Where does it go?

Sorry I haven't been around much. Where does the time go??

My daughter sailed through having two teeth extracted last week…only to end up with "dry socket", a very painful condition where the patient somehow loses the blood clot which has begun to form over the wound. This exposes the nerves, slows healing and produces far more pain than the extraction itself. The doctor prescribed a pretty strong pain medication, but she can only take it at night because it's a narcotic. During the day, she's popping Ibuprofen and chewing on a teething ring I bought her at the pharmacy. I read that the condition generally lasts about a week, so hopefully she'll be feeling better soon.

We tracked down the owners of that piece of lake-front property Paul and I fell in love with. They live in North Carolina. We tried phoning them over the July 4th weekend, only to discover that their phone service had been disconnected. I wrote them a letter last week and we've been hoping, although not really EXPECTING, to hear something in response. Last night we were in the area and drove over to visit "our place". The owners have clearly not yet received the letter I mailed to North Carolina because they are staying in the house in Massachusetts! The windows were open, the lights were on, the lawn had been mowed and they had torch lights out in the yard. It looked really nice "lived in", but the dream seemed far more plausible when it was a boarded up building on an over-grown lot. I really wish we hadn't driven by. I didn't really expect the owners to jump at the opportunity to sell the property to us, but stubbornly clinging to the fantasy was nice while it lasted.

One of Paul's coworkers won a million dollars on a scratch ticket last weekend. Wow…people really do win those things! Unfortunately, not ME!! (I suppose my odds might improve a little if I actually bought a ticket.)

Paul and I will celebrate the one year anniversary of the day we met on August 11. Paul and I actually met through an on-line dating site. August 11th was our first in-person meeting. We met at an ice cream shop located between our two homes. If you've ever ventured into the sometimes-frightening world of internet dating, you know that most first dates are ONLY dates. It doesn't pay to allow yourself to work up too much enthusiasm. No matter how great someone seems in email or on the phone, you can't really know how you'll click until you meet face-to-face. That elusive thing referred to as "chemistry" is very powerful and it's not all about physical attraction. In most cases, you can tell within the first few minutes whether or not you want to arrange a date #2. Rare are the occasions when both people involved feel motivated to see each other again. I was active in the on-line dating scene off-and-on for about 20 months. Prior to meeting Paul, I had gone on only one SECOND date. But soon after meeting, Paul and I were making plans for dinner the following night. During that dinner, I invited him to a party I was attending a couple days later. Each date led to another and here we are…one year later. 13 months ago, I would not have been a promoter of internet dating. I frequently spent months avoiding the website entirely. But I know Paul and I would not have met any other way so I'd have to say the process works. It can be a very slow and frustrating process…but eventually, it works.

Planning ahead…Paul and I hope to return to Vegas for another visit next April. Anyone interested?? VEGAS, BABY!!