The Football Player and The Cheerleader - Update!

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that love failed to blossom between The Football Player and The Cheerleader.

There was however a whirlwind 3 week romance that dare I say it, was the best 3 weeks of their lives.  Oh sure, they'll deny it, but really, what do they know - he's a dumb jock, and she's a bimbo dancer.

He's destined to become addicted to Oxycontins in order to quell the pain of old sporting injuries, and she's going to be on a pole begging for cash.  It's not my fault - I tried to help.

I'm teasing of course.  I really do think the world of both of them both and wish them nothing but the best.  I'm sad it didn't work out as I really did think they'd be good for each other.  But, it would seem that Cupid I am not.

The Cheerleader has moved on and seems to have found the love that I couldn't find for her.  And it sounds like the new guy is going to be around for a while so I guess he'll need a nickname.  The Candyman?  The Baseball Guy?  The Vegas Odds Maker? Oh wait, that last one is me! 

As for The Football Player, I'm not sure he's found love yet, but he's had no trouble finding companionship.  Ahhhh, the life of a rock star.  I know that's not what he wants, but he's living out a lot of men's fantasies.  Seriously dude, enjoy it while you've got it. 

Selling the House - or not.

You may have noticed that I have been inexplicably absent from the blogosphere over the last few months, and I'm sure you've been wondering, what the hell has been going on with The Screaming Meanie?

I'm prepared to answer that very question.  This is the first in a line of posts that will chronicle, "The Missing Months".

This first story is about the misadventures of trying to sell our house.

After TC and I found out she was with child, we decided that the house we were living in probably wasn't big enough.  With the help of our awesome families, we got the house ready to list and our tiny little love shack hit the market in mid-January. 

Shortly after the listing hit MLS, we began showing the house.

And we showed it.  And we showed it.  And we showed it some more.

There seemed to be no lack of interest in seeing our ghetto-fabulous house, so we sat back and waited for the offers to roll in.

And we waited.  And we waited.  And we waited some more.

Sadly, nobody seemed to like our little house enough to put an offer in.

So, we dropped the price of the house.

Then we dropped the price again.  Dropped it again.  And dropped it again.

The excuses for not wanting our house were plentiful.  The bedrooms were too small.  The stairs to the basement were too steep.  The stairs going upstairs were too narrow.  The people looking were too tall (no joke).  Too fat (I couldn't make this one up). Too picky.

And of course, there was the leaky basement.  A small trickle of water that was seeping in from the outside wall and emptying into the drain was turning folks off.  And really, I don't blame them.  I wouldn't want to buy a house with water in the basement either.  So, we got a quote to have the basement waterproofed.  We told prospective buyers that we would either fix the basement as a condition of sale, or knock the price of the estimate off the house. 

There was one douchebag who said he wanted to see what was under the sub-floor in the basement.  He asked if we would be willing to tear up the floor so he could make sure there was concrete underneath before he would put in an offer.  Hell, after 5 months on the market, I would have licked the floor clean if I thought it would help sell the house.

So I spent 3 days tearing down a wall, tearing up the floor, removing the rubble, and cleaning the floors. 

An offer was imminent. 

Except, for that it wasn't.  The bastard changed his mind and decided that he was going to put an offer on another house.  Sunnuva!!!

I was pissed!  All that work for some asshole to decide he liked another house better.  He gave every indication to our agent that he was serious about buying our house.  If I had known he was simply kicking tires I would have told him to get stuffed when he made the request.

*sigh*

Live and learn I guess.

After almost 6 frustrating months on the market, we were getting close to TC's due date.  We talked about it and decided that it was going to be too much work for her to get the house ready for showings while trying to take care of a newborn baby.

So we pulled the plug and took our miniature house off the market. 

We're planning to update the floors throughout the house, add some fresh paint, maybe look at adding a driveway and perhaps update the bathroom.  Depending on when (or if) these things get done, we may re-list in the fall, or wait until next spring.

I've never sold a house before, and I've learned that it's a great big pain in the ass.  It was a frustrating experience for both of us.  People would give us two hours notice before viewing the house, they'd leave lights on, their agents wouldn't give us feedback - it just sucked. 

I'd like to think that things will be different when we put the house back on the market, but if this experience has taught me anything, it's that buyers aren't realistic.  Our house was listed in the low $120's, and we had people coming through expecting to find the luxuries and amenities of a house that would list for over $300k.

