Memorial Day 2015: I Puked, He Bought Me Ice Cream

When I woke up Monday Morning, I didn't have much planned. I was up early though, because I'm usually up getting ready for school in the morning, and my body is on a certain schedule. Being unable to sleep, I decided to attempt to make a little money, by posting an ad for esthetic services. I got two appointments, so I was happy.

I also got some reading done for the small business startup class I'm taking. The class conference is this coming weekend, and I have to prepare some information before I go. The conference is for female veterans. It's called, V-WISE. If you're an interested female veteran or know one, be sure to join the Facebook group to find out when a conference will be coming near you! It's an amazing opportunity.

Anyway, I was finished everything by 1pm. James called me around noon, and said he was on his way. I had an errand to run and was on my way out the door, when guess who walks up to my car and pokes his head in the window? James!

He opened my car door and actually attempted to scoop me up out of my car. I would not let that happen though. I just envisioned getting bumped in the head or something. As James reached for me, I said, "No! No, no no no."

That worked! James just smiled instead of picking me up. I got out of the car and wrapped my arms around his neck. He hugged me and picked me up. He said, "What do you want to do today? I think I want to play some golf, or go to the driving range."

I said that I was down to go anywhere. But I was hungry so I wanted to eat first. I said seafood would be good since it's Memorial Day and all. James, said he knew just the place to take me.

We decided to take his car, so we locked mine up, and I got into his. As I sat in the car, watching James lock my front door with the key I had given him (YES I GAVE HIM A KEY AHHHHHHHHH ***WALLSLIDES***)

Anyway, as I as saying...

I sat in the car, watching James lock my front door with the key I had given him. I couldn't help but think about how at ease I felt. Like I didnt have a single care in the world. I just watched him and thought how nice it would be to own a home with him. I've never shared ownership of anything of much significance before. It was exciting to think about a partnership. On top of everything, James looked so handsome, and carefree in his cotton tee and jersey shorts. I just stared.

we had the BEST time (as usual)

As he walked back to his car, his gaze caught mine and I don't know why, but I blushed. I still feel like every date we go on, is our very first! I was acting all shy suddenly. He noticed and just rolled his eyes, before getting in the driver's seat. "Why do you act so bashful, when we've been together nine months," James asked.

"I don't know. I just am so attracted to you," I blurted out. James grinned and put on some smooth R&B. I asked him did he put that on because I was in the car, but he assured me that he didn't. In fact, James told me he listened to that station often when he was alone in the car.

We rode in silence for a bit, just listening to music. James broke the silence.

"I really love just being with you, Sha'ahn," he said, laying his hand on mine. I had been thinking the same thing, so I barely let him finish his statement before saying, "Me too!"

"I love you," James said.
"I love you more," I said.

We were alone with our thoughts again for a while, just enjoying the beautiful sunny, breezy holiday. There was no traffic to fight, so that was even better! Our day was just lining up perfectly. I told him I needed to make a stop first. "Where we heading to?" James asked. I held up two bank checks. "Guess who got paid TWICE from the IRS? This girl!" He said, "Only you." I said, "Yup! and even I can hardly believe this one. It seems that the state didn't give me my entire refund. They were $6.20 short. And I will take my six dollars too!"

We stopped at the bank, deposited my coins, then were back on course. When we got three or four miles up, James turned down the music. He said, "I'm about to let you into my inner circle, so to speak. I have never taken a woman to where Im about to take you right now." I remained silent. James continued, "Sometimes I like to ride my motorcycle out here and sit on the dock. It's really a place I usually come to alone."

I said, "You've never taken anyone here before? Not even your last girlfriend of two years?"
James shook his head, "Nope. Not even when I was married did I even bring my ex wife out here."

I said, "Why are you bringing me out here then? Don't you want to keep something to yourself?"

James smiled and said, "I'm trying to show you how much you mean to me, Sha'ahn." I was like, "Oh. Wow. I appreciate that. Wow." I was stunned. In a good way, of course. Immediately I asked, "Do you think Im dumb sometimes?" James said, "No!" I said, "I know Im slow catching on sometimes though. I sure feel dumb!" He just shook his head, and rubbed my arm.

