SATURDAY = DATE NIGHT (the recap/revelation) PART III

As I sit and half watch and roll my eyes at the #Bachelorette and LAUGHoutFUCKINGloud at Jen Friel's amaZAzing weekend with her CanadianConquest (aka the International Badass), I find myself going over the events of this weekend.

The weekend was pretty great on many levels. Not on the levels that all of you might think, but more so in that this weekend gave me a glimpse... nah, more so of a sucker punch in the face of what I want and what I don't want right now.

I F.I.N.A.L.L.Y met #MOBD after months of chatting, texting, phone calls, and 1 amusing Skype session. He surprised me with a visit to the store on Friday, and then I surprised myself and him with a visit to Max's on Broadway where I recommended he and his cousin go.

Max's = AMAZING.

If you like, LOVE, appreciate anything BEER, you MUST GET YOUR ASS to Max's the next time you stop by #Brawltimore. The brew selection at Max's is OFF the Wall... both literally and figuratively.

There are taps EVERYWHERE and the beer list MENU is fucking insane!

Seriously, you should go!

While at Max's #MOBD and I chatted over Boddingtons, for the first time ever (excluding his visit to the liquor store)... FACEtoFACE I found that I was a little in awe. He was and is, most definitely, much better looking in person.

On a scale of 1 to AshleyLIKEY...

He rated with an AshleyLikey!

Especially considering I have only seen photos and had 1 Skype chat with him.

I stayed until Last Call, then #MOBD and his cousin walked my to my car (Lola, she was a Show Girl). The cousin hailed them a cab, and left #MOBD and Me on opposite sides of the blue lady. With the Show Girl in between us the thought of kissing him was once again in my head... Oh did I not mention that I was thinking about it in the bar. Well I was. What sensible girl who has been talking to a guy who lives too-fucking-far-away wouldn't think of kissing. Because I like kissing, and I like to think about it and well I was thinking about it. And thinking. And thinking. And apparently #MOBD was too, because when he went in for the kill my brain went in for the STOP SIGN. And the damn sensible bitch, the most definitely sober girl in my head, said NopeNONOnopeNahHowAboutWeDoThisTomorrowNightWhenYou'reBothinthesameStateofMind.

And I stopped him and pushed him toward the cab.

Seriously.

I did that.

Saturday morning rolls around.

I played rugby. 

The team came in 2nd!!!!!

I received a minor concussion (self diagnosed of course... I'm a pro a diagnosing them now... I get them so often--thanks Rugby), and a super sexy mild sunburn on the right side of my face, oh yeah and a few super sexy bruises. 

Saturday night arrives. 

I shower and get sexy-fied ready, and wait for #MOBD's arrival.

When I try to vacate the house to go pick him up the roommates step in and DEMAND that he come to the house for the 3rd Inquisition (or 4th? Wait, how many were there?! I shamefully didn't pay attention during that high school History lesson) aka they wanted to see his ass. Apparently I'd been talking him up... and blogging about him... and tweeting... and just not shutting up.

I convinced (with little convincing actually necessary) #MOBD to walk to my house where I told him my roommates were going to grill his ass like a high school prom date. He bravely accepted the challenge and held his head up high as he entered the house... looking Oh-So-Good-Looking (and "OMGhe'sSoCUTEEEEEE"--according to the roommates AND one of their friends who stopped by).

After all of 1 minute and probably 39 seconds of harassment and a "You have to bring Ashley home by 9:30PM" from Roommate M, I managed to safely remove #MOBD from their high-heel-party-dress-wearing clutches. We skeedaddled out of there and hit the road on our way to Dave & Busters. 

Dinner was good. Conversation was great. Games and Kicking ass (which I did of course) were FUN.

We went back to the house, made cookies, conversated some more and that was it.

He stayed over, but nothing happened.

Sorry to burst the bubble.

However... I AM not upset by the lack of events on Saturday night.

