Twinkle, twinkle, little star (Wilmington)

age: 29
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

Then the traveler in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark,—
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

- Jane Taylor

I put this simple children's rhyme out there in hopes that my star will bring me someone to share some fun with, maybe a glass of Merlot, a pint of beer, a swim in the ocean at 2am? Maybe the top row of the movie theater and some butter popcorn?

The possibilities are endless.

Responses

Doubledown
Hello,
Interesting post. That is very creative. Tell me a little more about you.
I am 32, 6', attractive, fit, been in wilmington 14 yrs.
Do you have a pic to send?

Final Thoughts
I sent him my photo and never heard back - guess I wasn’t the hookup of the night he was looking for.

Luie Luie
As I was walking round Grosvenor Square
Not a chill to the winter but a nip to the air
From the other direction she was calling my eye
It could be an illusion, but I might as well try
Might as well try

She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes
And I knew without asking she was into the blues
She wore scarlet begonias, tucked into her curls
I knew right away she was not like other girls
Other girls

In the thick of the evening when the dealing got rough
She was too pat to open and too cool to bluff
As I picked up my matches and was closing the door
I had one of those flashes I had been there before
Been there before

Well I ain't often right but I've never been wrong
It seldom turns out the way it does in the song
Once in a while you get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right

Well there ain't nothing wrong with the way she moves
Scarlet begonias or a touch of the blues
And there's nothing wrong with the look that's in her eyes
I had to learn the hard way to let her pass by
Let her pass by

The wind in the willows playing Tea for Two
The sky was yellow and the sun was blue
Strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hand
Everybody is playing in the heart of gold band
Heart of gold band

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia

I put this tune here because i was hoping you were a hippy chick that likes to share fun times and endless possibilities. Ya never know

Final Thoughts
I told him what he sent was beautiful and I was a hippy chick at heart. As I wanted to see where this train was going to pull into the station.

Luie Luie
Thanks. should of sent STANDING ON THE MOON came to mind right after i pressed send it would of complemented TWINKLE TWINKLE STAR .I'm a little older than you but don't feel my age. 42 Hope age doesn't matter that much to you. I enjoy boating, exploring waterways, fishing, music, life, friends. So does the VW mean you have one? I kinda miss my old van. I'm self employed I have a small maintenance co. Lets get out and have some fun. Like to see your picture too.

Final Thoughts
And there it is. He doesn’t feel his age and he wants to see my picture. I’m picturing what he looks like if he is quoting the all-mighty Jerry and had a VW van, youknowwhatImean? (did not send picture to ‘old uncle’.)

Poets
Let’s take a look at some of the more poetic replies

Gary
twinkle twinkle little star
here I am your shooting star,
falling to your feet not so far...

I live in Raleigh & have a house at the beach
as you live in Wilmington, you are in reach
I visit your area about 3 days a week...

I am tanned blonde with green eyes 5'11" 175lbs.

hit me up, if interested... Maybe we could hook up the next time I'm cuming down
Take care

Gary #2
Hi again, glad you liked the response.
what would you do, if I told you I wuz 82
forget the emails I have no time to waist
I may be old, but can keep up with 29 yr. old paste...

My last girl friend was 21
Lil too young, felt like a new born
even thoe she was pretty as a flower
I ran out of Viagra and lost all the power... lmao!

Ok Ok! seriously... she was only 20! lol
I'm 38 and deleted myspace with all the info. and pic. about 2-3 weeks ago. At least I gave you a description of myself. I have no clue what you look like. All I know is you A star and you twinkle. I am very young for 38, look, fashion, music, etc. but again, 38 an't too far from 29. lmao...and again, the last girl I dated was 20, but too young for my taste. Beautiful, but too young & the viagra part is a joke" trust me".
I like meeting people, I'm outgoing, love to cut up and laugh. Life has been good to me eventhoe I have hit some pretty tuff waves along the way. I seem 2 move forward and learn. I do have a house at the beach and may be moving there, but don't know anyone. Hey, I have a great idea lol! I am in the middle of tearing out a ceiling at the beach house, why don't you come by and help? grab a six pack etc. I'll pay you with a pepsi and nabs lmao. Ok, serious again :( I have been an investor in property for a while, hadn't done much lately, looking to open a car dealership now. you will like this! I actually thought about opening a head/shop and adult toy store and calling it HEADS OR TAILS! that's what I do, I look for things to buy or open, keep or sale. My description i gave you of myself is truthful. 5'11" 175 lbs. tanned green eyes, brown.w/high light hair.. the guy next door! I need to go for now and finish my day, would like to hear back from ya, possibly even call me sumtime if you like. I can send my number... until
take care - your bestest shooting star!!! lol
GAry