Please feel free to comment on your selling horror stories - I want to feel better about mine.  Heh heh.

Stories from 2010: Natalie Jewel

TC was the best thing that happened to me in 2010 - there is no doubt about that.

But the greatest joy that was brought to my life in 2010, is being delivered to me by TC in 2011.  For those of you who don't know, TC and I are having a baby girl sometime this summer - she's due July 2nd.

I know what you're thinking, and yes, we've been together for less than a year.

TC and I didn't plan this, it just sort of.........happened.

It's funny because TC didn't want to have children.  And with 3 kids in my stable already, I didn't really want to have anymore either.  In fact, I had been to see my family doctor about getting a vasectomy and had been referred to a urologist.  Alas, before the urologist could do his best work, I did my best work.

So, rather than get the "procedure" done, I just got TC pregnant instead!!  There is nothing I won't do to get out of a medical procedure!!

I'm teasing of course, but even though TC and I didn't want or plan to have a baby, we are thrilled none the less.

I love being a father.  My 3 children have brought so much joy to my life (mostly) and I wouldn't be who I am today without them.

My only regret is that I have not been able to raise them.  Don't get me wrong, I am still a part of their lives, and I'd like to think a big part, but I'm not there on a day to day basis.

I desperately wanted that - I never wanted to be a "weekend Dad".

And now, thanks to TC, I will have the chance to be an everyday Dad!

We've already picked a name for our little girl - Natalie Jewel.  While we were initially convinced we were having a boy, it's probably for the best that we're not - he would have been named Andre the Giant.

I'm teasing.  Again.

I can't thank TC enough.  Making me a father again is the greatest gift she could have ever given me.  It's the greatest joy she will bring to my life.

My promise to TC is this - I will always be a good Daddy.  I will love Natalie with all my heart.  I will bath her.  I will change her diapers.  I will get up in the middle of the night and feed her.  I will kiss her boo-boo's better.  I will do her hair.  I will let you fix her hair after I've done it.  I will read her stories.  I will have tea parties with her.  I will take her to soccer practice, or dance class, or swimming lessons, or hockey.  I will help her with her homework.  I will teach her to dream big.  I will teach her right from wrong.  I will teach her to stand up for herself.  I will teach her to be confident.  I will teach her to help others.  I will teach her how to say no when boys ask her out.  I will let her know that she can always count on her Daddy.

I read somewhere once that the greatest gift a father can give his child is to love their mother.  If that is true, then Natalie will receive that greatest gift everyday of her life.  After all, I have to set a good example her, so that she grows up knowing what true love really is.

The Football Player and The Cheerleader

Once upon a time there was a Football Player.  He was a giant!  He was strong and determined, yet kind and gentle.

And then there was a Cheerleader.  She was beautiful and smart.  Caring and trusting.

The Football Player lived an extraordinary life, hobnobbing with professional athletes and rockstars before he finally settled into a life in business.

The Cheerleader travelled a more traditional path, choosing to raise a beautiful family instead.

Although the Football player was a Giant, and the Cheerleader was tiny, they had more in common than they ever would have known.

While The Football Player had lead an exciting life, and The Cheerleader's family provided her more love than any one person would ever need - eternal happiness had eluded them both.

 

This is not to suggest that either The Football Player or The Cheerleader were unhappy, simply that they were unfulfilled.

 

The Football player had been married twice - and had tried desperately to make his marriages work.  The first couldn't survive the ocean that separated them.  The second didn't survive her extra-marital affair.

The Cheerleader had also been married twice - and she too worked tirelessly in vain to honour her vows.  But her first husband was a drunk, and her second husband was a liar.

Both The Football Player and The Cheerleader became champions of lost causes, working diligently to rescue and fix the hopeless lovers losers who had crossed their paths.

It was frustrating, and painful for their friends and families to watch them continually spiral into an abyss of despair.

That is until the day hope arrived at their doorsteps in the form of a man.

This man, some may even say a hero, was ready to rescue these two hapless souls.  He was ready redirect their life's journey, and put it on a path to redemption.

Tonight, The Football Player and The Cheerleader will meet for the first time.  Tonight, a fresh new seed of love will be planted. 

