AFriendlyFace

*sigh* I know you're both right... Thanks for the excellent advice, btw.

Congrats on posting, auel! We welcome your participation in the community, be it as a lurker or an active poster! I agree with Sacha, please do jump right in if you have something you want to say! Take care and have a great day! Kevin

Awwww I'm sorry man, that totally sucks! Since you're still on good terms with him I'll skip what I have to say about him cheating on you ( ). It sounds to me like he really shouldn't be in a relationship right now, and only knowing what I know about your relationship with him (which is obviously a very limited amount of information indeed!) it sounds like you probably shouldn't be with him right now either. Don't feel bad, you're certainly not the first couple that's broken up and then had sex again, but I personally do think you're both better off moving on (especially you). So I would suggest that you postpone the still being friends thing. Take a few weeks (at least!) to just get over the relationship without communicating with him. That way, when you do see him again perhaps you'll have less 'passionate' feelings for him (good and bad) and just be left with a more gentle caring toward someone you were close with. Anyway, point is my advice would be to just make it clear that you're fine with being friends (assuming you do ultimately want that), but that you simply need to take a few weeks (or maybe a bit longer) to yourself without seeing him to clear your head and get over things. Just my advice though, but I definitely think you made the right decisions and I'm proud of you -Kevin

Hi everyone, So I realized that while we have lots of threads about dating and romance and relationships, we don't seem to have a "breaking up" thread. Of course no one likes to break up, but I think it's something that many, if not most of us, have gone through at least once or twice. I thought this might be a good place to share experiences, ask advice, or generally just get support. And okay, so I sorta have an ulterior motive too I've been out with this guy, Ryan, a few times, and whereas I've pretty much decided that we don't have enough in common to make it work, he seems to be interested in getting serious. So my question is, do I need to 'break up' with him? We were never like 'formally' in a relationship. We've been out, I think four times now, and then just regular talking on the phone and texting. So to me we're not even really 'together'. About a week ago he brought up the whole, "let's define our relationship' topic, (really this whole thing has only been going on maybe two and half, three weeks tops) and I was thinking that was way too soon to make a decision either way. I basically said that I was having fun going out with him and suggested that we just keep doing that for several more weeks and then see how we both feel and decide if we were want to get in a 'relationship'. He seemed to comfortably accept that answer. Nevertheless, it still seems to me that he views us as a couple, at least to some extent, so I feel like I can't really get away with just making my decision without informing him. I mean I guess I could just call/text a lot less often, and basically 'taper off' our relationship until he got the point...but would that be nicer or meaner? Most of the time with guys I've 'been out with' but am not 'dating', that's just how I handle it. If I decide I'm not interested I obviously don't ask them out anymore and if they ask me I politely come up with an excuse. It's never really been a big deal in the past, and as far as I know none of them were particularly serious either, so it probably wasn't much of an issue. If it were a 'real' relationship, while it would hurt more and be more drawn out, I could more easily broach the subject of 'breaking up'. It's this awkward, in-between thing that I'm not sure how to handle. Having a big, dramatic break up conversation seems like overkill, but doing nothing and letting it die seems cold and avoidant. So thoughts and comments? -Kevin

No, it's that mini-cooper that you use to commute back and forth to Jersey in while taking lit classes you hate. We've already established that Awww, I like it! I think it looks good, Joe

Thanks Gary! Nice to know that I wasn't totally making that up, and even better to have my information clarified for future reference

Aww though, poor girl! It's never fun to realize you haven't been hit on. Well I guess sometimes it's a relief, but it's usually nice if you think people find you desirable.

I'm proud to say that all the people I've had sex with has been after meeting them

Well you ought to be "okay", but uh.... sounds like a 'mature' scent you've got going on there, Robbie On the other hand with some of the body washes and lotions I've used in the past I've probably smelled like a 15 year old girl before, so what do I know LOL this just reminds me of a deodorant commercial so much! It's good to be "Sure"

WOW! That's alota garlic! My grandpa is like that about tomatoes! He thinks tomatoes will heal everything! On the other hand he is really healthy for his age so maybe he's right Anyway, at least they don't have an odor! Perhaps you should start carrying extra shirts in your schoolbag? Shea Butter is good stuff! I love the way it smells too!

