Mr.Tenderfoot

Y'all I don't even know where to begin with the craziness that is my dating life when it is fresh new line up.
But I'll try.
Two weekends ago I was at my brother's house for his birthday party.

I met my cousin Bella before hand.
She came with her boyfriend and his friend.
She hopped in my car and gave me the low down on his friend.

He had been dating his girlfriend for 4.5 years and they broke up 2.5 weeks ago.
She apparently freaked because he bought a house and that was much too serious for the girlfriend.
SO in order to cheer him up Bella brought him along.
And she had invited two of her sort of crazy and wild girlfriends from work.
They were there to flirt with him and cheer him up.

As we awaited these cheer up girls to arrive.
I ended up chatting casually with him.
He had been having a really rough two and a half weeks.
And then he tried to open a bottle of wine and as much as he tried he couldn't do it.
And then I did it...easily (I tried to make him feel better telling him he loosened it...he didn't buy it).

Then he tried to open a beer and promptly sheared off the top part getting glass in it.
Seriously...buddy was having an off night.
And really I didn't think too much about him.
Turns out we went to the same high school...only we missed each other because he is 6 years younger than me.

As the night progressed I think those other girls were a little too aggressive for him.
So then we all headed out to a bar in my hometown much to my dismay (seeing as I was in a cotton dress, tights, flats and a cardigan...not exactly bar attire).
We all were out and the funny thing is was in the first 10 minutes I kept getting approached.
Everyone found it quite amusing.

And then like always Bella and her boyfriend got in a screaming match.
Which lead to us suggesting we just leave.
So we headed back to Bella and her boyfriends house.
Where they continued to fight and we finally decided that Bella and I would stay there and the boys would stay at her boyfriend's friends house.

The next day we decided to have a lazy day of watching movies and eating wings.
Bella and her boyfriend were still trading jabs with each other.
So me and the Bella's boyfriends friend (okay I think I just need to come up with something to keep it simple how about Mr.Tenderfoot (hey he is SIX years younger than I am...clearly I have an issue with it) would just exchange looks.

So at the end of the night I was heading back to my parents place.
Bella's boyfriend was complaining about being tired so I offered to drive Mr.Tenderfoot home.
He invited me in for a drink and to show me his new place.
It was adorable because clearly he was super excited about it.

And then he jokingly said at the end of the night "I make a really good breakfast" (which is the bad pickup line we had all talked about earlier in the night...remember when this Mr tried to use it on me???)
Anywho I laughed and said I better go.
A quick hug later I headed home.
Not thinking too much about it.
I mean he was super handsome and fun BUT he's SUPER young and he lives in the city I basically can't stand.

When I got home he texted me...telling me Bella never told him before that she had a gorgeous cousin and that he didn't say that before because he had a really hard time reading me.
He wanted to let me know that he thought I was a really down to earth girl and he was happy we met.
We chatted a bit back and forth the next day...when he invited me to go to a concert with him the following Friday.  It seemed like a fun thing so I agreed.
Because seriously he is TWENTY-FIVE and I at least deserve to have a little fun if not get my groove back just a little...

Pic from here

Pretending

Pic from here

Today is the day.
Wedding day in my home town.
Not mine (OBVIOUSLY).
But the person that I mentioned in this post back here...where I'd mention I'd like to punch her in the face...it's her wedding today.

Like I was already not filled with dread about having to go to this event.
But talking to my mother...who is aghast that I didn't have an appointment to get my nails and hair done.
(I will be doing my own)...also that I neglected to get a new dress.
Which has me second guessing that decision...but it's too late now at 9:53am sitting here sipping tea on my couch willing myself to get ready....maybe I should have made those appointments...ugh.

At least I'm bring B as my date.
He is so funny and goofy and nice and social.
Maybe on our 2.5 hour drive to my home town I will tell him all about Spencer.
Maybe then he will understand how messed up I am.

I thought at least I would have the deflection of my brother's new girlfriend.
Whom I was informed had fake breasts and a child.
But my mum and dad met her last week and love her.
I'm not saying that those who have fake breast and a child aren't really amazing at all...ughhh I don't know what I'm saying.
She is beautiful.
It's that horrendous anxiety creeping up.
They likely will get married and again I will be that person who "almost" got married to my entire large Portuguese family...the old spinster sister.

