Variety is the Spice of Life

so I had a very interesting weekend in our lovely SRQ. I spent the first part of Friday evening with some amazing ladies who had gathered in support of our dear friend. She recently lost her father and we were gathering the way ladies to do to lend our best emotional support and share laughs and a few favorite foods. I had wonderful time with these women in all different aspects of their lives, as we shared wine and bonded over the common love for our friend.

How different these would get in just one short hour. I had previously promised a dear friend that I would come help her celebrate her birthday in style. What you might not be grasping is that I was helping her ring in the big 22. And I was partying with a gaggle of her besties. Yep a crew full of women from the ages of 21-23. I myself began to feel like the old woman out. Clearly not quite old enough to be their mother's but certainly not young enough to even qualify for big sister standing. We aren't in Kansas anymore should have been the theme to our evening. It started on the roof top bar of Ceviche. A lovely round of sangria's were being enjoyed when a real live drama filled soap opera unfolded in front of our eyes.

A young woman had been texted that her boy friend who was supposed to be home sleeping was actually out entertaining two lovely ladies. It was fireworks well before the 4th of July and the intensity of their conversation even had the bouncer on edge. We finally moved the party to Horsefeathers where my girls gone wild com padres could shake their booties on the dance floor. This was harder then one would think. First their is a bit of a questionable element as of late in this establishment, followed by a crowded eyeball to eyeball packed dance floor. ( seriously has anyone not thought of opening the old margarita Maggie's for a sizable dance floor club) I was fast to be aware that the men folk were not going to leave my beautiful drunk younguns alone and I was going to be playing the enforcer body guard role all night. After a rush on the cheesiest pick up lines of all time, we finally secured a place in the corner by the dj. Well lets just say we had to share the space with a couple who had just met on the dance floor and were practically knowing each other in the biblical way, right there on the dance floor. I gave a few well deserving pretenders the stink eye as they attempted to take advantage of my girls less then sober state of mind.

I woke up bright and early Saturday to tackle the household chores and then headed for a much needed break with my friend and her almost one year old daughter. Nothing like spending time with a best friend and an angel from heaven to put everything into perspective. I then headed out to see the move The Proposal with two of my dear friends who happen to be married to each other. The movie was cute and one particular scene had tears streaming down my face. Y'all see the movie and then I will discuss it. ( the hangover is still much funnier!!!) So then we headed out for a some social drinks.

The new bar extension of the Cafe Epicure/Jolley is incredible. The wonderful bartender Alexandro makes the best spirits around. He has infused all of his own rum and vodkas for their signature drinks. I had the Strawberry and Basil and also the Watermelon. Both were to die for. He also let us sample a few other cocktails and concoctions. My dear friends A &L helped to listen to the latest woes of my life and offer their wisdom and sage advice. In general I just enjoy their company and while they are both no longer single they have a deep respect for the life of a single in sarasota. The bar was a great atmosphere and the Insalta Tropicale was wonderful!!! And there were indeed several cute menfolk milling about. It just might have to become a regular stomping ground for a cocktail and dinner out.

We capped off the night at the Selva Grill. And there was an angel wing sighting. This time it was a young lady sitting at the edge of the bar all bedazzled. It was indeed a sign that I needed to come home and write in this little blog. At Selva we enjoyed chocolate martinis while being entertained by our long hair, feminist, conspiracy theory bartender. He served us up some cocktails and humor and even gave me some advice for my nocturnal sleep problem. While A & L were most certain he was going to offer up his number as the solution to call when I am up at all hours of the night ( you filthy dirty minded marrieds!!!) He actually gave me some herbal supplement name. While doing this we discovered he has nice hand writing and leaves big circles on his letter I just like a teenage girl. He handled our teasing with ease and only showed me his one finger a couple of times. All in all it was successful.

