'Just the Cheese'

 A week and a half ago on November 5th was our 3 year anniversary (Nicole and I). It also marked our one year anniversary of being engaged. The past year has just flown by. It feels like I just proposed the other day. I knew that if I didn't plan something special that I would be in trouble. Since we don't live together yet it is difficult to plan a romantic evening. I also didn't want to go to any ol' restaurant that we have been do 38 times already. I chose a restaurant that we have only been to once before (for my birthday last year, I would of blogged about this restaurant then but I didn't start my blog until after my birthday). I made reservations at The Melting Pot. It's a dining establishment where you get to cook your own lobster at your table. No, no, no, that sounds barbaric. It is actually a fondue place.

Last year there were 8 of us with only 2 fondue pots at the table so it seemed a little crowded. I figured it would make for a better experience if it was just the two of us (cue "Just the Two of Us" by Dr. Evil). And like most of the time, I was right. They seated us at Lover's Row which was a little booth with a table and ell shaped seating where you are forced with cuddle with your partner. It was very romantic. The lights were dimmed in that section and there was a single candle on the table with an anniversary card from the restaurant signed by the staff. Nice touch Melting Pot, way to earn your tips.

I'm not going to lie, the menu is a bit pricey but it's not one of those places you would go all the time anyway. We went all out and got the four course meal, cheese fondue, salads, main course and chocolate fondue. We chose the cheddar fondue with had some Swiss and other spices. That was served with apples, bread and veggies for dipping. Boy do I love me some cheese. The salads were very flavorful and delicious. For our main course fondue we had a Caribbean style oil. Nicole got the filet mignon while I chose an assortment of meat. My dish came with pork, chicken, shrimp, teriyaki steak, duck and pot stickers. The meat is served raw and your job is to throw it on a fondue fork and cook it the way you want it. Cooking time is very minimal, only need 2 minutes per slice of meat. Accompanying our dishes were more veggies (potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus and peppers) and 5 dipping sauces (curry, ginger, teriyaki, cream cheese and some other white one).

With it only being the two of us it was a lot less crowded in the fondue pot and cooking time was quick. When it was the 8 of us last year it took forever to cook our food. I wasn't too thrilled with the duck, it had a ginger glaze and I'm not a big fan of ginger. However the teriyaki steak was delicious, I wish I had more of that. We were both pretty much full after our main course but we had to make a little room for dessert. How often do we get to eat chocolate fondue? We chose the flaming turtle which is milk chocolate, caramel and chopped pecans which was flambeed right in front of us. It was a pretty cool sight and I wish I had a picture to show you but Nicole was too slow with the camera.

For dippers we had strawberries, marshmallows coated in chocolate, cheesecake, brownies, bananas and sesame chicken....... there was no chicken (just seeing if you are still paying attention). More chocolate fondue please!!! We should of started with that. We had a tough time deciding on what chocolate fondue to get. There are so many tasty looking choices.

I recommend The Melting Pot for 2 to 4 people, any more and it seems a bit crowded. It's perfect for two people. It is definitely a different dining experience. Getting to cook your food at your table is fun and it leaves a lot of room for talking. The night doesn't go by so fast. Oh I forgot one of the best things I had. Order up a Love Martini, it is so yummy. It might be a girly drink but I don't care. It has peach schnapps, coconut rum, cranberry juice and fresh strawberries. Our bill came to about $125 including tip. At least try it once and see what you think, it may not be for everybody.

We also did something the next day for our anniversary which I will save for another post cuz this one is way too long already. I also have to talk about our anniversary presents next time. Could it be a real live pony or a banjo perhaps?

It has come to my attention that I haven't written about Nicole in awhile. Actually, Nicole brought it to my attention (several times). To be honest, she doesn't like that I blog, she thinks it's a waste of time. I can understand that coming from an outsider that doesn't understand the great blogosphere and the people that inhabit it. Now don't judge her, she is just looking out for my best interest. To compensate for her basically hating blogging, I write nice things about her and us to make her happy. And that's all that really matters right, making the little lady happy? I don't force any posts, I write from the heart.

I haven't talked about wedding stuff in awhile since we booked our venue because there hasn't been much to update. Well there was one eventful thing that happened a little after we found our place to wed. Now what I am about to tell you is top secret (I understand posting something top secret on the Internet isn't a brilliant idea but who are you to judge?). Don't tell Nicole's grandma what I am about to tell you, she might get upset and she is Italian and has threatened me before.