Over the coming week's, this seed will grow roots, and a new love will bloom.  This love will be stronger and more beautiful than either of them have ever experienced or could have imagined.

Starting tonight, The Football Player and The Cheerleader will experience love as it should be - exciting and wonderful, beautiful and breathtaking.  It will be a fairy tale love.

They will live Happily Ever After.

Stories from 2010: The Mini-Meanie & Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi rocked the Air Canada Centre in Toronto last week, and it inspired the latest Story from 2010.  Last July the Mini-Meanie and I saw them play at the Rogers Centre, and this is my Screaming Review.

The first thing you need to understand, is that Bon Jovi is my absolute favourite band.  However, until last July, I'd never seen them play live!  I know, how crazy is that??  It just seemed like whenever they came to Toronto, it was the absolute worst time and I simply didn't have the money to go (yes, I'm the "down-on-his-luck" guy that Bon Jovi seems very fond of singing about).  However, thanks to a very generous Christmas gift, my luck was about to change.

I took my teenage son (The Mini-Meanie) with me to the concert - I felt it was only fair since I took my daughter to see Daughtry, and The Mini-Meanie and I had to skip the Jays home opener last year as fallout from the 24 Hours of Hell.

Kid Rock was the opening act, however we didn't get into Toronto on time to see him so I can't really comment on his performance.  Actually, we did get into Toronto on time, however traffic and parking was a nightmare so it would be more accurate to say that we didn't get to the stadium on time to see Kid Rock.  And I'm not complaining, just explainin'.

When Bon Jovi hit the stage at 9:00pm, it was a magical moment for us.  Here we are, Father and Son, Screaming Meanie and Mini-Meanie, and our favourite band in the world is right there in front of us.  Actually, I suppose Bon Jovi is the Mini-Meanie's second favourite band (he still likes David Cook best - although technically David Cook isn't a really a "band", so I suppose we're back to Bon Jovi being his favourite?).

I digress....

Even at my age, I have to admit, I was starstruck!  Finally, after 25 long years, I was finally seeing my favourite band live in concert!

They opened with Blood on Blood from their album New Jersey.  It was a wee bit of an odd choice I thought since it wasn't really a big hit for them, nor is it the kind of song that really pumps you up.  But really, who cares, Bon Freakin' Jovi was on the stage!  They followed that up with We Weren't Born to Follow off of their recently released CD 'The Circle'.

After that, they blew the roof off the dome when they played You Give Love a Bad Name!  It's still my favourite Jovi song, and the Mini-Meanie and I were loving every second of it!

The party continued with Born to Be My Baby and the country-ish Lost Highway, before they blew the roof off the place AGAIN playing Runaway and It's My Life.  I was actually surprised how many of the 50,000 in attendance knew the song Runaway - and it was awesome!

Kid Rock joined Bon Jovi on stage to perform Old Time Rock n' Roll - even though I think the song is completely overplayed, and I'm not a fan of Kid Rock (at all), it was actually a pretty cool moment.

The Stage set up was very cool.  The lights were mounted on a semi-circle above the stage, while the inside of the semi-circle served as a giant video screen - which was great since our seats were so far back.

If I had one complaint, it would have to be our crappy seats - floor seats aren't as cool as they sound.  Not when Andre the Giant is standing in front of you and you're about 40 rows from the stage.  When you have 6th row seats, as I did for Def Leppard in 1988, then floor seats are uber cool!

Ok, I actually have a second complaint.  Would it have killed the folks at the Rogers Centre to either open the roof, or turn on the air conditioning??  Look, I'm no rocket scientist, but it's the middle of summer, and you've crammed 50,000 people into a stadium, do you think it might get a wee bit hot???  The Mini-Meanie and I were sweatin' like hookers in church!

In fact, at one point during the show, a woman in front of us collapsed!  I felt bad for her as I could see early on during the concert that she was struggling.  When her and her husband/boyfriend finally made the decision to leave, it was too late - down she went.  I was disappointed at how long it took the paramedics to arrive, but once there, they did a great job taking care of her.  It was more than a little ironic that the woman collapsed while Bon Jovi was performing, Something for the Pain!  Hey, I can't make this stuff up folks.

The other thing that bothered me was the sound (ok, so it's 3 complaints - sue me).  This was the first time I'd ever seen a concert at Rogers Centre and if you've never been, the acoustics suck!  The sound was bouncing off every corner of the concrete jungle.  It was a big disappointment, but not enough that I didn't enjoy it.

