Posted on by shirindawna

i guess he was right.

way back when, i dated this guy that said if i ever cut my hair, he’d break up with me. i thought this was stupid so i chopped off my ass length hair (to chin length – i was dumb & young) and never called him again.

well, i took my dog to a new groomer over the weekend. the groomer decided to take her liberties with my pup’s adorable mane and turned him into something i can’t even bear to look at.

when i went to go pick him up, there was a creepy little rat looking thing nuzzling my ankles. i wanted to nudge him away until the lady working said ‘aww, you’re excited to see mama!’ ummmmm, WHAT?! i did a double-take. this is MY dog?! no way. couldn’t be. but then upon closer inspection i realized the big puppy dog eyes looking up at me where, in fact, my little pirate’s. i quickly looked away and told myself i wouldn’t have a breakdown at the groomer’s. i slipped the leash on him and briskly walked out to my car with the new and NOT improved pirate trying to keep up. i called my best friend in a panic and tried to get her to agree to adopt him.

she asked for a photo.

i was too embarrassed to send her one…but figured maybe she liked rats and would take this one off my hands.

it was then that it clicked. if i have an ugly child, i won’t love it. i told her this. she insisted that i wouldn’t think my child was ugly.

i disagree.

i sent my bestie a photo of the damage. i haven’t heard from her since.

i finally get what that guy was talking about…i’ve had pirate for 5 years. and i love him like he was my own child…but during this hideous hair stage, i cringe each time he trots his happy little butt up to me.

my advice? think twice when your man doesn’t want you to chop off your hair. i have kept mine long ever since. although, that guy was junk and i’m glad to be rid of him, now that i’ve walked (from the groomer to my car) in his shoes, i finally understand his point of view.

i’m traumatized.

UPDATE: my friend has since called me back.
her: ooooh, poor pirate!
me: poor pirate?! poor ME! i’m the one who has to look at him.

he’s still prancing around thinking he’s the cutest thing on the planet because that’s what he’s been hearing for 5 years. it is no longer true.

at least temporarily.

Posted on by shirindawna

i’m old-fashioned.

i think people are often surprised to discover just how old-fashioned i am. it might be because i’m mouthy, outgoing, and a probably a little too sassy.

my friends recently pointed out that i would’ve been better off dating in the 1800s. that might be true.

i’m a sucker for love letters and flowers. in a pinch, i’ll take long emails and champagne truffles, but the former is preferred.

i don’t think it’s appropriate (or necessary) for girls to pursue boys.
i don’t like the thought of having to make the initial form of communication – i think a man should act as such.
if a guy gives me his card, i’ll either give it back to him or throw it away.

…even if i’m interested.

i know it seems extreme, but any guy that isn’t able to pursue me appropriately (MY version of appropriate) probably isn’t going to be able to deal with me long-term. so, it weeds out potential suitors that wouldn’t work out in the end anyway.

i don’t believe in playing hard to get. i am always real. and always honest. i just think that if a guy is truly interested, he’ll make that effort. and if he isn’t, someone else will be.

though my old-fashioned ideals have led me to a conundrum.

there’s a fine line between expressing interest and taking the reins (at least for an alpha like me).

as i explained to my pal yesterday: i think he’s just friendly.

i mean, i obviously want to express interest without pursuing. i’d like to let him know i’m receptive to him.

and his genitalia.

Posted on by shirindawna

impulsive.

restless.

i’ve been this way for as long as i can remember and it’s gotten me into some interesting situations. mostly involving last minute travel to random locations.

many moons ago, i had recently become single and was back in touch with a suitor that i had been entertaining prior to my relationship. he lived in nyc and invited me to visit for the weekend to watch the world cup with him. i had a brief conversation with him about how it sounded fun & by the time i got home his secretary had sent me an email with my itinerary – leaving the next morning. my flirting skills are en pointe.

it happened too quickly for me to think too much about it or the implications of spending a weekend with someone.  i packed up my bag and the next morning, i hopped on a plane.

some background: i met this guy on a trip to nyc a few years prior and we went out several times during my visit and stayed in touch over the years. i may have even seen him on subsequent visits to nyc – the details are hazy now. i do remember one particular dinner with a group of his friends where his gorgeous, indian, beauty pageant, ex-girlfriend was present. that was fun. (it actually really was. but that’s because i had a run-in with usher that night and so i couldn’t be bothered with the ex-girlfriend nonsense. also, i didn’t really care, which caused me to ignore red flags that would send me running now. oh, hindsight.)