Ray
Oh twinkle, twinkle, little star the answer to your questions aren't real far. Your hearing from a guy that can please you during the night and won't want to later tell him to go fly a kite. My pleasure to you will be shown in many different ways and noticed for ever, if so, the coming days.

Well, poetry is a wonderful thing to hear and also speak out. You really just have to have a good imagination and train of thought to put it all together. Of course there are also many people around here that can't. But if you can put poety together real well than you can also put two relationships together just as well as poety and in as usual in both it takes time, understanding, and alot of common sence...........

I'll see ya later and hope I can hear from you soon....

Ray #2
Well, here it goes about the additional info for which you seem to request about me. I'm S/W/M of course and i'm a very active type of person that mainly loves the outdoors no mater what the weather is. Nor Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Snow out-side is where I love to go....he he he.... You know how you metioned about common sence, my mom always told me that its really your strongest point and the sad thing about it is that it is what most people lack these days. There's a trick question and statement I asked alot of guys at work to figure out how smart they really are and try this one on other guys you want to try out. Draw a 3D picture of a cube with only the lines and ask which one side comes first and which side comes next. When every you look at a cube you can also think, "Well, what is also the bottom and what is the top." Technically, if you draw one free-hand the larger cube could be in front and smaller on back or the larger on bottom to support the smaller on top.

OK, I'm no major genious or a college graduate but what really matters more isn't just what you see but how you look at something that can really make a difference.

Now, back to the personal interest about myself. I'm 35, oooops, 36, yuck and counting. How age does make a difference in times of life. LOL....
I do have a son but lets say he has 9 lives instead of 1, if you know what I mean and he is puuuuuuuurrrrrrrrfect...But can be a handful for a little guy. If your wondering also, yes, I do have a full-time job but I'm thinking of looking for a little bit of a change of carreer compared to what I'm doing right now.

P.S. If you get interested in me more and send me a photo of yourself to I'll tell you about a peom I wrote when I was in my low 20's or high teens titled "THE GIRL IN MY DREAMS from the Man of the Unknown" Boy was there a good responce heard in the back-ground talked about it....

Later.

These are more on the stranger and/or PG13 side
Some of these should not have made it into the ‘casual dating’ category...

Andy
it all sounds good jane. i have been without a female for way too long. i thought craigslist was for desperate people but after using for a while, it seems i am pretty normal, maybe a little horny. Andy.

Andy #2
well i am 37 and i am definitely single and i am consumed w work. i havent had a vacation in 5 yrs and i am looking for sum fun nsa. i am 5'3'' athletic and wanting to have fun. i am in good shape and would love to meet you soon. i dont have a pic on the web but i will be glad to send you one by cell. i have a good naughty one i stored. send me one if you want. andy.

LRA
endless only if you call 617-2828 bill

JC
Howdy Ms Sexy Lips.... I just admire your profile. It seems down to earth, honest and just a hint of smartass for balance. I enjoy that. Xtra brownie points for you but sshhh just don't tell anyone...lol...
Anyway my name is JC and I am a single 30 yr old male who just moved to NC from Dallas Tx. Tons of hobbies and interests.

Have that good boy, wholesome, never in trouble look going but no one knows...LOL...but yet also romantic, passionate, and very creative...I would love to talk and learn more about ya. Here is my email if your interested.

Thanks
JC

Needham
HEY JANE ,IM 29 TOO.I DONT SEE WHY WE COULDNT DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS
EXCEPT TAKE A SWIM.NP

Final Thought
I just love the screamers. (LOL) And the swimming part - what’s up with that? I wonder if he is afraid of the water maybe?

Paul
Maybe a play at Thalian Hall. Maybe dinner in a nice restaurant with a tie. Endless................. yes, I would agree :)

Final Thoughts
While the poem was fun, it didn’t really work for me either. I’m beginning to wonder if dating is just one big novelty store where you can look around and laugh at everything in there with your friends, but you would never purchase anything and bring it home.

