New Me

Well, as you can see, I came up with a new title. I decided on "Mainly Mandy" because most of the people I know don't call me Amanda. Usually the only people that call me Amanda are coworkers or people that I've met recently, but once they are merged into groups with my friends or family they end up calling me Mandy.

If you are a first time visitor, let me catch you up...

This blog was originally called "The Trials and Tribulations of Being 30 and Single" and I used the name Single Girl. When I originally started this it was a way for me to have a history of being newly single after being in a 6 year relationship, then about 7 months ago I met a guy that I thought would be "my one" and a couple of months after we met he moved into my apartment and I was no longer a Single Girl, so I dropped the anonymity and introduced myself and the entire cast of characters that make my world go 'round, once I did that I realized I needed a new title, so I chose "Why Buy the Cow." Well now I'm back to being single, and I'm dropping my guard even more and going by the name that all of my closest friends call me, besides Bitch, Mandy. So, this blog will be mainly about me...but there will be mention of others too.

Until next time...

Mandy

Title

I'm not sure what to call this little online journal now that I am no longer cohabitation girl. I don't want to go back to the Trials and Tribulations... and I'm not going to go back to Single Girl. I figure, I've introduced myself to all of you, trying to go back to being anonymous would be a little silly. So, I'm not sure what to do with this blog. If you have any suggestions, please send them this way

Until next time...

Amanda

The Recap

Per Mr. Enigma's request, here is a recap of the weekend happenings.

Friday night: Tish called me around noon and told me that she would be at my house around 6ish. She called me around 6ish and asked if I would go out to her house, she had taken off work early and started drinking shortly after we got off the phone. So, we didn't hang out in Clear Lake, we hung out in...Needville! Exciting stuff huh??? Actually, we started off with dinner in Rosenburg then we went to a bar in Pleak, TX THEN we ended up in Needville at a bar called Stubby's. (The nightlife is pretty slim in the Rosharon/Rosenburg area.) So, at Stubby's I realized that my "boy sight gauge" needs to be fixed. First let me say that I had no intentions of "hooking up" with anyone. All I wanted to do was go out, do some laughing and a little bit of flirting. So, when we got to Stubby's, there was this guy standing at the end of the bar and I thought to myself, "Wow, he doesn't look like a redneck hillbilly at all...he's kinda cute!" So, I told Tish to glance over there because I thought this guy was REALLY cute. So, she looks over there and then she looks at me with this smirk on her face and the conversation went like this...

Tish: Of course you think he's cute Mandy, he looks like a weirdo.
Me: What, why do you say that?
Tish: Look at him, his head is shaved, he has a goatee, he has tattoos, he's wearing converse tennis shoes...it doesn't surprise me that you think he's cute.

So, I start thinking about what she has said and I realized that she was right. I mean, this guy wasn't the strangest looking guy I had ever been attracted to, but he wasn't your typical guy. I don't know how to explain it, but he just looked different. So, I kept looking over at him and this old man looks at me and starts laughing...

Old man: Don't even think about trying to talk to that one.
Me: Why not?
Old man: That boy can't hold a job.
Me: What?
(The boy walks over and the man taps him on the shoulder.)
Old man: Don't go spending your entire unemployment check in here.
The boy: He he he.
Old man: How old are you now?
The boy: 22
(I look over at Tish.)
Me: What the hell he's 22 and unemployed.
Tish: Are you surprised?
Me: What do you mean.
Tish: (giggling) You know how to pick 'em.

And she's right, I DO know how to pick 'em. There is something wrong in my head, I think I need electro-shock therapy. It's like I'm a beacon in the night for all men that are...

1. pot heads
2. unemployed
3. drunks
4. freaks of nature
5. mentally unstable
6. bizarre family relationships
7. criers
8. commitment-phobes

So, I think it's time to reevaluate my life and figure out why I don't dig normal people.

Until next time...

Amanda

So, here's the deal.

As you all know, Phillip quit his job about 4 weeks ago and needless to say I was not a happy camper about this. In the 4 weeks since quitting his job he has not even attempted to look for employment. Let me mention that not only was I the only employed person in my humble abode, I was also the one that still did all the cooking and washing clothes...which irritated me. I told him a couple of weeks ago that my biggest fear was that I was going to come home every night and he would be sitting at his drawing table either sculpting something or drawing something and that would be all that he had done all day. Monday was the beginning of the proverbial "straw."

