Bits/Pieces

Friday night was SO much fun! MJ & VW ended up being Britney Spears (complete with Chee-tos, pregnant tummy and much-dropped baby) and K-Fed (I swear, the guy is a dead ringer for K-Fed!). CN looked great in his Super Troopers costume. Vermont, our Rat Pack friend who happened to be in town, went as a character from Major League (please don't ask me who!). His roommate was a hunter and wore camouflage. The Runner was the Burger King and his friend (girlfriend?) was Kendra Wilkinson, one of the Girls Next Door. KT couldn't go because she was sick.

When we got to the party, there were lots of snacks and a keg. There were about 50 people there, I'd say, so it was a good crowd. Here were some of the costumes:

Little Red Riding Hood & Wolf (a couple -- cute idea, huh?)
Batman, Robin and the Joker (three friends)
Roman soldiers (complete with fake, bloody wounds)
a fairy (who smoked like a chimney, which was funny to me)
Jessica Rabbit
a witch
various X-Men characters
Indian princess (that was the hostess)
Dr. Seymour Bush (a "gynecologist" -- get it?)
cowboys/cowgirls
another Burger King guy
a female gangster
a flapper
Catholic school girl & guy (that was E & B)
Cleopatra
Coach Steve Spurrier
Dog, the Bounty Hunter
Borat

......and finally.........drumroll, please........the winner of the costume contest was a guy who dressed as this guy:

And from the moment he walked in, everyone knew he would win. The costume was just too funny. He was so tall he had to keep ducking in all the doorways.

Despite all of my Paris Hilton accessories, no one knew who the hell I was. Probably because I don't really look like her, even with a blond wig on. Oh well, it was still fun. MJ and I got into a Britney/Paris catfight and VW and CN tried to break it up. We got it on film for posterity's sake, you know. Then she and I made up and were friends.......until we got into another mock cat fight, also on film. It was fun. CN kept arresting everyone.

MJ's pregnant Britney belly was so well-done, some other girls at the party thought she was really pregnant, and when they saw MJ smoking and drinking, they were so offended, they went inside and talked smack! It wasn't until late in the party that they realized she just had a pillow taped to her tummy, so they ran out to tell us what they had thought, and we all had a good laugh.

CN was quite the little social butterfly that night, and I hardly got to talk to him! He was so busy talking to VW, Vermont, Vermont's roommate and The Runner, I didn't even realize he was getting trashed! By the time we left, he was slurring his words. He cracked me up the whole way home.

Somehow, we lost track of Vermont. Rumors circulated of he and Butter having hooked up (which bothered E, because she and Country Boy are on-again, off-again) but I am starting to think those rumors are not true. We still don't know where Vermont spent the night! There was a lot of confusion, drunkenness and phone calls going on. B & E thought we were all following them to a bar, but when we got there, we couldn't find anyone. So it was pretty chaotic by 3 am. No one knew where anyone was. We are still emailing about it, trying to get the facts straight.

CN and I crashed out hard-core and didn't wake up until about 11:30 the next day! I took a shower and then went out to lunch with his parents, who had me in stitches the whole time. After we ate, he and I were total couch potatoes for the rest of the day! I couldn't even stay awake for the USC/Tennessee football game -- CN had to keep waking me up for all the big plays!

And no, I DON'T want to talk about the game. Those refs made terrible calls and that last kick was total.......ok, that's all I'm going to say. *sniff!*

Speaking of USC, you have probably seen this in the news. Please keep these families in your minds today. It's such a sad story. My friend, Butter, knows the family that owns the house that burned down, so this hit pretty close to home for her. And please, since daylight savings is this weekend anyway, use this story as a reminder to check your fire alarms in your home.

Although I'm sad about the students and the football game, I'm going to try and focus on getting excited for Indiana Basketball!!!! The first exhibition game is this Sunday. I would like to just throw out there that the Hoosiers are ranked 9th in the ESPN/USA Today pre-season poll. So for all the UNC, Duke and Kentucky fans (my favorite teams to hate!)-- get ready!!!

But before all of that starts up, I have to say that I am the MOST excited about THIS new season, which starts tonight!!!!



I read in People magazine that there will be an episode this season where Julian McMahon does naked push ups!! Be still my beating heart!!!


Because I talk so much about Julian McMahon's hotness, I think CN is a little bit jealous! But he doesn't have anything to worry about. The chances of me ever meeting Julian are pretty slim. Besides, I highly doubt I'll ever have a conversation like this with Julian:

CN: Hey, I need to take you out on Thursday. We should do something nice.
Me: Oh....kay. Sounds good. But um....why?
CN: It's the first.

It will be our 2 month anniversary. What guy celebrates the 2 month anniversary???? I'm telling you, he's unreal. I didn't even realize the first of the month was our anniversary. Good grief.....

Costume Party!!!

My friend S (of the Happy Hour Crew -- see sidebar) and her boyfriend are throwing their 5th annual Halloween Costume Party tonight! Yay!!! Anyone can go, but everyone HAS to wear a costume. I LOVE wearing costumes, especially wigs. I can't wait to see S (she will be a Native American Princess) and her man (a cowboy). E and B are coming, too -- they are going to be Catholic school students. The rest of the Happy Hour Crew is going, but I have no idea what they are going to be. I can't wait to see what everyone thought up.

I am bringing the following people with me: CN, MJ, VW, The Runner, one of the members of the Rat Pack (who is randomly in town from NY!) and his roommate (who came down from NY for the ride). I don't know what any one is going to be, except for CN:

(and in case you are thinking it's just a cop costume, he would want me to tell you that he's going to be a character from Super Troopers, complete with a real mustache!)

...and The Runner:
Which will be hilarious! I can't wait to get my picture taken with the Burger King!

After much indecision, I have finally decided on a costume and have gathered everything I need. I bet you can guess what I'm going to be!









E even made me this to go with my costume!! Isn't that cool??? I'll be carrying it around at the party.


I will probably take a lot of pics this weekend. If any of them are anonymous enough, I will share with you. Tell me what you're going to be for Halloween!!! I love how creative people get for this holiday. Share with me, peeps!

Best Sick Day Ever!!!

WARNING: This might be the gushiest, mushiest, sappiest post I've ever written in my whole life. If you are annoyed or have a weak stomach, you may want to just look at the pictures. :)

Ugh, I have had the worst cold all week. I'm getting better, but I have been in and out of work all week. Yesterday was the worst -- I was out all day. I felt terrible, but managed to sleep most of the morning.

When I got up to eat my breakfast, I got a call from work. Someone had sent me flowers on the one sick day I've had in months! Shoot! Luckily, my coworker offered to drop the flowers off at my house on her lunch break. Look at what was inside the box!!


