The One Where I Think I Was Supposed to Recap My Honeymoon 2 Months Ago...

I believe about two months ago I said I'd come back to write about my honeymoon!  Well, I certainly followed through on that didn't I?  Ah well, teaching Kindergarten is sooo exhausting.  By the time I am home, it is hard to do much other than relax with my feet up in front of mindless television.  However, here I am, so let me tell you about our trip!

We waited to go on our honeymoon until the summer, since we got married during the school year.  We had weighed our options, and we decided that what was most "us", and what would allow us to have the most time together, would be a road trip honeymoon rather than flying to an Island vacation for just a week.  Neither of us had ever been to the East Coast, so we decided to go ahead and see our own beautiful country!

We spent two and a half weeks travelling.  We first went to Quebec City for a couple of nights.  It was nice to see it, and the Old City is so beautiful, however it was SO rainy that it was hard to really enjoy our evenings there.  We did have a great day of sightseeing, but it ended very rainy, wet, and chilly.

After that, we were off to New Brunswick!  It was such a beautiful province to drive through.  We decided it was our favourite in-land drive.  There was NO traffic, AT ALL, anywhere.  It was amazing how fast we could travel place to place in New Brunswick.  We stayed in Fredericton, and then at a small motel near the Hopewell Rocks.  We then met up with Dr. McVet and her husband to visit the Hopewell Rocks for the day.  We walked the ocean floor, and stayed to see the high tide as well.  Here are a couple of our pictures:

The Hopewell Rocks before we went down to walk the floor ourselves.

A few hours later when the tide had come in!

Such an awesome transition to see!  It was really fun.  When walking the ocean floor, it felt prehistoric.  The water was also so brown, it was like chocolate milk.  Very interesting!

After New Brunswick, we met up with the rest of the Sitcom Group of Friends in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the August long weekend.  We had a wedding to attend, on a boat!  On our first day in Nova Scotia, we visited Peggy's Cove.  This was such a beautiful place, and I felt like I could lounge in the sun and watch the tide roll in for hours.  Then, we explored Halifax and had a fantastic time at the Hat family's wedding (pseudonym, obvs).

Peggy's Cove, NS

Following our weekend with our friends, Mr. Lock and I took off on our own again and we spent two nights driving along the Cabot Trail.  This was probably our favourite part of the whole trip.  The Cape Breton Highlands National Park was beautiful, and the drive along the coast was gorgeous!  We decided that while New Brunswick was our favourite in-land drive, Cape Breton Island and Nova Scotia generally was our favourite coastal drive.  We both agreed that we would love to go back to the Cabot Trail one day, and spend more time hiking and visiting the beaches there.

A view from a look-out along the Cabot Trail.

Our next stop was Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.  We took the ferry across from Nova Scotia to P.E.I.  It was really awesome because we actually saw a pod of Pilot Whales while we were on the ferry.  We otherwise saw next to no wildlife on the entire trip!!  Which was quite surprising!

Prince Edward Island was very nice, very small, very quaint.  However, we didn't feel blown away by it.  We found that it was difficult to see much without constantly having to pay again.  We had to pay a Provincial Park fee to see Cavendish Beach, but we only had a day of touring so we weren't stopping at the Beach for long... then we had to pay a DIFFERENT Provincial Park fee to visit L.M. Montgomery's homestead/inspiration for Anne of Green Gables.  The red sands were really interesting to see, and we had some of the most delicious food of the whole trip while in P.E.I.  We just found it a bit dull for us compared to the other provinces we had visited.

Cavendish Beach, P.E.I.

We took the huge Confederation Bridge to drive back into New Brunswick as we headed back home.  We spent one night in Moncton at the New Brunswick Casino Hotel.  It was pouring rain, so we never really saw Moncton.  We did drive the Magnetic Hill which was very, very cool to experience.  I know it's an optical illusion, but it REALLY feels like your car is rolling uphill, and quite fast.  I took a video and it is amazing!

We drove to Montreal the next day, just to spend a night there to break up the drive, and then we ended our honeymoon by spending time with Mark's family at the cottage they rent to the North-East of Toronto back here in Ontario.

It was such a wonderful vacation and honeymoon.  We spent quality time together, experienced the beauty of the Eastern part of our country, and even spent special time with our best friends and Mark's family.  It was a perfect honeymoon, and one day I do hope to go back and visit the East Coast again.

