Social exhaustion

I had the most social weekend I've ever had in my life. I am exhausted.

On Friday, I had a date with the Karaoke Kid. I hardly had enough time to blog and take the shine off my face after work when he came to pick me. (When I told my roommate my plans she asked "Are you guys going to do it?" I replied, "No, I'm not showering.") It was a nice night so we decided to walk to the Square, 2 subway stops away. This turned out to be quite a marathon and he was getting nervous about it taking so long. Cute. 45 minutes later we arrive at the place he picked. A mexican restaurant with a long wait. Apparently he tried calling ahead but they don't take reservations. Cute. Since we could be seated right away if we sat outside, we went for it. We ate outside. At night. In April. In Boston. And I had a great time. The conversation was good, as were the margaritas. We went back to his place for a couple beers and sat around with his roommate. It made me realize how much a missed hanging out with boys. I love boys. The Karaoke Kid walked me home very late, I had to get up early after all, but I will be sure to see him again.

On Saturday I had to head back to school for a conference. After spending the day with some friends up there, I settled in for a evening with Conrad. Obviously, it was awesome of me to pick a new guy over him the night before, but I still wanted to hang out. It was strictly platonic and I even told him about the Karaoke kid (kind of). Hooray! We are no longer imaginarily exclusive! Hooray!

I left Conrad's on Sunday afternoon to meet The Wedding Singer for lunch. Sorry I forgot to announce this, but last week I decided to join OkCupid. I figured it was about time I actually tried to meet people, and figured I should do it while I have a reason to do it (i.e. I just moved here). I started talking to The Wedding Singer on Thursday and made plans to meet with him that night. He was seriously making me laugh out loud via messaging so I figured he deserved a shot. I had a nice lunch with him. He was very very interested in what I did for a living ("Seriously, will you come into my work and just talk about your work?") and also talked my ear off about his job and music career. It's cool that he's a wedding singer (among other things) but honestly, how long do we need to talk about your band, the history of your band, the drama in your band, etc., etc. All in all, he seems like a good, fun guy who would be cool to have as a friend (and handy as well, he teaches guitar lessons, my '09 resolution could come true afterall!), however, I was in no way attracted to him. I was getting a little bored with all the band business and I had plans for my final date of the weekend.

This "stop calling it a date" date was with the Mutual friend, who I haven't seen in two months or so. He has been living in Boston as well and I think there is one reason why I haven't seen him: his newish girlfriend (who he admits is time to end things with). Anyhow, we got food, got beer, went back to my place, talked, played trivia games, reminisced, etc., etc. Basically hung out for hours. I had a great evening, as he is great fun. And because the Mutual Friend is the one boy that will always only be strictly platonic with, it wasn't even awkward when he pulled a pair of underwear out of my overflowing drawer to make fun of my disastrous room ("Oh, I like these!). Nor was it awkward when my slut of a roommate started having loud sex at 9 pm while we sat in my living room, trying to hold a conversation (oh, roommates). He actually made the situation quite amusing. I love that kid. I love boys. And I didn't realize how much I missed them until this weekend.

When Friday nights go bad

I am of the belief that you can relate most situations in life to something that happened in 'Friends'. I'm sure someone this very moment is doing a thesis to prove this very idea. Remember when Rachel puts Monica in charge of her love life? Rachel has to do whatever Monica says. I'm Rachel. I need a Monica. As I am in no position to be making these types of decisions by myself.

It all began back when I started my job. My office is hardly brimming with good looking, single, funny men. Which was kind of a relief, office romances are messy after all. However, there was once guy who intrigued me. Vi and I call him Posh Work Guy. Posh Work Guy is like no guy I have ever met before, and not really in a good way. He's posh and as I mentioned before, I'm not a fan of posh British guys. He has slight OCD and an obsession with using hand sanitiser. He's so ridiculously well-dressed people wonder if he's gay. And he's just not my type. At all.

He also keeps himself to himself. Barely anyone in the office knows anything about him. I only really got chatting to him a couple of months ago when we were all at the pub. After chatting to him for well over 20 minutes I heard him mutter to someone else: "Is her name Fenella?" Huh. Charming. A couple weeks later we were at the pub again (leaving drinks, a lot of people have left) and he got chatting to me and my friend from work, Emily. Now Emily and Posh Work Guy are more on the same wavelength 'posh wise' then I am. So they got on quite well. I actually knew beforehand that PWG had a bit of a thing for Emily, which I mocked him for. (He also was in a relationship at the time). A couple days later PWG asks if Emily and I want to go out with him that night to this club which is for members only. I couldn't go because I had a date but I ended up meeting them later. It was one of the most random nights in London I've had so far, but in a good way.

