Home Sweet Home

I snoozed in for a bit this morning but eventually I decided I had better get up and pack if I really wanted to go home. It was about 10am. Suddenly, I realized that Sonjia was still home. Was the girl not going into work today?? It turns out, due to the fact I had threatened to take her picture today, she had decided to straighten her hair. It seems the process takes HOURS. Crazy girl… On the fun side, I heard her coming out of the bathroom as I was walking down that hall so I decided to scare her. *standing perfectly still one inch from the door with an evil grin* It worked.

I thought her eyes were going to bug out of her head as she stepped back in terrified silence. That was just before she stepped forward with an open hand and slammed me so hard in the chest that I hit the opposite wall. Oh my god. I thought my lung had collapsed until I realized the reason I couldn’t breathe was because I was LAUGHING SO HARD! By then Sonjia had managed to stagger down the hall and collapse on her parents’ bed in hysterical giggles. I was rolling on the floor. Good times were had by all. Well, except for my poor abused chest. But, as Sonjia later said, at least she hadn’t punched me in the face.

She left for work soon after the incident. She claims it was so she could get some work done before taking me to the airport but I think she was just embarrassed. *puhahahaha* I did manage to take a shower and pack my bags. The one scary thing being, everything fit in my bags better than when I had packed to come to Oklahoma. They even felt lighter even though I had gone shopping! *paranoia that I’m forgetting something* Then Lori left. (She was taking Alanah and moving to her mom’s house in Houston.) *waving bye-byes!*

Brandon and Heath came over in the afternoon to move some furniture to the new house. Then we grabbed Ashley (a.k.a. big Ashley a.k.a the girlfriend a.k.a Brandon’s baby momma) and went out for lunch. The restaurant of choice: El Charro. Oh, my stomach was ANGRY by the time they dropped me off at the house. I did at least get a picture of Ashley. She wasn't so keen until my evil eye scared her in submission. It really is a useful thing sometimes. Then Sonjia picked me up to go to the airport. It didn’t take too long. *sadness for leaving the cousins…sniff* Hugs later, I was in line to check my bags. It took forever.

There were only two people working at the Northwest counter and each had a customer with a problem. Now, it wouldn’t have mattered since I had checked myself in but I needed someone to tag my bags!! One of the CSAs ignored the line of us completely. The other CSA would randomly glance up from the phone and look honestly surprised every time she saw us standing there. And even more bewildered when she saw the line was growing. (And this is even after we told her we would be more than happy to go away if she would just tag our bags.) *shakes head in disgust*

The journey home was atrocious. As I mentioned earlier, my stomach was angry. To top it off, they threatened to cancel my flight due to the hurricane alert that had still not cleared. Wireless internet was not accessible, both at the Tulsa airport and in Minneapolis. (I know it doesn’t make sense to fly to Tulsa via Minneapolis but that’s what happened, OK?!?) As you can tell, if you were paying attention, I did manage to make it to Minneapolis. My flight there was delayed. Then it was further delayed because a family decided they didn’t want to wait so they deplaned, which meant their bags had to be taken off the plane as well. ARGH!! *pulls hair out*

I did manage to make it home. I didn’t even maim anyone in my state of frustration. Matt was a sweetheart and picked me up even though it was nearly 1am. *brownie points for you!!* And finally, I was home. *a BIG sigh of relief*

Today, I am Sleeping Beauty.

Yesterday, I couldn’t get myself to sleep. Today, I couldn’t wake up! I slept in until noon. It may have also has something to do with this awful humidity and heat. Yuck. It makes me so lethargic. Not that it explains why I sleep so much at home… But that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it! When I finally got up, I was so freaking full from the big dinner I had last night that I didn’t even want to THINK about food. Well, not until three-ish when I got hungry again.

Lori, Alanah and I went to Red Lobster to eat lunch. Then we went over to Sonjia’s house. Lori was getting her stuff ready to move back into her mother’s and I was hoping to get on the internet without having to buy something to eat every half hour. Sadly, I couldn’t get my laptop hooked into her internet. I couldn’t even work on her computer because I have Microsoft Office 2007 and it seems you have to download something to bridge the difference between the old Office and the new. I didn’t have time to do that. Grr… At least Lori was productive.