(Can you see my Sudafed that I've been popping like peanuts? LOL)

CN sent the flowers to me to cheer me up since I have been sick all week! They are still in the process of blooming. Every time I go in the living room, it seems like I have another flower. They are irises (irisii??) of different colors. They are gorgeous!!

The note was so sweet, too. "Hey Babe, just thought I'd cheer you up since you're sick. Hope you're feeling better. P.S. How many points do I get for this? -- CN"

Well, needless to say, he got a lot of points yesterday. He even took a mid-afternoon break to come over and hang out with me for a little bit. Then he went back to work and I began to make his birthday dinner (yes, he actually sent me flowers the day before his own birthday! Is he unreal or what?). By this point in the day I was starting to feel a lot better.

He wanted chili and cheesecake, so that's what he got! As I waited for the chili to finish simmering, I got all gussied up (I was sick of looking gross and sickly, you know?). When I opened the door, he told me I looked so good he wanted to forget eating dinner! (Woo Hoo!!!) I told him dessert was later. ;) He had two helpings of chili and a big piece of cheesecake. He opened his birthday card and saw that I got him two tickets to the Falcons game next month. I think I must have "done good" because he jumped up and came across the table to give me a big hug and kiss. It turns out, he has never been to a Falcons game before, so I think he's pretty excited! (Yessssss! Go me!)

Did I tell you that we are having dinner with his parents on Saturday? And that he invited me to go to his parents' house for Thanksgiving? Yeah. I don't think I can go -- The Czarina would probably kill me--but it can't hurt to ask.

"Doesn't it feel like we have been dating forever?" he said last night.
"Yeah, but it's only been like....2 months! Weird, huh?" I replied.
He nodded.
"Have you noticed that everything between us is just so....easy? Like it's just totally smooth sailing all the time?" I said.
"Yeah. With everyone else I've dated, it's been like pulling teeth," he replied.
"Yeah, I usually feel like..."I trailed off.
"...like one person is always trying harder than the other?" he asked, finishing my sentence.
"Exactly!! This is so much better!" I said.
"I know! You're the best girlfriend I've ever had. I really mean it. You are," he said.
"Really?? Well, I didn't know guys like you even existed! I am so glad that we met," I gushed.
"Me too. I've been looking for someone like you for a long time," he replied.
"Happy Birthday, Baby," I said.

Then we hung out together for the rest of the night. Just the two of us. I won't go into details, but um.........you can guess. ;)

"L" Ready?

Get it? Har har.

I have a cold, and have been vegging out on my couch. That's why I've been MIA. But I feel a little better today, so I'll give you the weekend re-cap.

Friday night was rather uneventful, but Saturday was super fun.

We (me, KT, VW, CN and Stuck) all surprised MJ for her birthday. She had no idea we were all gathered together at her favorite restaurant to surprise her with a night of drunken debauchery. She thought she was just going out to dinner with VW.

We started at The Blue Marlin for dinner (her favorite restaurant) and had a chocolate-raspberry cake from Chocolate Nirvana Bakery for dessert. Mmmmmm!!!

CN felt awful, because as he and I were taking the cake to the restaurant, he had to slam on his brakes to avoid running a red light, causing the cake to fall off the seat of the car and get a little smushed on one side. He claims I was distracting him from his driving, but I deny this. I was merely wearing a low-cut top and patent leather stilettos. I can't help it if touching up my makeup in the vanity mirror almost causes traffic accidents. ;)

In actuality, he seriously almost killed us! At the last second, I shouted, "Sweetie!! That's a RED LIGHT!" He wasn't paying attention, I guess, because by the time we stopped, we were halfway into the intersection! It was pretty funny, because he teases me for being a crazy driver, but now I just say, "Well, at least I've never almost killed us."

Anyway, MJ didn't mind that her cake was a little smushed. She was just enjoying her birthday. She had no idea we were all surprising her or that we got her an ipod for her birthday.

Little did I know, she was about to give me a small surprise. During the course of the dinner conversation, she proceeds to mention that I was messed up on Vicodin on my first date with CN.

"What?" asked CN.
"Gee, thanks, MJ," I retorted sarcastically.
"You didn't tell him? I thought you told him!" she exclaimed.
"Nope. No I didn't tell him about that. But now I have to, I guess!" I said.
"I am so sorry. I thought you told him!" she said.
"It's ok," I said.

And then I proceeded to confess to CN that I was on Vicodin at the time of our first date, but didn't want to tell him out of fear that he would think I have an addiction to painkillers or something. I was worried that he would be upset, but he wasn't. WHEW!

"Why did you go out with me when you knew you were all messed up? Why not just stay home?" he said.
"Because I knew that if I didn't go out with you, you were the kind of guy who would never ask me out again. I had to say yes!" I explained.
"Oh. Well, that's true. I probably wouldn't have," he conceded.
"See?" I said.

Then I told him how difficult it was for me to get ready and focus on dinner conversation when I'm on Vicodin, and he just laughed. I explained to him why I took it that evening and that I don't do it all the time or anything. I also said that it should show him how much I wanted to go out with him -- I spent a good deal of the night feeling nauseous!

MJ apologized to me later and said that she felt awful for letting the cat out of the bag. But it ended up being no big deal, and now he teases me about it.

We went back to our dinner. The chocolate cake was fantastic. After dinner, we proceeded to get MJ good n drunk.

She only remembers bits and pieces of the evening. She doesn't remember how KT and I made fun of her drunken walking. She doesn't remember sulking and pretending to cry whenever someone didn't do what she wanted. She doesn't remember falling down a couple of times. She doesn't remember flashing most of the crowd at Local's as she climbed up onto the bar to receive her free birthday shot. She doesn't remember crashing into a table and breaking several empty glasses, causing us to get kicked out of Bar None.

Needless to say, we all had a really fun time and didn't get home until about 3am.

That's when I got called out again. (What was it? Pick on VB day??) CN and I were driving home when he asked me a very blunt question.

"Hey, when we were at Local's, and you were all touchy-feely on me, were you only doing that because your ex-boyfriend was there? Because if that's the case, it doesn't make me feel good." he said.

Shit. Ummm.....

You see, as soon as MJ said she wanted to go to Local's, I thought, "Uh-oh. That's where Repo goes all the time. He will probably be there." But I didn't want to protest, because it was MJ's birthday. So I said ok, knowing full well what would happen: If Repo was there, I would probably try to rub it in his face that I am in a very happy relationship now.

That's exactly what happened, and that's exactly what I did.* And now, I was being called out on it. Shit. I totally deserved to be called out. I was immature and selfish and behaved totally inappropriately.

So I told him that I was only human and that yes, that was part of it. I told him I pretty much knew what was going to happen once I got there. But since it was very crowded in there, it was that much easier to be physical on the dance floor. My intentions were only halfway bad.

