Holy Smokes, Batman!

It's time to play Guess What Happened to Sandra Dee Today!

Did she:

A. Make out with a random stranger?



B. Come into work totally hung over?



C. Go on a really bad date?



or

D. Gather all her crap together as she watched her apartment complex burn down?



If you guessed D, you're correct! Tell them what they've won, Rob!

Well, okay. So it didn't burn down, but the 75 foot flames were blazing through 180 acres of a golf course that's about an eighth of a mile south of my home.

And they were telling the apartment residents to evacuate the premises. It was moving toward the complex.

Awesome.

Soooooo. Yeahhhhh. I got a phone call from my Mom at work about it -- and she never calls me at work. I hung up and mentioned it to my boss. "Go home!" she said. I was about halfway there, and I could see the smoke billowing up and blowing everywhere.

I exited off the interstate and pulled up to the entrance to the apartment complex. Cops and firemen were everywhere, but I could still get to my building.

Sprinting up the stairs, I mentally went through where my file box was, my irreplaceable jewelry, and other valuables. I threw open the door, grabbed and bag and started throwing stuff in it. And, according to the news, so were my neighbors.

After I stuffed the valuables into my car and called Mom to let her know I was okay, I called my cousin who lives down the street from me. I asked her if I could come hang out until the flames and smoke died down. She said she would be glad to have me. She and I watched the breaking news about the incident, chatted and then decided to go to dinner, Jimmy Buffet style.

I came back to the complex about three hours later. The smoke had cleared, and the fire was out. Nothing had touched my building, but some of the other buildings were covered black. Yuck.

At least no one was hurt.

Gah. My friends say my life could be a soap opera.

Busy Sunday and the Real World

As you may or may not have noticed, we've got a new look going on here at Sandra Dee Dates. Hope y'all like it. I wanted something a bit more ... I dunno ... girlie. Which, contrary to my sidebar references to farthing and eating peanut butter out of a jar, I am rather girlie.

SO. This weekend was rather uneventful, which was just what this tired girl needed after a busy week full of work, socializing and gym frequenting.

Heh. Then came Sunday. Jam packed full of a wedding shower and a work commitment.

With every intention of attending church and the new Bible study that I've been enjoying so much, I just didn't think I could squeeze it in before the wedding shower for a sorority sister.

Time out. Let's talk about all of the people I know who are getting married this year.

Nineteen.

Ahem. Let me repeat that. I don't think those in back heard.

NINETEEN. PEOPLE. GETTING. MARRIED. THIS. YEAR.

I'm not going to all of the ceremonies, and some of them I don't even know well enough to figure out a really good gift for 'em. But that's a heck of a lot of friends to be gettin' hitched in one year.

Now don't get me wrong. I love me a good wedding. Chatting with old friends, eating divine food, and dancing the night away. And an open bar makes it all that much better.

I guess it just hasn't sunk in yet that I'm old enough for this to all be happening. Yikes! And to think that one day it might be me?! Double yikes! Not to mention the fact that my coworker, who has been married for two years now and is one year older than I am, is building a house with her doctor husband. Triple yikes! What happened to the keggers, cold pizza, crap-hole apartments and scrounging the car for loose change?!

The life that once surrounded me in the college world has been replaced with a real world full of weddings, houses, bigger paychecks, babies and IRAs. WTF?!

But I digress.

The wedding shower was adorable -- it was a scrapbook party! -- but I had to skeedattle half-an-hour into the whole shin dig. I had to go to a baseball game for work.

Yes. I got paid to go to a baseball game, man a booth full of our promotional items and promote tourism in my state. I freakin' love my job.

I left the game four hours later, sweaty and hot, tired and worn out. But my boss gave me tomorrow morning off, so I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.

After a long hot shower, I am listening to some beautiful Nellie McKay and am ready for dinner.

Now. Where's that cold pizza...

*edit* I HATE Blogger spellcheck! It doesn't even recognize "sidebar" or "girlie." Sigh.