That's probably why I'm so stressed about tonight.
The dread and feeling of the stares.
The looks of pity that always fall my way.
This is the first family wedding I've attended since my engagement party.
And I'm just stressed.

I feel like I'm carrying around a bowling ball in the pit of my stomach.
Waiting for the smart ass acidic comments that tend to roll so easily out of my family's mouths.
The ones that range from dripping with sarcasm of "are you taking notes" (remember that at this event?)
To the ones of ...well MAYBE one day it will happen for you (emphasis on the maybe).

Part of it is my own insecurity.
The looks of wonder...like obviously there was something so wrong with me that is why Spencer left me the way that he did.
And I will forever be alone.

Part of it is just good old fashioned dread.
I'm so not looking forward to tonight...in fact I feel kind of terrified.
But I'll slap on a smile and pretend like everything is great.
That's how I roll.
Fake it 'till you make it.
Reminding myself to breathe and not cry.
That is pretty much the two thoughts that will be going through my head tonight.
Breathe...don't cry...smile...breathe...don't cry...smile...

Last Weekend

Last week and weekend I worked hard at being busy so as not to think about MrKent.
It sort of worked.
So let me summarize.

Wednesday I had a sorority meeting at the house.
So that was great.
I'm currently VP of the Alum organization AND
just found out I'm being groomed to be Pres for 2013-2014.
Which has me excited yet super duper nervous.

Thursday I was supposed to grab drinks with Laurel but we decided to change the night.
Friday I headed to the SC (StoneyCreek) to visit Quinn.
Val ended up coming there too.

We had a fabulous dinner and drank some wine.
And cheered as Nik Wallenda walked across Niagara Falls!
Amazing and totally inspiring!
(Yes I'm a total cheeseball that loves to watch people succeed).

Pic from here

Saturday I woke up and Quinn, her husband and her baby went out for breakfast.
Then we came home to feed the baby.
Seriously how cute is she?!?!?!

Then I headed to my hometown.
When I got to my parents place it was a little too noticeable that Arlie was gone.
Then my parents made plans to go out for dinner at one of their friend's places.

So I called up Shelby (who lives in my hometown).
And invited her over for dinner.
She suggested we go out for drinks at a pub.

So I forced myself out.
It really wasn't that fun at all.
Reminding me that the icky hometown feeling may never pass.
But at least I forced myself out.

Sunday was a lazy Father's Day spent BBQing and hanging out.
And going to get my mum a new iPod and showing her how to use it.
(And yes we got my mum an iPod on Father's Day which is kind of funny in a way).
My little brother is in the Bahamas so he wasn't around.

And as I packed up my car (with a bunch of work done on it again).
I found myself returning to the TDot with entirely way too many things.
Does this happen to you to when you head home?
Or am I just totally spoiled???

Here is the loot in my front hall.
And the breakdown of the food!

Tons of stuff at my front hall!

My parent crack me up because they now remember to get me my healthy things I like (veggies and fruit)...I think it's a secret ploy to get me to try and take home the entire tray of rolls stuffed with chorizo (it worked!)

Close up of the totally unhealthy white buns stuffed with sliced up Chorizo bits (a Portuguese sausage).

Home made prefrozen(just have to be fried) Samosas.  Yum!

Individual portion sized chicken curry (we are Portuguese but my parents had some Indian friends when they first moved to Canada so I grew up eating this yummy stuff!)

Individually portioned ribs and Boerewors (a South African sausage that I love...both my parents families grew up in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe).

Another South African fav (that is stored in a paper sac and I've been snacking on all week...Biltong which is essentially beef jerky...my parents South African butcher makes it for our family!)

So yes it was a good weekend.
That had me unwinding but still thinking about things way too much.
But I came back to the TDot refueled for another week.

Coming up (sorry for the delay in posts)...
A first date post.
My crazy weekend coming up post.

Mother's Day

Just a quick post on how Mother's Day went down this year.
I tore myself away from MrKent after an amazing date.
And drove to my hometown.

The hometown I tend to avoid at all costs.
The hometown that I haven't been in since Christmas (yes really).
I just feel uncomfortable there...as I've mentioned only like a zillion times on this blog.


