by Klew

The element of surprise is incorporated in all SPEC OP maneuvers. So you can imagine my surprise when CAPT K sent me a text message!!! His mission: get us back on speaking terms. This was a very well executed mission with some covert activities (he did monitor my blog)

I informed him that I looked for him on specially marked milk cartons because his disappearance was so abrupt. I informed him that I went back to my journal entry that started all of this and added the following footnote: No expiration! Renewable by request! This should cover me for every contingency!!!

Although he was very good at articulating his feelings, I will paraphrase his words to keep within the theme of my blog!

My words were like bullets that he was trying to dodge and while he would never retreat on the battlefield, he had to retreat on the homefront!
His MIA status had nothing to do with feelings and everything to do with survival!
All is fair in love and war (and this man knows about war)

I learned a lot about relationships this week.....and in the words of Pat Benatar "Love Is A Battlefield"
No, I am not in love and neither is he but feelings can be very stealth, can't they???

By Klew

I was born and raised in Buffalo. I left this city in 1985. Since 1985 I have lived in
warm climates, tropical climates and sub-tropical climates.
When I defaulted back to Buffalo in 2007, I waited until springtime
to make the move!

My first winter back was 2008 and I just knew in my heart that it
would to be the last winter I would endure because I would move
back to a climate that I was better suited for (or it for me).
However, because I am employed with a company that affords me wonderful
expressionistic opportunities, I find that I am here until further notice.

During my absence from Buffalo, my mom would call me everyday from November
to April with winter weather forecasts and winter weather woes. While I was empathetic
to her plight, I was secretly praising the gods and goddesses and the heavens and earth
that I did not have to deal with any of the climate challenges and the cold.

When I asked my mom to move out of Buffalo, she reminded me that she would rather
deal with the cold and the snow than what I had endured.
Endured? "What did I endure?" I asked her.

She reminded me that while I lived on the military base in California, I called her
to complain that the artillery fire was particularly intense for that day and I complained that my
walls were shaking and my décor was falling off the wall. Later on that day, I discovered
that my "artillery fire" was actually an earthquake that registered a 4.9 on the Richter scale.
I reminded her that earthquakes do not last from November to April!

She reminded me that while I lived in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, she could not reach me for a week on three separate occasions…Hurricane Bertha, Hurricane Fran, Hurricane Bonnie.
While these hurricanes did cause some damage to my home, damage to my weeping willow tree, increased my homeowners insurance premiums, and inconvenient power outages, life was back to normal in less than two weeks.
(Yes, I know that I was VERY lucky).
I reminded her that hurricanes do not last from November to April.

She reminded me that while I lived in Okinawa, we were under a Tsunami Evacuation Warning
for a few hours. I reminded her that Tsunami Evacuation Warnings do not last from November
tot April.

I do not participate in winter activities unless those activities include curling up on the couch in front
of the fireplace with a good novel or a good man (yes, today, in that order) and cup of Dark Hot Chocolate. I never pick up a snow shovel unless it is to move it out of my way.

I live by the adage that every cloud (even nimbostratus clouds) have a silver lining.
For me, that silver comes in my Marc Jacobs wool cape and hand muffs.
I love the look and feel of Brunello Cucinelli's cashmere sweaters and Irish import hand loomed sweaters; Dolce and Gabbana boots and warm woolen scarves! I love designer winter fashion!! So from November to April….let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

BTW, do not let the designer names deceive you into thinking that I am a snob; the snob is my rich relative who "donates" her clothes to charity after one season. I reminded her that "charity begins at home" and luckily we are the exact same size!!!

by Klew

Newton's third law of motion, called Law of Reciprocal Actions, states
"To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."
Murphy's law states "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."
This week, these laws governed my relationship with CPT K (aka "Indiana")

Newton's Law of Reciprocal Actions
The action I am referring to is abruptly, and without discussion, ending my
relationship with CPT K.
His equal reaction was to abruptly agree with ending our relationship.
His opposite reaction (bending the law a bit) is the one that I had NOT
anticipated…
I had anticipated him giving me time to re-think my decision and give me reasons
as to why I shouldn't end my relationship with him! He didn't!

Murphy's Law
I have not heard from CPT K since last week Friday!
It was a real slap in the "face"book, when he removed me as his friend.

I spoke him into existence and I didn't realize he had an expiration date!
But obviously he did!

Although I do miss him for his charm, his wit, his intellect, his conversational skills, his tales of adventure and his ...um...kisses, I am not going to initiate any contact with him; not because of pride, not because of anger and not because of attitude but because of this one final law…..

