Anyone One Out There?

I'm back! Probably not continuously, but I wanted to drop in and update anyone who still follows this blog. I'm still pursuing my nursing career. I completed my CNA course and got certified, so technically I could work as a CNA in a hospital right now, but I'm not. I'm still at the part time job I've had for 3 years, but I'm also temporarily working for a non-profit organization. In the past few months, I've really gotten involved with this particular organization and I really enjoy helping out. I have sent in my application for nursing school and should hear back within a week or two. I'm so excited, because if I get in, I could possibly start this summer! If not, I would be starting in January, but either way I will be happy to get in!

New York was fun over New Years. My friend and I spent New Years at the last ever Tavern on the Green event. The trip was a ton of fun and I spent wayyy to much money.

On the boyfriend front, I've been seeing someone for a little over 6 months now. He is really the best guy I've ever met. So incredibly sweet, caring, thoughtful, everything. I really like being with him, but I'm not 100% sure there is that special connection just yet. It is crazy to try to judge the whole relationship after only 6 months, so I'm trying not to get too worried about it just yet.

Well I guess I've been MIA from the blog world for so long that I just can't even think of things to say! I hope everyone is well! I hope to be back soon with some good news!

Dru Isn't Coming

Yep. That's right. Let down by a boy...yet again. I feel like that is the story of my life. So here is the story:

When Dru called Monday, I was at the mall and only got to talk to him for a short while before I needed to hang up. Tuesday he didn't call, and last night as I was leaving from babysitting my adorable cousins, he still hadn't called. So I texted, "Are you still coming this weekend?" About 20 minutes later he calls and informs me that, despite the fact he has had his plane ticket booked for over 2 weeks now, he isn't going to be able to come.

Apparently, this weekend is opening weekend of rifle season in Alabama. It is family tradition that they all go down to one of their "farms" (aka giant patch of land with a beautiful house - no animals except the ones you can shoot) and hunt. Siblings come home from college, grandparents come...the whole 9 yards. And he didn't realize this because opening weekend is "always the weekend of the Alabama/Auburn game" (which is next weekend).

Well, Dru, you should have checked.

As you are all well aware of, I have been getting ready for his visit for weeks now. I have decorated, I bought 4 tickets to the UNC/NCSU game ($260!), my mom was going to make brunch, etc. I had the weekend planned all out. I was going to clean, do laundry, and make a breakfast casserole tomorrow before he got here!

So I'm sure you can imagine how disappointed I am. Of course I can't be "mad" at him because I value family traditions just as much as the next person, but I am upset. I am upset that he didn't check beforehand to make sure that nothing was going on. What that says to me is that this trip wasn't important enough for him to ask around and make sure everything was going to work out. I'm upset because he waited until 2 days before he was supposed to get here to tell me. If I hadn't texted him last night, would I still not know he was coming? When would he have called? Friday afternoon?

One thing that bothers me the most is: I'm not sure he understands how upset I am over this. I actually cried last night...I don't cry...especially not in front of people. I cried to my mom, dad, sister, best friend and even cried myself to sleep. My eyes hurt today. I want him to understand that I was looking forward to spending time with him and that I was really let down when he said he couldn't come. But I don't want to make him feel like he is choosing between his family and me, because that is not the case. I want him to have traditions and family values, that is one thing I love most about him, but I want him to be able to stick to his commitments to me as well, and that means planning ahead.

Another factor is that we haven't exactly established "what we are." For a while, I thought this was best. But it is really starting to become more of a burden than not. I was in a long-distance relationship with Gary (the ex) for over 6 months when he moved to California. That was easier because I knew where I stood with him. I knew that he wanted to be with me and that I would hear from him. There was no gray area. With Dru, since we haven't established rules, there are no justified expectations. I don't know if I can get mad at him for not calling sooner or I don't know if I can tell him I was really looking forward to seeing him without scaring him off. There are so many uncertainties with us it really makes a long-distance relationship harder.

Should I bring this up? I have always felt like that is the boy's place, but I don't know if I can handle it anymore. He also said he doesn't think he will be able to make it back for another 3 weeks! That will have been 6 weeks in between visiting each other. It is hard, but I'm willing to do it because I genuinely like this guy...I just need to know where I stand with him.

Any and all advice will, as always, be greatly appreciated!

Love is in the air!

Warning: This post may trigger your gag reflexes if you aren't into the mushy stuff.

I think I'm in love. Oh goodness. That is quite a statement isn't it? I'm so nervous that by saying it that I'm going to jinx something.

I had yet another great weekend with Dru. To start, his company party was great. The house it was gigantic and beautiful. All of his co-workers were incredibly nice and dressed up in the funniest costumes. My favorite was a guy dressed up as a shower. He had some PVC pipe connected with a curtain hanging around him. Clever. :)

Dru and I were John McCain and Sarah Palin and we pulled it off with ease, if I do say so myself. We got SO many compliments both nights (Thursday for the company party and Friday for the real Halloween).

Also, WE WENT SKYDIVING! It was so much fun! The day was incredibly long though, because we didn't have a reservation, so we had to wait until they could fit us in. Which happened to be a slow 7 hours(!) after we arrived. It was definitely worth the wait though. When you jump, you get the option to just regular free-fall or do a couple of flips before you free-fall in the normal position. I wasn't about to have waited 7 hours for a 'normal' experience, I went for the flips! And I'm glad I did...it was fun and made for a really cool video.

Another great thing about this trip was I got to meet his parents and youngest sister. I was very nervous to meet the parents especially, because I have heard so many great things about them. For example, his dad is a cardiovascular surgeon who just got back from doing volunteer work in the underprivileged towns of Brazil. I was nervous that although they are giving people, that since they are so wealthy they might be a little stuck-up. Boy, was I wrong. His mom is the sweetest person, ever. We had great conversation and I hope she liked me too! His sister was cute and sweet as well. I'm assuming his dad was just tired, since he did get back from Brazil that morning, but he didn't talk as much. Still, I felt genuinely welcome in their home.

Dru usually confesses his love for me when he is drunk. And did again this time. To which I responded in the same 'tell me in the morning' fashion I always do. Well, I think he tried to tell me when he was sober a couple of times but didn't just come right out and say it. So, as much as I wanted to say it back, I didn't because it would have been weird considering the particular wording of the conversations. I think next time I'm just going to say it back when he says it drunk and hopefully that will lead into it being more of a regular thing.

You might be thinking that just saying it doesn't matter - what really matters is how you feel. And believe me, I really think I love him. I haven't felt this way about a person in a LONG time. Although I am scared of getting hurt, I'm not going to let it get in my way. I'm going to let him in and see what happens.

I hope all of you had a wonderful and safe Halloween weekend...what was your costume?

Happy Halloween!

Well there aren't that many days at work that I am so busy I hardly have time to read blogs or post my own. Tuesday was one of those days. Although I love reading and writing blogs, I would rather be busy at work and save the blog world for home (and quick breaks at the office). I feel bad wasting the company's money blogging all day, but if they don't give me work what am I supposed to do? Oh well. Most of the other internships I have heard about are similar to mine, so I'm not too concerned.

Anyways, I'm going back to Alabama to see Dru today! I'm leaving work at noon to catch a flight and go with him to his company's party tonight. I'm so nervous! I will be the youngest person there by a good 5-10 years, but hopefully that will work in my favor. Dru and I are going as John McCain and Sarah Palin. He picked our costumes because he is a southern boy who is, naturally, in love with John McCain. It also helps that I have some glasses similar to Sarah Palin's, and can pull her look off with relative ease. Hopefully I will get to take some good pictures and have good stories to report back.

