Dream a little dream.

I woken this morning to a semi-remembered dream. It was something that actually happened: a night out with MM and MMBF. They were out celebrating their birthdays (they were born only a few days apart), and MM messaged me and asked me to join them.

What happened in real life was that we chatted, MMBF added me on Facebook (or was it the other way around?), we moved to a different bar after the girls insisted I do many shots, MMBF went missing for about half an hour before reappearing, then MM and I got a taxi and went home.

In the dream, MMBF got very tactile and when MM suggested getting a taxi home, MMBF made it perfectly clear she wanted me to hang around.

I kinda woke up at that point.

I'd always wondered if MM had any ideas about that evening. M was nowhere to be seen, so it was puzzling why I got an invite out. I'd never been shy with M or MM about saying that I thought MMBF was attractive, though I think we all agreed she was too high maintenance for me. And at least one conversation from that evening was MM trying to talk MMBF into not talking to a guy that MMBF admitted was no good for her. So had she any plans for me and MMBF? She never admitted to anything and I never saw anything from MMBF to think that anything non-platonic was on the cards.

A pleasant start to Monday if nothing else, though. 

Provocation?

I was reading Reddit earlier and a post in a Men's sub asked the question about turning down an attractive friend.

I instantly thought of the evening that E3 kissed me, at the end of M's birthday party. What I didn't put together until today were the parallels between that evening and the first night I kissed FA2.

On the evening I first kissed FA2, I was out with another group of people that included FA1. FA1 and I had a bit of chemistry, but I could never tell if that was translated into actual romantic interest. BW was meant to be out, but there was no sign of him when we all met in the early evening. Eventually BW turned up, with FA2, nearly three hours after the rest of us had met. By that time, I'd been chatting to FA1 for a while. I'd ruled out any interest on her part due to the fact she'd recently started dating a new guy. But as I said, we'd always had chemistry, so the conversation flowed easily, and that was how BW and FA2 found me, deep in conversation to the point of being oblivious to anyone else around us.

At M's birthday party, while there was a group of old school friends in attendance: G,BR,E3 and others, I was being more of a social butterfly. I was chatting to some of MM's friends, including MMBF who was looking mighty fine in one of her figure hugging dresses. There was a bit of low-key flirting going on. Both M and MM knew that I had a bit of interest in her, but I think we all agreed that we probably weren't suited from a personality perspective. On more than one occasion, MM's friends had me on the dance floor.

There are strong similarities in both nights - me being fully engaged with other, attractive, women. So, it struck me earlier. Was it my behaviour with MMBF and FA1 that prompted E3 and FA2 to make their moves? Another similarity was that I didn't see a lot of E3 or FA2 at that point (that changed with FA2 after this night though).

Mixed bag

Facebook reminds me that it's my 18 year Facebook friendship anniversary with E3. I've not seen her in years. The photo that Facebook used was M's wedding, a day where I made tentative efforts to see if anything might happen with both MMBF and SBF. E3's attention didn't come until a few years later. Or at least, wasn't made public.

Birthday Season

My Facebook feed is full of upcoming birthdays. I blogged about MMBF (and MM) having recent birthdays. It's my sister's birthday today and it's CH's birthday tomorrow.

I'm always reminded of the evening CH sat on my knee at a work event, was surreptitiously tactile before leaving for her bus home and sending a series of sweet text messages telling me how awesome she thought I was.

And for a brief moment, when I remember that evening, I miss CH. Until I remember how our friendship ended, how she played the victim when I called her out on her flakiness and her general inability to take any kind of criticism.

Great rack, though. 

Also... MMBF posted pics of her birthday weekend, and there's now actual evidence that M's assertion that MMBF is really high maintenance is true.

Time flies.

It was MMBF's birthday yesterday. I have memories of a night when MM invited me out for drinks with her and MMBF and it being a really good night, but that must easily be over ten years ago. I sometimes wonder if MM had ulterior motives, but I never saw any evidence that MMBF was romantically interested in me. I do semi-recall her being quite tactile that night, though. I also recall MM chatting about some guy that was showing interest in MMBF - an ex of some description - and her disapproving of it. But they both asked my advice, which I gave (and MM approved of). 