I crashed again for a nap when we got back. The weather station was spouting off that we were under a tornado watch and a flood watch as I headed back to the bedroom. Yep, definitely nap time. Soon after I woke up, Sonjia came home with Ashley. (She doesn’t like me again. *sigh*) I snapped a few pictures of Emo with Ashley though. While they were taking a look at it, Emo said something like, ‘I look so old.’ Ashley’s response was immediate and vehement. ‘You’re not old! My MOM’S old!!’ *laughs hysterically* I’m sure Sonjia just loved that!

Dinner was from the drive thru at A&W/Long John Silver’s. I only wanted to go because I was craving a root beer float but I figured I probably needed to eat something too. So I got some fish stick things. (I’m not a big fish fan. Can you tell?) Sonjia and Lori looked at me like I was crazy as I proceeded to pick all the fish out from the breading. WHAT?!? I don’t particularly like breaded stuff! The fish part wasn’t that bad. In the meanwhile, I got a text message from Matt. I had messaged him earlier that we were under a tornado watch. His response? COOL!

And no day would be complete without my cousins ruthlessly teasing poor old me. *laughs* I came to the realization, after Sonjia so nicely and LOUDLY made the announcement, that whenever I talk to Matt on the phone I do the ‘girly hair twirling thing.’ *dies from embarrassment* I tried to stop once she pointed it out but I kept finding my fingers in my hair. I retreated to the bedroom posthaste. I love my cousin…

Call me…Nelmo!

I could not get my brain to shut off last night. Go to SLEEP! *poking at my brain viciously* I went to bed at a fairly decent time but ended up tossing and turning for hours. I kept thinking of all the things I needed to get done and trying to determine what I wanted go to school for. The only good thing to come of that whole time was I did end up figuring that last part out. I think I want to be a speech therapist. I’ll have to look into it but at least I now have something to look in to. All that thinking got me hungry so I went on a rampage through the kitchen and ended up devouring some cold pizza. Yum…

I managed to snooze for a couple of hours before my alarm harshly bought me back into the realm of consciousness. *groans* Amazingly enough, I actually exercised a bit this morning before hopping in the shower. Then it was time to go. I was so excited until we got to Starbuck’s and they said they had no internet!! *sobs hysterically* BUT there was a café down the way that did. *jumps for joy* By a little past 9am, I was all set up to go at the Iguana Café.

Oh, yeah. Before I forget, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SONJIA!! Yesterday I had been joking around that I was going to get Sonjia a stripper for her birthday. Emo perked right up! *laughs* Later on she told Uncle Hershel and he said she wasn’t allowed to use dollar bills, only quarters. Ah yes…gravity, heavy quarters and a thong. Now that is the ultimate trifecta. JUST KIDDING! I didn’t really end up getting her a stripper. Although it might have been worth it just to see the look on Emo’s face when she opened the door.

Meanwhile, back at the Iguana Café… I was becoming a permanent entry on their blacklist. I did try to order something every hour. But I was getting so full that I couldn’t eat it all. And then they were upset because they thought I didn’t like their food! I called Brandon who said he would come pick me up soon but it seems he has a short term memory problem. *cough toomuchpot cough* Eventually I moved outside to the park because the wireless internet was still available as long as I stayed somewhat close. Besides, I thought my waiter was going to have an apoplectic fit if I was in there for another minute. Granted, it was well past 3pm by then. (Boy, did my butt hurt from sitting all day!)

Finally Brandon rode in to the rescue. He even brought a little sidekick because all heroes need a sidekick. This one was dubbed Heath. Heath should have been a woman. I only say that because he had eyelashes to die for. They could poke your eyes out from across the room! I was jealous. *shooting him with lightening from underneath my stubby eyelashes* Then we picked up Jaxon from daycare. He didn’t cry when he saw me this time. (I must be losing my touch…) He even seemed to *gasp* LIKE ME! What is this world coming to?

Apparently, Ashley didn’t get the bulletin that the ‘hate Jenny’ ban was lifted. She cried. And I don’t mean she whined for a little bit. She CRIED. Launched herself up over the couch onto Sonjia’s lap, buried her head and shed copious amounts of tears. Ah, yes. My newest hobby is scaring children. And it seems I’m very good at it. Emo ended up taking Ashley for a bit so Sonjia and I could go out for a birthday dinner. I ate WAY too much. Ugh.

When we got back, I thought I was going to pass out in shock. Ashley actually gave me a hug. WEIRDNESS!! I guess after we left she was talking about me. I believe the conversation went something like this.

Ashley: That’s my Jenny, my Elmo.

Lori: You mean your Emo?