Speaking of pictures, I have been debating on whether or not I should put some up. I read blogs of people who won't put up any pictures, some who will but block out faces and others who show everything. I realize putting up pictures will make me a bit more vulnerable to the bad internet creeps. However, I want the people who I feel know me through my blog to be able to put a face to the name and writing. What do you think? Has anyone you know ever had a bad experience with putting their picture on their blog?

Happy Halloween everyone! Be safe and eat a lot of candy!

He's Just Not That Into You

There is a book called He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, I haven’t read it, but I need to. It seems like every guy I start to get involved with disappears. I’m having some trouble with Dru. When I left a week ago from the Atlanta airport I thought for sure things with Dru were going to take off. He was so sincere in his goodbye and we had such a great weekend. However, since then we have barely talked. We talked on the phone a lot on Thursday, which was nice, but since then we only talked on Sunday when he called but I lost signal and told him I would call him back. 5 minutes after, I called back there was no answer. After another hour passed without a call from him I texted, “I called you back.” I got no response and haven’t heard from him since.

Am I missing something? Things seemed great on Thursday and fine during the few minutes on the phone yesterday. I think I need to read the book, because apparently he just isn’t that into me. I am so confused. I know he is busy with his job, and doing whatever else, but I don’t understand why he doesn’t call more often?

‘You could call him’ is a response I would expect after this story. My response to that is lame, but if he wanted to talk to me, he would call. Again another response, ‘Maybe he thinks you should call.’ He is very old fashioned, and I am too. I think it is the boy’s responsibility to call and pay for dinner and all of that good stuff. And we have kind of established through habit that I don’t call him.

I am in that horrible spot where I don’t know what I should be expecting because I don’t know “what we are.” And having that talk is something I would really rather him bring up. But here I am getting mad that he doesn’t call enough. What is the deal? Am I overreacting or being childish? Is he just not that into me?

Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated!

UPDATE: Dru called this morning a few minutes after I got into work. I was contemplating answering it because I generally don't take personal calls at work (...but I blog, facebook, check email etc). I figured I should answer it because I have been complaining about him not calling. Turns out he wants me to come down next Thursday and go to a Halloween costume party for his company. Friday is a party at his house, and Saturday is a big game at Ole Miss. Here is why I didn't immediately say yes (although I desperately wanted to):

1. I've never been to a company party...let alone a company costume party! I originally planned on being Amy Winehouse, but I'm guessing that won't be appropriate! :)
2. Roomie and I have been planning (for months) to go to the New Kids on the Block concert that same night.
3. Roomie and I have also been planning to go to Chapel Hill the next day for Halloween for quite some time.

My proposed solution: I have talked to my sister and offered my NKOTB ticket to her free of charge to go with roomie (they get along just fine). She says she will probably be able to go. Roomie should be OK with me missing Halloween, because she has plenty other friends in Ch. Hill and I have talked about missing it before. Your thoughts?

MeMe & Other Stuff

Wow. I just realized how bad I am at creating titles for my blog posts. I don't know what the deal is but I just haven't been that creative lately. For instance, my mom's 51st birthday was last week. I have been meaning to make a scrapbook for her since her last birthday. I finally got around to it the day of her birthday dinner this year. It didn't turn out so great. I have to say I am the most creative in our family of 4 (I can't include my dad's side of the family here because they are all geniuses in the creativity department). But when I sat down to do the scrapbook I had all kinds of great things going through my head. When the scrapbook was finished? It was plain and could have been put together by my 1 year old cousin. I was disappointed, but my mom appreciated it anyways.

My lack of creativity is seeping into other aspects of my life as well. I can't come up with a good design for carving a pumpkin. While I was in Alabama Dru and I discusses carving pumpkins. In an effort to show him who I am I offered up the information that I am pretty creative and like to draw, etc. He was psyched because, obviously, he isn't artistic in the least bit. We didn't wind up carving pumpkins, but I thought it would be nice of me to sketch out a face and send it to him for him to carve. But I can't come up with a good one! A coworker showed me a great little application on my iPhone that mixes and matches eyes/nose/mouth for pumpkin faces and I got my idea from there. I am ashamed! Oh well...

Speaking of Dru, we spoke on the phone last night, only for a short while, but it was good to hear from him none the less. He mentioned that he will be incredibly busy at work for the next couple of months, which stinks because I don't know if it will cut into our time together.

Anyways, here is a meme I'm stealing from Dana at Just Talk. The rules are that you have to answer each question with one word (notice how I have finagled a few):

1. Where is your cell phone? Lap
2. Where is your significant other? Alabama?
3. Your hair color? Dirty-blonde
4. Your mother? Work
5. Your father? Home
6. Your favorite thing? Shopping
7. Your dream last night? Dru
8. Your dream/goal? Family
9. The room you're in? Cubicle
10. Your hobby? Decorating
11. Your fear? Rape
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Married
13. Where were you last night? Couch
14. What you’re not? Self-confident
15. What do you wish you had? RangeRover
16. Where you grew up? NorthCarolina
17. The last thing you did? iPhone-Applications
18. What are you wearing? Suit
19. Your TV? Samsung
20. Your pet? Roscoe
21. Your computer? Mac
22. Your mood? Anxious
23. Missing someone? Dru
24. Your car? 4-Runner
25. Something you’re not wearing? PJ's
26. Favorite store? Nordstrom
27. Your summer? Work
28. Love someone? Soon
29. Your favorite color? Pink
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Yesterday

I hope everyone enjoys this meme! I'm leaving work early today to tailgate for the football game tonight which is televised nationally! I would suggest you watch and cheer for the NC State Wolfpack, but we haven't been doing that great lately so we might not win. But if you do happen to come across it...look for me! I'll be wearing red :)

Another Trip to See Dru!

I've been gone for a while, and I apologize. But here is what happened to me while I was away...

Thursday was my Mom's birthday. We spent the day in the car driving 6.5 hours down to Atlanta. I have never been outside of the airport in Atlanta, and I loved being able to see downtown. We didn't really explore the city, but driving to the hotel I was able to see the basics. Our hotel was right next to the airport and we had a room that faced the runways. As boring as it sounds, it was really cool to watch planes take off and land! Mom and I spent the first night in the concierge lounge and hotel bar. It was good to have some time for just me and her, seeing as our relationship isn't the closest in the family.

Friday my mom was busy doing work things so I slept in, went for breakfast and a workout. I helped her with her work a little then got ready to go to dinner with her and Dru. We went to dinner at the Atlanta Fish Market in Buckhead. It was DELICIOUS! Of course the fish was fresh, and the rest of the food was to die for too. I was so nervous for the three of us to have dinner together because the only time my mom has met Dru was at the wedding that I met him. She didn't really get to talk with him at the wedding, so I considered this to be the first real meeting. I don't know what I was worried about, but I guess I like Dru so much now that I didn't want anything to go wrong. Dinner went great, Mom loved Dru and Dru loved Mom.

Dru and I then rode back to Birmingham and met his brother and some friends out. We had a great night and I drank entirely too much. There was a lot of dancing and I'm willing to bet it wasn't pretty. Dru always tells me he is falling in love with me when he is drunk, so I always respond with, "Tell me that when you aren't drunk." So this weekend when I said that he goes, "OK I'll tell you first thing in the morning."

He didn't.

But that is OK. I didn't expect him to actually do it.

