Tell Me Why

October 15, 2010
[from my private blog]
Why didn’t he call me? 
He was stuck in his car alone for at least three hours.  I told him I could talk.  That I’d love to keep him company.  I sent him FB msgs so he’d know I was around.  Then how I wished he was around.  Nothing. 
It would have made my day to hear his voice.  He would not have had to talk to me for long. 
Ugh.  I hate this roller coaster. 
  • Tues/Wed/Thu – A life changing 39 hours together in D.C.
  • Fri-Wed – One tiny message a day for a week. 
  • I sent a sexy photo. He said he was sorry. WHAT?
  • Thurs – I said I was NOT SORRY.   No answer.  Finally, a lovely late night chat.  Asked if I could go see him again in November.
  • Friday – nothing.  No call.  No msg.  No answers.  Texted him a photo of new Thai place.  Nada.

Why?  If I knew why, it could go a long way.  Does it have anything to do with me? Is he over it?  He has definitely got it under control.  Or is it only to do with him?  Why can’t he talk to me? Arrrgh…

Friday silence

Friday festivities
Between Phil and You
October 15 at 10:21am
Good morning!  I hope your Friday is off to a great start.  Still gray here, but the monsoon is over.
Hope the beer fest with your son is fun tomorrow.  Just saw an ad about “The Lobster Party” here.  Wow, does it sound like your sort of party – craft beers and lobster!

October 15 at 1:43pm
Wicked windy out today!  Had a great lunch in Harvard Sq – groovy pizza place called Oggi.  Vegetarian friend ordered a goat cheese, cheery tomatoes and almond pizza.  Not my choice, but still yummy.  Fun to get out of the office. Very quiet today.
October 15 at 4:36pm
All alone in the office.  Sent everyone home early. Too quiet… Counting the minutes until I can leave.  Wish you were around to tell me great stories and make me laugh.  Hope you made it home easily. Have a great weekend!



May I Visit Again?

October 14, 2010

11:48 pm Me: hiya

Phil: hey, how you?
Me: Great! You?
Phil: rainy day here, now crystal clear and cold
Me: They’re using the word “Nor’Easter” for us over night.  Just started…
 Had a great time at the pub.  You been watching TV?
Phil: the pub sounds neat> think I’d like it
watching country music videos, wrapped up in bed with the windows open
Me: Very British…
lots of “whiskey” behind the bar…Over a dozen beers on tap
I just posted an outside photo… not very picturesque
Phil: absolutely my kind of place
Me: Busy day?
Phil: no not too bad.  went for a long run with a friend’s dog.  He thinks I’m the sled. 
 finished up a lot of admin stuff
12:00 am Me: Cool. You ran in the rain?
Phil: cleared up around 5. Been crystal clear since then> 
He is such a big baby and he loves to run
Me: Miracle happened today…
Phil: back to the beach tomorrow. 
Beer fest with my boy Saturday> Should be fun
do tell
Me: Call me if you want some company in the car. 
Hubby… touched me.
Phil: ok will do
Me: What time you driving?
Phil: awesome! 
leaving around 1:00 or so 
Me: Seems like if you wanted me, he is suddenly interested.
Phil: that’s a good thing
Me: Yes. Thank you for facilitating…
Phil: my pleasure. going back to the thai place. really liked that
Me: Their soup was awesome…
Phil: you have to find a cool place for dinner when I am up there
 i never had it before, really liked the soup
Me: Been pondering… every time I eat out I look around, think about it…
Phil: cool, I will trust your judgement. 
has to serve lobster and cold beer, chowder would be a plus
Me:  There are too many great places!
  May have to beg for more than one night…
  Whole lobster or something with lobster in it? Like lobster pie etc?
Phil: lobster in it is fine
Me: May I visit you again?
Phil: I am beat, toasty in bed. need to get to sleep. 
talk to you tomorrow.  glad to hear Hubby is interested.
gone most of November, two trips. and thanksgiving. 
getting hectic with the pending move
Me: Sure.
 Check the calendar?  See if there is a window…
Phil: I will be up there shortly.  I’ll look, trying to pack out the house. 
Rent sign goes up soon. Wife is not much help so I am doing everything. 
What a pain in the ass
Me: Ok. Flights to BWI are wicked cheap. 
Talk tomorrow. Sleep well, sweet man.
12:21am  Phil: nite Sassy