P.S.  The photos in this post were all our own, I'm pretty impressed with how gorgeous they turned out!

Let's start back in May with my wedding?

Well.

I didn't MEAN to stop blogging!

I've just been very busy, I suppose!  I've also been a little frustrated with my laptop, so I haven't been doing many things I usually did online.  I'm going to try to continue blogging, because I do very much enjoy it!

So many wonderful things happened since my last post!

Mr. Lock and I got married, first of all.  I never blogged about my wedding!  I cannot believe it.

So, we had an absolutely fantastic wedding day.  After a very cool spring, our May 24th wedding day was sunny and quite warm!  It was just perfect.  Everything went according to plan, and I just had so much FUN. The dance party was everything I wanted it to be (that's my favourite part of any wedding, so it was what I cared very much about for my OWN wedding).  My aunts and uncles on my mother's side stayed right until the very end of the night, and we even ended everything with a big group sing-along to Bohemian Rhapsody... it was so cool.  They had such a great time, I was glad I could provide them with that!  I was the first of my cousins to get married on both sides of my very large family, so it was a very special event for everyone.

It was just so exciting to have all of the important people in our lives gathered together in one place... I am so very happy with how my wedding day went!  It all went by very quickly... however, I have incredibly happy memories of the day.

After the wedding, it was time to write report cards and finish off my year teaching SK/1.  I had such a great class, it was bittersweet to see the school year end.  We were also spending time doing some furniture shopping and continuing to set up our new house.  It is coming along nicely.  Our next project will be painting and putting up photos and art, so far we have nothing on the walls.  We are taking our time though.  As a new construction, it is recommended we wait to paint until the house has settled more.  We can still have the builder come back and fix a few things up until the 1 year mark, so we may wait to paint because we have some nail pops that need repair.

Married life has been great so far!  For Mr. Lock and I, not much changed, since we were already living together and forging our life together.  We are very happy, though.

I will update soon about our honeymoon trip this summer -- we drove through the East Coast of Canada, and it was an amazing adventure!

Less than a month to go!

Mr. Lock and I have less than a month until our wedding day!!  Plans have all been coming along really well, things are going smoothly.  We've created our ceremony and have shared the plan with the officiant.  We have our cake flavours chosen.  We're working on some music selections, but mostly have those chosen, too.  We're just on the very fine details and little touches we want to add to make the event memorable and unique to "us".  The RSVPs are almost all in!

I'm feeling excited, and also a little nervous for the ceremony part and speaking in front of everyone.  I know it will be really nice, though.  I'm very much looking forward to being married!!!

So, less than a month!  I feel very ready, and not that stressed, so that's perfect!

Let's just hope for some nice weather!  It has been TOO COLD so far this spring... I hope May warms up!

Woo hoo!

A Low-Key, Productive, Domestic Weekend

Mr. Lock and I have had a very productive weekend.  One of those weekends when you realize you're "such a grown-up now".  It began with meeting up with my parents down town and watching the Toronto Argos play, this was fun and the tickets were freebies because my youngest brother and two of his best friends are Double Blue Crew members (a very cool volunteer job for a fifteen-year-old football fan, working in the Sky Dome doing promo stuff during all Argos home games).  This was a nice way to have a night out, since otherwise our weekend was going to be pretty low-key.

Saturday morning, we took Mr. Lock's car for service and winter tires.  Then, along with his mother, we went to the appliance store where our kitchen appliances are coming from.  When we bought our new home, there was a promo for the fridge, stove, and dishwasher to be included.  We had to go check out the appliances, we decided to upgrade the dishwasher.  It was exciting to get to see what we'll have in our kitchen, they are stainless steel and look pretty nice.  Whirlpool brand, supposed to be energy-efficient.  This is what I think about these days, and I have to say I'm excited for all this "domestic" stuff - not a surprise for anyone who knows me in real life.

Then it was off to IKEA, we had mirror tiles and glass jars to purchase for the centrepieces for our wedding (less than 7 months until the big day!).  Mr. Lock's mother is going to make the centrepieces herself, so we've been gathering together what we need.  This was yet another thing off the wedding To Do list and it felt good to get it done.

Saturday evening, lazy day at home.  We caught up on a bunch of Breaking Bad episodes -- we're still in season two, but made it halfway through the season!  I can see why others found this show so addictive, I feel it now too!