Saturday we laid around, watched football, then went to a friend's house. I wasn't feeling good at all that day so I may have come off as a bitch at the friend's house. I feel bad about not being friendly, but I literally felt like something besides words were going to come out of my mouth every time I opened it. It wasn't a whole lot of fun, but I just enjoyed being with Dru. We went to bed early that night, in anticipation of skydiving the next morning.

Sunday morning we get up early, are dressed, ready and 20 minutes out of town when I notice it is kind of cloudy. Dru suggests we call and see if they still jump in the clouds.

They don't.

So we couldn't go! I was so upset, because skydiving is something I have wanted to do forever, but there is nothing we could do. Dru was really mad as well. I guess we will just be rescheduling...
I was nervous with all of this free time Dru would take me to meet his parents. I want to meet them, but I was in jeans and a t-shirt with wet hair. This is not the first impression I was hoping to make. Thankfully, we didn't wind up doing that, instead we went to the zoo. It was so much fun. I love going to the zoo and it was great to just spend time with Dru. He is so sweet. I didn't use my debit card all weekend, and I'm pretty sure I didn't open a single door for myself either.

Finally it was time to go. I really didn't want to leave, but with school, work and all of my other responsibilities back home I really didn't have a choice. Dru wanted to take me to his favorite Brazilian restaurant in Atlanta, so we left Birmingham early. As it turns out, we didn't leave early enough. We hit some traffic so we didn't have enough time to go eat at the Brazilian restaurant. He wound up coming in the airport with me and eating at a restaurant there. Over dinner he questioned me about what I plan to do when I graduate in 6 MONTHS! AHH! I have no idea, and I told him this. There are tons of things I want to do, but don't have the means to do. My realistic options aren't exciting and I don't want to stick to a path that most people travel.

Then the surprise came. Dru said, "Why don't you move down to Birmingham and get your MBA at UAB?" I was totally taken back by this just because we haven't really known each other that long. I was so surprised I just responded with, "I don't have any friends in Birmingham." We kind of passed over the topic lightly, but I am so happy he mentioned it. I feel now like he really does have feelings for me, and to tell you the truth it kind of got my hopes up. I would LOVE to move to Birmingham and be able to see him each day. But isn't it too early for me to be thinking like that?! I have no idea.

We said our goodbyes, and it seemed like he really didn't want me to leave as much as I didn't want to leave. But I did, and I'm back to boring reality. He didn't call last night which surprises me because we had such a good weekend together, but I'm not letting it get to me. Hopefully he will call tonight.

I want to just let go of all of my fears and let myself like him as much as I think I do, but I'm nervous I'm going to screw it up or something. I would write more, but I need to organize my thoughts before I do so. What do y'all think of all of this?

Enough of that for now, it's almost 5 o'clock and time for me to go home! I hope everyone had a GREAT weekend!

Updates and Oddities

I don't know if oddities is a word, but I like it and will start a petition to have it added to the dictionary if y'all feel the same.

Updates: Things with Dru are going great. I got over my obsession with having a title, and never said anything. Which now I am thankful for. I had a pretty good weekend, went to a football game and out with friends.

Dru had a work function down in Destin, FL. His boss takes the whole company once a year and pays for everything. Dru said the first night he was out with one of the senior managers and about 20 other people. After 4 hours of drinking their tab was...$6500!! Woah. Dru thinks the guy who owns the company (and pays for it) probably spent close to 3 million dollars.

I can't even fathom that.

Also, I talked to him Sunday. I am going back down to visit next weekend. My school has fall break so I don't have to go to class Thursday or Friday. Thursday is my mom's birthday so we are going to drive down to Atlanta. She has to do a little bit of work, but we are going shopping and out to eat. Dru is coming to pick me up Friday night (and go out to eat with my mom and I) then we are driving back to Birmingham. He mentioned on the phone that we could go SKYDIVING on Saturday!

I almost fell out of my chair. The one thing I have ever wanted to do is skydive. Always. I can't remember ever telling him this, so I guess it was just a coincidence. I don't think this guy could be more perfect!

It turns out he bought the vouchers for his dad and him to go for his dad's birthday one year. His mom checked the life insurance policy and noticed that if his dad died skydiving they wouldn't be able to collect life insurance. So...his dad never wound up going and Dru has these two vouchers that he has been meaning to use!

I didn't get to talk to him last night, but as of Sunday he was going to check into it and make sure everything was still a go! I really hope we follow through with this and actually do it! I can't wait to see him either. I wish I wouldn't let myself get so absorbed, but hey what's the worst that could happen?

In other news, this was the weekend that Ed was in town. I didn't see him once. I never even talked to him before he came. I noticed on Facebook that he had told a mutual friend he was staying with Gary. And this is without having talked to me about it at all! Which is nice, because we didn't have to have the awkward conversation and I guess he just kind of got the hint.

He came to town, they went out, I never saw him and then I get a text from him late last night that was kind of offensive. This morning he texts and (jokingly) says 'Glad I got to see you'. So I asked him about the offensive text from last night and he claims he doesn't remember because he was drunk. I refreshed his memory, and asked him a question about it to which he replied, "Jesus Sarah, it was funny at the time. F*cking chill."

WOAH.

I don't allow people to speak to me like that. I think it is completely disrespectful and tacky for a boy to cuss at a girl. So, I didn't respond, and I'm not planning on it. I don't know what the problem was, but I'm going to rid myself of any communication with him. I just don't see why I need him in my life right now. Dru is great and I just want to focus on the good things. I'm almost 100% certain that Dru would never speak to me like that.

But it did kind of motivate me. I think I'm going to start working out again. Why this motivated me? I have no idea. But I'm kind of glad it happened.

OK now that my love-life update is out of the way I thought I would share this with you in light of the Freaky Friday trend I miserably failed at.

I read this blog Dlisted, which is ABSOLUTELY hilarious. It is celebrity gossip by a fabulously opinionated gay man. If you shy away from bad language and crude topics, you may not enjoy this particular blog. However, I love all things racy and straight-forward. Anyways, he did a post today, It's Not Even Halloween Yet!, that reminded me of the Freaky Friday stuff. I hope you all read this post, laugh, then go check out the rest of his blog. It will keep you entertained for hours - I swear.

Follow-Up

More details about my wonderful trip...

Since the last post was so long I decided to break it up a bit. I still have more things to tell everyone about the trip. And, of course, what would a Sarah Elizabeth blog-post be without asking for some advice?

Well you all know how much fun I had if you read the first post. Some other things that I liked about being there was the fact that his brother is just so funny. He is goofy and cracks me up all the time. I'm going to try to set him up with roomie. But I'm pretty sure that won't go anywhere...it doesn't hurt to try though.

Mac, the guy we stayed with who was so nice to me the whole time? Well Friday night he found out that his girlfriend of 3 years cheated on him back in the spring. He was so sad. I felt so bad for him. I guess that isn't really important to the description of my trip, but I just had to mention it. He is such a great guy.

Here is the clincher, the most important part of me continuing to write...

Every time Dru gets drunk he tells me he loves me and asks me to marry him (as I have told you before). One night this past weekend he kept telling me he loves me. This was the night that I hadn't drank that much. So here he is professing his love to me, telling me he is falling for me...and all I can do is say, "Well good." I want to fall in love with him, but let's be real people; I just haven't known him long enough. At one point he asked me if I love him, and I said yes because I knew that's what he wanted to hear.

