[Profound subject]

Well, things with my dad are improving. He took his family's advice and he's going in today for an angiogram. I know he's scared shitless, but this is the right thing for him to do. We're all just glad he's doing it.

A big sigh of relief here, from me.

What else is going on? Well, it was my girlfriend's birthday on Thursday. Yep, girlfriend. Woah. And the weather today was damn nice - so I was on the bike. Woo!

UPDATE (3/6/07 11:03): Just moments after I posted this, I got an email from my aunt about my dad. He had a stint inserted. They found a valve on the right that was clogged 95%. On the left, he has a valve clogged at 65%. They're just going to watch that one and then keep him overnight. He'll be able to leave tomorrow unless they change their minds.

Oh, snap.

I deactivated my match.com profile last night. I wonder why. :-)

Kinfolk and a little update

I got an email today from my aunt. They're bringing me into a family situation occurring in Connecticut that they are having trouble resolving. It's about my dad.

My dad's 55, smokes at least a pack or two a day, drinks coffee like it's going out of style, has gained a lot of weight in the past 5 years, and basically seems to have no direction or goal in life other than to sit on his butt watching daytime TV. He maintains an odd sleep schedule and is now retired (on disability). It's interesting for me to see how he's changed since he moved to Connecticut almost 10 years ago. He moved after my parents divorced. Both my mom and my dad have since remarried. And here's another tidbit about my dad - he's very religious and he's bipolar with a touch of schizophrenia (both are managed through medication).

With all of the factors listed above, you might be able to understand why my dad's health is in decline. Granted, I'm no spring chicken myself, but out of the behaviors listed above, weight is the only one that is my major concern as I don't smoke, I'm not bipolar/schizophrenic, and I'm still an active 28-year-old male.

I talked to my stepmom today about the situation. She said that she and my aunt were going to force my dad into the hospital for an examination. He's been having chest pains for the past couple of years and we all know his heart is really starting to go. While my aunt and stepmom were visiting family in Florida, my dad got up the nerve to call a doctor. He and my stepmom went to the doctor after she returned and he apparently didn't do so well on an EKG.

He also didn't do well on a stress test and the doctor was surprised he was even still alive. The doctor referred him to an emergency room to start an angiogram. Three hours in the emergency room and he signed a release form because he said he needed a cigarette. The angiogram was never done and he never rescheduled.

My stepmom is incredibly worried about him as is the rest of the family. So I called him today to talk about this. This is the first time I've had to be on this side of the conversation with him. He immediately started lying.

"Oh, it's no big deal." "It's under control." "All I need to do is quit smoking."

I called him on his bullshit and let him know he sounded like my sister. I know he knew he was caught.

I know he's afraid. He's coming face to face with his own mortality and how choices in his life have caught up with him. He's also afraid of the prospect of going in for a bypass surgery. He cited the example of a family friend who died in surgery a few years ago. I reminded him that they may not need to do a bypass. They could just end up performing an angioplasty (PTCA), leaving him with a stent to open up his blood vessels.

I reminded him several times that the alternative is much worse. Will he take heed? I hope so. But I told him I will be calling him next week to see what he's done. I hope he does what's right, but he's going to have to overcome his fear to do that.

In other news, my life is going well. I'm seeing a great girl who schooled me on some of the terminology used in this particular post (she's a nurse) and I'm optimistic about the future. So with the stressful comes the joyful. Such is life.

A little update...

I have this superstition...

This is something I've told a couple of people this week, including the one the superstition is about. Basically, I've noticed a pattern that when I talk too much about something I'm really excited about, I end up getting let down or hurt and the thing that I'm really excited for ends up going away. What I want to happen never does. What I'm getting never comes. That sort of thing. So, to protect myself, I try not to talk about certain things, especially the things I'm incredibly excited about.

I'm at this point in my life right now. Good, no GREAT, things have been happening me since the beginning of the year. I'm now seeing someone who I'm really starting to get into. And she's into me.

For me, this is the scariest and most confusing time of a new relationship. I have insecurities I have to push past, but I feel like if I do, the end reward will be totally worth it. I have to remember to just take things one day at a time and not put the cart before the horse, as it were. And I have to remind myself not to come on too strong and to be patient.

Patience is the hardest thing for me. I would like it all, right now, as soon as possible. But I have to just calm the fuck down and wait. And let things happen as they will. I have to get all Zen and shit and be like, "it'll happen when it happens, yo!" And if it doesn't happen, I can't get crazy, but I think I know what I need to do to try to make it happen, so I just have to exercise some control.

Being patient and calm will only help me right now. I can be excited when what I want actually happens. Here's hoping things continue to go well.

The quote says it all...

"A real man dumps someone in person."

I had to cut one of the two loose tonight. I was a bit miffed at her for the last time I went up to her house. After we went to dinner, she was going to park in her normal spot at her house and I assumed I'd go in, probably use her restroom and then be on my way. But instead, she drove me to my car out front and made a comment that she didn't want to deal with any comments or questions from her roommates if she was in the house with me.

