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If this one is going normal - the 3rd lunch date should be back at the Colonel's house where he completes the "woo"Taking her to lunch today.
I have no idea the pacing of these types of things, but this is definitely a more "normal" scenario than the last situation.
AR would have gave us their designer name, model and year as well as complete details on her shoes.
I asked her how she knew it was from me. She said "well, you're the only one that calls me beautiful" 
Just waiting for the story of Marisa calling you over to "fix" something and answering her door in nothing but a raincoat. Oh the tales you will tell.Nathan R. Jessep said:Not a whole lot to report, but a couple of quick notes...
. . .
Her birthday was week before last. She works out of town one day a week and her birthday fell on that day. I called ahead the day before and made sure she was on the schedule the next day and they said she was. I ordered a nice flower arrangement to be sent there the following day. The place I ordered from didn't ask specifically for a "from" name on the card, so I didn't put one, just a sweet note. I figured I'd let it be a surprise. I text her that morning and told her happy birthday and hoped she had a good day. She text me later on in the day just saying hi, and so I just made idle conversation, asked how her day was, etc. but no mention of any deliveries. I text her a little later in the afternoon, asking how work was, really just trying to see if she was still there (I was afraid maybe the delivery was running late and she might leave before they got there). She said she was. Then she said she got a nice surprise at work and asked if I knew anything about that. I played coy at first, but then said yeah I might have known something about it, and hoped it made her smile. She said they were beautiful and that it made her birthday.
. . .
We have been in touch daily, but just haven't had a chance to go out again yet as one or both of our kids have been playing basketball nearly every single night, and she's packing up to move in a week or so. One of her girls plays on the varsity squad for our school and my kids have been wanting to go to another game, so I texted her this past Friday and said we'd be there and I'd look for her and try to sit by her when we got there, which she was receptive to.
So Friday night, I walk into the gym lobby, sporting a nice button-down, jeans and slip-on boots, and hair perfectly groomed, and I see She-who-shall-remain-nameless's (you know, the one from that other thread) daughter out on the court with the little kids who do the fancy dribbling tricks for halftime entertainment. I look over and see her sitting in the stands recording video on her phone. My heart leapt to my throat as to the possible scenarios that could be about to play out here, but I kept my cool. I don't think she had seen me walk in at that point. I scanned the crowd and found my 'date,' who was sitting kind of in the middle of the bleachers. After the dribbling performance was over, I walked on in, directly past where the neighbor was sitting (on the second row), without making eye contact, and made my way over to sit down, and proceeded to have a good time enjoying the games and making conversation with my date the rest of the evening. She had to leave a little before we did, so she gave me a hug (6: tight squeeze side-hug with head lean-in) and off she went.
I know it's a little petty of me, but I kind of hope that the neighbor saw me sitting by the new chick, smiling and talking and laughing, and was maybe a little jealous.
. . .
Lunch date pending for this week, and a couple of other upcoming plans in the works. So far, so good.
Did things end in acrimony between you and Marissa? If not, I think you missed an opportunity here to greet her with vim and vigor, then bolt to go sit with your date. That would have been way more effective in getting you into position to switch back and forth between tubesteak holsters.Nathan R. Jessep said:
I don't know that I'd say bitterness. I'd say it's more nothingness. I haven't spoken to her face-to-face since the week before Thanksgiving. We've exchanged waves a few times in passing in/out respective houses and in vehicles going by. We've had a few brief text exchanges, initiated by her, but nothing of substance. Maybe once a week, tops. So while the bridge isn't burned, I don't expect any trips across it any time in the near future.
What brought this on? You guys were behaving like middle school kids just a little while ago (literally like middle school kids). This all because she "wasn't ready to get serious"?
The short answer to that is yes. I have my theories on why, but I'd rather not even dwell on it any more, as it doesn't matter at this point.
They both have kids to think about. I don't think he and "Marissa" would still be together had he picked up the pace. Sometimes relationships aren't meant to progress to serious ones..
I gave fair warning this was going to be a slow burn. If there was a way to speed it up, I would, believe me! Such is life with 2 single parents, each with kids going in different directions.
Uh... are there single parents without kids?
If they are a parent then they have kids? The key is having young kids. Many singles don't want to get bogged down with small kids. Better chance of finding a long lasting one with someone in the same boat.
Its not dwelling, its that That stuff is crucially important. Its how you graduate from the middle school romance that you have in your threads to an actual adult relationship.
cstu, is that you? 
