I passed my Microsoft exam. Yay! Now I’m on to studying for the next test. Which is kind of weird, there’s no big celebratory/relaxation phase or anything in between, but I don’t exactly have a ton of other work taking up my time at this point, so I might as well study.

I went out with Tony last night. Lordy, how he reminds me of the ex from 5 years ago. Seriously, they could’ve been separated at birth. It’s creepy. Is it weird that I’m kind of starting to not like him just because he reminds me so much of someone who I’m no longer on speaking terms with? Being around him keeps dredging up all the memories of the things that were really, really bad in that relationship, and I find it sort of repellant. Also, there was this one little thing he did that really bugged me, and he might’ve been kidding, I really don’t know. Toward the end of the night, we had this conversation.

Him: So what are you doing tomorrow night?
Me: I’m having dinner with a friend.
Him: Oh yeah, who?
Me: My friend Nate. [Side note: I’m thinking at this point that it’s kind of weird that he asked me who, since the only friend of mine that he’s met is Krissy.]
Him: Reeee-ally? [Very suggestive, exaggerated E sound.]
Me: It’s not like that, he’s just a friend. He has a girlfriend, in fact.
Him: So why isn’t his girlfriend going to dinner with you?
Me: Um… Because I’ve never met her and I assume that she has her own life? I don’t know why, she just isn’t.

He might’ve just been joking around with me, I honestly don’t know. But I don’t pull the jealousy bit on the guys that I date (ask ’em if you don’t believe me), and I don’t tolerate it from others. So if there’s a shred of a possibility that he’s going to turn out to be one of those possessive types, I have no need for him. Good lord, this was technically our first date, I think it’s a wee bit early in the game to start interrogating me about who my friends are and where I’m going (not that that is ever really acceptable). And if he’s going to get jealous of my male friends, he might as well take a hike now, because most of my friends around here are, in fact, guys. And I’m fine with that.

Anyway, Nate & I did have dinner tonight, which was nice. And since he’s the most artistically inclined person I know, I had him draw the tattoo that I want on me with a magic marker. I just wanted to look at it & get a vibe for whether or not I like the location & all that. And yes, I still love it. Y’know…. the Seattle Tattoo Convention is coming up in August, and it’s only a couple of blocks away from where I live. I think 4 months is more than enough time to mull this idea over. I’ve gotten a few different artist recommendations, I think I’m going to go meet with a couple of them & check out their portfolios. (T, you are not permitted to repeat any of this to mom.)

Oh, and tomorrow marks the 29th birthday of my absolute 100% most favorite best friend in the whole world, Kris. She doesn’t read this blog because she can’t surf the web from work & her pc at home is still on dial-up (God bless her), but I just wanted to publicly announce how much of my life’s happiness is owed to this amazing, beautiful, hilarious, awesome, kick-ass woman. I always look forward to Sunday afternoons because it’s our weekly catch-up chat, and it marks one of the high points of my week. Nothing that happens to me seems real until I talk to Kris about it on Sunday. And I cannot wait until the day when she finishes her damn accounting degree and gets the hell out of Memphis so I can see her more often. (She’s actually wanted to live in Seattle since way before I ever moved here.) So rock on, baby girl, and have a fabulous birthday.