"There's Our Power Station"
How I met Simon, that's what this post is going to be about.
...................................................................................................................................................................
The agony of dating is real, people. Maybe you've forgotten, cause it's been since high school or university since you tried it. But do we ever really forget something so agonizing?
I spent 2016-2018 in this agony! Ha!
Ok, it wasn't allllllllllll agony. But no thanks, I don't ever want to go back there!
And to top it off, the whole online dating thing makes it that much more ridiculous.
That's for another post. Or never.
It's because of an online date that I met Simon, but I did not meet Simon through online dating. Does that make sense? He did say, though, that a year or so before we met he had tried out some dating site--once, and he hated it--but he saw my profile on there, liked it or something, maybe even tried to talk to me...I don't know. But what a funny idea, actually!
No, I didn't meet Simon through online dating. Thank GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No offense to people who meet that way, it's just that I had some ridiculous and unsavory experiences that route, and the whole thing left a really bad taste in my mouth, as they say.
Ok ok ok, so how did I meet Simon?
Well early last summer I was still involved in the online dating fiasco and scheduled a date with this guy. This man, I should say, because he was MUCH older than me. I will never tell how much older, but I had it in my mind that I might as well, because who knows he could be THE ONE so I might as well give him a chance since thus far we'd been clicking. I even went the extra step of saying hey let's talk on the phone first, just to see what he sounded like and if I felt any chemistry that way. I don't know why I'd thought that would be helpful, cause it actually never was. But whatever! I was putting in the effort and care! Plus, I wanted to be sure cause this guy was coming from NOT Vancouver to meet me, and I didn't want him to make all that effort if I had any huge doubts.
The Sunday I was to meet him I went to my band practice first, sang my heart out, nervously anticipating what would be coming after, trying not to get my hopes up too much, or get too nervous, just play it cool. After practice I rode over to where I was to meet him, at this coffee shop I'd always wanted to go to. Well, too bad, cause I'd always wanted to go to that coffee shop, and it's such a cute place, but now all I associate it with is that date! Ha!
As SOON as I saw him I KNEW ummmmmmmmm nooooooooooooooo wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
Only because he really was much too old for me. His pictures had been forgiving, as pictures often are. This would simply be completely inappropriate and I had absolutely no interest whatsoever in pursuing anything romantic with this person.
I tended to size people up pretty quickly in person on dates! Harsh, I know.
Long story short, because the date was short. All of about 5 minutes! Because I spoke my mind, made it clear this would be a non-romantic situation, he felt offended and embarrassed, got in his car and left!
I was shocked and disappointed and angry and feeling very, very, very fiesty. That kind of throw your hands up in the air fiesty. I called my friend Kristie to tell her all about it, because she'd been anticipating this with me. I went on and on and on, and she listened and tried to help me calm down and work through a plan for the rest of the day. I decided I'd ride home, maybe sing or write or eat ice cream or something like that, maybe go out to karaoke that night, and DEFINITELY NOT TRY TO DATE ANYMORE! This was the last straw.
As I rode home along that bike path, up that hill, the anger and the fiestiness and the resolve fueled me. I like to stand and ride, because I don't like to use gears, and I like to get my heart rate going and feel that invigoration. The bike path had been put in a couple years ago over the old railroad tracks, and just after I crossed this major intersection I passed by the usual power station landmark, and heard this guy walking in the opposite direction yell to me, "Hey! Stop having so much fun!"...I laughed and kept riding...and then he said, "See you later!"...or something like that while I passed him by...and I said, "Ok, see you later" still riding...and then he kinda hesitated and said, "Hey! Wanna have a drink with me?!"...and I slowed down, turned around, and rode back to him.
Our whole first conversation is actually on record. He had been recording a Podcast at the time, and was in the middle of it when he started talking to me. It was only a month or so later that he discovered that amazing treasure!!!
I sized him up pretty quickly, as I tend to do, and determined that yes, this person was someone I'd love to spend some time with. He had immediately started making me laugh, he was great looking--kinda riff-raffy too, he had interesting things to say, he seemed a bit on the crazy side, and he was very keen on having conversation. Also, a twinkle in his eyes told me he was quite interested in me...so...why not? Honestly, I just thought what the hell...go for it!
