize to him again for that. I woke up early that morning and sat on the window seat in the bedroom just looking out the window thinking and stressing. He woke up eventually and (while naked) walked over to me, pulled me off the seat, got down on both knees, and proposed. That was December. We met in August. 4 months, People! I'm sure he felt a little roped into the whole thing because of my insecurities. He might not have been "over the moon" then, but he's a happy man now. I really need to apologize for all of that again.

One day, the diamond solitaire will go to my niece, B. She just turned 4, so it will be a while. When that day comes, I would like to get a second band that has 3 blue topaz stones and 2 diamonds to wear with the ruby/diamond band I already have. I think they will look good together (just those two bands) and will definitely represent "us" and be unique.

Sadly, I really don't like the look of the ruby/diamond band with the solitaire anymore. I coudln't wear the band for the longest time. I had a problem with it causing a rash no matter which finger I wore it on. I now wear it on the middle finger of my other hand. It no longer breaks me out and I'm wondering if I had that problem because of my diet. Now I'm eating healthier and am not having a problem with the ring. Then, I was eating horribly and had a terrible time with rashes every time I wore it.

So, there's my "romantic" proposal. Aren't you glad you know? It's a much better story once you know we got married in an appliance store, went to a casino for our honeymoon (only for the weekend), and have been happily married for almost 11 years. From first meeting to marriage was about 7 months. There were some rocky times at the beginning as there probably are in any relationship - the getting to know you phase, especially after the "love goggles" have been removed, but for the most part, we have always had a great life together. He has been the best thing for me and will tell you that I was for him as well. I swear (and I haven't put him up to it either). :-)

I almost forgot...This past week, I gained .4 pounds. I'm not upset about it. There were a lot of things to factor into it. The week before my last weigh in, I was sick and didn't eat harly anything for 5 days. I knew because of that alone, I would probably gain at least a pound back this week. With everything I ate (a whole bag of "robin egg" malted milk chocolate balls) and eating more during the week because I was feeling better, I was surprised that I only gained .4 pounds. Since last August when I started Weight Watchers, I have only gained twice. Both times it was .4 pounds, so I haven't even gained a full pound in all that time. I'm pretty pleased with that.

Hope y'all have a great weekend. Until later...