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<editorsnote> Hi, I'm Jen Friel, and we here at TNTML examine the lives of nerds outside of the basements and into the social media, and dating world.  We have over 75 peeps that write about their life in real time. (Real nerds, real time, real deal.) Sit back, relax, and enjoy some of the stories!! </editorsnote>

 

 

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Entries in confessions of an unwed bride (43)

Sunday
Jan152012

#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Unwed Bride (Never go through a man's phone because you will find what you are looking for)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet by buddy Julie! She's my roomie, we met on Craiglist, and she is 1,000 flavors of everything awesome sauce. The reason why she had a room in her apartment however is a mighty long story. See, Julie was dating a duderino for 8 years. Yep, they were engaged to be wed and all that snazzy jazzy stuff. Now the engagement is off and Julie is attempting to heal from her loss; these series of posts are her best attempt. HIT IT JULIE! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @ItsMeJoolie

@ Angel's Knoll, downtown LACatch up on the story: read my reservations about writing out this story and here's Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V  and Part VI of our ending.

I do not want to write this. Every piece of my soul does not want to revisit this right now. There are so many details that I've left out of this story. Heartbreaking details, little shitty things that he did to me or even good moments, like when I got home from Florida he came by the apartment unannounced, listening to the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack because he just had to see me. Some of these things I've pushed down and haven't thought about in some time. But uuuuuuuuuugh, here we go.

Mid January 2011

With my brother gone it was such an adjustment, being alone in my apartment. I can't even remember this time period, like at all. I do know that no matter how fucked up things were, the dude and I missed each other. How could we not? We'd been together for 7 years and lived together for most of those years.

We decided to go out on a date.

My ex had totally succumbed to Los Angeles btw. This was evident months and months ago but he was still very seduced by it. The money, the excitement, the fancy and the idea that he could finally afford a bit of it. That said, he took me out to a fancy pants place for dinner. He picked me up and I'm almost positive he didn't really care for my outfit. Poo, and I had tried, but winter dressing was still super hard for this Florida girl. I couldn't figure out how to look sexy in the winter time. Now, I get it, you just have to suffer and be cold. Anyhow, we go out to dinner and it's a fucking disaster. This was totally my fault. I couldn't NOT talk about our situation the whole entire time. I don't know what else I was supposed to discuss, I was a wreck.

Afterwards, it was so freaking weird. We went back to our friend's house where he was staying (her roommate had just moved out). He was sleeping on a blow up mattress. I spent the night there and it felt so good to have sex and to sleep next to him.

But then, I just couldn't help myself. Of course I couldn't. I was full on pycho at this point in the game, having been dicked around and lied to so much. He left the room to use the bathroom and without even the slightest hesitation, I picked up his phone. Oddly, I didn't go to the text messages between him and her but to the ones between him and a dear, mutual friend from college. BAM. On December 22 he texted him:

Sealed the deal.

That was the day after he had been at the SLS. So there it is. They finally did have sex. He actually hadn't been lying about that time when he accidentally got so drunk that he crashed at her house back in November. He waited until we were technically broken up. Uh, thanks? I guess. But it super hurt because the 21st was just two days after I left for Florida, when we'd had that great weekend together, when he had held my face in his hands and told me, "I think we are going to be okay."

He walked back into the room and I confronted him. I honestly do not remember whatever bullshit he said to me. But instead let's flash forward to when he finally admits what happened between them. We're in our living room and he's on the couch. He looks beyond uncomfortable, so uncomfortable that I know he is about to break my heart. I can tell he doesn't want to anymore, but he will. I grill him about that night. He tells me that she picked him up and she came inside. I flipped out here, "how can you even let her into our apartment?!". He said they split the dinner bill and that their intention for gong to dinner was to talk about how they could continue to work together and just be friends. "Bullshit! Who goes to The Bazaar at the fucking SLS hotel to talk about friendship?!?!"

Side note: I'm super pissed that the SLS is where all of this went down. They worked up in the Valley and they usually hung out there.  But for this epic occasion they came down to my ex and I's hood. I yelled at him for the fact that I have to drive by that hotel all the fucking time (like every time I pick someone up from the airport). I used to cry when I would drive past it. Now I just look at it and think about how far I have come.

