Dance the night away

I've booked my tickets for the gig at Xmas, with my favourite band at CB Pub. My sister and brother-in-law are going, too. While no-one else has said anything, I'd be very surprised if there weren't others there - AM, QC1 in all likelihood. I suspect M could show his face if I told him about it.

There's an outside chance that Quiet Girl might show up too if I let her know. She seemed to be quite impressed by the band at the end of June .

Even if no-one else shows up, I'm already looking forward to it. 

And it was.

It was a decent night, last night. QC1 didn't show up, but she had been in contact with AM outside of the WhatsApp group.

I arrived on-time, got a beer and found some seats. Twenty minutes later, Mr AM walked in. 

"We're in the other bar"

CB Pub has like three different bars, and AM favours the one with no atmosphere, no natural light, is quite dark and is, IMO, very... oppressive?

So, yeah, they arrive later, instantly go to that bar then come looking for me. I don't think I blogged about it, but I was pretty sure this was going to happen.

Regardless, minor frustration aside, it was a decent night, catching up with AM and Mr AM. Another couple arrived  - the couple who said they were clearing out their kitchen.

But it's not something I'm inclined to do again soon.

We did talk about the useless WhatsApp group. I did say to AM that I was considering leaving it, which she was surprised about. My complaint about people not having the decency to reply to a question fell on deaf ears even though AM herself has been vocal about arranging things. The QC1 thing is a case in point. If I were relying on the WhatsApp chat, I could easily have been doing something else last evening.

"I was never not coming out," said AM.

"You suggested rescheduling in the group on Tuesday!"

"Yeah, but..." AM trailed off. 

I did try and catch the eye of an attractive blonde woman who was with a couple of friends, but AM's choice of bar was against me - not only is it dark and oppressive - it's not really a bar for mingling in the way the other bars would be.

She was really cute, though, in an Elizabeth Banks kinda way. 

Here we go?

I'm looking forward to seeing AM and Mr AM tonight. To the best of my knowledge, no-one else is showing up. At least, no-one's said anything in the group chat. It really wouldn't surprise me if QC1 and her husband showed up. That's typical of QC1. She'd only have said anything if she were unhappy with the arrangements.

the girl who started the WhatsApp chat has claimed that she's clearing her kitchen in anticipation of getting work done soon, so she can't attend. Guess who else has been cleaning and clearing their kitchen in anticipation of getting work done within the next few weeks? Yep, me. And yet I'm still organised enough to attend. After all, this isn't a last-minute thing. The date has been out there since the start of the month.  Anyone not replying to say they can/can't make it is just plain fucking rude.

Plans.

Remember a few weeks ago, I stated in this post that I had tentative plans in place with AM and her husband to do dinner and drinks? Well, a few days after that, AM posted in the Quiet WhatsApp Group about it. I was the only person to reply. It's now two weeks after that again, and the tentative date mentioned is this coming Saturday.

I skipped the Quiet Group and messaged AM directly: are we still doing Saturday?

No reply as yet.

Regardless of what happens on Saturday, I'm leaving the group on Sunday. What's the fucking point when people don't even have the decency to reply to a message/question about meeting up? It's not even me being ignored, but I'm still angry at their uselessness.

(As an aside, I fully expect QC1 to be in touch with AM directly and if we do go out on Saturday, I expect QC1 and her husband to show up.)

Chat Watch (con't)

After last night's post, I woke this morning to see a few notification in the chat. Apparently the chat creator forgot all about it. AM's husband and QC1 have both posted, but no-one's actually suggested anything.

And also, after last night's post, I think I will have to call the dentist. There's no pain, but there is a noticeable hot/cold reaction when drinking. So I think I'd like to see the dentist quicker than my scheduled appointment. 

Chat Watch

So, it's been like 36 hours since I was added to a chat with AM, QC1 etc. and still no-one's said anything. This is weird, right? This isn't just me?

And in other news, not chat-related, I might have to visit the dentist. I think a bit of tooth or a bit of filling has fallen off. There's no pain, but it will need looked at. I do have a scheduled appointment at the end of the month, so if there are no issues, I can hold off until then. if not, then I'll have to see if I can see my dentist before then. 