i digress. we definitely hadn’t moved past first base (because if you know me at all, you know – i’m pretty prudish). after i arrived, he took me out for a nice dinner. i chose to overlook the fact that he was wearing a cuff bracelet and had his shirt unbuttoned about one button too low. we had a nice time and when we got back to his place we were both pretty tired so we decided to go to sleep. i went into the bathroom to change (prude style) and when i emerged in my tank top and sweats i found him sprawled on the bed covered by a blanket the size of a napkin. he was clearly topless, but i couldn’t tell if he was wearing anything under the napkin/blanket. and i wasn’t curious enough to really look. i hopped into bed as far on the opposite side as i could and tried to stick a corner of the napkin/blanket on me since i was FREEZING. he had the a/c on iceland mode. clever.

i curled up in a little ball with my back to him and eventually fell asleep only to be woken up at various points in the night from his arm draped on me. dead weight draped. it felt horrible. i was horrified that i got myself into this situation. he continued trying to touch/grope me throughout the night and i continued pretending to be asleep and scoot dangerously close to the edge of the bed. all that kept running in my head was 3 more nights of this! THREE MORE NIGHTS of fighting him off.

the next morning he woke me up at a ridiculously early time and started BLARING techno. now, i’m not a big techno fan in general (i like it for things like running, but generally NOT a fan), so you can imagine my amusement in being woken up to some hard hitting beats. i tried to disappear by covering my face with my pillow. it didn’t work. and the movement on my part prompted him to speak.

him: wake up!

me: i’m tired. need more sleep.

him: but it’s 9!

me: NOT in san diego. in san diego, it’s 6! turn this music off, it’s giving me a headache.

him: ok, i’ll put on some enya.

and he did.

it was obvious that sleep was outta the question so i agreed to get up.  i immediately jumped in the shower. while i was in there i took some deep calming breaths. they failed.

i got dressed and he went into the shower.

while he was in there, i packed up my bag. by the time he got out of the shower, i was completely ready to leave.

and i did.

i didn’t provide much of an explanation. i was young and uncomfortable and just wanted to get the h-e-l-l away from him.

i called my brother to discuss my travel options.

nerd: how much is a ticket?

me: i have no idea.

nerd: if it’s a lot, just stay there & have sex with him.

typical nerd comment.

i called up the airline and discovered that all flights to san diego were sold out for the next 2 days. i explained my situation to the woman on the phone. i told her all about the techno and the napkin/blanket. and she had me on a flight to la that evening. it cost me $5.

a little bit of my sanity.

and a lot of my naïveté.

i made my brother drive to la to pick me up and let him make fun of me the entire way home without sassing him too much in return.

i still can’t listen to enya.

i still find myself overly annoyed about indian ex-girlfriends, in particular. (especially since i’m often asked if i’m indian, i am not. i’m olive, not brown)

and that guy still wants to hang out with me.

Posted on by shirindawna

i’m not just good, i’m better.

i’ve always harbored a crush on san francisco, but it wasn’t until the weekend that i met him that i really fell in love.

i thought we wanted the same things. i hadn’t been into anyone since my last boyfriend, that relationship ended a few months prior. his last relationship had ended almost a year before. for me, it was enough time. for him, it turned out, it wasn’t.

we were only in each other’s lives for a few lovely months. i know it sounds crazy to be so hung up on a guy i knew for such a short amount of time, but i adored him, we got along perfectly, and i’ve never felt a connection like that with anyone.

he was the most intriguing person i had ever met. he was well-read, passionate, humble, hard-working, intelligent, sexy, loved his family, loved my dog, grounded, and had a laugh that i wanted to listen to forever.

he listened. he told me stories. he made me laugh. he was thoughtful. he wrote for me. he pushed me to write. we had a great time together.

i couldn’t believe my luck. i thought, finally, i found the man i’m supposed to be with! if anyone had told me that it wasn’t going to work out, i simply wouldn’t have believed it.

the L-bomb and the aftermath

one lovely day in april, i let it be known that my heart was on the line…and i was starting to fall. and just like that…everything changed.

no more phone calls. no more texting all day. radio silence for over a week. it was hard for me: being in limbo and wondering… then, there were a couple emails where he tried to explain where he was coming from and how he just wasn’t ready. i was crushed.

my friends assured me he’d come around. i thought he’d come around. he never did. it was hard to let go of hope.

i missed him. and not just because i liked having someone in my life, i missed him. i missed his stories, i missed talking to him for 4 hours and having it feel like 30 minutes, i missed laughing until my cheeks hurt, i missed the way he eased the sunday night blues, i missed fantasizing about a future…that included him.

i realize he isn’t emotionally available and this is something i need my mr. forever to be, but i would be lying if i said i didn’t hope to hear from him.

it’s a funny twist of fate since i used to be just like him. closed off. emotionally withdrawn. a shell of a person. a guy i was interested in a couple years ago said i came across as an ‘ice queen.’ i built walls that were practically impossible to scale. until i met someone who did. and he didn’t just scale them, he broke them down. completely. and opened me up. he changed me and the way i’ll view relationships forever. and i’m thankful for that. my friends always said that i was so strong and maybe i was then, but i think i’m stronger now that i’m willing to be vulnerable. and i like myself better. i’m a better friend, i’m a better daughter, i’m a better sister, i’m a better cousin, and i’m a better version of the girl i was a few years ago.