We get to the meat of the conversation. What happened afterwards. He claims they came back here and parked her car in our carport -and that in her car they went down on each other. He looked so upset. I stopped crying. Now I knew he was full of shit. Sure, that can happen. Two people could just go down on each other, buuuuut no. I look at him and tell him that. Finally, the truth comes out. I go back to balling. He swears up and down that they had sex in her car. To this fucking day he will NOT tell me where they had sex, really. Because we allllll fucking know that it was in my bed. ::shudders:: And we allllll fucking know that that hairclip was hers. Hence, my letter to her and all women.

Okay, so for a lot of you, the story would end here. You would be done, right? Fuck that guy, fuck this shit, kick him to the curb. But goddamnit, I was not about to let this stupid bitch steal my man from me, ruin my life and all that we had together. People will fuck up. You will fuck up. If you really love someone, fucking fight for them. Remind them that you love them. Now of course, there is a point when you do have to recognize if it's a losing battle, if they do not care, you have to weigh if it's worth saving. I was going to say I do and I don't take that lightly. Even with how torn his heart was, he didn't want to throw in the towel and have regrets either.

We both feel like we have to try and make it work. Try before we let go. 7 years together is a long time. Longer than most of you reading this can understand. It's not something you toss away, because relationships take work. And until you've been in one over 5 years you don't even know what that really means.

January 14-17

We decide that he will stay the weekend since we have Martin Luther King, Jr. day off. Some time together to see if we want to get back together and try to make it work. I was so nervous about this weekend and sooo looking forward to it. Haha, and of course, he got sick, so it wasn't as great as it could have been. One of his favorites movies off all time is 500 Days of Summer and he was watching it very often during this period. I thought that going on the 500 Days of Summer downtown LA tour would be a great way to spend some time together. Oh, it was. It was so nice. We had a really good time.

That was Monday. On Thursday, he moves back in.

Up next: I fight for my fiance, my life; go crazy fighting and lose anyways.

#nerdsunite

 Click here to follow Julie on Twitter

Sunday
Jan082012

#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Unwed Bride (Home Alone)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet by buddy Julie! She's my roomie, we met on Craiglist, and she is 1,000 flavors of everything awesome sauce. The reason why she had a room in her apartment however is a mighty long story. See, Julie was dating a duderino for 8 years. Yep, they were engaged to be wed and all that snazzy jazzy stuff. Now the engagement is off and Julie is attempting to heal from her loss; these series of posts are her best attempt. HIT IT JULIE! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @ItsMeJoolie

Catch up on the story: read my reservations about writing out this story and here's Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV  and Part V of our ending.

I have to go home. I have to leave the comforts of being around all of my family, of being in my mother's house and being in South Florida and head back to Los Angeles. I have to go back to an empty house. My ex is staying at a friend's house. I ask my brother if he will please, please go to LA with me and stay for a week. Thank God, the moon, the stars and the sun, he said yes.

We have an amazing conversation on the 5 hour plane ride. It was therapeutic.

We get home. I am so happy to be in my own place, even if it is empty, which is so sad. I walk into my bedroom and put my stuff down. I turn on the lamp on my nightstand. There is a hair clip on my nightstand. It does not belong to me. But I know exactly who often uses those in her hair.

A slap in the face before I even unpack.

I contact him and of course, he denies. Claims that he must have put in there when he was cleaning the house and that it's probably ___'s (the mutual friend's house he is currently staying at). I go to sleep that night wondering what exactly is on the sheets I'm sleeping on.

So, of course, in the next couple of days, the crazy girl in me comes out full force. What the fuck is going on? I NEED answers. My life is falling apart. One night while my brother is on the couch watching TV I decide to go and do some detective work. I go to our filing cabinet and open the top drawer, which is his. In the back I can see a huge stack of receipts and Christmas cards. Jackpot. I learn a lot. I read all of the Christmas cards addressed to us BOTH. I see find a Bank of America receipt and discover that he got over a thousand dollars from his parents in Christmas money. By the rest of this stack of receipts I can see that he drank it all away.

Then I find a receipt that stops my breath.
SLS Hotel. $100

I quickly jump on the computer to see how much it costs to stay at the SLS. $400. I look back at the receipt and realize it's for a restaurant at the hotel. Then I find the valet receipt and I see that he left at midnight. Okay, so he didn't stay at the hotel. But he spent $100 on a really nice dinner....WTF.