Photo Credit: https://so-simply-me.tumblr.com

Discover & share this GritTV GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

What happens next is you start crying > breathing is still just an option > you cry so much you can’t stop > your eyes become swollen shut > you don’t want to eat > you just want to sleep - to escape everything so you can’t think about ‘him’.  (And if you happen to have some kitties around you, you might pick them up and pull them under the covers with you - under protest of course.)

However.

In the morning you have to go to work and pretend nothing is wrong.  You must become that happy person you always are...right?

So you pry your eyes open with two fingers > put on lots of cream - LOTS of cream > add some strategic makeup > put on a hat > some light-colored clothes (snot does not show up on the lighter colors) > stop by Starbucks for a triple espresso > arrive at work > avoid video calls and talking directly to any type of living thing at all costs.

That first day at work, I won’t lie.  I muted the phone more than a few times to cry.  I also went through a box of tissues and said tissues were all over my desk, floor, and some actually did make it into the trash can.  Score!

At 5:00 pm I went home, fed the cats, and went to bed.  Rinse and repeat this for a few days or so.

At this point, you’ve got to be wondering why this affected me so much since he ‘wasn’t real’ - or that is what I wanted you to be thinking by now; to move my story along - lol.  You’ve got to work with me 😁

Are you ready?

I really, truly, with all my heart, loved him.

And I thought he loved me too.

We were going to start a life together.

Let me share with you some moments I feel demonstrate why I thought I loved him.

MOMENT #1
He told me how he lost his father when he was young - ok that’s sad and obviously a lie.  But, he told me that I need to spend as much time with my parents as I can now because they are here with me.  That I don’t want to lose out on that. He also told me that family is very important.

MOMENT #2
I ‘might’ work a little too much at my job, therefore he told me I should always put myself first and make sure that I get enough rest.  Also, leave the office by 6:00 pm (at the very latest) and if I need to work when I get home, I can. However, I am home and not still at the office at 8:00 pm.  He said it was also selfish on his part because he wanted me home spending time with him.

MOMENT #3
This one is a hard one for me, I’ll be honest.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to share it, but I still do think it is sweet.  So here goes. He said he wanted to have a baby with me and grow a family. However, he had concerns.  I immediately became defensive. He actually sounded concerned and asked me what was wrong - I told him that my age was fine and lots of women were having babies over 40.  He laughed. It irritated me so much more. He then said he had concerns because of the medication I was taking. Ohhhhhhhhhh - that. Lol! It was sweet, he said he was fine with my age and asked why wouldn’t he?  He then said he could see a little girl growing inside of me that we would love together.

How this usually worked was first he would send me a text about these topics, then we would talk about them on the phone in greater detail.  These made me feel as if I was in a real, bonafide relationship with an obviously fantastic man who cared about me very much. There isn’t a reason not to think that during this time.  Because I was - right?

Then I would get texts like these at least once a day, every day:

Good Morning my world…
My Love You have no idea how
good it feels to wake up every
morning knowing you are mine
and I am yours.  Like the
sunshine in the morning, may
this brighten your day, and
remind you that you are
thought of in a very warm
way.  Being in love with you
makes every morning worth
getting up for..You are the first
thing to enter my mind in the
morning and the last thing to
leave my heart at night!!!  Hope
to hear from you soon my
sunshine… I LOVE YOU..

He would even talk like this on the phone - lol.  Very overwhelming at first. I think I was completely mute the first few phone calls and only grunted here and there to let him know I was alive.

During one of those early conversations he asked me to say how I felt about him - I really did a horrible job!  Therefore, before the next call I did what I do before any call that I need to speak during. I researched what I wanted to say and I wrote a script.  I actually wrote 3 of them so I could have a variety for the phone calls - LOL! Isn’t that what y’all would have done?

To corral this conversation back, my hope is that I was able to show you that the interactions I had with him were, what seemed to me, very normal and ‘relationshipy’.

We said, ‘I Love You’ after a month; we were together for 3 months, and we were making plans for the future. 

I had so much of me invested in this relationship (yes, not just the money - haven’t y’all been reading?) - How would you have felt at the end?

(Yes, there were tears shed in the making of this blog post…I’m not a robot!)