The Mark

The mark
Between Phil and You
October 13 at 7:58pm
Sent you email – something you asked for awhile ago. A photo. Of a body part. With your mark on it. Enjoy. πŸ˜‰
===========
From: Sassy
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 7:59 PM
To: Phil
Subject: The mark
You marked me. πŸ˜‰  


==========

From: Phil
Subject: RE: The mark 
Date: October 13, 2010 10:54:59 PM EDT
To: Sassy
Sorry, did not mean to.

==========

Thursday dawn 
Between Phil and You
October 14 at 6:30am
Good morning! Hope your day is off to a good start.  Another gorgeous dawn in progress here. The border of the night and day is so beautiful today…the deep blue giving way to the pink and orange of a new day. Woke up very cold… had to dig out the winter robe!
October 14 at 8:04am
What’s your Thursday plan? I hope you get to have fun.
Hoping for a quiet office day. Made progress yesterday, prepped for a reception in two weeks for a couple hundred people. 
Dinner tonight with a friend at the Piccadilly Pub, a local chain. Your kind of place – very British, huge bar, seafood. Even Yorkshire pudding! Have you had that? Side dish, good with gravy – cross between a popover and pudding. The pub is in the burbs, North Reading, so the prices are cheap.

==========

From: Sassy 
Subject: Re: The mark 
Date: October 14, 2010 9:09:03 AM EDT
To: Phil
I’m not sorry.

The Fall

October 10, 2010 
[From my private blog]
Can “falling in love” really be like a fall?  Like, you’re walking along, minding your own business, and then you see something and WHAM!  You’re flat on your face on the pavement of love? 
It feels like that is happening to me.  I have mostly been able to avoid thinking that I still love Philip.  In fact, I had decided that I don’t.  That I can just have fun.  Not get mired in all the love morass like before. It took me a long time to scrape myself off the pavement last time.  Don’t want to go back.  And yet it doesn’t feel like a surprise.  I had a great time with him.  He was incredibly sweet and has continued to be that way.  I loved him before… even if I forgot, why would that stop?  I turned my life over to him for 39 hours and all he did was cherish me and make me feel special and tell me things and take me to amazing places. All so comfortable and natural. 
Then tonight I was looking at a random photo of him at Oktoberfest.  Just toasting the camera.  Looking straight at it.  It felt like he was toasting me, looking directly at me.  Smiling.  And suddenly my heart was melting and I was thinking, “HOLY CRAP! I am still in love with this guy.” So I looked away.  Figured it was a momentary thing, just a fluke. 
But then I looked again later.  Same reaction.  My man.  My love.  Oh, dear… It felt like I had locked a door, and suddenly he is pouring into my heart through all the windows! 
Maybe it is just lust.  After all, I’ve been grabbing that face and kissing it all week.  But it is not a sexual feeling.  It’s more.  I am completely calm.  Oh, dear… 
This is not going to make him happy.  May scare him away altogether.  But what if he has decided he loves me, and is afraid to say it?  Afraid to scare me away?  Arrrrgh!
Now what?!
Don’t panic.  Don’t take it as a given.  Sleep on it.  Look again tomorrow.  Maybe you can pick yourself up and go back to the fun stroll.  There’s nothing to be done about it tonight anyway.  Or tomorrow. You can’t tell him in a frickin FB msg.  Or an email.  Or a text.  Maybe on the phone?  Doesn’t seem right.  Suddenly the urge to go back to D.C. as soon as possible takes on new urgency. 
*sigh*
But what am I going to say?  “Houston, we have a problem.” “Say what?” “Um…I know this is inconvenient, but I…well… I love you. Again.” and he is going to break my heart.  Again.  He has made it clear over and over it is just fun.  There is no leaving his wife.  There is no being together forever.  There may not even be anything after he moves.  Very clear.  But that was before he was inside me.  Before he trotted around to my side of the car over and over when he knew I would grab him and kiss him.  Before I introduced him to new foods.  Before I didn’t cry at the airport because I knew something special had happened and all I could feel was joy. 
Crap. Crap. Crap. 
I need to be with him.  I need him to be hugging me.  Have just kissed me.  I need to look up into his eyes and make sure he is paying attention and say it.  Watch his reaction.  Wow… so don’t have the courage for that. 
Ok.  Stop.  Let it ride.  Be calm.
Yet it feels totally right to end with the song from the musical “1776” that Abigail and John Adams sing as they sign off their letters to each other.

