Love Always, Chloe Jayne

Good morning Blogsphere!

Have you ever had a day when you woke up and despite the weather - the cold, the clouds, the gloomy day - you just felt like sunshine on the inside?

Last night was wonderful! Scott and I went for a late dinner, and then a bit of dancing. I love to dance, and that man is smooth sis-ta let me tell ya! We stayed out till about 1:30 AM, despite the fact that I have a huge work day today. I didn’t care. It just felt so good to be so close! ::giggle::

I woke up at 6:30! Can you believe that? After not getting home until so late, I figured I’d probably sleep the morning away, but my lil brain was firing neurons bright and early!

Cher and I have been working on getting new products listed for our Shop over on Etsy. I’m really excited about this new venture. She’s got my bags, and is supposed to be photographing them outdoors (I leave that up to her because I truly SUCK with my lil dinosaur of a digital camera) but her weather isn’t cooperating either. None the less, please go check it out. Tell me what you think of the banner graphic because its Chloe Made LOL.

I’m hoping the shop does well, and the items I put on consignment yesterday do well too because…..

(Drum roll)

I’m going to ALABAMA for EASTER!!!!!

Scott asked last night if I would consider coming. Its something we’ve briefly touched on anyway in other conversations, and I told him, as long as I can stay in a hotel, that would be fine. SO! ALABAMA HERE I COME!

Can ya tell I’m a bit psyched about it?

Okay okay, I know you’re all dying for the skinny on my beau, so here ya go -

He’s 35, about to be 36, born in April of 1972 to older parents who are both deceased now.  (Father was retired military).

He has one sister who is 3 years his senior and had a brother who died at age 3 in a drowning accident.

He was born in Atlanta Georgia, but his family moved to Alabama when he was 7. First they lived in Mobile, then some smaller towns but settled in Montgomery when he was in his freshman year of high-school.

He attended Auburn University where he obtained his MBA in Marketing and a BA in Visual Communications Technology. He also recently completed a BA from The University of Phoenix On-line in e-Commerce.

He currently works as the Art Director for a major publishing company who’s headquarters are in Birmingham, with branch offices in Atlanta, New York, Chicago, and Dallas. I can’t say which for legal purposes.

He owns his own home in Montgomery, near his sister and her family and when he doesn’t work from his home or isn’t flying around the country, he commutes 1.5 hours to the Birmingham office. He says he’s never considered moving to Birmingham because his sister lives in Montgomery. (They are very close)

He is 6′ - 2″ tall (almost an entire foot taller than me), is very muscular (He loves to ski - both water and snow - plays baseball with a city league and swims a lot). He’s got the prettiest blueish-green eyes I have ever seen, has sort of sandy blond hair that is lighter on the top from being out in the sun… ugh! I just can’t describe him enough to do him justice. He’s BEE YOO TEE FULL!!!!!!

There are just so many qualities I find totally endearing about him! Like the fact that his sister has 3 kids - 2 girls and a boy - and although he doesn’t want to have kids of his own, he loves his nieces and nephew and does a lot of things with them. His sister’s husband is military and has been deployed since last May, so he spends a lot of time with her and her children.

Or the fact that he loves animals - which, I do to, which is why I don’t own one, because I am so goofy I may just accidentally kill it or something.

He’s musical - plays guitar with a group of friends, and also plays piano.

Anywhoodles - probably the thing I like most about him is that he respects me and my values and beliefs. When I told him I’d come if I could stay in a hotel, he didn’t even flinch! He just smiled and said “of course.” He did offer to pay for the room, but I won’t allow it.

(more…)

Good morning blogospherians!!!!