Please be safe out there and take care of yourself.

Don’t become the next statistic.

Thanksgiving
You know the feeling; it’s the week of Thanksgiving.

There is a list of things to get accomplished a mile long!

From cleaning the house to grocery shopping to planning out your Black Friday shopping trip(s).  Oh and don’t forget the cooking! 🦃

And, this year you are going to go traditional.

Meaning; a nice family & friends Thanksgiving on Thursday - I’m talking ALL DAY.  Cowboys football and all, y’all.

Then, get up at 3:30 am on Friday to make it out to the stores and you will most definitely shop ‘til you drop...at 9:00 am LOL.

Why the trip to Thanksgiving land in August?
Not only is it hot and the humidity makes it even hotter; but it nicely ties a bow around what I have been through to prepare to go back into the world of online dating.

There is this online/mobile app called Bumble; where the ladies make all the moves.  Founder and CEO, Whitney Wolfe, is an absolutely amazing woman who is a co-founder of another app; Tinder.

Comparatively to preparing for Thanksgiving, I did some cleaning of my own; (you know, the usual) hair cut, ‘might have’ touched up my highlights (if you mean by being in the sun doing yard work a lot, then yes), went on YouTube for all the latest trends on how to make your eyes look alluring/innocent/intelligent/unmistakable/but ‘natural’ (all at the same time, of course), went to Sephora to try all the bronzing and highlighting powders (found out that, yeah, no - not me, but it was fun!), and tried on every-single-piece-of-clothing-I-own (even those jeans from college - there is NO way I am fitting into them right now!  Do I like to tortue myself? LOL)

Then I enlisted the help of Becky and Kate (thank you!) to take endless pictures of me - in every pose imaginable - inside, outside, sitting, standing, on the floor, in chairs, couches, etc..  Which produced...4 pictures. I might be a tad picky.

Additionally, I created a video to hopefully boost my profile clicks! (see below)

Black Friday in Beeland
Once I got everything uploaded, it all started happening so fast!

I was not expecting there to be many guys that I would like and there were!  Oh my!

Then there were ones that liked me back - what?  Are we in an alternate universe?

I was reviewing profiles left and right as fast I could - it was exhilarating!  I was - as they say - drunk on honey power? (do they say that on this app? I’ll have to research that a bit)

And then I made a mutual connection with multiple guys so we could chat! Yeah! I love chatting - everyone loves chatting! AmIRight?

Coming Down From the Sugarhigh
Now the reality has set in.

There are not really anymore profiles to look over - I guess only new ones that will trickle in.

And as much as I thought I knew how to write, these gentlemen only give me one to two word answers and now are on radio silence.

Makes me wonder if men do better when they think they are in charge; e.g. other online dating sites?  (when really we are - lol)

Or, is chat just a medium I should not venture?

Posted June 2007

Please find me already so I won’t have to be working at 11 pm! (Wilmington)

age: 29

This is crazy. My life is just crazy. Here I am working and it is 11:10 pm when I should be spending quality time with a fantastic man that loves me and I love back with all of my heart.

How did I get this focused on work? It was only 7 years ago that I graduated college and I thought I would work and go to Happy Hour and meet the man of my dreams and I would be happily driving a minivan now – well maybe not a minivan but definitely a huge SUV filled with kids!

[Knocking on the screen]

Hello . . . . .

I am over here, maybe a bit buried in my emails with a Blackberry attached to my body as an extra appendage but I am here.

[BIG smile]

THERE you are! You are also a bit buried in your own bunch of emails, oh and I see a bit of old girlfriends blocking the way. No worries, they have made you who you are today.

When we finally connect we will be able to go to Starbucks for a latte on Saturday morning and bring it to the beach while we walk and talk about how the world is so funny now compared to 500 years ago. Oh, and we can go to the wine tasting at Chelsea’s on Thursdays I think it is and order some of their fantastic baked brie. On Friday we can head over to Captain Bills to watch friends and family play volleyball with a big mug of beer in our hands! Sundays in Barnes & Noble with another latte from Starbucks would be fun or just sleeping in and catching a movie on TNT or TBS - - I just love those action movies!

[More thinking]

Just let me know when you are ready to meet.

