On The Strangest Perversion

The answer you're looking for is abstinence, by the way.

Huh, I could have sworn there was a Benjamin Franklin quote to that effect but the closest I can find is Huxley on chastity.

Anywho, today is the feast day of Saint Valentine (Interesting fact: Valentine is derived from the Latin “valens” which means “being strong”.) which has, somehow, become a day of romance and giri-choko. As with so many things, I blame Chaucer. So, of course, my friend set me up with a date (Because, as he says so many of my problems can be solved with two words: “get laid.” I mean, it's not official or anything but it's probably a good candidate for #11(unwritten) on the list.). Since I have class on Wednesday, apologetically scheduling around that was a bit of a pain. I wasn't really looking forward to it what with the heaven's decision to flood the streets with frozen snow. This morning was a real drag, after all, as the roads were coated in the white stuff. And I spent most of the afternoon shoveling my drive and the drive of the not-so-little old lady across the way who keeps trying to pay me for such things. A dollar is what she tries to slip me which a) getting paid (in money, anyway) is not why I do things like that. And b) would be insulting if it was. On the plus side, she makes a damn fine cup of hot cocoa.

Thanks to that, which took a lot longer than I'd been expecting, I was running late and it was nearly time for my class. So, I was rushing around and trying to get ready not just for matriculation but also to get all niced up since I was going to rush from the classroom to meet up with my date. Had a quick dinner of braised sausage and cabbage with egg noodles that I threw together as I was scrambling. Threw on my hat and coat, dashed to the gas station (When it's this cold out I like to keep my tank about half empty. I'm not sure why exactly, it's just something I learned back in driver's ed that's always made sense.) and braved the still sloggy, slushy road conditions (Though at least, by that time, I could actually see the lane markers – it's always interesting to me where people actually drive when they can't see where the lanes should be. It's like what happens in parking lots without clearly marked spaces.) to make it to my class on time.

Only to find it canceled.

Nearly had a heart attack when the rent-a-cop (Or, come to think about it, maybe even campus police.) knocked on my window to inform me of such. I was busy trying to navigate the school's archaic website on my phone and didn't even see him pull up. But, turns out that all the school's in the area had been closed during the day and that included my local community college. Which left me puzzled over whether I should just find a way to kill two hours or if I should call up my date and see if she still wanted to meet earlier.

Anyhow, I think it turned out okay. We had a nice meal and I think I was goofy and charming without being too desperate or off-puttingly geeky (So, yes, I didn't ask her if she was a Mending or a Live Vicariously kind of girl or even if she thought Bow skills needed some tweaking. I'm a nerd but I'm not suicidally so.). Despite my friend's claims, I'm not actually bad at these sorts of things. I'm a hopeless romantic at heart, after all. And, as is generally the case, when I'm interested, I get results. It's more a lack of experience that makes me nervous, prone to trying too hard (Sigh, this is really going to become #11, isn't it?), and disinclined to even try. For whatever reason, I'm the kind of guy who usually ends up as a girl's “friend”. Probably because I listen, I care, I don't mind talking about feelings or anything really, and I honestly don't care if we end up sleeping together or not. But combined with some disastrous relationships that have made me gunshy and a host of unrelated problems, I just haven't had much opportunity.

We'll find out tomorrow, I guess (I'd, you know, much rather find out if this is worth pursuing than do the whole “wait three days” cliché.) as she's supposed to give me a call.