Sunday night, Phillip told me that he was going to cook spaghetti Monday night. So, when I was driving home from work I was thinking, "Woo hoo, dinner is going to be ready when I get home!!!" When I get home, there was no pleasant aroma of spaghetti floating through the apartment. What I did come home to was...HIM SITTING AT HIS DRAWING TABLE WORKING ON A SCULPTURE. So, I was like, OK. I went upstairs to change clothes and noticed a bag sitting on the bed. Like most men, Phillip had a bag of porn, you know, movies, magazines, etc. Now let me first say that porn doesn't bother me in the slightest...I've been known to sit and watch one on occasion, with that being said here's how the conversation started...



Me: Why is the bag of porn out?
Him: Oh, I watched a movie earlier.
Me: Why?
Him: Because there wasn't anything better to do.
(At this point, my head almost exploded.)
Me: Have you seen the clothes that need to be washed, you couldn't have washed them?
Him: Oh, I guess I could have.
Me: yeah
Him: But, I didn't.
Me: no.

So, amazingly enough, I kept my cool and walked back downstairs and wondered when he was going to cook dinner. After about an hour, I realized that if I wanted to eat I was going to have to cook. So, I got up and went in the kitchen and pulled out all of the stuff and he looked up from his sculpting and asked if I needed any help. I just said no. So, while we were eating, he asked me if I wanted to watch Terminator 2. I said, "No, but you are more than welcome to while I take a bath." I had to get away or I was going to take a swan dive off the deep end. So, while I'm in the tub I start thinking, "I wonder if he cleaned the kitchen." I walked downstairs and he wasn't in the kitchen, he was sitting on the couch playing a video game. So, I cleaned the kitchen then I sat on the couch. About 9:00 he looked all mopey and said, "I'm going to go to bed." I looked at him and said, "What's wrong with you?" He looks at me and says, "I just don't know what I'm going to do about a job." I just look at him with a dumbfounded look on my face and ask, "Have you even looked?"

So, Tuesday was my friend Shawn's birthday. I called him to meet for a couple of drinks after work. I called Phillip and told him that I would be late. Most of you know Shawn, but for those of you who don't, Shawn is gay. You are probably wondering what that has to do with the story, don't worry, I'm getting there. So, I got home about 9:30 on Tuesday night, and yes, I was feeling pretty good. So, I sat down and started watching my DVR'ed episode of I Survived a Japanese Game Show. (If you haven't watched this program, you must. And Wipeout comes on right before it on Tuesday night. Both are MUST SEES!) Anyway, Phillip asked me what Shawn and I had talked about and I told him we just BS'ed all night, we didn't really talk about anything. So, I'm sitting on the floor (for some reason I like to sit on the floor when I've been drinking, probably because you can't slide off the floor.) Anyway, all of a sudden, Phillip picks up his wallet and keys and walks out the front door. I get up and stick my head out the door and and ask where he's going.

Him: I'm going to my dad's.
Me: Why?
Him: You mean to tell me you two were together for 4 hours and y'all didn't talk about anything. When I go out you call and ask me when I'm coming home and I didn't even call you once.
Me: What are you talking about?
Him: I'm leaving.
Me: Fine, Bye!

So, once I was in the apartment, I did what any half-drunk woman whose boyfriend just stormed out of the house for no reason would do. I called my best friend, Terra. She came to my house, I had a slight boo hoo fest then she took me to get beer. Once I got back I started packing up all of his things and stacking it all in the living room. I think she left the house around 1:30a and I think I finally got to sleep around 2a. The next morning I called my boss and told him what was going on and explained that I couldn't come in. I guess Phillip got home around 10a on Wednesday morning when he walked in the door he saw all of his stuff and said, "So, I guess I'm out of here." I asked him what he wanted me to do. I told him a long time ago I would not support him and here he was going on a month of being unemployed and had yet to even look for something. So, he called his brother and he brought their dad's truck and got all of his stuff. He looked at me and said, "Well, maybe Shawn can move in now." What the fuck is that? Why would Shawn want to move in to my house??? Anyway, once he got all of his things out, all he said was, "See ya around, sorry it didn't work out." And that was it, the door closed and I was standing in my apartment by myself. Looking back, there were a lot of things that were leading up to this.