Responses
Nas

i am almost 29 photo i dont have it if u wana see me i work in the mall at store called some wireless store at the mall

Final Thoughts

• I said good luck to him as I wanted to see a picture on the internet first.  I don’t want to play stalker at the mall.

Steve

I never tried the book store or the coffee shop to meet people. Guess everyone is right when they tell me I'm looking in all the wrong places.

Final Thoughts

• Where is he looking?  The grocery store (which is a myth) or the dentist?

Abe

WHATS YOUR NUMBER TIME TO TALK..ABE

Final Thoughts

• I asked him why he was shouting at me.  No response.

Abe

CALL ABE xxx-2828 NOW PLEASE

Final Thoughts

• I asked him what’s so urgent.  No response.

CD

IT ALL SOUNDS GOOD

Final Thoughts

• What’s up with all the caps in these responses lately?

Joe

you are like lot of college women you want the guys but you want to be too picky about height,weight,eye,hair on their head.you women need to stop being so picky some of us men can be right for you.if you take the time to ask or to get to know us on a date.it's not just about the looks anymore.it's whether you can have a good husband or a good father for your kids in the future.so the next time some guy ask you out let him he may just be right for you.who know's i could have asked you out.i believe i written you a letter and no response back because you believe i wasn't perfect for you.well so be it.and you and the follower's of your girls meaning all college women down the road will do the same act the same as you.what am i doing wrong.i can tell you and tell you,and until your blue in the face.would it help no it won't.why,let's just say time for you to face reality you may be alone.or if you choose to help yourself to stop being so dang picky.

Final Thoughts

• I guess the man’s point of view?  Kinda cool I got a rant out of a personal ad.

Abe

THE NIGHT IS FAST APPROACHING AND I WANT TO ENJOY YOU NOW VERSUS LATER CALL ME xxx-2828 AND LETS SEE IF WE CLICK FREE NOW 4:45PM SAT

Final Thoughts

I asked him what in the world he was talking about and he finally replied!

CRAIGSKLIST SAID I THOUGHT YOU NEEDED COMPANY

Oh brother!  He is in the wrong section . . .

Pal

hi

I'm in the Wilmington area...i'm attractive, fun, in very good shape, naughty but very nice (married, I know, I'm terrible and I guess I'm going to Hell; long story but I'm very nice!). 38 but i'm in better shape than most 20 year olds and have pics 2 prove it! ;) - let me know you are real, and I will send pic...lol ..

yes, you could say I'm "successful"..used to travel the globe in Corporate America but now own my own company...my motto: work hard, party harder..lol ..5'11"..170 ..brn hair/eyes..fit/trim..nice chest, very nice legs/behind..and very nice etc..lol ..

let me know u are real and i will send my pic (or pics!)..

interested in getting 2gether sometime for lunch or other?

hope 2 hear from u!

Final Thoughts

• The dude is married and going to Hell (apparently a proper noun for him).  Oh and he has very nice etc… which he finds very funny, hmmmmmmm.  I would quote Freud, but won’t.  He did not get a response.

Jason

Damn why couldnt you be 10 yrs older!

Final Thoughts

• Why couldn’t you be 10 years younger?

Chris

Hey there,

I am ready to meet. I have been wondering those things as of late. All of those things sound incredible with the right person. Email me back, and I will let you know anything and everything you want to know.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Chris

Final Thoughts

• I was excited about this one, but when I asked for a photo and an age I never heard back.  I guess he was not as ready as he thought.

First Impressions

This post brought out guys that produced wordier and more put together responses than the first one - which was really nice.  I created this one to try and subconsciously attract men who had more corporate jobs, however I did not succeed as much as I had hoped.

I did have a few pen-pals for a while, but nothing materialized into a date, phone call, or anything for that matter.  Which is why the search continued on to post #3 Twinkle, twinkle little star.

I thought while I was working on my health, I would highlight some of my past Craigslist posts and the responses I received - just to keep y’all in smiles  :D

Posted March 2007

I need a civilized man (Wilmington)

age: 29

I am looking for a man to go and get a pint with or a great glass of merlot that will appreciate my curves and not stare at them all night.

I want to find someone who can match my sarcasm as well as my openness.

Oh, and sex with random people is not my idea of an enjoyable evening.

