Formerly Single

When I was single, I could pretty much do whatever I wanted. If I didn't feel like cooking dinner, I didn't have to. If I wanted to hang out on the couch and watch tv all night, I could do that too. Sleep in until whenever I wanted on the weekends? Yup. Put off doing the laundry or cutting the grass one more day? No problem. If I had a good book on the go, I could be lost for hours. Sometimes the urge to cook something special or bake hit me and I'd spend hours messing up the kitchen.. More often that I should admit, toast and peanut butter is and was my favorite dinner.

I like being at home. Often when I get home at the end of a day, I'm so glad to be there that the idea of going out again never even crosses my mind. Out of the work clothes and into my comfies. I enjoy my house. It is where I feel safe and secure. It wraps around me like a hug when I walk in the door. All of my "stuff" is there and the memories associated with most of it bring me comfort and happiness.

The point is that I ran my own schedule. Toss in some kid related things and that was about the sum total of demands made on me. Kid 1 was often working or out with friends, or doing whatever it is teenagers do when they disappear for hours on end, and I had tons of time all to myself.

Sure, many people heard me complain about it being lonely and how I wished I could find a good man to share my life with. And that I was going to be single forever, and that I just couldn't do relationships, that I was going to get many many cats and be the crazy cat lady rocking on her porch, and that I was just positive I was going to die all alone. Not that I'm dramatic much or anything.

Well, hell froze over and I did find a good man to share my life with. Who knew? He's definitely a keeper and I have no intention of letting him go. Finding someone who really gets me and knows all about my dark side and loves me anyway is some sort of a miracle on earth. I'm not messing with that, people. He loves yard work, will cook because he likes to, does laundry without being asked, and whips out the vacuum on a regular basis. Having the handyman skills to fix all the long neglected "to do" items around the house wins him huge brownie points. Being pretty damn cute and able to make those butterflies flit around my stomach on a regular basis is a bonus.

However.....

Did you know that if you actually invite someone to move into your house and live with you, they never,never,never go away?

Ever.

Even if I have had the day from hell and want nothing more than to get home, put my pyjamas on, and eat ice cream straight out of the carton until my misery is soothed. I might like toast and peanut butter and think it is a perfectly acceptable thing to have for dinner, but the guy who likes meat and potatoes is going to turn up his nose and proclaim loudly, "Toast is not dinner!" I may never ever miss an episode of the Bachelorette or American Idol - and don't get me started on Big Brother - but once the 6 o'clock news is over, the tv ceases to exist for him. Nascar excluded, of course. One of my favorite things in the world may be to climb into bed and read a book until all hours of the night. That does not work well with someone who can not sleep unless it is completely dark and does not understand the joy of reading. Saturdays may have been all about sleeping in before. Tell that to the guy who can't stay in bed past 6 A.M. Peace and quiet and time alone may have been "my thing"; now there is someone always wondering, "Whatcha doing?"

Don't get me wrong. I found him after a very long search, and I am keeping him.

Adjusting to him is taking a bit more time.