I love The Pink Shoe!!!! This is a great blog. Funny, sassy, witty — and there’s the obligatory Chuck Norris reference (you’ll have to look for it yourself! lol).

Welcome this fab-tastic blog to Moniqueland by visiting today!

P.S. There are indeed photos of pink shoes and they are awesome. Not as cool as my leopard shoes, but pretty damn cool!

∗ Posted by Monique on 03.19.2006
∗ Renters
∗ Comments (1)

So Scott and I have been out on three dates plus the initial Starbucks meet-and-greet. That’s three nice dinners together, with four cocktails, one glass of wine and one dessert also consumed by me — and I haven’t paid a dime. Of course, I’ve invested time in cleaning my apartment prior to my date and in looking nice myself, but my actual cash outlay has been limited to a grande non-fat, no-whip mocha the night we met, a six-pack of Heineken (his beer) to have on hand and a box of brownie mix. I’d say he’s probably spent at least $350, probably more, and hasn’t asked for a thing in return.

Damn. So what the hell have I been whining about???

What is freaking me out about this whole thing is — of course — my ex-husband. Near the end, he and I rarely had sex and when we did, it was only me who did the initiating. I am so afraid of being in another relationship where sex is doled out only on rare occasions that I have gone overboard trying to find a man who is desperate to sleep with me. And while Scott has made a few comments — his jaw dropped when I mentioned my beloved leopard shoes and, after he recovered, said, “Wow. Wow. Will you wear them if I beg???” — it’s clearly going to be a loooong time before we end up in bed together.

Oh, last week I was annoyed because he e-mailed me Sunday then didn’t reply until Tuesday. Long story short, he had tentative plans to meet his brother, who lives in NYC, in Chicago this weekend for St. Patrick’s Day. But those plans fell apart on Tuesday, so he waiting to see how that all shook out before he made plans with me. Fine, sounds reasonable lol.

Update … He just called. : ) Oddly, my phone didn’t ring and I only received the message notification. Anyway, he reiterated that he had a really nice time last night and suggested lunch one day this week (as I won’t be able to have dinner b/c of the second job). I called him back and we talked for a few minutes. This all seems kind of old-fashioned, especially for me. I’m content now, my whining aside, with him taking the lead. I’m just going to sit back and see where he goes …

∗ Posted by Monique on 03.19.2006
∗ The Ex, Uncategorized
∗ Comments (3)

Manilow, that is.

Yes, it’s 9:45 p.m. and I’m on my couch watching Barry on PBS.

Scott and I had a fun dinner tonight. While we were eating, he said, “I really like you. I want to keep doing this. I know I don’t go a good job of hiding it.” I was like, WTF??? lol We walked around quite a bit before we went to the restaurant and he never even tried to hold my hand, or anything.

Anyway after dinner we came back to my place and talked for a bit. He was coughing quite a bit still, and after he apologized for ending the date early, he told me again that he “really, really liked me.” He said that he wanted to see me again, and mentioned Tuesday, as he has an appointment by my apartment. I told him I couldn’t, as I have to work, so he said again that he wanted me to know he liked me. I told him that I was a little surprised that he called after the last date, that I wasn’t sure, and what was his response? “I know.” WTF??? So who knows. Maybe he had a date last weekend with someone else.

So I don’t know. I mean, I had fun with him. He’s good company. But I’m definitely not going to rule out dating other guys, if the opportunity arises. Oh, here’s an interesting fact: He’s 36. His last gf, whom he dated for a year, was 47!

∗ Posted by Monique on 03.18.2006
∗ Uncategorized
∗ Comments (2)

Melanie’s time in Moniqueland is nearly over — if you haven’t visted her this week, shame on you! Click on her now! And if you have already checked out her blog, what, you think she doesn’t update it??? Go see her again!

And let me remind you … she is a design GENIUS! She took me from black, white and blah to fab-freaking-tastic! She can do the same for you! (Although your blog can never be as cool as mine. I’m sure Melanie and I talked about that. My blog always always ALWAYS has to be the best. Right, Melanie??? lol)

∗ Posted by Monique on 03.18.2006
∗ Renters
∗ Comments Off

It’s 4:21 pm and I just poured myself a glass of chardonnay.

Scott is picking me up in two hours, and really, I am not looking forward to it. It’s like the longer this goes on, the surer I am that he’s going to tell me how fabulous I am but he just doesn’t like me “that way.”

Why do I keep hearing Mark’s words — “You’re everything I should be attracted to, but I’m not” — in my head?

That ass was so f-ed up, very little that he said was valid. Well, except for the hours-worth of shit he said about himself, I’m sure. And I don’t even think he was trying to hurt me when he said that — I think he was trying to explain to me and to himself his feelings for me or lack thereof.

Ugh.

I am going to drink my glass — maybe two, I’m not driving — and hope the delightful Robert Mondalvi chardonnay (which I don’t even know why I have; I usually buy the $6 stuff at Costco lol) and my beloved Matthew Good (today’s listening: “In a Coma: 1995-2005″) quiet the not-so-delightful voices in my head.