After I turned around I got off my bike and we started walking the direction he'd been going. Walking and talking. He told me some very important things about himself right away, and I did the same. Just to kinda see if we wanted to go any farther with this. And we did.
We got that drink that he'd suggested, only, we just went to a beer store and then drank the can of beer on some chairs in another part of the bike path. Classy! We talked and talked.
At one point, as we were talking about relationships and all that, he looked me right in the eyes and said, "Megan, I've never been...in love. I've never been...in a meaningful relationship."
It was then that I knew for sure something was going to happen.
It was one of those moments where it was like absolutely nothing else in the world was going on, only this.
I'd had "meaningful relationships", and flings, and I was fed up! It was almost like this guy was challenging me. Also, it was almost like he was offering something completely new and fresh to me. I was kinda cynical at this point in my life, when it came to relationships, and he might not be, at least not in the same way as me. Maybe with him I could see things in a new way? And it was definitely like he--or some aura surrounding us--was foreshadowing the future.
What in the world? We just happen to pass each other along a bike path, near the power station I ride by on a daily basis, one he's ridden by hundreds of times himself, and we hit it of immediately? We're super attracted to each other, have great conversation, make each other crack up, are full of big emotions and sentimentality, we ride our bikes everywhere, he's just the right amount of trouble, I'm just the right amount of weirdness, we're the perfect astrological match (and yes, I asked him his sign within the first little while that day...I told you I'm weird!)..."Yeah I play in this band," he said at one point during our first conversation..."What? You play in a band? I'm in a band too!"...the things kept happening!!!
I told him I had 3 children, within those first 2 minutes of meeting.
He said something like, "I'm not gonna lie, that's a big deal", but he stayed.
He told me things and I stayed.
As the afternoon wore on he thought we should keep hanging out into the evening. He'd had a few beers that day, and was walking them off when I met him, so I was a little wary of continuing the date thinking it could be the alcohol talking, but also worried that if we didn't continue then the spell would be broken! He'd chicken out the next day and not call, or it would all have turned into some big hoax...I mean, the alcohol effects were wearing off, so maybe I should just stay with him?
He offered to make me steak! This used-to-be-strict vegetarian.
"Oh, I don't know, I want to take things slow, be careful, why don't you just call me tomorrow?"
"It's ok, we'll just have a nice meal together, talk, nothing will happen!"
...I'm gutsy(stupid?) so I decided sure...besides, I had my mace and whistle ;-)
And the spell! I didn't want it to break!
Anyway, we walked and walked and walked and walked to go and pick up his bike, because he'd left it locked at the police station when he'd gone out the night before. "That's the best place to park a bike," he'd said, "No one's gonna steal a bike right outside a police station!"
This guy was so quirky! And fascinating! And the ENERGY!!! The POSITIVITY!!!
"It's just a few more blocks," he'd say. And say, and say, and say.
Good thing I have a lot of energy too! I loved the walk!
We got his bike and then he got us a big van cab so we could each put our bikes in so we wouldn't have to ride to his place at that time--we were both exhausted and starving.
Back at his place--which was all clean and bachelor-pad-like WITH plants and decor and curtains AND his mom in the suite next door (ummmm how sweet is that??) AND he was not expecting company but it looked like this??!...well yes, back at his place he turned jazz records on while he cooked. Did you read that? He turned jazz records on while he cooked. Jazz records that had been his dad's.
I was in heaven.
And before he made the steak he got ridiculously romantic and knelt down on one knee like he was going to propose and he said, "Megan, will you have this steak with me?" or something even more ridiculous than that.
...................................................................................................................................................................
I suppose at the beginning you could say we were "dating", but with him it's always been easy. We went from not knowing each other at all, and pretty much skipped that whole stressful "dating" phase. We fit together like puzzle pieces! Easy. More complete with each other.
It's fun to ride along that bike path with him now, and pass the place we met.
He'll always say, "There's our power station, Love."
