I'm about 21-months out of the divorce. My life has reached some sort of critical mass where things are happening for me. I'm just being who I am, not the guy who suppressed all of this for an opposite-personality XW. Her shackles are one, baby, gone. I'm to the point where I can book every night with something either productive or entertaining.

I have many blessings and the kind of full and rich life that I have always wanted. And I'm just being who I am.

To those who aren't quite there yet, it can happen for you too.

A few hot chicks don't hurt either. My revenge is my personal success.

I sent the panning video and pix of the winery tour to my XBIL.

You can bet it's getting back to XW that I am light years more successful now.

Wow after all that booka/pariah my life is boring and dead!!!

Working on the networking thing a little more though!!!!

Dawn

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who stresses. I know GG can just paint rooms in a snap.

I don't even agonize over the paint color. My divorce buddy (friend from my divorce support group from 6.5 years ago) is a designer/decorator who waltzes in and leave me paint colors.
Sometimes pillows or other decorative items show up at my house too. She'll be at a store and see something that goes and will just drop it off.

So, at least the paint colors are fantastic (if not the paint job). Now I'm told I need to change my pillows (which she picked out), but that they'll work well in her new house (which thankfully has a great pool which I will use alot).

My life is far, far less exciting than Booka's, but it is fine with me for now.

I guess my life is as exciting as I want to make it, but it's kind of weird sometimes that I don't have to make a lot of effort at it and things just happen.

Rule 1: Never refuse an invitation.
Rule 2: Get out of the house at least one weeknight a week.

There will be more rules to follow. I meet many new people a week because I have a gift for meeting people. Not everyone is born with it but I do believe that anyone has room for improvement and the only thing holding most people back is there own insecurity. will that person validate me as an individual? I don't care, my value does not go down in the transaction. I may meet a person only once, but they will remember me.

I have my first two referrals waiting in the wings. That tells me that I've finally reached a critical mass in that area. A referral is worth a lot more than an online dating lead.

I guess one point is that I'm happy by myself and don't have to date at this point to b happy. I can date for the fun of it and just be myself.

Someday I'll write a book! Keep up your networking efforts. Go where other people are. Let me know if you have any questions.

I should note some updates while I'm at it. Maureen and I had a round of emails yesterday and then I had a pleasant call with her last night. She paid me a very nice compliment (I'm wondering if she has intuited my love language) and I returned it. I floated the idea of an informal date Thursday and to my surprise she was interested. She also invited me to a LRB concert next month and I have accepted. She then told me something that no other woman has ever told me. She said it was okay for me to check up on her family. Her family lives in the next town. Both my town and her hometown are very small tight-knit communities where it's possible to make an inquiry as to a family's reputation. I've already started inquiries.

It's all very interesting.

I am happy to report that I survived my "weekend retreat" alone...

I arrived in Sturgeon Bay, WI on Friday morning - clients picked me up and we attended the memorial service that I flew up for. Had a nice time, I, at the tender age of 46, was the youngest in attendance - so the old men were having a great time talking to me (YUK! EWWW!!)

Then, another client picked me up, and he and his wife took me for a tour of the Door County peninsula and out to dinner - had the BEST walleye I've ever tasted - soooooo fresh!

Lights out at 10:45 pm in the cutest little B&B right on the bay. OK - now I'm on my own until Sunday afternoon.

Woke up Saturday - went for a run along the bay - and oogled at all the rich and fancy people's houses. Came back and ate breakfast. Then, I got in the car and drove back to some of the little towns that I had seen the day before and did some shopping. Bought myself a little piece of jewelry (since no one else buys me any, tee hee) and some dark chocolate treats. Drove back to the B&B taking the route along the coast, and stopped at two beaches - took in some sun and a few photos.

Had dinner at a local restaurant, soaked in the B&B whirlpool tub, settled in for some Olympics viewing, and had a great 10 hour sleep!

Drove back to the airport (got lost) and stopped at the casino that is right across the street (I had some time to kill) - lost $30.00 and flew home!

Tired when I got home, but refreshed and happy that I went! It's a little hard to entertain yourself when there are no chores to do, no appointments to keep, etc., but, I managed!