Ashley: Yes, my Nemo.

Um, ok. I think that makes me a…Nelmo??? Great! I am a red, furry clownfish. I guess it could have been worse. *laughs*

If I was stranded on an island, I would want…the internet.

Someone SAVE me!! There is no internet at the house. There is no coffee shop in this area with wireless. I am…in hell.

Just kidding. Well, about the hell bit. There is really no internet as far as the eye can see. Perhaps even farther. It is just bizarre that there is no Starbuck’s here. I know, I know. I come from The Land of Starbuck’s, where three can be found on the same block and still manage to stay in business. But I honestly thought Starbuck’s had infiltrated all corners of the globe. Can someone fire off an email to corporate to let them know of their oversight? Muskogee, Oklahoma is devoid of all things Starbuck’s. Maybe they could schedule an opening sometime soon. Tomorrow looks good in my calendar. *slightly desperate*

Actually, it was nice to just relax for a bit and get caught up on some of my writing. McDonald’s was on the menu for lunch and then Lori took me to the mall. Side note: Lori is Sonjia’s friend who is staying with them for a little while. She has a little girl, Alanah, who is almost a year and a half. SUPER CUTE! Anyway, I had a specific reason to go to the mall. (Those of you that know me, grab the smelling salts and don’t pass out now.) I was on a mission to buy… *drum roll, please!* Bras.

Yes, yes. I finally caved into social convention and bought some torture devices. But it wasn’t because Jeannie had been telling me over and over again through the years that gravity was going to work its horrors on these minute specimens. It was because I came to the realization that you can see everything through my new summer clothes. And by everything, I mean EVERYTHING. So I made the choice to not to blind everyone in the western hemisphere. If you want to send me a thank you card, email me and I’ll be sure to send you my address. Presents would be even more appreciated. *wink*

In the meanwhile, the floodgates in the sky opened and God decided to submerge the earth once more. Screw your covenant, Noah. Muskogee needs to go. Or maybe I was the only one on His bad side today. I texted Sonjia while she was at work, it wasn’t raining there and she wasn’t even that far away. I felt like Eyeore with my own personal rain cloud. *sniffles* Actually, it was probably closer to a personal waterfall at the rate the rain was falling. Brandon stopped by later in the afternoon with his little munchkin. Ok, so little is the WRONG word. That child is huge! If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn Jaxon was a three year old. He doesn’t look like he’s one at all. But you know what he does look like? Uncle Hershel’s mini-me. *laughs*

Brandon and I stepped out to grab pizza for the crew. It was nice to spend some time with him since it had been a couple years since the last visit. When we got back, the entire driveway was full of cars. He revealed his country roots when he decided to drive his truck over the lawn and practically parked in the walkway in front of the door. We grabbed the food, got out and walked into to utter chaos. There was Uncle Hershel and Emo, Lori with Alanah, Sonjia had just gotten home from picking up little Ashley, Brandon’s Ashley was there with Jaxon along with her mother (Stacy) and the two of us.

Ashley looks like Sonjia and she’s so grown up! She looks older than her age too. Do they just breed them big in Oklahoma? Sonjia and I made a run to Lowe’s and Office Depot after dinner before calling it a night. It turns out there is a Starbuck’s by her office so she’s going to drop me off there on her way in to work so I can get some stuff done. Maybe Brandon can rescue me mid-day. Otherwise, I guess I’ll have to buy a cup of coffee an hour or something!

Learnin’ to drawl, y’all

I couldn’t sleep last night. I kept waking up, thinking about all the things I needed to get done before my month-long trip to Korea. Then there’s the two month road trip after that. And on top of everything, I decided to go to Oklahoma this week! Ack!! STRESS. How is it that I always end up overloading myself??? I guess the better question is WHY?

I ended up snagging a pen and furiously scribbling down a list before I forgot anything. Unfortunately, I didn’t turn on the light since Matt was sleeping so I ended up with an incredibly illegible list. *grin* It was only afterward that it occurred to me that I could’ve just camped out in the bathroom. Gah… *shakes head in disgust* But I was finally tired and was not about to get out of bed to rewrite my list.

The morning was a blur. I kept thinking I needed to get going because I still had to pack and I had left a load of laundry in the washing machine before going to Bob and Jeanie’s this weekend but I was so TIRED. Then, picture this:

***Disclaimer: This may not be the exact sequence of events nor can I promise that the following dialogue is accurate. This is a general impression of what I think happened. I was half asleep, after all!***

Lights up

(JEN is gracelessly sprawled out on the bed with the blankets heaped on top of her, possibly snoring. MATT enters stage left, wide awake with a spring in his step…obviously a morning person.)