Anywho I sucked it up after all it was Mother's Day.
It's funny how some things never change and remain the same.
Which is weird because I feel like I've been through a WHOLE lot of change personally.


I still picked up a Mother's Day gift for my mum.
My brother signed the card.
And asked if he could go in on it on Mother's Day...rightttttttttttttttttttttt.


My brother was all excited to show off his new 12K Rolex.
Which makes me a petulant child because all I want to do is be able to move downtown.
(I can't afford it)...and I'm jealous that everything seems to come so easy for him.


Family lunch where everyone drinks their face off (except me).
And everyone discusses all the out of North America travel places they will got the remainder of 2012 (except me...I do have to say at least I have Dallas over Labor Day to look forward to!)
It just sometimes feels very out of body type experience around the fam.


I packed up my car and came back "home" currently the TDot.
I may have been thinking of places I would like to travel to or move.
And it just led me to daydream.
Some exciting things I did come back with...more things from my grandfather that I will highlight in another post.


This post sort of feels like Mother's Day...awkward.
But just for fun.
I thought I would leave you with this pic that I found at my parents place.
One of the pics that my grandpa had left with his other things.


I've never seen this photo before this weekend.
I guess there is a little bit of my mom in me.
As evidence in this photo.
Plus I seriously rocked leggings and a mini even back then.

The Immortal World Tour...another great Wednesday

Another fun Wednesday update.
I left work and headed to meet up Eva and Val to take them with me to my hometown to watch Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour.
We drove through crazy Toronto rush hour and the pouring rain to meet up with my parents, aunt, grandmother and brother.

It was AWESOME.
What a great show!
I did prefer this to the show us girls last saw
(you can read about it here and here if you missed it).

And it's Cirque which is artistic in itself.
And the message seemed to be of hope and unity and tolerance.
All and all it was pretty incredible.
This was the view from where we sat which gave us a good view of everything.
As you see we got there in plenty of time which gave us some time to catch up with my family.

Here are some pictures.
If you have a chance please go see it!
The video does WAY more justice than the pics.
And can you spot the person who is an amputee?  He BLEW out minds!!!

It was so fun...and a pretty great way to spend a Wednesday night.
I wasn't sure what to expect to be honest but I loved it.

And yes this is a pole dancer.
But she was so incredible.
NOT that I have a lot of others to compare to haha.

If you want some more detail after the photos I included the list of Acts which can also be found on Wikipedia.


Acts
The acts of The Immortal World Tour are staged to the music of Michael Jackson.^[7]

• Childhood: The Mime awakens the inhabitants.
• Wanna Be Startin' Something: Dance and acrobatic number.
• Fanatics - Shake Your Body Down to the Ground: Five fanatics take pictures of the audience and try to get into the gates of Neverland.
• Dancing Machine: Welders perform on motorized cables.
• Ben: A celebration of Michael's love of animals.
• This Place Hotel: Aerial tango.
• Smooth Criminal: Dance routine.
• Dangerous: Pole-dancing act.
• Fanatics Medley: The fanatics are in a competition and are granted access to Neverland.
• Mime: Mime gains the talents of Michael and performs beatbox.
• Human Nature: Aerial act.
• Scary Story - Is It Scary: Contortion act.
• Bats - Threatened: Aerial act.
• Thriller: Free-running parkour act.
• Swans - I Just Can't Stop Loving You: Straps duo act.
• Beat It: The Fanatics manipulate Michael's iconic accessories.
• Jam: Hip-hop dance choreography with basketballs.
• Earth Song: Mime is tangled in the tree.
• Scream: Tumbling and aerial act.
• Gone Too Soon: The Mime cradles four horses in this ballad.
• They Don't Care About Us: Dance choreography.
• Heal the World - Will You Be There: Artists descend onto the stage with glowing red hearts.
• Megamix - Can You Feel It/Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough/Billie Jean/Black Or White: Swiss rings act, dance choreography, and world dance styles.
• Man In The Mirror: Finale is a celebration of Michael Jackson.

So after the show finished around 11pm we headed back to Toronto.
And I fell straight into bed just after one exhausted...but happy.


Pics from here, here,