Today, my parents came by in the mid-morning for a cup of coffee and to help us take some bins out of our condo to store at their place until we move.  We've been de-cluttering, and packing up anything we won't need to use over the next three months so that we can a) prepare this small space for new potential renters to come and view it, and b) make moving a bit easier at the end of January.  We're most likely going to have a week where we'll be living back in our parents' homes between the end of our lease in this condo, and when we close on our house on February 7th.

Next, I'm off to run a couple of errands, and then I have my lesson plans and a few activities to prepare for my school week.  It was a relaxing, work around the home, get some necessary errands accomplished kind of a weekend.  As busy as we've been over the past few months (well, since the spring really), this was a nice weekend to have.

Next Saturday we're off to a Beer Pong Tournament*, so at least we're clinging to a few "twentysomethings" activities while we still can. ;-)

*For the record, I'm just an spectator of Beer Pong as I've never enjoyed the taste of beer and I'm assuming I now never will.  I'm also the DD.  I'm pretty much a Mom-without-kids and have been for years, let's call a spade a spade.

Oops, missed the A to Z challenge AGAIN... however... I'M ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!

So, whatever letters I missed... TOO BAD!  Big things have just happened!!!

It all happened last Wednesday!  Mr. Lock and I had to go up to the sales centre for the new build home we are purchasing, it was our day to "firm up" on our purchase (no going back now!).  Turns out, Mr. Lock had a very, very exciting surprise for me that day, too!

So, on our way to the sales office, he asked if I wanted to drive past our "pile of dirt" (our pet name for the lot our new home will be built on).  He knows I like to go by it every chance we have.  I said yep, and said I'd prefer to go past it on our way to the sales office rather than after.

Little did I know, Mr. Lock had gone up there earlier that day!  He took the day off work, I didn't know at all!  We arrived to our pile of dirt, and Mr. Lock said we should stomp around on it a bit.  We got out of the car, and near the sign with the lot number, there was this rolled up blanket.  I honestly thought someone was throwing their garbage on our property!

Then, Mr. Lock began to unroll the blanket, and I was very confused... I saw plant stems, and said out loud, "Oh man, they are throwing away old plants!".... then I saw more of the unrolled blanket, and said, "Oh.  Wait. Those are really nice roses.  OH MY GOD I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO DO!".

Then I looked at him, and he was pulling a ring box out of his jacket...

"I DO KNOW!  OHMIGOD, YOU ARE PROPOSING?!?!"

He got down on one knee, had time to say "Will you marry me?", meanwhile my hand was already out in his face and I was already saying, "YES, YES, OH YES!".

So, we have now been THROWN into wedding planning, let alone finishing up this house buying stuff!  LOTS suddenly happened -- what a MONTH April has been!!!!  Trying to blog every day, and then NO blogging time!  Aaah! haha.

I am just SO impressed that he was able to surprise me.... I had NO idea it was coming!!!  I thought maybe he'd propose by this summer... we are buying a home together afterall... but he did a fantastic job taking me by complete surprise!  Turns out he was ring shopping well before all this house buying stuff began happening, so that was all just a happy coincidence.

So, this was all VERY, VERY exciting and suddenly I am overtaken with the fun of celebrating being engaged, and planning a wedding -- we need to find a venue a.s.a.p before places we like are booked up for 2014.

Squee!!!  ENGAGED!!!!  WHEE!!

My ring...

H, I, J, K, L are for.... House (buying) Is Just Kinda Labour-intensive!

 

 House buying...

Is... 

Just... 

Kinda...

Labour-intensive!

I have a very good reason for why I pretty much missed an entire week of A to Z blogging...

Mr. Lock and I are buying our first home!!!

Last Saturday the paperwork began, then we had to deal with the bank to move some funds around and make sure we had our financing approved, we've had to deal with a lawyer reading over our Purchase and Sale agreement, we've been excited with our family, and have visited the model home multiple times!

So... there you go!  I missed blogging because real life got VERY exciting!  House (buying) Is Just Kinda Labour-intensive, alright?!  

I am so excited to document the process here as we go!  It is a brand new build, a semi-detached home.  Right now our closing date is February 2014, so there is lots of time before we move from our rental condo still.  It's just wonderful to start the next stage of our lives together, moving on to becoming home owners!!

Wooooo!