I had already made some effort at trying to bed MMBF at M and MM's wedding, but again, saw nothing to indicate she was interested in anything, and she left the wedding at the end of the evening despite my invitation to the resident's bar to carry on celebrating.

So, Happy Birthday MMBF. 

 

Wanderlust

According to Facebook, MMBF is on holiday in Mexico. Mexico's not somewhere I've ever considered as a destination for travel, but the way things are going at the moment, I'd love a week or two somewhere sunny and warm.

It's also GWTNA's birthday today too.

Missed opportunities.

It was M's wedding anniversary yesterday or Monday. He did mention it on Sunday evening, but I forgot all about it until wedding photos turned up in my Facebook memories today.

I took my own photos but I am disappointed by the lack of photos of MMBF and SBF who were both stunning that day to the point I even made some effort to take things to some level, at least with MMBF. I do have a few of E3, and sometimes I still wonder what might have happened had things turned out differently there instead of her trying to kiss me in full view of all our friends.

Yes, I'm stubborn... and private.

Coincidence.

While I've definitely posted in the past about the coincidences I come across semi-regularly, especially when it comes to social overlaps with friends knowing friends, this was a different kind. Three different friends all posted from the same coastal village on Facebook over the weekend: S, MMBF and a friend from school.

I think I've mentioned the coastal village before - it's where FA2's parents had their holiday home. It's a really nice spot, but it's 90 miles as the crow flies from my home town, so three people being in such a small village is unlikely.

Happy birthday x2

Facebook tells me that it's MMBF's birthday today. And if that's the case, then it was MM's birthday yesterday. That provoked a memory of a night when MM invited me to join her and MMBF in the pub for a drink as they were out celebrating. That must easily be ten years ago now.

MMBF was, as usual, looking great and wearing her typical figure-hugging dress. She always wore those very well. Obviously, months later, I wondered if MM had an ulterior motive for inviting me out. After all, it was just me, MM and MMBF. If I remember correctly, MMBF was very tactile that night. Nothing ever happened and I always assumed it was because she was drunk - MM and MMBF had been taking shots before I arrived down.

But it was a great night.

And here's an MMBF-type dress because I'm feeling visual today.

Bend me, shape me...

While out on Monday evening with G and M, M shared that he's been doing Pilates recently. I offered up that I'd been doing yoga and we swapped stories of our successes.

Then M dropped the bombshell that his Pilates instructor was none other than MMBF. While I think G and MMBF have met before, we told G that MMBF was an attractive woman.

"She's fond of figure-hugging dresses." I explained. G was still none the wiser.

"You accused me of chatting her up at M's wedding?"

M cut in.

"You chatted her up at my wedding?"

"Well, I made a half-arsed attempt at the end of the night, but I was chatting to her on and off all day long with no real intent."

The subject got back to MMBF and Pilates.

"I bet it's great watch her bend over in front of you in yoga pants."

M laughed and nodded.

"She does it online, I'll send you a link."

I thought nothing more of it until 5 minutes ago when a link popped into my inbox. I have until the weekend to sign up for a free trial. Hmmm...

Just stuff.

It's MMBF's birthday today. Someone's posted a collection of pictures of her on Facebook, looking incredibly foxy over the years. And she still looks much better as a brunette than a blonde.

Six Degrees.

It's been a while since I posted about how small the place is where I live. Not small, geographically, but socially. The amount of times I see people who are friends of friends who share other friends, or I spot someone on something like Tinder who goes on to be a friend of a friend. There are loads of examples that I've posted about before: CB with MFF, QC2 with MMBF, RB and GWTNA/MF, to name but a few.

And now I add another. Another woman on Tinder is a friend of a friend.

I think I've posted about the friend before... fit, attractive blonde girl from school. We've always had a bit of banter between us, but our paths rarely cross these days, mainly due to the fact she lives in Scotland somewhere. Or maybe the north of England.

Regardless, she posted a 'happy birthday' message to a friend of hers who has, reasonably frequently, popped up on my Tinder feed, though I don't remember seeing her recently to be honest.