Am I allowed one more wee complaint???  Of course I am - it's my blog!!  They didn't play anything from their album Bounce.  In my humble opinion, Bounce is probably their most underrated album.

During the encore they played Always, their mega-hit Wanted Dead or Alive and then finished off the night with a rousing rendition of Living on a Prayer.  You haven't lived until you've heard 50,000 people sing an acupella version of the song.  It was nothing short of incredible and I'm man enough to say, it gave me giant goosebumps!

After more than 25 years of performances, it's not surprising that Bon Jovi knows how to entertain a crowd.  He certainly sent the Mini-Meanie and I home very happy!

Setlist

1. Blood on Blood

2. We Weren’t Born to Follow

3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Born to Be My Baby
5. Lost Highway
6. Runaway
7. It’s My Life
8. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
9. We Got It Goin’ On
10. Bad Medicine/Old Time Rock & Roll/Shout (with Kid Rock)
11. Love’s the Only Rule
12. Lay Your Hands on Me (Richie on lead vocals)
13. Bed of Roses
14. I’ll Be There For You
15. Something for the Pain
16. Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night
17. In These Arms
18. Work for the Working Man
19. Have a Nice Day
20. Who Says You Can’t Go Home
21. Keep the Faith

Encore:
22. Always
23. Wanted Dead or Alive
24. Livin’ on a Prayer

My Mother's Racist Animals

My Mother has 3 animals at home - a little black poodle, a little black cat, and a blonde goldendoodle (who is a MONSTER sized dog).

She started out with Jake, the little black poodle.  There are no two ways around it, Jake was (and still is) a little spoiled puppy.

After my Mom and I got a house together, the kids and I decided we would surprise her with a kitten.  And surprise her we did!  We went to our local SPCA and adopted a little black kitten named Jynx.

To our surprise, Jake and Jynx instantly bonded.  They ate together, they slept together, and they played together.  They were inseparable. 

The two of them would have their crazy hour (usually in the evening) and chase each other all over the house!  And it wasn't a one way relationship - they would take turns being the chaser and the chasee.  Yep, they were bestest buds!

And then, we introduced Jack into the fold.  Jack was my idea.  A number of years ago I dated a woman who had a goldendoodle.  After the relationship fizzled, I found myself missing her terribly - the dog that is, not the woman.

So, with my heart still longing for a goldendoodle of my own, my Mom and I decided to adopt one - we named him Jack.

Crazy hour was about to get crazier!  Except, Jake and Jynx didn't take to Jack at all (I know, I know, Jack, Jake and Jynx - what can I say, we weren't really thinking). 

All Jack wanted to do was play with the little black puppy and kitty.  But they wanted nothing to do with him.  It was actually kind of surprising because when we would take Jake for a walk, he wanted to greet and play with every dog he came across.  We thought adding another playmate in the house would have been a dream come true.

Wrongo!

Poor Jack.

When my Mom and I broke up (it was an amicable break up), and TC and I moved in together, we adopted Doc, a tiny little blonde cockapoo.

Now, we thought perhaps the reason Jake and Jynx didn't want to play with Jack is because they were intimidated by his sheer size.  However, when we visit my mom, we often bring Doc with us, and they don't want to play with him either!

Doc and Jack desperately try to include Jake and Jynx in their rowdy animal play, but it's a fruitless effort, the two little black animals have zero interest.

It's not that Jake and Jynx don't want to play, I mean, they still love to play with each other. 

There can only be one explanation for this - Jake and Jynx are racist.  That's right, racist.  They simply aren't interested in playing with the white animals! 

Buggers.

Screaming Confession #4

I love Glee.

Yeah, you read that right.  I freakin' love Glee!

I'm still a manly man, I love sports, action movies,  and naked women.  I leave my socks on the floor, the toilet seat up, and my dirty dishes on the counter.  But yes, I still love Glee.

It kind of happened by accident, and of course, for the noblest of reasons.

My son, who hopes to one day become a famous actor (but what he really wants to do is direct - no joke), was starring in a play last summer.  Of course, that play was Glee.   So, TC and I took the afternoon off and went to watch his performance.

