Cafe Hitch-hike

2018-04-22

Dating, food, and other sports

Just finished half of a tamal and arepa with some cheese. I enjoyed an espresso and read the news while I waited on it in the local Colombian, family-style restaurant around the corner from me. It's close enough to the Venezuelan hallaca that I'm muy contenta. One of the benefits of me being in this land is getting to sample the varieties of Latin food.

I got to try varieties of slop served while in lived in the Detroit area. A coney island restaurant was nearby my bungalow flat. Coney islands usually served American diner food combined with homecooked dishes like meatloaf, mac and cheese, and at one time, venison. These restaurants were usually owned by Greeks or Macedonians, and the food definitely showed their flavors. They often served lemon chicken or lentil soups, rice pudding, and a lasagne that was like mousakka. Did I complain? Hellll nooooo, it was awesome! My particular inner ring suburb of residence had a high Middle Eastern population, so I had a few restaurants where I could get falafel, couscous, lamb, and their killer pastries and ice creams. Lebanese food was very nourishing and wholesome. It was no wonder I had on a few extra pounds while I lived there!

Back in my hometown, I got to regularly eat foods that I later learned were German, Polish, and Hungarian in origin. When I visited 2 of those countries, I was surprised to see their food was similar to what I ate. We also had a Dutch settlement, but the only thing I ate from them was their pastries and ice cream which had strong Belgian and French influences. The ice cream in my hometown is extra creamy and sweet, seriously! We had a few large dairies and bakeries in my area, so the sources were literally next door and the food was very fresh. A Michigan-based ice cream franchise set up shop here and it uses just about the same recipes, so when I want some Mackinac Island Fudge or Moose Tracks ice cream cone that has at least 1,500 calories, I know my source!


Ok, so something funny happened last night. I was asked out by a former hockey player from Joliet. We met about a couple of months ago at a walking tour of Miami. Ali was with me, and she kept pushing me into him and coaxing me to talk to him. I wanted to talk to him anyhow and got to. He seemed interesting and easy to talk to. I also thought he was rather attractive and yeah, I detected his accent. I was friendly enough towards him but really wasn't feeling assertive in the dating kind of way.

I later realized it was because it was the first time I was in Miami since Rafa and I broke up, and I felt some emotions stirred. Ali was jumping on me and was like, 'what's the matter with you? Why didn't ya go after him?' I told her I didn't know what I wanted and really wasn't ready. Well, at the end of the tour, she got his number under the guise of inviting him to one of her gatherings.

Joliet Jake ended up asking Ali and I to go out last week, but she was at a conference and told him I should be available. With my permission, she gave him my number. He called very soon after, but I didn't notice his voice mail until a day or two later, and we finally met up this weekend.

We ended up going to see a show last night. What can I say? It was the easiest date I had gone on in quite some time! We easily talked about all kinds of things, even some personal things like his divorce and my perpetual bachelorettehood (which he was totally cool with). We liked a lot of the same music, and he, too, is a dog parent to a sweet, female black lab.

Ooh, and the end of the night... I didn't stay the night and wasn't ready, but I most certainly enjoyed the kisses and being held. And against that deliciously strong and agile hockey player body? Hell to the yeah! His skin was smooth and a lovely color, and I'd have zero problem revisiting all of that. I thanked him for being a gentleman, which he was, and the affection, too, was also-- easy!

The funniest part of it is that he is 10 years younger that me. At once point, I told him I went through his hometown and gave the year and how old I was when I did. I sensed a moment of pause on his end. I knew he was younger than me, but I didn't know quite by how much. At the end of the night, he said he didn't care. I didn't, either. If anything, I'm quite curious!

So, I'm grateful that I was able to have a nice time without necessarily jumping into anything, and at the same time, feel good about everything that happened!


In work matters, I decided to throw my hat in the ring for promotion. I have to document all of my accomplishments and organize them in a portfolio. A lot of thoughts went through my little head, but something became crystal clear when I gathered my materials.

My fucking promotion has some very strong legs to stand on. When I looked at Tweedle Dum's promotion portfolio, I could see I had more activities with impact and could had easily gone up for it last year. Well, fuck... as I gathered my documentation, I got the sense that my portfolio was going to be air tight in my accomplishments. Even if my colleagues decided to be assholes about my bid this time, just the sheer number and quality of activities will give me a damn strong case to dispute any rejection.

And, no one can take these things away from me, ever. The things I learned and accomplished are mine, completed, visible, and will never go away. It would be very hard for me to go backwards, and I think my skills crossed a certain bridge and cannot go back. Damn right I'm going to own all of these things. I worked very hard for them, and it was through a lot of anger and tears.

The thing I will think of the most is YES, THESE ARE MINE, and here they are.

I'd love to knock the shit out of anyone who dares to doubt my competencies or abilities. But, since I'm sure I'll meet plenty of people who will in the days to come, I'll do what I need to do within the acceptable limits. And, in the back of my mind, know that I am much better than what they think, and maybe muss them up a little for their sorry-ass attempt.

downwind | upstream