I can't remember exactly what CN said, but it was along the lines of, "Don't do that again. It made me feel like shit." -- a message I heard loud and clear. Commence massive guilt trip. We agreed that maybe we shouldn't go to Local's anymore. Not only because of Repo, but also because CN started to get a panic attack while we were there -- he doesn't do well with crowds.

At this point, not only was I dealing with a massive guilt trip, but now I was worried that I am going to screw up this relationship with my stupid decisions. I am going to ruin everything, because I am a moron. Crap!

So I told him I was going to take a quick shower, get into my pjs and then come over. He said ok.

Twenty minutes later, we were snuggling and talking in his bed. That's when he told me that he's falling in love with me.

WHAT?

Yeah. With me, the immature girl who uses him to try and make an ex jealous, the girl who takes Vicodin recreationally. Is he crazy? I am obviously a shitty girlfriend!

I said, "Um, really?" -- I was so shocked, this was all I could say. I was practically speechless.

"Yeah. I just haven't felt like this about anyone in a really, really long time. I have very strong feelings for you, and I just wanted to tell you because I think it's good to do that," he said.

Aw.

"But.....Sweetie, we haven't been dating that long. That's kind of...soon. I mean, I am charming, and all...." I joked.

"Yeah, I know. But that's how I feel," he replied.

"I really care about you, too. I mean, I'm not there yet, but I'm definitely on my way....are you mad that I didn't say it back?" I asked, worried. (I don't believe in using the "L" word unless you mean it. And even though I am almost ready to say those three little words, I am not quite there yet.)

"Whoa, I didn't say I was in love with you, just that I feel like I am headed in that direction!" he said.

"Are you back-pedaling???" I giggled.

"No. But I do really really care about you," he said.

Aw. Alright, I'm not sharing the rest of the conversation, because it was entirely too schmoopy and sappy, and it involved me crying, so let's just not go there, ok? Ok. Let's just say that the last bit of it went like this:

CN: Are we just going to sit here complimenting each other all night, or are we going to go to sleep?

Me: Oh. *giggle* Yeah, I guess we should go to bed now. I'm pretty tired, and it's probably like 4am.

*smooch!*
*zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....*

So what do you think? Was CN back-pedaling? Do you think he's in The Big L with me? Or is it too soon? Was I out of line at Local's? Wouldn't it have been weirder if I had ignored CN when we were at Local's? Will I ever grow up and stop screwing things up with CN? What should I do to remedy this situation/loss of trust? And finally, am I indeed going to Hell? Or do I just deserve to get smacked?

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated, as always, dear readers.

* I would like to add that Repo looked like shit. He has gained so much weight since we broke up and he looked miserable! He looked like he was really down/depressed. He definitely saw me with my new boyfriend, and I could tell it bothered him. Plus, thanks to the grapevine that is Columbia, I'm pretty sure he and his girlfriend broke up. And I can't say that I didn't get a teeny bit of satisfaction from that.....ugh, I am terrible, I know. I'm going to hell. I am slowly learning to accept this fact.

Definitions

Poor One Girl! She has been dating this guy, and they are at that stage where you begin to wonder and stress about the relationship's "status". Ugh. I hate that feeling. The over-analyzing, the stress, the extra effort you begin to put into the relationship as you "campaign" for girlfriend....

Maybe Stuck's right, and all women are crazy.

But I like to think that men are the same way, sometimes, even if they don't show it or feel that they have anything to do with the issue at hand:

I'm talking about the "Are we dating other people or not?" conversation.

I myself make it a point to rarely, if ever, bring up this topic. In our society, it's often implied that women want a boyfriend yesterday and that we go bat-shit crazy, much like a shark in a feeding frenzy, when it comes to anything bearing a hint of commitment. If asked whether or not we want exclusivity, it's expected that we will reply, "Duh." We have heard all the horror stories of men who went MIA upon even the suggestion of a committed relationship. So for most women, we stay silent out of fear. Which is funny to me, because up until that point, women usually control the pace of the relationship: how often the guy can see us, how many dates we go on before we have sex, when it's ok to meet friends and family, that sort of thing.

(On a side note, maybe I'm weird, but new guys always meet my friends before I meet his. Or maybe I just need a thorough screening before meeting his friends! LOL He's got to be positive I'm not bat shit crazy, you know. Do my female readers have the same tendency? Or is this just a random coincidence for me?)

Men, on the other hand, like to feel as free as James Bond and have options open to them if available. Whether or not they have options is irrelevant. Which is funny to me! They are so optimistic when it comes to the ability to "spread their seed". They just assume lots of women want it in the first place. Or that they will enjoy the wild-oat-sowing at all. Don't they realize that as a friend of mine* once said, "The problem with dating more than one person at the same time is that you don't really like any of them." Add to that the stress that may come from juggling multiple girls, and I'm amazed guys even want to fool with it. I don't know why men are like this, maybe it's something Darwinistic, but for the most part, I think we can agree that just the thought of having a girlfriend or --gasp!--a fiance or wife leaves men clammy and shaking. They want to be desired, but God forbid one woman takes a keen interest in him. They want ALL women to take an interest, which in my experience, is pretty delusional....LOL.

I like to tell myself men just can't visualize all of the wonderful things that can happen in a committed and healthy relationship--trust, intimacy, comfort, better sex, a deep friendship, better sex....yes, that one gets counted twice! But to each their own. I can understand, to an extent. I've been known to hesitate a time or two when the Big Talk comes up. So I can relate a bit. But 90% of the time, I am your stereotypical single girl, chomping at the bit for the permission to use the phrase "my boyfriend" in every day conversation.

So imagine my surprise when, a few weeks back, I suddenly realized that I was not even thinking about exclusivity with CN. It wasn't that I didn't want it -- I did, very much. And it wasn't just that it hadn't occurred to me. It was that I was, for the very first time ever, not even worried about it. The idea was automatically filed under "Bridges We Will Cross When We Get to Them". I was not feeling panicky or concerned about it. There was no nervous flutter in my stomach when he would introduce me to someone. I didn't feel like a little puppy dog, hoping that if I wagged my tail just right, I'd be adopted, so to speak. I didn't feel that need to "campaign".

And I'm not saying that it was assumed we were exclusive, or that it already felt like we were boyfriend and girlfriend. It wasn't like that. I knew we needed to talk about it pretty soon. I wanted to talk about it. But I was not worried about how it would go or where he might stand on the issue. Not one bit. Just like everything else in our relationship, I have felt totally secure and comfortable with what's going on. The "talk" just seemed like the next logical progression in our relationship. Like a no-brainer. A formality, almost.

When it happened, it ended up being almost comical. It was a Saturday night, in the middle of a crowded and very loud bar. We were with a group of friends and he had already thrown back 5 drinks when he sloshed into my ear about whether or not we wanted to see other people. I remember thinking, "Um, ok. I guess we can talk about this now. It should be a short conversation, anyway. OMG, did he have to get halfway to Drunktown before working up the courage to talk about this?? Nah. I'm not going to flatter myself like that."

