Our First Weekend Together

So this weekend started with a picture -- well actually our first picture together.  Thank you to the mom of my favorite four year old for taking it.  Can you tell that it was cold Saturday morning?

So the picture was taken while we were watching my favorite four year old play soccer.

One of these days, he is really going to hate that Miss Gwen took this video of him.  

Of course, his little sister had to get in on the attention too and insisted on playing with the two of us during the game.

After the game, we ventured over to the outlets in Mebane.  Yes, girls, I have found a guy that loves kids, cooks, bakes and likes to go shopping with me.  I am one LUCKY girl!   It probably helped that he needed some clothes for work so we did some shopping for him as well.   I forgot how much fun it was to pick out clothes for someone else.   He will definitely be the best dressed guy at work this week.

After our little shopping excursion, we then watched the end of the UNC football game on TV.

We ended our day with dinner with two of my dear friends at my favorite restaurant, Gravy, in downtown Raleigh.

So, I think this weekend was a great way to start a relationship and learn how to live, laugh and love all over again.

Well, it's official......

So, the field has been narrowed down to one.   Match #5 and I are officially dating.  Sorry to disappoint those who may have been pulling for Match #1 but it just isn't the right time for us.  Will and I are still going to stay in touch and will remain friends.   I'm actually dog sitting for him this weekend while he is out of town.    I look at it as not losing out but gaining a great guy who is and is going to be an awesome friend.  

As for David and I, our first weekend as a couple is going to be chopped full of fun, friends, and food.  Stay tuned for the details.

Thanks to all of you for your support during this fun time of reading profiles, exchanging emails and meeting new guys.   I have loved sharing my experiences with all of you and getting comments and feedback.   All of your opinions and thoughts have meant a lot.

It has been an adventure and now the real fun begins of getting to know more about the one and only guy in my life who is going to continue to help me learn how to live, laugh and love all over again.

Happy Birthday To Me!

So I have figured out the best way to spend a birthday....winery hopping with friends. On Saturday to celebrate my and a dear friend's birthday, I ventured to Elkin, NC via Winston-Salem, NC and went on a winery crawl with friends for the day.

We started out the day with a late breakfast of the home of my friend's parents. We then loaded up the car with a picnic lunch and water and headed out for our adventure.

We started the day at Elkin Creek Vineyard

Down by the creek

I think I could have sat out there all day

We then ventured to Grassy Creek Vineyard and Winery.

The Tasting Room

And then ended our day at McRitchie Winery and Ciderworks.

All Smiles After a Day of Drinking

No, the wine doesn't have bubbles, that is the CIDER!!!

After our wine adventure, we headed to downtown Winston Salem, met up with my parents and a few others and had dinner at a great new restaurant.

Overall, I will consider birthday number 35 a success and one that I won't forget in a very long time.

So cheers to great friends, family and wine! Here's to learning how to live, laugh and love all over again.

Date #6 with Potential Match #1 AKA Birthday Date #2

So I am sure that everyone is thinking that Match #1 has disappeared. But he hasn't. We went on date #6 over the weekend so that he could get in on the "Birthday Girl" action.

He picked me up Sunday and we went to lunch at an Irish pub near my place. Since the weather was so nice we sat outside and enjoyed fish and chips and chocolate bread pudding.

While dining he presented me with a card that plays music with a gift card inside to one of my favorite stores. I think I will be going shopping very soon.

So don't count Will out quite yet, he's still in the running.

Date #4 with Potential Match #5 AKA Birthday date #1

So this date can also be entitled "Birthday Date #1".  As ya'll are all aware, I recently celebrated my birthday.  As previous discussed, I was a little anxious to celebrate this birthday.  But now that the big day has come and gone, I can say that it will be a birthday that I will never forget as well as cherish for quite a while.

So to jump start my birthday celebrations, David (Potential Match #5) took me out to celebrate on Thursday.  The evening started with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, which of course included a HUGE piece of cheesecake.  After dinner he took me to Build-A-Bear so that I could make my "present."  Now the best part of my Build-A-Bear experience was that we were the only one in the store.  It probably helped that it was pretty close to closing time when we got there.  But I LOVED every minute of the attention and had lots of fun picking out my bear, assisting in stuffing him, picking out his clothes, dressing him and finally coming up with a name for him.