I walk back out to the living room. I am shaking and flushed. I sit next to my brother and my mind and heart are racing. The problem with snooping is that in order to confront the person with your findings, you have to admit what you were doing. I honestly do not even remember confronting him about this. I know I did and I know he gave me some more bullshit.

My brother and I had a great time talking and watching Beavis & Butthead. He claims that he hates being shown TV and movies by people because he almost never likes the stuff he's shown. I put my foot down though. I make him watch Firefly. He and I grew up watching Star Wars and Star Trek together, damnit, I know he'll love this. At first, he’s not so sure about Mal as a captain but of course, he comes around (since it's the best show in the verse). I was so grateful for his companionship during this time. We had so many good talks about life. I was sad when the week was over and it was time to take him to the airport.

When I get home it takes everything that I have to not cry.
My apartment is so quiet.
It feels like my heart does, alone.

#nerdsunite

 Click here to follow Julie on Twitter

Monday
Jan022012

#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Unwed Bride (2011 - The Worst AND Best Year of My Life!)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet by buddy Julie! She's my roomie, we met on Craiglist, and she is 1,000 flavors of everything awesome sauce. The reason why she had a room in her apartment however is a mighty long story. See, Julie was dating a duderino for 8 years. Yep, they were engaged to be wed and all that snazzy jazzy stuff. Now the engagement is off and Julie is attempting to heal from her loss; these series of posts are her best attempt. HIT IT JULIE! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @ItsMeJoolie

What an epic year 2011 was for me. The lows could not have possibly been lower and the highs made me excited to be alive.

A couple things that happened to me in 2011:

  • My fiance calls off our wedding
  • I return my wedding dress (something no one should fucking have to do)
  •  I lost half of my stuff when my ex moves out
  • I have to leave work to sit in my car and bawl in the middle of the workday
  • Jen Friel becomes my roommate

And THEN all of these awesome firsts happened in 2011:

  • Skydiving
  •  Single for the first time in my adult life
  • I have a group of female friends
  • Got acupuncture
  • Joined a book club
  •  Sang karaoke for the first time (Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger")
  • Visited Las Vegas and played BlackJack
  • Went to Pilates and cardio barre
  • Danced onstage with Prince
  • Met friends from the internet
  • Online dating
  • San Diego Comic Con
  • Started seeing a therapist
  • Went to Self Realization Fellowship and Against The Stream Buddhist Meditation Society

My favorite thing that happened to me this year?
I start my own blog and writing for TNTML. Becoming a part of the TNTML community and meeting so many of you guys has by far been the best part of 2011 for me! So thank you, thank you, thank you!


When the year started I was broken and lost. Over the year I slowly picked up all of the pieces of my life and held them in my arms. You cannot, even if you want to, put the pieces back together the way that they were. The best part about losing everything and starting over is the opportunity you have for transformation. You can make your life better than it was before. What have you always wanted to do but didn't? Now's the time to get started on you.

So that's what 2011 meant to me. Working on me. Rebuilding. Turing towards the universe and opening up to possibilities. I used to be sad that I barely had any friends in LA. So when I realized that I was going to be alone, I made a decision. Meet people. Talk to everyone. Ask them questions. I have more friends now than I have ever had before. Yeah, it was that easy.

What wasn't easy for me was dating. Having never really done it before, it was a huge hurdle to jump over on the way to being healed. I was beyond nervous for my first OKCupid date, but I got through it and went on a bunch more. I'm happy to report that even after having my heart ripped out of my chest, I am able to crush on a boy.

The most important part of losing everything was the self reflection. Why did my fiancé feel like he needed to look elsewhere? What was my part? It does take two to tango after all. Ohhh shit, maybe my lifelong depression? Which brings me to the MOST IMPORTANT THING LEARNED IN 2011:

Happiness is a state of mind, not a set of circumstances. It's a choice.


There will always be things in your life that suck. You lost your job, someone hit your car, hell if you're in the WeHo/Hollywood area, maybe that batshit arsonist set your car on fire. There will always be some bullshit taking place in your life. Your job is to deal with it all the while focusing on the good in your life. Your cute dog, your partner, your house, the job that you love, whatever. Focus on the good. I flipped a switch in my brain and when things go wrong or I’m not happy with something I use the skills I have learned in meditation. When I meditate I smile and go through a picture slide show of everyone in my life and I think about how grateful I am that they are in my life. Negative thoughts creep in, you acknowledge the thought and then MOVE ON!