So the point is: I'm sure he doesn't remember because I had to remind him of everything else that happened that night and I didn't bring up the love-fest. So was this just drunk babble, or does he really have pretty strong feelings for me?

Also that night I'm 99% positive we had the boyfriend/girlfriend talk. I remember him asking if I wanted that title, me saying yes and asking if he wanted it too, and saying yes. So again, drunk babble?

What I'm really getting at is how do I approach the question, "What are we?"

Oh and today is his 25th birthday! I didn't send him anything...but hopefully a good phone call will suffice. Maybe if he does really have feelings for me and we talk about it that will be gift enough.

Advice please!?

Longest Post in the History of Posts

My weekend was wonderful! I couldn't have asked for more! Here is the play-by-play:

Friday:

Got to the airport in plenty of time. Once in Atlanta, I started to get nervous, even though I had a 3 hour lay-over. With about an hour left until we boarded the plane for Birmingham, I hit up the closest bar around. After a disgusting chicken cesar salad (I don't think it was actually chicken), I proceeded to have 3 vodka drinks. I'm pretty sure everyone thought I was going to be drunk. Well I was but did a great job of hiding it.

On the plane I was so anxious. And completely lucky that the man next to me talked the whole time. I wouldn't have made it through the flight without hyperventilating if I didn't have someone to keep my mind off of the upcoming visit. When I got off of the plane I had a text waiting for me from Dru, which made me smile. Before texting him back I HAD to talk to the roomie. She has an uncanny way of getting me to calm down. I ducked into the bathroom and it hit me like brick wall. What if I don't get along with his friends? What if I don't like his lifestyle? What if I find out things that I just can not stand about him? Let's just say I was having quite the little panic attack. I was scared by all of these emotions because I normally don't ever react this way to any situation.

After a few minutes of the roomie consoling me, I finally braved the pick-up. Dru was already at the airport when I called him; he came right up, hugged me and grabbed my bag. Suddenly everything was alright. I wasn't anxious or nervous anymore. I will admit, conversation was a little forced at the beginning, but got better as I became more and more comfortable. He showed me the hospital his company is building, and then we went to his house. Yes, HIS house. He has a mortgage and everything (something unheard of in my world of apartment and college-housing rentals).

His house has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a beautiful kitchen, living room, sun room and backyard. I was surprised at how well he had decorated. In the living room there were floor-to-ceiling maroon panel window coverings, comfy but classic furniture and a big flat screen TV. The house has a very woodsy-hunter feel, but isn't too dark. I was amazed at how well he was able to make it seem light but dark at the same time. The kitchen is great. Stainless steel appliances, gas stove, and giant mahogany dinner table. Through the kitchen is a little sitting area that leads into his room. Which is a good size, with a king size bed, large desk and master bath. The other two rooms were smaller, but decorated similarly to his (occupied by his brother and a friend from college).

Dru, his Bro and I stayed around the house watching the Ryder Cup for an hour, waiting for the other roommate to get back. When he did we got in Dru's truck and headed for Auburn. The drive was longer than I expected, but fun none the less. He pointed out things here and there for me to see, and I got along with the friend as well. Once arriving in Auburn we went to meet up with some friends at a local restaurant. I immediately met a guy I'm going to call Mac. He was so nice to me. I felt like I had known him for years within the first couple of minutes. So far, I was completely surprised at how welcoming and nice all of Dru's friends were...and it only got better with each person I met.

We went out to the bars in Auburn that night. Everywhere was packed solid. I literally had to push people out of the way to get anywhere. Of course, Dru knew everyone. I think I met/shook hands with more people that night than I have in my entire life. It seemed like we couldn't take a single step without someone calling out his name.

Remember I told you his family has endless amounts of money? Well I will refrain from divulging too much information, but let me just say they are probably the wealthiest family in Alabama and I don't think he knows that I am aware of that. At the end of the night this conversation took place:

Me: Wow you are really popular.
Dru: Everyone just wants to work for my family.
Me: Why?
Dru: I'll tell you in a few months.

This conversation made me smile for two reasons:

1. I want him to know that I like him for more than just his money. So, I am happy he thinks I don't know.

2. He thinks we will be together/hanging out in a few months!

That was my first night. I could go on and on about details and funny stories, but this post is already contending for longest post ever...so I'm going to move on to the next day.

Saturday:

We woke up pretty early, considering how late we stayed out the night before. I got ready while the boys got everything ready to take tailgating. We get out to start tailgating around 10:30 AM. The first people I meet? Family. We immediately run into his aunt? I think? And her husband, son, son's friend, daughters, etc. I had no idea about most of the things they were talking about so I just tried to smile the whole time, hoping that would get me out of having to actually participate in the conversation.

After some more awkward meetings with some of his friend's parents, we finally made it to the tailgate with all of his friends, and most of the people I had met the previous night. I felt pretty comfortable here because I hung out a lot with the Bro and Mac. Everyone I had met the night before was just as nice and remembered my name. I didn't start drinking until pretty late because I didn't want to be the crazy drunk girl. I actually managed to stay pretty sober the whole evening, which is unheard of me.

The tailgate was so much fun and Dru and I actually acted like a couple some times. I think most of his friends were as confused as I am, as to what status we actually hold. Most of the girls I met were engaged, which made me a slight bit jealous. But I felt like it also made them friendly. There is something about that commitment that can turn even the bitchiest bitch into a complete angel.

As we start to make our way to the game, I can tell Dru is drunk. We get in, and he needs to go to the bathroom. So I wait. And wait. I have no idea what is taking so long, but I am pretty sure he saw some people that he knew and stopped for a chat. Still not in our seats, and me waiting, I decide to go to the bathroom while I wait. Bad idea. We get lost from each other, and when we finally find one another he is ready to go home. Keep in mind the game hasn't even started yet and we haven't even made it to our seats. By the looks of him, red eyes and sweaty, I figured I should probably give in and go home with him.

We start walking. I know the stadium isn't far from where we are staying, but it takes a good 2 hours to get home...what, normally, would be a 20 minute walk. Dru's drunk-self is irrational and less considerate than his normal-self. This is somewhat off-putting, but I'm under the impression he doesn't get that way very much. And it isn't so bad I can't handle it. I'm sure if we keep hanging out he will get a taste of his own medicine from me anyways.

Sunday:

Since we went to bed at, oh I'd say 10:30 PM, we woke up at like 8AM. I got ready; we packed our things, said our goodbyes and headed back for Birmingham. We got back with a few hours to spare until I had to be at the airport. This is going to sound sappy and cheesy, but we fell asleep in each other's arms watching football. We said our goodbyes at the airport with a long hug and kiss; he honked a tiny bit as he drove off. I was sad to leave. Actually, I really DIDN'T want to leave. But I did, and I'm home, and all I want is to go back.

So that is the tale of my weekend get-away. There are so many other things I want to tell all of you about my trip, but this post is seriously going to be a contestant for longest-blog-post-ever. I'm considering sending it in to Ripley's. Stay tuned for my thoughts and feelings, and some other interesting developments from the trip. And when I say stay tuned, that probably means I will have another written by the end of the day!

Dreams

I had a couple of different dreams last night. Both incredibly weird and extremely vivid.

Dream #1:

Setting: My aunt's house in Arkansas, but mysteriously in Los Angeles as well.

