Remind me again why I'm working on a MBA?

Most of my vacation from work is spent on studying. Last Friday I took off work to study from my final exam in Data Analysis for Managerial Decision Making (Statistics for us simpletons). I studied about 4 hours. The rest of the time I went shopping, cleaned house, and talked on the phone a lot. One of my friends even convinced me to go gambling on Saturday morning at the casino in Oklahoma! (I lost but that's another story).

I got home about 4:00 and was starting to panic. I had only looked at the material during class and those 4 hours. So I sat down to study. The phone rang.... my ex-sister-in-law wanted to go out (she's going through a divorce and I think I'm her only single friend). I informed her that I needed to study but she talked me into meeting her for dinner, I mean, after all...a girl's gotta eat! And as Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet) would say, "I'm weak as water."

We met for dinner and even had a drink! Well that's all I needed. I got home at 8:00 pm and promptly went to sleep at 9:00. The one thing I had going for me was I had already calculated that all I needed on this exam was a 49 and I would still pass the class. I read a little on Sunday morning and went and took my test. After 2 1/2 hours, I was the 3rd person finished.

I'm pleased to say I got a 91! Planning ahead now, I think I'm going to take Managerial Cost Accounting next...ughhhhh. Why do I torment myself?

Bridget Jones UPDATE or THANK GOODNESS for Caller ID

OK...so I didn't call the guy back on Saturday 11/6. Most normal guys would take that as a sign.

On Monday 11/8 the guy called 3 times. He left two messages and one hangup.

First message 4:05 pm:

"Hey this is _________, call me as soon as you get this message." (In a very stern sounding voice)

Second call was the hang up - but thanks to caller ID, I could see that it was 30 minutes after the first call.

Third call 9:25 pm:

"(My name), this is ____________ again, please call me." (In a very soft, almost sad voice)

Well after much discussion with my friends, it was determined that if he called back I should tell him nicely that I'm not interested.

So after 10 days of not hearing anything, I thought...he's finally got the message....

Ohhhhhhh contraire!

Last night at 8:25 pm I recognize the name from my caller ID. I panicked. I let the call go to the answering machine.

Message:

"(My name), This is _________, I'm worried you are hurt or that something has happened to you, please give me a call".

OK...so 1) If you are that concerned, why wait 10 days? and 2) If I was hurt or if something has happened to me, would I be able to call him back???

I think I need to buy another dog!

It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding

OK, here's the scoop on the wedding I went to. But first, a little background...

A guy friend of mine started seeing a girl about 4-5 months ago. He's 34 and never been married and she's 32. She was recently divorced and living at home with her parents. She is a Mormon (not that there's anything wrong with that) and he was raised Southern Baptist.

About a month ago, he called me up and said that he really needed to see me. I said OK. So he came to my house and as soon as I opened the door I knew something was up. He looked a little panicked. I immediately asked him what was wrong. He indicated that this lady was pregnant and that he was the dad. (Now I knew he always wanted to be a daddy so I was very supportive and happy for him...still am).

Fast forward:

The wedding was to be held at the Mormon church but not in the chapel. It was to be in a class room. There were about 30 chairs in the class room. As we are walking around before going in to sit down, I pass my friend in the hall. His mother is trying to pin a rose on his lapel but she can't. I end up pinning it on him and the mother's corsage on her. We suggest she take off the fake flower she has pinned to the other side of her dress.

We find our way into the class room and take our seats. Children are running up and down the aisle...there is talk all around but we think surely things will settle down. Finally it starts. Now because a child was sitting in the aisle playing with a truck, the bride decides to enter through a side door. She is lovely in a formal evening dress, ivory and lace, short sleeves. I did notice however that she had extremely hairy arms. I don't think I've ever seen a woman with arms quite like that before. The preacher begins the ceremony when the child with the truck walks up to the wedding party and begins talking. Finally mom gets up and takes out the kid. The groom's mother is crying and doesn't have a tissue (I had her a clean but crunched up one I have in my purse).

The ceremony was short and sweet. The bride said "I do" prior to the appropriate time but played it off well. Then the two were to exchange rings and speak to each other from the heart. That's when my friend says..."(INSERT NAME), I love you and will promise to be a good daddy to the baby you are carrying." (Her words to him were much more appropriate and better thought out). Now another friend of mine went with me to this wedding, and whispered in my ear..."if granny didn't know she was pregnant, she does now!" We laughed.

At the reception (which was across the hall) where several tables. One with gifts, one with a cake top (just a formal cake top - no cake) and another with food from a local barbecue joint being placed on it. The remaining tables were in a U-shape and had white tablecloths and rose petals on them. A jazz band was playing on a stage.

Now the bride and groom were setting up the barbecue when a guest said "Wait, you shouldn't be doing that!" But it was already done. Another lady brought out two sheet cakes. One a chocolate one (which I assumed to be the grooms cake). Another one had white frosting with red roses and in bright red lettering, Congratulations (Name withheld) and (Name withheld). I thought that was an odd wedding cake but then it happened. They went to put the formal wedding cake top on the white cake. Then realizing that it would cover up the red writing they put the white wedding cake top on the chocolate cake!!