Sorry to keep everyone sitting on the edges of their seats. Remember the incident with the tea and the keyboard? Well, I thought I had the problem well under control, until I got home from my date Wednesday night and tried to post. My keyboard went WONKY! I didn’t realize it until I looked up from my furiously typing posture (yes, I MUSTlook at the keys whilst I type) and saw that where I know I most definitely typed “DATE WITH SCOTT” it looked more likeGWRS QORJ XDIRR. I back spaced, and tried again, thinking maybe I missed some keys or my fingers were misaligned but, it did the same thing, so I gave up the ghost and took poor miss keyboard and put her gently and tenderly in the “recycle me” box.

Wednesday’s coffee date was wonderful. We went to my favorite coffee joint, had my favorite coffee and sat for about 2 hours just talking. I swear it still amazes me how we find so much to talk about! One problem I have always had in relationships is that I get bored very quickly. I know my posts have not reflected this in the least, but (snicker) I’m a bit of an hyperactive person. I tend to go go go till I just can’t go anymore and, unfortunately my brain works the same way, always seeking entertainment and stimulation. So far though, Scott is doing very well at keeping up!

So, after coffee, he went back to his meetings and trainings and whatever else it is he does and I came home, cleaned up and got ready for our movie date. Spiderwick Chronicles is wonderful by the way! I mean, the plot and storyline seem a bit too familiar since the opening of such movies as Bridge To Tarabithia and The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe- being that the fantasy genre is done a great deal lately - but the movie its self, the cinematography, the animation and casting and costuming and digital graphics and videography are superb! I really shouldn’t compare it to other movies though, because really, it isn’t like other movies, except that it is, in a way. Does that make sense?

Oh dear, I’m rambling.

Anywhoodles, after the movie, we caught a late dinner and then took a walk through Really Huge Park and stopped to watch the fountain lights for a bit, cautiously avoiding the fourth bench near the lake. We were standing there, watching the horses spout water and he just very sweetly, leaned over and kissed me. I know I must have looked like a deer in headlights because he sort of stammered a moment and then said, “Was that okay?”

(Insert sound track of my brain screaming HELL YES DO IT AGAIN MAN!)

And he did Longer, sweeter and - hmm I better stop now, or I will be forced to go drag him out of a meeting.

Let me just say, it was very hard to come home alone last night.

This morning we met for breakfast. He’ll be tied up most of the day with work, and I’ve got two meetings - one work related, one art related - and then I work tonight from 2: PM - till 10:PM. We made plans to go out after I get off and I think we may go dancing. There are some great blues clubs around here and I’m a sucker for some blues!

OH YAH! My surprise! He brought me a bottle of “Chloe” perfume! It smells SOOO GOOD! He said he got it because it had my name on the bottle. Awwwww (mushy moment).

Okay, serious moment here.

Blogospherians - I really like this  guy! I mean, really really like him. I keep trying not to think about Monday when he has to leave again, because it makes me sad. Is that nuts? I mean, its too fast to feel that way, right? Dani says that its not really that fast because really we’ve known each other almost a year now, but I say yah, but only in a work related way and how well can you really get to know someone while you’re bringing their steak and pouring their coffee?  I mean we do talk on the phone for hours and hours, but its not face to face, in person, up close contact.

In the past week or so we’ve had some pretty serious conversations, you know, about life and life stuff . And we just have so much in common. I mean, neither of us want to have kids (I’ll explain myself on this in another post), really, and we’re both of the same mind about politics and the environment and so many things. We both enjoy the same types of movies and books and music. We have just enough differences to keep things interesting and new, but not so many that it gives us nothing in common, if you follow what I’m saying.

I just know that in the relationships I’ve had, I’ve never felt like I feel now. Sure there was the whole excitement of newness, but not like this. After a while though, I would loose interest. It wasn’t their fault really. I just have never been a person who needed to have daily companionship or daily phone calls or dates. But its not like that with Scott. I get giggly just seeing his number on my caller ID, and I swear, when he talks (and ohmygosh does he have a sexy voice!) I can’t take my eyes off him. I am captivated. He makes me laugh, he stimulates my graymatter, he teaches me about things I never even really considered exploring, and when he smiles? I just feel warm and (in Heidie’s words) TWINNKLY all over.