MATT

Hey!

(Leans down for a kiss)

JEN

Good morning.

(Opens one eye blearily)

MATT

I love you. Hope you have a safe flight and a good trip.

JEN

I love you too. Have a good day at work. I’ll miss you.

(Starts to fall back asleep)

MATT

I’ll miss you too.

(Pauses and then laughs)

Don’t forget to watch out for the plane food. You know it’ll stop you up!

(Walks toward the door and exit stage right.)

Lights down

End scene

Wait…

WHAT?!?

Did I miss something? Ultimate weirdness. No wonder I love him. Anyway, back to whatever I was talking about before… Oh yes, I had to go home and pack. Eh, not terribly exciting. The only great sadness was I wanted pho for lunch but by the time I had showered and gotten it together enough to leave the house, I had run out of time. *cries* So Mom and I stopped by BK for lunch. And then I was whisked off to the airport and dumped unceremoniously in the Northwest Airlines sector with a ton of luggage. Intended length of my trip: 5 days. (Four, if you take into account my arrival time on Monday is close to 11pm.)

I guess I should explain at this point WHY I’m going to Oklahoma in case y’all were scratching your heads in collective bewilderment. My mom’s older sister lives there with her family. So there’s Emo, Uncle Hershel, Sonjia and Brandon. Definition of Emo: maternal aunt. And I don’t mean maternal in the motherly sense, I mean maternal as in my mom’s side of the family. Yes, there is a different set of words designated for the relatives on your dad’s side of the family. Want to know how Emo is pronounced? Just visualize super tight skinny jeans and black Converse and you’ll know you’re on the right track. End of lesson!>

Sonjia has a little girl who is now two. I haven’t seen Ashley since she was six months old. In the meanwhile, Brandon and his girlfriend (whose name is also Ashley just to make things more confusing) had a baby as well. Jaxon is over a year old and I have only seen pictures of him. I figured it might be a good thing to see them while they’re still babies because they’re so cute! I have found that the actual memory of their cuteness makes it a lot easier to put up with them once they hit adolescence and you want to strangle them. Ok, ok. I need to get back to the story at hand.

So, the whole liquid/gel issue that the TSA has been enforcing is probably a good idea as far as homeland security is concerned. But it’s still a pain in the butt since I have to check luggage even if I only packed one bag due to the toiletries and makeup I need to take with me. Although in this case, I would have had to check my luggage anyway since my dear mother randomly produced a huge bag to take to Emo. Apparently my aunt has some urgent need of a bean sprout grower. Don’t ask me what it is. I have no idea. It was already packed up in the bag along with the neck brace she had left at our house back in November. (No. Her neck was not injured in any way, shape or form. It’s a long story. Besides, it only goes to show how decidedly ODD my family is…)

The majority of the flight was spent on my laptop *happy dance because I love my laptop!!* and reading one of my favorite stories ever (Mister God, This is Anna). Ok, so I was only on my computer until its limited life span gave out. I should really get a better battery for this thing. My layover was in Minneapolis. I thought that an hour would be plenty of time. But they never fail to mention that your flight may get in a few minutes late and that you have to trek across the entire length of the airport to get to your other flight just as it’s boarding. If you have to run on the moving sidewalks, your layover isn’t long enough.

The second flight was uneventful and I landed in Tulsa two hours later. I found Sonjia at the baggage claim without too much hassle except she kept claiming the hoodie she was wearing was ORANGE. I think she must be colorblind because the darn thing is PINK. We chatted on the hour drive to Muskogee. Now, I know each state has its share of cities with weird names but we passed a sign for Coweta. COW-ETA? As in ‘I am an eater of beef’??? Goodness…

Sonjia got us as far as the neighborhood before she nearly KILLED us. We were driving to her parents’ house when she decided to point out the new house her parents were moving into a few blocks down and just about drove off the road into someone’s lawn!! Why are we blessed with so many awful drivers among our blood relations? And the whole business about the houses is strange as well. It seems everyone had a house at one point or still has one? But due to circumstances, even with the surplus of houses, everyone is living out of one or two of them?? Ah, the insanity that is my family. Welcome to Oklahoma. *grin*

The End…of the weekend that is.

