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...