Walking Barefoot in Snow

I grew up in the 80's with awesome movies and music.  It ruined my expectations of what relationships are supposed to be - and then my own experiences and disapointments stepped in as the icing on the cake. I've never wanted to own my own business, i never really cared what i did for work as long as it paid the bills and I have no burning passions so create anything specific.  I've been very blase most of my life with anything other than romance and love. I wanted a family.  I wanted the white picket fence and early retirement so i could help with my grandchildren.  I wanted a vacation every year to somewhere new and i wanted time to read.  I wanted to ride on a motorcycle sometimes and i wanted a man who loved me as much as i loved him.  Ride or die.  I wanted friends to celebrate and share life with.  Thats the dream.  That was my happy life that i was shooting for. I got the family, and the best thing i ever did was give birth to two human...

What man isn't prince charming when he's first trying to date you?  And then, once you have shown interest .... over time familiarity, the truth starts to leak out.  No one is perfect, everyone has their moods and sometimes you just need a break from someone.   Side thought -I've never needed a break from Doug and Jen.  Just saying.  I've spent weeks with them, and have still gone to their house the following weekend.  It's easy, it's natural, we talk, we eat, we have fun, and we aren't always together even if we are together.  Sometimes, i play my games, or read, or even go take a nap and it's okay.  They do the same thing.  That is family.  That is comfort.  That is home.  Don and i are still new, and I do feel like he is pushing forward at a speed i'm not comfortable with.  I'm not going to play house with a man i just met.  Yes, he can spend the night, and have sex and hang out and go out shopping or site see...

 ....to have a real sit down conversation with my boss and listen to him talk about the things he's done over the years. I came back from the cafe with bought lunch, a big no no for me lately, and found my boss sitting in my office on the phone with his boss.  He was on the speaker.  I hesitated, not knowing if i should give him privacy or not, but he waved me in.  I sat and listened to my boss be told not to attend a very important meeting that is coming up.  That was the jist of the conversation that both mortified and pissed me off - and i can only imagine how my boss felt. He's in his 80's, he has Parkinsons.......it's getting progressively worse.  In the past year i've noticed it.  But he is still the same brilliant man......it just may take some time for his thoughts to gel and come out of his mouth, and he may fall asleep sometimes, but .......HE'S in his 80'S for christ sake. This man has been here for almost 50 years.  He has not only the...

 i forgot what it is like to get up and go to work when there is a man sleeping in my bed. I also forgot how hard it is for me to get out of that bed and get my butt moving. I could wake up like that every day and be a happy woman. Having one bathroom though.......that is the kicker.  I'm not used to grabbing my stuff and running out of it  because someone else has nature call.   I'm going to have to move my makeup and hair stuff out of there if this becomes a regular thing.   Ain't no way i'm going in there after he comes out.  Nope. No thank you.  Thats one thing i DO remember. What will he do while i'm at work today?  It must be wierd for him to be at my place by himself.  Will he sleep? snoop? draw? Does it matter?   Yesterday i came home and the door was open.  I mean, wide open.  I know i closed it in the morning because it unlocked and i had to push the button in and make sure it was actually locked before...

 yesterday i was in a funk. My nervous system gets set off when i start to get close to a man.   I'm trying to learn how to regulate it, instead of going into these spirals of fear and anxiety. Whats the worst thing that can happen?  He turns out to be not for me and we end it.  Tada!  I've done that before and i can do that again and be fine. It's not like when i was married, had a barely minimum wage job and 2 children to support on my own while living with a mentally unstable drug addict. I survived that and anything after it is a cake walk. I let myself get too close.  I need to practice detachment.  For my own mental health and for his comfort as well.  No one needs an emotionally dependent weight around their shoulders.  And those that do, aren't thinking of my best interest. So. Don is bringing over his expensive 3D printer because he doesn't have room at his place, which is a very pleasant but small apartment.  It doesn't le...

 The closer i get with Don, the more i begin to self sabotage.   I won't do anything to risk the relationship, it's more of a torture myself type thing. I was talking in my sleep, apparently about Bill - or too Bill.  Don asked me who Bill is the next morning.  I blew it off.  Bill is the LAST person i want to talk about to Don.  I'm afraid Bills toxic bullshit will seep in to my present.  I've been very good about trusting Don, in spite of my innate distrust of all men, with good reason.  I don't worry about him with other women.  I don't worry about him fucking me over.  I do worry that maybe i won't be strong enough for him.  I've seen some of the PTSD, felt it vibrating off him - and all i know to do is give him space but let him know i'm not judging.  I've been reading a lot about it, and how it shows up.  To me, he is worth the time.  He is worth any effort.  I just hope i have the strength of characte...