“I am, as I ever was, and ever shall be…. yours, yours, yours, yours, YOURS”
Crap.

Talking to myself

So Phil and I parted on Thursday morning at Dulles.  I flew home and he went off on vacation with his family.  I wrote to him as usual.  And he wrote… not much or nothing.  Five messages in six days.  Fifty-four words total.  I got the sinking feeling that he was done with me.  See if you agree… 

Friday fiddling
Between Phil and You
October 8 at 2:40am
Took a long nap. Up late. Musing. Wondering what you’re thinking.
Seeing you again was so wonderful! Answered questions. Healed an old wound. Great to see bits of your day-to-day life. Such a gift. Thank you. 1000 times.
But now I know what I am missing. You. Our conversations. Our laughter. Stories about the good days and the bad times our lives. kisses. In for more yearning. But calmed by the prospect of more moments.
Tough to be home. Seeing my life in ways it might be better I didn’t see. But I am working to change parts of it.
I wrote down everything I could remember. 39 hours. Important to treasure the joy. The comfort. The fun.
Thinking of you. Trying not to write to you every 10 minutes. Be safe. Have a great trip North.
October 8 at 8:27am
Good morning! It’s a beautiful day here.. no clouds, 50’s, bright orange trees. Gulls coasting on the breeze. Looked at the satellite weather photos down the East coast – a great day for driving North. Safe travels, sweet man.
October 8 at 2:47pm
Ah, Friday afternoon. Hope your drive is going well. Office finally quiet after hectic morning of catching up, doing payroll early due to the Monday holiday. Looking forward to a long weekend!
Phil October 8 at 3:14pm
drinking wine at the wineries. Easy trip

Saturday seasons
Between Phil and You
October 9 at 1:56am
Why can’t I go to bed without writing to you? πŸ™‚ So glad you had an easy trip. You’re traveling under my karma now.
Replaying Tue/Wed/Thu in my mind. Lots to keep me smiling for a awhile. Hope it is the same for you. Have fun at Oktoberfest! BEER! Think of me pulling you aside in the crowd to kiss you deeply… mmmm…
October 9 at 8:00am
Good morning, Philip! It’s a spectacular morning here… bright blue skies, crisp air… perfect fall day ahead.
October 9 at 9:17am
Thinking about mountains… I can hear you singing this.


“You Raise Me Up”
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up… To more than I can be.
There is no life – no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up… To more than I can be.
Phil October 9 at 12:41pm
Having a blast. Great music, good food, wonderful company, mountain air. Ahhhh
October 9 at 6:42pm
You forgot to mention the beer?! πŸ™‚
Had a full day… ready to watch the AL play-offs. Go Twins!
I know you are wicked busy being son, husband, dad etc. Thanks for sending me mgs… it makes my day!
October 9 at 7:43pm
It was my “be kind others” day on 3 fronts.  Saw my friend in the nursing home, took her out for lunch, saw my parents, and went out to supper with hubby and a friend who has no money.  Off to catch up on NCIS and baseball. *hugs*
October 9 at 10:50pm
Great photos of you today! Your smile… *swoon*
Caught up on NCIS! Freaky to watch, kept missing bits of the story because I was noticing locations I recognized! So cool… and odd how they patch bits of D.C. with other shots around L.A..
October 10 at 12:24am
Ok. The Yankees won the ALDS. In grand style. Have to give them some credit. Grrrr…. off to bed. Sleep well, sweet man.
Sunday celebrations
Between Phil and You
October 10 at 8:55am
Another gorgeous morning here. Sun. Cold. 48 degrees. Hope you have a relaxing day!
October 10 at 3:44pm
Smile by Uncle Kracker