Let's see...

Digging deeper into the AM group chat has revealed that it wasn't created by AM or her husband but by a mutual friend. Still, no-one's said anything in the chat since I was added. It's all the usual ones: AM, her hubby, QC1, her hubby, a friend of AM's from university and an unknown number.

I'm not going to say anything. I'll just let it play out. AM's only really arranged one thing that I can remember and even then she got all angry and petty because she went to a restaurant where I didn't like the food.

That annoyed me, because I'd spent years making arrangements only for her to cry off at the last minute or demand adjustments to pre-arranged plans.

So, yeah, I'm being passive on this one. Again.

Back and forth.

For the first time in ages, SSCW was in the office. We got talking, as we do, and quickly fell into our old rhythm. That usually means that I take the piss out of her and in return, she tries to be outlandish to get a rise out of me. It's never worked though, which I think annoys her a little. Everyone else that she's worked with has quickly fallen into her trap.

Her "in your face" attitude is just an act, but few people have actually realised that. Stalky Guy is genuinely scared of SSCW.

I've met her outside of work on a couple of occasions and she's been really... normal. I recall one night I was out with QC1 and she was genuinely interested in talking to me rather than getting a rise out of me. 

But people are always intrigued by our... I want to say chemistry, but I'm not sure if that's the right phrase to use. 

It was great seeing her again, though. 

Let's go round again.

I slept really well last night. Weirdly, I woke this morning thinking about CAB. I don't know if there was a dream involved or not - I don't recall a dream. But the memory involved me talking to CAB. This would have been after I broke things off with her.

I was at a bar. The bar where I met R2. Actually, the same bar where I met CAB. I spent a lot of time there in my early 20s with AM, QC1 etc. Anyway, at the end of the evening as we were leaving to get a taxi home, I bumped into CAB. She started talking so I waved the others on. She wanted to get back together.

I can't remember the details of the conversation. I can't remember her argument for getting back together nor can I recall if I vocalised my reasons for not getting back together. My reasons for not getting back together were the same as my reasons for breaking up: she was due to move away to go to university, I wasn't interested in/considering long-distance, so I didn't see the point in continuing to date.

And I know that I definitely didn't share my ongoing frustrations about us not having sex. It was part of the reason I called things off, but not the main reason, which I explained above. I doubt it would have been a surprise to her, though.

But, yeah, that was the memory I woke to this morning. 

Oh la la!

A super attractive woman popped up on my online dating feed this morning. She was vaguely familiar. I think she might be a friend of QC1's. I'm pretty sure I've seen her before on someone's Facebook feed, and my gut says it's QC1.

She's also giving off Lucrezia Millarini vibes, and that's a very good thing.

 Of course I swiped right.

Party mood.

A series of memories popped into my head a few minutes ago. I think I've posted about one of them before: AM invited FBS to our New Year's Eve gathering at a party two hours away. But it wasn't just that one evening that popped into my head, there were many times where BW and I had gone to visit AM and QC1 at their student house and ended up having a great time. 

I recall sharing cigarettes and conversation with QC1 in the stairwell of the local student's union, parties in AM's flat and a few dalliances with friends of AM and QC1, even though I had the largest crush on QC1. 

I presume these memories all popped into my head because of the specific night FBS came with us, which was a New Year's Eve, probably around this time. We'd have been on the bus on the way there. 

Good times. 

Just a vibe thing.

I had a bit of a lie-in this morning. Actually, I'm still doing it, writing this up from my toasty warm bed. But the point of the post is that I was watching Match of the day on my tablet. It's presented by Kelly Cates. 

I can't remember if I've posted about this before, but I get real QC1 vibes from her - it's the short blonde haircut and vague if-I-squint-there's a resemblance thing going on. Plus she was wearing some kind of trouser suit thing and I know for a fact that I've posted my appreciation of women in trouser suits before.

