Date night!!!!!!

So date #6 (aka Inconspicuous Random Dinner with Todd) was last night. We got Wings.

Also, Todd went to yoga with us. Before we went, he kept telling us how he's a NCAA athlete and he's going to kick ass and "win at yoga". After class, he could barely walk or talk. And he was complaining about being sweaty. And he almost passed out. And he cried a little bit (he doesn't know that I saw that... awww).

Hey Todd - we're going again tomorrow morning. Bring a hanky!

Date night!!!!!

I know I'm a couple of days late, but date #5 was pretty low-key - we just did some shopping and ordered wings from the place down the street. We watched some TV, laid around, and went to bed. We were tired.

Date #6 is tomorrow, but Todd will be with us (coming in for Thanksgiving), so it'll be another simple one. Next "real" date (#7) is Saturday night...

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Oh, I almost forgot date #4!!! It was a good one!

I told her I was working from home, but really I took the day off to prep for our date. While she was at work, I put roses in her car, a CD with instructions on where and when to meet me, plus some of our significant songs, and a change of clothes.

We met in Boston Common at 5 - got some Starbucks, walked around a bit, and then sat down on a park bench near the lake. I was so nervous. It's not that I wanted to get it over with, I just wanted things to be official. I didn't want to call her my girlfriend anymore. I wanted to start celebrating. I wanted her to be wearing it...

I asked her to marry me. She said yes.

We went on to have an extraordinary dinner at Osushi in Copley - great sushi accompanied by great wine. We went to finale for dessert and had some nice treats and a good amount of port. We stayed at the W, in an absolutely awesome suite, and had more wine and champagne. We texted and called friends and family, and told the rest of our circles via facebook. We celebrated.

It was completely unforgettable, and I couldn't be happier right now...

Want to hear more? Sarah will tell you...

Date night!!!!

So last night we just got takeout from Bertucci's - she had a pizza, I had pasta. Simple and not too exciting, but thoroughly enjoyable.

Tonight, date #4 - pretty much the opposite of last night's date.

:-)

Date night!!!

Date #2 - Solea in Waltham. It's nice little (well, surprisingly not that little) tapas place on Moody street. Excellent pork tenderloin, grilled shrimp and goat cheese. Good sparkling white sangria, too.

Tonight, Date #3... a simple one - we're going to yoga at five and then deciding together what we want to have for dinner afterwards. We could go out, get takeout, find something at home... it's not your typical "date", but hey, 18 dates in November/December - we've got to get creative for some of them.

In other news, she has no idea when... but it's coming.

Date night!!

So date #1 was at Aztec in Framingham, a little Mexican place on 135. We had high hopes, but unfortunately, the food sucked. They actually admitted to making their guacamole with half and half. Who does that?

Tonight, date #2. This one will be much better...

Date night!

Tonight, the first of 18 dates...

<3

It's been fun, Lafayette Street

Last night, Sarah and I picked up the rest of the stuff from my old apartment in Waltham. I am now, officially, a Framingham resident. And we officially live together. Happy man.

In reality, we've been living together for some time now. My last post, in September, announced our plan, and that was probably a week or two after we decided to live together. And we haven't spent a night apart in well over a hundred days. But, like I said, now it's official.

There've been some comments around how long this move has taken us (Sarah tells me we even won a longest-move award). The confusion, really, is around Sarah's definition of "moving". To most people, the term means something like "taking stuff from one place to another". Sarah's definition certainly includes that, but it also means "refinishing every piece of furniture we own". So that's what has taken so long... But we really did get a lot done, and we're thrilled with how our furniture has turned out, so it was well worth it.

Next up: clean and organize the condo in Framingham and host Thanksgiving with family and friends.

But right now, we're at work, listening to music that isn't at all repetitive...

Relocation and Cohabitation or Goodbye, Waltham

The game of chess is like a swordfight... you must think first, before you move.

So for anyone who isn't yet aware, Sarah and I are moving in together.

(!)

Specifically, by the end of October, I am moving into Sarah's condo. In Framingham.

We have a lot to do over the next two months... there's some furniture painting, clothing donations, floorplans, cleaning, etc. We actually created a 79-line project plan to track the move (I guess that's what happens when a project manager moves). We're having fun, though, and we're both excited about this new phase.

So why have I decided to move in with her, you ask? Well, first, I love her. Even more important, though, is that we seem to have this harmony that has made everything so natural and comfortable. We've spent an extraordinary amount of time together over the last few months - I think we've spent the last 80 days/nights together, in a row, AND we work at the same place. How are we not sick of each other? It's been unlike anything else I've experienced, and I'm thrilled to take the next step.

And how are we going to keep the condo clean, you ask? You did ask that, right? It's kind of a random question, but we'll be using our brand new sweet-ass Dyson DC-25.

Keith vs. Bat

Let me cut to the chase...