Actually, there’s not too much to say about today. It all passed by in an idyllic blur. The weather was perfectly gorgeous. Breakfast was good then we got to go out and pet the horses. One of them decided to whack Matt in the face and he said it hurt for a while but it didn’t seem that anything was broken. Afterward, we went in to talk to Bob. Matt finished up discussing business and then Bob was nice enough to talk to me about the logistics of home building. We had a quick lunch with them before heading home on the scenic route. It was a good weekend. And now to pack for my trip to Oklahoma tomorrow…

Welcome to Epona Moon Farm

Not two weeks had passed since my last parent-induced panic attack when Matt deemed me ready for more. We were to spend the weekend out at his dad’s ranch/farm. Objective of this mission: To meet Matt’s father (Bob), Bob’s wife (Jeanie), Jeanie’s son (Kevin) and Kevin’s fiancée (Maya). Actually, I had already met Kevin before so let’s scratch him off the list… *audible erasing noises*

PANIC!! Unfortunately, I couldn’t cast Matt in the role of villain since he had only issued the invitation with no coercion involved. And I, the fool that I am, agreed. What can I say? The meeting with Lesley and Tim had gone so well that I somehow managed to convince myself meeting the rest of his family would be just as painless. I had not counted on the fact that my trusty pantyhose would have to be discarded in favor of more casual gear since Bob and Jeanie live out on their horse farm. *cries over abandoned pantyhose*

Before we left, Matt and I stopped at this darling little place called the Stone House Café. Matt had been there for lunch a few times and was in love with their sandwiches. Their breakfast was pretty good too! At last, it was time to go. I could feel a stress ulcer starting to form. *pokes the angry tummy with a tentative finger* The weather was pretty angry too. It was pouring rain the entire ride down there. It finally let up a little as we entered the forest reserve where Bob and Jeanie’s horse farm was located. The trees were beautiful as they towered above us and pierced the clouds with their uppermost branches.

Matt steered the car along a winding dirt road past other properties until we reached the house. The welcoming party of horses stood along the fence line and watched us with inquisitive eyes from under dripping forelocks. We parked car next to the others before stepping into the wet. Immediately, I could feel my hair start to go crazy. (Normally, the slight wave in my hair expresses itself by looking perpetually unbrushed but in the rain it completely takes on a life of its own. Joy.)

We walked unannounced into the house and found everyone in the kitchen. Before we could say a word, my feet were mobbed by a mass of yipping furryness. I was afraid to take a step lest I squash something since the mini-rampage hardly reached the tops of my ankles. After a moment or two, I realized that the vociferous section of shag carpeting was actually five little terriers! Only four belonged to Bob and Jeanie. The fifth belonged to their farrier who was visiting with his wife and daughter. (Disclaimer: I don’t know anything about dogs. It is Google image search that has helped me deduce that these dogs may be Yorkies. I COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG!)

Introductions concluded, everyone headed outside for a walk. The terriers were put away in their tiny kennels and the three bigger dogs were released from theirs in the garage. (Apparently, there are three cats also in residence not to mention the nine horses we saw outside earlier. These numbers may not be exactly correct but damn near close!) Jeanie was nice enough to lend me a pair of her boots since my sneakers were not up to the task of protecting my feet from the impending threat of mud.

Bob and Jeanie have a gorgeous piece of property. It faintly reminded me of Vermont and tramping through the woods as a child. It was a happy time even though I could feel my hair starting to shoot out in eight different directions of riotous, semi-curling, definitely-no-longer-brushed insanity due to the resurgence of rain. It was fun seeing everything and talking to everyone. Soon it was lunch time and then Matt and Bob headed into the study for a chat about a business idea they’re developing together.

Jeanie, Kevin, Maya and I sat down for a chat on the super comfy couch in the living room. The conversation revolved around Kevin and Maya’s upcoming wedding this summer. I love weddings! Not that I was about to invite myself to theirs but it was fun hearing about it. Then, with no warning, the topic switched to Jeanie’s want of grandchildren. I was surprised to find myself just as much on the receiving end of it as Maya! Uh…Matt and I have only been dating for two months. Isn’t it a little early to be planning for OUR kids?!? *laughs*

Dinner was at a cute Italian place in town. The food was good and so was the conversation. The rain decided to turn into a torrential downpour as soon as we decided to head out to the car after dinner. *looking like a half drowned cat* When we got back, everyone camped out in the living room to watch a movie. It was decidedly strange. The movie, not hanging out. I think it was called The Departed? By the end of the movie, we were all ready to go to bed. Until tomorrow!