So I asked him what he wanted to do, and he said he didn't want to date anyone else. I told him that I felt the same way, and we had a nice little smooch to seal the deal. The End. Easy as pie.

Or was it?

The next morning, I was reflecting on the night before when I realized that may have been the beer talking the night before. So I asked him if he remembered what we talked about the night before. He cried, "Yeah. What, you changed your mind????" in an almost panicked tone of voice. I chuckled and shook my head.

"Just checking," I said, smiling.

So what do you think about The Talk? Is it an unnecessary formality? The man's job? The woman's job? Should exclusivity be assumed, or are we just being control freaks? Have you ever had one that went badly? Do you have advice for anyone who is approaching that stage in their relationship? If you're not having sex with the person(s), is it even necessary? Let's talk about The Talk!

* Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think MJ is the source of this quote.

Thursday 13-- Autumn!

Thanks to all my readers for the kind and sympathetic thoughts on the last post. I was kinda bummed the other day, but I'm ok now. Despite the fact that I had a dream last night that my dad died. Again. Very strange. But it was just a dream. I honestly don't know where all of this is coming from. Maybe it's my brain's way of reminding me not to forget my dad. I dunno.

Alright, moving on. There's a saying here in South Carolina: We have four seasons -- almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas. And this year, it's proving true! Thanks to this wonderful Indian Summer we are having, October is half over, and I am still wearing flip flops, jean skirts and tank tops. Contrast that to my home state, Virginia, where they are in the upper 70s (still warm, but certainly not hot) and Indiana (where my family lived for several years), where fall is already well under way--mid-60s. In high school and college, I expected to be seeing snow on the ground by Halloween. SC is proving to be sliiiightly different!

We haven't really dropped below the mid-80s yet. I never thought I'd say this, because I love summer almost as much as candy, but I'm SO ready for some nice fall weather! These are all the things I LOVE about slightly cooler weather. Hopefully I can enjoy some of them before it turns back into spring again!

1. Soup!! My favorites include Campbell's Bean n Bacon and/or Beef Vegetable. Potato and tomato are also good. My mom's chili is awesome. I am also in love with Quizno's Broccoli n Cheese, because they put it in a bread bowl, along with pieces of grilled chicken. Mmmmmmm!! I am also really craving my grandmother's French Beef Stew, so when I make that, I'll post the recipe. Right now, it's just too dang hot for soup!

2. Turtlenecks, jackets, sweaters, coats and boots. I like fall/winter clothes so much better than summer clothes. I don't know why, but I feel I look more presentable in the cooler months. My all-cotton summer wardrobe is so....schlumpy.

3. Two words: Egg Nog. Holy Cow, I cannot express to you in the English language how much I love this holiday drink. Sans alcohol, obviously. Not really the healthiest thing you can put in your body, but man-oh-man, I squeal like a little kid when I drink some. My favorite is the Southern Comfort brand's Vanilla Spice. It tastes like a milkshake--seriously, it's the best. I bought some today, actually, only because I was SO excited to see that they are selling it so early in the season. I would also like to add that my love of all things nog also includes ice creams, coffees, milkshakes, cheesecakes and anything where egg nog is an ingredient or flavor.

4. I don't need any excuse to make Pumpkin Bread or pumpkin pie or baked items in general. If it's got cinnamon or pumpkin in it, this is the time of year where people really want to snuggle up with some coffee, tea or (in my case) egg nog and something yummy and baked. Keep your eyes peeled over on my cooking blog for yummy recipes. I think I've already posted the Pumpkin Bread recipe, but I'm too lazy to look right now. I'm going to try out something this year that has a pumpkin-chocolate combo, because it sounds interesting to me.

5. I used to say "the leaves" because when I lived in Indiana, I got to witness some of the most beautiful fall leaves you've ever seen. The town where I went to college, Bloomington, is really known for it. I would give anything to see and smell the beautiful foliage right now. Unfortunately, we have few maple trees here. Lots of pine trees and crepe myrtles instead. Not the best for fall foliage, you know? And at the rate we're going, they won't be changing colors anytime soon. Anyway, here are some pics to show you what I'm missing. Indiana's campus in the fall:







6. That nip in the air. Not the kind of cold where you feel cold, but the kind that just wakes you up. Enough of a chill that you need a jacket or a coat, but not enough that you need a hat and gloves. The pre-snow-and-ice chill. Also known as the pre-wool-but-more-than-a-long-sleeved-tshirt cool. Aaaaaah! What a nice break from the sticky, humid, 2-showers-a-day heat that is July and August here.

7. Warm fluffy blankets, whether it's on the couch (with a good book and something yummy and baked) or on your lap at a football game. Preferably with a significant other sitting next to you.

8. Speaking of football games, I love love love wearing college sweatshirts when it's cold! That and flannel pjs at night. (Can you tell I dislike being cold?) I flirt with the concept of slippers and thick socks, but I dislike it when my feet get hot. So those are reserved for moments when I'm totally freezing my ass off.

9. I forgot my other favorite cold weather drink: hot cocoa!!! Mmmm!! I always make mine with milk and try to have marshmallows around, too. Whoever invented this concept was a total genius. And now, you can get it in so many yummy flavors--caramel, mint, Butterfinger.... Have you tried the individual packets of hot cocoa mix put out by Land o Lakes? OMG....total yummers.

10. Basketball season AND football season!!! I did go to Indiana for undergrad and South Carolina for grad school. So I am a pretty big college sports fan. November is especially great, because both sports are playing at the same time! Total bliss!

11. Fuji and Granny Smith apples are in season. I love to snack on apples, and the rest of the year, they just aren't as good.

12. Lower heating/cooling bills!!! Too late for A/C, too early for heat! Yesssssss!!!

13. This might just be my imagination, but I swear my hair looks better in the fall/winter months.

14. Ok, I just thought of another. Halloween. Because it's my favorite holiday!!! It involves dressing up and lots of candy. That's pretty much my ideal celebration.

Did I miss anything? What do you like about the fall? (I am trying not to get into Christmas/Thanksgiving TOO much just yet. It's still hot! I'll post about the holidays later!)

Out of the Blue

This post is 100% mush free. Absolutely NO mention of you-know-who. So no barfing, ok? Ok.

I forgot to share this really random dream with y'all.

The other night, I dreamt that I got a third dog -- a black cocker spaniel. Which is weird, because I don't want a third dog and I don't like cocker spaniels. But anyway, it was running away from me along the side of a busy road, and I got into my minivan (LOL! Why am I driving a minivan???) to chase it down.

So I am chasing down my dog, and I'm using my car to do so. Very strange.

Some random lady, also in a minivan, but going the opposite direction, pulls over and catches my dog for me. She motions for me to follow her. She leads me to an elementary school. But it's not just any elementary school. It's an animal shelter/elementary school.

