The next guy I date:

Should familiarize himself with the term "taken in hand." He also should be able to openly discuss it with me and understand what I mean it to be.

Other essential reads from takeninhand.com:

• What is Taken in Hand?
  
• Could this kind of relationship be for you?
  
• Give me intensity or give me death!
  
• I am a strong woman but I want to be taken in hand. Is this normal?
• The submissive alpha female
  (Scroll down for some great scenarios.)
• Who says you have to be submissive?
  
• I don't want to be a servant or slave
• Do you have a commanding presence?
  
• Is your new man dominant, domineering, or a dithering wimp?

(Ever since I watched the movie Secretary [with James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal; click right photo] when it was released a few years ago, I've become fascinated with this subject. But it was only today that I found out there was name for this kind of relationship.)

An all-nighter with a real-estate-class zombie.

Working on 2-3 hours of sleep a night. No full REM cycles.

Things are already out-of-focus.

Where are you, Edd? Did you leave the house?

Wait a minute... is it still Christmas?

Trying to get comfortable.

Trying hard to concentrate.

Distracted.

I give up. I'm going to bed.

*Thanks to Ruby for providing a relatively quiet place to study. Also thanks to Edward for his tutelage. Lastly, thank you Nikon for making an easy-to-use timer feature.

(Here is an in-focus picture of Edd, that I took at my birthday dinner.)

The next guy I date:

Will be a gentleman. He will open the door for me, volunteer to carry my bags (even though I would be perfectly alright doing it myself), buy me flowers even if it's not a holiday (it doesn't have to be a pricey fancy bouquet; a modest pocket full of posies are beautiful too)...

But he doesn't have to go beyond his means to please me. It's the simple and free things in life that make me happy.

But most of all, most importantly, a gentleman will make the first move...

This other single mom does not understand what it's like to be me:

From babble.com: Another Non-Father Emasculated By Support Court: Pay Up or Go to Jail.

Read Karen Murphy's blog article and my comment.