So Emily and I somehow slipped through these walls he puts up to other people at work. Apparently we should feel privileged. He made an attempt to ask Emily to dinner but got the hint that she wasn't interested. Meanwhile, he and I email all the time at work. He says that I keep him from going crazy with boredom. I just like getting non-work related emails. He says that Emily is cold, I'm friendly. Earlier this week he suggested we go for drinks after work on Friday. I agreed because I'm broke from my trip to visit Vi and he's not. Plus, as quirky and strange as he is, he's fun to hang around with. The evening started out perfectly innocent and normal. We drank, we chatted, we devised a plan to get the 34 year old guy we work with who still lives with his parents, laid (he really needs it). It was fun. We decided to go on to the club we went to before. The evening turned slightly sour when I realised that my wallet had been taken from my bag. It had been handed in at the bar, minus all my cash.

Even when we were at the club I never thought anything was going to happen. But I'm sure you all guessed where this is going. One moment we're chatting, the next, we're kissing. We went back to his place where after some fooling around I said:

"Well I think that's our friendship ruined."

He said:

"Eh, we weren't that close anyway."

IT'S FROM FRIENDS!!

This morning didn't result in any weird awkwardness, in fact, it was much the same as the night before. We did have the whole discussion about telling people at work. Which neither of us have any plans to do. I personally would never live it down because of the reputation he has. He just wants to protect his privacy. He drove me home (no small thing considering he lives in north London, I live in the south). And that was that. He text me a few hours ago, I replied.

It's safe to say that I now feel like a bit of an idiot. This was such a bad idea. Not 24 hours before all this happened I emailed Vi saying that I was staying away from guys for awhile why I learn or attempt to learn, not to fall so hard so fast. I was serious about it. I also blogged about my loss of mojo. Well that's out the window because I found it last night. All of this with a guy who is so not my type, is slightly shorter than me, at one point liked my friend, has a complicated situation with his ex and who I actually have no interest in at all. Oh and let us not forget...we work together.

Now accepting applications for the post of Monica.

Awesomeness lives here

Ok ladies, I'm being awesome today so I want to tell you that. First of all, I broke my tentative plans to go to Conrad's tonight (I have to be in his area in the morning), because the Kareoke Kid texted me last night and wanted to go to dinner. Is it a date? It kind of sounds like a date, as I'm waiting for him to pick me up now.... So I broke plans with Conrad to go on a date with a new guy. Yes, thank you thank you, a standing ovation? OK!

Secondly, I have another lunch date on Sunday with a different guy. A wedding singer. More on that later.

And thirdly, as I actually did laundry last night and my jeans were still damp this morning, I pulled out my old ones. The ones I've been holding onto for a year and a half, even though they don't fit, but swearing I'll fit in to them again jeans. And they fit! And I feel amazing in them. This is awesomeness. Hope you ladies have had an awesome day as well.

Missing: Fenella's Mojo

Firstly, might I just say that one of my closest friends has just got engaged. ENGAGED! What a foreign concept that is to be sure.

Secondly, might I just say that I am nowhere near close to that stage in my life. In fact, I'm so far away from that stage that man will probably set foot on the moon again before I get engaged. Reason being? My mojo is missing.

Now before you all start protesting (I can hear Vi protesting as we speak), and accuse me of being liar, I am fully aware that I did receive some McNerdy Love. However, that did not solve my missing mojo problem. It merely tracked it down for a couple days.

Obviously if a guy like McNerdy were to come along i.e. sane and funny, then I am a female and would take full advantage of this. My issue is this: while there are no McNerdys around...I'm just not that bothered. I don't care that I have no prospects on the horizon. I don't care that it might be months until I am kissed again let alone anything else. I don't care that I have no one to drunk dial (what a relief!)

And that my friends is when your mojo is missing. When you just don't care.

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match!

No, I have not abandoned WWBD? for my PAB (Potential Actual Boyfriend), but instead have been having extreme internet difficulties. I can't very well blog at the cute neighbor's house, now can I? But just to prove how dedicated I am, I blog to you now from work. Now. What to write?

Ah, yes. My sudden need to set everyone up with someone else. It all started with Fenella and McNerdy. I sensed a mutual attraction, then merely planted the seed (by individually giving them my permission to make out) and voila! Worked like a charm. Now I want to set up everybody else I know.

The problem is, that perhaps for the first time in the history of the world, I have two single (straight) men ready and willing to be set up, and no takers. How can this be?

Case #1: D.B.
D.B. is a softball teammate of mine. He's cute, he's nice, and he's extremely funny. I had him in mind for my roommate before the two even met, and sure enough, when they (very briefly) met at our now infamous party with the make-out corner used by both me and Fen (first together- strictly conversation-, then separately with other people) D.B. said to me on his way out the door, "Thanks for inviting me, your roommate's really hot." Yesssss! I thought. I knew it! AND D.B. is totally my roommate's type. But when I suggested him to her, she was very resistant to it. She's recently told me that she's in need of a man, and here I am, ready to help.

To make matters worse, she told me the other night that she had a pseudo date with a guy, but probably won't go out with him again because he's "too nice."

