Figuring Out What Comes Next

[DonH]

All things considered I guess it was not too bad of a Thanksgiving extended weekend. It certainly can't be said that I've not been trying to GAL and doing those types of activities. Has it helped? Well, as it was happening I didn't so much think so but now today in looking back maybe it has made me feel a bit better. It certainly gave me some great people watching.

In the past 6 years on even numbered years I was out of state. Not this time so it left me the "opportunity" to do Thanksgiving with my sister-in-law's side of the family. My brother and SIL have been married for a little over 25 years. Their girls are now out of the house and off on their own and at least for now they are still holding it together - although clearly doing so by doing many things apart. I've not seen many from that side of the family in a while and not interacted in a long while. It was actually a nice time. There were about 25 people total - including those from my close family including my parents.

The people watching started as the adopted son of SIL's aunt (her mom's sister) showed up with one or two of his kids. He's around 42-45 I'm guessing. I have no idea what his ancestry is - but appears sort of middle eastern type??? I've never really known him well, just know of how people speak of him. I believe he is twice D although not positive - once for certain. He is very, very smart - book smart, but has always struggled with life. Professional student might best describe him as he has three or four degrees including two masters but has never worked in any of them and is currently managing a restaurant or brew pub or something like that. Again, nice enough guy, just very, very quiet, no social skills that I see. Anyhow, his teen aged son looked very much like him - very much has the same ethnic attributes. His "daughter" who looks a bit older on the other hand did not. She is beyond beautiful and looked to me to be very close in many ways to my niece 23 - who is also very, very smart (in school to become a dentist), very pretty, very personable - yes I think very, very highly of my niece. Anyhow, I could see this guys D - who I later found out to be 26, so 3 years old than my niece - being much like her. Turns out she too has a masters - in museum history or something like that - and is thinking of going for a second as she currently works as a waitress at a restaurant.

As the evening wore on I began to think, hmmmmmm this might not be his daughter after all. Oh wait, she's sharing a large chair with him now and he's stroking her back - OMG this is his GIRL FRIEND!!!!!!! I'm cracking up all over again just typing this story out. Now, I felt and still feel a little angst dating a 42 year old at 55. I could not imagine being 45 and dating a 26 year old. This of course brought up all sorts of question in my mind - moreso about her. I mean, stunning would not be an overstatement. Obviously has to have some brains and in the little I spoke with her seemed to. My mouth is still open. Oh and this guy, BEYOND geeky. How does a stunning, beautiful, smart, 26 year old want to date a geeky, loser type 45 year old with teenagers????????? I don't get it, I could not do it, but whatever. Clearly even THIS GUY has more game than I do. LMAO!

The last time I was with family two months ago I was somewhat grilled about Wild Girl. Clearly that is no longer even a blip on the radar and no one even mentioned it. Totally fine by me.

Friday brought what many now call a "friendsgiving" with a bunch of friends from high school. It was held at a place only 5 minutes from where I live - pretty much just about the only thing 5 minutes from where I live. There were about 20 of us although I really only knew about a half dozen of them well. Some I barely remembered their names much less recognized them - at all. There were three guys who I hung out with often in high school and then three of the girls the same - including one I 'dated' but again at 17 so.... Let's just look at those 7 of us. Of the guys, all of us have been D'd, two of them are re-married. The girls, two are D'd with only one of this group married for a single time - in fact I'm pretty certain my band played for her wedding some 30+ years ago. Good for her. The rest of us? It was somewhat interesting how four of us (two guys and two of the women) are not dating anyone seriously and have not since our D. We all agreed it was so much harder now and less fulfilling. I'm D'd the longest though with the others 1 year, 5 years and one I think 9 years now.

Saturday brought a HUGE and i mean HUGE event that I performed at. Had to be over a thousand people in this, well can't call it a tent - portable building is more like it with doors, indoor portas and the like. Was a great time and got to see many, many people. Wild Girls parents, aunt and WG were all supposed to be there but decided it was just too much of a hassle to get in with parking and really didn't want to miss the Christmas Parade in their hometown so they were a no show. No real surprise.

After we were done and everyone left I met up a block away with a friend I've had since I was 20, maybe 21? So, a long, long time. The last time I saw her was nearly a year ago although this is one of those where we pick up right where we left off. We ended up talking and catching up until past midnight. She mentioned this guy who she claims is my twin in personality. She has said this about a well known radio personality here in town (he also fills in now and then for Rush) and in this case she is very accurate and I very much agree. After hearing more about this other guy and then seeing his picture, I was like, THAT'S who you think is my TWIN?????? OMG - is that really how people see me? I so hope she's off base on that one or I don't come across even close to how I think I do. That was a gut punch.

Sunday was a down day and then the snow hit. Now living in Wisconsin I'm used to it - but this is our second snow already this year - which that is not typical and to get something of this size this soon is not at all even close to typical. The cruise is 7 weeks now from this Thursday and can't come soon enough.

What else is there, oh, college dean might not be taken after all. In fact, I wonder if Wild Girl is not screwing this up for me in that College Dean's friends are not about to set her up with a guy who is still sort of dating someone else including taking that someone on an 8 day vacation. I'm not sure about that, but with a couple of things that were said about timing and even a direct mention of Wild Girl, I'm wondering. That would be truly sad as this girl actually seems like a potential keeper. Life is all about timing, however, and there is nothing I can do about it at this point other than hope that at the end of January I figure out a way to meet her in person - and she's still available when I do.

I've not head from the online girl at all since last week Sunday. We went out for a few hours a week ago Saturday, texted a little on Sunday but that was it. I did not reach out to her and she has not reached out to me. Guess that one may be done - or will be one of those spur of the moment/last minute type of "hey how are you do you want to go to ____ with me this weekend? type of thing.

Meeting even more friends on Tuesday - this time from my fire department past. Hmmmmm, seems like lots of this is about my past, doesn't it?

Pretty vanilla update I guess. At least I'm not as much in a funk as I was. Might work on a Christmas song to put out on social media this week. I've done this before a couple of times with my good friend who died of lung CA this past January doing some nice video slide show pictures to the music. Until I get off my @ss and do my real Christmas recording, putting one of these songs out every few years is the best I've done. Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook can see the old ones and will see this new one - if I get it done that is.

Other than that, not much else. Still wishing I had June, July, August back.