I took today off work, which means I
finally have time to write. This is going to be a looooong (series of) post(s)!
Briefly, thanks, Spork, for sharing that Cracked link. I love Cracked but haven't been reading much of it lately. It was an interesting read and added another little piece to the puzzle of the stuff I was working on figuring out. Petunia & powerpuff: I'm glad you liked what I wrote.
I'm going to try to expand upon all the points I wrote here to bookmark them, and then get into my weekend with Beckett.
1. How dimples-girl unfriended me for being too busy
There was this poly girl I'd been talking to on OKC since back before the move. She was moving here at the same time as me, and we were to meet up and become friends. She'd FB-requested me, but I'd somehow not noticed who that request was until I fired my OKC back up again and saw her picture and realized who it was as I was sorting through my friend requests. We talked a bit about making time to hang out, and she invited me to join a local FB poly group.
She asked to hear my band's music and gave me her email address so I could send her some, but then while I was waiting for Rider to clean the tracks and send them to me, she disappeared from FB. I didn't realize this and sent her the email with the music, but when I went to drop her a line there letting her know it was sent, she wasn't on there. So I messaged her through OKC letting her know that I'd noticed she wasn't on FB anymore but that I'd sent her the stuff. I honestly thought she'd just gotten sick of FB and deleted her account, as people do.
When she wrote me back, it was to say that she hoped I wasn't offended, but that she'd actually unfriended and blocked me because I was too busy to meet up so far, and she was looking for people (platonic or otherwise) who could hang out more consistently. She said she likes privacy, so she gets rid of FB friends when she doesn't see them becoming actual friends. And I wasn't at all offended, but I was kinda shocked.
Yes, I am super busy, and, yes, I struggle with finding the time to hang out with all the new people I'm in contact with, but introverted ol' me thinks that internet friendship with the sporadic IRL hangout when it's possible IS friendship. I really don't have much space in my life for many more intense friendships, like the ones I have with the people in my recent "I love my people" post. If there is someone I super-click with, I could probably
make that space, but my life is so full that I am happy operating at a sporadic/casual level with most people.
But I totally get that different people are looking for different things, and if she ONLY wants intense friendships, then it is true that I can't give her what she is looking for, and kudos to her for knowing what she wants and running her life accordingly.
2. My progress toward my "I'm learning to take better care of myself" affirmation
So, since the beginning of 2013, I have had a series of affirmations that repeat every eight days on my Google Calendar, which send me an email that day and also appear on that day's schedule. The idea is that I will see the email or the calendar event and spend a moment reflecting on that affirmation. Whenever I feel like I have fully absorbed one, I take it off and replace it with another. One of the ones I have had on there since 2013 is "I am learning to take better care of myself."
I have struggled with this one. I originally put it on there while I was with The Ex because I realized that my dynamic with him was unhealthy and that I was kinda codependent, and I wanted to start putting myself first and making sure my needs were met instead of always just trying to make sure he was happy.
But I have come and gone through periods when I was basically ignoring it. After The Ex and I moved to Florida a bit later in 2013, I started drinking too much while trying to make friends with Ada and the people in her circle. I'd used to drink too much while I was with Moss, but The Ex didn't drink (or VERY rarely anyway), so I'd barely drank while I was with him. But Ada and crew (Rider included) were big drinkers and booze was at the center of every social event. I would wake up some mornings, hung over, and see that affirmation, and think "maybe next week."
I went from never getting sick for three years to suddenly catching every cold that blew through town. I gained weight from drinking, then dieted it off again, then gained it back. I fell out of the habit of flossing and taking vitamins. I was working so hard to keep up with a crowd of partying extraverts that I really was NOT taking better care of myself, even if I'd started to stand up to The Ex and eventually (for the better) left him.
And then last fall, I quit drinking for nearly three months. I lost weight, developed a fancy skin-care routine, and gained a ton of perspective. When we moved here, I fell back out of a lot of it again, going out a lot to try to familiarize myself with my new city and reacquaint myself with my old friends. But recently I have mostly been REALLY good about making positive changes.
I am drinking way, way less, like barely ever. I am making very conscious decisions about what food I put into my body and am losing weight as a result, but it's different from my dieting efforts of the past because I have a long-term plan this time. I have been back on my supplements, and (this past weekend excepted) a being total stickler about getting eight hours of sleep, and exercising, and keeping to my fancy skin-care routine, and making sure I get my needs met and doing so much good stuff for myself. I even am back in the habit of flossing again and made an eye appointment so I can get new contacts.
For the first time ever, when that affirmation pops up in my inbox, I feel good and say to myself, yeah, I really AM learning to take better care of myself. This has been a damned good year for that so far.
3. Being prone to bloating for no apparent reason and its effect on my self-image
I posted about this in the weight-loss thread.
4. My Trump-related Facebook screed yesterday and response to it
I posted the text of the screed here. I actually don't feel like writing about the responses after all.
5. Rider hearing back from someone on OKC finally
I actually don't have a lot of the details on this, but Rider finally got a response on OKC from someone who plays music, and they have discussed jamming together and becoming friends and seeing if anything else blossoms out of that. Apparently she gave him her email address and they have been corresponding outside of OKC, if somewhat sporadically. So we will see what happens there.
6. The messages I got from Guy1 from the double-first-date day
This guy messaged me saying that he really did like hanging out with me and liked what he saw of me so far, and he wants to get to know me better. I'm not terribly opposed to the idea, but his little streak of elitism definitely has me on my guard. I am too busy right now, but we'll see how the near future goes.
7. A new guy I've been talking to on OKC
There is a new guy on OKC I have been talking to sporadically. He seems nice, is already poly and partnered, and I am curious to talk to him more. I'll probably text him a bit now that Beckett weekend is over. Since sparks do not seem to be flying with Jason, I am still sort of shopping around for the local person that I might be able to feel that way towards.
8. My ongoing messages with another girl on OKC who is coincidentally from my hometown
I've kinda been talking to her less actually just because I've been so busy. But I do want to hang out with her sometime. We shall see. She is also bi and close to my age.
9. Beckett texting first about the guest list
I will cover this all in the giant Beckett section to follow.
10. First inklings of wedding planning, incl. Sam attending
So Rider and I (mostly me, because I am the planner) have started the beginning of our wedding planning stuff. We're not having a "real wedding" but we are grabbing a handful of necessary people and going out to the desert to exchange vows and have a photo shoot, then go out for a short dinner.
I found a property that has little bungalows for rent for a reasonable rate, and I found a restaurant about 20 minutes away that is also reasonable and could accommodate our group, which will likely be about 12–16 people.
Nearly everyone in the group has a purpose to serve, or will be the partner of someone who does. Oona will be the maid of honor, Joel will be the best man, Perry's taking photos, and Rider's friend from up north is going to officiate. All three of Rider's parents will be there (mom, dad, step-mom). And I also wanted to invite Mel and Sam, because it seemed like the gathering would be incomplete without them.
Rider asked Sam if he'd be able to make it, and he said he'd definitely find a way to be there. Super exciting!
(continued...)