 

The Wait Staff Singing to Me

My piece of cheesecake.

Let me introduce you to Hershey Barnes.

So can you figure out where his name came from? 

Date #3 with Potential Match #5

So apparently the way to a girl's heart is through her stomach. Well, at least it is for me. As y'all are all well aware of, I can't and don't cook. And David has figured that out. Good thing is, he does! So last night, he came over and cooked dinner for me.

Now, I know you are wondering why he cooked at my place instead of his. Well, I have the better kitchen, plus he is in the process of remodeling his condo and did not feel that it was in a presentable condition. I think he actually told me that I should make sure my tetanus booster is up to date before coming over. I am sure that it really isn't that bad. But I didn't mind him coming over and using my kitchen. Plus he had never gotten to cook on a gas stove before and really wanted to.

So while he cooked, I sat in the kitchen and served the wine. He made me this awesome creamy herb spinach penne pasta chicken dish and served it with fresh wheat rolls and then even made dessert. All I had to furnish was the wine. Now that is my kind of date!

And since he did all of the cooking, I did the clean up. And let's just say, that I am thankful for the non-stick cookware that my lovely mom gave me last year for Christmas. Clean up was a breeze and then we got to enjoy the yummy chocolate caramel dessert while watching Sherlock Holmes.

Not bad for date #3......I wonder what date #4 will entail.

Game Day in Chapel Hill and Date #2 too....

So yesterday, I ventured to Chapel Hill to see my beloved Tarheels play football.  And ya'll know what.... I wasn't by myself.  Potential match #5 went with me as our second date.

He met me at my place and we drove to Chapel Hill after stopping and picking up subs for lunch.  We then walked around campus, off course with me showing him various dorms, classrooms, my favorite spots, etc., we listened to the drumline warm up.......

and then ate a picnic lunch on the quad before the game.

Now even though he grew up cheering for Virginia Tech and graduated from East Carolina, he donned a Carolina Blue shirt and sat and cheered for my Heels with me.  This is a very good sign!!!  Too bad the Heels couldn't pull out a victory, but the defeat by Miami did not put a damper on our day together.

After the loss, we came back to my place, ordered pizza, enjoyed a few Sam Adams Octoberfest and sat outside and talked about life.

Overall, it was a wonderful day.  The weather was perfect, the company was great and it was an awesome way to learn how to live, laugh and love all over again.

And stayed tuned.....date number 3 is later this week.

Date #1 with Potential Match #5

Yes I can count..... and no I didn't skip over #4.  I will have to explain that one later.

So, tonight I had date #1 with potential match #5.  We met for coffee/hot cocoa (because ya'll know that I don't drink coffee - especially not at night) at Barnes and Nobles.  I picked the bookstore because we had a great "conversation" the other day about books and I thought it would be a fitting first date.

We will call #5---- David.  So David is divorced and has an eight year old daughter from his previous marriage.  I have not met her but have seen pictures and she is cute.   He sees her every other weekend and a few nights during the week.    David works for a telecommunications company in Raleigh as a project manager.   He has both an MBA and a B.S. in Chemistry and used to work for a pharmaecutial research company.  Told you---- I am starting to see a pattern here.

So a few years ago, David got a little burned out from working all day in a lab and decided to go back to school for his MBA.   So he did that while working full time and helping to raise his daughter.   He got his current job as a result of going back to school.

Since it was such a nice night, we sat outside and he had a pumpkin latte (well, actually 2) while I enjoyed a hot chocolate (well I had 2 as well) and we talked for 2 1/2 hours.   We talked families, jobs, relationships, etc.   We probably would still be out there talking if it hadn't started to get a little chilly plus my sinus medication was starting to wear off.   So he walked me to my car and we made plans for Saturday.  

So stayed tuned for date #2.  

Let's Just Be Friends

So no girl likes to hear the phrase, "let's just be friends......" come out of a guys mouth.  Normally, I would rather the guy just tell me that they aren't interested and then move on to the next person.

However, in my life right now, having such a friend is maybe just what I need and maybe it is also the foundation of a relationship that may one day grow into something else.  I have always wanted to marry my best friend, and someone can't be your BEST friend unless they are a friend first.

So potential match #1 and I had such a talk.    His life is just a little too busy right now for a serious and committed relationship.  He has a demanding job that requires him to work odd hours plus he has his daughter.   One top of all that, he is in the midst of a custody dispute and neither one of us wants to cause any problems that could jeopardize the life that he wants with his precious child.  