Er... and that's about it really.

Pondering.

Today MMBF gets married. I did wonder, this morning, if MM or M himself ever tried to set us up. If they did, they've never admitted to it, though there were a few occasions where I did get the feeling that they were sounding me out.

Physically, I think she's attractive, and I never made any secret of that to M. However, from a non-physical perspective, she's high maintenance (according to M) which would put me off, and I think I said as much to M as well.

MM never said anything that I can remember, but she did make a point of inviting me out when it was just her and MMBF.

While nothing ever came of it, if I do assume that they were trying something, then this is exactly the way I'd like it to be. No pressure, just get two people together and see what happens.

I did, though, make a bit of an effort at M and MM's wedding, but saw no sign that she was interested back.

MMBF has posted a picture on Facebook. She's blonde these days, which is not a good look for her, in my opinion. She's naturally a brunette, at least I think she is. The B in MMBF is 'brunette' and which suits her much better.

Here's hoping MM or QC2 post pictures later.

Woah!

MMBF is getting married on Friday! I found this out from M, who came out with myself and G for drinks tonight.

I had a great night out with G and M. I don't see them as often as I should, but we always click. The chat is good but the banter is better, even after all these years. It's always been the case.

I mentioned to M that he might seek out QC2. She might be at the wedding and she's good fun. M didn't sound as if he was a big fan of MMBF's fiancé. I don't think M knows him, but whatever information he's getting back from MM isn't great.

Support your local...

 MMBF has posted on Facebook a post that I've started seeing an awful lot of since this time last year.

"Support your local..." and whatever it is people want me to support.

Now, I'd happily support MMBF as a local businesswoman (and that's not a euphemism). She has been running her own business for nearly ten years that provides a service rather than offering goods. Since the first lockdown last March, she has impressed me by introducing innovative ways to keep her business up and running and offering her services as best she can under the circumstances. Other friends and acquaintances who own their own businesses are not doing the same (and, yes, I appreciate that not everyone can make those changes).

A LOT of the local businesses that I've seen haven't done that and are trying to continue running just because they're local and deserving of my custom.

Sorry, local businesses, but that alone is not enough. Amazon (and other businesses) are getting my business because I can browse online, see stock levels, offer delivery or some kind of click and collect etc. Can you do the same?

Congratulations

A while ago, I think I posted a theory that MMBF had split up with her maybe boyfriend. After all, there have been zero mentions of him on Facebook from MMBF and the only time I've seen him mentioned was in what appeared to be a couples weekend away with MMBF's friend and her then fiancé.

As you might have guessed, based off a Facebook post yesterday, MMBF is now engaged to the aforementioned maybe boyfriend.

In fact, I was aware of four different engagements as of yesterday, a record!

More semi-random pondering.

Facebook reminded me today that it's M and MM's 9th wedding anniversary. Which means it's roughly a week away from the anniversary one of my much-missed catch-ups with QC2, and her excitedly telling me that we had a mutual friend: MMBF.

I'd also tested the waters with both SBF and MMBF that day, seeing if there was anything there that might prompt a more serious attempt at nailing down a date, but I saw nothing to indicate that that was an option... at least with MMBF. SBF left for too early to have gotten her alone to investigate properly, but maybe that was a sign in itself?

It didn't go unnoticed by G that I had spent some time dancing with SBF and MMBF, both of whom were unknown to him, so when we met for drinks a few nights later, before he returned home, he was very inquisitive. He never questioned me also dancing a lot with E3, which got interesting a few months later at M's birthday. 

I also woke this morning with FA2 on my mind, specifically the "night" we became an item. Night is in quotes because we always disagreed on when we actually became an item. We had circled around each other for months, and we'd slept together a couple of times but I'd kept her at arm's length partly because she was a friend of a friend (BW), partly because she was recently separated and partly because I was unsure what I wanted.

It took AM to chat to me and make me realise that this was more than something physical, and that FA2 wanted more than something physical too. However, she had grown tired of waiting for me to make a move/make up my mind and had been on a few dates with a friend of FP's.

"You have to tell her" advised AM.