Part of me is tempted to reach out, to see if I can everyone out for drinks or something, but part of my refuses to do so because it's nearly always me. Cutting off my nose to spite my face? Maybe.

Well then.

I had a dream last night about a night that actually happened. I might have already blogged about it, but I wanted to type this up before the details fade away.

I was out at a pub, with BW plus AM, QC1 and their respective partners. An old flame of BW's was out as well. We were out to see the band I posted about over the weekend, at the bar where I met R2.

But the main memories of the night were that I spent most of the night dancing away with a friend of BW's ex-girlfriend. From memory, she was an attractive brunette woman with a great figure. In the dream, it was TV weather forecaster Lucy Verasamy.

Ultimately, just like real life, nothing came of it beyond a quick kiss and lots of knowing looks from AM and QC1. 

But now that I think back, my vague memory of the woman in question, I do get Lucy Verasamy vibes off of her. Is that the influence of the dream of did they have similar vibes from a physical perspective?

Food for thought

I was going to open this post with a few vague innuendos about beds and screwing and mention CC, but I can't be arsed. So, dear reader, let me explain that, unsurprisingly, CC messaged me again asking for a favour. And I didn't fob her off with an excuse this time. I decided I would actually do her the favour of building some furniture for her project house.

In return, she bought me dinner. Delicious tacos. Mmmm...

Oh, and in semi-interesting news, her project house is a house I've been in before... about 20 years ago when QC1 asked me to help her look for houses in my area.

Low energy.

I met with Nerdy Girl this evening - rescheduled from last week. I was feeling low energy, having spent the past two days in the office. I contemplated postponing again but with the weather being good and still wanting to get up off my fat ass, I decided against it.

Nerdy Girl turned up, somewhat agitated. Work issues, she explained. Nothing bad, just a problem she can't solve. We did our lap. Usually we'd grab a bite to eat or hit CB Pub for a drink. But tonight, I could tell she wanted to get back to her house to have another crack at the problem.

That actually suited me down to the ground. We parted ways and I got home.

Oh, and in other news, somewhat randomly, Mr QC1 passed us in the park. He's an avid runner, but I've not seen him (or QC1) in over a year.

Oh, hi there!

A little over 16 months ago, AM promised to arrange a night out with a group of friends that included QC1 and another of her university friends. Why the third woman needed to be present is a mystery because she doesn't live anywhere near close and only comes home a few times per year.

Suffice to say, I've not heard anything from AM since then.

Imagine my surprise when the third woman posted on Facebook that she was out for lunch with AM and QC1 (and possibly all significant others).

It still saddens me that my contact, and relationship, with AM just effectively ceased once I stopped making the effort.

What is that?

Facebook reminds me that it's the 11th anniversary of meeting E3 in the pub once evening after I had been out with FBS etc. and also bumping into QC1.

I've always said that I don't really do regrets per se, and that's true, but there was a twinge of something about the missed opportunity with E3. She does look good in the photo, and I look surprisingly sober.

One way.

Facebook reminds me that today is my 17th anniversary of being Facebook friends with AM. In reality, it's probably twice that. Except, for the series of pictures that Facebook has provided, it's not AM who's front and centre... it's QC1.

And that kinda takes me back to a point I've made before about not seeing AM as often as I would like, but also that I stopped making the effort because I was doing all the running.

It was this time last year that AM promised to arrange something, but I've not even heard from her, never mind gotten to a stage where she's organising something.

Where did you go?

I've just spent the past half an hour scouring my photos folder on my PC. I, inexplicably, had this desire to see some pictures that I'd scanned of a New Year's Eve party from many, many years ago. It was simultaneously the first night I met QC1 (and kissed her), and one of the last nights I saw SJ (a huge crush of mine from my later school years - I've posted about her before).

I don't know why the desire kicked in, but I can't find any of the photos. I know that I shared them with USHW back in the day, so I will be able to find them in my email, but not having the originals is disappointing.

Lookalikes

I've settled down for an afternoon of football on the telly, and it strikes me that the presenter, Kelly Cates, gives me serious QC1 vibes.