Dinner tonight went well. I had a great time. Jeremy's family seems like a bunch of fun people. They were very kind to me and made me feel very welcome. When I arrived, Jeremy was waiting in the lobby for me, as he said he would be. He walked me over to the lounge area where everyone was waiting for our table to be ready. His mom immediately stood up and said, "You must be Liz!" And then she introduced me all of her friends who were with her, and she told them all the things that Jeremy had told her about me. She then waved me to sit down and pull my chair up beside hers so that we could talk. When she asked if I wanted something to drink, I told her that my friend has recommended trying a mojito. She said that that sounded good and she wanted to try one too. So Jeremy went and got us drinks. His mom is very animated, and she seems like she likes to be the center of attention. She certainly relished the limelight. When we were seated, I sat between Jeremy and his brother's fiance. His brother is very engaging, and tried very hard to keep me involved in the conversations, he asked a lot of questions, and he and his fiance were very nice. Jeremy was very polite, and we smiled a lot at each other, and we kept leaning in to have our own little conversations, and things were fairly laid back between us. I'm pretty sure that he paid for my dinner. And it wasn't a cheap restaurant either. Looking back, I remember him getting up from the table; I thought he was getting more food from the salad bar, but he came back empty handed. At the end of the dinner, I didn't get a check, and I noticed that he didn't either. He just said that if they overlooked me, I shouldn't worry about it. Before we left, all of his family hugged me goodbye, and his mom told me that I should join them again. I told her that I would if Jeremy invited me again. She said, "Oh, don't worry, he will." So needless to say, I'm all smiles and giggles. And there was chemistry there between Jeremy and me. There's definitely potential there. But this is going to go very slow. I am going to encourage him every step of the way, but it will have to be his way, at his speed. And that's ok by me.

I have been talking to this guy Jeremy for the last month. I went on a date with him last July, about two weeks before I met Ben. We talked for three hours over dinner, and I thought we had a lot in common. Then we just stopped talking. I decided that I was not again going to be the one to do the pursuing and go chasing another man. If there was going to be pursuing, it was going to be on his end. So I stopped calling him, and he didn't call me either. During the time since then, I noticed that he was playing the "Jdate game." (This game goes like this: I look at your Jdate profile; you go look at the people who have been looking at your profile, you see that I was looking at it, and you come look at my profile. I then go look and see who has been looking at my profile, and I see that you looked at my profile. So I go look at your profile again; process repeats itself a few times. Then, eventually, either I or you send an email or a flirt or something. Then we start talking. That is the Jdate game.) I noticed that Jeremy would look at my profile at least once a week. So I decided that I was curious, and I sent him an email asking how he was doing. We've been in touch since then, entirely by emailing and text messaging. I'm wondering if he has some phobia about talking on the phone. Text messaging is much safer I suppose. But for the last week or so he has been hinting about hanging out, or asking what I'm doing this weekend, stuff like that. I knew what was coming, and look at me- I let it happen at his pace, and I didn't push it. I let him come up with a way of asking me out on his own terms, and I didn't do it for him. I am so proud of myself. Well, as I'm sure you've guessed, he asked me out. Yes, it was over text message, but it happened. But at least I've already met him, and I know that in person we aren't weird around each other. The thing that is weird, is he invited me to be his date to his mom's birthday dinner this Saturday. I am going to meet his entire family. So, needless to say, I'm nervous. It is weird to meet the family this soon in a relationship, but should I really complain when every other guy has kept me as far from his family and "his" life as possible? Maybe not. But I think maybe I should take a couple of steps to keep this from being as weird as possible. I am going to call him on the phone (uh oh) and ask if we can meet before the dinner, so that we can become reacquainted before I meet his family. Two sticks with one stone. We'll see how it goes.

So my weekend is over now. I had things planned all three days, and yet I was very bored. I took a stupid class at work on Thursday, finally went to see my new Doctor for a physical, and I went and did fun Pampered Chef learning today. All three evenings I wound up at home, alone. Of course, I usually wind up at home, just usually not as early as I did this weekend. I get kinda lonely when this happens. It really makes me look forward to the days when I have the man of my dreams and instead of sitting alone on the couch watching TV, I can sit with Mr Right on my couch and watch TV. Or go out with Mr Right and do something. Now wouldn't it be kinda funny if his name really was Mr Right, or Mr Wright, or something similar. Ok, not really funny. I am kinda talking to this guy Jeremy. Well, not really talking, more like emailing and text-messaging. Things are kinda going slowly, but maybe that's good. I just prefer in-person conversation and activities. Schedules are a problem. He's busy on weekends and not during the week, but he goes to bed at 9pm. My schedule is opposite, and I don't get off work until 9:30pm. Ug. I really am impatient. And I need more social interaction.

I think things are going well at work with Dory. I think we've come to an understanding. I tend to be quiet and not really talkative in the mornings, but I perk up in the afternoons. I think she's seen the pattern because she kinda just leaves me alone and lets me listen to my talk radio, then we converse all afternoon. And I'm really digging the internet access at work. My personal morale has definitely improved. Especially since I'm now stuck in an ambulance for 12 hours 4 days a week, and it's been kinda slow on weekdays. Now we can look up cool, interesting stuff, and check email, and I can blog.