Responses
Chris

Hi there,

Chris again [VW: this was his first email]. Ummm I think I need to leave my email or something [VW: nope, Craigslist takes care of that for ya.]. Sorry about that. [VW: I removed his sweet Yahoo! email so you ladies don’t blow it up.]   Yeah, i'm kind like that dumb sometimes [VW: Not really something you want to tell someone when you first meet them.  Just say’n.]...Night!
Chris

Duhhh. . I'm 31. Here in town for the next 6 months to shot a movie, Forgot that part. Would love to meet some new people...you are on the top of the list. [VW: I feel very honored.] Hope you have a great weekend. [VW: I like that he was prepared as this was a Wednesday.]

Final Thoughts

• Received a ‘Thank you for your interest’ email.

Bonn

myspace.com/bap4 [VW: I love the boldness of just sending the myspace page.  And this is the real page.  Enjoy it, ladies!]

Final Thoughts

• Received a ‘I am looking for someone closer to my age’ email.

Manfred

I like pints, merlot, and curves are great.  I promise not to stare at your curves all night, not.  myspace my email address. Only one picture, and had a beard then. I'm 39 but have been told I look uh, 30. [VW: Was that when you were 30?] Do you have a picture? [VW: Don’t worry - I didn’t send a picture.]  lol  xoxoxo Toodles

Final Thoughts

• Received a ‘I am looking for someone closer to my age’ email.

Brian

hey,i saw your add on craigs list.stupid question,but are you from the UK????  well the reason i asked is because nobody round here says "pint". anyway im born and raised in wilmington,and live there when i'm hone which is hardly ever.i'm on assisgnment in the bahamas now since november of last year,and i miss my dog's pretty bad.hopefully i will be home around memorial day weekend.keep in touch and maybe we can have a few pint's of STELLA   when i get back. talk to you later.

bye the way, i'm Brian

Final Thoughts

• We wrote back and forth a few times, but nothing ever came of it because then I posted; “Please find me already so I won’t have to be working at 11pm!”.

First Impressions

I remember thinking the guys in Wilmington didn’t have the same “stuff” the guys in Dallas had.  Maybe it was the words the responses contained or maybe it was the words that could have been placed in a different order.  Maybe spelled differently?  Who knows?

And the myspace links?  LOL!  I already had a facebook page in 2007, therefore I thought it was more than funny to be directed to these pages which the guys obviously put a lot of work into creating.  (bless their hearts)

My heart still goes out to the guy who was missing his dogs so bad.  I hope he made it to see them that Memorial Day weekend . . .

Wonderland is when you get under 200 pounds or 90 kilos or 14 stones (trying to be more global - I hear it is the future - the children are on their way out.)

Officially, I have lost 30 pounds to get here.  But, where is ‘here’?  And why did I do this?

Let’s go back to the Friday before Thanksgiving to my Endocrinologist appointment.  A few key things happened there that really changed my life:

1. I found out I had Hashimoto’s Disease, which is also an Autoimmune Disease.

2. I had to go in for a biopsy for some nodules on my thyroid.

   1. These were tested with one being fine and the other one being tested again at the beginning of the year.  I am still waiting on the results.

3. I will never eat again.

Ok, so that last one is a tad bit dramatic.  With my new lifestyle I now need to follow the below guidelines:

• No gluten

• No sugar

• No cheese

• No dairy

• No fruit juice

• No coffee

• No alcohol

• No nuts

• The list just goes on and on

I did find a great resource called Autoimmune Wellness that has helped me figure out how to eat AIP - which is a combination of Autoimmune and Paleo.

So many people have pushed up their sleeves and helped me with this whole thing to figure it out.  From family members and friends to friends of friends!  Thank you so much!

However I am still stuck on what to make for breakfast and lunch - And I’m sure it is not a trip to Five Guys!

Some of my Mother’s friends put their amazing cooking skills together and made me soup (thank you Morven!) and even Carolina BBQ AIP (thank you Kathy and Mom!).

Now, don’t let me mislead you.  I will only follow this very strict portion of the diet or protocol for 3 months and that is up February 9, 2018.  When, at that time I will start to reintroduce specific things and see how it goes.  I tell ya - we are looking at things beyond your imagination, like how my sleep was the night before to my concentration the next day.  It is not just a; “how did it make your tummy feel, honey?” kind of deal.