Ooh…I love me some dresses.

Back in high school, I thought if I lived in the same city as my best friends then I would see them EVERY day. Yeah, right. I hadn’t seen Jeannie in ages! Not that I haven’t wanted to but we’re both so busy all the time. But we somehow found time in our schedules to meet up today. Our first stop: Rue.

Rue is a super cute little boutique that one of Jeannie’s friends started up in downtown Seattle. I found the darlingest dress there. It’s green and orange. I’ll have to post a picture of it one of these days and I need to go somewhere so I have an excuse to wear it! Afterward, we headed over to Red Fin for dinner.

We hung out for a while longer at her place before I made my way home. I need to see her more often. I MISS MY JEANNIE!!

If you want to know more about Rue...
http://blog.nwsource.com/shopping/archives/daily_find/021607_rue.html
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=psst25&date=20070325&query=%22psst!%22

GAME NIGHT!!

On the menu for this evening…QUELF!!

Oh. Not to eat, silly, to PLAY! Liz had told us about it eons ago when she first played Quelf at the library on teen game night. It sounded like a lot of fun but we couldn’t find where to buy the darn thing. Somehow, months later, Heather and I managed to each snag a copy the same week. Then we were blessed with two! Now that’s a clear indication of the breakdown of communication in my family. *laughs*

We had such a good time tonight! (Partly because we haven’t had a real game night in a while.) Even Kristen Carey decided to grace us with her presence. We quickly found out that the game had some CRAZY rules depending on what cards you drew. Heather seemed to be a magnet for them. For half the game, she had to respond to everything we said with a ‘YES, MA’AM!’ Then the second half of the game, she wasn’t allowed to bend any of her joints unless it was her turn. So we dragged out our turns because she couldn’t sit until we got back around to her. *evil cackle*

The next game night is in two weeks, if anyone wants to come!

What do you do when your creative muse starts cracking the whip?

Duh! Get to work!!


It was a catastrophic blunder on my part when I decided to make a thank you card for Tim and Lesley. I hadn’t really done anything creative in a while and now I was on a roll whether I liked it or not! Luckily, tonight was Scrap ‘n Chat at Angelika’s. She laughed when I walked in with my bags and bags of stuff because I hadn’t really done much more than chat for the past few months. But I was pretty productive and got a few cards done, which is saying a lot since it can take me up to two hours to make a card.


AND…I got gifts! *smiles* Angelika got me Women & Money by Suze Orman because I’ve recently become very interested in learning how to manage my own finances. And K.C. got me ‘I Love My Rifle More Than You’ which is about a female Army linguist since my most previous plan had been to go into the Air Force as a linguist. Woohoo! I love me some books!!

Attack of the munchkins

This afternoon I met up with Karen at Starbuck’s to see her kids. I hadn’t seen them in nearly a year. In fact, I think the last time I saw them was when Lilly was just over a year old and Will was a couple months. Now Lilly’s is two and Will is one. They were so big! And they had so many TEETH!! *picturing sharks in my mind*

I’m just kidding. They were very cute and I was glad to get the chance to see them after so long…even if I did get pelted with donut crumbs and shredded bits of straw wrappers. *wink*

Congratulations!

Today was Matt’s last day of school. I’m super proud of him!!!

Meet the Parents: Part I

Oh, the joys of meeting your significant other’s parents. Doesn’t it set off an alarm in your head? DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! And meanwhile, your stomach starts curdling until you feel like vomiting is imminent. And that’s even with the knowledge that they LIKE you. *grabs for the Rolaids* But the reality of the situation is, it has to happen sometime. You might as well face it like a man. Well, except that I’m not a man. I’m sure Matt is overjoyed. *laughs*

I honestly don’t know why I always get so worked up over certain situations. I mean, it’s important but it is SO important I need to get an ulcer over it? I don’t think so. I just need to learn how to relax. *deep breath* Do they offer classes for that at the local community college? Or maybe at a yoga studio? A Buddhist temple perhaps?? I guess I’m constantly worried that I’m going to make a bad impression and I want them to like me, dammit! If I could find a way to redirect my nervous energy, I bet I could make millions.

