The question on everyone's mind . . .

 . . . is . . . Does Joe know about this blog.

Uhm.

No.

We aren't Facebook friends either, even though I know he has a FB account because I've stalked him and checked out his page.

It's not that I'm intentionally keeping it from him (OK, I AM intentionally keeping it from him) - but I will eventually tell him if things keep moving in the right direction. I'll probably even become FB friends with him. But for now, he's just mine. No one else in my circle of friends (or the 3 people who read my blog) know Joe, and I kind of like that. I feel like once we start meeting each others friends, it becomes, I don't know, more real? Formal? Official?

This actually brings me to a question. I've been referring to Joe as "the guy I'm dating." It's kind of fun to say it . . . "Joe, the guy I'm dating, and I just love the new TV show The Following." But that's also a long description. Today, a friend of mine called Joe my boyfriend. But . . . aren't I too old for a boyfriend? It makes me feel a bit pedophile-ish. I can't call him my "man-friend" because that's equally creepy. "Hi, this is my companion, Joe." Uhm, no. "I'd like you to meet my significant other." Double no. Special friend? Partner? Lover? Friend? No. No. No. And No.

I feel like if I were 19 or 20 this would be something to have a conversation about. It might go something like this:
"Would you be my boyfriend?"
"Yes"
"Then this means we are dating exclusively, right?"
"Define what you mean by 'exclusive'"

I don't know if this kind of conversation is supposed to happen when you are 47. There are plenty of teen/young adult magazines & books that help girls & young women navigate the social norms of dating. But I don't think a lot of that advice applies once you are over the age of 40.

I guess I've reached a point in this dating process where I'm starting to see us as a couple, but I don't know what label to use. So for lack of a better word, I think I have a boyfriend.