He asked me last night if I’d ever consider leaving Really Big City, and you know, before I could even stop to think about it, my mouth said “Yes, if I had a reason to.” And I was totally shocked because I LOVE MY CITY and I’ve NEVER wanted to live anywhere else.  I mean, my city has a pulse and a rhythm and a heartbeat and a groove that just is so vibrant and alive! But as I type this, I realize, since Scott’s been back, that’s exactly how I’ve felt. Ooohhh boy!

Anywhoodles. I must get ready for my meetings and accomplish something besides drooling today.  Thank you all who checked in on me! That felt so wonderful. I promise not to abandon post again (hey, I punned!)

Love always,

Chloe Jayne

Dear Blogosphere,

Have you ever experienced an event in your life, or an occasion, that completely rocked you to the core of your being and gave you reason to start to reconsider what you thought was your life, your ideals, your dreams and your goals? Oh me oh my! I think I am experiencing this at this very moment.

At 5:48 AM, I woke up, with a smile on my face. I never wake up that early, and I most definitely never wake up that early with a smile on my face.

I’ve been sitting here for a while, looking out the window across the river and just… thinking. I can tell that it’s freezing cold outside because when I put my head against the window, it very nearly stuck to the glass.

I decided before going to work last night to call RHS (who, by the way, has given me permission to blog him by first name, which is Scott) and ask him where we’d be dining, because I didn’t want to wear jeans to some place really fancy, tho I figured considering the hour it would be, it would probably be some place really casual, if not downright sleazy.

Good thing I called because he’d managed to get us late reservations at The Blue Water Grill. If you’ve never been, go. And if you like a good cocktail, I highly recommend the Nightfall.

But I digress…

I went on to work, trying not to be anxious about everything. I had the bar area last night, which I love because people tip better when they’re a bit tipsy, so I figured I’d just focus on that, right? I’d stay busy with customers and side work and gabbing with the staff and not even give my date a second thought until almost time to go.

Yah, that worked out well.

Every time a new customer walked in, I’d turn really quick to see if it was him. Finally around 9, my friend Molly told me to just go in the back and get ready, she’d cover for me. And all evening I kept asking myself - ‘Self, why are you so nervous? ‘ 

And my inner voice would replay ‘Uhm because you haven’t been on a date since clingy man? Uhm because this guy is smokin’ hawt? Uhm because there was something really strong there on the phone last night and it scares you?’  (What, like you’venever have two sided conversations in your head? Suurree!)

He arrived promptly at 10 and we left just as promptly because he had a taxi waiting, which truly impressed me. I mean, do you know how expensive cabs are in this city?

Dinner was fantastic! We ordered our drinks and were going over the menu when he asked me “What’s your favorite food?”

“Oh that’s a tough one. I’m a pig.” I giggled.

“I think healthy appetites are sexy.” He said. (Score 10 points immediately! Hell Yah!)

“So you like chubby chicks?” I smarted off. 

He didn’t answer - just smiled and said “So, what is your favorite food Miss Chloe?”

“Well, if I have to choose just one, I’d say Lobster. Of course, I have several favorites but definitely Lobster ranks in the top five. Do they make a dish with lobster and chocolate?”

“Lobster it is then.”

He ordered for us, getting himself the Pan Roasted Diver Scallops, which he offered me a bite of and which were like little bites of heaven, and he ordered Live Main Lobster tail for me. Now, I have to confess, my little heart did a flip-flop at this point. I mean how can you not want to jump the bones of just squeeze a man who buys you a taxi AND lobster? Seriously!

I must interject here and confess that, after having spent so many hours on the phone with him, I was a bit worried that we would run out of things to talk about and the evening would be filled with those awkward, long moments of silence where you’re stuck sitting across from each other with nothing better to do than watch one and other chew. I really hate those moments.

But this was not the case.

