Broken promises

It’s the fourth anniversary of my first proper date with DD this week.

I say “proper” because I don’t count meeting for an hour in a suburban pub to check if there’s any chemistry between you a “real” date.

The anniversary of THAT was October 12.

This is what DD recalls about our mutual scouting expedition …

A blue dress, a mischievous look, a jauntily confident attitude, a playful naughty smile, reddish hair with a few bits of grey, and a cider bottle being swirled around casually. Oh and stories of triceratops sex and you kind of warning me that you were trouble and a blogger, but don’t worry your pretty little head about that now cos I “promise not to blog about you”.

Anyway, after that I went home thinking “well we should do that again some time…..”

I think even slept that night.

Then all I can remember is a text at 6.30am the following Tuesday and then after that it is ALL a complete blur.

DD wrote those words to me a few weeks after our first meeting and a few hours before our second.

Speaking of the second meeting, it happened on October 26, two weeks after the first. In between, DD went to the US on a business trip and Optus considered installing an extra series of towers across the Pacific to keep up with our texting.

We became VERY cerebrally close during those weeks apart, but it felt super weird to meet again in the flesh when we had absolutely no physical intimacy to drawn on.

In fact, it totally freaked me out. But, when DD asked me to take down my RSVP profile on October 28, I didn’t hesitate. I knew I’d chanced upon someone pretty special.

As for the promise not to blog about him, that’s a whole other can of worms I wish I hadn’t opened.

Anyways, celebrating our anniversary tends to be challenging, in between single parenting duties and all the medical conferences DD goes to every October.

Last year he was at the World Lung Cancer Conference. This week he’s at the Australian Gastro International Trials Group’s Annual Scientific Meeting.

Poor me, the only conferences I get invited to are liquor related …

Over the years, weird Facebook groups have also started popping up in my newsfeed as suggestions I might “like”. I was very amused when a “Clinical Research Memes” one appeared recently. It has more than 40,000 members … I won’t be making it 40,001.

DD doesn’t crack clinical research lines or  discuss the latest advances in cancer treatment too often in real life.

We usually natter about our daily trevails and fun stuff we can do to offset the hard slog of middle-aged life. The acronym “FFS” is exchanged numerous times each day as we face our latest obstacles. Yesterday, for example, another jury duty letter arrived in my letterbox. And DD accidentally left his suit jacket on the plane.

I may also talk a bit too much about my work – both current and historical – leading DD to develop an addiction to social media.

And he takes lots more photos since we met. We’ve developed a mutual love of taking photos and get quite competitive about who can capture the best sunset.

I’ve been researching underwater cameras this week. I’m mad keen for a waterproof one that I can take in the surf. Around $500 will get me a pretty schmick one, but I don’t run to that sort of extravagance.

My mum has offered to buy me one that’s around $250 as my Christmas present. I can’t decide between the cheapest Nikon CoolShot, FujiFilm Fine Pix or Panasonic Lumix.

Anyone got any sage advice on something budget friendly that still provides good underwater resolution and colour reproduction?

Or should I go for a Go Pro … or take up the youngest’s genius suggestion that I add some extra money to my mum’s donation and upgrade to a better camera?

Decisions, decisions …

Song of the day: Green Day “Time of your life”

PS The main pic is by Narelle Autio and is currently on loan to DD because I didn’t have the wall space.