Nicole values my opinion about her appearance so naturally she wanted me to go dress browsing with her. She wants to look her best for me (which should be no problem cuz she does it already) so she would like to know what designs I fancy. We took a trip to David's Bridal to try on some dresses. Let me rephrase that, we went to David's Bridal so Nicole could try on some dresses. I prefer to cross dress privately so no one judges me. I look best in a backless dress with a 3 inch heel, but that's a story for another post.

Nicole makes it easy for the lady working there by bringing in pictures of the dresses she wants to try on. At this point I am both excited and anxious. I want to see her all dressed up in a wedding dress but I also know that the groom isn't suppose to see the bride in her dress before the actual ceremony. The lady working there, let's call her Rita, told us that most brides-to-be try on many dresses and they never tell the grooms-to-be which one they would pick. So even though I will see Nicole in wedding dresses, chances are I won't know which one she picks (if any from the selection) or remember them in general.

The first dress she tried on looked absolutely stunning on her. It gave her a nice shape, accented her features and had what she was looking for in a dress. I remember her looking beautiful in it but I can't remember what the dress actually looked like. I guess Rita was right. I know it had a corset-looking back with crossing straps, it was strapless and had some bling to it. It also perked up her boobies. Yay for boobies!! Sorry I lost my concentration. Where was I?

I liked most of the dresses she tried on. Some weren't my cup of tea but she didn't really like those ones either so it was all good. I got really excited seeing her in wedding dresses. If she looked great in an untailored, unfitted dress I can just imagine what she will look like walking down the aisle. She is going to look fabulous. I'm getting butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. I am going to need tissues in my pockets cuz my palms are going to be all sweaty. I want to see her in more dresses but it's probably better than I only go the one time, I don't want to spoil anything.

The new gardens at Anthony's Pier Nine (our wedding venue) are either finished or are almost finished. I can't wait to see how they turn out. I won't even notice them on the big day because my eyes will be locked on my gorgeous sweetheart.

Here are some random things I love about Nicole, my fiancee. They are in no particular order.

1) Her laugh

2) That she comes over after work around midnight just to sleep with me for a couple hours to then go home

3) Her beautiful eyes

4) The way she uses her sexuality to grab my attention

5) Her great smile

6) The affectionate tone of her voice

7) Her undying determination to be a nurse

8) The taste of her kiss

9) Pushing me to go to school

10) The way she lays on my chest when we cuddle

11) Putting up with my sarcasm

12) Wanting to start a family with me

13) The way she says goodbye

14) About a thousand other things

Yesterday (May 5th) marked 2 1/2 years in our relationship. Time has gone by so fast, it doesn't feel like it has been that long. It still feels like we are in the first couple of months of our relationship. We still possess the new relationship feelings and attitude. You know how after dating someone for awhile you kind of lose that spark in your stomach and things get boring or there isn't as much affection anymore? Well that is not the case for Nicole and I. Just the other night I went over to Nicole's after school for an hour before I had to go to work and I was showing her affection like it was within the first month of us dating. I was kissing her with so much passion and fire. One of the reasons is that she looked just so damn cute, I couldn't resist her lips. It sucked that I had to go to work, I could of kissed her all night without even looking for any sex, even though it would of happened on it's own and would have been fantastic.

I love having these random spurts of cute moments, it keeps the relationship nice and fresh. If there was ever a spontaneous time to propose, the other night would have been perfect (those of you who don't know, we are already engaged).

During our late night nap, I had a dream that Nicole was in the ocean with some friends and a big ass wave came crashing down on them. Without even thinking I jumped in the water and saved Nicole because she needed help. I think this dream shows how much I love her.

One of the things that I love is the silliness we can have. I love tickling her, play fighting and just being cute and cuddly. I hope that we never lose these. They are the essence of our relationship. I am getting more and more excited about the wedding and our future. We are slowly making progress with our wedding plans. We have compiled part of our guest list. Nicole has found a few dress styles and invitation ideas that she likes. Next week we are looking at another place to have the wedding. It is a hotel that looks like a giant castle with a great view. I went to a prom there so I know it's nice. I will keep everyone updated with whatever we have in the mix.

I recently watched Couples Retreat and it made me think about my relationship with Nicole. Seeing the married couples in the film got me pondering our future, only good things mind you, nothing bad. It got me all warm and fuzzy thinking about getting married and having kids. Because of the movie (which I finished at 5 am) a rush of feelings came over me and I texted Nicole 'I love you.' I wish I had watched it with her, it's one of those movies that makes you want to cuddle and be affectionate but it's not a chick flick.