Hold on, it gets weirder.

I go out back, where there is a very large, fenced-in grassy yard. It's full of stray dogs. I go in and start playing with the stray dogs. They are all cute and wonderful. Apparently, this is when I forget all about my cocker spaniel, because the next thing I know, I'm running to the desk (where you go to adopt a dog) with two Boston Terrier puppies--one under each arm--and as I'm running, I'm shouting, "WOW!!! I can't believe they're only $1.99!!!!"

What a wack job I am! 4 Boston Terriers, two of whom are puppies??? My subconscious has lost its mind. Although, they are pretty cute when they're puppies......


But I could never have 3 or more dogs in my tiny little house. It's already hard to keep it clean from all the dog hair.

In other news, I had a crazy thing happen to me this morning. Anyone reading this who has lost someone very close to them will probably be able to relate. I was making my coffee this morning when I had a HUGE wave of grief hit me, and suddenly, I missed my dad terribly.

So there I was, making coffee, and sobbing, for (seemingly) no reason at all! It came out of nowhere! It honestly feels just like getting smacked on the back from a big wave when you're standing in water up to your waist in the ocean. It feels JUST like that.

If you can't relate, all I can tell you is that sometimes, without any warning, these moments will hit you where you remember (not like you ever forgot, but it's just not always in the front of your mind) that you can't just call them on the phone and hear their voice. That it's probably going to be a very VERY long time until you ever talk to them again. You won't get hugs from them, you won't get that reassuring pat on the hand that tells you everything is going to be ok. All you have are memories. Which is tough when you miss someone and just want to hear their voice. Right now, even just hearing his voice would be all I need. I would not even need to see him in person. I wish I hadn't taken all those phone calls home for granted.

Sometimes, it just really gets to me that my dad has never seen my house, has no idea how successful I've been in my career, will never attend my wedding, will never meet my kids, will never meet any of his in-laws....and I get really sad.

It's not that I walk around in a daydream all the time, forgetting that my dad is gone. It's just that I don't really stop to think about it all very much. I know that if I do, I will just get upset and start to cry. So I don't think about it a lot. But unfortunately, that's now how grief works. You can't pick and choose when you get to think about people who are gone. You can repress all you want, but eventually, the grief has to get out, kind of like a boiler that is going to blow if you don't let out some of the steam pressure that has been building up.

I think this morning, I just had to let it out. I'm ok now. I don't know what made me think about him suddenly this morning. Maybe I had another dream about him, and I just forgot it when I woke up. Have I blogged about all the weird dreams I've had about my dad since he died? They are pretty weird. I will tell them, unless I already have. Someone remind me.

Ok, now I'm crying at work! Gotta stop!!!! I'm ok, I promise. This is normal. Once you experience grief, it just sort of becomes like a tattoo, a new haircut or a piercing. It's always there, it becomes part of who you are, and you aren't always aware of it. At first, you are very very aware of it and it's all you can talk/think about. But then, you only think about it in certain instances. Eventually, it just seems everyday to you, and you aren't emotional or reactive to it any more. I guess that unless you've experienced it, it's hard to explain.

Sorry about the sad post today, guys. Guess I can't be funny all the time. I'll try to be more upbeat tomorrow, I promise! Today was just weird for some reason.

Too Good to Be True?

Warning: This post may induce vomiting due to its sugary-sweet goopy mushiness.

I'm starting to wonder if CN is a real person, or merely a figment of my Overactive Imagination. Examples:

1. Changing our status on myspace to "in a relationship" was his idea, not mine. (Cliche, I know. But I get little warm fuzzies everytime I see it. Aw. And yes, PH, I realize this dooms the relationship! LOL) Usually I am the one who wants to define the relationship first. But I feel so secure in this relationship (a total first for me), I just figured we'd get there eventually. No worries. (That being said, I would encourage every single girl reading this to keep dating until you find that guy who makes you feel REALLY secure in the relationship. It is an awesome feeling!!! I'm thinking, "OH! So this is how it's supposed to be! Aha!" You cannot put a price on it. There is an unquestioned trust, and it's amazing.)

2. He does the following, without my having to bring it up: mows my lawn, takes out my trash, helps me carry stuff, holds my purse when I need an extra hand, helps me walk my dogs, takes my trash to the dump when I miss the morning trash pickup -- which is often. It's the little things that count, you know?

3. Nothing fazes him. Not my messy room, not my estrogen-fueled emotional breakdowns, not my zits, not the crazy stories about my weird family, not my terrifying addiction to sugar, not my financial woes, not my barfing on our first date, not my cellulite, not even the scary/weird/depressing stories about my exes. When my dirty little secrets come out, I am still accepted.

4. Yesterday, we were on our way to Wal-Mart and were stuck behind a car that had broken down. Most people would go around it or do a U-turn and leave the scene to go find an alternate route. Not my boyfriend! He put his car in park and got out to help the total stranger push his car out of the intersection. Who does that???

5. Over dinner last night, he was telling me about how he's picky about leftovers. When he has a to-go box of restaurant leftovers, he won't leave them in the car because they get gross. And if he's driving his Jeep, he won't even keep them at all, because the Jeep's interior is open like a convertible would be and he worries someone walking down the street will open the box and spit on his food or something. (Because that's what people do...look for open cars so they can spit in a total stranger's restaurant leftovers....LOL) Anyway, he said that one night he got a pizza before meeting up with a friend at a bar, but he couldn't finish the whole pizza. Since he was driving the Jeep, he didn't have anywhere to keep the leftovers "safe" from random spitters, so he gives the rest of his pizza to a homeless guy. Again, who does that??? And he wasn't bragging about it or anything -- he told me this story like everyone just gives their dinners away to homeless people all of the time. "Sometimes, you make me feel like an asshole," I said when he finished. He was puzzled.

6. He wanted me to meet his parents this weekend, but told me that if I wasn't ready, it was no big deal. Although I was a little nervous to meet his dad (who was described as someone who is very difficult to please -- nothing is ever good enough for him, apparently), I said ok. And I LOVE his parents. They are scarily similar to my parents, actually. His parents already knew a bunch of stuff about me, because CN had told them all about me. CN's parents are so funny and very, very nice to me! His dad even invited me to come to CN's hometown for a big festival they have in November. I even got good-bye hugs from his mom and dad. Aw.

7. CN's birthday is next week. I asked him what he wants for his special birthday dinner, and he said, "Oh, whatever you want to eat, babe, is fine with me!" -- Who does that???!! I actually had to argue with him that it's his birthday and he can eat whatever he wants. I had to drag it out of him that he wanted chili and cheesecake! LOL We had to have the same conversation about his birthday present (halfway through, I realized that he'd really like Falcons tickets, so I shut up then!). He was never going to speak up about what he wanted to get! "Oh, you don't have to get me anything!" -- Who does that??? When it's my birthday, I practically type up a list for everyone! (Hopefully, this means he will be totally overwhelmed at the Falcons tickets!)

