I can't believe that its been 12 weeks since this romance of mine started, or that is now 1 week until I head up there. Where does time go?

I have plan tickets, and I paid extra for the ones I could cancel, and I'm giving serious consideration to just canceling them and driving up. The long range forecast actually looks good for the distance between, with Tuesday being the one little dicey day, and I'm thinking as long as I toss my work PC into the car with me, that I can always stop at the best friend's along the way if need be and work from her home for that morning.

Driving would be a whole lot easier than flying. For one, I'd be in my own vehicle, so no COVID mask required while driving, and I can take a more varied wardrobe, not to mention not having to separate out shampoo and all that travel stuff into those tiny bottles that are permitted on the plane. And I dread all the heightened security stuff.

I don't have to decide right now, but I may make up my mind tomorrow and pull that trigger and cancel the tickets and rent a car instead. I have a cousin in Indiana I could call up and stay with so I could split the 14 hour trip across 2 days, or at least, across 2 days going up, which would keep my driving time to daylight hours; I could conceivably push through to Charleston, WV on the way back; would be 12 hours but would put me ahead of any weather events on the way.

now, for the trip to Green Bay......;)

The answer to your burning question is yes, I had a fabulous, wonderful, terrific, beautiful, awesome time with my man in Green Bay The time was entirely, entirely too short, though, and I really did not want to leave, and he really did not want to let me go! I've found me a wonderful, awesome guy unlike any I've ever known - attentive, romantic in his own way, with a really big heart, and we are definitely in that madly in love stage!

He was so cute on Monday. My flight connected in O'Hare International in Chicago. Unfortunately, the plane I needed to get to Chicago on was late getting to Green Bay. The attendant swore I had plenty of time to make my connection, so I went ahead and got on the plane. She was wrong; by the time the plane landed in Chicago, I had 9 minutes to get from terminal F to terminal B at the very end, and I knew I wasn't going to make it. Sure enough, I got to the gate at the same time the plane was taxiing onto the runway.

So I texted my boyfriend, told him what happened, and proceeded to customer service to make alternate arrangements. The poor guy was freaking out that I was stuck in Chicago; I was calmly consoling him, reminding him that it was all right, I was fine, I could handle it, I just needed to get alternate tickets, I had a smart phone to make hotel arrangements on, etc. Bless his heart; he was all ready to jump in his car and make a 4 hour drive in bad weather to Chicago. And while I would have like to have just gone back to Green Bay, it made more sense that I stay in Chicago, which is what I told him. So I talked my mom through how to get into my work cell to get my my supervisor's number (I had left my work cell at home 1) because I was going out of state and didn't want to lose it and 2) I was on vacation and absolutely was NOT going to let work enter my mind the entire time I was gone lol), got my tickets rescheduled for Tuesday, then went and got lunch at McDonald's and made hotel reservations nearby on my AAA app while I ate. The worst part was getting to the hotel; it was not clear where the shuttles were and no schedules posted. But I made it fine. I was told my luggage was in Chicago with me but would take 4 hours to retrieve, so I said forget it and just went to bed. Good thing I did; turns out they were wrong and my luggage arrived at my destination a day ahead of me!

I texted the boyfriend and laughed and told him this is what dating an independent woman is like; he later told me his parents agreed with me when he told them what was happening. lol Poor guy has never run into a woman quite like me it seems!

And yes, I came home with a ring. Wasn't meant to be more than just a gift, but Sunday evening, while standing in his kitchen waiting for dinner to finish up, he decided on the spur of the moment to pop the question He truly had meant to wait and do or more officially, but I personally find it so fun and memorable and unique and jsut all the way better this way, anyway. So the ring he bought that was meant to just be a gift ended up becoming an engagement ring of sorts. And it suits me perfectly - its the One Ring from Lord of the Rings And instead of wearing it on my finger, like Frodo, I wear it on a chain around my neck for safe keeping!

Unfortunately, we can't set any dates yet because he still needs to find a job down here, and until that happens, we don't know what to plan. So we wait. *sigh*

I've been amazed at the support I have received, even with the fact that its a whirlwind romance. The people I expected caution and reservation from are fully supportive and happy for us, and I am very grateful for that!

So yes, I can now say I not only have a boyfriend, I have a fiancee, me the woman who after reaching age 40 though it wasn't meant to be for me......God really does have a sense of humor