I called her one Friday night, just after she had returned from a date with FP's friend and invited her out for a drink. We needed to chat, I offered.  Strangely, she agreed.

The next night, we met in a bar and before I had a chance to speak, she said:

"I can't date FP's friend any more!"

We talked through it. She wasn't 100% comfortable with him. Not that she felt unsafe or anything, but more that he was a bit of a wheeler dealer and that didn't sit well with her though to the best of my knowledge, he wasn't into anything illegal. She was going to break it off with him, she decided.

I offered to take her out for a drink once she had. She decided she would do it on the Thursday night, so I offered drinks and maybe dinner the next night. I think even at that point, we both knew that we'd end up in bed together and that this wasn't a friend offering support but an actual date, even if it was unsaid.

FA2 did break up with FP's friend on the Thursday and called round afterwards. She was devastated. I don't think it was the first time she'd dumped someone and this was only after about four dates, but it hit her hard.

Just over twenty four hours later though, we were back at FA2's after dinner and drinks, and she was leading me up the stairs to her room. We had sex that night and first thing in the morning. That's when FA2 declared us to be an item and I agreed, and we had more sex to "celebrate" that decision/realisation between us.

And weirdly, for seemingly no reason, that's what was on my mind this morning when I woke up.

Status Update: Week 23 (plus digest)

 I did weigh myself yesterday, but as I had slept in and needed to get online for work, I completely forgot about (b)logging the result. In fact, that reminds me, I've not actually recorded my weight in MyFitnessPal in probably over a month, if not longer.

The magic number this week is 228.4 lbs

Again, no real exercise to speak of, though I had cut out the takeaways.

CC called in last night to pick up some stuff I'd done for her as a favour. As if that wasn't enough, she also asked if she could store some things at my place while she moves house. I expected her to mention some boxes or small furniture pieces, but no. A massive sofa, a king-size bed and a double bed. Sorry CC, my house doesn't have that much spare room. Sigh.

MMBF popped up on Facebook today which prompted a trawl through her Facebook pics. She seems to have a great collection of figure-hugging dresses, which she wears really well. It's been ages since I've actually spoken to her in person, though.

Rewind (Part 2)

I've continued to go through some of the old chat logs that I've found again, this time a little more recent than 2004... 2010! Specifically, 2010 and chatting to DSC. While I knew that I had said to her about finding her friend attractive, I couldn't recall any details... but I've been quite direct in the chats - appreciating DSC's friend's rack, suggesting we (myself and DSC's friend) hook up the next time we arrange a night out etc. When our conversations had substance and she wasn't just bitching about her useless boyfriend, DSC and I had some decent chat and covered some decent topics.

She was very supportive in my online dating journey, but couldn't understand how she was getting dozens of messages every day and I was getting, if I was lucky, one a month. Like KfW2, she just didn't really understand how my experiences were different and how, if I did online dating for any length of time, it really got me down.

Hooking up with DSC's friend never happened, though I do know of at least one time that DSC suggested to her friend that we get horizontal. There was a reference to a photo of DSC's friend, so I went off to Facebook to refresh my memory and got sidetracked down another rabbit hole, this time photos and a realisation (as I'd completely forgotten) of the year that MM and MMBF came out for my birthday.

I've only scratched the surface of the chat logs. I bet there are loads of memories buried in there.

Ouch

I was running for the bus this morning - probably no more than fifty metres - and I nearly didn't make it. My Achilles tendons, in both legs, were extremely sore. It's a problem I've had before, years ago. I can't remember exactly when, but probably around 2012 sometime.

I can recall talking to KfW2 about my sexy physiotherapist (and she was), because that's what it took to get the problem sorted. Well, physiotherapy and plenty of stretching. If I recall correctly, it's not a tendon problem per se, but more a general tightness around my lower legs - calves, tendons etc. all of which present itself as pain when I try and run.

I don't have any issues walking or cycling, just running.

So I'm going to have to start doing a lot more stretching of my legs (well, I could do with stretching in general), and maybe then seeing about more physiotherapy if stretching alone isn't fixing the problem.

Maybe I could get MMBF to run her hands up and down my legs?