Now the smell of onions from the barbecue started to permeate the room. My friend asked if we could leave, she couldn't take much more of this and since she didn't know the groom. I agreed. As we started to walk out, she suggested we find the guest book. I saw the brides mother in the hall and asked if there was a guest book. She didn't know but the bride was near by so she asked her.

"Why would we have a guest book? We only invited 30 people, and we know everyone that is here. Those books just end up in some drawer and you never look at them again! We are way to practical for that. Don't you agree?" I responded, "ummmm yea, I guess".

Twenty minutes after the ceremony we were headed for the parking lot. Out in the car my friend and I just sat for a minute with our mouths hanging open. When she asked me, "Did you notice her man arms??" I about lost it!

To Fridays I suggested...They have good Appletinis.

Bridget Jones got nothing on this girl!!

This weekend was something out of the twilight zone...But I get ahead of myself....

Tuesday - It's election day and my 46th birthday. My best friend takes me out for a nice dinner at a little Italian place close to home. She brings a gift to the table and tells me to open it. In the meantime our waiter comes to the table. He's not unattractive, about 50ish and speaks Italian (looks Mediterranean). He says "it's your birthday?, mine was two days ago...Happy birthday". Well from there he comes to the table more often...flirting with my friend and I. He then brings me a business card. He writes his name on the card and his home number. He tells me to call him sometime if I would like to go out.

After he leaves my friend says, "are you going to call him?" To which I respond, "probably not". So my friend pulls a fast one. She writes my name and number on the dinner check and tells him to call me!!

Thursday - He calls at 8:30 pm and asks me if I would like to meet him for a drink that night. I respond that I get up at 4:40 am so drinks during the week are out. He then asks if I have plans for Friday night (I should of realized the desperation in his voice at this point). I said I didn't and agreed to meet him at his work on Friday at 8:30.

Friday - I spend all evening trying to decide what to wear. I must admit I felt like I looked pretty good!! I was almost ready when the phone rang at 8:00 pm. It was him, asking if I could push our meeting back an hour to 9:30 instead of 8:30. Seems he forgot it was Friday night and how busy the restaurant gets on Friday. I agree to this request.

I get to the restaurant at 9:30 and go into the bar (there I run into a guy I had gone out with a few times before but he was leaving so no biggie). I sit at the bar and order a drink. Here comes my date (10 minutes later). He says "It will be just a few minutes more". Finally at 10:30 he comes out of the kitchen carrying a bag of food. He says, "come on".

I get off the bar stool and follow him. As we walk out he asks, "Do you mind driving?" I thought how bizarre but I guess I can control the situation more if I'm driving...and then it starts...He says "My car was repossessed last week, it's the 4th car I've had in 6 months!".

We get in the car and both motors start up...my car's and his mouth! He didn't stop talking for the next 2 hours. But again I get ahead of myself.

The next question he asks, "Would you mind running me by a friend's house? He owes me some money and if I don't get it tonight, I might not get it". I said OK. He then proceeded to give me directions...when I said tell me about where it is....Turns out to be about 25 miles away in not so nice part of the city that is often featured on the TV show "COPS". He tried to reassure me that I was safe with him and the fact that the house was dark and the yard was full of cars...there were several young men wearing hooded sweatshirts standing around handing things back and forth. Needless to say I waited in the car with the doors locked and the engine running.

Two minutes later we were off headed back towards the suburbs. We agree on a place to get a drink so that we could talk (or should I say so that he could talk). The restaurant was about to close so we had time for only 1 drink. During that time I found out the following:

He moved to this country in 1977
He attended UT and got his degree in engineering
He married a woman from Mexico
He has two children
He had a cooking show that aired 3 times a week in south Texas
His in-laws didn't like him because he didn't make enough money
His wife wouldn't have sex
He's had 4 cars in the last 6 months
He lived in a hotel for a while
He can't stand shallow women
His ex-wife put a restraining order on him (THAT WAS A BIGGIE)
He can cook
He was born in Algiers
He moved to France and was raised there
He's had his green card for 4 years
His roommate (a man) won't allow him to bring visitors to the house because the roommate's ex wife comes over occasionally.
He told me he was 50 but then he told me he was 49
He was missing a tooth (PET PEEVE OF MINE)
He likes sex
He's not abusive but sometimes he gets really mad (thinking that has something to do with the restraining order)
He's worked at several restaurants...even got fired from some.
He thinks Americans are clueless to what's happening in the rest of the world
He speaks 6 languages
This list is not all inclusive...it's all I can remember at this time.

I ended the evening by taking him to his house. He kissed my hand and went in.

Saturday - One of my "guy" friends was getting married (that's another blog all together). When I got back from the wedding I had a message on my phone. Seems I left quite an impression on the waiter...he asked me to return the call and maybe go out again tonight.

I went to bed early that night!