At one point early in the play, TC exclaimed, "Oh my God, he's Finn!", to which I replied, "Is that good?".  Finn, as I would find out, is the main character on the show.

The production was pieced together with scenes from several different episodes of the show.  Over and over TC kept saying, "Oh I've seen that episode".

As an aside, it was a proud moment for a Father seeing his son up on stage entertaining millions, errrr, I mean hundreds.....ish of theater goers. 

But naturally I was curious.  I wanted to see who this Finn was, and I wanted to see some of the scenes that my son was portraying on stage.

So, TC and I rented season 1 of Glee.  I was somewhat enjoying the first episode, but when they performed Don't Stop Believing at the end of the episode, I was hooked!  One measly episode in, and I officially became a "Gleek".

TC and I plowed through the entire first season in less than a week.  And we've continued to watch the second season.

For any men out there that may be scoffing at this Screaming Confession, I have two words for you, Santana and Brittany.  Oh, and Sue Sylvester is a frickin' riot!!

5 Things I Learned Watching the Superbowl Half Time Show

1. The Black Eyed Peas have a TON of great songs.  I can't say that I'm an avid fan of the group, but damn, the really do have some good songs.

2.  Fergie is bloody awful live.  I honestly had to check to make sure my ears weren't bleeding after listening to her sing.  Or wail.  Or whatever it was she was doing with her voice.

3.  Usher is almost as bad as Fergie.  Dude can't sing!  But, at least he can dance.

4.  Auto Tune may be the worst thing that has ever happened to music.  Just sayin'.

5.  Slash is still the coolest Mother F#@%&R in Rock n' Roll

So, what did you think of the half time show?

Stories from 2010: Doc

Most of the really good stuff that happened in 2010 happened in the second half.

For example, in October, I moved in with TC.  And anyone who is anyone knows that when you move in with a girl, you have to celebrate!  Who are TC and I to thumb our noses at tradition?   So, how did we celebrate??  We got a puppy of course!!

But not just any puppy.  We researched, and researched, and researched to make sure we'd find the perfect puppy.  Well, mostly it was TC doing the research - but I did a TON of listening!

I wanted a BIG man size dog, while TC wanted a little bite sized dog.  We compromised and decided we'd go with a mid-size model - a Cockapoo.  Technically, the Cockapoo is a little on the small size, but what can I say, TC has this look she gives me that is irresistible - I sigh, then I curse, then I give in.  What are you gonna do?

I digress.  If you have a dog, then you already know that the hardest thing about getting a new puppy is picking the perfect name.  TC and I are both big Blue Jay fans, but somehow "Roy Halladay" seemed like a completely inappropriate name for a dog.  So we gave him Halladay's nickname - Doc!





Doc-a-poo the Cockapoo!  Clever, I know.

Aside from the occasional accident in the house Doc has been a great pet.  And by "occasional" I mean, "almost every fricken' day"!! 

Yes, house breaking this beast of an animal has been our biggest challenge.  Why relieve yourself outside in the cold when you can hold it and go in the comfort of a nice warm house??  When people ask me what kind of dog he is, I tell them he's a "Cockapoo-all-over-the-house"!!

But even though I want to kill him half the time - he really is my bestest animal bud!  I've loved animals before, but I didn't think it was possible to love a dog this much.

He loves loves loves TC.  It doesn't matter where she is, he has to lay on her!  He loves her lap, her legs, the crook of her arm, heck, he even lays on her head sometimes!  And a woman with a puppy on her head is damn sexy!

But, he does love me too - he follows me around like, well, like a puppy dog.  He freaks out every time I leave the house, and while he'll lay beside me on the couch, or right at my feet - he won't lay on my lap the way he does with TC.  I was kind of getting a little self conscious about it, but then we learned it's a dominance thing - he views me as the Alpha Male.

That's right bitches.....I'm the Alpha Freakin' Male!  Mwuahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa! 

What can I say about the little guy?  Yes he has his faults, but we take the sweet with the sour.  He's a member of our family now, and he'll be with us for the rest of his life.  Getting this tiny puppy as TC calls him, was the best way we ever could have celebrated moving in together!

Random Thoughts.....

TC is in the other room playing Harry Potter Lego, and, not being a "gamer" myself, I thought I would take advantage of the situation and blog!  So, lucky you, here are some random thoughts that have been knocking around  my wee brain for the last little while.......

