When did having a birthday week become a thing? I had someone write on my FB timeline “Have a great birthday month!” No, I draw the line there. I would say that with a Tuesday for my 49th that I am somewhat entitled to a birthday week, but not the entire month. That’s weird.

I had dinner with my two favorite women from my bowling team on Tuesday and had a ton of fun. They knew my other colleague and got closer with her as a result of the dinner, and said that she was decidedly cool. I don’t usually ever drink hard alcohol, but it was my birthday so I asked if they could make their monthly (Oh, no, does that mean that I did, in fact, partake in a birthday month?!?) special margarita with Patron Silver in lieu of the house tequila and also pineapple puree? They could. The bartender also shaved cinnamon from a stick and lined one side of each glass and placed a fresh pineapple slice on the glasses with an agave leaf on the other side. I bought a round of those. They comped a salsa trio. I splurged and bought steak fajitas! They wanted to comp a dessert, but I don’t like sweets. We had good conversation and a great meal. It was incredible.

My son came over for dinner the next night and we had a nice time. I got to see him on Friday night as well and we ate dinner at a burger place with the patio where I could bring the dogs. The food was great, and he said that he would be eating there again with his girlfriend.

I had dinner that Saturday night with my best friend and Mini Boss. I had good rigatoni with red sauce and loved my best friend’s Clams Malfadine. I also had an IPA that was actually served at the correct temperature! They chill them often in restaurants or pour them from a keg with all beers that are super cold, so they have a hoppy bite. I couldn’t believe it, but my best friend kept drinking it! I told her that she would like a sour more, and she ordered one. I had to finish mine and hers, but was shocked that she was drinking beer. I’d never seen that! Maybe it’s because she’s 50. Mini Boss had a Mezcal drink. She loved it. She had summer risotto. They’d never met, but were fast friends. I love making friend connections. I made more of those the next day.

The alarm was 3:45 the following morning. We have this tradition of the summit cookie when we do super long hikes with my son. They’re just Rice Krispy Treats, but we used to buy them from a fast, casual pasta location. I made those Saturday morning with vanilla vegan marshmallows and cacao sprouted rice cereal. I also used a half-cup of regular butter so they’d bind well. My son was VERY excited for them. He was so cute the afternoon before our hike. He called me and asked how old he was when he had first climbed that particular peak and I sent him photos and a trip report I’d written. I was so excited to climb with him!

I got to the parking lot about 5:10 (I was late.) where my son and I were going to meet both the Ballet Dancer and the Realtor for our drive to the trailhead. The Ballet Dancer jumped out and embraced me and then immediately embraced my son and the Realtor. I would have been a complete tool had I not embraced her, so I did and noticed that it was a shoulder hug. Not a full body hug like it was this summer. It made things really easy right away. Both the Ballet Dancer and the Realtor began napping right away when I had been on the highway for about 15-minutes. Had my son not talked to me in the pitch black night for the 127-miles, I would have fallen asleep. He was open and charming and I was so grateful for him.

We got there and I started getting my gear. I was putting on my hiking boots when the Realtor started commenting about the cold. When we started out my son said, “I can’t do this in a t-shirt and a windbreaker,” so I gave him the keys to get the hoodie that I keep in the back of my SUV. The Realtor said about 10-minutes later, “I should have checked the forecast. I am going to go back to the car.” I told her that it would be 52 on the summit. She hiked more with the two of us, and when I saw my son sprinting up, we all waited. He said, “I’m not feeling well enough to do this.” I hugged him and said that it was no problem and the Realtor commented about the wind and I told her that we would be out of the wind once we were on the switchbacks of the trail, and she said, “I’m going to go back with _______. You have a buddy and I’ll have a buddy.”

I had a pan full of Rice Krispy treats in a bread bag and only the Ballet Dancer and I did the summit. When we got to the saddle of the mountain, she actually started getting pretty anxious. She was even using the high dollar profanity! In fact, she shall never be able to live me down saying “Fuck this,” in the stylings of the Exorcist voice. She was really freaked out and I saw a new side of her and a semi-demonic voice. I think that I channeled the Climber (Batman), and I asked her what she needed. I also gave her an out. She said that she wouldn’t get this close to the summit and turn back even being terrified. I helped her by being in front of her and only hiking when she would say, “Go.” We helped another woman who was terrified by the exposure too and had a nice summit lunch.

