Looking back.

So, 2022 was pretty eventful. Professionally, it started well but ended like a damp squib due to poor communication from my leadership. In almost all other aspects of life, things just... were. I'm still single, and the Chloe thing has just reignited the desire to meet someone. This evening's last-minute memory of the near misses with CB haven't helped.

I've also not broken the habit of the past few years of being isolated since the start of Covid, so that's one of my goals for this year... just to get out of the house a little bit more. As I posted earlier, I miss KfW2. We've barely seen each other this year, despite my best efforts, and I'm really disappointed that we're growing apart. She did invite me down to her house tonight, but I'm feeling very low energy. It's partly disappointment of The Crowd not going out tonight plus still getting over the lurgy from before Xmas.

However, all being said, I wish you a Happy New Year. I hope your 2023 is successful and happy, and that you achieve whatever you set out to do.

Random access memory.

For some reason, it popped into my head that tonight it's the 10th anniversary of seeing CB in the flesh (in CB Pub) for the second time. I spent ages with GM, GB and MF, trying to come up with a plan for approaching her, but we never came to a solution. By the time I had the courage to just go and talk to her, I was horrendously drunk, and I had my hands full with a pretty redhead.

While I don't often do regrets, or big regrets, I have to say that missing both chances of chatting to CB (on two consecutive New Year's Eves) is probably one of them.

Party time.

KfW2 sent a message asking if I was going to go to hers tonight. Despite not going out with The Crowd, I'm not going to go. I'm still trying to shift this pre-Xmas lurgy so am feeling a little sorry for myself and I don't want o be coughing and spluttering in someone else's house all night. It was a nice message though. She said she misses me and it would be amazing to see me. The feeling's mutual. After all, I did post recently suggesting we were growing apart, having not really seen each other this year and our phone conversations are usually snatched when she has a few minutes of free time.

Best laid plans.

Surprisingly, someone has replied to the message about going to the pub tonight. FC messaged to say that he, and his wife, have picked up an illness over the Christmas period. Nothing at all from GM or S. FP is working, so a long shot of trying to get him out tomorrow is now gone. We've tentatively agreed to meet next week. It feels like ages since we last had a few drinks and caught up with each other.

Communication breakdown.

Unsurprisingly, I've heard absolutely nothing from The Crowd about my proposal for heading out tomorrow night for a few drinks. I'm disappointed, but I'm not going to chase people up on this, but I think it'd be nice.

As I've often said, and no doubt it's been posted on this blog several times, I don't mind that they don't want to go out, but I do think that no reply at all from any of them is really fucking rude.

Textually speaking.

I met Nerdy Girl this morning and we ended up having a late breakfast rather than the coffee that I had suggested. We covered a lot of ground, conversationally, including my recent dealings with Chloe (I've given up on giving her a blog name). I explained that I didn't feel that there was a non-platonic connection and that her tactile nature was just because she was thankful that I'd rescued her from unwanted attention... and a little drunk. 

Nerdy Girl was of the opinion that I should text her. Meeting people, especially new friends, was never a bad thing, she explained. And she's right on that. Except, how do you text someone out of the blue, two weeks after you met them and you've only known them a few hours? Nerdy Girl didn't have an answer because she supposedly never gives out her phone number and only shares her social media. But, she pondered, she did give me her number, so that was tacit approval to use it?

Something to ponder.

Happy Birthday!

Blog favourite Alison Brie is 40 today!

Hello!

I've put out feelers for a night out with The Crowd if we're not doing New Year's Eve. Maybe Friday, I suggested. I only sent the message about an hour ago, and the people are often slow to reply, especially if they don't want to reply negatively.

I've also arranged coffee with Nerdy Girl tomorrow morning. It's time limited. She has places to be early tomorrow afternoon, but this works for me. It gets me out of the house, for starters, plus talking to someone.

Post Christmas Blues

I've done two days at my sister's as is the normal Ruuude tradition at this time of year. It's probably partly the remnants of this 'flu or Covid coupled with me being an introvert means I really appreciated my own space today. 

I'd usually start posting about New Year's Eve, trying to get The Crowd to commit to heading out, but it seems like that's a bust already. I had asked the question before Christmas, but they were more interested in arranging a New Year's Day hike than discussing NYE.

It doesn't look like FP will be available for any socialising. I might give Nerdy Girl a call to see if she wants to meet for coffee or something.

I've also had this nagging thought at the back of my mind that I might have, or should have, texted Chloe. more from a point of view that she wanted me to rather than me wanting to. I'll rephrase... I wouldn't have minded seeing her again purely from the perspective of meeting someone new and opening up new opportunities. It probably wouldn't have gone anywhere romantically - I think I've already posted about her age and child status which are likely deal-breakers. It's too late now, though.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I know there aren't too many readers, but Merry Christmas to you all nonetheless. I hope you have a great festive period.

Summer Dreams.

I need cheering up, so here are some blog faves in swimsuits to take my breath away rather than the 'flu/COVID/cold that I got when I met Chloe.