leading up to date twelve

i was supposed to be updating this on a regular basis. unfortunately i got busy with the start of a new semester, applying to grad school, shopping for a replacement car and doing my best to remain optimistic during the time of year that brings me down the most.





when my car was lost on that monday following date #9 i called milkshake. he immediately came to my aid like the good friend that he is. as we walked away from my car it hit me hard that i wouldn't be able to go to do a lot of things:
- go on date ten to the story slam.
- make it to new york for the talent show.
- get all of the dates in by the end of the month.
- necessarily get a new car by january 3 to return to work.

my biggest concerns (i know, i realize the last on the list should be most important...) were getting to new york and finishing all the dates. it was freezing and my fingers, i was convinced, had detached from my hands. they were just sitting in their rightful slots in my gloves. i wanted to cry but was too cold and too upset. besides, though i'm extremely comfortable around this guy, the last thing i wanted to do was cry to him. he'd just done me a big favor and i didn't want to get all over-the-top, etc.

some really good things came out of this whole nightmare: he changed my question. i thought it was "am i going to go to new york?" he made me realize instead that i needed to begin it with "how..." get a rental? take a train? a bus? just go. yes.
he recognized that we'd planned to go to a party on new year's eve, so instead of having dates 10, 11 & 12 on tuesday, wednesday and thursday, just make the last night of the year the last date of the project. i admit it: this is something i'd wanted to ask him, but with everything that had happened in the last twenty minutes i kept my mouth shut. when he suggested it though, it was a tremendous relief. were this a movie of my life, i'd be hearing some adorable singer/songwriter. i'd get my final date in. it would be with someone who i actually really care about and it's on a night that is kind of momentous: last night of the month AND year AND my project deadline. WOOHOO!!
also, we got coffee and i got a cheese and pepper sandwich. that was pretty good. yeah, all around good night. oh, also worth mentioning: when i posted on facebook that i'd lost my car my hysterical friend tom whitaker responded with: "ALL MY WORK!!!!!!" he's a great guy and has put in way too much time changing my headlights, and and and. in writing it, i realize i've lost a lot of what's funny about it, but just trust me, ok? here i am, sitting in some 24 hour brown and orange cinder-block restaurant eating a meatless cheesesteak. i've just lost my beloved car and it's three in the morning. my friend hears about this accident and his initial response is concern about the time he spent checking a headlight. trust me. hilarious.


so now i've got all my dates lined up. i am delighted.