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

Laura

that actually sounds like fun!

this weekend the kids and i are going to spend it with my parents. we are school shopping and swimming in my parents pool. it will be nice and relaxing (except the school shopping part).

eh, i love hanging out with my kids. for right now, they are all i need. i'll choose them any time right now!

MLHB, sounds alot like our weekend. Driving down to a friend's house with a great pool, cabana, pool table, HDTV and Wii. Staying the weekend. The kids go from pool to basement to play Wii or DVDs then back to the pool. Many other friends will drop in and out, with lots of kids to enjoy. Imagine 8 screaming girls doing Wii singing contests. Adults cook and hang out poolside to read and relax.

We can't wait. It's like a great vacation at a real home.

8 screaming girls?
i hope the adults have access to some good alcohol! lol

I'm completely on my own this weekend. Jill is enjoying the clean, cool air of CO with her folks, and my kids are with their mom in RI. I might weed my flowerbed and take a bike ride.

Other than that, I plan to sit around the house with the remote in one hand and a beer in the other. I guess if my butt itches, I'll have to scratch it up against the back of the couch, because I ain't putting either item down for a second.

I'm playing in a baseball tournament. See my thread in Divorced for details. Getting the jitters about it now!

ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE EATING CHEETOS!!

DS4 is with his mom this weekend

I'm supposed to have a "I have a friend I'd like you to meet" thing from my buddies wife this weekend.

Regardless, I'll be on the golf course, and also drinking beer and scratching my butt on stuff.

See? BC knows! I learned the trick from my dogs.

I don't think I'll wear a shirt all weekend. Heck... I might not even wear pants.

It's gonna be awesome!

I gotta work.

I've put in 14 hour days for the past three weeks plus every other weekend.

I can't wait to see this paycheck.

There's a gun show here on Saturday and my older brother is coming up to it and I think I will go after work with him as I only have to work til noon.

I will have to resist buying a new toy as we want a new TV at home.

My son has a Varsity Football Scrimmage tonight. Tomorrow I work half a day and then myself and my kids, my sister and her family and my two brothers and their families are taking our Mother (she's turning 70 next weekend) to a Japanese Restaurant where they cook right in front of you with flames and food flying everywhere. Working on Sunday and Monday. Have Tuesday and Wednesday off. Kids go back to school Tuesday and I like to be home for them the first few days.

Well, after work, I met my older brother at the gun show and managed not to spend over $20!

My XBIL came too along with the airport's AP mechanic. Mechanic friend told me that my X needed a date and can't get one, but she refused him. He asked if I was still with GF.

Anyways My older brother took us for BBQ and I took them to a huge gun store here.

They left for their 4 hour trip back home and I went over to my twin brother's house.

His apple tree was damaged in the storms and it had to be cut down.

So I put my man skills to use and baked some pies.

I can't wait to take them to work on Monday!

LOL WUT???

Sorry Pariah, I'm suffering a little cognitive dissonance here. Lemme see if I can get this straight. Your XW needs a date for something, but turned down your XBIL's mechanic friend.

Then mechanic friend asked you if you still had a GF?

Was the intent to see if you'd be available as a date for your XW???

Please tell me I got that wrong because poetic justice like that only happens in the movies.

Oh... And how in the hell do you manage to only spend $20 at a gun show???

Are you feeling alright?

Yeah, I think XW is having AP mechanic give Pariah reports.

He made a comment about me making too much money and I commented that two grand a week isn't a whole lot in Atlanta.

It'll get back to her for sure.

This past month ripped me a new one with having to buy propane, buy tires, send GF to see about her mother and make repairs on her car and then the mini vacation last week for me to spend much at the gun show.

In the next few weeks I have plans to acquire a few more toys and I am almost finished paying off my medical bills form my gunshot wound and the taxes that tore me a new one this past year.

I'm also saving up to buy another house.

I landed on my feet and I have wind in my sails.

Oh, XBIL who is about to be a Judge spent $20K on Lugers at the show. XW always wanted to be like her sister, financially care-free. I didn't fit the bill. OM seemed to fit the bill, but he had that family of his to keep getting in her way.

Love the gunstore in Butler. Doesn't take a long time to get there from Ellaville.