A noble effort That is such a good idea! Only the other day I thought, "now I'm going to end up smelling like this product instead of my cologne!" I'm going to have to look into this smell coordinating thing you've got going on!

You know that would have only been half as embarrassing if I hadn't actually read the story... (And liked it, mind you.) I had assumed that you were unfamiliar with it; although, I'm definitely glad that this isn't the case! I'm even more pleased if you like it

There's also been studies possibly linking the aluminum in it to Alzheimer's disease. I'm not vouching for their authenticity and it's been awhile since I read them, but it's interesting. After reading this I bought plain old deodorant and tried it...didn't like it at all. Decided the antiperspirant stuff was worth the risk.

Well as long as they know how to love I know they'll be alive. I wonder if the authorities are going to work out that Gunter was at the site of the plane sabotaging. It looks like it based on this last chapter!

I could be wrong and please someone who's actually in or going into these fields correct me, but I think in the US you can get into law school or medical school without having previously done pre-law or pre-med as long as you pass your LSATs (law) and MCATs (med) satisfactorily in the eyes of the institution to which you are applying. I could further be mistaken, but I *think* you can dispense with law school altogether if you can somehow manage to pass the Bar exam without going. Mind you, I would assume you'd have more trouble finding work without a degree/school to back up your license, and I think you'd also have to take certain state exams to be licensed to practice in that state. As I said though, I don't know for sure it's just what I'm thinking. Someone going into law and/or medicine should come and correct me. That's cool! Didn't know that.

This reminds me of an interesting observation a friend of mine once made. People will often point at their wrists when asking the time, but seldom point at their crotches when inquiring about the restroom. We definitely have Kraft products, I'm not sure if there are "Kraft Dinners" per se. Another comment, this is just my own quirky, forgetful weirdness though and not anything I'm assuming anyone else does, but I have a tough time correctly differentiating between the fast food chain "Wendy's" and the grocery store chain "Winn-Dixie". I mean I know the difference if I consciously think about it, but in casual conversation I'm apt to use the two completely interchangeably. Fortunately neither one comes up particularly often, but when one does it's anyone's guess which name I'll use.

Hey Treyvan! It's great to meet one of our prolific, but quiet ones! I feel bad if your posting status was keeping you up nights though! If you get around to writing something you'd like to share with us I'm sure we'd be excited to read it! Take care and have an awesome day! -Kevin

Hmm, well SPAM is just gross (I held these views long before my vegetarianism days), but it seems to me that Band-Aid would benefit from having the word so prevalent in everyday vernacular (well theoretically I suppose SPAM would too over it's competitors, its just that...YUCK). Anyway I definitely see your point, and I'm sure it's borne out by statistics and marketing principles, but it's counter-intuitive to what I would have assumed.

Well I shower or bathe either once or twice daily most of the time. Regrettably I don't get quite as much exercise as Vic does, but I usually try to exercise a bit at least once a day either at the very end or beginning and have a shower or bath afterward. I do make it a point to shower after every period of sweating. I also apply AP/Deo after each bath/shower. As for cologne or body spray, I generally put something on each morning and definitely if I'm going to be going out. -Kevin

Ahh, I didn't realize they would simultaneously lose trademark rights if it became a 'word' in the technical sense.

That sentence is rife with potential for misinterpretation, humourous slips of the lip, and general innuendo...I love it!

Awwww Thanks Jamie!! I appreciate it And I am feeling better today

But do they really want to win this battle? I mean surely the free publicity is rather nice, and usually companies go out of their way to 'brand' themselves. Well, given the choice I'd rather be in a saloon. Am I right in also assuming that you guys don't use the term "restroom" to reference the room where one goes to the toilet? I've heard you guys use the terms: W.C., loo, bog, washroom, or simply 'ladies' or 'gents', but not the very prevalent American version: restroom. However, I was once watching a television show in which one of the characters suggested to the other that he accompany him into the 'restroom'. It gave me pause before I determined this was something akin to a lounge, and was quite literally a 'room of rest'. That phrase I had never heard before in that way. Have you (or any other Brits) heard it used in this way? I was assuming it must be relatively uncommon. -Kevin

/start PSA Much like condoms. /end PSA

Wow! I didn't know that! Thanks for the info! I guess you've got to be careful then if you tell people you like their pants!