Friday, March 5, 2010

Seven Nights with Ponygirl















Where were we?

As you may recall, Love Of My Life (TM) Ponygirl stayed with me for a fortnight in late Jan / early Feb. Pulling the "I'm not ready for a steady relationship and beside I live 7 hours away" line, I sought, much to many reader's discomfort or disgust, consolation rudies (by the way, thanks Obtuse for that word: rudies).

I propositioned Ponygirl for sex and/or her hand in marriage about five times and she rejecetd me every single time. Then she offered me sex one time, and I stupidly rejected the offer. Damn ethics.

So anyway, three weeks went past and she was back again, for a week, to stage manage a rather large show I had produced. In the intervening three weeks there was one major development in her life - she decided against living on the farm, and she accepted a full time job in Melbourne, starting in a month at an entertainment agency (I went referee).

So, she's moving to Melbourne! Suddenly the 'distance' thing is not an issue.

So what happened during our week together? Will the move to Melbourne alter the dynamics of our 3 year on again / off again romance? Will she at least drop the stupid 'no sex for you' rule? Will I beg for even a chance to wash her brassiere in with my undies? Let's see...

Friday Feb 26

She arrives in Melbourne to see my band play. She is a little tipsy and spoils the band rotten by twice bringing drinks up and on to the stage as we're playing (one set of rum shots, one of beer). Always the stage manager. After the gig (an early one) I hit the iced-waters and coffee for a few hours then drive back to the Surf Coast. She stays at a friend's house in Melbourne.

Saturday Feb 27

She arrives at my house in the afternoon. We go to Surfer Joe's for dinner and catch up. We have an early night as we have a lot to do the next day. We sleep in separate beds.

Sunday Feb 28

Up at 9am. We work on show run-sheets until 5pm. Then, we spend the evening getting very drunk and playing Rummikub. We play 20 or so rounds. I win only one of them. She is very, very good at the game, even when sloshed. Bed at 1am, separate beds.

Monday March 1

Show is installed. She supervises, 9am - 7pm, while I work on future shows in my office. That evening, she comes home and re-works runsheet from 8pm - 1am, making me stay awake in case she needs advice. I sit in pyjamas at the kitchen table reading the Collected Poems of Raymond Carver, ocassionally giving advice, and making the cuppas. Separate beds.

Tuesday March 2

Show is rehearsed under her supervision and direction. She works 7am - 6pm. Then, at night, she continues to alter runsheets until her brain fries. She's stressed. I went to bed at 11pm. At 1am, she crawls into my bed, cuddles me, and we fall asleep within seconds.

Wednesday March 3

She works 6am - 7pm. Day one of show runs well. Minimal working at night, and we go to separate beds, early.

Thursday March 4

She works 6am - 11pm. Show runs perfectly. After-party for show crew at my house til 2am, we all get a little drunk. She's a bit flirty with me, but I think it is more out of relief from the show working. She's just happy. We go to separate beds.

Friday March 5

Ponygirl departs, early, to get back to farm. She's back in 9 days' time to do one more show for me before she starts full-time in Melbourne.

**

Pretty boring, huh?

I know I promised excitement and drama, but just like any film starring Denzel Washington post-Malcolm X, it was a lie.

Romeo and Juliet we were not. Jerry and Elaine would be the closest example.

If you're thinking that I have wised up and found some inner-strength and dignity in my dealings with Ponygirl, you'd be right. But if you think I found this inner-strength without some, er, assistance, you'd be wrong.

See, something else happened in the intervening three weeks.

Something very good happened.

Songstress, happened.**

As Raymond Carver so beautifully put it in a poem about driving towards his new girlfriend's house after divorcing his wife, I am...

"...moving toward whatever ancient thing
it is that works the chains
that pulls us so relentlessly on."


Wish me luck.


**If you click the Songstress link, jump to Jan 26.

18 comments:

Cath said...

I wish you the greatest of luck... but I feel like something is missing from this post......

squib said...

hmmmm I have a bad feeling about this...

also, I love Rummikub. I play mean, keep all the tiles to myself til the end. It used to upset my nan. Now she's gone, I feel bad. I should have let her win now and then

Lewd Bob said...

Romeo and Juliet we were not. Jerry and Elaine would be the closest example.