Somehow Lindsay Lohan and I become fast friends and I become sort of an assistant to her? We are on the back lawn of my aunt's house and she pulls out a blunt. Except for it wasn't a normal blunt, it was as thick as a cigar but shorter. On the end I see these small neon green balls. She informs me it is acid. (Let me just tell you here, I am NOT into drugs. I've never done hard drugs, and don't want to - therefore I am not well informed about them. But I am pretty sure acid doesn't come in the form of green balls. And I'm pretty sure no one has ever put it on the end of a giant blunt...or have they?) Anyways, she starts to smoke it. We are close to some sort of lake, and my friend from high school is a few yards away, watching us, waiting for something exciting to happen. I have no idea why he was there. So we continue to sit there and chat while she smokes. I am close to falling in the water and ask her to help me scoot away from it, but it takes her a while and more of me begging for her to actually help me. Weird. Then we are just chatting more when she offers me a hit. Reluctantly, I take one.

Suddenly we are inside of my aunt's house. Surrounding us is my aunt, my uncle, two cousins and my very conservative thinks-I've-never-had-a-sip-of-alcohol grandma. And of course, me and Lindsay. The friend from school may or may not have been there, I can't remember that part, but I wouldn't be surprised considering how weird the dream is. It is the next morning and apparently we had stayed up throughout the night talking in the yard. Never sleeping. The pot/acid mixture had made me completely unable to stand on my own two feet. I was falling over every which way trying to have a conversation with my family. Lindsay, the veteran, is unaffected by the drugs. As she helps me, and laughs at me, I am finally able to shower, get dressed and ready for the day.

Next scene: I am driving my mom's Tahoe, taking Lindsay to do some photo shoot. She is poking around on the side of her door trying to get the window to roll down. Apparently in the incredibly expensive cars that she is used to riding in, the windows roll down with the mere thought crossing her mind. I ask her what we were going to do tonight and she doesn't seem to want to do anything. I start rattling off all of the clubs in Los Angeles that I want to go to, but she seems bored with them all. I'm incredibly disappointed that I won't be going out with her and having my face in all of the tabloids. "Who is LiLo's new bestie?!" (Yeah I'm way too into celeb gossip) After the photo shoot, I drop her to film scenes for a movie.

The End. (Incredibly weird, right?)

Dream #2:

Setting: My room in my apartment, on a home football game day.

Many people are in my room...from what I can remember it is me, roomie, Dru, some of his friends, and some of my friends. It is early in the morning and everyone is excited to start tailgating. Dru has asked me to marry him. (Little truth here: the past two times I have seen Dru - we were both drunk - he has asked me to marry him. Last time in particular, he said 'If I get you a ring right now would you marry me?' Weird considering we don't really know each other that well) So in the dream when he asks, I assume he is joking like always, except he is not drunk this time. I am a little confused and don't know how to answer. I think I just shrugged it off and gave him a kiss or something. Next thing I know I accidentally see a text message he got from a friend. It said, "Did she say yes or no?" Which, I knew was referring to the marriage question. He was serious!?!?!

Something happens and all of a sudden it is night time. Almost game time. Very little time for tailgating left. I am still getting ready and can't seem to ever finish. Everyone else is outside having a great time. Roomie is helping me get ready but time is standing still. I can see everyone from the window but can't get out there.

The End.

I have incredibly strange dreams all of the time, but these were just wayyy out of the ordinary. I wish I knew what they meant. My mom has a dream book that I have used before, but it really just says the same thing for every dream.

Quarter-Life Crisis

I'm 21 and I have no idea who I am. This blog may sound whiny...but I have to write it, for my sanity.

When I dated Gary (for 5 years) I got used to my life, the every-day events, and basically thought I knew who I was. Or maybe I did know who I was then, but now I have changed? I'm not really sure. My whole life was centered around Gary. I think maybe I was no one because I let myself be absorbed by him (through no fault of his own). But now I'm at a point where I want, need, to be me. My only problem is, I don't know who I am or want to be.

I take that back. There are a ton of things I want to be, but don't see happening in reality. I want to be a person who doesn't judge others, who has time to volunteer, who can truly be happy for others even if it inconveniences me. I want to be a better person, and have been trying, admittedly half-assed, since Gary and I broke up.

Gah, this is so hard to put into words and make sense of it all.

Currently, I see myself as average. Maybe even a little less than average. I have no passions. Sure there are material things I love (fashion), but I have no true passion. No great love. In my spare time I read and watch TV, hang out with friends or whatever. For instance, I can associate one word to most of my friends that describes them (and their passion). For my friend Mimi - God. Sister - health. Gary - music. I could go on all day, but the point is, when I think of one thing that describes me I can't come up with a single thing.

I am stuck in my last year of college studying something I am neither interested or uninterested in, but don't have the resources to go back and re-do college. I am at a boring job, that at first taught me a lot, but now has formed a plateau and become repetitive.

I am frustrated with the fact that I thought I needed to get away from Gary to grow as a person, on my own. But it isn't happening. When am I going to have the drive and determination to become someone? To find a passion?

What brings this all on, you may ask? Well...my mom spoke to her friend last night who knows Dru and his family very well. As it turns out, Dru's family is amazing. They have endless amounts of money, all which they are willing to give away. They donate to many charities, take friends on lavish trips, and here is the clincher, allowed Natalee Holloway's family to use their personal jet numerous times to go to Aruba to search for her. According to my mom's friend, they are the most generous people. She said they are super nice and not one of the snobby-rich families. Dru's mom battled breast cancer and survived, does volunteer work, and is basically a great person.

So basically, I'm going down to visit Dru this weekend. I don't think I will be meeting his parents, but I will be with him and his brother all weekend. Here I am, currently feeling like I have nothing to offer, going to spend time with the Mother Teresa's of the south. I'm nervous I won't be able to live up to them, to impress them, or to be even close to being on par with them. I may be thinking too much about this, over analyzing it, but it is important to me so I can't stop obsessing.

I am shy around new people, and sometimes come off bitchy, so of course I'm worried about that. I really just want to be able to be myself around Dru, but I don't know who I am. I have become accustomed to being different people in different situations, so I have no idea who my true self is. I am always worried that my actions/reactions will not please others or I will not be viewed positively through others' eyes.

I welcome any advice with open arms, but I have to tell you truthfully...I don't know what will help? This seems like a problem for a licensed therapist, right? Hah.

So here is the end of my rant, and I actually feel good. I kind of feel like I have organized it into the most understandable, logic way possible. I'm sorry if this post isn't as upbeat as most of my others, but a cold rain came into town today and I'm thinking that has something to do with it.

Sarah Goes To Alabama

I'M GOING TO VISIT DRU!!! He booked the flight and sent me the itinerary last night! I can't believe it! I am baffled by the fact that someone would spend so much money just to put me on a flight for a weekend visit! I'm flattered of course, but now I feel indebted to him. Oh well, he wouldn't have done it unless he wanted to, right? I mean I, in no way, asked him to get me on a plane. BUT I'M SO EXCITED!

After sending me the information, he called last night and we talked for a little while. I think I may have convinced him that I'm not a dumb blonde a little bit last night, because we actually had a fun conversation. He told me what the plans were for next weekend: my flight gets in around 4:30 then I think we are going to head down to Auburn for the night and either stay at their lake house (which is like 30 mins from the school) or stay with a friend. The next day we are going to the Auburn/LSU game! It's one of ESPN's game day games and should be out of this world. I'm psyched. It is also my first-ever SEC game, which are apparently wayyy better than ACC games - according to Dru. Then we will probably stay in Auburn that night too. Then I come home Sunday night. It's a short, but sweet trip and I couldn't be more excited and NERVOUS.