Even though 2011 was character building, I hope 2012 has much shallower valleys! Now that I've built my life back up I have to refocus, paint the house and plant some flowers. I've spent most of this year eating like shit, smoking cigarettes and drinking. Ooooh the drinking. More drinking in 2011 than all prior years of my life combined. I am not a rock star and will never be, but I've been trying to prove to everyone that I am. So in 2012 I want to continue to have adventures but also balance out. Chill out on the smoking and drinking. And ya know, maybe eat a freakin' salad.

Love you guys!

#nerdsunite

 Click here to follow Julie on Twitter

Sunday
Dec252011

#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Unwed Bride (The Most Unmerry Christmas)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet by buddy Julie! She's my roomie, we met on Craiglist, and she is 1,000 flavors of everything awesome sauce. The reason why she had a room in her apartment however is a mighty long story. See, Julie was dating a duderino for 8 years. Yep, they were engaged to be wed and all that snazzy jazzy stuff. Now the engagement is off and Julie is attempting to heal from her loss; these series of posts are her best attempt. HIT IT JULIE! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @ItsMeJoolie

Read my reservations about writing out this story and here's Part I, Part II, Part III and Part IV of our ending.

A year ago today I was a mess. I retreated home to South Florida to be with my family. I was scared and I felt as though I would never be okay again.

December 12, 2010
My dude and I were getting along pretty well, considering what we had been through. We went to Santa Monica and spent the day shopping at  at Third Street Promenade. We had sushi for lunch and I remember even laughing and joking with him. That night was his company's Christmas party. I told him he should go because I always really enjoyed going to any of my company parties.

We got home and he started to get ready to leave. I started thinking about everything and in the pit of my stomach didn't want him to go. They were getting a freaking party bus that would take them to a Lucky Strike (super nice bowling alley). They were all meeting up beforehand to go to BevMo to stock up. I knew she would be a part of that group. 

I was laying on the couch. He comes over to me and gives me a hug and a kiss goodbye. The moment the door closes I freak out. What the hell was I thinking?? There's no way this is a good idea!! Later in the night I started texting him a lot and I can admit that this behavior was crazy. But I unfortunately was never wrong, he always was doing something wrong, he always was hanging out with her. After the party bus brought them back to their work, he, her and a couple of other people went to Pineapple Hill (I hope this place burns to the ground someday) and were hanging out. So the two of them are hanging out. WTF, WTF, WTF! Her boyfriend (the one who I wrote and spoke to about all of this, but was in such great denial that he didn't want to believe me) actually went to the bar and saw the two of them hanging out. (This was STILL not enough to get him to break up with her!!) She followed him out and it was ONLY THEN that my ex decides to leave. When he gets home he is drunk. And angry at me. 

He's drunk so he is able to do what he couldn't do before. 

Break up with me.

I look at him in shock. First over the phone and now drunk. I'm in awe that someone who I've loved for so many years and who loved me for so many years can do this to me.

December 13, 2010
The next day I call my mom. "Mom, I have to get the hell out of here. I need to come home!" She gets me a plane ticket for that Sunday. I go into my boss' office and tell him that I am going to be working remotely from Fort Lauderdale next week. This isn't uncommon as he's even going to be working remotely the week prior to Christmas. I cry in his office.

A few days later it is time for my Christmas party. I was so depressed but I still had a blast. It was on that night that I made the decision to stay in Los Angeles. That I loved it here even if it was without him. I came home that night and told him that I was going home on Sunday. That I would NOT be spending Christmas here with him.

The next day he had a panic attack at work. The reality of his actions finally hit him. I was leaving. I thought we would have more time together he told me over the phone (time together before we parted ways for good). I told him I just couldn't handle all of this and that I needed to be around people that loved me. His sister was so upset that I was leaving him all alone in LA for the holidays. Whatev, it was his own fault.

I've written about how callous this girl is. How seven years and the fact that we were getting married meant nothing to her. Another example: she changes her facebook profile picture to a cropped picture of her from the party. But I can see who was in the picture with her. My man.

December 17
We went out to dinner together. The mood between us was very unique. When you know something is over it changes things. You're no longer holding on. We drank tequila and ate well and laughed. We spoke to one another in a way we hadn't in some time. We even talked openly about her. We flirted. On the walk back home we passionately kissed in the rain.

