Being this busy, meant that I didn't think much about Gina today. Save for one particular moment, but thats later on in the story here.
Started off with picking up my mom for a daytime shopping excursion to the grandest of furniture places.
Yeah, IKEA. Home of some real cheap ass junk (some of which happens to look pretty darn good, actually).
We had the the $1 breakfast there, totally enjoyed ourselves. Our mission at IKEA was to accomplish the following:
1) Secure myself a matching bathroom mat to complement the round one I have upstairs (also from IKEA)
2) Needed cheap ass mirrors, for my entryway.
3) Needed a new Philips Hue lightbulb for my bedroom lamp upstairs
4) Mom needed a big ol' clock for the living room
5) She also needed something to go under the new coffee table she bought (which didn't have drawers). My idea was to find a TV stand that was really short, and slide that thing under with various boxes to fit inside the empty spaces inside
We managed to accomplish 2 of the above 5 items. We got ourselves the TV bench, which was a ridiculous 20 bucks. An amazing steal, since IKEA does have some really good deals on a small portion of their merchandise.
And, I got my bathroom mat.
PLUS. A huge HUGE win for me, in the form of a painting they had there, that I've admired for many years now, but haven't seen for sale anyplace.
I'm talking, the Kiss by Gustav Klimit. It's such a cool picture, that I actually wrote about it in my novel.
Nice, huh? It goes well with my brown/gray/black./gold decor, but I haven't found the right spot to hang it yet. Been too busy for that. It might end up in the bedroom. Even if I can't find a place, it's still an awesome deal at $39.99 to be hung up maybe in a future home that I will someday be living in.
So, from IKEA we still had to get the bulb and the clock. I didn't find any mirrors I liked, and in the end, I choose to go without them for now. Despite cheap ass mirrors being available at IKEA for 9 bucks a piece. I thought they were ugly, with the polka dot design they had going on them.
We stopped at Best Buy, snapped up the bulb which was "coincidentally" at a lowered price, 49$ (yes for a light bulb) as opposed to the 60/70 I've seen at Home Depot, which was where I was going to go, if not for the compulsion to stop at BB instead.
Now, the clock was trickier. Since we were in South Edmonton Commons, there were a few places we could've gone to find it. It had to be a BIG clock, and it had to look good.
So, first stop was Home Outfitters. Nothing, nada. Then it was Marshalls. Nope.
But, at Bed Bath & Beyond, there was a real beauty there.
Not a bad clock, but it was smaller, and it was cheaper and I didn't think it was good as the other one. But, since there was a store employee nearby, I grabbed her over and managed to convince her to give us a ten-percent discount. I mean, hey. It was a floor model. It looked partially damaged. I mean, heck, who would buy a floor model in such terrible shape?!?!
Heh, heh. Heh.
Could've used a 20% off coupon for an additional savings of 30% total, but I didn't have one with me. Again, fortune was on our side, since they said we could bring the coupon along with the receipt, and get the discount applied retroactively.
I also bought her the clock, telling her it was her late birthday gift. Never mind the fact that I already blew almost 400 bucks on a bracelet from Pandora and a nice photo collage/mirror frame from JYSK that she had her eye on for a while and kept forgetting to go buy.
Mom almost gave up on shopping after Home Outfitters, and rightfully so, we were both tired. But had I not insisted on going to BB&B, we wouldn't have found that clock. So, it all worked out.
From there, the big moment was to come.
She was going to come to my place and see how I decorated everything. Plus, she was going to help me make meatballs for my dinner date with Sandra at 6pm tonight.
So, she went inside my place, hardly noticing anything was amiss, until it struck her.
"Oh my God, did you CLEAN everything? Everything is so clean!"
Yes mom, I cleaned everything. Now, what about this? This? And this? I had to point out all the stuff I did there, but she did notice a few things on her own.
"Are you sure you didn't get someone to help you clean? ARE YOU SURE?!"
Yes mom, I cleaned it all myself.
She loved the way everything looked. Loved it. REALLY LOVED IT. She kept saying how proud she was and how impressed, and I kind of laughed as I left her alone to "clean" like she offered to do while I went to get groceries. There really wasn't anything to clean but the floor and a little bit of dusting, which I deliberately left for her to busy herself with.
