Smitten

so 1 week can certainly make a difference on one's mood and attitude. I blame mother nature for last week's bout of depression and I apologize now for the lack o'fun that post provided.

i am terribly content today and also, dare i say, a wee bit smitten with recent happenings...
so after a quiet weekend, my phone rang on Wednesday night and it was brooklyn dude. we chatted for-ev-er as we tend to do and as usual it was quite enjoyable. before the hour plus conversation came to an end, we made tentative plans for the weekend. and of course, he followed up the phone call with a text that called me beautiful. i'll forever be a sucker for the b-word.
Thursday and Friday were filled with flirty texts back and forth, and he finally asked if I wanted to go ice skating and to dinner on Saturday afternoon/evening and of course, I was up for anything.
now, ice skating is definitely on my list of fun great date ideas-- but i always think of it as a holiday date. not exactly a may 15th date. but minor detail, i was in. it was not exactly easy though to decide what to wear on an ice skating/dinner date. with the high 80 degree and sunny weather in vegas, i wanted to wear a sundress. obviously, that wouldn't work. so it had to be jeans, but then what on top?? and what shoes? heels? sandals? flips? it was a major dilemma! plus i also realized that not only was our date beginning at 3 in the afternoon, but it was beginning with an activity that did not involve alcohol. i don't know if i've ever had a 2nd date without alcohol. with a 2nd date, it's still early in the getting to know you phase that the social lubricant that brings out Fun Lisa is practically a requirement. plus again, i am by no means a graceful person. as much as i love being active, i tend to look...foolish? clumsy? when participating in activities of the athletic nature. i hadn't been ice skating since who knows when, and now i was supposed to still impress this person in a) not a sundress, b) while stone sober, and c) while possibly breaking my own neck. so i was a bit nervous to say the least.

Brooklyn dude picked me up promptly at 3 and brought FLOWERS! i haven't received flowers from a boy since the statue boy valentine's day incident of 1998. (unless you count the roses dave bush brought me on behalf of my sorority big sis in college..incidentally, he's now a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, and I just watched him pitch against the Phillies. i knew him!) anyway, i threw the gorgeous mix of gerbera daisies and regular daisies and lillies in some water and they looked way better than the dead tulips i bought for myself a week ago (i buy fresh flowers weekly.)
We headed out and hit the Fiesta Casino, which has an ice rink. it was pretty empty, aside from a group of little figure skaters-to-be, and a couple who were making out the whole time. Lacing up my skates, I had a quick flashback to that summer before 7th grade when it seems like every Friday night was spent at Superior Ice Rink speed skating into the boards and fighting with my arch nemesis a-lusk-a-tits . ah memories and innocence. anyway, in the present tense, i laced up my skates and hit the ice and surprisingly had no problems. i wish i could say the same of my date. he was a bit...slow. and it was a bit...awkward. i wasn't sure if i should go ahead or hold back and go slow with him. so i'd skate up ahead,then turn around and wait for him. after one go-round he decided his skates were too big and exchanged them for smaller size, which definitely made him a better skater. my fears of grace-less-ness were unfounded and we were able to skate and chat and rest without falling on our asses. i was impressed.
after skating for a bit, we jumped back in his car and headed to dinner. i actually had no idea where we were going until we ended up at the Stratosphere, where he had planned to eat at this yummy italian restaurant and watch the sunset from the top. unfortunately, the timing was off cause it was too early for both dinner and the sunset. so drinks it was. (finally!) we found a spot and drank some margaritas and people watched in the stratosphere (3 different sets of bride/grooms. at the stratosphere. in the center bar. not exactly my idea of a reception. and one poor bride's dress was BLACK with dirt at the bottom. i can only imagine how dirty the casino carpets are!)
then we went to eat and it was de-lish! and of course by the time we were done it was already dark, so no sunset for us and i figured the night was over, since it was nearing 9 and he had to be at work at 10:30 (stupid graveyard shift. i don't know how he does it!). so i commented something like, oh wow, this date has worn me out or something like that, and he was like, oh, i still had one more stop planned. so off to downtown we went, where we hit this bar that i've always heard of, but never been to and i now have a favorite bar in vegas. We were only there for half an hour or so, but this place, The Griffon, was so neat! all brick and dark and then throughout the middle there are 3 different round firepits/places with round leather seats going around them. very romantic. though we weren't quite in a romantic place yet-- no touching, or physical flirting. yet. it was getting late and we left and were heading back to the car which was parked a few blocks away. my lack of grace revealed itself on our walk TO the bar when I mis-stepped off the curb and almost fell. well on the way back to the car, for every curb we crossed brooklyn dude told me to watch my step. then after one step, he said something like, you need to be careful. want me to hold your hand so you don't trip again? well played brooklyn. so we held hands the rest of the way to the car (all of, maybe 100 yards).
finally the night was over for real. he drove me home, and gave me a kiss and waited for me to get in the house before heading off.
all in all a very sweet night.
i don't think in any of the dates i've had in vegas i've felt as...cared for? as i have last night. he's definitely a gentleman and I completely appreciate it.
soo...sigh, i don't know. there's definitely a few catches- 1. i'm not sure if i am confusing enjoying the chivalry and thoughtfulness of brooklyn dude with actually enjoying HIM. i'm trying not to overthink it. in the end, i have no problems whatsoever talking to him and he doesn't have any of my major deal breakers, so those must be good signs, right? but i dunno... 2. i am leaving in roughly 2 weeks. stupid timing. 3. we could not work more opposite hours. he works when i sleep, i work when he sleeps. thankfully, for now, there are a few hours where both of us are awake and free. but when he works swing shift, then there's no chance our waking/non-working hours would overlap.
sigh, so i dunno. i guess it doesn't matter much now, anyway, seeing as it's all moot when i'm across the country for the next 3 months. my hope is that we'll continue to hang in the remaining weeks, continue enjoying each other's company and conversation, and then see where both of our lives are in the fall. maybe if i'm lucky i can also get a ride to the airport.
speaking of airport...
newsflash! officially in NY June 4th, 7:05 PM (no red eye!!) and will be there until around the 11th. i know some of you poor suckers will still have work/school, but i need me some beach on Saturday/Sunday followed by frozen beverages on my back patio. who's in?

ok. that's it for tonight. i'm totally neglecting some horrible persuasive essays and with only two weeks to go, i can't exactly be a slacker. today has been a phantastic day with the flyers and phillies pulling off wins and i can only hope that these two weeks fly by...
later loves!
Lisa