After #MOBD left (and right before I passed out until 3PM--thanks concussion) I had a chat with Roommate M.

Really the chat was more like a realization.

I finally figured it out.

Unfortunately it took a visit from an

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING GUY

for me to figure what the it out is:

I don't want to be in a relationship. It's not that I'm not ready, but it's not what I want for myself and for my life right now. I am FINALLY 100% happy with being single and with the luxury that comes with single-hood. #MOBD and I didn't have a serious heart-to-heart, hell, we didn't even get into crazy serious talk, or anything that breached the walls of feelings or relationships or any of that other mushy-mushy-good stuff. But after he left I knew what I wanted. Finally.

I now know that I just want ME.

  :)

Is that weird? 

I just can't see myself giving any time or serious dedication to a relationship, or to what it takes to make a successful relationship. I want to move forward with my life and make decisions based my things that matter to me right now. Not on matters of the heart, or on other lovey-dovey matters that cloud my brain. I have too many plans for myself and for the life that I want to lead, live, and enjoy. And right now... right now there isn't room in my life for serious.

I'm all for dating and having a good time whenever I see fit,

but I,

Ashley Crowl,

also known as Chuck of the blog Refreshed,

DO NOT WANT TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP

right now.

I don't know what this means for #MOBD and I or what it means for any of the other dudes in my life currently, or the ones who I don't even know about yet. I'm not too worried though. Pre this 'Revalation' of sorts I would have been, but right now #ImGooD.

Seriously.

Back to the date... If I didn't make this clear:

I had an AMAZING time with #MOBD this weekend.

I am SO glad that I got to meet him (finally!) and that we both had such a great time.

I believe a direct quote from him was "Wicked Awesome!"

Translation from Boston talk to Brawl-timore speak... Good time.

I heard he got grilled by his family when he got back to Boston. The grilling I received from my boss (his uncle) wasn't too bad...

Here's to hoping he escaped unscathed.

And here's to hoping that this new revelation of mine further leads me in the right direction. 

Right where I want to be.

Happy.

Me.

SATURDAY = DATE NIGHT (now that I've had a preview) PART II

Well, Well, Well.

A certain someone...

::cough:: ::cough::

#MOBD

::cough:: ::cough::

who has been a recent person of discussion on there here blog o mine, especially during a (long ass) post last night.

You know.

Well. #MOBD, of Massachusetts, showed up at my liquor store this evening, the one located in MARYLAND!

If you haven't gotten the picture now, #MOBD is in town, and he and I have a date on Saturday night (post my rugby tournament of course), at a location that I have chosen, but have yet to reveal to him. But since I like all of you lovely people I'll share with you... I'm going to take him to Dave & Busters for a little lot of fun and food, where I fully plan on KICKING ASS at all of the games there.

#MOBD and I have discovered that we each have a competitive streak within us. Tomorrow night might be good or it might be bad depending on who kicks who's ass.

But let me take the excitement about ass kicking down a notch, and get to the serious business of my nervous system.

iamsofuckingnervous

Tomorrow night has a little less pressure on it because we officially "met" tonight, but tomorrow night is the real deal.

What if we have nothing to talk about?!

What if conversation just drags on?

What if he decides, eh, this is lame?

What if we hit it off?

What if our chemistry is even better than it is now!?

What if, what if, what if?  

Technically none of these questions should matter. I'm not trying to have a boyfriend right now. I don't need one, nor do I have the time for one--remember, I barely have time for myself, let alone someone else, especially someone else who lives in fucking Massachusetts.

Damn you Geography!

 DamnDOUBLEDamn

Damn you mutual appreciation for Rugby!

I'm also concerned about what to wear tomorrow, but that is a whole other story/blog post...

Fuck.

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

Did I ever mention...

Good thing I have an ALL DAY rugby tournament tomorrow.

Expect a Part III... 