Saturday and Sunday were like this as well. I don't even remember what we did but I know that we just really enjoyed each others company. It felt like I was really seeing him for the first time in awhile.  I didn't know if we were going to be okay. I hoped with every piece of my soul that we would be. I didn't know how I was going to live without him. 

December 19
I have to leave to go to the airport soon. I freak out and have my own panic attack. This feels like the end of an era. We won't be together for Christmas or New Year's Eve. But I have to do this.
We are standing in the kitchen. The cab will be here shortly. I didn't want him to drive me to the airport. I didn't want to cry in public as we said good bye. He looks scared and nervous. We just had the best weekend together. But what does it mean after everything that has happened? He thinks the time apart could offer us both some clarity. He holds my face and tells me that he thinks we will be okay. My heart hopes that that is true as we kiss.

December 20 - January 3
The next two weeks I could barely leave my mom's apartment in Boca Raton. I couldn't bring myself to go into Fort Lauderdale, it reminded me too much of him. This was really upsetting. I was born and raised in South Florida, spent the first 20 years of my life there. But in he past seven years, every time I was here it was with him. My family and I traveled north to Kissimmee (outside of Orlando) to visit my cousin. All I could think about is if he was with me how we would have gone to Islands of Adventure to see Harry Potter World. 

On Christmas Eve it was the 3 year anniversary of him and I getting engaged.

We finally face timed on Christmas. He didn't want to discuss anything serious though since it was Christmas. It was so nice to talk to him.

The rest of the week was a blur of me crying and hanging out with family. After the new year we face timed again. This time to discuss our future. He decided to move out for a bit and stay with one of our mutual friends. Wow, this is actually happening, he's moving out. I was so upset that it was with this particular person, too. I didn't have a lot of friends at the time, especially female ones and I was angry that he was being "selfish" and "claiming" her. 

I asked my big brother to come back to Los Angeles with me for a week. I really didn't want to be alone but I had to get back to work.


Which brings me to today. I made the decision to stay in Los Angeles for the winter break. Why would anyone choose to spend Christmas alone? I knew that I needed time to  be alone and relax. Last  year this holiday was so messy, chaotic and emotional for me. I wanted to cleanse it, make it neutral so that I can keep moving on. Being still is an ongoing challenge for me. I'm happy to spend time this year with friends and my kids, my dog and cat. I'm so grateful this year to be where I am and to be happy again.

Einstein

Luna Faye

Merry Christmas!!

#nerdsunite

 Click here to follow Julie on Twitter

Sunday
Dec182011

#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Unwed Bride (Yeah, I'm writing a letter to your boyfriend)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet by buddy Julie! She's my roomie, we met on Craiglist, and she is 1,000 flavors of everything awesome sauce. The reason why she had a room in her apartment however is a mighty long story. See, Julie was dating a duderino for 8 years. Yep, they were engaged to be wed and all that snazzy jazzy stuff. Now the engagement is off and Julie is attempting to heal from her loss; these series of posts are her best attempt. HIT IT JULIE! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @ItsMeJoolie

Read my reservations about writing out this story and here's Part I, Part II, Part III and Part IV of our ending.

Although it was a strained week, the week my ex's dad was in town was actually a really good week. We had no choice but to act normally and his dad is amazing at planning out vacations so unlike most people that come to visit that have no agenda, he had all these great plans and awesome places he wanted to visit.

I told my ex that in order to move forward I felt as though I needed to tell her boyfriend what was up. I couldn't deal with the idea that he had no idea and she was just playing him. Also, their whole office knew and he was friends with a lot of the people they both worked with, so I felt like I should bring him out of the dark. He wasn't against me writing to him, so I went for it:

I got out of yoga and he called me right at two. Such a weird conversation. I believe we spoke for about 45 minutes. The oddest part about the call? His lack of shock. He told me that he was pretty sure that she had cheated on him before and went on to say that he was 90% sure that one occasion was with one of her college professors and how it sucked because he was friends with the guy. He went on to explain that she has this certain energy that seems to draw people in. The way he explained it really made it seem as though my ex wasn't that important to her, that she had a pattern. I almost felt like I was counseling him. Super weird.

He asked if he could show her my facebook message so that she could understand that her actions actually effect people's lives. It freaked me out to think of her reading the message, but of course I said yes.

I hung up and I felt as though it was a really great, honest conversation. I had really opened up to him and I felt like he had to me.

About a week later I found out that he didn't believe me.

#WTF

 Click here to follow Julie on Twitter