Saturday Night with Freddie

I just got home after going to Jr's basketball game, running errands, grabbing dinner at Wendy's, and dropping Jr. off to play at a friend's house. I'm spending my Saturday night doing laundry and hanging out with the new male in my life, Freddie.

Freddie is Jr's guinea pig - a Christmas present. We got him a week or so before Christmas and I've been very surprised at how much fun we've had with him. I didn't know before we saw him that there are more than one kind of guinea pig - I can't remember what kind Freddie is but he's small and black and very fuzzy. His eyes are shiny and black and he makes a gurgling sound a lot of the time. He also chirps/whistles when he's happy.

Freddie loves hay which I realized (too late) has given me hayfever...which is why they invented Benadryl, I guess. Tonight we bought him a cardboard tunnel to play in and I'm sitting here watching him eat the cardboard, a ball of soft bedding on top of him. (oh wait, now he's pushed the bedding out of the tunnel.

We spent just a lot of money on this little guy - he has a cage that is almost as big as the love seat. Since it was the main present for Christmas I let Jr splurge and get pretty much everything a guinea pig could want or need...at least to start. It was worth every penny to see how happy Jr was...I think it was the best present he has ever gotten for Christmas...no offense, Santa.

I never knew a pet could be so entertaining. I talk to him, tip toe around so I don't startle him. He didn't show any interest in the baby carrots I was giving him until a week ago...I put one in there and a little while later it had disappeared. (he had dragged it into his bed.) Right now he's stretched up eating Timothy Hay - he'll climb up there and sit in the stuff in a minute.

I know Freddie can't talk back but it's nice to have him around. He's been a very considerate house guest, especially at night...I don't think he's woken me up once.

Freddie and I are going to go watch a movie...night!

Single me

People don't believe me when I tell them that I'm happily single. I guess it's something that's hard to understand...unless you've done it.
My life is busy. I have full custody of my son and he is my priority in life. Yes, I need time for myself and I get that...every night after he goes to sleep. I spend my "free" time doing things that I enjoy - watching movies, playing computer games, reading, emailing friends...it's all stuff I can do from the comfort of my own living room while my child sleeps in his bedroom down the hall. Even when I've have a boyfriend (if I remember right - it's been awhile) we'd spend time either here watching a movie after Jr was asleep or going out once in awhile to a movie or IMing. I just don't need it to be more complicated than that.
When I think of relationships I think of complication, of added stress. I leave for work before the sun comes out, come home to help with homework and make dinner and do laundry and vacuum, then I'm usually running Jr to practice or a game or a friends house. Going out on a date on a school/work night means I'm not home with my kid and that doesn't work for me...especially when I need to get up so early the next morning. I don't like to ask my parents to babysit since they should be able to enjoy their time alone together...they did a lot for me when I was working nights. They are always very sweet about letting Jr come to their house when I have something that I want to go to but that isn't every week - and that's ok.
But that doesn't mean that I don't have a life...it's just different than other people's expectations. I'm babysitting for friends on Valentine's Day so they can go do something without worrying about their kids...I will enjoy that.
My theory is that when I meet the right guy things will either work by themselves or it will be worth it to change things up a bit. Until then, I'm ok with this.