8. He drives across the street (picture how silly that looks, y'all) to pick me up. And last night, he backed his car into my driveway so that I could unload my groceries more easily. But then he ended up unloading them all for me. He could have just parked at his house and made me carry my own groceries across the street, which is what most people would have done. Which was what I was planning on doing. Time and time again, he proves to be even more thoughtful than I would ever have hoped. It's like he can read my mind and then takes it one step farther. He anticipates things even before I think of them. I told him he needs to hold Good Boyfriend Seminars and charge $250/person. Men need to learn from him.

9. He has the ability to make me be nice to everyone, even annoying students and boring old people. I have found myself being more patient and driving more safely, too. I think before I buy (he's really good with money) and I think before I eat (he's a far better eater than I am). If he ever found out that I was rude to a stranger, had a car accident due to my impatient driving or that I was short with an old lady, I would die of embarrassment. Even when he's not around, I try to live up to his expectations. I think I'm dating a saint. I don't think I've ever admired a boyfriend so much. Even The Czarina doesn't have that much influence on me. He and I joke about how I should wear a "What Would CN Do?" bracelet.

10. He tells me that I spoil him. [Insert shock and awe here.] I literally replied with, "Huh?!" I have cooked for him a few times. And I took him to breakfast the other day. I keep my legs shaved. But that's it. And he thinks I'm awesome. Wow. That was easy.

I know it's not good to put people on a pedestal (I myself hate being on them--too much pressure), but I can't help it! I guess to me, he just stands out, head and shoulders above the rest. I'm not saying that I don't deserve him (because frankly, after all the crap I've been through, I think I've earned this!), but he definitely makes me want to be on top of my game and keep him around until further notice.

Of course, eventually, I will screw this all up. Or he will. It's too good to be true. There's no way that he's normal. He probably buries bodies in his backyard or something. Right? I mean, by now, every guy I've ever dated has let me down in some way or another. CN hasn't done it yet. I'm not saying he's perfect (if I had my way, he would stoppit with his Howard Stern addiction). I just keep telling myself, "Oh, the other shoe will drop soon enough, he'll do something stupid and I won't look at him the same way anymore. Or I'll do something really stupid and mess it all up and fall into a deep and lonely depression." -- but it STILL hasn't happened yet! Part of me kind of wants to get it over with, you know?

It's sort of like being on a roller coaster. It's so fun, but so scary at the same time. You're sure you're going to die, but you don't, and that just makes it so much more wonderful. I haven't felt this lucky in a long time. Maybe I'm just slowly going insane and he's actually an average guy. Or even worse, an imaginary boyfriend. Gah, is he even real???

A.C.W.M.B.

Another Conversation With My Brain.

"Um, I think it's time to pay the bills. You haven't done that in a while," stated Good Point.

"Crap! What if one of them is late??? Your credit rating will be ruined for eternity!!" shrieked Pessimistically Paranoid.

So after dinner, I sat down at the table to pay the bills.

In blood.

Wait, WHY is the water bill triple of what it usually is???

"Because you decided it would be a good idea to put down sod the week before we had a record-breaking heat wave in South Carolina. Hope you like your nicely watered back yard," said Sarcastic in a snarky tone of voice.

Oh. Right. Well, that explains why the electric bill is double, then.

"Yup," said Logical.

"What I want to know is, why did you let your gyno talk you into visiting a urologist, even though nothing was wrong with you? Because that cost you $100. A hundred dollars to pee into a plastic jug. Nice!" said Bitch Mode.

"Leave her alone! She does a good job! It's just that sometimes, stuff comes up! She had to use her savings account to pay for the house!" yelled Hormonal, voice quivering.

"Oh, and I suppose you just had to go shopping this past weekend," sniped Inner Mom Voice.

"Well, that will be on next month's credit card statement anyway," replied Good Point.

"And what's up with those 2 Falcons tickets? Since when are you an NFL fan?" pushes Cynical.

"Those are for CN's birthday! And The Runner is buying one of them. The other one was free, thanks to our credit card reward points! So stuff it, Cynical!" cries Single Girl. They lunge at each other. Inner Mom Voice breaks it up.

"Look! There is a new boyfriend now, folks! That is big news! You need to buy him birthday presents and we have to buy new clothes and cute undies! That's just what you do when you get a new boyfriend, ok?? Everything we bought was on sale. And besides, those shoes were too good of a deal to pass up--$90, marked down to $23!" said Single Girl.

"Yeah, those shoes are seeeeeeeeexy!" said Pervert.

"Hey! Let's put them on and go show them to CN!" said Horny, giggling.

All the Voices giggle, nod and begin to head to the closet to go get the new shoes.

"Focus, people! We have to pay these bills. No shoe parades right now....HEY! What is this??? Why is the credit card bill so high this month??" said Practical.

"Oh, um, your hair has to look good when you get a boyfriend, too. It was, um, kind of extra and stuff, because you changed hair colors...and um, got a haircut, too. That was an approved trip to the hairdresser!! You said it was ok!" said Single Girl, defensively.

Shit.

Oh, and I had to get more flea/tick control for the dogs....and there was that dinner out with friends.....ok, make that 4 dinners out....oh man.........this is not good.

School loans....garbage service....sewer....mortgage....I watched in agony as my bank account hemorrhaged money. I paid so many bills, I ran out of stamps.

Shit shit shit!!! And I still have to pay my cell phone and cable bills!!! Aaaaaaargh.

Hormonal's eyes began to well up with tears.

"Don't cry, it will be ok!" said Stupidly Optimistic as she comforted Hormonal.

I grabbed the box of Kleenex from the bathroom.

"Don't forget that car taxes are due this month, too." said Logical, quietly.

"OK! Now I'm freaking out!" shouted Panic, running around in circles, screaming.

"Hold on, don't freak out. Let me see what is left over....ok, good. See? We have like...um...$27." said Practical.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!" screamed Panic. She faints and passes out on the floor.

"Ohmygod. We're gonna be homeless!" wailed Pessimistically Paranoid.

"We can rent out the house fully furnished, and move back home with The Czarina!" blurted Stupidly Optimistic.

All the Voices turn and look at her, jaws open. A dead silence overtakes the room. No one moves or says anything. Somewhere, a clock ticks.

"Dude, no. No freaking way. Unh-uh," I say, shaking my head. Everyone shakes their head in agreement. Panic barfs in the corner. "We've got to think of something else."

"We could get a part time job!" shouts Stupidly Optimistic.

"Hey! Dumbass! We need money yesterday, not in two weeks!" retorts Sarcastic.

"Does anyone owe us money?" asks Good Point.

