The ex-files: to all the men I’ve loved before (Part 4)
If you haven’t read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of The Ex-Files you should. It will give you some context as to why I’m taking this self-indulgent trip down memory lane. John John has the dubious honour of being the most good looking man I have ever had a relationship with, and the man who
The ex-files: to all the men I’ve loved before (Part 3)
If you haven’t read Part 1 and Part 2 of The Ex-Files you should. It will give you some context as to why I’m taking this self-indulgent trip down memory lane. Terry While I didn’t have a relationship with Terry per se, mainly because his “taken” status precluded it, I saw him on and off
The ex-files: to all the men I’ve loved before (Part 2)
If you haven’t read Part 1 of The Ex-Files you should. It will give you some context as to why I’m taking this self-indulgent trip down memory lane. Nick I met Nick one night when I went out on my own, something I rarely did, even in my risk-embracing early 20s. I had moved to
The ex-files: to all the men I’ve loved before (Part 1)
In my last post, I raved about Attached, and how, because of this book, I feel more in control of my love life than I ever have in my 30 odd years of dealing with boys and men. I feel that I can make better, more informed choices about potential partners. I don’t feel so
Why #Attached is THE best book I’ve EVER read about dating, love & relationships
(And I’ve read so many…) Y’all have been reading this blog for a while. Y’all know that I’ve had such miserable and painful experiences in the love and relationships department that I decided to bow out, throw in the towel and resign myself to the fact that I am doomed to walk this planet alone.
An open letter to blokes/dudes/boys* who want to make sexy time(s) with me
Dear blokes/dudes/boys* who want to make sexy time(s) with me, I get it. I really do. The testosterone coursing through your system like a relentless tide is driving you crazy. I get that you are biologically wired to spread your genetic code. I get that our culture makes it easy for you to have hook-ups and
Dating: it’s not hard to shine
A friend of mine recently embarked on a potential relationship journey. She has been single for eight years (as long as me!) and has carefully thought through the type of man she wants to be with, and the circumstances in which a potential relationship may blossom. She is a woman in her early thirties—fit, healthy
Love & Other Stuff has been born!
After a short incubation and a long labor*, I am pleased to announce the birth of the Love & Other Stuff series. Lauded by pundits** as being potentially one of the great non-fiction classics of our time, Part 1 – Broken Heart Stuff documents the unravelling of my relationship with the Italian, and the ensuing struggle to salvage
My five simple rules for dating
I’m nearly 51 years old. It has been around eight years since I’ve been in a relationship. I have only really ventured back into the world of dating in the last 12 months because it took me that long to feel ready again after aforementioned previous relationship. I have learned more in the last 12
To my dear future husband… I’m sorry
Dear future husband,
I have no idea who you are, what you do, what your name is or what you look like. I don’t know the circumstances of our meeting, who approached whom or what attracted us to each other. Was it a look, a smile, a word, or just plain instinct? I don’t know if we will even like each other at the start; will we be an instant chemical reaction or a slow burn?
What I do know is that I need to apologise in advance for a few things. These things will explain why I am the way I am and why I do what I do. This post will help you understand my motivations and drivers and flaws – and will hopefully help you prevail and persevere in the face of my occasional difficulty but frequent awesomeness.
So here goes.
I’m sorry that I won’t make things easy for you when we meet. You are going to have to do some serious work to get past the razor wire, glass shards, land mines and vicious guard dogs that protect the precious and fragile real estate that is my heart. I have met too many fucktards and/or twats to give you the benefit of the doubt and just let you in. My position is to assume you too are a fucktard and/or twat, and it’s up to you to prove to me how awesome you are and why I should let you past the razor wire, glass shards, land mines and vicious guard dogs that protect the precious and fragile real estate that is my heart. I’m sorry the fucktards and/or twats have made life difficult for you. You don’t deserve this, and unfortunately you are the one who pays the price for all their fucktardedry and twatiness. It’s not fair, but that’s just how it is.
No small thing
Recently, I almost, very quickly and without much thought, fell in love. He was a man I had met a number of times, and when we crossed paths this last time, something just clicked into place. Suffice it to say I was swept off my feet with his attention; his openness and warmth; his wanting to get to know me; and his heady promises of an awesome future. He seemed so authentic, so genuine, so real and so different from all the fucktards I’d recently had the dubious pleasure of being involved with.
And he was authentic, genuine, real and different until he was faced with the situation* of choosing between his ex-wife and me.
Needless to say I wasn’t the winner.
And this man, who seemed so authentic, so genuine, so real and so different from all the fucktards I’d recently had the dubious pleasure of being involved with, retreated into the distance with nary a word. So much for “I can see a future with you” and “I’m so into you” and “Honesty and trust are everything” and “I really, really, REALLY like you” and “This is the last trip you’ll ever have to do on your own” (I was just about to head off to Japan for three weeks).
Three week hiatus
I won’t be posting to The Diane Lee Project for three weeks, because I will be travelling around Japan, starting in Tokyo and finishing in Osaka. I will, however, be blogging about my trip at The Travelling Homebody if you want to follow along at home. See you in a few weeks, and be kind to each