Also, I could use some input to help out a friend of mine, can you quickly give your two-cents over at this post here?  Anyone is welcome to comment with their opinion, please!  How would you most likely choose a veterinarian, word of mouth or via some other search method?

2 Years

Today marks the two year anniversary of the night Mr. Lock and I went to the movies as friends... ended up being cutesy enough to hold hands, steal some smooches, and then say.. "Well.  Should we give this a try?".

Two years later (oh how time has flown!), we are still going strong.  We have moved in together.  We are respectful and supportive of one another.  We love each other beyond the way we already loved each other as friends of six years.  I am so pleased, so very happy, we "gave this a try".

I love you, Mr. Lock.  Thank you for an amazing two years beyond the Friend Zone, I look forward to many, many more!   Hugs & Kisses!

My anniversary post from last year - "One Year Ago"

The Roomate

I didn't write a lot about it here, but at the end of May (beginning of June?), Mr. Lock did in fact move in with me.  This is a Big Deal (yes, capital B, capital D), especially for anyone who knows me in real life and knows that I absolutely CRAVE domesticity.  I'm the type that has been waiting to be a Wife and Mother since I was six-years-old playing house with my dolls... it's really all I'm looking forward to in life, haha.

Anyway, fortunately Mr. Lock was my friend FOR YEARS before we began dating, so he also falls into the category of knowing about my love of traditional, domestic living.  It was SUCH a big deal to me when he finally said, "Yup.  Tell the landlord.  I'll move in for June 1st".

However, funnily enough... it hasn't actually FELT different since he moved in.  It's been over a month, but it's just been smooth-sailing, and since he has many sports and activities, and I've been so busy with school, honestly it feels the same as it did before he moved in (when he was here about five out of seven nights anyway, so I guess this is just the official living together, but before we were semi already doing it). On one hand, it feels a bit odd that it doesn't feel odd or new, but on the other hand... I'm so glad it feels like this.  It's so nice to just live together, without it being any big emotional upheaval, or without there being any bickering or any of that.

So, it's still new-ish... but it's been great, and I'm glad to be able to report that.  We have an easy way about us, and Mr. Lock is so easy-going and diplomatic and happy-go-lucky, life with him is simply awesome.  We each get along great with each others families, and our fathers met when we took them to a Toronto Blue Jays game for Father's Day.  In a couple of weeks, we are going to have a get together with both sets of parents (a BBQ at my parents house) - I'll be glad for our mothers to finally meet.

That's the latest report on my personal life - all is well in relationship-land, and having a roomate has been just swell!

Reason Why I Love Dating a Friend (And So Should You!)

As you might recall, I was friends with Mr. Lock for about six years before we decided to date.  I think this is a HUGE FACTOR in why we "work" so well.  Here are some reasons why YOU should date a friend (if-you-find-yourself-single-and-ready-to-mingle-and-your-friend-is-into-you-too!).

Reasons Why You Should Date a Friend (If-You-Find-Yourself-Single-And-Ready-To-Mingle-And-Your-Friend-Is-Into-You-Too!)

1) They already know The Crazy... they've been around, they know your fears and anxieties, hopes and dreams.  Heck, they read your old blog for many years, more than your ex-boyfriend did!  They choose to either accept The Crazy or help you learn to deal with The Crazy in an understanding manner, or else they wouldn't choose to date you back in the first place!

2)  You already have the same group of friends -- hooray!  Sure, there are other friends to meet (co-workers, friends from Back In The Day, such as elementary school years), but since your other main group of friends from The University "Best Years of Our Lives" Days are all the same folk... well. It sure is easy to feel "accepted" by the group!  Furthermore, there's no grumbling when invited to events with those crazy folk... because they are equally both of your crazy folk.

3) Those same mutual friends were super instrumental in one member of the relationship taking a giant leap and forcing encouraging the relationship upon the other relationshipee... so fortunately, those mutual friends can play matchmaker and tell you what the other person is saying about you behind your back.  SO USEFUL!  SO CONFIDENCE BUILDING!  ADULT CRUSHES PLAYING OUT LIKE SIXTH GRADE, SQUEE!