Auburn's colors are blue and orange. Yuck. There is no way you can put those colors together and actually look good. Well...maybe, but it is going to take some work. I'm thinking a blue dress with orange accessories. OR I have this orange dress, but it is silk and probably too dressy for a football game...oh the choices.

Another dilemma I'm facing is the packing situation. I have never just used a carry-on, I always check luggage (which I won't be doing because checking luggage for a weekend trip just makes me look stupid). This is troublesome because:

1. I'm a HEAVY packer (especially when I'm going to new places - a girl's got to be prepared, right?)

2. This whole put-your-liquids-under-3oz-in-a-bag thing really chaps my ass. I have certain items that go in certain bags, and putting them in a giant freezer bag just doesn't suit me.

3. I do not want to carry a bag around. Especially since I have to change planes.

4. I WILL NOT use a roller carry-on bag. Geeky.

5. (This one may or may not qualify as troublesome) I found a Jessica Simpson bag at our local department store named specifically, "The Weekender" which I now HAVE TO HAVE. It is $142...money I know I should not spend. But what other bag am I supposed to use and still look cute when Dru picks me up at the airport?

Soo I am completely nervous and the trip is still 8 days away. Good thing I have plenty of time to prepare. If y'all see any blue or orange clothes while you are browsing around let me know...I'm on the look-out.

Also, I wanted to thank everyone for the great advice. It really helps hearing back from everyone and it's good to know I can turn to y'all when my traditional in-person friends aren't enough (that sounds harsh but I mean it in a nice way). I have decided to let Ed know that he is welcome at our apartment, but that it is strictly platonic. I am going to explain that things with Dru are kind of developing and I don't want to do anything that he wouldn't approve of (even though we aren't technically dating). I'm pretty sure Ed will be alright with everything, considering we really haven't been talking much at all in the past couple of weeks.

I am so excited to see how things develop in Alabama! I am so nervous for the day to come, but at the same time I wish it were here already!

Blogger Advice?

Hi everyone! I hope all is well in the blog-world. I really don't like getting used to blogging only a couple of times a week. But it is what it is, right? There haven't been many developments in my real life this week. A few with Dru though...

Last week he texted me to see when I would want to come to his hometown for a visit! I was totally excited, but not looking forward to the 9 hour drive or $400 plane ticket. I told him this, and I'm almost 100% positive he will be getting me a plane ticket! WTF!? Gary, the ex, hardly even paid when we went on dates. I have never had anyone pay for my things and now THIS! I'm so overwhelmed that I don't even know if I can accept such a thing.

I finally got to talk on the phone with Dru for quite a while last night and that was fun. I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm stupid though - like a dumb blonde. This is mostly due to the fact that I had no idea what I was doing in Columbia, and probably came off as an idiot. I realize that I have my shining blonde moments, but I happen to have a 3.8 GPA and consider myself pretty smart. I told Dru that I work in the investment banking field but was studying marketing. He got a kick out of this and told me they probably hired me because of my looks! I was actually quite offended and tried to defend myself, but his phone was acting weird and I don't think I properly got the point across.

Anyways, we had discussed me coming to visit this weekend, but there is a big game the next weekend that he thinks will be more fun. People, if this actually does happen, I'm going to be a mess in the days before. I am already nervous, and it's not even final that I'm going. I'm nervous about meeting his friends, spending so much time with him and just being out of my element. And the thing is: I don't really even know him! The two times we have hung out we have been drunk for the most part. I know he is a safe, respectable guy through other people (long story), so I'm not worried about that, but it's just so not like me to jet off to hang out with some dude I hardly know!

These days I'm all about 'living on the edge', as corny as it sounds. But I want to live my young life to the fullest and not have regrets. That is why, if he offers a plane ticket, I will accept. I am pulling myself out of my comfort zone and into new situations to force personal growth. If things don't go great, I will come home and get on with my life. If things go great, who knows, I might just be looking for a job further south come May. Haha!

As for Ed, he is coming the last weekend of September and I have agreed to let him stay at our place. And I also agreed to take him down to Wilmington (2 hour drive) for his flight home. Here is the hard part: I'm not really that interested in him anymore. I have a terrible problem of dropping anything, not thinking of who I might hurt in the process, for the next best thing.

I'm hoping that Ed has realized that things aren't going to go any further mainly due to the long distance between us. Also, we never really discussed what happened with us, so I don't feel like there is any formal commitment. So, technically, I'm out of the woods. But emotionally, I don't know where he is at.

I'm not really looking forward to him staying at our place anymore, I actually really don't want him there, but I don't think I can un-invite him. His visit might shape up to be the most awkward of all time. I'm going to wait on telling Ed anything definite after I see what happens with Dru.

Here is my ideal situation:

Dru flies me down to his hometown, we have a great time. Maybe even make plans for another visit.
When Ed comes, I have a legit reason to ask him to stay elsewhere. Explaining to him about Dru, and then everything is out in the open.

With my luck though, none of that will come true. If anyone has comments/suggestions I would love to hear them!

Road Trippin'

As I mentioned, I went down to Columbia, SC for a football game last week. The trip was a complete shit show. This trip proved to me why they invented planes. I will never take another road trip, if I can help it. The day started off great. Roomie and I were so psyched; we were both up at the crack of dawn even though we weren't planning to leave until noon. I got my packing done, ran some errands and then was all ready to go. I had even had the good thoughts the night before to go up to my parent's house and get my dad's car to take instead of my SUV to save gas.

12:30PM Roomie and I have the car packed and ready to go, I am waiting in said car for her to run into Hardees to get some lunch.

12:35PM Hardees is taking forever when I notice that the check engine light is on. Shit. I call my dad and he thinks it would be best for me to just take my car because we have no idea what the check engine light is on for.

12:38PM Cam (the younger brother of a good friend from home) calls me and asks if he can ride with us. This made me 10 times happier about the ride because Cam is a great guy...incredibly funny. And I knew he would make the 3.5 hours more bearable.

1:15PM Finally get back to the apartment with my car and pick up Cam. Already 45 mins behind schedule. This is irritating.

1:15-4PM Endless driving at about 90 mph. I was driving so fast for two reasons: 1) I had Dad's radar-detector and 2) I will do anything to get to my destination faster if there is ice cold beer waiting.

4PM We hit traffic on 95. We sit in traffic for probably 30-45 mins. WTF!? By this time I was so ancy, I wasn't seeing straight. All I wanted to do was get to the hotel, check-in and be on my merry way to tail-gate.

5:30PM We finally arrive in Columbia. Not knowing my way around, and having bad directions, I was freaking out. I wanted to cry. Sitting at a stop light to turn left (I was the first in line); I look down when the light turns green to find that my car has shut off. How did I not feel the whole car turn off? I can't even explain what was going through my head. I kept thinking, "What if the people behind me honk!?" Roomie was smart enough to tell me to turn the key to the off position and then turn it back on. Thankfully it worked. I was so stressed by this time I was crying.

5:33PM Sitting in traffic, scared at every second that the car is going to shut off again, we realize that our hotel is on the other side of the street. With the daunting game traffic we realized it was near impossible to try to check in before the game and still have time to tailgate. We called the hotel and they informed us, since we paid with rewards points that we could check in at anytime. Thankfully - one sliver of good news.
5:45PM Still in game traffic. Cam thought it would be funny to put school flags out of the window. Next thing we know, the whole USC band (probably like 20 buses) goes rolling past. All I can hear are horrible obscenities. I have never been yelled at by people I don't know in such a threatening manner. I had heard USC fans were relentless, but I had no idea it would be this bad. Only adding to my stress, I started to cry again. Here we are in this city we know nothing about, trying to see the opening football game of our senior year and we are getting screamed at.