Last night, I went down to the basement to retrieve my last load of laundry; before I could do that, though, I had to fight a bat.

My basement:


So as I approached the door, I saw what I thought was a bird flying around at the far end of the basement. I guess I thought it was weird that a bird was down there, but it didn't bother me enough to not go in and get my laundry. I knew enough to keep my eye on it as I attempted to make my way to the dryer, and this is the series of thoughts that followed:

"That bird keeps flying into our storage units"
"That bird doesn't make any noise when it flies"
"That bird is coming toward me at an alarming rate"
"That bird is a bat."

So the thing starts friggin dive-bombing me, and all I have to defend myself is the empty laundry basket I brought to pick up the clothes. I took a couple of swipes at the air, and then let the bat come at me, connecting with it with a two-handed laundry basket thrust. It fell to the floor (not in the least bit dead, mind you), and I ran away.

I got back outside of the door, and watched the bat retreat to the far side, where I originally spotted it. I guess I lost track of it, so I composed myself for a moment, trusted that it wasn't going to bother me again (or that I was capable of again fighting it off), and ran in to get our laundry...

When I got back upstairs, Sarah was sleeping, so I folded the laundry on top of her.

It's worth mentioning that I was wearing a shirt with a bat on it when this happened; clearly this showdown was meant to take place.

Oh, and Sarah blogged about this too.

Summer post...

So, again... it's been a while. I've come to accept that frequent blogging simply isn't going to happen; I hope you can too.

Where have I been, you ask? Oh, you know - work and school, work and school, etc., etc. But let me tell you about the et cetera...

I met Sarah at work. Specifically, we had a training class together sometime in summer 2007. I saw her as I walked in, and thought to myself, "That girl is pretty - I'll sit next to her", so I did. We probably talked a little that day, but I was in a long-term (read: bad) relationship, and so was she (though I didn't know that at the time), so that was that. I didn't see her much at work, since we were on different floors (that's since changed); I do remember thinking, though, every time I had to go to the first floor for something, that I hoped I'd get to see her, smile at her, say "Hi"...
In any event - still in a relationship at this point, still just trying to catch a glimpse of the cute girl on the first floor that I talked to once.

In summer 2008, we both ended up joining the softball team at work. So once a week, for a good part of the summer, we'd play softball and then go out for beers with the team. I remember gravitating toward her at the games and at the bar afterwards, and I got the impression that she liked hanging out with me, but that's as far as it went that summer. See, I had just gotten out of my long-term relationship, and I needed a while to enjoy my new girl-free life. Plus, I didn't want to end up being the weird guy from work that asked her out once. I liked her, though, and I told my friends about her (she became known as "softball girl")...

Over the next few months, I would talk to her around work, try to sit near her at company functions, etc., but I was still in my selfish post-bad-relationship phase. One night in December we both went out for drinks with work people, and I spent a good part of the evening talking to her, looking at her, and flirting with her; at one point that evening, I gave her what we've deemed the "compliance test": we were talking about her ring, and I reached out my hand as though I wanted a closer look at it; really I just wanted to see if she would willingly give me her hand. She did.
I definitely liked her at this point, but I was still coming off of my relationship hangover (I know, very very slowly - trust me, it was a bad relationship), and, you know, there was the whole coworker thing.

Another few months passed, and we fell back into the talking once in a while at work thing, until this Spring, when we started talking a lot more frequently. There was a play we went to with coworkers, she came to one of our softball games (she didn't join the team this time), we ended up emailing and texting all the time (about basketball, baseball, anything), and she made me some cupcakes with Skittles in them...
In early June we planned a small coworker gathering to watch a Red Sox game, and she made sure I got the seat next to her (which is where I wanted, and intended, to sit, of course); we sat closer and closer to each other as the night went on, and ended up closing down the bar. At this point, I was unable to ignore/rationalize/avoid my feelings - I knew I had to say "fuck it" about the dating a coworker thing. I asked her out (to that same bar) the following Sunday. Neither of us was quite acknowledging the fact that it was a "date" (we're just coworkers hanging out, right?), but we had a great time talking all night, closed the bar down again (on a Sunday night!), and said goodnight (with a hug - lame or cute? you decide) in the parking lot...
The next day, some Red Sox tickets magically landed in my lap, and, of course, I asked her to go (I think we knew it was a date this time). That Thursday, we went to the game, and I kissed her...

Two incredible months have passed since that night; I've had the absolute honor of spending almost every day and night since with the most amazing, gorgeous, smart, funny, kind, and sexy woman I've ever met. I've never felt so close to someone or so passionate about someone; I've never been interested in spending so much time with someone; I've never wanted to make someone else so happy, and I've never been happier myself.
I would have been lucky to find the girl of my dreams, but I've been amazed to find that my dreams didn't even come close...

Welcome!

Since the old (read: not free) blog will disappear, I'll keep it here, as my first post.

More to come soon!