Eeep! Perhaps I should go into hiding?

So... poking around on facebook (honest, there's more to my life than that site, but at the moment it's the most entertaining/angstful elements, so it tends to be what I ramble about in my down time)... looking up people I used to know just to see who's on and who's not. And who do I stumble across? My old stalker.

What? Yes, boys and girls, that's right... stalker. This is someone who started out as an aquiaintance... developed a crush... and didn't have a firm enough grasp of reality to deal with "no, I'm really not interested in you like that". We're talking 25 phone calls per day (at least... the phone only recorded the past 25 calls)... appearances where he would not normally be... showing off a weapon collection (I kid you not... he thought this would impress me?!)... a 3 page written report to the campus cops (and yes, I can call them cops... at least at the time (I'm not sure if it's the case any more) they were actually a detachment of the local police force and had all the same authorities)... attempts at mediation that resulted in him being coddled and me being told I was over-reacting (this because the mediator was from the engineering faculty and one of his own couldn't possibly be that unbalanced toward women)... his own friends thinking he was going too far... and finally him being handcuffed and dragged out of class and told that if the campus cops heard from me one more time THEY'd press charges (I wouldn't even have to be involved because they had enough against him already)... and a criminal record would go poorly for him in his efforts to obtain a professional degree. And was he bright enough to leave well enough alone? No. He called my parents at their home to try to 'explain' to them.

I managed to dodge him for most of the remainder of our time sharing a campus (thankfully, not that long)... partly because I think his friends smacked him around enough to see that being within 100 metres of me was going to go badly for him. Obviously I was one of those physco chicks who'd scream at the drop of a hat (those of you who know me know that's not the case. I don't scare easy, but let me tell you, this boy scared me.)

For all that I've mostly moved on and used the experience to learn and support other people going through similar episodes (including myself for pseudo-stalker #2), I'll admit I had a brief flash of "Oh my god, I've got to go underground!". True, it's probably just a matter of time before someone makes the connection (because let's face it, bored people will inevitably look at who their friends are friends with... and inevitably somewhere along the line my circle and his circle will connect... six degrees of separation is a generous number), but my name's different now... and really, if I do that, then it's a point for the 'bad guys'... the ones who try to manipulate people (esp. women) by using fear tactics. No way, no how... not this chick. I may be insecure and shy (you can stop laughing now!), but I'm also one stubborn bitch and I really hate being made to cower in fear. So I won't do it. My profile is staying public (well, mostly), my picture is staying up, and I'll be friends with whoever I damn well please without thinking of how many people it would take to make the connection.

On to other topics...

I'm happy to say that my daffodils are finally blooming. Unfortunately, they're blooming in the middle of the lawn in the back yard because some mischevious squirrel (is the adjective really necessary?) decided to undertake some landscape redesign. Three clumps of daffodils, 7 clusters of tulips, and I think a couple of day-lillies are now on the list for relocation from the middle of the lawn to a flower bed somewhere. So much for "we're not going to do anything this year, just see what's where for now and go from there" *laugh*

Heading out to New Hamburg this weekend... hopefully going to hook up with a friend who's in Stratford who I haven't seen in far too long... possibly another in Breslau who should be blooming just about now (being slightly more than half-way through her pregnancy)... hopefully it'll be both a fun and relaxing weekend. Maybe we'll even get to take the cars out (the in-laws have a '57 Bel Aire and a '58 corvette... oh, sorry, didn't mean to drool there *laugh*).

Also on tap this week... one meeting which will delay my arrival home by rougly 80 minutes on a topic about which I am completely in the dark... one proposed post-work outing with one of our external vendors... they're talking pool-hall, so I'm pretty jazzed... one celebration of the launch of one of those projects that just seems to take over everything for months on end... possibly one lunch with a friend who is leaving her current job at the end of the week and I'm hoping will tell me all the details of why and where she's going *laugh*... ongoing work around the house on the yard and the koi "pond"... possibly the purchase of garden furniture... and if I'm really lucky, another lesson in manual transmission operation (I understand most of the theory, but haven't had much opportunity to apply the knowledge ;) ).

Should be an interesting one... albeit busy.