Songwriters: Bose, Jeremy; Daly, Blair; Harding, J; Shafer, Matthew;
You’re better than the best
I’m lucky just to linger in your light
Cooler than the flip side of my pillow, that’s right
Completely unaware
Nothing can compare to where you send me,
lets me know that it’s okay, Yeah, it’s okay
And the moments where my good times start to fade
Chorus:
You make me smile like the sun,
fall out of bed
Sing like bird, dizzy in my head
Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Oh, you make me smile
Even when you’re gone, somehow you come along just like
A flower pokin’ through the sidewalk crack
And just like that You steal away the rain, and just like that
Chorus
Don’t know how I lived without you
‘Cause every time that I get around you
I see the best of me inside your eyes
You make me smile
Chorus
October 10 at 10:02pm
Quiet day today. Saw my folks. Did laundry. Yawn. Caught up on Hawaii 5-0. Missed you. Hope you had a good day. Sleep well, sweet man.
Holiday hello
Between Phil and You
October 11 at 4:15pm
Happy football day! I hope it’s a special night at the stadium.
Phil October 11 at 4:24pm 
Thanks! Me too.

October 11 at 4:34pm
Two quick questions – You in Little Italy yet?
Is this your first time at the new stadium?
October 12 at 12:33am
Good game?
Hope you didn’t get hit by lightning…
Football rules
Between Phil and You
October 12 at 7:49am
Good morning! Still basking in the game this morning? Quiet here, raining, but not supposed to last long. You driving South? Hope you get out from under the clouds soon.
October 12 at 3:06pm
Been thinking about your office. And closing the door…
When will you be a geographic bachelor again?
October 12 at 9:24pm
Hope you’re having a relaxing evening. Great Oktoberfest photos!
Had Thai food tonight! tom kar gai soup… made me think of last Tuesday night. And smile.
October 12 at 10:44pm
Just watched NCIS. Did you see it tonight? Great shots of D.C. locales. Sleep well, sweet man.
Phil October 12 at 10:46pm
Saw it. Was a good show. You too. Nite

Wednesday waiting
Between Phil and You
October 13 at 6:20am
Good morning! Hope your day is off to a great start. Cold here… only 45 degrees! But clear and quiet so far. Reading about the rescue of the Chilean miners… quite something.
October 13 at 7:04am
What’s up w/you today? Work? Play?
I’m changing my life! Made three resolutions on the plane. First step – being social on my own. Made plans with friends I want to know more about. Have three meals out planned.  Hope for good conversations and good food.
Phil October 13 at 9:43am
Good for you! I’m hauling boxes today. Whoo Hoo. Cleaning this dump up. Cannot stand clutter and got a house full. No more.
October 13 at 12:52pm
Wow! Getting rid of clutter is an awesome idea. I might add that idea to my resolutions list. Not that I have very much in my little condo, but less would still be better. πŸ™‚
Great beach and trip photos! Looks like you had a lot of fun.
Thanks for sharing. Nice to see what came of all those plans you talked about. 
Very quiet day in the office. Trying to get ahead on various projects.
October 13 at 10:44pm
Hope you had lots of success in your anti-clutter campaign! Had a nice dinner at Border Cafe. Love Cajun food. Thought of you when someone ordered a margarita! Sleep well, sweet man. Sweet dreams.

Sixteen Post-trip Answers

Before I left on my trip, my head was filled with questions.  I wrote them down, so I wouldn’t have to think about them so much and I could stay in the moment with Phil while we were together.  Here are the answers after my trip. 

1) Is everything I’ll need packed? 
Yes. Could have done with one more top for the surprise lunch at the club.
2) I hate flying. But I will do it for the chance to see someone or doing something really great. Will today be really great?
Yes!

3) Can I fly without getting sick to my stomach? Or picking up a bad cold?

