Love Boat.. THE FINAL CHAPTER...

OK... I will try to cut to the chase... or as my older sister would say "geez... land the plane already"

Continued**** So I call and cancel CS's flight... & spent the last week on board with NB..before flying to my parents...
I remember fighting with my mother A LOT that Christmas... (we tend to like to fight over Christmas... but this year was especially bad...) She was pissed off that I was spending all of my time GUSHING over NB...
As he had to spend Christmas on board without me... I was busy making all sorts of crap to send down to San Juan... Scrapbooks (of our SIX weeks.. together..an entire book?... dedication ..I tell you) Christmas hats for him & all of his friends... cookies.
I think KNOW my mom thought I was a total L O O O S E R... . Really, what are the ODDS that this would turn into something? As I was busy baking cookies... or scrapbooking... she would say... "Come on, Tressa... you will probably never see this boy again.. (I am sure she was hoping) ". But I just kept on keeping on. NB & I would talk via satellite every night for hours & hours... (I was friends with the Radio Officer... who gave me the toll free number to the ship)
Right after Christmas one of my guy friends got word that I had broken up with CS... and decided to hop in the car and drive from Iowa to KC to spend New Years with me... BLESS... I never liked this guy more than a friend but he was really hoping that this time... we would get together... (oooo just thinking about his teeny tiny hands... the reason I gave my dad for not being able to date him... ) So here I sit with TTHG (teeny tiny hands guy) at my house waiting for New Years when I get a call from NB saying he had gotten me on the New Years Cruise... would I come?
He missed me, he loved me & would I fly back..? H E L L ... Y E S. One little problem... TTHG sitting in my parents kitchen. What am I going to do?
I think this is when my mom really G O T it... that this time it was real... & maybe there would be something more with NB. As I sat freaking out in her bedroom asking "mom, what am I gonna do?" She said ... "your gonna get on that plane & see NB..." Then she helped me think of a little HUGE lie to tell TTHG... There was an emergency on the ship & I had to fly back to San Juan...TOMORROW... "Oops sorry...Hate to ruin your New Years... but I gotta go." (looking back now, how LAME was that... this guy was a BRILLIANT law student... did I not think he would figure out I was a huge liar? I was a PURSER for goodness sakes... not the CAPTAIN)
Spent a perfect wonderful week cruising with NB... & we made arrangements for him to come & cruise with me in LA on his way back to Norway.
So 3 weeks later... my cute NB showed up in LA... ready to cruise... problem was ... there wasn't an empty cabin for him... so we spent the day in LA waiting & waiting & waiting to find out if he could get on. I remember sitting at a Starbucks, having coffee.. crying, saying "WHAT IF you don't get on? When am I going to see you again?" (mind you... he was going back to Norway... & we KNEW he wouldn't be sent to my ship as it wasn't a Norwegian ship (Norwegian officers)) I remember him saying... "One day we will be sitting at our own table, having coffee, & laugh about this.." (our own table? What is he saying?? hmmm) We get back to the ship that afternoon to find out that the Crew Purser Franklin... (still loving you dude!) Had lied & said NB was his brother... & would be cruising with him.. & got permission for NB to stay. The funny thing about this is/was... Franklin is dark... about 5'4 & 100lbs.. wait... and there is his "brother" 6'2 with eyes of blue. (he is really on 6 foot 1... but that doesn't rhyme) It was during this week NB asked if I would think about moving to Norway? Seeing as this is the only way we knew we would be together. Being me... I said "SURE... why not?.... "
As mentioned before my parents thought I had lost my FRIGGEN MIND... (I get sick to my stomach thinking about our daughter doing to us... what I did to them) .
NB returned to Norway & started making arrangements for me to join him... We decided the easiest way to get me in the country would be to come over as a Au Pair for his niece & nephew.

After a few weeks of screwing around with the Norwegian Embassy they tell me... that they have received my nanny paperwork, but while they processed it (up to 6 months.).. & wouldn't be able to leave the country during this time. WHAT? 6 months? I leave the country every week for my job... what were we going to do?
I called NB in Norway HYSTERICAL... "this just isn't working... I can't quit my job & sit at home with my parents for the 6 months waiting for the paper work to clear..." What are we going to DOOOOOOOOO? That is when my cute NB said... " well we are going to end up getting married anyway... lets just do it this summer.............."
Painful but true... THAT was the proposal.... me: "ummmm, OK, sure... but like, are you going to ask me for REAL when we see each other?" (meaning being proposed to in a dirty telephone booth in LA while he is in Norway is NOT what I considered romantic)
Wow... I am getting MARRIED.... hung up the phone... dug out a few quarters.. (reality...i probably called collect) And called my MOTHER ..Di Ann....
*** to be continued...

OK... so I know you think I am a total liar for not finishing the entire thing today.... but I did at least get us off of the cruise ship. Stay tuned for future posts including... **Engagement party without a fiancé... ***NO... I'm not KNOCKED UP... **You can't even say his last name?

And if I don't end this NOW... you will be reading ** Messy DIVORCE in Norway (because I have managed to piss away, yet another day )

** Remember.. Please be kind, & leave a comment as you exit this ride... THANK YOU...

The rest of the story.. Flash Back... The LOVE Boat... The Love Boat... Part deux...