Why oh why do I continue to support The Toronto Maple Leafs?  After all, they haven't won the Stanley Cup in 44 years.  Heck, they haven't even given us anything to really cheer about since their improbable run in 1993. And now it looks like they're going to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight year!  This is supposed to be the mecca of hockey for cyrin' out loud!  Honestly, if I was married and my wife treated me this badly, I'd leave her!

If you blinked, you missed the Mike Napoli era in Toronto.  Last Friday the Blue Jays traded Vernon Wells to the Angels for Napoli and Juan Rivera and promptly flipped Napoli to the Rangers for sometimes closer Frank Francisco.  So the Jays now have 3 unreliable closers in their bullpen (Francisco, Octavio Dotel and Jon Rauch).  Not sure what Alex Anthopolous' game plan is, but oddly, I still trust him 100%.

Speaking of Vernon Wells, I was sad to see him go.  He's been my son's favourite player for 10 years.  Looks like the Mini-Meanie needs a new favourite player.  Hmmmmmm, might I suggest Kyle Drabek who should start the season as the number 4 starter in the rotation?

And speaking of the Mini-Meanie, he'll be celebrating his 14th birthday next week.  So here's an early shout out to the birthday boy.  Now, what to get him.........

Evil Russ is the freakin' man!  Just sayin'.

Steven Tyler as a judge on American Idol seemed kind of strange when it was announced, but it turns out, it's kind of cool.  He's certainly taking the sting out of losing Simon.

I finally got around to watching the Harry Potter movies.  TC and I plowed through the first 6 on DVD last week.  Here's how I'd rate them from best to worst - Prisoner of Azkaban, Half-Blood Prince, Philosopher"s Stone, Goblet of Fire, Chamber of Secrets, Order of the Phoenix.  I can't wait to see the next one.  I think there's a theater nearby that is still playing The Deathly Hallows Part 1, so TC and I are planning to go this Sunday.

 

Chris Medina is my new hero.  If you want to see why, click here.

Do we really need 4 weeks of American Idol auditions?? A couple of 2-hour episodes would suffice. Hollywood Week, the Semi-Finals, and Finals are the meat and potatoes of the show anyway.

I hate snow. I hate shovelling it. I hate driving in it. It seems like everyone I know is going somewhere sunny for a vacation over the next couple of months. I'm insanely jealous.

Selling a house is a little more stressful than I thought it would be.  Not sure I like it.  And I think I'm driving my real estate agent crazy.  Good thing she's a friend.  But if you're looking to buy or sell a house, I guarantee you won't find anyone better!  If you want to check her out, click here.

I discovered this past weekend that I can't dance. We fired up Just Dance 2 for the Wii at my Mom's this past weekend - I was a train wreck! But my kids had a good laugh.

When the hell is David Cook going to release his new album?? I'm starting to get impatient!

My daughter, my sweet sweet angel, is having a friend sleep over this weekend.  For the ENTIRE weekend.  Two pre-teen girls in my itty-bitty house for an entire weekend......perhaps I should stop blogging and start working on my eulogy??  God help me.

I have a new favourite word - Prolly.  As in, if I met you in a bar, I'd prolly kick your teeth in.

Stories from 2010: Boy Meets Girl

2010 was an up and down year for me.  Of course, you've already read about 3 of the lowest moments from last year - now, you get to read about the highlight!

2010 was the year I met "The One".  Or as she is known to her co-workers, "TC".  I will need to come up with a nickname for her in my blogs, but for now, we'll just go with TC.

So, how do I know she's The One??  Well, when you know, you just know.  Right from our first date, walking along the beach eating ice-cream (I know, total cliche), I knew TC was a special woman.

First, she was willing to start seeing me even though I was unemployed at the time.  I think most women tend to run from an unemployed bum guy, but not TC.  I kind of figured she just couldn't resist me.  I mean, c'mon , it's ME for cryin' out loud - job or no job, I'm friggin' irresistible!  Excuse me while I pull my tongue out of my cheek.

However, as it turns out, TC simply doesn't judge people by their circumstances which is one of the things I love about her.

However, you probably want to know how it all started so that you know how you can find your own Screaming Meanie and/or TC.  Well, our passionate love affair began with baseball.  Yes, baseball!

