Too Soon?

The holiday lights on this house were installed that day after Halloween.  It seems a bit early to me.  Can’t we get through Thanksgiving before the holiday lights are turned on? 

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Before and After

This two-bedroom house was built in 1952:

Two years and $5m later this 5-bedroom house has been built on the lot:

The picture doesn’t do the house justice. It’s a stunning example of mid-century inspired architecture.

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Four Openings in Four Hours

There were too many art openings to attend on Friday night so I hit the ones I knew would not disappoint. I started at Space Gallery in the Santa Fe Arts District. My second stop was Walker Fine Art in the Golden Triangle. My third stop was also in the Golden Triangle at the Denver Art Museum for the opening of Whistler to Cassatt: American Painters in France. After seeing the exhibit the museum offered drinks and European-inspired small plates for an after exhibit snack. Vaccination was required for entrance so no masks were required. It was a festive event. The final stop of the night was John Davenport’s new exhibit at Pirate Contemporary Art in Lakewood. I left my house at 5:30 and returned at 9:30. Four venues in four hours. What a great night!

Steven Baris, Never the Same Space Twice A1, oil on mylar, 14 x 14, Space Gallery.

Mark Penner-Howell, Blessing with Birds, mixed media on wood, 24 x 21, Walker Fine Art.

Edward Hopper, Les Pont des Arts, oil on canvas, 1907. On view at Denver Museum of Art (on load from the Whitney Museum of American Art).

Butternut squash risotto at the DAM.

John Davenport, Self Portrait, vintage diptych, GSP analog silver print, 55 x 77, Pirate Contemporary Art.

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Dropped

The man talked just as much on the second date.  I listened.  Over dinner, without prompting, he told me voted for the Republican Presidential candidate in 2016.  I was taken aback by this.  I wanted to ask some follow up questions but he switched the topic causing the conversation to go in a different direction.  I never circled back to his voting.  The man has had an interesting life.  Sadly, he doesn’t know a lot about me.

A few days after the second date, the man told me we weren’t a match as there a too big of an economic disparity between us.  It was an interesting adventure.  On the bright side, I didn’t have to make a decision to stop dating a man because of who he voted for. 

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Dropping Bombs

I had a lunch date with a former FWB a few weeks ago.  Our previous lunch was pre-pandemic after we migrated from FWB to simply F.  We exchanged holiday texts on Christmas last year. It was radio silence until October when he texted a lunch invitation.

I looked forward to the lunch.  I always enjoyed his company and conversation was always easy.  I often thought he had the possibility of turning into something more permanent until he told about the sizable profits from the sale of business investment.  I lost interest, which, is odd given I was tired of meeting men who were ill equipped for the last years of their life.  I’d been disappointed meeting men with few financial assets, yet, I lost interest in a man who had acquired sizeable financial security.  How messed up is that?  I probably need a therapist to help me figure that out.

The first half of the lunch was enjoyable. Then he dropped the bombs.  Three to be exact.  The first being he wanted me to accompany him on a cruise through the Panama Canal in late November and then go on a three week safari in February.  I reminded him that I had employment commitments, which, would rule out the cruise.  Next, he told me he wanted to return to FWB status.  The third bomb was a revelation he had a partner of 20 years.  A partner I didn’t know about.  He insisted he told me about his partner.  I don’t recall him telling me he had a partner, which, is something I feel would be hard to forget.  He would not have had FWB status if I had known he had a partner.  He told me they live separate lives but share a house he bought.  He also told me the partner didn’t want to accompany him on the trips due to his work obligations.

I asked for time to think about it at the end of the lunch.  The safari sounded exciting but I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend three weeks abroad with a man I’ve only spent, at the most, three hours with at any one time.  I was also hesitant about resuming benefits given he has a partner. 

He texted on Monday to let me know he had returned from Peru.  I didn’t know he was away.  That shows how close we are.  I ignored his text.  He texted again last night while I was at an art opening.  I agreed to talk on Saturday morning.

This morning I told him I would not go on safari with him.  I also told him we would not be resuming benefits.  I explained my reasons.  He understood.  At least he said he understood.  It was a very polite and adult conversation.  He wants to have lunch when he gets back from the trip through the Panama Canal.  I’ll ask him to bring his partner to lunch.  He response will speak volumes.

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Fat or Skinny?

One of my gym pals asked me if I put on a few pounds while patting his abs.  I was horrified.  I had made the mistake of opening the Halloween candy three weeks prior.  I had been snacking on candy bars, which are not a part of my normal diet.  I hopped on the scale on my way to the treadmill after my workout.  I weighed in at 168, only three pounds above normal.  I did an extra ten minutes of cardio that day.

The next day I met a man for dinner I met online.  We had chatted on the phone a couple of times before meeting.  Normally, I try to limit first encounters to coffee so I can make a quick escape if needed.  This guy seemed nice so I accepted his dinner invitation. 

Upon meeting at the restaurant, the man told me he was relieved to find out I looked like my pictures but I was skinnier than he expected.  The dinner was enjoyable. The man carried the conversation.  He talked a lot.  Almost to the point of monopolizing the conversation.  I found out a lot about the man.  He asked me very few questions and I didn’t volunteer any information.  Knowledge is power. 

The gym pal thinks I’m gaining weight while the dinner date thinks I’m skinny.  For the record, I’m 5’11”.  A Google search confirmed my weight is acceptable for my height. Nevertheless, I need to give away the leftover Halloween candy.

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