Over dinner he suggested a game of 20 Questions to break the tension . It went something like this:

Scott: We’ll start with something easy. Favorite color?

Chloe: You call that easy? I’m an artist, remember? Hmm okay, favorite.. a blend of hot orange and hot pink.

Scott: Interesting. Where will I find roses in that particular shade?(Big smile. Did I mention he has a phenomenal smile? He does. Trust me.)

Chloe: Okay my turn. Uhm… favorite childhood memory?

Scott: Oh that’s really easy! It would have to be fishing with my dad.

Chloe: You like to fish?

Scott: Nope, can’t stand it. But I loved my dad and it was a great way to spend time with him, just the two of us.

(Big awwww moment!)

Scott: Okay my turn, this one is a bit tougher. Most influential person in your life?

I must have made a really scrunched up face because he laughed.

Chloe: Well, there’s my grandmother. I mean she was a “tough old bird”, real country woman. But probably I’m going to have to go with Mrs. Adams, my fifth grade teacher.

Scott: And why Mrs. Adams?

Chloe: Because she really caught on to my spirit, you know? And she encouraged me. When I had problems studying or didn’t understand something, she took the time to explain it to me. She would let me stand up at the back of the class to take my tests because I was such a fidget.

Scott: Nice.

Chloe: Yes it was. Okay okay, My turn. And I get two questions because you just asked two in a row. What did you want to be when you grew up?

Scott: What? No, I didn’t. It was merely an extension of the same question. (He laughed.)

Scott:  Retired.

I laughed. I mean, c’mon, that’s funny!

Chloe: Retired?

Scott: Well, yah. I mean, my folks were older when they had me and dad had already retired from the military and spent his days either golfing or fishing, so I thought that was what you did when you grew up. You mean to tell me, it isn’t?

We both laughed.

After that, the conversation was easy, the atmosphere was very comfortable and I found myself several times just getting lost looking at his face. You know, the expressions he makes when he talks about his dad, or his sister that lives near him and her children. I couldn’t help myself. I still can’t.

After dinner, he said that he wanted to take me for a walk, but his Southern Bones were strongly protesting the cold air and would I like to come back to his hotel?

My red flags went up. And he must have sensed it. He put his hand on my shoulder and said “To the lobby Chloe. They have a great place to just sit and talk.”

“Oh. Uhm, sure.” I said and I was embarrassed that my apprehension was so noticeable. So he got us a cab and we went back to Fancy Schmancy hotel and sat for two more hours, just talking.

He told me that he wished he didn’t have to go back home today, and I told him it was okay, that he’d be back soon.

“Actually, I’ll be back in a week. We’ve got a conference over at Super Huge Conference Center. I wasn’t really looking forward to it before.”

“Before?”

“Mmm hmm. Before now.”

I know I blushed. I could feel my cheeks turn fire engine red.

At the end of the night he said “Would you think I”m too forward if I wanted to exchange contact information? You know, email addresses, mailing addresses, etc.?”

“Mailing addresses?” I asked

“Well how else am I going to woo you with trinkets and flowers if I don’t know where to have them delivered?”

Now, Dear Blogosphere, I have never been one to believe in love at first site. And I’ve never believed in soul mates. And I most definitely have not been looking to get involved with anyone, especially someone who lives almost 800 miles away, but what I was feeling - am feeling - let me just say, at this point I was ready to give him my email, my street address and the secret code to my answering machine! Not even my roommates have had the code to my answering machine!

We exchanged information and he got me a cab home. He said he’d have taken me home himself, but he didn’t want to be pushy about seeing my place, and I could tell he was being nice and trying not to make me uncomfortable.

So, the evening ended with a promise that he would call me today before he leaves town, after he attends to some last minute things at the office. I went home, took a shower, put on a pot of tea and did some work on my collage. I was wired. Sleep was something in the far recesses of my mind that seemed like a pleasant, distant thought.