I manage a co-ed baseball team, and after our 2009 season, 6 of the 7 girls on my ball team weren't coming back - some couldn't return, others just weren't being invited back.

Anyway, I put out a call for new teammates, and TC's sister (who I went to high school with) said her and her husband (who is now her ex-husband) wanted to play.  A short time later she messaged me and said her sister wanted to play too.

That kind of surprised me.

I didn't know TC in high school - the year she started grade 9 was the year I was graduating grade 12.  However, over the years, I had seen her hanging around her sister's Facebook profile and I was certain she had spotted me there once or twice too.

Not long after spotting her on Facebook, I had run into TC a couple of times at Tim Horton's and introduced myself as her sister's friend.  She was......underwhelmed.  In fact, it almost felt like she was seriously annoyed that I was pointing out our almost-kinda-sorta-relationship-by-association.

So yes, I was a wee bit surprised that she wanted to play on my baseball team.  After all, she didn't really like me.  Right?

However, after she registered to be on the team we became Facebook friends, and as you know, you're not really friends with anybody until you're friends with them on Facebook.  So, ergo, we were almost best buds.  Practically.  Sort of.

The very first thing that struck me, was how much she talked about baseball on her profile!!  Players, teams, games, strategies......this wasn't someone who was a casual fan.....TC was hardcore about her Blue Jays!

She was at the Jays home opener and she posted pictures.  I nervously posted comments.  Nervous because even though we were Facebook friends, I still wasn't sure if she liked me, or if she just added me in order to get a better spot in the batting order.  I certainly didn't want to annoy her any further, but a girl who likes baseball - how do I stumble across an opportunity like this and not take a shot?

So we conversed for a wee bit via Facebook, commenting on pics, status updates etc.

And then, the season started.

Let me tell you, I had no idea, but TC is the Babe Ruth of co-ed baseball!!  By "Babe" I mean she is freaking hot, and by "Ruth" I mean..........SHE IS FREAKING HOT!

During one of our games, her sister casually dropped the bomb - TC recently became single!!  The problem was, the guy she had just dumped was unemployed.  Yikes!  There was no way TC was going to want to get involved with another unemployed bum guy was there??  Probably not.  But.......

I increased the amount of Facebook conversations I was having with TC.  We flirted, we talked baseball, and we talked about my job search.  In fact, I was updating her constantly on my job interviews, prospects and results.  I wanted her to know that I wasn't an unemployed bum, I was simply a victim of bad circumstances.  Circumstances, that I was proactively looking to change.

So after lengthy discussions about baseball, kids, past relationships and Star Wars (oh yeah, in addition to baseball, TC loves Star Wars too!), I slyly let her know that if I had a job, I would love to take her out on a date.  TC sent me the following message.......

Well now that you know everything there is to know about me we'll have to go out lol. So hurry up and get a job...although apparently that doesn't matter to me hahaha. Just remember I'm a low maintenance girl. I don't need much.

Since I'm a strong manly man I don't mind admitting the following - my heart soared!!  I think I may have jumped around like a lovestruck teenage girl.....but there's a chance that might have just been gas.

And with that, our first date was set - ice cream and a walk along the beach.  I wish I could have done a nice dinner, however, being unemployed, my budget didn't allow for it.

Since that first date, we haven't looked back!  From the start we were seeing each other almost every day and very quickly we fell madly in love.  And it's not just me - my family adores her!  My kids love her, my Mom thinks the world of her, and my brother and sister really think I've hit a homerun with TC.  I agree.

I love that I can be myself around TC.  I don't have to be perfect all the time, she accepts my flaws and embraces them.  I can be silly when I want (which is often), lazy if I need to be, when I'm grumpy she tries to cheer me up, and she is very liberal in doling out affection.

The thing I love most about TC (not counting any of the dirty stuff) is that she makes me laugh every day.  And that's not just talk, or an exaggeration, she literally says or does something every single day that makes me laugh hysterically!

She's my lover, my friend, and my muse. She supports every crazy whim I have and I feel there's nothing I can't accomplish with TC by my side.  I'm truly becoming a better man because of her.

I really have struck gold with her.  I can't imagine my life without her in it, nor do I want to.  We now live together and are in the process of purchasing a house.  Things are quickly getting very for exciting for us, and I can't wait to share every adventure, every challenge, and every waking moment with her.  I love her to death, and sometimes, I still have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.