The Staging Area

Ben and I have had some interesting discussions over the last few weeks about what we're doing in Ohio. To buy a house? Not to buy a house? Exactly how deep are our roots here?

I'll spare you the suspense. We've decided we're in no rush to buy a house, so no deep root-growing happening here. We haven't even signed a 6 month lease on the apartment we've been living in for the last year and a half(though I think we might; you know, since we're not buying a house). We miss EVERYBODY and, while Cincy isn't so bad, we are thinking that our future lies elsewhere.

So this begs the question -- how temporary are we? What are we doing while we're here?

As some of you may have been able to decipher from my previous post, I have started an MBA Program. I have faint hopes of being able to finish this endeavor early, but it's supposed to take about two years.

I have very mixed emotions about this whole going back to school thing. Mostly one emotion pervades: I hate going to school. Clearly I'm a masochist. I not only work at a school, but I keep going BACK to school for my own education, OVER and OVER again.

But I have this insatiable need to be productive with my time. No, not THAT KIND of productive. Stick with me people! Why am I going back this time? An MBA is a great asset for future career opportunities, so if I can get one, and I can get it free with a little sweat and tears from yours truly, well --- it only seems logical.

NOT TO MENTION, what else is there for me to do in Ohio? No really. I'm not kidding. Well, I'm sure some of you could figure out how to spend your time productively in ways that don't involve school. But, for starters, I'm really not quite ready for kids(I'm selective about the kinds of productivity I'm into, apparently). I can't update a house because I don't have one. I can't hang out with all of you. And it seems like this MBA thing may be a "for a limited time only" kind of offer, considering my rootless presence here and it's only free while I work at my current job. And that it's easier to go to school BEFORE you have children as opposed to after. See what I'm sayin'?

Summarily, I know it's good for me, my career and our family's financial future and it appears time is of the essence if I want to do it. Do I relish it? In fleeting moments, sure. I do like learning things. But the rest of the time I roll my eyes and say, "School again. Ugh." I do that a lot, actually. (Sigh)

We could just pick up and go; leave the Cincinnati life behind us. But all things considered, we think it's best for us to sit tight for a bit. We want to make a smart jump, not just any jump.

So if not now, then when? We're not sure exactly when. 2 years. 3 years. Maybe more. Maybe less. But said jumping will likely happen as soon as possible, taking all things prudent into consideration.

And to where? We don't know that either. It's years away people!! The good news about the wait? I have time to persuade Ben that London is a great place to raise a family. :)

There's a negative to coming to this conclusion so early in our Cincinnati existence. It makes the next leg of living here seem long. Really long. We are talking about undetermined years and months of just waiting to move on. Harsh.

You can feel my yearning. I know you can. And you recognize it. That's because it is the yearning of students everywhere. :) I'll try my best to live and love my Cincinnati present. Living it up while working full-time and going to school is definitely going to be a challenge, but somebody has to do it and apparently that somebody is me.

It feels a bit like we're in a staging area; like we're building a set for a play that is to come -- the play that is my future happiness -- without school and after Cincinnati. The play's really the main event, isn't it? That's what everybody's waiting for. The staging is necessary, but incredibly less fun, and the costumes are nowhere near as glamorous.

All of this being said, I have a request. Should I find it wise, after having finished the MBA here, to go back to school once more, would you PLEASE commit me. I can officially be considered mentally unsound at that point and not capable of looking out for my own best interests. That is all I ask. Thank you.

Many thoughts....only 1 blog post

So, since most of the people that read this blog of female (I think that is true, but I could be wrong), i would love to hear a female's perspective (and if male's want to chime in, by all means do so....oh, and Kim...I'm calling you out!.....still can't believe you read this thing) on the following:

I have always been a 50/50 dater in my mind.....if I ask someone out it is there job to ask out for date 2 etc. (Ok, no pot shots here about me being more like a 70/30 (or 90/10) dater aka she asks me out like 5 times and I invite her over for a rented DVD!) I have abandoned that for the time being with a certain bit of trepidation.

My reasoning on the 50/50 is not so much that the girl pay or whatever, I could care less about that. It has more to do with the fact that I want to see some demonstrated initiative and interest. I think it is easy/easier to simply say yes to going to dinner with someone and be ready by 5 or 6pm on a given night, than to take the steps and say, "I would like to see you again and when."

But I would also say that it is important I think to show that interest. A boy like me has concerns of people taking him for a nice ride because he is a nice guy and is willing to pay for/prepare/organize a nice dinner/activity/clown makeup (don't ask), but not have any real interest in say......me. (Honestly, I haven't run in to this situation, but I hear its possible.....isn't it?)

So, that being said, and abandoning all previous notes.....I asked out lil' miss sunshine on date 3 (granted I did so well prior to her having a chance to being able to ask me out on date 3.) and it was really a good time, and I don't have any reservations or ill will about asking her.

However, I have had some conversation as of late about date 4 (Eclaires...I'm talking to you now!) and how it should proceed. I am of the opinion that she should take the initiative for date 4. Thoughts? Am I barking up a silly tree? Does it not really matter? Several individuals have indicated that the whole asking out thing is all about games and rules (which apparently I have a lot of...go figure, I'm a lawyer), and that if I want to go out with someone I should just ask them, but I think it is a much more delicate balance than that.

For starters, I tend to be attracted to intelligent women with quite a bit of backbone and that have some initiative. I like to see those qualities, and see a girl sort of take the proverbial bull by its horns and in my mind, putting the onus on the other to do the asking may tend to demonstrate some of those qualities.

2. Dating isn't all about what I want either. It is nice to see someone express more than in a passive sense, what they would like.

3. I'm sure there are lots of other reasons that I could make up for defending my position, but I really want to know if I'm being an idiot, and somehow in my deluded sense, asking a bunch of my sister's friends (and a few of mine) their opinion seems like I might get a little clarity.

Thoughts from the peanut gallery?

(P.S. the other thought I had, I have been thinking about for some time....in "what does a name really mean"...and to quote a timely New York Time article “What’s in a name?” Shakespeare asked. “That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.”)

Lameness apparently not so lame

So, said "lame" date happened, and I would like to report that it went well (at least from my opinion....I won't comment as to hers, but I like to tell myself that she had a good time). In the course of the date, I apologized for my lameness.....to which she pointed out that she didn't think it was lame at all. :) As a matter of fact her roommates even commented that it was (I don't remember the exact word), but something to the effect of good.

I believe I am already up above a 4.5 Sharona! And for all you nay sayers, we made a lovely dinner.....which I thoroughly enjoyed, and she pretended to enjoy it as well (she may actually have enjoyed it, but I'm not inside her head, so I don't really know.)

So, despite my agreement that for a date, the idea may have been a bit lame, it ended well, and I believe execution was better than the idea, which has to at least bring me to like a 5.5 on the lame factor, maybe even a 6.5!