Bitch Mode sits down to make a list of people who owe money. The rest of the Voices continue to brainstorm. Single Girl is lying on the couch in a catatonic state, staring at the ceiling, muttering to herself. Hormonal is immersed in damp, wadded-up Kleenex, rocking back and forth, crying. Overly Analytical is banging her head against the wall. Confident has completely lost it and is under the table in the fetal position, shaking.

"Oh man, we are really in a fix! What are we going to do??" says Impatient.

"Quick! What can we sell?" shouts Logical.

All the Voices think.

"The dog!" shouts Impatient.

"Tried it. No takers," said Good Point.

"Our shoes!" says Practical.

"Shut your mouth!!" screams Single Girl. "You have always hated shopping, and now you're just trying to get even! I won't let you take it out on the shoes!!!"

"Besides, it's not like there's a ton of women on eBay who are looking for size 9 1/2 narrow. We have freak feet, remember?" says Good Point.

"The jewelry???" offers Shy, timidly.

"Dude?! Are you on drugs?! The Czarina would shoot you! And besides, you've only got 2 pieces of real jewelry anyway. It's not worth it," says Good Point.

"Electronics?" asks Single Girl. "We can live without those."

Everyone reminds Single Girl that Cheapskate made sure that all electronics were either hand-me-down freebies or generic-brand Wal-Mart purchases. No dice.

"Crap! We have nothing of value! And it's all my fault! This sucks!" says Cheapskate, sobbing.

"Where is all the money going?? We really need to work up a budget, because I think you're spending it all on candy," says Overly Analytical. "You're going to end up filing for bankruptcy, courtesy of Hershey's if you don't stop it with the chocolate. And how sad is that? Imagine telling the judge -- 'Your honor, I just couldn't stop...the fun size bars were calling my name! But I've been clean for 3 weeks now!"

"Ooh! I know! We can sell our body!!" yelled Pervert.

"We're too ugly to make good money being hookers! We'd never be better than five dollar hookers! By the time we made enough money, we'd be the biggest hoes in the tri-state area! With our cellulite and fat ass courtesy of our candy addiction, it's amazing CN even wants us!!" wailed Hormonal. "I can't believe anyone wants to see us naked, let alone sleep with us!! We're hideous!!!! Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

Hormonal leaves to go cry into a pillow. She will proceed to have an emotional breakdown for the rest of the evening. Which is fine with the rest of the voices, because whenever she shows up, she's just a big Debbie Downer.

"Hey, don't they have an amateur night at Platinum Plus? Stripping here and there to pay the bills doesn't make you a stripper, per se, right?? I mean, you'd have to do it full time to be considered a 'stripper'," says Horny, enthusiastically.

"Oh yeah, I totally agree," chimes Pervert.

"Wow. So this really is how women start to work corners in downtown urban areas...and all this time I thought it was just something I read about in sociology textbooks," wondered Nerd aloud.

"WHAT??" screamed Panic, who was totally out of control by this point. Her eyes roll back into her head and she collapses.

Prisspot, although speechless, is just as upset at the thought of becoming a real, actual hooker. She dissolves into tears and joins Hormonal in the pillow-sobbing.

"Ooh! I know! We can dress up like a homeless person and beg for money! It will be like practice, since we do this all the time, anyway, and soon we will be homeless!" yells Sarcastic.

"AAARRRGH!!! I am so MAD at us! There is no excuse! We make plenty of money. This has GOT to stop. We have been living on the edge for months now. No more bullshit purchases, do you hear me? That means no more Starbuck's, no more lottery tickets, no more 'Ooh, I wonder what this body wash is like' and no more 'But it's on sale' !!! You got it??!!" shouts Inner Mom Voice.

All the Voices look at their feet and nod.

"I'm putting the clamp down on all purchasing. If you don't like it...tough," states Bitch Mode.

More nodding.

Shy raises her hand.

"Yes, Shy?" asks Bitch Mode.

"Um, we're out of stamps. Can we stop at the store on the way home?" she asks, trembling.

*sigh*

"Sure."

Overexposed

Time: Yesterday afternoon

Place: Victoria's Secret

Yours truly was taking advantage of their fall sale.

After rummaging around in their totally unorganized bins (SO irritating to look through! What happened to the tables organized by size???), I had an armful of bras to try on. I headed to the dressing room.

Bra after bra was disqualified: too big, too small, too complicated, made my boobs look funny, not supportive enough...etc.

But the last bra....well, that was a different story. It was supportive, easy to put on, relatively comfortable, fit well......and it was dead sexy. A black lace bra, hot enough to put the rest of my bras to shame.

"Hmmm...." I thought, with a sly little smile on my lips. "I know someone who might like to see this...."

And I whipped out my cell phone. I was going to take a little preview pic and send it to CN via the wonders of modern technology.

"Click!" said the camera.

"*Giggle*" said I.

"Send!" said the button.

"Message sent!" said the phone.

I got dressed again and went out to get in line to pay. As I was leaving the store, I realized it had been a few minutes, and I hadn't heard from CN. Not to flatter myself, but I was expecting SOME kind of a reaction.

"Hmmm...maybe his phone isn't equipped to receive pictures, because he must have gotten it..." I thought. "Right???"

Oh.

God.

I quickly fumbled around in my purse, frantically searching for my phone. I grabbed it, opened it up and began looking at my text message history.

"Oh-my-gawd-if-I-sent-that-to-the-wrong-person-I-will-die!!!!" I thought.

WHEW. I sent it to CN and only CN.

So why hadn't he replied or reacted in any way??? I mean, I'm not taking jetty shots in the dressing room for my health! Argh.

I got home and began baking some pumpkin bread for CN's dad (he's sick, remember). I glanced out my kitchen window -- CN's friend The Runner was over at his house. They were probably watching football. By the time I had the pumpkin bread in the oven, The Runner had left.

My phone beeped -- I had a new text message from CN.

"Well, it's about time," I thought.

I opened the message:

"The Runner liked your boobs."

!!!!!

I figured he was kidding, so I told him he was in big trouble for showing the pic to The Runner. A little later, CN came over to get the pumpkin bread, and he filled me in on what had happened.

"Yeah, um, The Runner was helping me get my tv cables all figured out, because we were playing video games, and he was actually sitting RIGHT next to me when you sent that pic to my phone. I took my phone out of my pocket when you sent the pic. So um....he saw it. Kinda...." CN trailed off.

*shock and disbelief on my part*

"WHAT????!!!" I shouted.

"Oh, and I know he saw it, because he took one look at it and asked me: 'Um, do you need me to leave so you can take care of that?' " CN continued.

Oh.

My.

Gawd.

I turned beet red. I will never be able to look The Runner in the eye again. I began wailing at my own bad judgement. Stupid, stupid, stupid VB. Dumb idea. Dumb, dumb, dumb!!!!