6PM We finally get to what seems to be a suitable place to park. It happens to be a boy scout fundraiser, which made me feel a little better. Finally able to crack a beer, I was happy. The little kid who was working the parking with his dad was hilarious and entertained us for a short while.

7:45PM We start making our way to the stadium. I had heard from my friend Dru that they weren't going to make it to the game because they got a late start leaving home. Our quarterback got knocked out in the beginning of the game, and I was ready to leave immediately. The whole place reeked of BO because it was so hot. Finally I convinced Cam and Roomie to go back to the hotel so I could freshen up and they could watch the game before we met up with Dru and friends at the bar.

10:30ish PM We finally get to the bar. Dru arrives, and is as charming as ever. He bought drinks all night and we had a great time. Roomie, who usually doesn't get out of control, was 'getting low' on the dance floor and having a great time. It was so much fun I would relive it in a heartbeat. Definitely worth all the trouble.

Next Day: We wake up pretty early, shower and get out before check out time. I had to take Cam to another hotel somewhere outside of downtown so he could meet up with friends who were taking him home. Relying on my trusty iPhone to guide me I Google 'Hyatt' because that is where the other friends were staying. Because I am stupid and fail to look at the details, I didn't realize Google had thought I wanted to go to Hyatt Street in the ghetto of Columbia. After driving around aimlessly (and leading Dru on a wild goose chase) I realized that was not in fact the hotel, and the hotel was on the other side of town. Now is it 10:57AM and check out is 11AM. In my hungover state I didn't even think to check out when we left the hotel. We did manage to get checked out by phone in time, but only after we had called the wrong hotel and tried to check out.

Frustration. But all was good when I dropped off Cam, and went back to IHOP to meet Dru and friends for breakfast. They, of course, offered to pay, but I was in no mood for pancakes. I wanted real food. We sat with them while they ate and enjoyed their company. We said our good-bye's and Roomie and I were off to Kiawah Island for some much needed rest and relaxation.

It was sad to say bye to Dru, because I don't really know what is in store for us. I guess time will tell. Overall, with all of the mishaps and frustration, I wouldn't change the trip for anything. It was hilarious looking back and a good time had by all.

Oh and I got my car fixed yesterday, so now I'm not scared each time I turn it on. :)

Back to Work.

Hi everyone! I still feel so disconnected from the blog world! I went down to Columbia, SC to see NCSU play the USC this weekend. It was so much fun! My friends and I met up with some people I met at a wedding earlier this summer. And I have a confession, I like this boy.

I haven't mentioned him before, because well, I don't really know him. Here is the story: I went to a wedding back in the middle of July for the son of one of my mom's college friends. We used to vacation with the family when we were young, too. At the wedding I met one of the groomsmen we will call Dru. He is from the deep south and a true southern gentleman. He says, "Yes ma'am" to me and holds doors, carries luggage, the whole 9 yards.

I didn't get to spend that much time with Dru when we first met, but we arranged to meet up again for this game last week. I was so excited to see him. We hung out all night and had a great time. I won't give the details, but I had such a good night. He is 4 years older than me and lives about 8 hours away. What is with me and falling for guys who live out of the state?

So anyways, I really really like him and want to spend more time with him, but it just seems impossible right now. Ugh. Also, Ed is coming in like 3 weeks and I have kind of lost interest in him. I feel really bad, but I don't know how to change my feelings. And here is some more fuel for the fire: Gary (ex-boyfriend) and the girl I told you about have broken up. Gary is back on the market, fresh from a break-up and living in my very town. This sounds dangerous. I'm going to have to play my cards right for the next few months...this is my future we are talking about here.

As you know, school is back in and although I like it because it means I don't have to be at work 40 hours a week, it also means studying and case reports and all of that garbage. I have a lot to do tonight just because I'm not used to planning ahead! Overwhelming. Work is different too because I am not here as much. I can feel the need for me to be really productive while I'm here, but I am being asked to do things I have never done/don't know how to do. I am fine with this because I always want to learn, but sometimes it seems like my bosses aren't willing to take the time to teach me how to do things effectively. Oh well...I don't want to complain anymore.

I just finished reading Stephanie Meyer's Twilight and it is SO GOOD. I thought to myself, "I don't like fake stories, especially vampire stuff" but I promise you have to read it. I am on New Moon, the second of the series, and I love it too. I can't put it down - even when I should.

I have some funny stories from my trip down to South Carolina, but don't have time to share them today. Check back tomorrow - I might have some extra time in between classes to give the update!

Living on the Edge

I haven't blogged in 4 days! This is a record since I started blogging earlier this summer. Work got hectic for a couple of days and then it was the weekend. I feel so disconnected. I have so much catching up to do in reading all of the great posts I'm sure I missed. But I am sad to report that I still have a lot of work to do today as well. So catching up will take some time.

I have adopted the notion of living life with no regrets, so I will recap my weekend to illustrate this point.

Friday:

It was a longggg day at the office. After I got off work, I needed something to relax me. I went home, worked out, then met my mom at the mall for shopping/dinner. I didn't actually buy anything (yay go me!) but did find some things I might just have to go back for. Mom and I ate at Cheesecake Factory. I usually have a problem with this particular restaurant because I have never found anything on the menu that I absolutely love (except of course the cheesecake). Well I found success this time around. Get the 'Romano Crusted Chicken' it will rock your world. Along with the chicken comes pasta in a 'light' tomato sauce. Warning: by light they don't mean healthy they mean like 2 tablespoons of sauce with a pound of noodles. I didn't care though because the chicken was soooo delicious. A slice of cookie dough cheesecake followed, all being washed down by a liquor drink I can't seem to remember the name of.

After dinner I went to another restaurant in town that Jan is a hostess for and had a drink with her at the end of her shift. We then joined some friends at a bar for a 21st birthday party. The girl who was 21? Is married. And has been for a year! Babies, babies I tell you...I don't even want to start in again on how many of my friends are already going down the path of no return. Or divorce. I digress, the bar turned out to be pretty fun and eventful.

Remember Gary and the girl he is now dating? Well turns out, we are on the deck of the bar (which is right next to a convenient store) when Jan looks over and says, "Isn't that Gary!?" Well yes it was, he was loading a keg in the back of his truck when Jan and I decide to yell and wave like idiots. Then, the girlfriend pokes her head around the car and withdraws it as soon as she realizes who is talking to her man. Jan and I bust into laughter, they leave and we talk about them (read: her) for the next couple of hours.

It is not over. A bunch of friends from home show up and Gary is with the crowd. And the girl. Boo. This comes minutes after I made a pact with Jan to "live on the edge." As I push her towards Gary and the girl she refuses to talk to them (obviously not living on the edge). So I go up to the two of them and give them great big hugs and strike up conversation. Go me! The night continued like a normal night at the bar with some late night at a friend's house and we returned home (after I mistakenly made a call to a coworker demanding a taxi cab - clearly hit the wrong 'Sue' in my phone book, oops).

Saturday:

I had to be at my cousin's house to babysit her 1 year old daughter at 8:30 that morning. Yuck. I was definitely feeling the night before. The day progressed as normal until 7:30 PM when my cousin, her husband and their two other kids returned (it was a longgg day). Jan was there to help so it was bearable.