I had met Matt’s mom a few times over the years. It would have been odd if I hadn’t since this is the third time Matt and I have dated. Not to mention, we’ve known each other since fifth grade. (Yes, I stalked him even back then.) My vague recollection of Lesley put her in the ‘very nice’ category but due to my abnormal amount of anxiety associated with parental encounters, that’s all I really remembered about her. I think I had met her husband at one point. But it was very brief since Tim had been on his way out of the house to run errands or something of that nature.

So, I prepared myself by donning my battle armaments under a nice black top and a cute denim skirt and we headed off to meet the first set of Matt’s parents. (Jen’s definition of battle armaments: pantyhose and a bra, dear friends! These two items are scarce commodities in our heroine’s closet, partially due to her intense hatred of both. But really, nothing can bolster your courage like binding articles of clothing. Now, to disengage from talking in third person…) Argh! I’m so frustrated with myself! I don’t know why I was so apprehensive. I had a lovely time.

The first thing I noticed when walking into their house was the oh-so-appetizing scent of FOOD. Yum. I love me some food. Not that I was terribly surprised since we were there for dinner. *laughs* It was nice to see Lesley and Tim again and their house was absolutely charming. I was given an impromptu tour and I love the colors that they used. It made the whole house seem so warm and welcoming. Lesley is a quilter and it was impressive to see pieces of her art accenting every room of the house. Afterward, we congregated back in the kitchen area while Tim finished cooking.

We talked about everything; our travel plans for this summer, their travel plans with their plane, quilting and other artistic outlets, my random childhood, cooking and all sorts of other topics. I thought it was cute yet funny how Matt kept mouthing that he loved me when no one else was looking. *laughs* I wasn’t sure if he was just moved to do so or if it was his tactic to keep me from bolting. Dinner was delicious, chicken with a mushroom sauce with mashed potatoes and asparagus. *drool…* (Oops, sorry. I need to take a moment to mop up my keyboard.) Dessert was a concoction of chocolate paste and orange peel baked into a light cake. It was really good too!

All of a sudden, it was already time to go home. It had been such a nice visit and my original trepidation had quickly buckled under the dual attack of food and good conversation. I really like Lesley and Tim. Maybe the next time we see them, I’ll remember not to have the completely unnecessary panic attack. Either that or Matt could carry emergency food items for me in his pocket…

The Lives of Others

One of Liz’s teachers had recommended a foreign film that was currently playing so I decided to go see it with her. By the end of the movie, I had a distinct feeling I had missed something. Liz was crying and many of the other movie theatre patrons had noticeably pensive looks on their faces. I, on the other hand, was ready to get on with my day. *sigh* It’s not that I didn’t get that there was a deeper meaning than the images flickering across the screen. But I should have opted for a one-dimensional film because I wasn’t in the mood to invest that much time contemplating the meaning of life today. Make an appointment next time! *scowl*

FOR SPARTA!!!

But not for me.

Ah, 300. What a disappointment, you were! I had hoped you and your scantily clad men would capture me the way Troy had. But it was not meant to be. This was a sad day in the life of Jen. Ilona, I will despise you forever for allowing me to invite myself along to view this travesty!! Just kidding. (Or not…)

A cornbread kind of an afternoon

I was talking to Matt this afternoon when he announced that he was going to make cornbread. He invited me over to have some with him before he had to rush off to school. Um …of course! Do you have to even ask? I was about to invite myself over!! Now, I’m not a huge fan of cornbread but he had promised to dump some canned corn into the batter. (Because, for whatever reason, Matt knows that I like corn in my cornbread.) *drool* He dished up a large piece for each of us into bowls. Then he proceeded to add some honey and then poured cold milk right over the top. I know it sounds kind of weird but it was super good!!!

I’m still finding sand in my shoes!

Sunday morning dawned gray and cloudy. Matt and I idly discussed going on a hike since we hadn’t been on one in a few weeks. (For all of you out there that know me well, DO NOT PASS OUT IN ASTONISHMENT. I do go outside every now and then. In fact, I think I kind of like the whole outdoorsy thing…most of the time.) But then we both got distracted, him with schoolwork and me with a nap. Finally we came to the conclusion that we didn’t have time for a hike since we were meeting up with my family in Tacoma for a late lunch.