Grandma's Law of Timing…
"There is only one thing worse than not being around when he wants you to be
and that is being around when he doesn't!

By Klew

Twenty four (24) hours a day; six (6) are spent sleeping, one (1) hour is spent
with a morning ritual of coffee, yoga, meditation and journaling, nine (9) hours are
spent at work, ½ hour is spent commuting to and from work; 1 1/2 hours are spent
running errands, leaving six( 6) hours to do what I please! However, there is no pleasure
in daily household chores (laundry, feeding cats, fish and myself, organizing, housecleaning)
which take up two (2) more of those hours after work. Ok…four (4) hours left for my social
life…which are sometimes spent in board meetings, volunteer work or family obligations. That
leaves me one (1) hour to do something with my love life.

It's a good thing that I am not a needy person! It is even a better thing that CPT K is
not a needy person! We don't see each other during the week but we manage to get in
a few text messages during the day that includes "Good Morning", "How is UR Day?",
"Sweet Dreams" and, if we are lucky, a quick e-mail or phone call.

We do see each other 24/2 on weekends which is absolutely wonderful but not taken
for granted because CPT K lives the life of a global adventurer. He plans trips to foreign
countries on the same frequency that I plan trips to the spa!!! He brushes up on his foreign
language skills while I brush up on my fashion accessorizing skills.
The great part about "Indiana's" adventures (yes, a new nickname that is self explanatory)
is that he travels to exotic places which means exotic gifts and promises of exciting tales!

So, how does one make time for a relationship?…one doesn't! We both agree that
it's not the quantity of time we spend together…it's the quality! Our availability to
each other is not dependent upon our feelings for each other but rather by the desire
for our lives to be enhanced by each other not taken over by each other!!!!
Otherwise my next blog could read "Indiana" and the Temple of DOOM!!

by Klew
Not only have I been around the block, I have been around the world.
And in my travels I’ve encountered, as any female has I’m sure, The Pick Up Line.
Though my own CPT K eschews the use of pickup lines (though he admits to rattling off a half-dozen of the cornier ones to elicit a laugh, and so this routine, in it’s own way, acts as his pickup line) and certainly didn’t use one on me! Comparing our travels, we agree that they are “Cross-Cultural and International;” and don’t differ much… all are witticisms designed by men to (hopefully) raise our skirts as high as their expectations.

Pick up lines are the first steps in dating rituals.
Pick up lines can flow like wine from lips intoxicating their object of desire.
Pick up lines can be a sweet seduction in a bitter world.
Pick up lines can be the broom that sweeps you off your feet.
Pick up lines can rearrange the alphabet and put U and I together.

Scene: Chamonix, France ski lodge.
Participants: Bunny hill bunnies, ski instructors and American tourists.
Heard around the bar…

"Do you work for the ski area? Cause you’re giving me a lift!"
"Until I met you, my life was just going downhill."
"Heck with the hot toddy, put on your hot teddy!"

Scene: Okinawan Pachinko Parlor
Participants: Men drinking Orion beer and dumping a lot of coins in a machine.
Shy, giggling women watching the action.

Heard around the parlor…
"You make all my bells whistle!"
"I have a yen for you!"
"What slot should I use?"

Scene: Marine Corps Air Base Officers Club
Participants: Top Gun wannabe Alpha Males in aviator shades and flightsuits; single women in various types of "undress" on the prowl for pilots.

Heard around the bar mirror (as both sexes are admiring themselves)
"I don't plan on crashing and burning!
"Want to check out my instrument pocket?"
"Should I break it to your friend that she is going home alone?"
"Move, she can't see me!"

… and most recently on the local front…
Scene: Ellicottville Harvest Festival Beer Tent
Note: Temperature was around 40 degrees
Participants: Girls wearing tight jeans and skimpy tops so that their "cup runneth over" and their beer cans weren’t the only “cans” that were frozen. Men wearing various outdoor wear (lots of North Face) and winter leather. However, one 20-something fashion victim was trying waaaaay too hard and committed a serious fashion faux pas: sportscoat, trendy t-shirt, ripped and distressed designer jeans, designer frames, lots of hair mousse and…wait for it… flip flops. Of course, John Deere and Mossy Oak were also well represented on the fall fashion scene!

Heard around the stage in the Rocktoberfest Beer Tent:
"You are so "F--king hot! Can I take you home?"(obviously this must have worked before or why would he use something like that again?!)
"You might not be the best lookin' girl here, but beauty is only a light switch away."
"If you are goin' to regret this in the morning, we can sleep until noon"

My favorite pick up line?

"I am going to admire you from afar … Space, the final frontier"