4) Parent acceptance can be pretty easy if your mom already quite liked said friend and was pushing you to date him, knowing-he-was-single-too, even before you had time to let the tears dry from your huge break-up!  Well, you don't have to worry about parent introductions when the So-Called "New" Boyfriend has used your parents pool, cooked in your parents kitchen, and slept on your parents basement floor after various parties over the past bunch of years!  Plus, you know mom approves when you are freshly single and she's making suggestions such as, "Perhaps Mr. Lock is looking for a new roomate, you could ask him if he'd like to rent a place with you", or "You should ask Mr. Lock to be your back up!  You know, if you both aren't married by 28..." (Yes, TWENTY EIGHT, not FORTY.  Tactful, Ma).

5)  You were already hanging out a bunch and you know you have similar interests.  You both like similar TV shows and movies, as well as love playing board games, and you know this because YOU ARE ALREADY BUDS.

6)  You already stayed up until 3 am on work nights chatting away on IM.  There wasn't much else to learn about each other, thus knowing that your "crush" was much more than a "crush"... because you already know the person inside-out and love who they are oh-so-much!


7)  You already like-like them, friendship-style.  Then you add the romantical stuff and find out it works quite well for you both too?  Well.  That sure is like-like leading to love (Garfunkel and Oats reference for the win!)... it even deserves a less-than-three. <3

I'm just so happy in my relationship, and I think Mr. Lock is too... there's still interesting things to discover about one another, but it's so nice to have background knowledge and a positive starting point, knowing how much you like talking with one another and being with one another.  Plus, we'd already go to all these big life events together (mutual friends weddings, New Years Eve Fancy Dress House Parties, etc)... we might as well do them as official dates!

If the option is there for you, date a friend if you find yourself single!  I highly recommend it.  (Oh, and see if you can find a friend who is also a great cook -- then you're REALLY set!).

Love you, Mr. Lock, big time.  You're quite the catch, but I knew that even when we were just friends.  So glad you've turned out to be the Chandler to my Monica. :-)  (Cheesy FRIENDS reference HAD to happen).

I Miss This

I want to be better at blogging more regularly again.  I was so into it, and then when I made my new blog... I just seemed to have less time or less interest in blogging.  I often miss doing it, and miss participating in the blogosphere like I used to.. but then I just don't make myself come here and type.

I'm going to really try harder to be a Blogger again, though.  No one really reads my blog but me and maybe a couple of friends, but I still like to do it, and even for the records of my history for myself I plan to keep this up.

What's the update right now?  Well, let's review a few things.

Work
My grade two class this year is stellar.  They are hardworkers, and while some of them need a little extra help or attention now and then they aren't really any major behaviour problems.  Hallelujah!  Last year was a different story, so I am loving this.  Grade two is a great year to teach, the kids are just that bit more independent.  I'm finding that I've really found my love for teaching again this year, I'm feeling super passionate about it and I keep working away at new ideas for improving my program nearly every day.  I've been very on the ball about assessment and keeping up with my individual students' needs so far this school year.  It's been phenomenal, and so very busy!

Home Life
I am still loving my condo!  I am so glad I moved here.  It's just how I want it to be.  I am most likely going to email my landlord soon about renting for another year.  I am finding that I'm calling and visiting my parents back "home" a little less as I settle in to adult life living here.  We still stay in touch throughout the week and I try to see them once a week or so, but I also definitely see myself as finally more of an adult, and I think my parents do too.  It's all around going really well, and life is just how I want it to be.

Relationship
Mr. Lock is just so awesome.  We have such a nice time together.  He's a great cook, for one thing, and often comes over through the week and helps me (or just does all the work, hahaha) prepare great meals, some of which make excellent leftovers for work the next day (my favourite lunch is leftovers!).  Everything continues to go well between the two of us from my perspective, and I'm pretty sure from his as well.  Dating a best friend has turned out to be one of the smartest decisions I've ever made!

I promise to be back a little more frequently than I have been!

Panic Attacked

My relationship with Mr. Lock hits the nine month mark on October 3rd.  It's going extremely well, I can't believe how fast time has flown.  One of the best things about the relationship has to be the strong friendship base it grew out of.  Knowing him for about six years, especially as closely as we knew each other -- having been each others confidants through a bunch of lifes ups and downs -- has definitely made for smooth sailing in this transition to Romantic Relationship.

I've been so very proud of how little my anxiety disorder has been effecting me over the past nine months -- even moving in to my own place, living on my own, I've really been great at either stopping negative thought processes before they send me into a panic attack, along with simply having less general feelings of anxiety lately than I used to have.