When we got back to the car, I got to hear one of my favorite things which is overheard conversation porn. The Ballet Dancer and the Realtor became fast friends and the Realtor has a dating prospect for the Ballet Dancer. The whole thing helped me. The Realtor and I have so little in common. Even if she wasn’t looking for an escalator relationship, we don’t really have overlap in the ways that we show up to be able to date. It wasn’t what I was thinking would happen, but I’m so glad that we stuck to the chance for her to climb a high peak although she sat in a car at the trailhead with a 17-year-old! And I’m incredibly proud of the Ballet Dancer for doing one of these. She said it’s her first and last. The Realtor also had a long conversation with my son about career. I’ll write out an appropriate Thank You Note to give to her Wednesday, which could be the last time that I see her pre-arranged.

The nice guy has flu symptoms this morning, so he generated a group text between the Climber (Batman) and I this morning. I texted to the group, “Feel better, ______!” and later the Climber texted two sweet lines to him. I texted her after I saw the text that she’d sent to the group thread, “I will leave my house at 7:20 to pick you up.” And she texted back thank you. I didn’t make coffee for her, but said, “Because you like sweets, I’m giving this bag of Rice Krispy treats to you.” She said, “These are fancy ones!” She even asked me again if I was serious about giving them to her when we got to work. We had a pleasant ride in, failed meeting together because Catholic hadn’t hustled to get the family at the meeting, and a lovely ride back home.

We shared work stories because the Boss at this site is behaving really negatively toward seemingly everyone, and we connected. I wound up talking about my coming out affair and the aftermath. I told her a few details which I had written about in May of 2010, but they occurred in December of 2007.

“The next morning we spoke and she explained that in addition to her never wanting to be a mother, she was so far past being ‘anyone’s dirty little secret anymore.’  I didn’t even see her until the following weekend, and she only would talk to me on the phone about twice a week, instead of every single night as she had done for about 4-months.  That Saturday night, we watched some SNL, and she started holding me.  That would be the pattern for the month of December.  She would eventually touch, cuddle, or kiss me, and stop me if I got to where she couldn’t keep me from taking the next step, which had been normal for us until that month.

I resigned the following Friday.  I got another job that Monday, which would start late January.  She went out of town the week that I resigned.  She texted me the day of the face-to-face interview with the team, as I had passed the administrative interview, and then we had a cold conversation on the phone.  That is what December was like…  She got colder and colder, and more removed from me.  It was so strange–watching someone become an iceberg.  It was like the lyrics to “China” by Tori Amos.”

The Climber rubbed my shoulder and had tears in her eyes. I held her hand in the car. She’s so incredible. I asked her to come to my best friend’s art opening and she said, “Yes.” I went to her house tonight and one of her housemates said that she was at the store. She came in the backdoor and said hello and that I should come inside and that her cat would greet me. She got ready within 7-minutes and looked gorgeous! Velvet pants, a tank top that would gather around her shoulders as well–but she left the sleeves off until later so that I could drool over her arms–and gold ballet flats. When she was coming down the stairs I told her that it was no fair! She said, “I saw you, and had to do this!” I did NOT look hot like her. We had a wonderful drive to the restaurant for the art opening. I introduced her to my other Boss, some colleagues, and few friends and the Realtor.

We left just under an hour later. I told her about her being Batman. She’s not a comet–she’s a satellite and a superhero. She said that we should climb under the full moon in 4-5 days. I said, “Your ball, your court. If I’m not teaching and you text, I’ll be there.” I told her that I would LOVE to see the dance between her and my Boss dancing and who would lead. We talked, flirted and connected. We hugged in the car and I kissed her shoulder. We kissed a bit and embraced. I asked her if I could get a full body hug outside my car and she said, “Yes, please.” After we hugged awhile she said, “You’re so great. Goodnight.”