I'm still going to keep a pin in those earlier topics. I'm just not feeling writing about them right now. Things have been good, if busy and a little exhausting.
I had to go to a conference for work Wednesday through Friday, so that's pretty much all I did during the week: conference prep and then the actual conference, which tends to be very long work days. Rider and I did have a REALLY sexy videochat Thursday night, during which I was actually able to come with him watching me. Usually I can't if I know someone is watching. I think the distance of the videochat makes it feel less like there are eyes on me.
Friday, when I got out of the conference, I met Rider out in a town near where my conference was. A couple of his fellow fanclub members met us out for dinner and drinks we ended up going back to their place and I was so tired from the conference that I fell asleep on their couch! Some exciting party person I am.

Rider drove me home and we promptly went to sleep.
Saturday morning, Rider and I woke up and had some of the best sex we've had in a while. He got me off with his hand, which is something that's only ever happened once before, and then we had brain-shattering PIV. I was so turned on.
Also, something I've noticed the past few times we've done PIV: Rider has gotten more . . . he calls it "splashy" lately. As in, his semen always used to be very thick and viscous and have almost, like, semi-solids in it. He's the first guy I'd ever been with where it wouldn't actually run out of me afterward—it'd just stay up in there, neat and clean as you please. Well, the past couple of weeks, he's been SO voluminous and liquidy! It's kind of cool, actually! I'm not sure if it's something different he's been doing. He HAS switched to mostly sparkling water after work during the week instead of beer, so perhaps he's just more hydrated!
After sex, I took care of some chores and errands, and then Rider headed out to his fanclub BBQ and I headed out hiking all by myself. IT WAS AMAZING! I find so much therapeutic value in nature. I even saw a snake and a coyote! And I shopped the cool vintage store up near the park. I bought something completely me and also completely ridiculous.
There had been three candidates for accompanying me on the hike: Oona, Val, and Jasper. But when the time rolled around, Oona wasn't feeling it, Val had a sudden work thing come up, and Jasper, who has been working on a week-long test for this dream job he's applied to, felt like he'd rather spend time polishing his work. But in the end, I was really happy that it was just me!
(An aside, I'm really happy for Jasper. When I'd seen him Monday, he'd actually asked my advice about whether to follow up after his interview and, if so, what to say, and I'd told him that it couldn't HURT to let the guy know that this is literally his dream job. There are so many desperate work-seekers out there just looking for any tangentially related-to-their-interests job who lie and try to shove their pegs in the hole. But for Jasper, this job is the EXACT thing he wants to do. It was that follow-up that led to his second-round testing! I feel like I helped in some small way!)
There was a bit of a miscommunication after the hike. Rider and I had spoken earlier in the day about having a fancy dinner date after his BBQ, but I guess we never firmed up plans to the point that they were at the forefront of Rider's mind. So *I* was thinking, OK, when I'm done the hike, I'll check in and then go pick him up, since it'll be about dinnertime. And *he* was apparently not really thinking about it—he wasn't looking at his phone until well after when would be a good time to eat, so he totally missed my texts and I gave up and just drove home.
I was a little upset about it at the time, but I made the most of it. I had Indian leftovers from the conference, and I had an edible and my leftovers and then spent a quiet night binge-watching, which is not something I normally do. In the morning, Rider and I talked it out, and now everything is fine. It was a simple disconnect in communication and expectation.
Today, Rider and I got a ton done. We did a spring cleaning of every room but the bedroom (to be continued) and I touched up my hair and talked to my mom. Rider checked out some boots that he may end up buying as wedding shoes. And then his dude friends came over to watch Wrestlemania while did taxes. At one point, there were eight dudes in my living room. And then a moment later, Jasper texted me, asking if I were free!
I am not much of a wrestling fan, and nine people in my apartment is a bit of a stretch, so I ran it by Rider and he said it was fine if I went over there after taxes. So I did.
It was really nice. We had fantastic sex and then went out and he bought me Thai food (because the place was cash only and I was out of cash, plus, he said, I'd paid for the cab to get over there). Then we went back to his place and played with his cat and had an after dinner drink and watched an episode of that show we'd started.
When the show was over, I still had time left before needing to leave, so we cuddled up on the couch and took a short nap. He's so sleep-cuddly. It's kinda funny—I'm super-super sleep-cuddly at the beginning with people, but, like clockwork, once the NRE starts to run out, my body automatically carves out its own space while I sleep, generally turning away from the person or lying on my back and maybe just reaching out to touch them with a leg or a foot. But at the beginning, I will chase a motherfucker to the edge of the bed to cuddle. I wonder if other people are this way or if it's just me!
Only six days till the wedding! Pretty much everything is done. We just have to address/stamp our announcements, work on our vows, and build the wedding night playlist for the house party after. Other than that, it's all just picking stuff up and dropping stuff off and packing—stuff that can't be done till the moment it needs to be. I'm super excited! This time next week, it'll be the eve of our honeymoon!