Taking a Break

After Round 2 with this guy, I think it might be time to take a break from dating. Or at least of the online variety.

Ugh. The date was awful. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to sit in front of my tv, watch bad television, and pop popcorn.

He paid for dinner, but when it came to the movie, he said, "Why don't you pick up the tab on this?" This is the second date people. Call my old-fashioned, and I don't mind paying for a date every once in while with someone that I'm serious with, but come on!

Not only that, but he made it clear last night that he is ready to settle down and have kids.

Eeeek!

In other news, I'm not over Sixty yet. I know, I know, I know. I thought I could do it and just move on, but I just think about him too much. I know I loved him, and that's hard for me to do with someone. It's just hard to understand that the love just wasn't reciprocated.

Oh yeah. Did I not tell you that?

He informed me that he couldn't love me and could never marry me, so why waste both of our times?

I give up. I'm becoming a nun.

Bobby Flay is a Freakin' Hottie and Other Things I Learned This Weekend

1. I would have Bobby Flay's children. Saturday morning's Food Network programming was a revelation. That man is gorgeous. A total Boy Next Door, a fabulous cook aaaaaand he has amazing arms. Yummy.

2. There is nothing wrong with my wanting to spend Friday evening cooped up alone in my apartment. There is something wrong, however, with my thinking that The Prince and Me 2 might be a good movie rental for the occasion. Eww.

3. Engaged, married, emotionally unavailable and gay men should all stand on one side of the bar while the completely and totally single ones stand on the other. This way I won't have to spend half an hour trying to get to know you and then find out that have a fiancee. Gah.

4. If you have huge boobs, I don't wanna see 'em. And, quite frankly, neither does anyone else for that matter. Well, except maybe the dirty old men. But besides, I'm a little bitter because of my poor little B babies. Don't laugh.

5. The mall is the best form of birth control. I almost had to tell a woman to take her screaming child from the dressing room. Not because the kid was annoying the crap out of me. But because I was going flippin' deaf.

6. I don't have to be afraid of doing things by myself. I went to the Bible study where I didn't know anyone. I went to a restaurant to eat dinner alone. I think that's a step in the right direction.

7. Apparently waiting behind a vehicle that's backing up and getting ready to vacate it's parking spot and turning your turn signal on to notify others that you in fact want that parking space does not entitle you to said parking space. This was evidenced by another man who was waiting for my parking space as he proceeded to roll his window down and yell at me. "Does that make you feel better about yourself now, missy?!" MY TURN SIGNAL WAS ON YOU ASS HAT.

8. My friends and I aren't allowed to grow up. They're all getting married and having babies, and I'm still busy dating Mr. Wrong and fighting bachelorism. I'm not old enough for all this grown up talk yet!

How were your weekends?

Pleasantly Surprised

Sitting at home, I contemplated not even going to meet the guy for drinks. His e-mails had been rather ho hum-ish and downright boring. But I told myself that you can never judge a guy's personality from his e-mails, so I convinced myself to keep an open mind.

The bottom line: I hate first dates, and I think I was looking for an excuse. Ugh.

So I got there, showed my ID, and walked around looking for him. I had actually been early (a rarity for me), and it looked like he wasn't there yet. So I stayed by the door and waited for him.

Then I saw him in the parking lot through the window. A little thin on top and with a full beard, he was really cute.

"Are you Sandra Dee?" he asked as he walked through the door, and I answered with a yes. We shook hands. And he shook mine how a man is supposed to shake a woman's hand -- not all gruff like between men.

Yes. I notice things like this.

Anyway. The waitress asked if we wanted menus -- we did -- and escorted us away to a nice table. We ordered drinks and and appetizer, then proceeded to talk on and on and on.

Now usually, I am the one on dates asking all of the questions. This time? We hardly talked about him because he was asking me a ton of questions. What an unusual, refreshing change.