However, my anxiety disorder is always there under the surface.  Sometimes, when something happens or I watch a news story that just happens to relate to some of my biggest (irrational) fears, the anxiety bubbles right back up and I am once again reminded that it truly is a part of who I am.  I am just a fortunate person in that I know how to cope, how to ride the waves of anxiety and come out the other side with a positive outlook knowing it's just an episode.

This week, my anxiety has been bubbling up pretty badly.  There's a combination of reasons -- stemming from horomone cycles, having watched a news story that I found upsetting, and my cousin currently being in the hospital after having a grand mal seizure on Sunday following hitting his head on pavement during some sort of "scuffle" Saturday night when out partying.  My cousin is doing okay, though he's been in the hospital since Sunday and has to have an MRI.  Last week my father was also packaged out from the company he's worked for for thirteen years, so he's 'technically' unemployed.  Fortunately, that's actually a blessing (the package is great, and he was so stressed that this is what he's been waiting for -- he's going to take the rest of this year off, and he's in great spirits right now).  However, it was still a big change and a bit of a shock to me when I was told last week, so it made me a bit emotional as I deal with the changes facing my family (though, again, it's a good thing, I just take a bit longer to get used to changes than some people might).

So, a combination of factors have left me emotionally dysregulated and in just the right state for a full-blown panic attack.  I was hoping the anxiety symptoms I've been feeling, tensing up in my chest and making my arms tingle, wouldn't really become anything else, but last night it all hit me pretty hard. 

And Mr. Lock, who was staying at my condo with me, experienced me having a panic attack in person with him for the first time.  It was full-blown... began as tingling through my extremeties, and tightness in my chest, and a heavy/cloudy head, and then tears -- tears, and incoherent cries over my biggest of (irrational) fears -- my fear of dying young in a tragic/unexpected way (or, well, any way at all).  I just couldn't cope without having an outburst, I suppose, the anxiety reached a boiling point.

Mr. Lock, to his credit, was amazing.  He was calm and quiet and told me not to apologize, and he seemed to understand.  He's known me, for over six years.  He used to read my old blog, he has read about and heard about my anxiety attacks before.  I don't typically deal with panic attacks with anyone around, usually they hit me when I'm alone, so I feel fear, have a cry, blog or vent to a friend on MSN, and then my rational side wins out again and I use a coping mechanism to calm back down.  It was a different, and slightly more embarrassing thing, to have that happen in front of someone.  But, at least it was someone I trust completely and know loves me.

Today I've been dealing with the aftermath of a full-blown panic attack -- every now and then I feel incredibly tense and anxious still -- I'm having quite a bit of chest tightness and tingles through my arms and hands even as I write this, and I'm tired from the crying and from not being able to fall asleep until much too late last night.  However, I'm also glad I got out what was bothering me, so that I could begin to help myself through this little set-back and back into the happy, less anxious person I've been over the past nine months.

Thanks, Mr. Lock, for being so supportive all the time.  For understanding me, and for accepting me, with all my faults and anxiety issues.  I am so lucky to have you.

OH IT GETS BETTER.

I couldn't help it, last night after all the crying and anger, I emailed him.  It was a short email to the effect of, "I can't believe you did this to me.  Those tickets were a gift, that I've had for two years.  I ASKED YOU about them when YOU were breaking up with ME, and you said they were mine.  I hate you."  It was worded differently, I think I used "hate" a few more times (a word I never said when he actually broke up with me, because I'm a CLASS ACT, by the way, but now I'm SAYING IT.).

He replied this morning. 

He said (this is paraphrasing): "Those tickets weren't yours, they were ours.  I bought them, and I never said you could have them.  You didn't get in touch with me to say you were going to the concert, did you think I would throw away $250?  Who did their due diligence here?" (The words "due diligence" were directly out of his email).

This is the FINAL exchange I am ever going to have with him, by the way.  I'm NOT responding to his reply, I got to say my piece before.  If he wants to rewrite history to suit him, then WHATEVER.  These tickets were fortunately the FINAL tie in any way that I had to him.

THAT BEING SAID....

*WHITE HOT RAGE!*

I'm sorry, but... I was the person who was broken up with, and who took the break-up pretty well considering it SHATTERED MY LIFE for a few months there, and completely changed what I thought my future held.   ALSO, I was broken up with on the grounds that I *WANTED TO MARRY HIM* and *LIVE WITH HIM*.... yes, for LOVING too much?!  He couldn't handle that, so he ended our six-year-long relationship and all the declarations we had made before then.