You're more like Harry and Sally. Wait, did they get together in the end? Oh shit, I can't remember.

As you were.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Romeo and Juliet we were not.

That's probably a good thing, seeing as how they both end up dead.

Pepsi said...

Well done, congratulations.

Songstress is hot too.

Goodluck with her and hoping it all goes well.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness.

Perseus, you are totally in the 'friend zone' with Ponygirl now. You might as well give up on getting short back and sides, that way you can braid each others hair on sleepovers and eat ice cream and bitch about boys.

Clearly you have become Ponygirl's Sexless Innkeeper.

obtuse-a said...

Finally! although I wouldn't tell songstress about ponygirl climbing into your bed to have a cuddle if I were you

patchouligirl said...

Have you really communicated your feelings clearly to Ponygirl Peresus?

Mr E said...

**If you click the Songstress link, jump to Jan 26.

It saddens me to see that your love life has deteriorated to the point that you need to pad your post with file footage.

Lewd Bob said...

pad your post with file footage.

Perseus's is the channel 9 of love lives...despite its occasional slips into SBS territory (e.g. German backpacker romps).

Unknown said...

Dude, good luck with Songstress.

I've never heard of Rummikub, and the picture with this post shows there are numbers involved. I don't like games with numbers. Numbers suck. Letters are better.

It does sound like you've definitely hit "just friends" territory with Ponygirl. It's interesting that she's now making a move from the farm - I wonder why she's decided to make the move now?

Perseus said...

EMS: I also prefer games with letters, and/or dice. Rummikub is so strategic. I don't think strategically. Ever.

She's moving from the farm because all the Cod died, which is what she was going to look after... well, avacadoes and cod. The plan now is to look after avacodoes and mangoes, but they havw to grow mangoes first. That gives her 2 or so years to decide of she'll live on the farm or live in the city for a career.

Patchouligirl: You asked, "Have you really communicated your feelings clearly to Ponygirl?" My answer is: Daily, for three years.

Mr.E: I put it to you it is because, for once, my love-life has taken a nice turn, I do have to rely on flashbacks. I like a girl, she likes me back. Where's the drama and fun in that on a blog post?

Boogeyman: So when I was trying to seduce Ponygirl you thought I was a loser. Now I'm not trying to seduce her, I'm still a loser. You hate me, don't you?

Obtuse: No, I won't. Songstress is not my girlfriend as such, yet, and nothing happened when Ponygirl got into my bed, but I appreciate your point.

Squib: A bad feeling? Why? I'm happy!

squib said...

Because I fear that just as everything is going swimmingly with Songstress, PG will make an advance and you will be back to square one and/or some other nymph (or three) will distract you

Forgive my pessimism. I do of course hope I am wrong and this ends in booties and confetti and so forth

Anonymous said...

So when I was trying to seduce Ponygirl you thought I was a loser. Now I'm not trying to seduce her, I'm still a loser. You hate me, don't you?

You dork, nothing's changed, you're still trying to get into her pants, and she's still playing you.

And no, I don't hate you, oh greenest gumby of love. I just reckon that either Ponygirl isn't into you, or she is and is toying with you. Either way, you're better than that, so stop chasing after her. Demeaning yourself for her isn't going to make her hot for you.

Perseus said...

But I didn't chase her at all last week!

She was a friend for a long time before anything happened between us, so she is still a friend.

Melba said...

I don't know if this thread is still open but I'm finding the suicide one depressing.

Don't laugh.

HOWEVER I don't think it's a case of PG liking Perseus and toying with him. She sounds too ok to do that, and besides, I really don't think ANY girl would do that. Or boy.


I think it's a case of she's just not that into you.

Sorry, Perseus. You have made it clear to her that you like her like that. Move on with Songstress, and like squib said, hopefully it will end with what you want (booties if not confetti.)

AND CAN WE COME TO THE WEDDING/BABY SHOWER?

Perseus said...

Thank you Melba. I agree with you. Ponygirl is a wonderful chick and has indeed made herself clear. She adores me, but is not wanting a relationship.

And yes, I am going to do my best with Songstress and see how that goes.

I don't know if you'll get a guensey at the baby shower, but I'll make sure you're at the wedding.

patchouligirl said...

Someone finds the suicide thread more depressing than your love life Perseus - chin up!