Me loving the air, and the breeze, and my companyyyyy

We started slowing down. I figured we were nearing the neighborhood where the restaurant was, perched on the Potomac. I found out I was right, when James said he would love to own a house in that neighborhood one day. They just built a new golf course for the residents of the subdivision. He loves golf, so he was too excited. "And then, to have the restaurant here too," James sighed. "Man, that would be awesome."

James began telling me about the area and the golf course, and also about the restaurant. He told me that sometimes its hard to find parking near the front doors and we may have to walk a ways. I told him that I was fine with that. It was such a pretty day anyway, what could a walk in the sun hurt?

We drove over some train tracks and I saw a parking lot with a young attendant sitting in a lawn chair at a cross-section dividing entry and exit to the parking areas. We stopped at the young man who promptly told us that the lot closest to the restaurant was probably full, but we could take our chances and drive up there anyway because he knows some people were leaving. Otherwise, we would have to park there, where he was. It didnt look so far to me, so I wondered why that guy was needed back there.

I soon found out. That parking lot that I thought was the one closest to the restaurant was NOT. It was actually the farthest one from the front. There were three lots outside of the main one, and besides that, people park all along the narrow road leading to the restaurant (and its main parking lot).

I thought to myself that this place was sure to have good food if that many people were there! We crept along the narrow gravel road. Each time we saw an open spot, we would pause and then decided to keep pressing our luck. Eventually, that small road opened into the main lot and we parked right in front of the entrance! James looked at me, beaming. "You're my good luck charm." I yelled, "Im good luck, Im good luck!" Then we walked over to the ramp leading into Tim's.

As we were waiting to go in, (there was a line, but it wasnt too long) James told me that the restaurant held a bonfire every full moon night in the summer! He said it's amazing and wanted to take me one evening. I said that would be awesome. When we reached the hostess' podium to be seated, we asked for a table outside. James had warned me earlier that we may not be able to get a seat outside due to the massive throngs of people, but I wanted to ask for a table outside anyway. So glad we asked, because guess what? The hostess told us that there was only ONE TABLE left outside. So, we got it!

The day just kept getting better.

he gets me

So we sat in a good spot that was on the beach near the water. Walking outside was like being transported to Key West, or something akin to the sandy bars I'd visited on one of my island adventures. It truly didn't feel at all like we were five or six miles from my house! I just sat back in my chair and basked in the sun and the atmosphere. James was feeling the exact same thing. He said, "Hey. Doesn't it feel like we are in a whole other world out here, like, we left Virginia?" I said, "Yes! Yes, it does. I was just thinking that." We laughed.

The breeze was cool. The sun was beaming, but it was all just right. I wasn't too hot, or too cold. I was truly enjoying myself. I leaned across the table and told James how I felt. I said, "Thank you for bringing me out here. This was just what I needed. I love the Caribbean and I miss it sometimes. I haven't been on a vacation in years! This is so, what I needed, babe. Thank you."

He said, he wasn't sure I'd like it there, but he loved it so much, he wanted to share it with me. I asked him how could he even think for a moment that I wouldn't like Tim's? As much as I talk about my time in the Caribbean and how I love island life! He said, "He figured I would like it, but still, he wasn't sure." I love how much he and I share in common. Many of our likes mirror the other's. That's really cool. To be on the same page with your significant other makes such a difference in the dynamics of a relationship. I'm learning all of this... What true compatibility is. It's amazing.

I was feeling really close to James, so I told him a secret. I told him that I wouldn't have shared the details I had just shared with him, with anybody else. I said, "I would have said the 'thank you' part and all, but I wouldn't have divulged just how much bringing me here meant to me." James asked why, and all I could muster up was, "I simply have always kept a piece of myself back. It's just the way I was."