I love my mom.
Got back, she was my sous chef and followed my directions. Rolled meatballs and chopped up a few things. Drove her back home, and rushed back, since it was 430pm and I only had an hour and a half before my date would arrive.
I rushed like mad. I was pretty much the Swedish Chef from the Muppets in that kitchen. Although not nearly as clumsy, but just as jovial, I say.
As I let the spaghetti sauce simmer, and plopped in the meatballs while baking the breaksticks; I texted Sandra to ask if she was still on track for 6pm, and hopped into the shower at quarter to six.
Got out, checked my phone and...
"Shit. My dad passed away last night."
She wasn't coming.
I looked at my dining room table, at the food, and stepped outside for a cigarette.
I remember thinking, "nothing good ever happens to me." while puffing away. Feeling dejected.
Before this, I had a moment as I was setting the table, where I thought to myself, "I wish it was Gina coming over. Not her."
I mean, look at how nice this table was set.
But, my father passed away in May, and I knew how Sandra must have been feeling. So, I texted her my condolences and asked if she wanted company.
Yep, she did.
So, packed up everything into tupperware containers and drove on over to her place. There was a cute little white poofy dog waiting for me at the door, Sandra.. and...
Her roommate, which she didn't mention as having.
I bought the food, the wine and this awesome desert from Costco.
Dinner was great. Fantastic. With the exception of how flat my breadsticks were, everything tasted delicious, as Sandra repeatedly let me know.
We talked, I told her about how I dealt with the loss of my father, and she told me about how passionate she was about working for social services. Helping the homeless, and such.
I wasn't attracted to her in the least, but I made her laugh a few times, fed her (roommate) dog a meatball, and had decent conversation.
She showed me her bedroom, I gave her some decorating tips (get a Philips Hue bulb!) and since she was up since 2am, spending most of the day in bed crying, she was tired at around 830pm and said she was going to bed.
Not a problem, I said. And gave her a nice lingering hug, with a peck on the cheek for good measure.
Left, went to Ronas since I'm thinking about building a nightstand out of crates and boards; found a cheap, good looking pot, and joked with the cashier and this other customer as I was checking out.
"You can use this as a chamberpot!" I teased the lady. "Want me to get you one? It's only $12.50!"
The other customer in line with me, noticed how awesome the pot was, and I went to help him find it, along with snaring myself a second one. He paid me a buck fifty for my trouble, which was exactly the amount I needed since I only had 25 bucks on me in cash.
Let him use his Air Miles card as I paid, and joked about how he could now afford to go for his dream vacation in Red Deer; stopped at McDonalds for a coffee, drove home, cleaned up, put the tupperware away, etc, etc.
Now, I'm in the dark basement with NO candle going, and listening to Ginas cd again.
Patience by GNR just ended, now its Glen Hasgard's "Love, don't keep me waiting".
It's been a great day. Tomorrow, I plan on taking a call at the union hall so that I can go back to work on Monday. It's a 5-10s+ night shift at Shell Scotford. Not a bad gig, since its only going to be for a month or so, or longer, with plenty of overtime and an extra $2.50 per hour since its night shift.
Money has been tight lately, since I've been blowing it on redecorating my crib.
But, its worth it. I've had a really good productive summer. Possibly, the best I've had since I was a child and fresh out of school on summer vacation. Really. The summer of 2016 (9) has been one of the best times of my life.
All thanks to Gina breaking up with me.
I know I've changed. I'm such a better person now. I'm finally back on track. And though I'm still keeping my eyes open, looking for love, and instead settling on showing a stranger a kindness by making/bringing her dinner/company during a time when she needed it most; I'm still.. believing.
I still believe good things are yet to come my way.
Gina might come back.
I might get to see her again.
Someday.
Sometime.
Somewhere.
Somehow.
I love you baby doll.
I.. hope..
Well..
I'd like to see you again, if I can.
I'd like to try with you once more.
Please believe in me, my love.
Thanks to you, I'm transformed.
You were my catalyst.
And I'll always be grateful.
