hula hoops and hampster wheels

This is a brief list of the rules from Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider's book titled The Rules:

#1: Be a creature unlike any other: Ok I get that, be confident, alluring etc. I more like a wackadoo but I guess that works - I'm unlike any other right?

#2: Don't talk to a man first (Don't ask him to dance). Ok the speak when spoken to - a little dated and no worries on the dancing part -- this body doesn't dance, maybe it's part of being a creature unlike any other.

#3: Don't stare at Men or Talk to Much. OK I won't look longingly in his eyes and I'll put the babbling brook that is my mouth in check.

#4: Don't meet him halfway or go dutch on a date. Well I normally go to his place- - what am I supposed to do - drive an hour and fifteen minutes home and wait for him to pick me up? That's ridiculous we wouldn't get to dinner until my body was feeding off itself -- maybe that would be the way to go then?

#5: Don't call him and rarely return his calls. I get the don't call him part -- make him call you, wait in misery for the call but not to call him back isn't that rude?

#6: Always end the phone call first. I'm bad at this - I go on and on sometimes. But I guess I can practice this one.

#7: Don't accept a Saturday night date after Wednesday. Shit, I can barely even get a Saturday night date now - especially during classic car show season. But ok -- so Dave has until tonight to a) call me b) make plans for Saturday. grr. I'm going to have another boring weekend.

#8: Fill up your time before the date. I'm past the pretty stage but I guess I could try a little harder to be cute before a date and that would fill up the time.

#9: Always end the date first. Our dates usually end when we get up and go to work in the morning.

#10: Stop dating him if he doesn't buy you a romantic gift for Valentines or your birthday- phew, he's safe he did a great job with both Valentines and Birthday presents.

#11: Don't see him more than once or twice a week. Umm that's the current problem?

#12: No more than casual kissing on the first date. Well we were good kids, I don't think we kissed until the third date.

#13: Don't rush into sex -- well it's happened, don't be alarmed and no it's not going to be given up for the sake of the rules... I need it too much.

#14: Don't tell him what to do. I'll ask nicely and say please.

#15: Let him take the lead. Yep, that's the plan. It usually results in watching tv and cooking for him. Some lead...

#16: Don't expect a man to change or try to change him. Ok, but seriously- if I'm washing the dishes he could at least rinse them.

#17: Don't open up to fast: I'm open, but it's happened over time.

#18: Be honest but Mysterious. Grr these sound like head games... I'm not that good at head games, I'm better at board games.

#19: Don't live with a man - or leave your things at his place. What? That's the goal. Plus, I need certain things at his house for getting ready in the morning.

#20: Don't date a married man. ok. not an issue.


So that's the plan... I don't think I'll last 2 days but that's the plan.

SO it was decided that we would celebrate Labor day weekend as anniversary weekend.
I forgot there was 31 days in August so I told Dave weeks ago to pick a day between 21-30. He picked the 31st. So then it was said that I expected two cards then 1 for the 30 and one for the 1st -- just teasing, but really not... We never really had a day when we it was decided what we are. He wanted to go by the first date which is cute - but has already passed and I explained to him that was the day I gave you your watch with the new battery as clocks and watches are tradition for 1 year anniversaries -- ok I left the last part out as to not freak him out. So technically out anniversary is August 6th.

I told him let's not make a big production out of it. Wrong thing to say.

I picked him up a cute card and that bacon chocolate bar. Along with fixings for beef stroganauf and breakfast. It was decided that we would spend the day together Sunday and Monday.

So I got up. Got ready, went to the store ran some errands. Boring Sunday morning crap. Waiting for the phone to ring. I read a book -- which I'll go into more later. 12, no phone call. 1 no phone call, 2, I'm pissed off and no phone call, 3I'm irritated and then it dawns on me -- maybe he's out shopping? quarter to 4 he calls --- There will be no wedding this weekend -- that was the delay, his friend Randy's son was planning on having some sort of shit gun wedding this weekend in Vegas -- and Dave agreed to watch the dog if he needed to leave town. So what's the plan I ask? He said it's up to me -- I hate this - fine if we are going to dinner after work - but jiminey crickets woo me once in awhile it's really not that hard!

SO maybe I was pmsing, mad about wasting a day sitting around waiting for love nugget to call me, and just a little moody in general.

So I go over there -- he's not hungry yet. So we watch bad tv -- hang out on the couch - I give him his card and chocolate bar. He doesn't have a card for me. Now, I know what you are thinking - who cares. I care, I love cards. I can't help it. I'm not asking him to write me a love letter every day of the week - I'm not even expecting a special message , just a nice card - and him signing his name.

So I run to the store pick up a couple things. In the meantime - he does his dishes. I make dinner -- while he watches tv. But he's checking in on me and my progress during dinner - kissing me on the forehead, tickling me etc. so now I'm less mad. We eat, watch tv toddle off to bed ...

We get up the following morning - lay in bed and talk for awhile. I get up and start making breakfast - eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, english muffins. Excited to spend a whole day being lazy with him. No longer irritated, just chalking it up to him being a man and clueless and me being slightly hormonal and expecting him to be a mind reader. But mind you I did text him to tell him I found a funny treat for him. That should have been a clue to at least have a card. oh well.

After breakfast, we shower, talk about politics, and then he proclaims it's time to go -- go where? Well, I can tell you -- or it can be a surprise. I'll take the surprise.

So we are on the way to the unknown, I start guessing and he says "maybe" to everything. Then he proclaims we are going to a car show. I fake pout as I usually do. But we end up at the Minnesota Zoo.

I've been wanting to go -- since it had been forever since I've been but I wanted to have a camera with me -- but no such luck. So we walk the course of the Zoo looking at everything, trying to avoid the bad smelling places. We go everywhere except the Barn yard animals. It was fun - the annoying parents and children were minimal. It was a good time.

We leave and head back -- I suggest going to cold stone for ice cream, he suggests dairy queen since it's lighter. I rarely crave ice cream so ok fine dairy queen works. We head home, eat our ice cream and then I proclaim it's nap time. I take a nap on the couch - he moves to his chair, watches some tv. I get up about an hour later -- he moves to the couch to take his nap and I move to the chair.


Then we talk about his lack of card for said anniversary. He said we agreed not to make a big deal about it - so I pouted and said yes, that's true but you know I love cards. Remember the Valentines episode, he neglected to get me a card then too... So I say well a card and flowers or candies would have been nice.

I say I'm going to get going - I have laundry and all sorts of junk to take care of, inquire when would be good this week to get together. Maybe Thursday, I request a regular date night like Friday or Saturday - he doesn't have any plans yet so most likely. I head home. But first he hugs me and tells me he's an anaconda then fluffs my hair and tells me he's a bat. Then kisses me good bye.

SO now, onto the book I read while I was waiting for him...

I read "The Rules" some of which is completely unreasonable but some is worth a try -- I don't know how successful I'll be playing the rules now that we've been together for year but I'm going to give it a shot. I'll post a separate post going into detail about the rules...