Probably on Sunday, post Date Night ;)

SATURDAY = DATE NIGHT (a prep course) PART I

WTF am I going to wear on Saturday!?

If you didn't already know what is going on this Saturday, then you haven't been paying attention to my tweets, and you and I are officially not friends anymore...

Okay, that was a little bit harsh.
We can still be friends, and you can still stalk my blog, and not comment on my posts, but you still should follow me on twitter...

Just saying.

It's @AshleyCrowl

I make it REALLY easy for you ----> SIDBAR:

Anywho... back to the story:


#MOBD is coming to visit. Seriously. He is flying into Maryland on Friday, we're going on a date on Saturday night, and he then flies back to Boston on Sunday. He has family and friends in my great home state, so in addition to visiting me, he'll be visiting them as well.

I'd like to be completely honest right now, even more so than I usually am on this lil 'ole blog of mine...

iamsofuckingnervous

right now

and for this weekend.

You cannot understand.

I am nervous excited about seeing him, and nervous scared out of my wits about seeing him.

We have been talking for months now. This whole situation is a little crazy, and a LOT out of my comfort zone.

He's my bosses nephew (via the liquor store). We have known about one another, through my boss, over the course of the four-ish years that I've worked at the store. Each time #MOBD is in town, I have just left town, or gone off to work somewhere else, or am doing something else.

I moved back to MD this January, got a phone call from the boss man asking me to work and telling me that his nephew would be in town sometime in the spring for a rugby tourney, and that I was going to go with my bosses wife. I laughed this off.

A few months go by, I get bored at the store, watch the Bachelor, meet #MNG [Mr.NiceGuy] (who is now #NMNG [NotMr.NiceGuy] -- Thanks Serenity&Style for the updated name for him), go out of a handful of dates/mingle with him, then out of the blue get a phone call from a Massachusetts number on the store phone. I had an inkling as to who it could be, but NEVERinaMILLIONyears did I really think that this dude who I've never met, who just happens to play rugby and be the nephew of my boss, and be pretty decent looking, and SUPPOSEDLY taller than me, would call my liquor store out of the fucking blue.

During that first (and pretty random phone call) #MOBD proceeded to crack me the hell up, drop one cheesy ass pickup line, and proposed making rugby playing babies with me one day. Normal first time conversation with someone you've NEVER MET or SPOKEN TO before... right?!

Seriously.

I think we were on the phone for close to an hour. I was still at work, helping customers, doing the liquor selling thang... you know how I roll--Like a G6 ;)

Phone calls #2 and #3 were just about the same, maybe a little bit longer, and just as random and out of the blue as phone call #1.

When I finally decided to grab the conversation/situation by the balls, so to speak, I gave him my cell number. And we texted. Boy-oh-boy did we text. Like all the fucking time. Stupid shit too. Random shit. Questions. Answers. Laughing (via texting).

You know.

The things you do when someone lives in fucking Massachusetts. 

So, we talked on the phone, and sent texts, and Facebook chatted (because by then I had decided that it wasn't CREEPERish of me to add him on my Facebook), and then Saturday (post our mutual rugby games) phone calls became the routine, and texting whenever the hell I felt like it (because I'm single) was fine and fun!

We even Skyped... and that was HUGE! (Hugely out of my comfort zone). It was fun, and there was lots of laughter, not too much silence, but when there was silence it wasn't because of there not being anything to say or because the situation was awkward. It was more so because we'd NEVER seen each other face to face, and we were both cheesing out wayyyyy too much for allowable conversation.

#MOBD and I have discussed the fact that we'd like to meet, but I'm at that point in my life and my relationship life/outlook where I can't give all of myself that I've given in the past. I give and I give, and I drop everything to put myself and my needs above what I need and what I want and end up doing everything for someone else. The worse part is that doing all of that doesn't bother me. I like doing things for others. I like making the effort, but after the last three failed serious relationships (the 3yrCollegeBreakDown [but we're on good terms now], the TooSoonTooFastTooMuch with Mr.A, and the SouthernLover) I've decided that enough is ENOUGH. It is time for the Effort Card to be passed on to someone else. I can't do it anymore. I can't give my all and get a bigFATzero in return.