Anytime I watch a movie or tv show with a family I start thinking about my future family. I really want to be a husband and a great dad. I love seeing adorable little kids in movies and shows, it makes me want to have one of my own right away. I have never thought about this stuff in prior relationships and that's one of the reasons I know that Nicole and I are meant to be together. I love these new feelings about marriage and kids. Of course Nicole wants like 16 and I want 3 so there is going to be much discussion on the subject when it comes time to start makin' the babies. I think that I will make a kick-ass dad, I'm still a big kid inside. Put some baby toys in front of me and I will gladly entertain myself. I think I might go play with some Legos after this post, I believe I still have mine from when I was a wee lad.

If you remember from last week's post, Nicole and I checked out our first wedding hall. This place was gorgeous. It was right on the Hudson River. The view is beautiful no matter where you are inside, there are windows surrounding the hall. There is a stone walkway in the water leading to a rock formation where pictures are taken for the wedding. I wish I had some pics to show you. The menu is to die for, so much food!! Anything you can think of, they have it. Their chef has been with them for 22 years and they are renowned for their food. We were so excited about this place until she told us the price per plate. Depending on what month and day the wedding is, the price ranges from $140-$180 a plate. This may be out of our price range. Nicole wasn't as shocked by the price like I was (mostly because I'm cheap). They have food tasting every 6-8 weeks so we are going to hit that up. We can bring 6 people total and the food is free and we get to meet the vendors. I love free food. This place might be too good to be true but it is only the first place we have looked at and we are in no rush to make any decisions. I bet house hunting is going to be similar to this.

I want to end on a good note. The other night we had another 'sleep kissing' episode. It was another deep and passionate kiss like the last time except for that it felt like a 'first kiss' kiss. In my half daze I mumbled something about a first kiss, I was probably still dreaming. It was definitely another memorable kiss and I hope this becomes a trend in our future slumber.

First I want to update everyone on my wedding plans. As you may know the date is set for October, 20 2012 (you may or may not be invited, talk to Nicole). We have an appointment to go check out a banquet hall for our wedding reception. It's called Beckwithe Pointe located in New Rochelle, NY. It's right on the Hudson River so the view is really beautiful (from what I can see from the wedding pics on their website). I'm very excited, this is one of our first big steps in the whole wedding planning scenario besides setting the date. I will keep everyone up to date if this place seems like a good option.

Next I want to present you with a phenomenon I like to call 'sleep kissing.' It has happened on numerous occasions between Nicole and I. We will both be fast asleep and then out of nowhere I wake up and start kissing her like we planned it or something. Then like it never happened we both stop and fall back to sleep. It's kind of like sleepwalking but nobody gets hurt and it's sort of romantic. After we wake up, I kind of remember it happening but it happens so fast that it almost seems like part of my dream.

This past week we had the most vivid sleep kissing episode. It was so passionate and romantic that I wish we knew what we were doing so we could of kept kissing for awhile and let things go where they might. It was definitely a memorable kissing moment. I am going to keep that memory just in the back of my mind so when I'm feeling down I can reach back for it to cheer me up. I wish we had more sleep kissing episodes like the one we had this week. I hope the next step is sleep sex.

We have been together for nearly 2 1/2 years (we will hit that mark on May 5th) and our relationship always feels new and fresh. We haven't gotten bored of each other. I still feel like it's the beginning of the relationship. I am going to stop here, I want to continue this in another post in the near future. I have a lot to say on this subject and I don't want to just squeeze it in here at the end of this one.

The other night Nicole left my house around 2:30 am and after our goodnight kiss she gave me this great big smile (one of her best features). This particular smile made me light up inside, put a big smile on my face and I thought to myself, 'we have a great relationship.'I love when I have moments like these especially since it was from such a simple thing like a smile. I had to tell her right away what her smile did to me and also because I knew it would make her get that feeling as well. I can't search for these events, they just happen on their own at random times.

As I am typing this I am thinking back to another post I wrote about a great kiss we had outside of Subway. I am reliving that kiss right now and it feels good. I wish Nicole was next to me right now so I can give her a nice, big passionate kiss to express myself. It is definitely the little things that count in a relationship. I will remember moments like these and not even recollect the stupid fights we have had, they don't even matter.

Just yesterday at school she did something that was surprising and cute. She stopped by school on her way somewhere and met up with me in the parking lot to say hi and to give me a kiss. I didn't know she was coming and it was very cute what she did, I loved it. If only she had brought me a sandwich too, I'm just joking of course. I love the little things like that in our relationship. Can you remember the little things? Do they put a smile on your face? They do for me.

Nicole is the best and I am so excited about our future together. I can't wait to start a family with her and be a father to our rugrats. Nicole, thanks for everything you do. I love you.