I then made a comment about how I'd just find a restroom elsewhere. She then offered me use of hers, and I declined. I took off, quite pissed. It just didn't get better from there and I didn't see this going anywhere. Later that week, she loaned me a movie and I needed to get it back to her, so I made dinner plans with her tonight.

I rode up on my motorcycle tonight to her place. It is a long ride, and it was wet. I walked to her door and rang the doorbell. No answer. Lights are on. Her car's there. I call her cell - now she comes down and meets me. She opens the door, and I step in. I hand her the movie. Then I tell her I've got stuff out on my bike. She asks if I want to leave it at the house. I explain that I was only there to just drop off the movie and then leave.

She gets the hint.

Then she asks why I didn't do this over the phone. I say that it's because that's not what I do. And she responds with - "because you're a pussy." I just nodded and smirked. I was not interested in starting an argument. Besides, she was pissed I made dinner plans and just ended up dumping her in her house. I probably would be, too.

I was shown the door (yes, it was slammed), and I left. Oh well. It just wasn't going to work out.

In other news, things with the other one are going well. I think I'm going to stick to just dating one at a time. Two at the same time was a bit much. My fingers are crossed for this other one... she's really cool.

w00t

Second date. Great time. PG-rated ending. Couldn't be happier right now.

We went to Mexico.

At Pacific Place (but believe me, telling her I was taking her to Mexico went over well). Then we went for a walk around downtown. It was a very nice evening.

Seeing her again on Wednesday.

Ah, well.

Rescheduled to Monday night. She's got a cold and I'm kinda tired. But hey, a date on Monday. And waiting to hear about Friday. Fingers crossed, there, too.

Yay.

I have plans for a second date tomorrow. Hooray.

And there's another one I'm interested in so I might have a first date with her on Friday.

Happy New Year! I had a date tonight.

I wasn't really sure how exciting this date was going to be on the way in, but we had a great conversation. Dinner was so-so, and the dive bar afterwards wasn't all that hoppin', but the conversation was what really did it.

So yep, happy new year. First day of the year and I've already had a date. I'm feeling pretty good about it right now. I hope to get another one with her.

The only somewhat sucky thing is that she's in Everett. That's a bit of a drive. Good part is that she's willing to drive down to Seattle. So - how long do I wait before calling her? I'm thinking I call her Wednesday.

What. A. Year.

Well, folks, this has been quite the year. Let's take a little trip down memory lane...

January: Celebrated 6 years with my then girlfriend in Victoria. Watched her leave for India for 6 weeks before I left for India, myself. Started building a friendship with someone who was, at that point, only an acquaintance.

February: Left for India at the beginning of the month for four weeks in Bangalore for work.

March: Returned from India to a life that had changed a bit. Started socializing more with friends. Had a very fun and interesting welcome back party. Continued building friendship with the person who used to be an acquaintance.

April: Ended my six year relationship with my girlfriend. Road trip to Vegas with a friend, and on the return, San Francisco. Start friendships with several people and become part of a new circle of friends.

May: Started seeing someone I knew in high school. This did not last for long (see below).

June: The fit hits the shan and thus begins the worst summer of my life.

July: Yup, the fit's still in the shan and summer still sucks, but I took a motorcycle training course and I bought a motorcycle. Woo!!!!

August: The fit's no longer on the shan. I take a deep breath and life starts to simmer down. I turn 28. I take another road trip with a different friend - this time to LA to see the Price is Right, and through the Bay area. One of the best road trips ever! I got to go to Disneyland!!!! For the first time!!!!!

September: A minor crisis averted. And a long motorcycle trip around the Olympics.

October: Nothing much to report here. Did go to Oregon Trail Rally near Tillamook, Oregon.

November: Nothing much to report here. Did go to the Seattle International Autoshow.

December: Wild West Rally at the beginning of the month. Then, a trip to Connecticut to see my grandmother, whose health had been progressively getting worse. Then back home for a week, and then back to Connecticut for her funeral. Happy Holidays, yo!

A very eventful year. Ups and downs. But through it all, my friends have been there and I end the year with more friends than when I started. I love my friends. Being 3000 miles away from my real family, my friends ARE my family.

Hrmph, interesting... - update

So the date went pretty well last night. Nothing too spectacular. We met at an Irish bar in Burien where I proceeded to have two glasses of Hefeweizen. What I didn't know when I set this up, was that this bar was where she and her ex used to go all the time. So when I heard that I mentioned I hoped that didn't make things weird.

So we'll see. I'll ask her out on another date. She's a cute girl and seems pretty interesting, but I have feeling she might not be up for a second date.

Hrmph, interesting

I have a date tomorrow night. Drinks. At 8pm.

She's a teacher.

I'm nervous.