Finding My Handyman...

As I re-read the blog post the other night it dawned on me that I rambled all over the place without any real details about everything new going on in my life. So let's rewind a little...

This old (piece of crap) house, with lots of character (problems and curve balls) has caused me to reach my breaking point more times than I'd like to remember. Which usually resulted in a phone call to my brother and/or parents begging for their help because my water heater busted or random other appliance or piping would break. Which immediately would open the doors for said brother and parents to joke that I hangout in the aisles of Home Depot to look for a boyfriend that could help out around the house. Per my brother, it was probably best if he didn't speak perfect english...horrible, I know!

It wasn't that I was always single...in fact I was a serial dater. But for some unknown reason, I was always dating the wrong guy for me and absolutely none of them could have cared about helping out around this old (piece of crap) house. Until....in walks Steve! We met on New Years Eve last year. If you follow this blog at all, you already know I had a date for New Years...and (shocker) his name wasn't Steve! :)

Steve and I were friendly, but nothing out of the ordinary happened. I had a date and I'm not particularly fond of strangers so I spent most of the time hanging out with my date and friends. Which, like always, was someone who was completely wrong for me...anyone that knows me at all, can tell you that I am the biggest goofball and could make a joke out of anything. This guy seemed super serious all the time, and worst of all was annoyed when I stayed over late watching Ohio State's bowl game. I know, right!! What was I thinking? However, in his defense, via the power of facebook as a stalking tool...he seems very happy right now with a beautiful lady!

Anyway, Steve and I kept running into each other during various get-togethers of mutual friends. We hit it off right away. He started texting me non-stop...which was a bit creepy if we're being honest here! haha I'm an independent woman, kid, girl, something...anyway I'm independent. It weirded me out that he was all up in my bidness right away.

We started hanging out more and more, neither of us thinking anything serious would come of it. Sharing dinner and more buffalo mac and cheese than I can count over a drink or two at Keystone on a regular basis. We probably watched every movie that was out this spring and Steve probably consumed 5 tons of popcorn...the kid can't go to a movie without eating popcorn. Well thanks Steve, now I can't either!

Not long into our "friendship" I found out I lost my job (yet another detail I left out). Losing my job was probably the best thing that has ever happened to me, in hindsight at least. I was absolutely MISERABLE at my last job...but getting called into an office and being told your being laid off sucked more than anything I've experienced in quite awhile.

Steve and I had planned to go up as friends to go see my brother from another mother in Chicago that weekend. After receiving Friday morning news that I lost my job...I knew there was no way I was up for a weekend trip to the windy city. After calling my Mom, I immediately called Steve to break the bad news. Lucky for me, he wasn't too upset and later in the day agreed to come up to my place and keep me company over the weekend. I know my crazy mother was overly thankful for this. For whatever reason, Mom had me on suicide watch. I would say I'm just kidding here...but I'm pretty sure she was afraid I was going to do something dramatic...something about the texts and phone calls I received every 5 minutes asking me if I was okay, or what I was doing. Which by the way, I was forced to respond to whether I liked it or not...because no response meant the worst. Crazy, right?! Sorry, Mom...you know it's true though!! hah

Anyway...Steve came up, hung out with me and the dogs...took me to the aquarium and cooked Chicken Riggies...a recipe that came from where he grew up in New York. Don't worry I'll share the recipe later. I make him cook it all the time now. Liz Roberts had it recently and loved it and Brutus always manages to get his hands (paws) on a bowl somehow or another. Fortunately he has managed to keep it all down, which is nuts, because this dish is SPICY!

It was after this weekend that I was hooked. And shortly after that, that I knew I had found my handyman for life! So after the longest of all stories I'll leave you with this, the top ten reasons Steve is a perfect match for me, in no particular order here you go...

10. He lets me boss him around
9. He can hang out with my friends like he's known them forever
8. He can handle my messiness
7. He loves to go out and do things as much as I do, be it museums, playing putt-putt, shopping, or taking a drive, we are always on the go.
6. He can cook (I struggle in this department)
5. My family loves him already and he doesn't mind hanging out with them
4. He can handle Brutus and better yet, loves the dogs like his own
3. He's a christian and goes to church with me
2. He will clean up dog pee...friends that know Brutus, know this is an issue! haha
1. I can't make him mad. Believe me I've tried. He takes my sassy pants attitude like a champ!

I could list a million other reasons, why I'm absolutely head over heels for my handyman but then Steve may think he's the star of this blog...Brutus and Annie would be ticked off for sure! So without anymore rambling...introducing my handyman!

All Smiles Here

Taking a Nap with the Dogs!

Not Wasting Time Digging In

Enjoying a Reds Game