I got my oil changed...

So, I try to talk to my parents once a week, more for their peace of mind than anything else. But, sometimes when we talk, I have nothing say, and we end up talking about weather. I am very interested in the weather, but I just cannot focus on a conversation for more than a minute when that's all that's up for discussion. Similarly, I do not focus when people tell me stories but cannot remember the important details, like the name of the person you ran into who I used to work with 8 years ago who is blond and short, well shorter than you anyway, or when you insist upon only discussing where the mucus is in your head. I'm just not that tolerant, especially when I'm tired. This is what happened last night while I was talking and my dad asked if he had called in the middle of an interesting show. He hadn't, and in fact there was almost nothing on last night (Damn the Strike!!!!). So, apparently I was just really tired. Mostly, all I could think to say is that the only thing going on with me was that I had gotten the oil changed in the car and then went to Costco. That was, in fact, the highlight of my week. And this week does not seem like it will be more interesting. At least there will be politics to complain about.

Since I clearly have nothing going on in my life, I will share the following about other people who I know who probably don't read this blog...

My friend from high school had her baby. Woo hooo! I've yet to receive pictures.

Friends of the boy's son fell down at pre-school in such a way that he has a spiral fracture high on his femur (near the hip joint). He is two years old (but the size of a four year old) and is in a "full body cast." Apparently, a full body cast isn't as full as it sounds. He has both arms free, a whole for stuffing diapers in, an open tummy area, and the lower half of one (the non-broken) leg is free. Oddly, his mom says he hasn't been too fussy about it, and for the last two weeks has entertained himself well enough. She suspects its because he doesn't know enough to be truly upset about it. I think they're dosing him because he's one of the most active little boys I have seen (not that I've seen a lot of little boys, but he does not stop until he is exhausted enough to go to bed, and even then it's chaos). BTW, I don't really think that, but it sounded funnier.

The boy has taken to calling my niece the "alien baby" because "she is too little." I informed him that apparently she is a "peanut baby" because my sister said so. He continues to disagree...
Because my niece is just another Gerber looking baby, I will post the following picture of me and her from Christmas, which is now my background on my computer...




I'm sorry, but when did my family get so Nordic?


The difference between "organic ranch dressing" and normal ranch dressing...bits of onion.

And then....

Okay, so I left off telling you about my trip home. To summarize, my niece is cute but vomits, my parents have a better social life than me, my best friend from high school was a big as a house and will explode with a baby soon, and questions about marriage are awkward and weird when asked by anyone.

Actually, the issue of getting married only came up a couple of times, once with the boy there and once without. I don't know why I'm uncomfortable with this topic, but really the boy and I talk about getting married pretty openly. He's all for running to Vegas for a planning free wedding. I don't think that's really what I want. But, we don't have a date and idea for the wedding, and I haven't been asked yet -- although the boy keeps saying stuff about it just out of my hearing to other people...he's not as subtle as he thinks. For me, the wedding seems a mere formality and an excuse to make all of my friends come and party with me. But it seems very important to a lot of other people. Don't know why.

So, then we came back here to San Diego. The boy's best friend from college was in town and we hung out with him on New Years Eve. We went to Dave and Busters, which is like Chuckie Cheese's for grown ups (you can play ski ball with a gin and tonic). We only intended to go for happy hour and dinner then we would go home for a quiet and relaxed evening of watching movies. Well, some how midnight rolled around and we were still there and I was very, very intoxicated. I switched to drinking waters. At some point I talked to some of my very good friends who were together, but then I hung up because apparently I'd forgotten to inform the boy and his friend that I was going outside to talk on the phone and they sort of freaked out because they couldn't find me. I would swear that I told them while they were playing one of the games, but that is neither here nor there. I think that I said I would call my friends back, but I didn't and I know I didn't talk to everyone. I am sorry about that and hope you all had plenty of fun in the Vermont snow. Feel free to rant at me via e-mail...

So, then school started last week. I haven't gotten all of my student loans, and therefore have no money. So, I have been quietly staying at home and watching the TV and pretending to get through my reading. Really, I do the reading, but I'm not really paying a lot of attention to it. It's more like skimming with highlighter than anything else. This weekend, however, there were free parties to attend, and I actually went to a party at a house of my fellow law students. There was much fun because I watched other people play this game based on guitar hero, but with a drum set and microphone. You compete as a band to become a rock band hero. It is fun to watch people play this while they drink. Things are just more serious yet much sloppier.

And now I'm at the library not studying for my classes today. I'm sure that this space will go back to my traditional rant about the whole wide world soon, but I just thought I'd finish up my "where I've been for the last three months" post.

If you could go see anything in Europe, where would you go?

So, um, I do update this blog . . .