So the other afternoon, while sitting outside and enjoying the awesome weather on that day we decided to just be friends.   And by friends, we actually meant that we wanted to be friends.   We want to still see each other and occasionally have dinner together or meet for drinks.   In particular we made plans to get together for his birthday.    

So tonight that is what we did.  I baked mini chocolate lava cakes, we opened a bottle of wine and sat a watched a movie while enjoying the treats to celebrate his birthday.  

Only time will tell.  Until then, I now know that dating is tough and is full of all kinds of ups and downs, but it is definitely helping me learn how to live, laugh and love all over again starting with a new friend.

Gwendolyn's Top 10

So it appears that I have several qualities that make ME a good potential match in this whole internet dating world.  From what I can tell, here they are:

10. I know how to use spell check.
9.  I can write in complete sentences and use full words.
8.  I have a job that I actually like and don't whine about it.
7.  I do more then just go shopping.
6.  I have a college degree.
5.  I own a house.
4.  I am honest and straightforward and not afraid to make the first move.
3.  I can actually name players associated with athletic teams. 
2.  I know what a micro brew is.

And drum roll please, the number one thing that I have that guys love....

1.  My NFL Sunday Ticket Subscription with DirecTV!  SCORE!!!

One and Done with Potential Match #3

See, I told you I needed a social secretary....

So Wednesday I met match #3 for drinks and dinner after work. We work just a few minutes from each other, so we thought it would be fun to meet somewhere in between our jobs. So we met at this great place called Mez. We sat outside and enjoyed the wonderful weather.

We will call Match #3, Henry.

So Henry and I have been emailing back and forth for a few days now and spent one evening on the phone for about 1 1/2 hours. I know, sorry mom, I don't even talk to you for that long sometimes. When I hung up the phone, I couldn't believe how long it had been. We probably could have talked longer if we hadn't decided to just go ahead and plan to meet up with each other.

Henry is an ex-marine (used to be based at Camp Lejeune) and now works for a pharmeatuical research company here in the RTP. He has two cats, loves wine and brews his own beer. I am starting to see a pattern of the type of guys that I am attracted to.

Match #1 has a degree is material science (google it, you will be impressed), and now Match #3 is a scientist. We will forget about Match #2 -- he was just a teacher --- No offense to my teacher friends.

The date went fairly well. We had a great conversation and I learned that he is one of nine children, all of his family lives in New Jersey, and it was his dad that got him into the cell culture field.   However, there is more to an relationship then just conversation, and in this case there just wasn't much of a spark.   The next morning I received a text message from him expressing that he shared my opinion and we wished each other the best.    No hard feelings or disappointment.   But hey, at least I got a nice dinner out of it (and lunch the next day--- gotta love leftovers).

I think I am getting the hang of this whole thing called dating. And for those of you who are wondering, yes match #1 is still in the running.

Date #2 and #3 and #4 with Potential Match #1

So Will and I have seen each other a few times in the past week or so.   Since he has joint custody of his child, we have to get a little creative with our dates.   So I went over to his house one night after his daughter had gone to bed for the evening.  We made hot cocoa with whipped topping and watched The Notebook.  The movie is such a sweet love story and provided a great back drop to conversations about what we are both looking forward to in a potential mate.  It also is such a great illustration of what true love really is and allowed us to get a glimpse of the kind of love that we both want.

And yes, I cried.   I not sure if he actually did or not, but I know that it got him thinking and he appreciated the story line.  It also helped that the movie was filmed in his hometown.

He then came by a few days later to bring me dinner to help with one of my cravings since I am starting back on solid foods.   Now that I am starting to feel better and have the ability to eat, I am craving not so healthy foods.  That night it was pizza.

So he stopped by and picked me up a pizza after dropping off his daughter and we sat and talked while I ate and satisfied my craving.   Pizza never tasted so good.

And then to celebrate my ability to drink again, we went and got dinner and a beer at Wild Wing Cafe.   It was so nice to have a draft beer.

All of these "dates" were wonderful experiences.   I have forgotten how nice it is to have someone pay  attention to me.   The evenings have allowed me to feel the warmth and comfort of someone that is now helping me to learn how to live, laugh and love all over again.

