Details About the Date

Tasha sent me the pic - it makes me laugh every time I see it.

So, the datage details.

I spent the three days after the "Sure!" phonecall grinning on the inside, and sometimes on the outside. (I was visiting my family back in Hell's Playground, hence the inside part, and some dear friends, thus the outside bit). Three days in which he could come up with reasons not to go on a date, or to think about what and when may suit. Nerves and smiles battled (though the grinning won).

Tuesday finally arrived, and after I wrote out another "Conversational If-Then-Else" plan/Venn Diagram, I rang him. Wait - should I tell you something about him first? Okay. He's Irish, has two sons. Right, back to the details.

The conversation was amusing in a kind of "Argh, I'm keen but this is getting surprisingly difficult!" way. But once we coordinated work-hours, distances, schedules and parenting responsibilities, we had a date, time and location organised!

IN A MONTH.

"Why?" You may be asking/demanding/laughing/shrieking? Well...

He lives about a half hour (on good traffic days) south of the Brisbane CBD. I live about 45 minutes (good traffic times) north of Brisbane's CBD.

Turns out he works one suburb over from where I do, which in theory is convenient. Not so convenient is he works afternoon shift. Finishing at midnight. I work from 7 or 8a.m. to 4 (or maybe 6.30pm), then facing anywhere between 30-90 minutes of traffic to get home.

He's a single parent. I'm a single parent. Hello complicated schedules.

But even with all that, we worked out where we're going, and when. I admit, I had all my Super-Neurotic Senses on code "I Think I'm Going To Hurl", ready to ping on any indication of reluctance - but didn't pick up on any. Indeed, he sounded happy that I had called back, and was just as awkwardly-excited-nervous-cant-believe-I'm-doing-this as I was. (Though I'm sure I still sounded like an idiot, my script being all but useless for the most part). We're going to have lunch, during the week, starting at 12, and he said "And sorry, but I have to leave at two to get to work on time."

So while one part of mental zoo is stampeding in panic, wondering just how I'm meant to not spill food down my shirt and maintain a conversation for so long, the majority of my internal asylum are nodding, musing "Cool. That's a decent amount of time to learn about him!"

And no matter which way I look at it, no matter how the date goes, I'll have eaten some mighty fine pancakes.

But here's something I'd like you to answer (lurkers and friends all!) - what questions would you LIKE to ask, and which questions do you think I SHOULD ask? Seriously, make me laugh, snigger, shriek and ponder - because I have no idea. Any do's and do not's?

And I have two more weeks to work it all out in my head, and practice not hyperventilating.