christa's dating sitcom

i once crossed the street while breaking up with a boyfriend when i ran into the ex that literally broke my heart, swallowed up the pieces, and threw them to the curb. instead of acknowledging one another's presence with at least a smile of recognition, he pulled his raincoat hood up over his head, slightly covering his eyes, and walked by within inches of me - as if i never existed. the poor boy i was breaking up with at the moment... he thought i was devastated (when in reality, i've just never felt so awkward).

sometimes i wonder if my life should be turned into a sitcom. i think it would get good ratings. some very comedic things happen to me.

i date. i've had a few serious relationships. but really, it's not like i date A LOT. by no means am i some crazy party girl. i'm rather conservative and cautious. but seriously, i run into men i've dated ALL OVER the seattle area. and i hate it. sometimes i too hide. and other times i can't avoid the awkward hello.

recently, i was at the climbing gym with friends when a quirky little dude with curly hair and glasses came up to say hello. we had been out for coffee once. and although we shared two hours of conversation, i don't think either of us were too interested. we left things up in the air. i was supposed to get back to him after a trip to LA to plan a second date, and i let things fall through. so imagine my embarrassment when i ran into him while in spandex with friends from work...

last week, a similar thing happened. i was at a climbing gym in bellevue. i've never dated anyone in bellevue; i thought i was in the clear. but NO. there too, i ran into someone i knew - a rather nerdy gentleman i met last summer in my glacier climbing class. he was my age, balding, and from the czech republic. he pursued me, quite intensely, despite my disinterest. and i had to say NO at least four times to his efforts. even though i turned around the moment i saw czech boy (while i was climbing with a different guy friend), he found me moments later. and we ended up climbing in an awkward threesome for almost an hour!

this relates to nursing. in some crazy strange way. i promise. i hate when different worlds collide - when your work life gets tangled in your personal life.

nurse patient works with my ex-boyfriend's (the real heartbreaker) current girlfriend. i've known this from about day two of caring for her. in fact, there is a photo of aforementioned girlfriend in my patient's room. how weird is it that i get to see her face on a daily basis at work?

if that's not weird enough... follow this if you can. a friend of mine from work, V, her sister-in-law, is best friend's with ex-boyfriend's girlfriend AND with nurse patient. because V knows the entire saga, she has told her sister-in-law not to allow ex-boyfriend's girlfriend to visit on days that i work. and up until now, V's sister-in-law has avoided visits on shifts that i work too.

BUT... last week it happened. i walked into nurse patient's room and V's sister-in-law (who i recognize from photos) was sitting at the bedside. we made eye contact (and in that moment seemed to acknowledge the unspoken tension amongst all of us - because surely, nurse patient KNOWS too). before things could get too awkward, i introduced myself like a mature woman. but inside, i was dying! thanks to the yellow gowns i have to wear, no one could see the sweat stains. and thankfully, the dialogue in my brain has no volume and was kept just to myself. but really?!? must i run into friends of ex-boyfriend's girlfriends while taking care of nurse patient who is also friends with ex-boyfriend's girlfriend. that is too much coincidence if you ask me.

pray for me... that this week i do not actually see ex-boyfriend's girlfriend. then i might literally call ABC or NBC and ask if they need new ideas for a series!