So...

WHY, as the DUMPEE, am I treated this way?  Common human decency states that any gifts in the possession of the person you break up with become theirs.  I mean, sure, those tickets cost $250 -- but if I had a $4000 engagement ring on my finger, who would have been allowed to keep/pawn that?!  ME.

GAH.  GAH!!!!!!   I am so angry.  Why does he get to act like the vindictive EX?  That's my job, and I'm too good a person to ever do it! (Okay, that's rage talking, because the other side of it is that I'm also a mature person).

I do feel a lot better getting to vent this here though.  THANK GOD I am done with him FOREVER.  THANK GOD!  I guess that might even be where karma is on my side -- making sure this asshole is NEVER in my life again.

Hopefully Karma is a Bitch

I am seething.

I was given two tickets to see U2 in concert by my boyfriend back in 2009.  The tickets were for July 3rd, 2010.  We planned to go together -- though, at the time, he even said I could "take whoever I wanted", since they were a Christmas gift.  Then, Bono had surgery and the concert was pushed back by a year.

So, for over a year and a half I've had U2 tickets in my possession, waiting for tonight's rescheduled show.

If you read my previous blog, you'd know that I had a big break-up with that boyfriend last September.  TEN MONTHS AGO, okay?  He broke up with me, out of the blue.  Seriously, it was a random Saturday afternoon and suddenly my entire life changed.  It was devestating, but of course I was able to see that he was changing as he was getting older and I felt like I was actually better off for having an out from him.  Since then, I've connected majorly with Mr. Lock and we've had a six-month long relationship so far (after a six-year long friendship), which is going incredibly well.

During the big break-up, the U2 tickets came up. I said to him, "What about the U2 concert?" knowing it was rescheduled, and that I had the two tickets.  He said, "You keep the tickets, they were your gift."

Tonight, Dr. McVet was accompanying me to the U2 concert (she won it in the draw, it was down to her and Quin and I couldn't choose on my own!).  I was nervous today, because I just had the email-printed tickets from 2009, but I had looked online and they said just bring the old tickets to the rescheduled show.

Earlier today, I had this brief flash... thinking about how the tickets were email-printed, and thinking about how devestating it would be if the Ex re-printed the tickets and tried to beat us there and use them himself.  I told myself, that's a stupid thought, he'd never do that.

We got to the concert, the tickets scanned perfectly, we found our seats and got settled in.  I felt relaxed, and finally very excited for the show.  It had all gone well, were were there and nothing was wrong with my tickets.  The opening act, Interpol, started up their set.

A security person motions to Dr. McVet and I, and asks us to follow him.  My heart pounds.  I'm a good girl, a rule follower, so I was thoroughly confused and anxious.  He said there was a message, and he couldn't tell us what it was about.  He led us to one of the gates, and we had to give our tickets to some guy in a booth who we couldn't see.  No one was telling us a thing.  We didn't know if we won some sort of prize to be upgraded, or what.

Oh, no.  No.

"The person who bought these tickets, whose name is on these tickets is here.  He has shown us his ID and credit card, and technically the tickets belong to him."

I start CRYING.  In front of the security people.  I start explaining that he's my ex-boyfriend.... I feel so embarrassed, I feel like I sound like some sort of domestic case on The Peoples Court or something.  I'm SO ANGRY, and SO SURPRISED.  They wouldn't let me speak to him, "for security reasons", and there was nothing they could do other than sell me some "General Admission tickets" for $57 each.  I was sobbing, but I told them I wasn't going to leave so I got them to charge two tickets to my credit card.

The consolation prize was that the "General Admission tickets" ended up being Floor Access tickets, to a seat-free floor (which means we got very close to the stage and had a blast).

I just cannot believe the NERVE of him, though.  To actually go through that process, of being SO adament that the tickets were HIS.  HE TOLD ME I COULD HAVE THEM!  One of the security people, the one who took us from our seats, was being so nice to me.  He even said he saw that The Ex had printed his tickets on a printer TODAY, and that the tickets I held were printed in NOVEMBER 2009, but there was NOTHING that could be done because His name was on the tickets and he was apparently quite pushy, showing his ID and credit cards.

