kimblanchard Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Hi all, I had a nice weekend in Dallas, and before going on Saturday got to meet Alisa's daughter, also named Katie, which makes conversation tricky. Alisa and I and our Katies met at the nursery to pick out plants for Alisa and my Katie; Katie wanted a cactus for her room, and I had promised Alisa a plant for her half-birthday. It was really amazing getting to see Alisa with her Katie. She was stressed out by a lot of things, and I guess the best quick description would be similarity to Dustin Hoffman in Rainman. The cacti really made her nervous, in particular. And my first instinct was to just go to another part of the store. But Alisa was able to not get frustrated and at the same time not give in. So we stayed with the cacti until my Katie picked hers out. Alisa's ability to quell the frustration - I could see in her face that she was hoping her Katie would not have shown that nervousness the first time meeting us and how much she wanted to show off such a sweet child - and be gentle enough to keep her Katie there but without escalating the tension was simply breath-taking. I don't know that I could enter a life in which that much gentleness and calm was essential every moment. Those are not my biggest strengths. But it does give me some comfort that if we do choose that life, I will have one heck of a role model on how to do it. My parents keep Katie on Monday nights so I can study, but because of the holiday, they were going to keep her tonight instead. And that was going to be extra cool because Tuesday is the night I get to see Alisa, and it would be all night of just adults as opposed to the half hour after Katie crashes. But now I am a little sad because Alisa has a parent teacher association meeting tonight, and so we don't get our night alone sans kids. But it does mean more time for me to study, which is okay, I guess. Definitely necessary. And it is extra sad because Alisa is off to Corpus Christi tomorrow for a conference, so I won't get to see her until next Tuesday. Sheesh. But being the head over heels guy, I have a plan to rescue the evening somewhat. I am going to stay on campusto work tonight, which is close to her house. Then she will come by here after her meeting to pick up her care package for the beach. Which is cool in an of itself, with her weekly letter, a sign for her booth on the beach (More on that later), sun screen, a tape player, two books, and some Garrison Keillor tapes to listen to on the road, bug spray, and spare batteries for the tape player. (She has a cassette deck in the car, but her son got an earring stuck in there, and it doesn't work anymore.) And so, when she comes by the office, I will have an indoor office picnic set up. I keep a blanket and pillows here for the off-chance when I get a nap on our couch. And since wine and candles are prohibited, the room will be lit by flashlights and we will drink Martelli's sparkling apple cider. Which is yummier than wine anyway, as far as I am concerned. And I brought a fruit tray and chocolate pudding. Strawberries in particular dipped in chocolate pudding are just divine, and a little delightfully messy. Oh, the sign. When we first started e-mailing just before I went to Florida, she asked me to pick up any shells I happened to find. And so I told her I would gladly trade seashells for kisses if she would agree to that. And here was her reply to that: Okay, you've got me. Kisses for shells, it's a deal. Now you've got me thinking - maybe I could set up a kissing booth on the beach and exchange kisses for seashells. I could sit under an umbrella on the beach all day and send out others to do my work for me. At the end of the day, I'd be able to go home without a sunburn or a crick in my neck from looking down at the sand all day and if I'm lucky a big pile of shells. So I used the American Greeting Card software to make her a letter sized poster that has a heart made of seashells, and below it, the inscription reads "Will trade kisses for seashells", with kisses and seashells in gigantic font. In her letter, I told her I was okay with her kissing anyone she happened to meet on the beach, and that if she could find a man to pack more affection and tenderness into his kisses than I did, I would wish her the best with him. But that she would be saturated before she got out of here tonight. This is still not as cool as getting four uninterrupted hours alone with her in relative private, but I am doing the best with what I've got. And now I must study. Have a great day everybody. Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I can't wait to hear how tonight goes!!!! Sounds so romantic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimblanchard Posted September 8, 2004 Author Share Posted September 8, 2004 Alisa got sick and had to cancel on me tonight. AAAARGH! Oh well. The first time I got flowers for Becky, she dumped me. Not because of the flowers. Fortunately, I am irresistible enough that it didn't last long. And she heads off to Corpus tomorrow, so I am out of luck for a while. Oh well, maybe I can get some studying done now. Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 Curtis the week will be over before you know it! Were you able to get her the going away basket? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimblanchard Posted September 8, 2004 Author Share Posted September 8, 2004 Nope. Hopefully, she will be able to come by tomorrow before she leaves town. But if not, she will be able to get it when she comes back. Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elnodel Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 Keep us updated on our own little love story! How exciting! So nice to have something new and tender to read about...and without reverses, it would just be boring. All right, I know you'd settle for boring, Curtis, but still...keeps you on your mettle! And in the meantime, you'll have loads of time for studying! An unabashed romantic, Ellen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimblanchard Posted September 8, 2004 Author Share Posted September 8, 2004 We just had a nice lunch. Fruit dipped in chocolate pudding and sparkling apple cider. We went to a park close by and watched the ducks. She is still not feeling great but at least is over last night's nausea. So it was a very gentle and subdued lunch so that her headache wouldn't get worse, but it was very nice. And sticky. But fun. And now she is packing to leave town in three short hours. In the mean time, I am preparing my presentation of Karl Popper's Logic of Scientific Discovery, which starts in six minutes. So I guess I'd better get going. Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 Yay, so glad you got to see her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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