I did learn while at the Cafe Epicure bar that another girl I know around town has her blog as single in sarasota. She also writes for the paper so I am sure they are publishing it to a much larger audience. I just want to point out for the record that my blog was first ( yes I did indeed check her archives!!! ) Surely this isn't the most unique idea ever known to man and we both could have come up with it on our own. But since hers will probably have a bigger following I just wanted it to be known that I started this one first.

So this weekend has held a bunch of different activities for me, time spent with various groups of friends, friends in all stages of their walk of life, and of course sampling a few different adult beverages. They say variety is indeed the spice of life....

What Has Been Never Shall Be Again

OK so I have been more then a little slack updating this little blog. I would like to blame it on the lack of angel wings but clearly I can't blame it all on my tall bedazzled friend. I guess I just haven't felt very motivated to share the stories. Because let's be honest how often and how many different ways can you tell the same story. So in the past few months lots of things have happened to me in my single Sarasota city life. First let's address this horrible new thing called I am a guy and can't pick up the phone and call you. Nope I would prefer the much more ridiculous way of texting and fbooking you until you are so confused as to what's what. I seriously think that might be the new game plan for the boys...If you cant win on your own court level the playing field. It's a whole new technology game out there. I can't be sure how many relationships I have been dancing around in the last two months but let me assure my blackberry is blowing up!!! What happened to the old fashioned ways of picking up a phone and calling a girl. Saying hi how are you would you like to have dinner. Nope these new boys about town will text you and sext you and facebook you about absolutely nothing. They are flirty and fun but will never quite ask you out, and just when you think you have cut though the bs and done enough dancing they will indeed hightail it in run.. I think it's no coincidence that grown ass women are in love with a fictional vampire.. Yep You heard me right I am talking about Edward. He's centuries old and treats a woman like she should be treated. Well when he's not thinking of making her the main course!! Shows like True Blood based on the The Southern Vampire Series and the movie and books for the Twilight series are blowing up the charts. There rise in popularity is not some new fascination for the vampire and underworld. If that was the case we would have had this same craze over the Anne Rice Novels back in the day. Nope both lead vampire characters in each series are centuries old. They are old fashioned, have the ways of a gentleman and are at the heart what ever woman is looking for. Now I don't care how many dating books a girl is going to read.. from Steve Harvey's latest recycling to classic he's just not that into you.. they are only beating around the bush.. the true southern gentleman is a lost and dying breed. I started reading twilight on a whim. I did not expect to get sucked in like every other teenage girl on the planet. In fact I assumed I would find them childish like the Harry Potter books. I was so wrong. Edward is indeed the man every girl is dreaming of. And Bella is the reflection of everything a teenager girl feels deep down inside looking for some validation. OK so I am getting off point again. My point is really that texting and fbooking your new crush is less then ideal and the opposite of romantic or hot. I knew better then to get sucked into the trap. But once again that teenage girl full of optimism and all electric with a new crush fell into the trap for centuries. I forgot my worth and value and threw it all out the window for a cute words of verbiage and the hope of a happy ever after. So guys if you are reading this and I highly doubt you are.. pick up the phone. If you like her call her and don't play games with her. You may get wrapped up in the what you can get out of it game. But please remember she is someones sister, daughter and best friend. She loves, she cries, she hurts.. and she doesn't exist just for your pleasure no matter how tough you think she might be. On another note I have also had the direct opposite experience. Dates with a guy who pursues you and actually wants to be with you. What a Novelty. What was nice... the door opening, the chair pulling, actually time in public, the get better teas in my mailbox when I was sick, and the surprise flowers on my doorstep just because. I don't know what the future holds for this gentleman but I have to say that letting a girl know you appreciate her is always sexy. Can you want something so bad that will always allude you? Is it true that the minute you don't want it it will find you? And how do you stop wanting the very thing you feel you were put on this earth to be? These topics might be too difficult to tackle in the space of my funny little blog. But I am not sure we aren't destined to create our mistakes again and again until somehow we break the cycle and strike a new path. They say every relationship that closes teaches you a lesson to make the next that much stronger. I hope so. I hope at some point we can truly say what has been never shall be again. I am looking forward to a happy and promising future.