HONESTLY.... that was probably one of the meanest things anyone has ever done to me.  I don't even know who this ex of mine is anymore, I can honestly say I am FUCKING GLAD that I am NOT dating him anymore.

Dr. McVet ended up walking past him in the building later, and using a tiny white lie, she actually yelled in his face, "Thanks for the free floor seats, asshole".  I walked right on by without even looking back, but I'm glad she got her chance to say something.

I hope karma bites him in the ass.  Worst experience ever.  (Though the concert was of course great, but my night felt so ruined).

So, Who Is He?

Now that I've opened up this new arena for sharing my life, perhaps it's time to tell you about My New Boyfriend!  I'm very excited about him, you should be too!

So, how did we meet?  What's the story?  I'm sure some of you have been very curious about it!

Well, the truth is... he might be a new boyfriend, but he's not new in my life.  We actually met in our second year of University, somewhat near the end of the year (if I'm remembering that correctly?).  I was already dating The Ex by the time we met, so until last fall I was never a Single Lady to him.  He was roomates with my BFFs boyfriend, who is now her fiance.  (My other BFF is long-time-dating a third roomate of theirs).  So, we've known each other for six years and our best friends/roomates from University are dating each other.  We've spent most Big Life Events & Celebrations together in that time frame -- plenty of birthdays, holiday parties, cottage weekends, and notably Fancy Dress House Party New Years Eves.  He's a part of the most important social group in my life, since I've moved on quite a bit from friends I went to high school with.

A few years ago, at a New Years Eve party, he met and started up a relationship with my childhood best friend (who did not go to University with us).  I totally encouraged this relationship, in fact I was very excited about it.  Their relationship didn't work out in the long run, though they did have a significant relationship for awhile.  This is one of the reasons that sharing about him on my old blog wasn't so easy; it has caused a rift between my childhood friend and myself (though in recent years, we haven't been nearly as close as we were as tweens/teens anyway, and I'm beginning to believe this rift was going to happen at some point regardless of this situation).

For the past three years or so, he and I spoke frequently about our daily lives through IM chat.  We'd really developed a close friendship within our group.  When my previous relationship ended last fall, he was really there for me and was an important part of my healing process.

Then, the friendship changed.  Suddenly, I was a Single Lady... and he, being a Single Guy, looked a little differently to me.  A few mutual friends had already planted the idea in my head that "maybe you and him will hit it off", knowing we were already close friends.  I couldn't exactly get that thought out of my mind.  I felt like I was supposed to try being single for awhile, but I developed a crush.  A crush on a guy who I already knew very well, including his thoughts about relationships and many of his future goals.  A crush I was already making future travel plans with in a "we'll do that as friends" capacity.  A crush on a guy who was not just fresh out of a break-up, who was actively dating... who was wonderful, and who was going to get snapped up before I had my chance with him.  Also, he and I started to hang out a lot just the two of us -- going on, what I now refer to as "non-date dates" -- so it was beginning to be a bit ridiculous to pretend we were only friends.

I tried to push my crush aside, though, and for a couple of months I did.  I was feeling guilty that he was an ex-boyfriend of a friend of mine, mainly.  In the end though, I decided I needed to choose to put my own happiness first.  He and I were friends long before they ever dated, and there was nothing inappropriate about our feelings because we were both single before we ever felt them.  I didn't want to miss out on dating an amazing person, who I was already extremely compatible with, who could be very good for me. 

In January, it was confirmed to me by a mutual friend that he was "feeling the same way as I was"... which made me take the leap, letting him know I was ready to date again if he wanted to try taking our friendship to the next level.

Turns out he really did!

Now it's just been a few months since then, but since we already knew each other so well... it's been going very steadily and fairly fast.  It has been wonderful.  We have so much in common, we get along with each others families, we have plenty of social events planned with our mutual friends -- friends who already know and love both of us as individuals, which makes planning things with them SUPER EASY (rather than dealing with any awkward "the new boyfriend/girlfriend doesn't like the friends" nonsense).  He's a positive, kind, caring, romantic, intelligent, and hilarious person.  He's patient.  He understands me well.  He's also a great cook!  Exactly the type of man I need.

I am incredibly fortunate to have him in my life, and I am incredibly excited for what's still to come.

So there it is!  Finally, a bit of our story.

Now I just really need to come up with his pseudonym!