i won’t lie, putting your heart out there can be scary, but i prefer to think of it as exciting. i’ve noticed that people are quick to seek shelter behind those big walls or stay in that suit of armor for fear of getting hurt. we’ve learned that showing someone we like them, sometimes means we get hurt. so, we hide our feelings. but the feelings are still there, whether we acknowledge them or not. i’d rather wear my heart on my sleeve than to live like a robot. let’s be honest, safety can be nice and sometimes comforting, but it’s lonely in that suit of armor, shutting people out doesn’t bring you closer to love, and there’s nothing sexy about being a robot. fear isn’t my friend.

so there i was, heart and arms wide open while he was quickly walking in the other direction. he still had unresolved fears. that is something he needs to work out on his own. it has nothing to do with me and i know that, but the insecurity monster still nags at me from time to time. ‘you weren’t good enough’ ‘you aren’t worth loving’ ‘you’ll never find this again’ ~ but i am well aware that these things aren’t true. i know i’m worth it. and i know i’ll find it again. and i know it’ll be better next time. because each guy thus far has been better than the last…and i’m SO excited to meet the next one.

i’ve gone out on dates with other guys, but he remains in my head. and takes up valuable real estate in my heart. i’m still working through it and my head knows ‘if not him someone better,’ but my heart is a little slower. and a little more foolish. i’m hoping my heart catches up with my head soon.

i’ve emailed him saying i’d like to be friends…no response.

maybe i was just moony over my love of the city and that carried over onto him because he was the epitome of san francisco? maybe i have trouble admitting that it was one-sided all along and he never deserved to be on that pedestal in the first place? maybe it doesn’t really matter because you can’t change what is? even when you really, really want to.

i still feel that all too familiar pang if i am near his home or work (which are both ill placed as far as i’m concerned). i was in a cab this past weekend and happened to look out the window and found myself face to face with his building. not gonna lie, it was like taking a bullet. but in typical shirin fashion, i slapped on a smile, cranked up my ipod, and laughed at the irony of it.

i don’t regret a minute of it; it was a lovely crash and burn. and i’m happy to report that i’m still open to the very real possibility of something better. after all, ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained.’

and a cute boy once told me, ‘you can’t find the same, but you can always find better.’

cheers to that.

Posted on by shirindawna

no means no.

why is that the guys that you’re not interested in are always the ones that will fight for a chance with you?

if i say i don’t want to go out with you…you don’t need to convince me otherwise.

this is not okay!

5/25/11
So, I guess I’ll just come out and ask…Would you be interested in getting together for a drink or something? Always wanted to ask when you were at –.

Anyway, figured I’d ask. Let me know. Cell phone is at the bottom of this if you want to text.

Take care

5/26/11
So, I hope I didn’t flip you out with my previous email about the drink! Just thought I’d ask. I guess I can be a little direct sometimes. Apologies if I offended you.

Have a good holiday week-end.

I replied that I wasn’t interested and that I thought he had a girlfriend…

5/28/11
Well my phone has been broken for a day and then I got your email. First of all, —- and I have been broken up for about 8 months now so that isn’t an issue. Hope that helps:).

a) i’m not worried that i haven’t heard from you for a day.
b) i’m still not interested

5/31/11
So, I’m headed back to San Diego today. Now that you know I’m not in a relationship does that help my chances of getting to have a drink or dinner;) Hope you had a great holiday week-end.

week-end is NOT hyphenated.
and i’m STILL NOT INTERESTED.

6/5/11
Any thought to having a drink? I’m in the Ukraine right now! Pretty cool place. If I’m bugging you, just let me know:)

my reply:

you’re very persistent. truth is, i have virtually zero free time.

and i actually don’t really drink.

i appreciate the invitation, but i must decline.

i’m just very selfish with the few minutes of spare time i get.

enjoy the ukraine.

6/5/11
That’s totally understandable. Yes, I am usually. How about you pick ANYTHING to do that you wouldn’t mind a persistent person to share with you? No harm, no foul. I think you would find that your minutes with me would be worth it;).

i can only assume that this is a thinly veiled attempt at a little innuendo…i mean, wow.

6/9/11
Yes, its me again. Have you figured out a sway to fit me in to an hour or so sometime in your busy schedule? I won’t bite you;)

biting wasn’t even a thought that entered my mind, this isn’t twilight…but ooooooooook. great. glad to know i won’t be bitten. you’re jacob, not edward. got it.

6/13/11
So, i’m trying again:) How about dinner some time soon? I’m sure we would have a good time and if not, then at least you got a free dinner:)

i can buy my own dinner. and honestly, i’d rather eat dinner alone than with someone i’m not interested in.

my last reply says: no, thank you.

no means no.