Addendum

I emailed her, and her reply was to bump up the date of our next meeting - to Valentine's Day. LOL.

I also did something else - along the lines of improving my chances at landing a job - I took a course and got certified to operate a fork lift!!!!!!! It was fun - got to drive one around, lift, stack, and move things with it - then unstack things and return them to where I had picked them up with it. Had to take notes and sit through a long safety lecture first - OSHA requirement - but after that, I got to examine and operate a real forklift - something I never imagined I would do.

Now, I am tempted to take a set of courses to learn welding, even though I am not sure I ever want to work as a welder. I know it costs money I'd have to borrow; but sometimes it's worth it to have additional skills to list on the resume. Hey, might help me get a different job. One that actually pays good money.

I look at it this way, right now, I have nothing but time on my hands - may as well be using it to learn useful, employable skills, right? More traditionally "masculine" skills..... things I never thought I would be able - or allowed - to do.

As I see it, it's also all part of working on becoming myself, instead of everyone else's idea of who they imagine I ought to be.