I ended up falling asleep around 4:30 and was back up at 5:48! Dear god, I will definitely need a nap today before work. I have the long shift tonight - 4:00 PM - 12:00 AM, and clean up, so I won’t be home until at least 2, if not later.

I called my friend Cher about the shipment I’m sending her on Monday and we talked about last night.

You know, she’s pretty wise, Miss Cher is. She told me “Chloe, just take it easy. Let it be what it is and become what it will.”

And she’s right. That’s what I need to do. I mean, this is not like me! I don’t get all giddy and giggly and wiggly inside thinking about some guy. I don’t spend time pondering ‘what -ifs’ and ‘maybe somedays’.  Or do I?

I do know that I’ve been trying to get some work done this morning and every few minutes his smile, or his face pops into my gray matter, or I can hear him laugh, and I cannot wait for next week to be here. And the entire time I’ve been blogging this post, I’ve been half-minded thanking Danika for introducing me to blogging, because otherwise this stuff would all be swirling around in my gray-matter searching for an exit, and half-minded wondering if I’m blogging too much?

Well, I’m going to go clean my room and try to sleep a bit before work.

Love always

Chloe Jayne

Waiting for a phone call without actually appearing to be waiting for a phone call is like… well, it’s like waiting on Christmas morning - slow, painful, boring and.. did I mention slow?

I had set my alarm for 3:00 PM, thinking I would sleep a while, get up, shower, put on clean jammies, gargle and put on some lip gloss (thanks ‘Stopbouncing’).

That was the plan anyway. 

Instead, I ended up tossing and turning in my blankets until I just had to get up. I muddled around a bit, made a few more necklaces (see photos at the end of the post), cut some papers for a collage I want to do, did a load of laundry and mended a pair of jeans I’d torn the last time I went to the park. OH! If you go to really big fountain in really big park, beware the fourth bench on the lake facing side. Any-who…

By then it was  - noon.  Noon? Good gawd time was dragging.

I had a lot of those little one sided conversations with my self, in my head, that went something like this:

‘Why are you so anxious?’

“I dont’ know!”

‘What if he wants to ask you out?’

“He won’t. I’m sick. He’s only here till Friday.”

‘Yah but its the weekend then and he could change his plans and stay till Sunday.’

“Ooo I never thought of that!”

‘I know, that’s why you have me.’

“No. I have you because I’m insane. Here I am talking to myself. Stop it Chloe!”

‘You started it!’

And so the afternoon wore on, until my phone rang at 4:04 PM.. I don’t know why, but I have this habit of writing down what time it is when people call me. I told you I was strange.

“Chloe?” He asked.

“Yes.” I replied. “Hello.”

“Listen, I really hate to do this on our first phone date (Say wut?) but, I’m stuck in a meeting and probably won’t be out of here until about 5:30. Would it be okay if I called you back around 7:00? After I grab a bite to eat?”

:Voice in my head: ‘Three more hours of waiting? Are you insane? NO you cannot eat!’

::Me on the phone:: “Sure, that’s fine. I’m not going anywhere.”

::Him:: “Oh thanks! You’re a peach. Molly said you were sick. I hope you’re feeling better.”

::Me:: “Yes, a bit actually. I’ll talk to you around sevenish then?” What was that? I NEVER say sevenish, or any ish for that matter!

And thus ended part one of our conversation. I continued to berate myself for being so nervous all the way through to 7:00 PM when the phone rang.

“You’re prompt.” I answered.

“Habit.” He replied. “I was going to call the minute I got in, but I didn’t want to appear too eager.”

“Yah, eager on a first phone date is scary.”

“So you’re feeling better?”

“A little, yes.” I replied. “I’ll probably go back to work tomorrow. So long as I’m not contagious.”

“Good idea. I don’t think your patrons would appreciate steak with a side of flu.”

We both laughed.

The conversation flowed like wine and I was pleasantly surprised to find how  easy it was to talk to him.

