Odd.

I know, I know, I’ve been getting your email hints about the lack of blogging. Clearly, you know that this dating thing is going extremely well and it has been keeping me from my normal blogging activities. Blogging during the day (at work) really is supposed to be an exception and not the norm. My employer kind of wants me to focus on work, while I’m at work… CRAZY.

However, today is not the day in which I will completely live the “keep work and life separate” motto. I’m spinning on a number of topics that I should be able to work out on my own but I need to over share.

The first thing that’s going on with me is an odd state about the Greece trip. While I’m looking forward to it, it is just kind of looming out there as something that’s coming. I’m not in my normal state of pre-vacation excitement. Generally about this time I’ve started practicing my new language, spent time in the maps, planned out things I want to see and have been doing research on the history of the area. So far, I’ve only bought a couple swimsuits and am working out the items I need to pack. I haven’t spent as much time as I should yet to figure out where I’m going to stay in Athens and then in Rhodes.

I spoke yesterday with one of the folks who will be on the trip with me it wasn’t an instant “friendship” match, but he seemed like a tolerable fellow. I think the trip is going be small, meaning that instead of three boats of people we will likely be one boat. Maybe that will translate into more personal space for TPgal on the boat or more importantly less restrictions on how often we can shower.

Perhaps tonight I will do more Greece homework and finally mail the Seascape people my itinerary. Some of this apathy has to do with the horrific amount of work that has to get done before I can leave without guilt, but mostly it's about looking forward to other things in my life. Such as:

J and I are headed to Long Beach for a weekend at the end of September. I can't wait to show him where I grew up. He grew up in Denver and the ocean is a spectacular place to visit. I'll get to take him to some of my favorite places on earth. I hope the weather will cooperate because the beach is best experienced outdoors. Even if it's raining, we'll bundle up and enjoy walks on the beach. Oh gosh, I can't wait!!!

and

J and I finalized plans for a trip to visit his parents in February. This will be a mildly long weekend (Friday through Tuesday) with many of his relatives coming to help celebrate his dad’s 70^th birthday. Even though we’ll be forced to endure a weekend of chastity sleeping arrangements (i.e. him in the basement and me with an ankle bracelet low jack in an upstairs room) I’m really looking forward to it. There are a few things about the trip that I think will be great including spending good quality time with his parents, seeing where he grew up, and hanging out in Denver with someone who knows and likes the area. I’ll also get to see my gal pal Misty that weekend.

I think it’s odd that I’m more jazzed about a weekend in Long Beach and then in Denver with my new dude than I am about three weeks in Greece. I AM MENTALLY ILL.