Interesting Fact: I would never have believed this, but after about a month of eating all good things I started really tasting the foods.  An example is in my building there is an Architect and his staff - they had amazing desserts for the holidays and I said I couldn’t have them - they jokingly said they had grapes - I grabbed some, popped them in my mouth, and the explosion of flavor was uncontainable.  I must have said something because they said; “that good, huh?”.  But, they really were!

And of course dating after that - we can’t forget about the dating

My thoughts on that are to see how much I can lose until May, take new photos, and then see the difference in responses.  Will there be any?  Fat girl vs. not as fat girl?  Actually - wait - let’s go all out - Sandra Bullock Miss Congeniality all out - mostly - I’ll get my hair colored - I could always wear lifts? - maybe workout? - maybe Amanda or Ashley could fill me in on what they call Crossfit (and hope to God it does not kill me).  Interesting study . . . I think the men of the area can handle it.  Sure I do.

The thought’s origin began last night when, after only an hour, all my carefully crafted Halloween goodie bags were handed out - much to the amazement of the empty-handed children standing before me.  I guess that’s what the Pied-Piper felt like when the music stopped.  Children staring at you; hungry for something more.

Now, you there - get your mind out of the gutter - I’m talking about love - not the horizontal lizard.

Love.  Simply love.  Just love.  My love.  Your love.  Our love.  This love.  I can go on forever love.  (Yup, it’s out of my system.)

Sometimes I wonder if we are all provided different types of love; e.g. friend, romantic, bro, ergonomic, family, (I did mean to say the other word), etc.  And for each of those types we are each allotted a percentage and this percentage keeps the world evenly on its axis - without switching polarity or anything crazy like that - I mean north can’t be south and south can’t be north!

Once you reach your percentage - you’ve reached it.  That’s it.

Now there are always exceptions to the rule - look at Mother Teresa - her love had no bounds.

But, we are talking about my love percentage and I just wonder, as I approach 40 with zilch in my romantic love type that if I just have already met my quota?

I found myself asking that question as I watched my baby brother peacefully sleep on my couch the night before his wedding.

How can he already be in REM (rapid eye movement sleep)?  How can he be in REM at all?   This is his last night as a free man - right?  He should be whooping it up with his groomsmen until the wee-hours of the night - right?  They should all be getting matching tattoos of something like a wrench (you know - manly like that).

What you have to know about my brother is that he was born to be a husband and a father.  It is in his DNA.

For as long as I can remember he has always been a caregiver.  He has never shied away from a tampon run and he always shares his beer and single-malt scotch.

Hand to God - I have come home and found my kitchen clean.  By little elves you ask, that peddle cookies?  No, a brother who stopped to drop off construction supplies (another story) and stayed to make my kitchen sparkle.

Why am I telling you this?

Because, I feel that he is now living his dream with his dream wife.  And I can’t be happier for them.

I love you.

So when I opened my registration bag I surely did not think things could get any better, but oh boy did they ever!  In there was a bright, smiling, happy face that read; “I’m shy!  But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to talk.”  How brilliant is that?  For a conference of #EmailGeeks who probably spend most of their time alone behind a computer trying to make an email look good in Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, and the other 40+ email clients - this is a lifeline.

Granted, you have to wear the sticker first - but if you do, then a whole new world should open up to you - right?  I mean that’s what is being implied in the rhetoric from Litmus.

So, I thought how this could work in my dating life.  What if I made these stickers and started wearing them around town?  Mine would say something like; “I’m shy and haven’t had a proper date since the Real Housewives of NYC started . . “  Oh wait - that might attract the wrong kind of, um, guy.  Let’s rethink this.  “I’m shy and haven’t had a proper date since the Giants last won the Super Bowl.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to have a good time!”  Wait, does that make me sound like I just want to get freaky right when I meet them?

Ok, let’s try; “I’m shy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go on a date.  But, I might say “no” if you are strange or something.”  Now that last part I probably should not tag on, but I thought I needed a disclaimer or something so they don’t think this is a sure thing or anything.

How about; “I’m shy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go on a date with a guy in Wilmington.  All exclusions apply.”  I thought I should add the sex and location - oh and the legal part.  A girl’s got to be careful.

So if I make these and then I guess wear them to the grocery store and - oh I’ve got it - man heaven - LOWE'S!  (Home Improvement for anyone outside of NC/SC).  Let’s hope it will be worth it to shave my legs for this.