Ladies. Seriously. Can we stop dumping guys for being "too nice?" All we ever do is complain about the lack of good men out there, and when we get one that is good, we don't what that either. After pointing this out to her, I reminded her about D.B., who is nice, but I don't think "too nice" and I think I may have put a crack in her resolve. It may be just a sliver, but if anyone has the stubbornness to turn that sliver into a date, it's me.

Case #2: The Umpire
Oh, The Umpire. What can I say? It was a few months ago that The Umpire could not stop singing the praises of his current lady love after maybe about 2 weeks or so. She dumped him. He went into a deep funk. Then he came to our party and laid eyes on my downstairs neighbor. Apparently, once he spotted her, everything around him stopped, the skies opened up, and he heard music. Seriously. That's what he told me. He chatted her up, got her number, and actually called the next day (then called me to tell me about the message he left). He had their first date all planned out before he left the party.

First, she told him she needed to take an "extended raincheck" as she was very busy. (File that one away, it could come in handy.) Then today he forwarded me a text she sent him that was a very polite rejection text, explaining that she just didn't have the time right now. I told him to move on and that I would think of anyone I might know. I texted the cute neighbor to ask if he thought our other neighbor and mutual good friend would go out with him. He said no way. Now I'm racking my brain to think of anyone else who might be able to handle The Umpire. But before I do, I need to have a little conversation with him about coming on too strong. I'm sure that's what happened with the last girl, and probably my neighbor as well. He just gets sooo excited about them, and I have to say, that would be a bit disconcerting.

So. Any takers?

Wingwomen

My. Roommates. Are. Awesome. They are also crazy. And hot. And quite potentially the best wingmen ever.

We were heading out for a night of Karaoke as our first roommate outing. (After taking some time to find her, we found our perfect fit of a third roommie! She also came along with an extremely hot, funny guy she's seeing. Because I have a deep appreciation of men, I really hope she keeps him around for little while. I like looking at him, and hugging him goodbye was rather enjoyable as well. Seriously great body (we made him lift his shirt). Wait, sorry, I digress...)

Anyways while pregaming they promised to find me a man of my own. I accepted this offer. After both had sung, they got to work finding a guy. At that point in the evening there wasn't too great of a selection but within minutes they had come back to get me. Yes, it was embarrassing but yes it got the job done (it kind of worries me what they said to him, in no way are they shy or subtle). The guy was cute and a total sweetheart. He let me pick out a duet and sang with such style (meanwhile I had never realized how bad of a singer I am, eeek!). He bought me drinks, he made me get up and dance to one particularly rousing rendition. He was fun.

Then while in the bathroom I heard my roommate telling him he needed to come home with us. So he did. Now it's not really my style to bring someone back from the bar (nor is it his it seems). But I did. I didn't sleep with him, I seemed to have a fit of morals. But we did do some major snogging and he got my number this morning. I am almost certain I will be hearing from him again. Like I said, best roommates ever!

My Not-So-Imaginary Boyfriend

I don't want to jinx anything and jump on the ACTUAL BOYFRIEND bandwagon with Grayer and Fen just yet, but the cute neighbor is anything but imaginary.

First, there was a comment he made a few weeks ago, after having done my taxes for me. (As if that wasn't sign enough, yes, he did my taxes for me.) I told him he was the best fake boyfriend a girl could ask for. He told me that I should see what kind of a real boyfriend he was.

Then, when Fen was here, she was doing her usual meddling, and asked him what he was looking for in a woman. One of his responses was "thick hair." Which I just happen to have in abundance. I mean, who answers "thick hair" to that question?

The biggest clue came the other night. I have a tendency to put up a few walls when I think I might be vulnerable. Unfortunately, the cute neighbor's job is moving to Canada. He has already decided that he's not going to Canada, and therefore needs a new one. I think it's understandable if I'm a little hesitant to dive in if he's going to end up moving across the country within the next year. I told him as much. Then he said he would never ask me to move to Canada, but maybe somewhere else in the country, which I thought was interesting enough. But after a pause, he said, "But you're the reason I'm looking for jobs in Atlanta."

Huh. How so very un-imaginary of him.

There are other signs, too. Like the fact that I haven't slept in my own bed in over a week. (Or slept alone for quite some time either, since before this, I was sharing sleeping space with Fen.) Or that on Sunday while we were in the park, he casually asked what we wanted to make for dinner, as if it was a given that we would be making dinner together. Not only does he do all the cooking, but- Grayer, I know you'll appreciate this one- all the dishwashing too. He enjoys washing the dishes. I started to wash them once, and he took over before I got halfway through. And then there's the fact that he told a long-distance friend of his that he was seeing someone when asked how things were going.

So no, I'm not going to go out on a limb and call him an ACTUAL BOYFRIEND just yet, but he is so NOT imaginary. And in our world, that's huge.