Well, I had an amazing weekend with Clark. Friday night we went to an art exhibit at the USF CAM Gallery. The graduating class had a show, as well as a visiting artist whose name sadly escapes me at the moment. But the artist creates huge, nature-related installations. The best piece was on the outside back wall of the CAM. He made it appear as though a meteor had struck, and was embedded into the wall. Clark and strolled through the exhibit and said hello to some former classmates and professors whilst enjoying beers. 

A small, solo exhibition was also going on in the Oliver Gallery, and it was pretty impressive. The student (whose name also escapes me) used collage and paint to create strange landscapes and commentary pieces. I was starting to feel the effects of my one beer by then (I am a VERY lightweight), so I can't remember everything, but I do remember feeling really good to be with Clark. We checked out one more exhibit in the Center Gallery up at the Marshall Center, which has gone through so much construction since I graduated that I barely recognized it. The show was probably the most fun. It was a group of student artists that worked together. They had balloons and glitter all over the floor that had spilled out into the Marshall Center hallways. The artists had each of their faces printed on cakes inside. It was all pretty entertaining, except for one piece that contained resin-coated dead mice...

Afterwards we went to Lai Thai, a really good Thai restaurant in Tampa, on Fletcher I think. Clark and I had really good conversations over dinner, and I got to try his eggplant green curry. It was very tasty. 

He then took me to a party, where we met up with his roomate and his girlfriend, as well as the rest of his crew. It was probably the most tame twenty-first birthday party I had ever attended, but I think we may have been there a little early for the typical shenanigans.

We went back to Clark's house, where we played a couple round of WII bowling before I had to go home. He saw me out and kissed me again...sigh....

Saturday night was even better.

I drove up to his apartment again, and we then proceeded, with his roommate, to another art show at Flight 19. Unfortunately it was pretty dead. Last year it was the happening place to be, but we chalked it up to the fact that the previous year's exhibit was for undergrads. Since there are so few grad students, the show was much smaller. But we still had a beer and chilled with some of Clark's friends.

One of his buddies told us there was another exhibit at the Cigar Factory (which is just that...an old Cuban cigar factory that is now divided up and rented out as artist space). Clark and I were first among the group to arrive. I had never been there before, and he led me up the giant concrete stairs. But it was silent inside. We climbed three flights of stairs, flirting the whole way up. When we arrived at the top of the third floor, it opened up into a long, empty corridor. There was one man sitting on a chair in the middle of the hallway, surfing the internet on a laptop. He joked that he could hear us laughing and flirting all the way up the stairs, and explained to us that there had been a show a week ago at that location.  He said he was just there stealing his buddy's internet.

So we made the descent back down outside, where Clark's friends were pulling up to the factory. Someone found out the show was in another location, but they left before we noticed which direction they had gone (this building was not in the best part of town). So we tried to follow, but decided to head back to Clark's apartment.

We watched Zoolander, which I  realized that I hadn't seen the beginning. Hilarious! We held hands the whole time. After the movie ended, we turned on the History channel, and began our first make-out session together. He is really sweet. We kissed and held each other for hours, no exaggeration. I didn't leave his house until after three in the morning (I got there initially around 8 p.m.).

Sunday night he drove down here and I took him to Old Chicago, where he ordered me a beer that I actually really liked...I think it was Blue Moon? Anyway, he liked the restaurant. He told me some great stories about his family. They seem pretty tight knit. They also seem to have fun. His father challenged Clark and his brothers to a beer-brewing contest, complete with old sports trophies modified for the contest. Clark said his was voted the worst. 

Afterwards, we went back to my house, where I played an episode of Dr. Who for him, as well, as an espisode of That Mitchell and Webb Look, which he seemed to like. Again, we made out for most of the evening. 

I want to make sure he respects me, and is somewhat serious about a potential long-term relationship. But I already feel as though I want to take things further with Clark. I don't know if that's because I have spent a lot of time with him in the past, and I know him fairly well already. I don't want to move too fast, but I have had many older peers tell me that after being in a long-term relationship, and being a little older, that it's more common that the relationships move a little faster. 

I feel a little insecure, although I should not ever let a man make me feel that way again. The only reason I feel like that is because we didn't have as much to say tonight on the phone. But I think it's because we have spent a lot of time together the past few days, and have caught up on our lives in our lengthy conversations. I really like him and I want to keep it romantic. I find him attractive in a very sweet and loving way...UGH, I need to let up and not worry about it. Things are going well, and he wouldn't make plans to see me if he didn't want to. We are going to a movie tomorrow night. I'm excited to see him. I hope I don't smother him...ACK! That's it, this post is over, until a time that I can write without being an over-analyzing crazy woman...