My Semi-Forbidden Fruit

Today was the first time I've had quite a few topics I wanted to broach and had difficulty choosing which one to go with. I went with the one that's been stewing around in the back of my brain for several days now. I've mentioned it briefly in previous posts, but hadn't gone into real detail. As the days continued, it has intruded my thoughts more and more, so I guess that means the egg for this post is ready to hatch.

I've got a roommate. She's female. She's hot. She's intelligent. She's fun. She's ambitious. She's single.

I have another female roommate too, who is all of those things, slightly less ambitious from what I can tell, but much more NOT single.

These are the kind of relationships that entice me, the stuff fantasies are made out of. Y'know, girls like the most popular in school, your doctor, your therapist, your best friend's sister/cousin, your teacher, your boss. The ones your not allowed to have. I'm not the only one out there that feels this way. We like the ideas of these relationships because they're forbidden, they're wrong. We're not supposed to have them.

While roommates aren't completely off limits, fraternizing with them is along the same lines as fraternizing with a co-worker. It's generally looked upon as bad news. HOWEVER. I'm only living in this apartment until May 31st, and she's out of there halfway through May before traveling to Vietnam and then moving to New York to start her new job and new life (she's graduating from college).

So...is there really any harm that can be done? 

I've only been living there for a week, but we've been spending a lot of time together. And we've been talking about everything. We can talk for hours. We have a lot to talk about because she's ambitious, I'm ambitious, and I've been out in the "real world" for three years now, so she loves hearing about my adventures and my endeavors. At least that's the impression that I get. And what's most apparent is the two of us continue to talk about how right now we want to enjoy being single and just have fun with people. No strings attached, no pressure, just good old fashioned fun.

I just can't tell if we mean with each other.

We went out to dinner together earlier in the week. I made her dinner the other night. She smiles at me a lot. She says "Morning sunshine" to me. And what's been so great about it is how casual it is. It doesn't feel like there's anything going on, and I guess that's how we're supposed to feel, because we're roommates.

But I'm finding myself thinking about her more and being excited to come home and see her. What does that mean?

I also don't find myself jealous when she talks about other guys...or the fact that Stewart Bradley from the Philadelphia Eagles is currently trying to get her to go out with him. I even give her advice on what to say to him. And somehow, I think she finds the fact that I'm not jealous that a Sports Star is asking her out quite attractive. I think.

Am I really becoming the laid back, confident, secure man that I want to be? And will this allow me to just have fun with a great girl for a little while?

I can't wait to find out. :)

-Spontaneous K

My Old Cast

Scrubs is in it's ninth season. Naturally, because of its lengthy circuit through prime time, it's about time to switch up the cast.

When it comes to television series with characters that viewers have grown to love, it's a very difficult thing to watch them go and transition into seeing new characters face new problems in the same hospital, office, grocery store, what have you. Often times, the show itself flops shortly after the onslaught of a new cast.

Life, fortunately, isn't that way.

The good news is, I'm actually enjoying the new cast of Scrubs, and I find myself laughing out loud and hoping for the best for these characters (with the exception of Lucy Bennet. I really think they could have chosen a better replacemen for JD). And while it took some time for me to get used to the idea that JD, Elliot, Carla, Jordan, and even The Janitor, are no longer present, the new characters have gracefully filled their empty positions.

In my two previous posts, I spoke about new people who have recent popped into my life. Tim, a fellow co-worker with whom I had drinks and a wonderful time. Tara, the lovely accounting major with whom I shared coffee and a coincidental three hour conversation. And Jess and Josie, my soon to be new roommates.

I feel as though this is the first episode in my new season. Last season, I lost a few characters. People I loved dearly, and for reasons outside of my control, they are no longer in my life. It doesn't mean I don't miss them, because I do, very much so. But as I spoke of roles, and now appropriately speak of casts, I'm curious to follow the stories of these four, and how they fit into my story. Perhaps in a few episodes, I won't miss my old cast so much, because my new cast will have gathered the attention of my heart, and I'll be having adventures that I thought I could only have with my old cast.

I don't want to say that nothing is as good as the original. That may be true in the TV/Film world, but in life, the new people we meet can most definitely affect us in ways we'd never expect. It's never too late in life to meet your new best friend, your new arch enemy...or the one you're supposed to be with for the rest of your life (even if you already thought you met that person).

In that regard, the people who are no longer a part of my life, by their choice or choices outside of their control, I will always hold a special place in my heart for them. But I'm prepared to make a little bit more room in there for a potentially amazing new set of characters.

Stay tuned.

-Spontaneous K

My Small World

It's things like this that make me believe a little bit in Fate.

Humans are pre-programmed to make connections. It's the reason we believe in superstitions. Something very bad once happened to someone who walked under a ladder...or broke a mirror...or had a black cat cross his path. And back when magic was something to be believed in, these connections made sense.

So when coincidences like the one that happened to me this afternoon occur, it's no wonder we feel like there is something greater at work.

On this snowy Wednesday (oh my, have we had a lot of snow this season in Philadelphia), I was told not to come into work, so I decided to take advantage of the day to get some writing done. My local Starbucks was not open, so I opted for Cosi. It seemed most places weren't open because Cosi was PACKED.

Before waiting in line to order, I decided to would snag a table with an outlet by placing my laptop bag and coat there. It was the last one, although it was two tables put together, so it had four seats. Just as I placed my stuff down, a girl asked me very politely if she could sit with me, since she also needed an outlet and the place was packed.

How could I say no?

As I'm on the search for new friends, I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to chat with this girl. She, fortunately, was very open to chatting with me. And we chatted for a long while, discovering that we both had very similar interests. It just seemed to click. There weren't any romantic sparks or anything, at least not on my end, but the conversation was extremely fulfilling. And I've been trying to teach myself, especially when meeting women, that just because this person doesn't feel like they're "the one", doesn't mean that they're not, or that they don't have something amazing to offer me. They might even know "the one!"

Her name was Tara, and it turned out Tara and I had many more connections that we expected to. She goes to Temple...that's where I graduated. Okay, not too crazy, there are tons of people that go to Temple. She's Jewish. Also not so crazy. But when we started to talk about friends, family, and living situation, that's where things got strange.

I told Tara that at the end of the month I was moving into an apartment with two Temple Seniors. She asked who they were...I said I didn't even know their last names, I just know they are Jess and Josie.

That was all the info she needed. "Oh! I love Jess and Josie!"

She knew exactly who I was talking about. Even more coincidentally, when I had found their listing for the room on Craigslist, I didn't know that I had already been to their apartment. Their former roommate was a girl I was friends with in college. I didn't even have to see the place, I knew I loved it. Tara even knew their former roommate as well.

Tara also lives half a block from where I'm living right now.

How had we not met?

Even further, as I was talking about my family and what my brother does for a living, I mentioned that he recently got a job doing promotions at a club called Dusk in Atlantic City. Tara goes, "Oh wow, my Uncle owns Dusk."

If you think about it, every single moment in both our entire lives, every decision we've ever made, led us to sit down at that table at the same time. We were connected and we didn't even know it. So maybe Fate was playing a little part. As with my new friend whom I had drinks with last night, I can't be sure what role Tara has to play in my life, or what role I have to play in hers...but it was a nice little surprise. A nice step in a new direction.

You never know where a snowstorm might lead you. :)

-Spontaneous K