So when #MOBD talked about visiting, both him here and me there, I always responded "I'll see it when I believe it."

Well now, I think I'm going to be seeing it...

**HIM**

 ... #MOBD in the flesh. 

This SATURDAY!

I haave a feeling, and it's just a brief inkling, that he might sneak by the store on Friday night... I'm not sure, but a random visit isn't being ruled out.

Dammit! Now I have to plan 2 damn outfits!!!!

But I do know what I won't be wearing:

It's hot, I know, but NOT really the look I'm going for.

Part II tomorrow.

More of my apprehension and nerves...

AKA: ME OVER THINKING the situation and stressing the hell out tomorrow night.

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

and Clicky the labels throughout, above, and below for the COMPLETE #MOBD post history...
both on da blog and muh twitter.

TEAMMATES ARE BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH

Last week I told you how Roommates were Bad for your Health...

Well TODAY let me tell you how Teammates are Bad for your Health:

Saturday/Sunday the Baltimore rugby teams hosted the annual Rites of Spring rugby tournament.
Saturday night the majority of the participants of the tournament turned out for the most INTENSE and AMAZING social of my life!

Let me just give you a rundown...
I'm just going to give you words and not sentences, just because the vague-ness is just about as HILARIOUS as the actual full blown story of the evening.

Without further ado (and in somewhat of a logical and chronological order):

rugby, sun, sweat, bruises, more rugby, more sweat, tears, and BIG BRUISES, laughter, prom dresses, skanky dresses, cop cars, text messages, MOBD, Brawl-timore, rugby men, sexy bartenders, tequila, SEQUIN JACKET, National Boh, Dancing, Ray-Bans, Philly, shots, FREE ALCOHOL, Pumpkin, tequila + hot sauce = YUMMY!, Four Horsemen (followed by intentional vomit), MORE FREE ALCOHOL, a sombrero, more dancing, glow sticks, sweat pants, even more dancing, DFMO, sneaking into other bars, free beer, silent conversations, crazy glasses, more shots, another free beer, DANCING!, last call, sole survivors, taxi cabs, AMAZING, BEST SOCIAL EVER!

And just because I love you and because the sequin jacket picture is the greatest thing next to sliced bread...

I'll leave you with pictures of the entire evening:

The dress that started the evening

(well two dresses... I had to layer, the top dress was WAYYYY too short!)

dress from JC Penny--Bisou Bisou

LBJ // Jazz // Donkey

 K & Wheeler // Milwaukee // Jackie 

Donkey, K, Chuck (uummm, ME duh!), Milwaukee, and Jackie

 The Majority of the LineUp of my teammates that social-d

Me, Jackie, Stitch, Donkey, JBL, Nash, Lyndsay, Liz, and Jazz

THE SEQUIN JACKET!!
(I tried SOOO hard to steal this from the Philly women's team)

Crazy Glasses, taken from some drunk rugger :) 

And a teammates hand in my face

LOL

Happy 2nd Week of May!

oh, and Drink Responsibly,

or not at all--I respect that too

and you can still have fun SANS alcohol :)

ROMANCED! LOL!

Remember when I told you I was being romanced by #MOBD... 

Well Senor Future Baby Daddy lived up to his word!

He sent me a practice rugby jersey!!!!!!

Say whaaa?!

I'm a few weeks late on my update post for you, but here it is:

 

Excuse the SERIOUSLY cheesy smile/smirk/grin on my face!
I most definitely DID NOT expect this!

Can you tell that my gift excited me?!

Maybe just a little bit too much--considering the bathroom photo shoot.

To read more about the ever popular saga...

