This was actually a year ago, today

DSC_0305, originally uploaded by ozreiuosn.

I am a total sap, its true. I’m so glad Oz captured this, though. I love this picture.

A year ago, three days later

So, when I gave Trevor my number, I made some joke about traditionally waiting three days to call. Which he took at face value. It remains to be seen if he thought I was serious, or if he just thought it would be funny. I turn my cell phone off during work hours, so for three days I would nonchalantly* check my phone during lunch and directly out of work.

Finally, Wednesday, I get out of work, and there’s a message that starts with “Hi Mace, this is Trevor, the short order cook.” I recently found the page in the notebook I carry in my purse that has where I wrote down his number. With a little heart.

Man, I’m even making myself sick. But just one more, and this story is done. Well, this part of it.

* This is, of course, a lie.

A year ago today, the day after that

DSC_0757, originally uploaded by ozreiuosn.

Ah, Pride. I do love a good parade. And people having an extremely good time. I met Oz and Angela for the parade and to wander around afterwards. Oz took the wonderful photo above moments after I literally ran into a large hairy man who was very nice and gave me a rather lengthy hug when I apologized. It’s one of my favorite pictures of me.

As is usually the case, after a few hours I suffered from too many people and too much sun. I had only recently moved to San Francisco, and hadn’t used the Muni system that much, but I knew that to get home, I could take any train EXCEPT the N. As I came down the steps of the Civic Center, there was a train about to leave, so I hopped on, and damned if it wasn’t the freaking N.

I had received a call earlier in the day from Tanya, letting me know she and several of our friends would be picnicking in the park. I was heading her way, and didn’t feel like wrapping my brain around how to get home just yet, so I called to make sure they were still there. Tanya was pleased that I could make it, and with a very specific pause, said, “Trevor’s here, too.”

Oh jeez. I had been in the sun, my hair was a mess, and I wasn’t sure if I had any makeup on. Plus, I was dead tired. But I headed on over anyways, and had a lovely time laying in the shade.

(I took this one)

Trevor and I were very pleasant and talkative, but it almost seemed like we were doing what we could not to touch each other, which confused me. Being Mace, I started to worry. Was last night a fluke? Had he changed his mind? Had I somehow in the last 15 hours made a horrible impression? (It can get very strange in my brain.)

After dinner (my plan to go home straight from Pride totally shot, it being now SIX HOURS after I planned to be home), I knew it was time to get back to my house. I said my goodbyes, and was about to walk out the door without even hugging Trevor when he grabbed my arm, swept me up, and gave me a hell of a kiss right in front of everyone.

I walked home in quite a daze.

(courtesy of Nomi)

(He still didn’t call for three days.)

A year ago today, a week later

, originally uploaded by nomi maybe.

Despite our best attempts at lallygagging, Tyler and I arrived at Tanya’s birthday party pretty early. I have to admit, I was very nervous. I had been not-so-subtly getting facts about Trevor all week. I thought I has been sly, but in retrospect, not really at all. The night before, at Jenny’s graduation party, Tanya had basically announced to the entire room that I would be making out with her roommate the next evening. Such pressure!

As luck would have it, Trevor opened the door. I think this took us both by surprise. There was a pause, and then, “Oh. Hi.” I quickly ducked out, mumbling something about seeing if the girls needed help getting ready. Luckily, they did, so I could calm down. (He’s just that handsome, you know?)

Trevor kept himself busy, making potato chips from scratch in the kitchen (he’s handy that way). This meant that if I wanted to talk to him, I had to go over there. So instead, I sat in the corner and had a couple of drinks. Sarah insisted that he kept peeking into the living room to see where I was, but I laughed off the idea*.

The whole nerves-and-peeking ordeal was so reminiscent of middle school that it made me laugh. I finally got up off my butt and went over to talk to him, but he kept getting distracted by drunken party goers demanding more salty snacks. I assumed he wasn’t interested anymore, despite what all of my friends said.

Finally, the potatoes were gone. And he sat down next to me. He had to jump up again pretty soon afterwards to help with the night’s party star. We couldn’t find another friend of ours, who was sending me text messages that made no sense. (Invokatu!) It was starting to get comical. I was starting to get tired.

