Six Months already?

Okay. I can't believe it... I've been dating the same guy (Bradley "Brad") for six months. SIX!  On February 19, 2011, I went out to go bowling with this guy that I had gotten to know via an online site called "okcupid.com".  It's an okay place but anyways, we started talking back in October of last year, chatting on and off for a goodly while. He asked to go out with me, meet in person, and I kept saying "no". I finally said to myself "forget dating" and responded to one message with a "sure, why not? but only if we go bowling".  He said sure so we met up, I was late by like 10 minutes because I was cleaning up (so woman-like...) but he said "don't worry".  I made it there and met with him. Right away, I recognized that he was a good friend of mine so I greeted him with a hug. He paused for a second before reciprocating. [He told me later that it was because he had greeted a few women before with hugs and they were like "eww! get away" so he had not wanted to greet me that way. But it surprised him a lot to have me greet him with a hug. Why not? He is a great friend of mine and I felt close with him already.]  Long story short, we went bowling {Blainbrook}, played arcade games {Brunswick}, stopped at Salvation Army, had supper at China Inn, talked a bit in the park, went to Perkins to talk some more, talked in the park a bit longer [with an "interesting" occurrence there dealing with a cop and identification], and then said goodnight.  He was worried that the situation at the park with the cop would have made me never want to talk with him again.  "Don't go..."  I left, especially since I had to use the restroom and I have a thing against going into a guy's place on the first date.  After getting home, I was house-sitting at my grandparents' place at that point, I called him to tell him that I got home safe (a habit that we both have now just to make sure that the other got home, even if told via text) and we ended up talking on the phone for another 1.5 hours {until about 1 in the morning}. As I said to Kara Sitari the day after:

"Result from the date: spent 25 bucks, a gallon of gas, 8.5 hours actually hanging out, i.d.ed by a cop for parking in a closed park, and 1.5 hrs on the phone after. To say the least, it was crazy awesome. C: -Rebekah"

So anyways... We're at 6 months today. We've had interesting situations to deal with. To name a few:

• his Grand Marquis getting stuck in a park on Father's Day. It got stuck in mud and we couldn't get it out. The park closed without knowing about us since we weren't on the paths or roads and we didn't realize that it closed at a certain time. We had to get my Dad and grandfather, Police, Park Ranger, and a tow truck before getting him out. How the heck did they NOT hear the revving of the engine? It wasn't a quiet car...
• taking him to the Emergency Room after he burnt his hand on his Marquis' exhaust pipe on July 10 but it healing miraculously within a few days
• selling the Marquis for an Oldsmobile
• buying a Crown Victoria and selling the Oldsmobile to his friend Mark (who is like an older immature brother to him)
• the Oldsmobile ignition locking up on Mark and the two guys trying to get the car working again, stripping the cover off of the steering column. Mark ended up having a locksmith come over, and got a new ignition and key for the car. Still waiting on the money from that sale...
• my Impala trying to become a low-rider (the suspension all around failing), the brakes practically gone in the back, the engine not wanting to start, the transmission having intermittent issues shifting. Probably getting my new car tonight!!
• roommate drama for Brad - moved to Brooklyn Center when his friend from GA moved up, his friend moving back to GA, another friend of his [from Missouri] moving up, that friend leaving, and the GA friend moving back up after becoming practically desolate
• job drama for Brad - working for one company, leaving it to go to a different company, being fired from two companies, walking out on one company, being screwed over by all the companies (out of hours, money, or position)
• July 5 - my family deciding to move me out of my grandparents' place (without telling me) and into my parents' house, dropping the fact on me that they had moved all my stuff after trying to butter me up with my favorite dish [Chicken and Rice, which was drier than it should have been]. It was down-pouring that day... I ended up living in their camper until August 1st.  Now I'm sleeping on an air mattress in the basement since my bed was messed up and we had to get rid of it (even though we only had it for a year).
• June 22 - I ended up in the Emergency Room after having irregular menses, there for about 4 hours. I have a bill of about $500 from that trip, still waiting for the health insurance to kick in.
• Minnesota government shut-down for about 3 weeks, delaying my health insurance application (MinnesotaCare).

 It's been a crazy trying six months but I am glad that I am with him. I feel wonderful. I know what love is and now I need to learn how to express it with actions...  Before meeting him, I never wanted to say "love" because I knew it was such a strong word. Now, I know that I do love him. Not just saying it, but I care so so deeply for him. My heart wants the best for him and I pray that I am the best for him, that I have a future with him. The thought that I may not be the best for him cuts me so deeply that I bawl so much... Once, I ended up crying on the way home because I was praying and asking for the best for this man. I said to my Heavenly Father that if I was not the one for him, that He should protect the one that would be the best for him and help the two of them meet.  However, I don't want that to happen because I love him so much... I want to be the one to be by his side forever, to support, to love, and to help him grow. He has grown a lot, emotionally and mentally, since we met back in February, but I know that he has a lot more growth in his future.

So today's the sixth month anniversary for dating. Tonight, we probably will be buying my car. It's a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis in practically perfect condition. It's a beauty, for sure. It actually, currently, has a "Minnesota Collector" license plate on it and it deserves it. The interior has not been worn down, the exterior has maybe a penny size of rust total, and practically everything under the hood is brand new or has been refurbished/fixed over the last few months. And to top it off, it has only 116,000 miles and will cost us $850 to purchase it.  What a deal!!  I'll have to get a good picture of it and post it up here to show off my baby. ;-)

Here's the thing, we have to deal with my parents to sell the Impala before buying the Marquis. Fun. And my parents are like "but you have to do X, Y, Z before we can give you the cash." I'm sorry but I didn't want to spend my six month anniversary working to get you two to say "okay" to a car that will be MINE in my name and under my insurance. I'd rather be somewhere with my boyfriend without this drama than dealing with this. But if it means that I get a car that's good for me (though about, what, 19 feet long?), it will help our relationship because then he won't have to hear me b*tching and complaining about the car being a piece of turd.

I guess I'll take him out tomorrow night. His choice - bowling at Blainbrook, arcades at Brunswick, or supper at China Inn.  :-P  I told him that I'd give him a choice about where we go and he said "Oh okay honey. How sweet of you. :)".  Does he realize that it's the six month? I don't know... But I won't let it bug me.  :-D

Oh, I know this is a long post but that's how rantings go. :-P  LOL!!  Talk with ya'll later.
~Rebekah/Margem