Bad Date - Potential Match #2

So, I guess it was bound to happen.  And I am hoping that it won't happen again.  But last Saturday morning, I had a date with Potential Match #2 that went sour pretty quick.  We will call him Don.

So we met for breakfast that morning.  The initial intent was that if it went well, that he would join me at my company's picnic.

Well, let's just say, I barely made it through breakfast.   I had to secretly text a few people hoping one of them would call me to help me stage an accident and quick escape.  So thanks to my sister and brother-in-law that were in a "serious car accident" that morning that required me to drop everything that I was doing and head home for the rest of the weekend.

I know that it was mean and probably wrong, but I had to do something.  Before we even had our meal in front of us, he was planning our wedding.  Not literally, but you get the idea.   I think he is just a TAD bit tooooo eager.

So lesson learned, always have someone on speed text or dial to help plot an escape route.   At least no harm was done.   And I just went to my company's picnic on my own and had a great time.   And it is something that I can reflect on and laugh all about it.

So back to the site to see who else I have waiting for me.   Also, potential mate #1 is still in the game.

Kind of starting to have a little fun with all of this.  Not a bad way to really start learning how to live, laugh and love all over again.

October

So October is my favorite month of the year. I wonder why.....

Could it be that the weather is cooler? Or is it the change in colors?  Or is it that fact that the heart of football season is here? Or is it because it is the time of year that things at work slow down?

Well, it is all of those plus one more thing...IT'S MY BIRTHDAY MONTH. Now, I will admit that I am a little nervous about my birthday this year. I am hitting a number that just seems so big and makes me feel old. No, the number doesn't end in a zero, but it is right smack in the middle of two that do.

I guess a lot of it has to do with the fact that I am at a point now in my life that I didn't expect myself to ever be in. I also imagined a different life for myself when I reached this age.

But that's okay, here's to a new month, physical healing and hopefully the start of something new.

So on this day when I can finally have a beer, I am toasting the start of October with a Sam Adams Octoberfest. Now I am off to dust off my boots and unpack the sweaters. Yeah, I think that is why I love this month.

Feeling Better- FINALLY!!!

So it has been quite a while since I can say that I felt good.   Yesterday was the first day that I woke up without the sudden urge to pop some pain medication.    I was also finally able to eat a few "solid" foods.  I ate 1/2 of a cheeseburger at my company's picnic, had chicken nuggets and fries from Chick-fil-a for dinner and finished off the evening with homemade apple pie and ice cream.   As for today, still no pain meds needed, have been in a much better mood and got a full nights sleep last night.

Now I have two more days of antibiotics so still no drinking...I think I can wait some more, but the beers and wine in my fridge are calling my name REALLY LOUD.  

These last few weeks have been tough with the aftermath of my surgery.   I still can't believe that having two little teeth cut out could cause so many problems.Now granted, I did develop two dry sockets and an infection as a result, but still.   But not only have I been dealing with physical pain, I have had quite a rollar coaster of emotional pain and feelings too.

I have had a few reality checks, a confirmation, and did some letting go.

First off, I realized that I had been used to having someone take care of me and had learned to depend on someone else.   I now have to learn how to take care of myself and not be so dependent.

I also realized that it is okay to ask for help.   I had a day when I really needed some help and I asked.   Which helped me to realize that I have a lot of other people in my life that care and are here for me when I need them the most.  

I also realized that I have gotten so caught up in the what ifs that I have forgotten about the reality.   I know that I just need to focus on the present.  No need to worry about the past or the future.

I have also had a few moments where I have realized that I made the right decision.   Most importantly, I  had a moment when I realized that I haven't gotten over him.   Which led me to realize that I still have not completely let go.

So one day last week, I dropped off a box of items on the front porch of the house belonging to someone's parents.  The box contained several items that I ended up with and I finally saw no need for me to keep them.   I also finally had no desire to keep them.    And from now on anything else that I find will just end up at Goodwill.

And even though I was tempted to put a nasty gram in the box.  I didn't.

So I think I am getting closer to being healed.  Both physically and emotionally.  It is funny sometimes what needs to happen to make oneself slow down and take a status check.

For me it was a surgery that completely turned my life upside down.  Funny how God works sometime.

Now, time to focus on the things that can continue to help me feel better and learn to live, laugh and love all over again.