I have been making a mistake that nobody has picked up on. I guess no English majors read my blog. I have been using 'fiance' instead of 'fiancee' when talking about Nicole. 'Fiance' refers to the man while 'fiancee' refers to the woman. I had it backwards this whole time, boy is my face red. Okay, enough sarcasm, on to the exciting news.

After 5 months of being engaged, Nicole and I finally set a date for the wedding! We decided on October 20, 2012. That's a Saturday if anyone was wondering. So don't make plans for that date, who knows who will be invited. Has anybody ever invited fellow bloggers to attend their wedding? There is always a first for everything. Nicole, if you are reading this, I am not serious. I am not inviting strangers to our wedding no matter how cool their blogs or comments are. Sorry for the let down folks.

One of the reasons we set it 2 1/2 years in the future is we wanted to wait until one of us was out of school or somewhat close. The way school is going for both of us, it's a mystery to when we will finish.

Over 900 days and counting to the big day. I'm so excited! Hurrah!!

In a zoo in California , a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy,
the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size,
they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger , after recovering from the delivery , suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only ' orphans ' that could be found quickly, were a litter of weaning pigs... The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork chops ?

Take A Look














Now, please tell me one more time ...

Why can't the rest of the world get along ?

It's so refreshing being in a great relationship. There are always little surprises along the way that brightens my day. The other day I was stuck writing this ridiculous English essay on relativity in poetry. It was a doozy, to say the least. I spent like 4 days working on it and came up with some major cow dung. That's a whole other story. I was so busy with my essay that all I had to eat that day was a bowl of Toucan Sam Rings (Froot Loops if you want to be specific). After I finished my essay I had to rush off to class for 3 hours and immediately after go to work for 8. I did pack some snacks for work but nothing nutritious or of substance, just some Cheetos and crackers.

After class was over I decided I was going to stop quick at Dunkin' Donuts for a muffin. When I opened the door to the car there was a bag with a note on it from Nicole (my fiance). She had made me this delicious steak and cheese wrap with peppers, onions, lettuce and bbq sauce. Mmmm, just typing the words makes me want another one. There was also a water bottle, yogurt and a bag of banana nut cereal which I mixed together (not the water), it was very tasty. She definitely made that wrap with love. I was soooooo hungry by the time I got to eat it at work. I did have a test taste right before I got to work and that was all I was looking forward to before first break, I couldn't wait until lunch to eat it.

I love when she surprises me with things like that. Usually when she is coming over and I tell her I could go for some Subway or an iced tea, she gets it for me and brings it over. She is so sweet and caring. No wonder I proposed to her. Nicole, if you are reading this, thank you. Kiss.

My new favorite show to watch is 'House Hunters' on the Home and Garden channel (HGTV). The show has a very basic premise, either a couple or a single person is looking for a house, apartment, or condo to purchase and move into. The buyers usually look at a lot of homes before making their final decision but HGTV only shows you the 3 best selections.

The reason I like this show is because I picture buying my first house with my fiance Nicole. Hopefully, by that time it will by Mrs. Scully. Right now we are still both living at home trying to find a way to live together. The problem is I don't have a good paying job for us to afford an apartment so we are stuck in limbo for the time being. We have been engaged for 4 months already and I all I want is to be able to come home from work or school and be with her at our own place. Preferably to some dinner.

I did move out at one point but it was with the wrong person, things didn't work out and I had to move back home for financial reasons. It has been over 2 years since I moved back home and it's time to leave again, with Nicole at my side of course. One of the things I hate the most about not living together is falling asleep together at night just to wake up in an hour or two to go home. I can't wait til the time when we can fall asleep together in our own bed and wake up together in our own bed.

Watching 'House Hunters' gets me excited about our future but it also makes me kind of sad because I can't have that just yet. I would love to be able to buy a house instead of moving into an apartment, it's definitely more cost efficient but that takes time and saving. We need to get an apartment first just so we can get out of our parents' houses and start our future.

My ultimate goal is to make Nicole happy. To be able to provide for her, support her and give her the life she wants. I would do anything to be able to get a place with her right now. We already bought some dishes, glasses and towels for the place we don't have yet. I can just imagine the look in her eyes when I can make our dreams come true.

This stupid recession is putting a damper on our plans. Damn you George Bush!!

THE GIFT TRANSLATOR: What you mean to say compared to What she thinks you're saying. Find out what your valentine's day present really says about you.

Box of chocolates: You - "You are as sweet and delicious as this candy." Her - "I stopped at a drugstore on my way to pick you up!"

Crotchless Panties: You - "It would be so hot if you wore these." Her - "I have probably been with hookers."