I have recently discovered that hand lotions with glycerin is much better at correcting my dry, scaly, itchy skin than hand lotions without. And now I have smooth, soft hands again. I hate eczema.

I am watching The American President on TBS. This was once one of my favorite movies. Since my fairly recent increase in interest in politics and learning the difference between Democrats and Republicans, I don't really like this movie as much as before. I still like it, just not as much. I don't know why, considering all of my political issues associated with the movie are the same as they were before. I think I just have a lower opinion of DC Democrats now than I did then after all the recent stuff that's been going on.

Ok, I need to be off to bed so you can be relieved of my rambling.

I have internet access on my tablet at work! Yay! It's been a year and a half since they took our internet access away. Now I can check my mail, update my blog, and look up medications and stuff for work on our computer. Yay! So, I'm happy. Oh, yeah, and there's internet games too. Yahoo games is fun. I used to play those all the time at work when I was working nights.

I guess work is going well. I'm much happier being at work now that we have the internet back. Maybe I can stop being so bitter and cynical when I am at work. I like my partner. She's no Becki, but she's also not JD, so I am very thankful. Well, I'm sure I'll be back, but I'm going to go do something else now.

The last few days have been nothing but celebration due to Deborah's wedding. I was so glad to have been able to go to the rehearsal and the dinner. It was such a wonderful experience. I love seeing behind the scenes stuff. And I got to sit and talk with Betsy all through it and get some good pictures. It was so heartwarming to hear everyone at dinner saying all those wonderful things about Deborah and Lonnie. It makes me really glad to be able to know two such great people. And of course it's always fun talking with Jessica, and now I can say that I know her husband (and I know why she married him. He's so great). The wedding was beautiful, and was pulled off wonderfully. And it gave me an excuse to basically harass Adrienne until she called me back. At the reception, I sat with David and Kristen, Adrienne, and Shelley and her friend Erik. I love catching up on stuff that's going on. But I think it's better to not have to catch up, but to be already caught up, and stay there. So I vow to start keeping up with my friends better, so that they stay my friends, and they don't become my used-to-be friends.

I met my new partner today. Her name is Dory. I think it went well. We are the same age, she is two weeks older than me. And she has been an intermediate as long as I have been a paramedic. So she knows what she's doing. And we seem to work well together. We don't walk on each other's toes, and we go in and get the job done. And we are both silly stupid. We make faces and talk in strange voices and make bad jokes. And we both talk a lot. And we like the same music. And I think she'll put up with my talk radio so long as I don't overdo it. I'm scared it won't stay this way though. I liked JD for the first couple of weeks that I worked with him. And then I hated him. So I'm going to try to keep things good with Dory. I've already explained to her the whole JD story, and hopefully she'll understand if I have things that annoy me, as I will be understanding likewise. I'll update on her in the future, I'm sure.

Goodnight.

Wow, so it's only two weeks into the year, and I want it to be over. Ok, not really. I'm just melodramatic. I've had a lot of family stuff going on. My mom and step dad might be splitting up, but we're trying to keep that from happening. It all depends on a certain person's willingness to see a psychiatrist. But we are trying to keep things from going crazy.

And of course it's wedding season. Deborah is getting married on the 21st, as I'm sure we all know. I had the priviledge to go with her to College Station to take pictures in her wedding dress on campus. It was absolutely fabulous. I had a great time reminiscing about the old days and seeing the old campus again. Deborah is beautiful in her dress. And the drive back was full of interesting conversation.

I had a date earlier in the month. The guy is great on paper, but there was no chemistry. Frustration. I think I'm going to go for a friendship, but I don't know how that will turn out.

I have a new shift at work starting on the 21st. Goodbye 24 hr shifts. I will miss you. Starting in a couple weeks, I will be working Sunday thru Wednesday 0930-2130. It's not a bad shift. I think I'll do ok with it. At least I don't have to wake up early anymore. And I'll get some sleep. Mmmm, sleeeep.

Happy New Years. I'm at work. I'm sitting at Haslet FD station, using their computer. I'm not so bitter now as I was in my last post. I did acutally get a Hanukkah. The day after that post, my mom invited me over for hanukkah festivites. I think Rachael said something to her about me being upset. So I still didn't let latkes, I'm actually not that big a fan of dreidles, and I can get better chocolate than comes in the coins, but we did go eat Chinese food, and I got some gifts. I got my big fluffy terry cloth bath robe and fluffy slippers, some colorful, fuzzy scarves, and a couple other things I can't remember. Overall, it was lots of fun. A bunch of mother and daughters bonding and such. We watched a movie. I got home late. And I felt much better. And last night I got to give Stacy and Chase their gifts, and it was more fun than getting my own.

Well, I must leave the computer and the company of the fire station and go back to my closet and await for the world to fall apart with all the new year's eve festivus. I'll see you next year.