Why not agree to meet him for coffee or just a drink. It's not like you haven't met him (or could he be making that up? - can u check?) I believe it could be good. And that you should give him a chance. Give him the benefit of the doubt unless he does something that is a deal breaker. Be up front about it being "just a drink". I say - go for it - what do you have to lose. But as always - be safe & let a friend know where you are going.
Ok, ok...all I can offer you guys is the last slice of my humble pie. For the record, now that Brady isn't in the Super Bowl, I'm rooting for Manning to win the Big One.
Gineen,
I think it would be best to meet the guy and gauge his vibes. I pick up a lot of people's intentions through vibes and when I do listen to my gut, I'm almost always right. When I discount my gut's warnings, I get bitten in the butt badly!
And BA - we wanna know about Sarah! C'mon - spill...Barb
Alright already! The weekend with Sarah was a lot of fun. She arrived on Saturday morning here in DC and I picked her up at the airport. There were obvious nerves on both of our parts however after an hour or so of conversation and laughing a bit that all went away. She is as sweet and kind in person as she has been in our disucussions online. She is also pretty darn easy on the eyes which doesn't hurt either.
Saturday after she arrived and got settled here at the house, I took her out to the Virginia countryside (aka - where the rich folks live) and we had a nice lunch and some antique shop browsing. On the way back we hit up a local winery with a great view of the Shenandoah mountains. In the evening we went to dinner at a local Irish Pub here in Fairfax. Saturday night we spent at my house talking and then watched a movie together on the couch - yes there is definitely romantic interest on her side.
Sunday I took her downtown and played DC tourist guide for most of the morning and afternoon. We got back in time to watch the AFC and NFC football games (she is a huge NFL fan and Betsey you will appreciate the fact that she was rooting for your Broncos - sorry Wonka!) We both cooked dinner together Sunday night which was nice.
All in all it was a very nice weekend. On the way to the airport she let me know that she would like to come visit again. I'm not sure where this goes though because on a daily basis we are a 1000 miles apart and she has quite a bit going on in her family life right now up in Northern Michigan. However who knows what the future holds. Right now everything is simply open ended.
As for family life, things are not going so well for my father unfortunately. The radiation treatements are no fun for him and he is still in a LOT of pain and him and my Mom are now considering just transitioning into hospice care and focusing on quality of life versus quantity.
Ok, ok...all I can offer you guys is the last slice of my humble pie. For the record, now that Brady isn't in the Super Bowl, I'm rooting for Manning to win the Big One.
Humble pie??? Damn I was hoping for a bottle of scotch!!! How about you Bets?
Gineen - I'm with Barb - meet the dude for coffee and see for yourself? If only to do what Wonka says - to test how reliable your gut is. Call it an experiment?
Since BA posted photos of Sarah on the alt, I'm guessing they had a really great time. Maybe with his impending snow day, he'll have time to come tell us all about his new dilemmas. And BA, hope your dad is comfortable.
Wonka - I can accept the humble pie offer in exchange for going orange in 2 weeks. It sounds like a good deal.
Now would you guys back east please get rid of that nasty cold and snow quickly? I need to plan a trip to Pittsburgh and I don't want to come to that crap. Kat, I don't know if Olathe or Pittsburgh is first, because I'm going to have a trip to smelly Greeley, Colorado, the week of Valentine's Day. I'll let you know how this logistics mess all plays out.
Hope everyone stays warm with lots of food and no power outages.
Betsey
"There are only 2 ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
LOL, BA, we must be on the same spock-like posting schedule!
I'm glad you and Sarah had such a good time. So, it doesn't sound like you're any more clear on what you want with her than before she came? She sounds nice and fun (and yes, gotta appreciate the long distance rooting for the donkeys) and complicated? I think I told you that I'm okay with LD R's... they force you to take things sloooooowly. On the other hand, when you do see each other, you tend to be doing things that are fun, you let things go that bother you because you don't want to spoil the time, and I think the tendency to set ourselves up for rose colored glasses leans in that direction. I also think when they do work, that there is a plan at an agreeable time to eliminate that distance.
Sounds like you have a lot to think about?
But again, I my spidey sense says to remind you to pay attention to the timing of everything. You're a little emotionally raw and vulnerable right now. As your scotch drinking pal, I say to you, "Honor yourself and your feelings first, Dave". Because you have every reason to feel the emotions that you feel right now. Not only that, healthy people use these situations to acknowledge them and give them their full due to fully heal on the other side. You have never seemed like the kind of guy who needed a distraction to numb pain...
I don't know if I ever told you, but I was a hospice volunteer for 10 years. It was truly one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. I'm a firm believer in making our loved ones comfortable through the process. After all, when an expectant family is getting ready for a transition, we often have volunteers to help us through that, so why not at the end?
I'll probably cry when I write this, but the best thing I ever got from doing that work was the beauty and gift of family who honor the dying process for what it is. There are a couple families who positively impacted me for life by being real with themselves, their dying family member, and those of us on the care team. And truly one of the most profound moments in my life occurred watching a family hold their member's hand during his last moments on earth, talk to each other and him, tell him how much they loved him and how much he would be missed, but that they knew it was time for him to go and telling him to go freely. The man died within minutes. And after he passed, they all looked at each other through the tears and said, "Let's go out to eat. That's what we do best." I loved them for that. I've decided that would be my perfect ending if I were ever to have the choice. They told me afterward that they all acknowledged nobody wants to die alone, so they made sure they were present with their dad/hubby/grandfather every step of the way. That man must have done something right to have so much love at a time when lots of people run scared.
Hugs to you and your family, BA. Although I have not lost a parent, it's got to be one of the most difficult things ever.
Bets
p.s. Scotch would definitely be nicer, but I'm okay with her commitment to Peyton.
"There are only 2 ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
For the record, now that Brady isn't in the Super Bowl, I'm rooting for Manning to win the Big One. 
The weekend with Sarah was a lot of fun. She arrived on Saturday morning here in DC and I picked her up at the airport. There were obvious nerves on both of our parts however after an hour or so of conversation and laughing a bit that all went away. She is as sweet and kind in person as she has been in our disucussions online. She is also pretty darn easy on the eyes which doesn't hurt either. 