Without missing a beat Jan and I go downtown to meet some friends for dinner and drinks. After that, the people we met up with wanted to go to another bar downtown, so we did this had some more drinks and shots then progressed onto yet another bar. This bar was different than most of the places we usually go (especially when we are with these people). It was fun, we didn't stay long though before progressing to another bar, at which we got one drink and then high-tailed it to the nearest strip club.

Yes. I said it.

Before you judge, let me just tell you that I have never been to a strip club before but after making the 'live on the edge' pact we couldn't refuse. It was hilarious. The particular place we went was pretty up-scale so I didn't feel too creepy or dirty (only a little bit). We had the best time watching all of the dudes and commenting on how in the world those girls walk, let alone dance, in those shoes! To add to the experience, Joe Rogen from Fear Factor was there apparently, although I didn't see him personally.

Overall, I consider this weekend to be a success. More adventures of the edge to come, as my life progresses.

Countdown till LA: 9 days

Gadgets Galore!

We all know and love stores like Brookstone and Sharper Image. They are common go-to stores when Dad's birthday rolls around or the annual Father's Day celebrations commence. The one thing I know I can always count on to put a smile on my dad's face is a brand new gadget. When he responds to the "What do you want for your birthday/father's day/Christmas?" question with the answer, "I don't really need anything," I know immediately he wants a gadget. There are two reasons this particular response is chosen:

1. He doesn't want anyone to give him underwear/socks/ties/shirts.
2. He really wants a gadget (read: all gadgets), but doesn't know which ones.

As a result of being alive for 21 years, I have learned to love Brookstone and Sharper Image*. I also have to admit here that I am a total Daddy's Girl and want to be just like him...leading to my own little gadget affection.

My last trip to Brookstone was in California with Ed (see I told you all of my stories relate back to CA). The morning after a serious night of drinking we were wondering around 3rd Street in Santa Monica.

"Brookstone!" Ed proclaims.
Me: "Huh!?!"

Ed continues to explain that he enjoys going into Brookstone on his break from work (which happens to be right across the street) when he is feeling hung-over. You may ask, "Why Brookstone?" Well apparently, Ed has found the secret of the magical massage chairs. They are rarely available, but if you wait around long enough I promise, it will be worth it. These chairs are great for the soreness you feel all over your body, and if you are lucky enough to get the one that massages your head too, you can kiss that menacing hang-over good-bye!

The Holy Grail

I digress; this post was originally dedicated to the endless amounts of pointless inventions the Brookstone and Sharper Image innovators create to make you believe said product will enhance your life.

Now I want to show you a particular item Ed and I found on this very trip to Brookstone while we wandered, waiting for a magic chair:

The iGallop

First, let me ask, why is everything now prefaced with an "i" when it clearly isn't an iPod, iPhone, iTouch and not made by Apple? I mean it doesn't even like hook up to anything made by Apple.

Second, WHAT THE? What is this? Brookstone tells me it is a workout for your abs. But I'm convinced it is a sex toy. See picture below:

I rest my case.

Let it be known that Ed and I laughed so hard we cried when we first discovered this. I refused to get on, but Ed did and looked like a complete idiot. And I have a feeling it in no way helps anymore than crunches do...maybe less. After we walked away from the bull machine, a big tough guy got on and I think I peed myself laughing so hard.

There was one other thing that was equally hilarious in the store that day, but I can not remember it for the life of me and do not have the patience to search through all of Brookstone's stock. I will definitely post it if I find it though. Until then, gallop away.

Do you have any funny/interesting inventions you have seen recently?

*Sharper Image filed for bankruptcy a few months back, and will be closing almost half of their stores (read about it here). My Sharper Image store in the local mall was one of these unfortunate stores forced to close its doors. Thanks withering economy.

Weekend Update

Well...my weekend was relaxing I guess. This was the first weekend of the summer I didn't have a thing planned. I sat around the pool, worked-out and went out. I did some babysitting to fuel my next trip to the west coast and I helped my sister move out of her apartment.

Going out with my sister and her friends is always fun. Some creepy dude tried to follow us to the car, but finally got the hint when a friend said, "WE ARE NOT TAKING YOU TO YOUR HOUSE OR OURS. GET ANOTHER RIDE." I mean, really people? Really? Some kids are just too weird.

Gary came to town this weekend with his new girl. As a result, none of my normal friends would hang out with me because they are shoved so far up his ass, they haven't seen daylight in 10 years. Harsh? Yeah, well to explain my anger more: when I found this out I went on a work-out rampage and didn't stop for 2 1/2 hours. Good for my body - yes. Good for my mind - no.

Ed was really sweet about it though, I told him what the deal was and he responded with, "Well I would hang out with you if I was there. I'm not obsessed with s-ing his d (I don't want to type that out, it seems too vulgar for this blog) like everyone else."

My response: "Thanks! That's good to hear." Hah.

Yeah so me and Ed had some good conversations this weekend. And as a result, I deem this weekend pretty successful.

I ran today after taking 1 day off. I did a route with a giant hill. Almost died. Definitely going to be limiting that route to twice a week...it will not become an everyday thing for quite sometime. But I know it was good for me. Tomorrow I plan on lengthening the run just a bit.

Dilemma #2

My next dilemma that I would like you input on is this (and I will try to keep it as simple as possible):

Remember Ed? The guy I went to visit in LA? Well...there is a little bit about the vacation I didn't tell you about. Me and Ed were more than just friends while I was there. GASP! SHOCK! Haha...I know.

Background:
Ed is one of Gary's (my ex) best friends. Ed and I became such good friends because of Gary. We would all hang out together pretty much every night for 5 years. Yes I said it, people. Half a decade. I practically lived with the boys my freshman year of college because I hated the dorms. So, Ed has always been a great friend. We have never come close to hooking up or anything before this trip - like the idea had never crossed my mind.

But apparently it had crossed his...

So he was really sweet while I was visiting. I honestly don't think I touched a door the whole time (read:he opened all of them for me, duh). He didn't pay for meals (I didn't expect him to) and we weren't obviously flirty in public. But nighttimes were a different story.

I thought things would be awkward that first morning, but they weren't! Not one single bit! And so basically to sum things up, we have been texting almost everyday since I left. (I have been gone for 2 weeks)

Here is where I'm going to sound really girly and childish:
I love talking to him. Every conversation makes me laugh. I know I can text him at the end of a bad day and he will turn my mood right around. Just sitting here right now, I want to text him. I think about him all of the time. So basically, what I'm saying is, I wouldn't mind if things developed.

But we never talked about anything. Like we didn't address the fact that I dated his bf for 5 years and randomly we are hooking up? But I get the feeling that maybe he enjoyed it too. Like maybe he wouldn't mind if things developed either? I realize that long distance relationships are tough (Gary and I did it for a while). And the next step for Ed and me is unclear, but I feel like I want something more.

It is frustrating because Ed lives so far away of course, but it is more nerve racking to know that he needs to move home.

Here is his deal: Ed moved to LA because Gary and a friend had moved out there to pursue a career in the entertainment business...and so did Ed, eventually. Well, he has been in LA over a year now and hasn't really done anything worthy (I know that sounds harsh, but it is the truth). And I know for a fact he isn't making great money - and his parents have cut him off.

So, I have come to conclude that I want him to move home for financial reasons and for me. Hah :)

The next times I will see him are:
Aug 14-19 (I go back to LA)
Sept TBD (He comes home for sister's wedding)
December (Not for sure, but most likely for Christmas)

My question to you: What should I do? Any advice/suggestions/observations would be greatly appreciated!