Wow am I glad I turned around.
...................................................................................................................................................................
The agony of dating is real, people. Maybe you've forgotten, cause it's been since high school or university since you tried it. But do we ever really forget something so agonizing?
I spent 2016-2018 in this agony! Ha!
Ok, it wasn't allllllllllll agony. But no thanks, I don't ever want to go back there!
And to top it off, the whole online dating thing makes it that much more ridiculous.
That's for another post. Or never.
It's because of an online date that I met Simon, but I did not meet Simon through online dating. Does that make sense? He did say, though, that a year or so before we met he had tried out some dating site--once, and he hated it--but he saw my profile on there, liked it or something, maybe even tried to talk to me...I don't know. But what a funny idea, actually!
No, I didn't meet Simon through online dating. Thank GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No offense to people who meet that way, it's just that I had some ridiculous and unsavory experiences that route, and the whole thing left a really bad taste in my mouth, as they say.
Ok ok ok, so how did I meet Simon?
Well early last summer I was still involved in the online dating fiasco and scheduled a date with this guy. This man, I should say, because he was MUCH older than me. I will never tell how much older, but I had it in my mind that I might as well, because who knows he could be THE ONE so I might as well give him a chance since thus far we'd been clicking. I even went the extra step of saying hey let's talk on the phone first, just to see what he sounded like and if I felt any chemistry that way. I don't know why I'd thought that would be helpful, cause it actually never was. But whatever! I was putting in the effort and care! Plus, I wanted to be sure cause this guy was coming from NOT Vancouver to meet me, and I didn't want him to make all that effort if I had any huge doubts.
The Sunday I was to meet him I went to my band practice first, sang my heart out, nervously anticipating what would be coming after, trying not to get my hopes up too much, or get too nervous, just play it cool. After practice I rode over to where I was to meet him, at this coffee shop I'd always wanted to go to. Well, too bad, cause I'd always wanted to go to that coffee shop, and it's such a cute place, but now all I associate it with is that date! Ha!
As SOON as I saw him I KNEW ummmmmmmmm nooooooooooooooo wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
Only because he really was much too old for me. His pictures had been forgiving, as pictures often are. This would simply be completely inappropriate and I had absolutely no interest whatsoever in pursuing anything romantic with this person.
I tended to size people up pretty quickly in person on dates! Harsh, I know.
Long story short, because the date was short. All of about 5 minutes! Because I spoke my mind, made it clear this would be a non-romantic situation, he felt offended and embarrassed, got in his car and left!
I was shocked and disappointed and angry and feeling very, very, very fiesty. That kind of throw your hands up in the air fiesty. I called my friend Kristie to tell her all about it, because she'd been anticipating this with me. I went on and on and on, and she listened and tried to help me calm down and work through a plan for the rest of the day. I decided I'd ride home, maybe sing or write or eat ice cream or something like that, maybe go out to karaoke that night, and DEFINITELY NOT TRY TO DATE ANYMORE! This was the last straw.
As I rode home along that bike path, up that hill, the anger and the fiestiness and the resolve fueled me. I like to stand and ride, because I don't like to use gears, and I like to get my heart rate going and feel that invigoration. The bike path had been put in a couple years ago over the old railroad tracks, and just after I crossed this major intersection I passed by the usual power station landmark, and heard this guy walking in the opposite direction yell to me, "Hey! Stop having so much fun!"...I laughed and kept riding...and then he said, "See you later!"...or something like that while I passed him by...and I said, "Ok, see you later" still riding...and then he kinda hesitated and said, "Hey! Wanna have a drink with me?!"...and I slowed down, turned around, and rode back to him.
Our whole first conversation is actually on record. He had been recording a Podcast at the time, and was in the middle of it when he started talking to me. It was only a month or so later that he discovered that amazing treasure!!!
I sized him up pretty quickly, as I tend to do, and determined that yes, this person was someone I'd love to spend some time with. He had immediately started making me laugh, he was great looking--kinda riff-raffy too, he had interesting things to say, he seemed a bit on the crazy side, and he was very keen on having conversation. Also, a twinkle in his eyes told me he was quite interested in me...so...why not? Honestly, I just thought what the hell...go for it!