Stomach – Yes! Did not get queasy at all.  
Cold – Remains to be seen. Was someone coughing right behind me on the way down.
4) Is this the first day of the rest of my life? Or just another random Tuesday on which I have an interesting adventure? Which do I want it to be? 

It felt like middle ground.  Which is a good place.  I wanted to have a good time.  Have sex again after 10 years.  But not fall madly in love.  Just middling.  It was that. 

5) Can you meet up with your first love again after such a long time and have it not be a disaster?

YES!

6) Can we talk in person as easily as we do on the phone? 

Even better. 

7) Will Phil want to touch a fat, old, married lady? Will I want to touch him?

Yes. Yes. YES!

8) Will the heat of our online sex translate into real life?

Didn’t seem quite as hot to me, but I expected that.  It was certainly hot enough.  The initial moments when he did what he’d wanted to do all his life were spectacular.  He is a fabulous kisser!  His fingers inside me were spectacular!  Hearing him moan when I had his cock in my mouth? Priceless. 

9) Will we ever actually make it to the restaurant?

Eventually. πŸ™‚ Arrived at 5:15 pm. Got to the restaurant about 9:15 pm. 

10) Can Phil be unfaithful? Can I?
Yes.  Without batting an eyelash.  People who have lived without passion for so long will jump at a chance at it.

11) Will the chemistry of our teenage encounters still be there?

ABSOLUTELY! Worse! 

12) Will he be done with me once we’ve gone all the way? Will his conscience take over like it did when we were teenagers? 

Not yet.

13)  Will my body do what my mind wants to do? 

Just about.  Had a little trouble in some positions.  Not even sore!

14) Do I still love him? Does he love me? If so, is that a good thing or just a source of endless longing and misery?

Didn’t say it or even think much about it.

15) Will this be enough? Or will we do it again? 

Not enough.  MORE!  December?  Sooner? 

16) If the physical stuff doesn’t happen, can we still be friends?
Physical stuff happened, so this is moot.  But I begin to wonder about what happens in January when he moves.  
All in all, it feels like I am in just the right spot for now.

Visit Part 9 – Home again

October 7 at 1:40pm
Hey, there! I hope you’re having a great day.  I had an easy flight. JetBlue knows how to do it!  Home now, full of my comfort food – spicy Szechuan dumpling soup: suan la chow show.  Thinking of our adventures and smiling. πŸ™‚

Email to an online pal the afternoon I got back from D.C.

Thursday, October 7, 2010 2:18 pm

Subject: Quick trip summary

HI, Betsy,

Wow… I am so touched that you are checking in on me.  I am wondering just how angst-y I sounded before Tuesday!  Sorry if I worried you too much.  

I am fine.  Better than fine.  Great!  I had a wonderful time with Philip.  We talked a lot, kissed a lot and ate great food!  And as I was saying good bye at the airport, he said, “So I will see you in Boston in December, right?  It’s a date.”  Heh.  
I managed to stay “in the moment” all the time, not fret about the past or the future.  I did not analyze.  I did not cry.  Not sure how!  I answered a lot of questions.  And didn’t get tied up in emotions.  Just enjoyed.  
He thinks of himself as a know-it-all on the food front, having traveled and eaten all over the world, but I was able to introduce him to three new things!
 – Thai soup: tom ka gai (chicken coconut soup), 
 – an appetizer – Greek taramosalata (blended fish roe and cheeses) 
 – Greek dessert – galaktoboureko (phyllo with custard inside)!  
He took me to his office!  So cool.  Everyone salutes him.  So strange.  
I do miss him a lot already.  It is so fun to be with him.  And such a luxury to be able to touch a man whenever I want. 
After I cleared security and was seated at the gate, I started to fret about whether he’d had a good time, since we didn’t talk about how we felt at all.  Then I got a text.  It was clear from the timing that after he left me at the security checkpoint, he must have sat in his car and texted me.  It read “Have a great flight.  I had fun, ate some new things that I enjoyed, enjoyed the conversation, was a very enjoyable couple of days. πŸ™‚  
He is the SWEETEST MAN!
Not sure what else to say.  If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
And thanks again for good vibes.  It seems to have worked in spades. 
Back to my mundane life!
 -S