He just looked at me for a moment. Then he mentioned something about being glad I was opening up to him, and then began looking at the menu, particularly for their mixed drinks. He was on a personal mission to get me tipsy, since I'm not a drinker. I don't know why people like to get nondrinkers, drunk, just for fun. James is no exception. When we go out, he's usually asking me if this is the day he will get to see me let my hair down. I always say that it's a possibility, but never have more than two drinks.

starting to feel the rum punch here, but still smiling

There wasnt a bar menu, so we waited until the waitress came to take our order to also order a frosty beverage. After James decided to get all-you-can-eat Maryland crabs, and I would get the pound of snowcrab legs, he asked the waitress what was their most popular fruity tasting mixed drink. I don't remember the actual name of the drink, but I do remember she said it was similar to rum punch. So that is what James ordered for us both.

James ate 10 out of his first dozen of crabs

This time around, I had three drinks. That wasn't the bad part. The bad part was that all I had to eat all day were snow crab legs. I hadn't eaten anything else that day. The drinks were not strong, but me not eating any real food all day, me weighing in at 115 pounds, and me drinking those drinks full of what I presume to be cheap liquor, took their toll. I was escalating from tipsy to drunk pretty quickly. I ate all my crab legs, and James had eaten his fill of crabs. We were done drinking. James took my hand and led me to the pier. We sat down at the edge of the weathered wood, and dangled our feet over the dock's edge and watched their reflection in the murky Potomac. Quite honestly, if the water near the river's edge wasnt so muddy, and instead was blue, I would totally have mistaken my location for Florida! We talked a lot. Or should I say, I talked. A LOT. Well at first. I was going a mile a minute about random things. I posted all these pics on Facebook. James was telling me to delete some of them. My response, "You wanted me tipsy, so deal with the consequences!" He just laughed. He said, "If you get sick, I'll hold your hair."

You know they say alcohol is like a truth serum, right? Well, I think it's more like a confession serum, because James didn't ask me a think about marriage, but I was all about that convo! Let me tell you, for almost 10 minutes I was going on and on. I was like, "Don't get me a diamond ring unless its extremely clear and a certain cut. In fact, I want to pick it out, so that would defeat the purpose of surprising me." He nodded in agreement. He then said, "I've already thought about how I'd want to propose." Me, in my hazy thoughts, glossed right over that statement, which normally would have gotten all my attention. I acknowledged he said what he did, but not until after I finished my rant about a ring.

"I want a pink opal, or a fire opal for my engagement ring. It can have diamonds on the outside, but the center stone can be an opal, since it's my favorite stone besides Alexandrite." I then began to tell him about Alexandrite and why its an amazing stone. I told him that I would be fine with upgrading my center stone to a diamond in the coming years, when I'm able to choose it myself.

After I told him what I wanted my engagement ring to be like, I went back to what he was saying about proposing. I told him that I want it to be romantic and in front of other people so that everyone knows how romantic my man is (Yes I actually said all this stuff! OMG). I said I wanted a summer wedding, and that I wanted to be married next year. James said I wasn't ready to be married now, or next year. But I ignored him. I asked him about his proposal, and I told him that if he had been planning a certain type of proposal since he was a kid, then by all means, do it, but if it's generic then, do not attempt it!

James just laughed. He said, "I love you, Sha'ahn." And rubbed my head. I just put my head on his shoulder and got quiet. I definitely said too much. I'm glad he stopped me too. I mean, I wasn't even really talking to him. It's like I was talking to myself. I wasn't even looking at him half the time when I was talking about that stuff. UGH!! Hopefully he will chalk everything up to me being tipsy. (Even though I meant much of what I told him, it doesn't truly matter to me how he does his proposal, or what ring I get. And I don't want him thinking its THAT important to me. I just want to be with him. That's all, above everything else. I would marry James without a ring. Just wanted to straighten that out.)

After a little while, I leaned back onto my elbows and stared at the horizon. I watched the tour boats fill with passengers and take off. I watched James too. Damn, I love him. Flaws and all. As if he heard my thoughts, he reached over and laid his hand on my ankle. I snapped a pic! James leaned back on his elbows and then we both just lay flat on our backs, looking up at a super blue sky. No clouds in the air. The air was fresh. It was quiet and peaceful. It was hard to believe that in other parts of the country people were being punished by nature. The same force in which James and I were finding so much peace and love.