After I turned around I got off my bike and we started walking the direction he'd been going. Walking and talking. He told me some very important things about himself right away, and I did the same. Just to kinda see if we wanted to go any farther with this. And we did.
We got that drink that he'd suggested, only, we just went to a beer store and then drank the can of beer on some chairs in another part of the bike path. Classy! We talked and talked.
At one point, as we were talking about relationships and all that, he looked me right in the eyes and said, "Megan, I've never been...in love. I've never been...in a meaningful relationship."
It was then that I knew for sure something was going to happen.
It was one of those moments where it was like absolutely nothing else in the world was going on, only this.
I'd had "meaningful relationships", and flings, and I was fed up! It was almost like this guy was challenging me. Also, it was almost like he was offering something completely new and fresh to me. I was kinda cynical at this point in my life, when it came to relationships, and he might not be, at least not in the same way as me. Maybe with him I could see things in a new way? And it was definitely like he--or some aura surrounding us--was foreshadowing the future.
What in the world? We just happen to pass each other along a bike path, near the power station I ride by on a daily basis, one he's ridden by hundreds of times himself, and we hit it of immediately? We're super attracted to each other, have great conversation, make each other crack up, are full of big emotions and sentimentality, we ride our bikes everywhere, he's just the right amount of trouble, I'm just the right amount of weirdness, we're the perfect astrological match (and yes, I asked him his sign within the first little while that day...I told you I'm weird!)..."Yeah I play in this band," he said at one point during our first conversation..."What? You play in a band? I'm in a band too!"...the things kept happening!!!
I told him I had 3 children, within those first 2 minutes of meeting.
He said something like, "I'm not gonna lie, that's a big deal", but he stayed.
He told me things and I stayed.
As the afternoon wore on he thought we should keep hanging out into the evening. He'd had a few beers that day, and was walking them off when I met him, so I was a little wary of continuing the date thinking it could be the alcohol talking, but also worried that if we didn't continue then the spell would be broken! He'd chicken out the next day and not call, or it would all have turned into some big hoax...I mean, the alcohol effects were wearing off, so maybe I should just stay with him?
He offered to make me steak! This used-to-be-strict vegetarian.
"Oh, I don't know, I want to take things slow, be careful, why don't you just call me tomorrow?"
"It's ok, we'll just have a nice meal together, talk, nothing will happen!"
...I'm gutsy(stupid?) so I decided sure...besides, I had my mace and whistle ;-)
And the spell! I didn't want it to break!
Anyway, we walked and walked and walked and walked to go and pick up his bike, because he'd left it locked at the police station when he'd gone out the night before. "That's the best place to park a bike," he'd said, "No one's gonna steal a bike right outside a police station!"
This guy was so quirky! And fascinating! And the ENERGY!!! The POSITIVITY!!!
"It's just a few more blocks," he'd say. And say, and say, and say.
Good thing I have a lot of energy too! I loved the walk!
We got his bike and then he got us a big van cab so we could each put our bikes in so we wouldn't have to ride to his place at that time--we were both exhausted and starving.
Back at his place--which was all clean and bachelor-pad-like WITH plants and decor and curtains AND his mom in the suite next door (ummmm how sweet is that??) AND he was not expecting company but it looked like this??!...well yes, back at his place he turned jazz records on while he cooked. Did you read that? He turned jazz records on while he cooked. Jazz records that had been his dad's.
I was in heaven.
And before he made the steak he got ridiculously romantic and knelt down on one knee like he was going to propose and he said, "Megan, will you have this steak with me?" or something even more ridiculous than that.
...................................................................................................................................................................
I suppose at the beginning you could say we were "dating", but with him it's always been easy. We went from not knowing each other at all, and pretty much skipped that whole stressful "dating" phase. We fit together like puzzle pieces! Easy. More complete with each other.
It's fun to ride along that bike path with him now, and pass the place we met.
He'll always say, "There's our power station, Love."
Wow am I glad I turned around.
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