∗ Posted by Monique on 03.18.2006
∗ Uncategorized
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Miss Monique actually finished a competitive athletic event — a 5k walk this morning. PLUS I got a shout-out from the race announcer as I finished … not quite sure why, maybe because my last name is Irish … but he implored me to wave to the crowd. Yay, me!

∗ Posted by Monique on 03.17.2006
∗ Accomplishments, Walking
∗ Comments (6)

Those of you who have been with me for a while will remember the crazy-ass part-time job I sometimes do, scoring standardized tests. Well, it’s that time again … yippee. Honestly, the pay is good — $10.50/hr — and while the hours suck — 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., Mon.-Fri. — I kind of like being so busy. It keeps me from thinking about my life too much. This project sounds short-term; maybe just Thursday and Friday evenings, with optional hours over the weekend. At least it will pay for my next hair appointment lol.

Scott and I have tentative dinner plans for Saturday; he said he is feeling better and, from what he said (or didn’t say lol), it sounds like he had a flu-type bug. I suggested a restaurant downtown that I really like. It’s kind of pricey for me, but hell, he’ll pay and it’s on the same price level as the other places we’ve gone to, and those have all been at his suggestion. I was telling a friend about Scott, and she thinks it’s a good thing that he hasn’t made a move on me yet. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just looking for a physical expression of interest/affection because (a) that was so lacking in my marriage and (b) despite knowing better, I still see it as a validation of my attractiveness when a man expresses physical desire for me. I know it’s not the only thing that counts, but why does it seem like it sometimes???

P.S. Check out Melanie’s recipes for puke. Yuck. Can you tell I’m not a mom??? lol

∗ Posted by Monique on 03.15.2006
∗ Uncategorized
∗ Comments (3)

Jeez, I am a dork, but I don’t care. I seriously was getting ready to bite the bullet and call Scott, when my phone rang. (I love caller ID lol.) He’s been home sick all week but said he’s starting to feel better. We tentatively made a date for this weekend, depending on how he’s feeling. He did say he wanted to stay “on my radar” lol. Oh yeah, buddy, the candidates for “next love interest” are swarming lol.

Well, I guess I shouldn’t speak too soon. Ryan sent me about 15 e-mails today, and was going to take me out to dinner, then backtracked and suggested tomorrow. I’m starting a new class tomorrow — meditation or something like that to help me freakin’ relax — so we may meet for a drink afterwards …

NYC Watchdog posted a link to a clever post about women being apples, men being grapes. He mentioned that the woman who turns him into wine will have to be wearing stillettos. I posted a comment remarking that it was shocking that a man would say something like that. I also mentioned my favorite pair of “date” shoes — my precious leopard shoes that cost $80 at DSW … and you know that was the discount price lol. I won’t wear them if there is a hint of precipitation in the forecast … nor if much walking is called for because they tend to rub a bit — but damn, they look fabulous, and they go a long way towards making a man think, hmmm, there may be more to this girl than a sharp wit and insightful conversation. ; )

∗ Posted by Monique on 03.14.2006
∗ Blogging, Uncategorized
∗ Comments (2)

Scott e-mailed me Sunday. I replied Sunday afternoon. Haven’t heard from him since … Guess I’ll call him in a bit to see what’s up. I can’t stand the drama! lol

While you’re here, check out Melanie, my renter, and see what’s up in Idaho!

∗ Posted by Monique on 03.14.2006
∗ Renters, Uncategorized
∗ Comments Off

The shirt I ordered from Pile of Dog Bones arrived the other day. Very cool. So cool that I almost wore it on my walk today. Almost. The front of the shirt proclaims “I got boned by the NYC Watchdog and I liked it!” Kinda tacky, yes, but kinda fun. I didn’t realize there was a design on the back, too. Sorry, Dog, but I just couldn’t bring myself to walk around my suburban neighborhood with “Satisfaction doggy style” on the back of my shirt for all to see!

As soon as I have someone over who already knows about my blog — i.e. not Ryan or Scott — I’ll have them take my photo. I was afraid eagle-eye Ryan would remember the Pile of Dog Bones URL, check it out and easily find my site and all that I’ve written about him. Not cool.

I bought a delightful ginger-citrus candle the other day from a woman at work; it was a fundraiser for her daughter’s school. I need another candle like I need a hole in the head, but I remembered NYC Watchdog’s rave reviews of the candles at Mystickal Incense and More. The available scents/colors were so completely overwhelming, I nearly gave up. But I perservered and ordered a few candles. Get this: You can choose the color AND the scent! And there are many of each to choose from. The scents I ordered were cotton blossom (white), cucumber melon (seafoam green), buttercream (ivory) and lavender lullaby (dark purple). I also ordered lavender bath salts. I can’t wait!

∗ Posted by Monique on 03.12.2006
∗ Blogging
∗ Comments (2)