Unfortunately, down in Texas, there were major floods, and in California there going through a terrible drought. In Virginia though, everything in my part of the world was just fine. Why couldn't everyone be experiencing the joy I was feeling right along with me? I guess because that moment belongs to James and it belongs to me. Exclusively.

James and I on the edge of the pier, taking in the scene

 After we lay on the pier for a while, my stomach decided the day must come to an end. We ended up at Tim's for about four hours, before heading home. When we got into the car, James put on the radio, and we pulled off. No sooner had we gotten on the road that Prince's "Little Red Corvette" came on. We both started singing. And I was so into it. I mean, I had my hands in the air, and the wind was blowing all in my hair. I wasn't even embarrassed. I was swaying in my seat. James asked if I wanted anything. I said, "Ice cream." So he stopped at Baskin Robbins, so I could get my usual, Banana Royale.

When we pulled up to the drive-thru window, I became nauseous. Just as the server was asking James about his order, I threw open the passenger door and puked up my day. Blue rum punch and snow crab legs. It was foamy looking. James rubbed my back, and asked me what ice cream did I want. I responded between heaves, "Vanilla and Strawberry." Luckily I knew how many scoops and toppings I got. I was too embarrassed to look at the employee in the window. I'm sure she saw me puking u my lunch. Everyone ignored the puking elephant in the room though. She kept on taking the order, and James kept asking me to fill in the blanks to the questions she was asking.

Cashier: "Topping?"
James: "Topping, babe?"
Me: "Walnuts and pecans"
Cashier: "Whipped cream and cherry?"
James: "You heard that?"
Me: "Yes." *throws door open again and pukes. "I want the cream and cherry, yes."

Someone in the parking lots yells, "Ewwwww!"
I think to myself, they're probably talking about me, but I don't care.

James hands me a plastic bag with a paper bag inside. "We are about to go, so use this." I take the bag and nod. Once we are driving and the air is flowing, I feel fine again. James said I was gangsta for ordering while puking. I said, "Did the cashier see me throwing up?" James looked at me and rolled his eyes, "Of course she saw you!" I said, "I'm so embarrassed!" 

James said, "Sha'ahn, I'm so sorry. I didn't think you'd be affected like this. I should have gotten us some better food. I wasn't thinking. Those drinks were nothing though." I said, "I know! Normally, I would have been okay, but I didn't eat enough. That's my fault. I know better than to drink on an empty stomach. Even light drinks take a different toll on an empty tummy."

Once we got home, I showered and got in bed. James came up and plopped down beside me. He apologized again for getting me drunk. I really was feeling a lot better, so I told him I was fine. I said, thanks for a great evening and all is good.

He brought me my Sunday and I promptly fell asleep, without touching it.

The next day, James told me he put my sundae in the freezer to eat later.

Gotta love him.

He did kiss me after all the puking and told me I needed to brush my teeth ASAP

I decided not to go to school that morning because my stomach was a little funny. I didn't want to chance having an upset stomach in school. James left for work, and then called me about an hour later. He said he just wanted to tell me what a wonderful day he had with me. He said that we always have a good time, but it just seems to reinvigorate our relationship every time we go out. I told him that I feel the same way. He asked why did I think we feel like this. I told him I think it's because we both love to travel and go out, but we don't often get to do it together. When we do, it just feels amazing to be together and create memories and experiences together.

He told me he thinks I'm right about that. He said I make him so happy. I told him I feel the same way. But now we don't need to have any children. He asked, "Why?" I said, "Because my sister is having a baby this year, my brother is having one next year. We don't need to add any more."

And That's that. 

PS. James promised to wash my car that weekend, but didn't. You know I reminded him! He told me to make him a list of everything I need him to do around the house. I was excited. I said, "I get to make a 'honey-do' list?" He said, "Yes. That way, I'll know exactly what to do and won't mess up." 

That's really cool. I've never made a "honey-do" list. 

memorial day 2015 is one for the history books