1. Quitting his job.
I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I kind of looked at this as a notch above cheating on me. It's like a breakdown of trust. He did something that didn't just effect him, it effected me too and he didn't even talk to me about it first. What I thought didn't matter.

2. He drank every night.
Now, I don't want to sound like a hypocrite, because I drink. But, there was not one night that he didn't have at least 3 or 4 beers.

3. His brother.
They have a very strange sibling relationship, I think it's borderline sick. They can't do anything without the other. His brother is the reason he quit his job. That's when I realized I came a distant third in his life. His brother and another factor, that I won't get into here, ran a close neck and neck race. And I'm sorry, but when you tell someone you want to marry them, they should be one of your top priorities.

4. The man that moved out of my house on Wednesday was not the same man that I met at Terra and Lyndon's house in December. The man that I met back then was self-assured, had goals and seemed to have some drive about him. The man that moved out, was anything but those things.

It's sad, but I'll be okay. I want to say thank you to all of you that have sent me mental hugs and happy thoughts. I'm going out with Latischia this evening. So, if you're out in the Clear Lake area this evening...please watch out, Latischia's boyfriend is out of town and I am newly single...nothing good could come of this.

Until next time...

Amanda

Well, There Ya Go.

I just wanted to give you all a quick update...

Phillip moved out yesterday. I'm not really in the writing mood, so I will post more about it later.

Until next time...

Amanda

He did WHAT???

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, this is partly because my laptop is ill. Apparently, viruses have attacked my poor computer. I took it over to Diana's husband to see if he could fix it and the prognosis wasn't good. Dr. Chris said that I need a new "Windows operating system." Nurse Diana was telling me what I needed to make my poor computer all better, but when she talks computer all I hear is "bleep, bleep, blarp, blarp, blarp." Not to be confused with "Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah" which as we all know from watching the Jetsons means I Love You. Sorry, got off track there for a minute. Anyway, so the computer is down until I can a.) find the disk that came with the computer or b.) pay the $200 for the new Windows Vista blah, blah blah. So there's that. But, that is not the only problems I'm having at the moment. Last Tuesday, Phillip came home and told me, "I quit my job today." You're reaction is probably the same as everyone else's...HE DID WHAT??? Yes, needless to say, the 4th of July weekend was not a happy one at my humble abode. Let me give you a little back story...

Phillip and his brother are very close. And when we first got together I thought it was really nice that they considered themselves best friends. But, Phillip can't do anything without his brother and vice versa. Another thing you should know, the brother tends to freak out about stuff that normal people wouldn't even notice. I'm not a doctor, but I think he might need medication. Anyway, Phillip told me a couple of months ago that he got his brother a job at the company he works at. I told him, "Do you think that's such a good idea, you know how your brother tends to freak out." I was assured that everything would be fine. So, last week, his brother calls and tells him about an incident that happened between him and another driver while they were out of town. Phillip's brother wrote a letter explaining what happened in great depth and detail. When Phillip spoke to the owner of the company she said, "We're not sure what happened." He took that to mean that they didn't' believe his brother so he quit. I told him that I was sorry that that had happened to his brother, but it didn't have anything to do with him and that he should have, at the very least, called and spoke with me before he told them he quit. He said, "I didn't call you because I knew you would talk me out of it." I tried to explain to him that his employer was doing what any employer would have done. His brother and the driver were the only two there, so it's one person's word against the other's. (I will say that all of this was said in a tone of voice that was slightly louder than normal talking.) He then looks at me and says, "My brother is not a liar." Anyway, this went on ALL weekend...actually from Tuesday night to Sunday, then I got tired of fighting and yelling. Then he tried to be sweet and I let him know that just because I was no longer yelling didn't mean I wasn't still mad. So, it has now been a week and a day and he has yet to look for employment. Instead, he goes to his dad's warehouse and is helping him install drum racks and building an addition on to the office. Granted, his dad is paying him...but not much. What bothers me the most is now I'm wondering if he's going to just quit every job he has if they piss him off. What I'm about to say sounds really harsh and slightly materialistic, but I realized a LONG time ago that love doesn't conquer all. You can love someone with all your heart, but if they aren't willing to be an adult and take responsibilities for their actions, there isn't much you can do. I told him when he first moved in that I WOULD NOT support him, and I would not drag him behind me while I'm trying to accomplish goals that I've set for myself. So, there you go, any advice you might have is appreciated...but most likely it will be the same thing that everyone else has given me.

Until next time...

Amanda