Tyler had to walk back to the Kezar lot to get his car, so Trevor kept me company out front. Lucky for me, but unlucky for Tyler, the attendant was MIA, so I got some extra time alone with the boy.

I said something about how cold it was, trying to make conversation. Trevor wrapped his arms around me, pulled me in close, and kissed my forehead. I looked up in surprise, and he gave me the first in a year of sweet wonderful kisses**.

And then he didn’t call me for three days.

*She was totally right. In fact, he used cooking as an excuse to hide his nerves about talking to ME.
** With Tanya spying on us from her bedroom window, evidently.

A year ago today

A year ago today, I had dinner with my family, including an aunt and uncle and cousin, who then went to the theater while Tyler and I went to the symphony, and after that, though exhausted, went to Emily’s Housewarming Party. And though we swore we were only going to stay for one drink, I stayed until at least two in the morning.

A year ago today, there was a handsome man standing in front of the beer. He had been outside smoking, and so I dusted off his jacket, saying “Hold still, you leaned on something dusty. I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Mace.” The next day I emailed Tanya, on the pretense of asking if she needed help with her upcoming party, but really to tell her that her roommate was cute.

A year ago today, I met Trevor, and it’s been puppy dogs and rainbows ever since.

Great Moments in Mace History: How I met my last five boyfriends

1. Housewarming party, most handsome man there, thought he was older than me
2. Interwebs, excellent writer
3. Possibly my brother
4. Groupie of his band (also involves interwebs)
5. Wearing Smiths shirt next to dorm pool

Great Moments in Mace History: My 1st Mouse

We caught a mouse!, originally uploaded by maceelaine.

The signs of a mouse were unmistakable. The most obvious was the pellets it left behind all over my kitchen. But there were others, too. Paw prints in the butter, items half dragged out of the garbage, bite marks on anything left unattended overnight. Worst off all, I found out the hard way that mice like bacon fat. I was grossed out every other day.

I slowly mouse-proofed my kitchen. Everything went into sealable secondary containers. Bread was left in the fridge. Food scraps were taken directly to the compost bin, no stopping go, no $200. The only thing I was missing was actually catching the mouse itself.

I had been contemplating different methods, but hadn’t decided on the best way to eradicate this creature. I can be a little squeamish at times, so I wasn’t to fond with the idea of handling a dead mouse. Luckily for me, the mouse caught itself.

I have pull out garbage cans, and as I pulled them out one day, I saw movement. The mouse had been digging in the garbage, and was running away. Except that it hadn’t; my pull had knocked it off balance and into my almost empty recycling bin. Full disclosure: there was a certain amount of squealing. I’m not scared of much, but surprise me and there will be noise.

The squealing started again when I moved the bin. These were squeals of delight, though, as the mouse tried to jump out of the bin (the sides were too high). It was bouncing like a little furry ball. I was laughing so hard I actually had to sit down and catch my breath.

After much debate about what to do with the mouse, Trevor and I decided to let it go. Mostly because neither of us were brave enough to kill it. I went to the farthest corner of my property and flung it as best I could out of the bin.

Suddenly there was a huge movement slightly past where I had thrown the mouse. (more squealing) Having no idea what on earth there could be in the garden next door, I logically came to the conclusion that there was a snake and I should high tail it inside. I was going through the door when I realized Trevor was near shaking in laughter. Evidently he had thrown a stick at the mouse, to discourage it from coming back. He thought I had seen him throw it, but once he heard me freaking out about the imaginary snake he played along. He’s sweet that way.

Sadly, a few weeks later, the mouse trails were back. I’m not sure if it was a different mouse, but I like to think it was this same mouse, for some reason desperate to get back into my place.

This year, for Easter, the baskets were supposed to tell a story, if you knew one. I got a basket based on this story. See? It’s a recycling basket (in this case full of pre-recycling), with a big bronze mouse. Carly is awesome.

I actually have more mouse stories, but those will have to wait for another time.