Okay, so I just doubled checked the last time I updated, and I owe the two of you who still check this site an apology. I thought that I'd at least put something up about my birthday, but I didn't. Also, I never told you that I finished my finals, but that I don't have the will to study anymore, but I didn't do that either. Then I could have mentioned bringing the boy home for the holidays and seeing my niece, but I haven't done that either... In all, I really have dropped the ball the last two months. So, sorry. Here is a brief recap of November 22 to around Christmas.

I turned 30 on my birthday (as opposed to changing my age on a date not related to my birthday). I also had my last class on the same day. It was an evening class. So, on my 30th birthday, I learned about insider trading, but not enough to remember that I learned about insider trading without going to my notes to figure it out. After that I went out for a few beers with people from law school. I was pleasantly surprised at who showed up for a drink and I conveniently did not have to pay for any of it. Woohoo for friends. Plus a lot of friends who aren't around sent me birthday wishes. This gave me warm fuzzies on the inside and may me be okay with the fact that I've lived yet another decade. And that's all I have to say about that.

After my birthday, there were finals (about six days after my birthday, in fact). I had a final, then a paper, then another final. I finished all of them. I was not pleased with my performance on any of them. Stupid lack of time management skills...But, then I was done. Oh, and I have severe senioritis.

Then it was time to get ready for Christmas and going home for two weeks. This involved buying presents for even more people then any year. Mostly I spoilt my niece because it's very easy to do. However there were my parents, my sister and her husband, my niece, the boys parents, the boy's sister and her husband, the boy's aunt (who always gives me something), and the boy. Plus there are the friends who are having babies, the boy's friends who throw gatherings and invite us all the time, and the gift exchange. Then I had to send the holiday cards to my family, friends, the boy's family, and the boy's friends. If you didn't get one and you think you know me well enough, it's probably because I don't have your snail mail address. Or I sent it and it came back to me because I don't have an up-to-date address. Plus, the boy got me a Christmas tree, and I had to decorate it (btw -- this is not a chore it's a fun filled project of joy for me).

Then I went to the boy's friends annual Christmas party. It's hard for me because I don't really fit in, in part because I don't try to fit in and in part because I'm just not a standard girl. I don't really know most of the people that are there, and some of them I don't actually like very much. There are people who don't like each other for whatever reason, there are people who fight with each other -- oh and they're married to each other, there are people who drink too much every time they go out, and there are people who are just closed off to new people. Plus, I don't feel comfortable with new people, even though I've been to this party for the past three years...Then there is the gift exchange, which always ends up giving me the crappy gift. (For example, this year I picked up the car cleaning and detailing kit, which would be great but I live in an apartment without a way of cleaning my card. I actually regifted this present.) Then the boy insists on staying until the bitter end so that we can help clean. This year, I was cleaning while three of the wives were sitting around talking (one of whom is trying to stay pregnant, so I felt that was acceptable). Most of the husbands helped, and the single guys, too, but a couple of them just sat around and kept drinking. While that annoyed me, what galled me is that only one of them said thank you, and he helped to clean... End of rant...

Then I went home for the holidays. My dad took me to a lot of events and then there was the wine tasting at my parents house, then the boy came up, then we went to more events, then there was Christmas morning, then my sister and her family showed up that afternoon and we had the gift opening, then Christmas dinner with my family and another family who is like the other half of our family, then I got a cold, then we had our family photo -- including the boy -- done by the professional photographer, then the boy went home, then I saw my best friend from high school who is eight months pregnant, and then I slept on the plane. Highlights included:
a) a man from a group my dad belongs to asking if I was his wife
b) a women from the same group told me she thought I was 18
c) I got thrown up by my niece about eight time, usually on at least two pieces of clothing
d) it snowed on Christmas day, which is not that exciting for most people, but has not happened in Portland in the 19 years my parents have lived there
e) realizing that the boy had never seen snow on Christmas and then having a snowball fight with him, which he won
f) seeing all of my family together, including the second family who count as family, at the Christmas table, so that there were 11 of us
g) getting my ass kicked by my entire family multiple times playing UNO, seriously, I suck at that game...
h) finding out that I can put my niece back to sleep myself
So, the boy was hesitant to be in the family photo, only because we're not married and he didn't want to my parents to feel obligated to include him. My mom, however was very insistent, and pointed out that family is not about a piece of paper but the love you bring to each other. The boy was convinced upon that speech, which I relayed back and forth as I talked to my mom on the phone.
Also, my niece is growing, but she still doesn't keep all of her food down (thus the throwing up on me so often). She's starting to look like a healthy, chubby baby, which is adorable. The baby vomit, not so cute.

Okay, I'll finish my story later, but I need to get to school so that I can buy my books for class tomorrow, for which I have reading assignments already to do...

Does anyone else have the issue of a constant radio in your head? I have had "The Right Stuff" by the NKOTB running on my head radio for the last 12 hours. I need to change the channel...