We talked about art, and music and books and movies. We talked about growing up in small towns and the culture shock one first experiences when you move from Hickville to Urbana.  I can still hear the entire conversation in my gray-matter, but will spare you the majority of it because it was a long phone call. Very long.

Around 9:30 or so, he mentioned needing to shower, so I told him I’d hang up.

“NO!” He protested, “I want to talk to you some more. I”ll shower later.”

“Don’t you have to work in the morning?” I asked.

“Oh yah. That pesky little four letter word. Sure does get in the way of a social life sometimes.” He chuckled.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call this “social”.

“Oh yes. It  is! This is the first date I’ve had in months!”

And we laughed and talked more. And more. And more.

Around midnight he said he’d like a cup of coffee but didn’t want to ring room service.

“You’re a local girl, do you know of any coffee shops still open?”

I swear for a minute I felt a little pang, thinking that our conversation was about to end. “Uhmmm….” I stalled, “Let me think.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, “If I leave this room, I’m taking you with me.”

“Huh?” I asked, sort of impressed that he was such a mind reader but sort of afraid he’d suddenly turned stalker!

“My cell. I’ll call you on my cell, silly.”

“Ohhhhh.” I laughed nervously, “I knew that!”

I told him where the nearest all night coffee shop to him was and he said, Okay, hang up. So I did, and a second later he was on the phone again from his cell, and I “went with him” to the coffee shop. Actually, I think I “went” with him to several places, including the bathroom which is kind of gross, yet strangely quaint.

Finally, I looked at the clock and it was 2:00 AM.

“Oh my gosh did you look at the time yet?” I asked.

“Nope, time is standing still right now.” He said in this really sexy husky sort of voice that would have made my knees wobble if I’d have been standing up.

“Awww, that’s sweet! But I bet your bosses won’t buy it if you’re late in the morning.”

“Yah, you’re right.” He said, and I could hear him rustling around in blankets. “Actually, I was already laying down, quite comfortably.”

We agreed though that he really needed to get some sleep.

“Chloe?”

“Yes?”

“What time do you get up in the mornings?”

“Hmm depends.” I said. “Sometimes 8, sometimes 9. But if I think I’m going to be getting a call….”

He cut me off chuckling. “What time do you go to work?”

“I’ll go in at 4 and be off at 10″ I said, probably too quickly.

“Can I buy you dinner?”

“Uhm.. sure!” I said. “Want to meet me somewhere?”

“I’ll pick you up from work at 10, if that’s okay?”

I said sure, and gave him my cell number. I was SO tickled on the inside, all little schoolgirl  like.

We were saying our goodbyes and he said “Chloe? This is the best date I’ve ever had.”

I didn’t know what to say. And its good that he didn’t give me the chance to try to come up with a response.

“Goodnight” He said.

“Good night moon.” I said. He laughed and hung up.

Okay now, picture me, standing by the counter, holding the phone, going “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” and doing this little happy dance sort of thing kind of reminiscent of Flash Dance, but not nearly as sexy.

Ohmuhgosh! I have a date tonight. After work! What am I going wear? I’ll have to take something to change into at work because I am totally NOT going on a date in my uniform.

He asked me at one point on the phone if I was going to call my girlfriends and ask their advice about dating an out-of-towner (Are we going to be dating? He’s only here every few months, how would that work?), and I said no, but I’m totally going to blog you. He said “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t!” And laughed.

So, here am I. Thinking a million miles a minute, wondering what I’m going to wear, hoping I have “neat” customers tonight so I don’t get too grungy from work. I still don’t feel fantastic, but I feel heaps better than I did.

Funny how a little thing like a phone call can lift your spirits!

PS. I just realized why Iwrite down the times when people call me. In college I was totally addicted to that cop show “Homocide - Life on the street” and I can remember hearing the investigators ask “What time did they call?” or “What time was it when dot dot dot” and somehow it became deeply ingrained in my gray matter to take notes when people call. Yes, I told you, I’m weird with a capitol W.