Champagne Sunday’s: How I Met My Partner in Crime…

 

This is a story about James and Petal. James and Petal have been friends for almost three years now and during visits have been know to get into some serious fun!!!

 

Here is how they met…

 

Whilst Petal was visiting London England, she went to a neighborhood party near her sister’s home in Reading.  James and Petal are at the same party, but standing on opposite sides of the room.

 

Petal is standing near the door thinking, “I wish there was someone here to talk to,” when she sees James.

 

James is a total English hipster…all the woman are frolicking to him and he keeps blowing them off.  It’s quite comical. 

 

Petal is a total American non-hipster…all the men are frolicking to her and she keeps blowing them off.  It’s quite comical.

 

James is standing against the wall thinking, “If I sneeze wearing these too-tight boxer briefs, I’ll never have children,” when he sees Petal approaching.

 

Petal: Hey
James: Ello (English accent)

Petal: Having fun???
James: Quite a bit. I fancy a good party and you?

Petal: It’s alright.  I’ve just been stealing shit from various rooms.
James: Really?

Petal: No, of course not…

James laughs.

 

Petal: Yes…I have been stealing shit. 

James laughs harder.

 

James: I recognize you from a picture. We have a friend in common on Facebook. I can’t remember who it is.

Petal: Shelley?
James: No.

Petal: Stacey?
James: No.

Petal: Phil?
James: No. Hang on, let me think.
Petal: Frank.

James: No. Stop for a sec.
Petal: Jake???

James: Shut it!
Petal: Aloysius?

James: No!!! Wait. You have a friend named Aloysius?
Petal: Ohhhh… you wanted REAL guesses???

 

They walk together outside onto the deck. They are mid-conversation.

 

James: If you don’t know anyone here, why did you come?
Petal: Both my parole officer and court-appointed psychologist think it is a good idea for me to socialize more even if it is with strangers in other countries. 

 

James: Really?
Petal: No…
James: Okay.
Petal: Yes…
James: What?
Petal: Nothing…

 

Moments later, they are leaning against the railing.

 

James: You were born in the 70s?
Petal: Yup…

 

James: They had childbirth back then?
Petal: Oh… So that’s how it’s going to be???
James: It would appear so.

 

James: Have you considered the possibility that you aren’t as cute as you think you are?
Petal: Briefly…

 

James: Not possible?
Petal: Possible. But extremely unlikely!!!
James: Gotcha.

 

Petal: Do you have any chewing gum???

James: Yes, is mint okay?

Petal: Seriously, I can’t find cinnamon chewing gum in this entire country.  This is why I am going back to America. 

 

Few seconds of silence.

 

James: So, that’s the downside of you?
Petal: What do you mean???
James: You seem too good to be true and you are cuz you are going back to America. Soon?
Petal: Tomorrow.
James: Sounds about right for my luck.

 

They kiss, they kiss again and they kiss some more. But, eventually…

 

Petal: I gotta go.
James: Thank God. I was having a bastard of a time resisting copping a feel.

 

Petal: Spin class works?
James: Nicely spun.

 

Petal: Really??? That’s the line you are going with???
James: I stand by it.

 

Petal: Okay. So add me on Facebook as soon as you get home.
James: Can I change my status to “It’s Complicated” first?
Petal: I suppose. Just don’t poke me. I hate it when people poke me.
James: Maybe they just aren’t doing it right.

 

Silence.

 

Petal: What does that even mean?
James: I’m…not sure. Sometimes I just like to hear myself talk.

 

James walks her home. During the walk to Petal’s sister’s house, James and Petal roll down a hill and have a hot and heavy make out session.  In the mist of the make out session, James wraps his arms around her, he reaches into her jacket and pulls out a decorative pepper shaker and passes it to her.

 

Petal: I searched far and wide for this gift for you!!!
James: You stole this?!? Where is the salt shaker?
Petal: Dude, we just met…

 

They both get up and continue to walk, holding hands.  Once they arrive to the final destination, James smiles and watches as Petal walks into the house and he leaves. After walking back to the party, he reaches back into his inside pocket and pulls out a pink wallet. He opens it up and looks at the driver’s license.

 

James: That’s a pretty good picture of her…

 

The next day via facebook messaging and poking…

 

Petal: You stole my wallet!!!

James: You stole my heart!

Petal: Trade you???

James: Okay, but when will I see you again for the exchange?

Petal: Meet me at the train station, you can ride to the Gatwick with me.

James: Okay.

 

They met on platform Number 7.  He brought the pink wallet and a stick of cinnamon chewing gum…

 

 

Champagne Sunday’s: I’ve Got My Life in a Suitcase…

 

 

Someone once said, “A writer’s finished product always resembles her own life more closely than those of anyone else’s; we leave our fingerprints on every page and move on to the next with nothing more than a memory of our past…”

 

Well my fingerprints are left on my laptop and my uncompleted product(s) have been erased from my hard drive.  Basically, I lost everything…my stories, my music, my photos and it seems my life. I try to look on the bright side (as I always do) and that side is at least I have my memories or what is left of them. 

 

Every time I leave my home, I pack my whole life in a suitcase mostly because I never know what to expect.  Sometimes I think that I just might not come home. Other times, I just want to be prepared.  Over the past 3 weeks, I have been to 3 different continents and spent over 45 hours flying.  Boy, my arms are tired…My travels have allowed me to meet some really AMAZING people and visit the most AMAZING countries. I would show you photos of my trips, but I have lost most of them to the cyber gods.

 

Even though I love to travel, I have decided to spend Christmas and New Years home alone.  Reason being, I think everyone should spend a holiday alone at least once in their lifetime.  I am mostly doing it because I am broke as a joke.  My family wants me to go to Atlanta, GA to visit my oldest brother and oldest sister’s family, but I just got back from the Griswold Family Vacation in London, England and I am not up for another, unless we are going to Walley World!!!

 

Granted it was an AWESOME vacation: I became a Godmother to both of my nieces, I got to spend Thanksgiving with my family and we have not done that in over 3 years, I saw Journey to the West in London with my sister and brother, visited the Tate Museum and other historical landmarks, I became a vegetarian, I spent all of my “emergency cash” savings, got dissed by someone who I thought loved me, bought new boots to mend my broken heart (your loss JD) spent endless hours having intellectual conversations with the people who I love the most, I cried a lot, drank a lot, walked a lot, played a lot, danced a lot, laughed a lot and did not sleep at all. In addition, I have made new memories that photos will never be able to capture and words will never be able to describe!!!

 

This Christmas, I know I will miss my family dearly and I will probably sit in my pink princess palace, playing Atari awaiting Santa’s arrival. (Yes, I still have my Atari.) And on New Years Eve, which is the most played out holiday ever, (I always spend a fortune to dress up and look pretty just for a kiss at midnight and guess what; I am probably the only 32 year old that has never been kissed on NYE!!!)  I will play dress up, sip mass amounts of champagne, watch the ball drop and then make out with the porcelain loo.  I will ring in the New Year starting fresh by making and sticking to my resolution(s) and begin packing up my life once again for my endless weekend journeys until summer begins.  The count down is on. It is approximately 120 days until I can unpack my life…