"It's ok! Don't be embarrassed! It's not a big deal! Just give me a heads up next time, ok?" CN said, trying to make me feel better. "But hey, would you care if I set my phone so that's the photo that comes up on my phone every time you call me?"

Oh for Pete's sake.....

Thursday 13

I'm alive, but barely. I just wish I could mainline some caffeine. *yawn*

Sorry about my long absence, but I don't have much to report! Everything has been smooth sailing, really. Since it's Thursday, I will make this a list of 13 things that have been going on so you can catch up! And nothing is wrong -- I just used the cloud logo because it's very dreary and rainy here today. Which is not helping my sleepiness!

1. I have 88 people reading this! Woot! I feel special. I had to re-send some invites today, because the guest invite only lasts for 2 weeks, so if you have been using the guest access, please create an account or face my wrath.

2. I am E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D today. I stayed up late hanging out with CN on Tuesday night, went to trivia last night until 11:30 and tonight I will be up late again. On Friday, I'm meeting up with the Happy Hour Girls, so I won't get any sleep tomorrow either! Aack! Thank goodness for coffee! If I can just hold out for Saturday morning, I will finally catch up on sleep.

3. Things are still going swimmingly with CN. He is wonderful and I'm really really happy. I think this is the first guy I've ever dated where I literally have nothing to complain about, even after dating him for a month. I swear the guy can read my mind. He is thoughtful, fun, considerate, affectionate, honest, patient....I could go on and on. He has yet to let me down. Period. Maybe I should change his name from Cute Neighbor to Mr. Wonderful?? LOL ugh, I think I just barfed a little.

4. Of course, the Pessimistically Paranoid Voice in me is saying, "Ok, no one is this great. There's got to be something he's hiding from you. He likes to wear women's underwear. Or he doesn't want to have children. Or he doesn't see anything wrong with torturing animals. Maybe he's got bodies buried under his house. There's got to be SOMETHING!! Get him to spill it!!!" -- But I'm still not finding any evidence. He's just.......really nice and sweet. To everyone, even strangers. Very normal guy. Geeky and shy, but normal. There's just nothing bad about him, really. It's kinda freaking me out a little.

5. He got tickets to the USC/Kentucky game tonight! I am SO FREAKING EXCITED. The tickets are really hard to get, especially since we are ranked 11th now. And I really hate Kentucky, because they are a big rival of my alma mater, Indiana University. So I really want to see them get creamed tonight. It should be a really good game -- both teams have been doing better than usual this year. The game is being televised nationally (ESPN), so if you watch it, I will wave to you from the crowd! I'll be wearing the garnet-colored tshirt. :)

6. I am taking MJ, KT, VW, CN and his friend The Runner to a big Halloween party thrown by S (one of the Happy Hour Girls) every year. This is the 5th annual Halloween party, and everyone has to wear a costume. It should be really fun. MJ & I are going to be Sprockets and The Runner is going to be The King (as in, Burger King). I don't think anyone else has their costumes picked out yet. CN is thinking about growing a mustache and going as Tom Selleck's character from Magnum P.I., much to my dismay. He looks very strange with a mustache -- I've seen pictures. So I need ideas, people. I am very anti-CN-mustache. Help me!

7. Other fun fall activities we (ie, MJ, VW, KT, The Runner and CN & I) have planned include: going to the corn maze, going to "Scarowinds" (Carowinds, the closest amusement park, has special Halloween features this month) and going on a ghost tour. And then, next week, the SC State Fair comes to town. EEEEEEK!!! I love October and Halloween!!!!

8. My roommate E and her boyfriend B are in the midst of what will probably end up being Breakup #3. I feel really bad for them, because I think they are both great people, but I think they are very ill-suited for each other. They have very different families, religions and goals. There are some trust issues on his part (he snooped through her phone) and she has some ex-boyfriend issues (I don't think she's recovered emotionally from her ex, who is a complete asshole). She would never in a million years cheat on B -- that's not what I'm saying. I just think that maybe she's not ready to be close to someone emotionally right now. And his family doesn't like her and probably never will. To make it worse, when they pick on E, he rarely sticks up for her, which has been causing some problems for them. Throw in the fact that he will never leave SC and she wants to move somewhere else eventually, and you begin to wonder why they are dating in the first place. I do not doubt that they love each other, but sometimes love isn't enough. You have to be on the same page about stuff. And they just aren't. E is willing to call it quits, but B is kind of in denial and thinks they can work things out. Since they work together, E is worried how it will affect that situation, especially since B is the boss's son.

So, in a nutshell, it's a big ol' mess. I have been trying to support E and listen to her, because she is upset about all of this. I hate to see her upset right now, because she has a bunch of other personal problems at the moment. She's majorly stressed. I just really think they need to call it quits -- for GOOD. They both need someone who is better suited for them. Hopefully they will figure this out and both move on with their lives. Until then, I'll just have to keep baking her brownies! I think they are helping.

9. Butter wrecked her car the other day. She's fine, but her car is totaled. She doesn't know exactly what happened, because it all happened so quickly, but it sounds like she blew a tire and lost control of the car. She drove into a big ditch. She was a little shaken, but she's fine now.

10. CN's dad is in the hospital, about an hour away. I think I told you he has cancer. Yeah, it's not good. Anyway, CN's dad's back has been hurting. He thought it was just a pinched nerve or something, so he went to the doctor. It turns out he's got a tumor on his back. So he's in the hospital right now, getting biopsies and stuff. CN doesn't like talking about it, and I can tell he gets upset, so I don't like pressuring him for details. But he did mention that he may go down there tonight instead of going to the game, depending on how well his dad is doing. He also may go down to the hospital this weekend to stay with his parents. I told him that I will go with him if he wants me to. So hopefully everything will be ok.

11. Um, ok, how about something not so Debbie Downer-ish? I watched the Strangers with Candy movie the other night. If you liked the Comedy Central show with Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert, you will LOVE the movie. It's pretty funny.

12. Tomorrow night is the reunion of the Happy Hour Girls. We have all been so busy for the past few months, we haven't gotten together in ages. Now that the summer is over and we are all done with vacations and other things, we can start meeting up at Wild Wings again. I am very excited to have girl time!

13. I am reading two Neil Strauss books right now: The Game, which is about the Pick-Up Artist community, and The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band. CN is letting me borrow it. It's about one of my favorite 80s hair bands, Motley Crue. Have I ever told you I'm a huge Tommy Lee fan? I think he's hilarious and really interesting. Aside from all the hepatitis stuff, anyway.

CN saw my copy of The Game, and asked me about it. I explained the book a little to him. Now he's on a mission to steal it from me and read it. I told him he didn't need to worry about picking up any chicks right now. :)

Alright, now you're all caught up, my wonderful little readers! I hope everyone's having a great day! You think I put enough links in this post? LOL