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

INSIDE JOKE

So he says, mid-conversation:

And well you know what I did.

LAUGHED MY ASS OFF.

We have this funny joke between us: 

Due to our love of rugby,

and the shared tallness,

if we just happened to procreate...

The likelihood that said conceived baby would

BURST 

out of my stomach upon delivery

IS HIGHLY LIKELY!

Kinda like that scene from Alien, or so MOBD says...

I don't like that Alien movie, or any of its pre-or-sequels, 

So I'm not going to think of it that way.

Nope.

No, Siree...

And can I just add

"OUCH"

for that matter. 

To read more about the ever popular saga...

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

GEOGRAPHY LESSON

#MailOrderBabyDaddy [#MOBD] lives up North... more North than my Maryland North.
#MOBD lives all the way up North in Massachusetts to be exact.
I personally find that to be all kinds of crap-tastic
considering the amount of fun that I'm having talking to him, and blogging/tweeting about the whole thing.
You know you're getting a kick out of it too!
Fate as a cruel way of messing with me, doncha think!?
What a bitch!
Fate's a female if you didn't already know.
She could also be an asshole, but I like to think of her as a woman scorned just an overall bitch.

Back to the point:

Maryland.

Massachusetts.

Not neighboring states.

Not by a long shot.

But thanks to my favorite place on the internet, Google,
and it's affiliate Google Maps,
the little fantasy/fun that I'm having right now can be played out in my head.

Did you know from
Maryland to Massachusetts: 

Driving takes about 8 hours,

a Train, with all of the stopping, would take 9 to 11 hours,

Walking, and wearing a very comfortable pair of shoes,
would take roughly 5 days and 8 hours,

a Bicycle, with out without training wheels, only 1 to 2 days,

and a Plane, the ideal quickie option, just under 1 hour (on a good airline).


Oh the options!
And the fun.
I love new things.
Especially when it involves
tall,
sexy,
rugby playing men
who drink their OJ with pulp
and like their steaks cooked (or not so cooked) rare.

DAMN YOU GEOGRAPHY!

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

"DO YOU LIKE ORANGE JUICE?"

At first I thought he was trying to tell me another cheesy pickup line, instead he ended up making me giggle with laughter and yell out loud: "Yaaay!, you too!? Hahah No way!"

(No, really, I said that. Then my customers all turned around in the store and looked at me like I was bat shit crazy).

How do you drink your OJ?

I drink mine with PULP.

I heart pulp in my OJ.

Sometimes I like it EXTRA Pulpy... :)

OJ sans pulp should be a sin!
Seriously, think about it.
If you make fresh squeezed OJ yourself, there is going to be pulp in your juice.
If you buy if from the store, without pulp, that means someone has tampered with your OJ to remove the pulp from it, more so than they have already needed to tamper with your juice to make it in the first place.

I speak the truth.

Back to the story...
I told him my answer/reasoning, and much to my approval and pleasure, he agreed.
He likes pulpy oj too...
(lol it sounds so dirty)

Hollar!

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

JUST ONE OF THE MANY REASONS WHY I HEART ALL THINGS RUGBY...

A little bit of Rugby 411:

One of the many, and there are many, mottos for my rugby team
(and for many female rugby teams for that matter) just happens to be:
"Bruises are Sexy"
If you don't believe me, I've got a shirt that says so.

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story:

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

JUST A LITTLE PICK ME UP

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

WHAT A NICE RUGGER

A little bit of Rugby 411:

RUGGER (n): an individual who plays, or just over all kicks ass while playing, rugby.

RUGBY SOCIAL (n): term for a party involving a shitton of ruggers, alcohol and singing following a rugby match. 

This event typically takes place on a Saturday (since Saturday is a Rugby Day). 

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

PIES = LOVE

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

I THINK IM BEING ROMANCED

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD

BRIDE TO BE

Follow Me on Twitter

for the full story

#MailOrderBabyDaddy #MOBD