We did go outside though. And apparently the heavens were supportive of my venture out into nature because it cleared up into a beautiful day. Matt suggested that we go trek through Discovery Park since I had never stepped foot in there even though I’ve lived here for over 15 years. *shrugs* There are a lot of parks here! You can’t expect me to have been to every single one!! In my opinion, the best part of the day was skidding down the hills to the beach. I don’t know what to call them, sandy bluffs? *snorts* That sounds like a character’s name from some raunchy soap opera. Anyway, it was sand and it made up the hillside that led down to the beach.

The sand was so soft that I sank in almost to my ankles. I was sliding one foot in front of the other just to keep going. It felt like I was skiing! By the time I reached the bottom, my shoes were completely sand-logged. (Is that a word?) Finally, we were on the beach! I loved looking at the water, hearing it break gently against the shoreline. It was so peaceful. I found a rock that was an interesting shade of green, a soft and nearly translucent shade of jade, so I picked it up to take with me. Truth be told, I actually had Matt hauling it around for the remainder of the morning because I didn’t have any pockets. It was a small rock, I promise, not the boulder I’m making it out to be. We walked along the beach for the while until it was time to go.

I was STARVING by then. Matt used an apple to bribe me into racing back part of the way to the car. I think I must have been a donkey in a past life. But I didn’t even get to eat the whole thing. I had to share it with him! *laughs* Then, we were off. You may be wondering, ‘Why in the world are they driving all the way to Tacoma for lunch?’ That’s when it becomes apparent you’ve never been to Manna Korean BBQ Buffet. If you ever want to try it, I will take you but I will issue you the same warning I gave Matt. You will REEK of meat for the remainder of the day. Or until you take a shower. Keep that in mind, you have been forewarned.

There were ten of us; Matt, Heather, Liz, Christina, Paige, Mom, both Korean grandparents, one of their friends and me. The rest of the afternoon flew by in a blur. FEEDING FRENZY! There’s really no other way to describe it. We ate until we thought we were going to explode. And then we crammed in one more bite because it was just so yum. Normally, the feeling of imminent death caused by ingesting too much food would deter me. But not when it comes to Korean BBQ. Then I happily carted my butt home only to discover I had a sand dune in each shoe… Is that why it’s called Discovery Park?

Are you SURE she’s not a nun?

Randomly, I decided I wanted to go see a play. So I called ACT Theatre and snagged the last two tickets for tonight’s show of Late Night Catechism. I had already seen it a couple years ago when Heather was going to school. I think she had to attend it as a part of a theatre class she was taking and invited the rest of us along. It was one of the best and one of the funniest improv shows I had ever seen. Since Matt and I had been talking about going to see a play and I figured this would be a good one to start. Besides, I like the cause it supports.

From what I understand, the show was originally created to raise funds to assist elderly nuns. Given that nuns are not paid for the years of service they provide, there is no social security benefit or retirement fund to support them when they get old. The show was only scheduled for that first year but, due to its popularity, it has been running for more than ten years!

Off to see a movie...

Heather, Liz and I had been talking about going to see a movie. We came to the conclusion that it would have to be a romantic comedy since we wanted to drag Mom along with us. Besides, Liz always cries at scary movies and then Mom yells at us. *snicker* So of the movies out, the obvious choice was Music and Lyrics. I was kind of bummed because I really, really dislike Hugh Grant. At least Drew Barrymore was in the movie to act as a counterbalance.

Because Liz didn’t get out of school until 3pm and Heather worked until 5pm, we picked the 7pm showing at Factoria. Unpredictably, Liz decided at 430pm that she wanted to go up to the CompUSA in Lynnwood to buy a laptop. She had a specific one in mind and none of the other stores in the area were currently carrying it. And to top it off, we had to go RIGHT NOW because it was the last one the Lynnwood store had. *groans* So Liz got to practice driving in rush hour up to buy her laptop and I practiced not screaming hysterically while holding on for dear life.

We made it to the store in one piece and Liz was able to make her purchase. Then we realized that we had made plans to go eat with Heather and Mom before the movie. There was no way we were going to get back in time. In fact, we weren’t even sure if we could make it to the movie in time! Liz handed over the keys and we hauled ass back to Bellevue. We pulled into the parking space beside Heather’s car about 5 minutes before the movie was scheduled to start. Both cars rolled down their windows and Whoppers were exchanged. (Heather and Mom went to BK for us because we were STARVING!!) *gobble, munch, snuffle* In record time, we were seated in the theatre…just in time for the movie to start.

It was actually a really cute movie. I liked it a lot. Hugh Grant has marginally redeemed himself in my eyes. Although, the mullet is not really his best do. *laughs*