Home-Cooked Meal: You - "I love you so much, I put my heart and soul into this dinner." Her - "I lied about getting that holiday bonus."

Tickets to a Show: You - "I hate musicals, but I'll take you to one because you love them and maybe I'll get some nookie." Her - "There's something I need to tell you about me and my friend Frank."

Engagement Ring: You - "Fine, here you go. All your harping has paid off." Her - "You're the only one for me, and I can't wait to spend my life with you!"

I found this in Maxim, I wish I could take the credit. Just get the little lady some jewelry, you can't go wrong with something shiny. And a bunch of good smelling flowers. Don't procrastinate, get your gifts now and plan something special.

I'm going to change things up today and share my feelings instead of being sarcastic. It's a rare event so you might want to soak it all in. This post is going to mainly be about my fiance Nicole, well because she deserves it for putting up with me. Okay on to the serious stuff.

As you may already know (if you follow my blog) Nicole and I are recently engaged, a month to be exact and things have never been better. Giving her that ring has brought out all my feelings and emotions. I have been more loving, affectionate and well, girly in a matter of speaking. I am always thinking about the future with her which puts a big smile on my face. I can definitely see myself growing old with her.

The main catalyst for this blog post is a kiss we had the other day. It was a goodbye kiss we had in the parking lot after having some subway before I left for school. It was one of those amazing first kiss type kisses where you really connect with the person on an emotional level. We kiss a lot but this one was different, it stayed on my mind for the next few hours. It was very passionate and deep and I hated that I had to leave for school. It was a kiss that would of turned into some great love making (especially for conception.)

I love kissing Nicole, sometimes it's better than sex, yeah I said it. And I'm not talking about making out because that's what horny teenagers do. I'm talking about passionate kissing that lasts so long that your mouth is all dried out. I find the best kissing comes when you know there isn't going to be any sex. When sex is involves the kissing tends to get cut short and other parts get touched instead. However sometimes the best kissing comes during really great sex. I guess it's one of those in the moment type situations.

You know how you get a craving for food, well I get cravings to kiss Nicole. A lot of times I will be on my way to see her thinking about kissing her hello and I will get all excited and anxious. Very often I will just turn to her and plant a big one on her lips and she will say "what was that for?" I had to satisfy my craving. I love her very much and we are very happy together. I can't wait to be her husband!!

I'm the ONE
Well, I'm the fiance of Powdered Toast Man...that's right...jealousy, I feel it all around. Well actually I'm just here to say a little something about my engagement to Jamie. We have been together for 2 years and to me it still feels like the very first time for everything. I got to say I was a little surprised that he popped the question when he did. I mean we have talked about it and we knew we wanted to be married but I didn't think he was going to do it as soon as he did after talking about it and picking out my ring. (BTW I love it and I have been getting compliments left and right).

I have been getting comments like "its too soon" and " your going to wait right". Maybe its because I'm not even 21 yet and its hard for people to believe that I found my soul-mate. That's exactly what he is to me. I know he probably doesn't believe me fully but I knew he was the one as soon as 2-3 months after dating. I don't feel I have to justify anything so I'm not going to.

I'm so excited to be the future Mrs Powdered Toast Man. I cant wait to start planning my wedding...the colors, dresses, flowers, music, cake, family...i want nothing more then to plan it now. I love that he wants to make this commitment and i cant wait till the day we are standing at the altar. Before when we were just talking about it i felt so close to him and so happy about what's going to come next. Now that its here I'm super anxious and even more in love with him which i didn't think i could be. I would do anything for him and its a nice feeling knowing i have someone that will do the same for me.

-Nicole

I like to give advice from time to time, when I have advice worth giving of course. Something, I'm sure many guys are aware of but still need reminding, is that the girlfriend is always right. Now in actuality us guys are usually right but that never works out in our favor. No matter what you are fighting about it's not worth it to be right. You just have to swallow your pride, bite the bullet and say five little words: "Honey you're right, I'm sorry." Girls, you're welcome. Maybe I just averted a few unnecessary fights.

Guys you have to pick your battles. In the long run there is no advantage to being right. Even if you are right, in her eyes you are still wrong and she is still mad at you. Now what do both sides really want? For the fight to be over so you can have some good make-up sex. Really the only reason to put in your two cents is if she cheated on you or something of that nature. But even then being right is still a bad thing.

Stop having stupid fights over meaningless shit. Who cares who is right, it is not worth the agony. As a guy this is really hard to do but we want to make our ladies happy and it's going to involve some sacrifice. Next time you are about to have a fight think about what you really gain for being right....... nothing!!