However, very suddenly he started the business of following me to my car - all the way down the steep incline in the parking deck - crazy person that he was.  So I was forced to start talking to him - if I ignored him I became the crazy person (and that wasn’t fair)!  But, with this “I’m now in your face and I’m not going anywhere unless you run me over” tactic he knew he would wear me down - he must have done this before.

That day came when he asked me out to dinner - I suggested coffee - he offered up supper (What is that anyways?  Something in between?) - we settled on beer.  The date was not too bad if I remember correctly, but I forgot to tell you a detail or something - he is from Venezuela - a hot-blooded South American!  And he freely admitted this, everything was extremely and overtly sexual with him specifically (I’m not saying because he is from Venezuela - just because that is who he is).  Now, I was raised Catholic - which - I probably don’t have to tell anyone this - means that there are parts of prudishness of me that will come up in the most inopportune of times - this being one of them.  So when I had, had enough of the heavy petting and promises of something in Spanish that I didn’t understand, but sounded beautiful (I love the Spanish language) I called it a night.

As any good gentleman would, he walked me home and somehow wiggled his way inside my apartment and wiggled his way out of his pants!  “What?  I don’t want to take a bath?” I said to him.  He then goes on to tell me; “What a beautiful cat (she is pure white); you know, in my language Blanca means white.” - you don’t say?  I had just finished telling him her name was . . . Blanca.  Ok, buddy time to go.  So it takes me a good long time to get his pants back on and that was only with a promise that I would go over to his apartment and look at some sort of something.  Ladies, I probably don’t have to tell you that once the pants come off in one apartment . . . .

So we both go over to his apartment and he starts taking off his pants again - I’m thinking this is a theme!  I ask him what is he doing and very innocently he says; “I have a better bathtub, besides I have nice smelly things.  I’ll wear my Speedo.”  Well, by all means let’s proceed!  Better bathtub - check!  Nice smelly things - check!  Strange man in a Speedo - check!  The trifecta of a bathroom seduction.  I don’t think so, pumpkin.

As a way to stall and figure out how to get out of there, I just start asking questions about anything my eyes fall on in his apartment.  “Oh, I see your remote - you use Direct TV too?  What do you think about it when it goes out in storms.  Do you read during that time?  Those Texas storms - am I right?”

I won’t bore you with the details, suffice it to say I did get out and he moved shortly after that.  And Blanca?  Happily munching on grass here in Wilmington, North Carolina!

I have learned my lesson with online shopping - the hard way.  However, I still have yet to take the plunge into the ‘no picture profile’ guy.  I have this fantasy that he is really this celebrity that can’t show their face because, well, duh, they are a celebrity.  And they are just waiting for their true love to take a chance and write to them even though they don’t have a profile picture and the gal has absolutely no idea what they look like.  That she was the type of person who really looked at what he wrote in his profile and saw into his heart instead of just looking at the pictures.

Well folks, this is reality and I can’t take a chance that maybe his eyes are really close together so when I first meet him I can’t stop staring - now that would be rude!  Or maybe, God forbid, he had lizard contacts - I mean I can’t - with a straight face - talk to that man and drink my Starbucks.  It would most definitely come straight out my nose - and it is hot!  [ouch!]

So I guess what I am trying to say is; “Hello, my name is Veronica and I need to see what you look like before I can date you.”

I kind of wish certain things happened that way in life too.  Like when I kissed that weird guy freshman year at college on moving in day and he started following me around everywhere - it took whole semesters to discourage him from that behavior.  And what about that guy I told you about that wanted to “pet” me?  Well he showed up again and didn’t I just go out with him to the Women’s Museum.  I never thought someone could make the Women’s Museum creepy, but I still can’t listen to that monologue by Gilda Radner without looking over my shoulder and want to puke.

But, I guess you have the other side of it when you’re glad that you were able to undo.  I mean I haven’t found any guys like that or anything - let’s be honest here.  But, I have moments with loved ones and friends that I would never change.

One of those moments would be the introduction of my new blog!  I am very excited to be sharing this with you as I have been working on it for some time.  And it was y’all who suggested that I start the blog in the first place - so thank you!  I do hope that you enjoy it and everything that it has to offer.  I want to send my love to you for starting this idea!  I hope it is what you were expecting and more!