However, he couldn't sit still. Moving around in the booth the whole time. Now maybe he was just nervous. Maybe it wasn't like this all the time. Because frankly? It was rather distracting. But that's what second and third dates are for though, right? I'm sure it was just nerves.

Two and a half hours later, we decided to call it a night, but agreed to do it again soon. We exchanged phone numbers and walked out, still engrossed in conversation. I'd say that's a pretty good sign that we'll have plenty to talk about next time around, too!

During my girls night last night at the bar, I opted not to bring it up the date to them. Is that weird? I dunno. I just don't want to talk to anyone about this in case it doesn't work out.

This weekend brings lounging by the pool, hitting the bars with a friend, and catching up on chick flick DVDs that I haven't seen yet. And Sunday is the Bible study at the church I've been wanting to try.

Hooray for life.

Quickie

Not that kind of quickie, you sickos. A quickie post. Geez.

Wanted to tell you all something before I headed out the door from work. I am meeting another gentleman for drinks at 7 at one of my favorite bars: Fox and Hound. I know quite a bit about him from our e-mails, but we have yet to speak on the phone. In fact, come to think of it, I don't think he even has my phone number.

Anywho. He is 29 -- a little old for me, but I'm mature enough to handle it -- and works in radiology.

Let's cross our fingers that he doesn't bring up his mother.

Gah.

Underwear Dancing

What an adventure today was.

After a deliciously wonderful shower, I started my fabulous day by blasting Express Yourself, Do Ya and Long Cool Woman from my computer and dancing around my living room in my underwear.

Ya. I said it.

After picking out a quite flattering and damn cute outfit, I stepped into my adorable gold sandals and headed out to work. Where, may I add, I kicked ass and took names. I knocked out about three projects -- all before noon.

But it was lunchtime that I was really looking forward to. It brought the excitement of meeting new people at a lunch group that I was attending for the first time. I am always nervous about going someplace where I don't know anyone, but I didn't have anything to worry about, as the group leader immediately introduced herself to me when I got there. And I truly enjoyed everyone there. And the potential of what the new group could become excites me. I even was invited to attend a Bible study on Sunday with one of the attendees.

Did I mention that the cute guy from the gym that I had been eyeing since I started going there happened to be at this meeting, too? I'll have to say something to him the next time I see him.

The afternoon consisted of more ass kicking and name taking. I even stayed late in order to tidy up my desk.

As for my dating life? I have finalized plans for meeting one guy for a drink on Wednesday, and I am still waiting to hear back via e-mail about dinner plans with another dude for tomorrow. I am again keeping my expectations to a minimum, but I have to admit that I'm really excited about the possibility of hitting if off with the one for tomorrow night. That is, if I even hear back from him in time.

Who knows.

The evening was spent skipping my workout session, against my better judgment. I know, I know. I should have gone just to see if Cute Gym Boy was there after our meeting, but I had to buy groceries!

Well. That, and hurry home to dance around some more in my underwear.

Why I Won't Be Going Out With Him Again

1. Zero chemistry.

2. He talked about how if I played my cards right, I'd get to go to his tailgate party in the fall.

3. He brought up my meeting HIS MOM.

NEXT!

Date Night Tomorrow

Because y'all are probably tired of reading all about how wonderful everyone's weekend was, I'm not going to blog about that.

Instead, I'm going to preview my date for tomorrow night.

He and I spent last week exchanging several lively and fun e-mails back and forth, and from what I gather, it sounds like we won't be lacking in the conversation department.

Did I mention he works at the capitol? Did I metion he loves sports? And went to the same university I did? And was the same major I was?

I'm excited to meet him. But I'm trying to go in without any expectations. From on paper to in person, there's a lot to leave to the imagination.

Besides, he needs a nickname, and I'll know better what to call him when I meet 'im.

I have something cute picked out. Cute green shirt, matching green beads, slim jeans, gold sandals, and matching gold purse.

We're grabbing dinner at a cute burger restaurant by my house. Yummy.

Update when I return. Happy 5th of July!