It's freaking scary I tell ya

This is what happens when people try to have a harmless little Halloween parade.

The good Rev. Grove is in his second year of causing chaos in a parade that has been occuring for almost 50 years now. Last year his beef was about not being allowed in the parade. The courts agreed that his First Amendment rights were being violated so he was allowed in. At the end. Behind the police car. Behind the signs warning people of graphic images. From what I remember there weren't any incidents of attacks on the good Rev. Grove and his minions. People just did the smart thing, turned around as he went by and left. No harm no foul.

This year he was allowed in again, in the same position, but this time more people took exception to his anti-abortion message. Personally I am of the pro-choice persuasion and as much as I hate to admit it, the man is allowed to voice his opinions. That's what this country is about after all. As far as I'm concerned he can spout his radical right propaganda all he wants. I just don't think a family type function is the place to do it.

I was in the parade this year. The high school band I'm helping with marched all 2-1/2 miles so I did too. The good Rev. Grove was behind us, but not by much as we were kind of at the end of the parade groups. He came through where my family was standing just after I made it back to our usual spot. I was inside getting a drink and decided to stay there as his float made it's way down the street. My grandmother, god love her 83 year old liberal Democrat soul, stood up and turned her back on him.

And that's about as exciting as things get around here on a Sunday afternoon.

Thank you to everyone for their well wishes while I was fighting the cold from hell. Thursday night I was in bed and down for the count for a good 11 hour sleep. Friday I felt a little better (the sleep and Thera-Flu did their job I guess) so when J called me to talk about going out for a bite to eat I jumped at the chance. He didn't bring up the message (see Oct. 23). Which I was grateful for. There are so many reasons I'm reluctant to move beyond friendship with this guy. He's a lot younger. Neither one of us is quite where we need to be in life for something serious. Sigh. Maybe I'm just being a scaredy cat. Maybe I'm making more out of this than there needs to be. I don't know.

But it's freaking scary.

Happy Halloween everyone. May the Great Pumpkin bring you lots of treats.

Shameless promotion rocks

Because he's shamelessly promoting me, I'll shamelessly promote him too. Hop over, say hi, show some love.

I've given up the fight and decided to bring out the Big Guns. The water's heating up and the Thera-Flu packet is ready to go. I only resort to this stuff when I have to. And yes, I have to. Even though I bagged the idea of going to the gym and traded laundry for napping on the couch I still feel exhausted.

Sickness sucks.

Tomorrow is a much needed day off from work. Honestly I had forgotten all about it until the beginning of the week when I happened to notice the red marker on my calendar. Originally the plan was to sleep in, do some errands and just enjoy a day without any structure. Due to the unexpected attack of the virus I'm looking no more ahead than the sleeping in part. Hopefully I'll be feeling better in time for the full slate of activities on the slate.

Looks like my water's done. Enjoy your weekend kids. Oh, and by the way, Mr. DelorumRex, the hair isn't quite so orange anymore. Like they say, redhead's have more fun. Or get into more trouble, I always get them mixed up.

Bugger

Effing blogger. Just ate my post and now I don't think I could even remember half of what I had typed.

What it boiled down to is tomorrow I have the day off (unexpectedly), my room mates are wonderfully giving when it come's to illness and it seems as if I am more attractive to virus's than men lately.

Happiness is

a nice big cup of hot apple cider on a rainy cold morning and finishing my Barnes & Noble wish list.

We're down to 1 month and 5 days until the big birthday. My parents keep asking what I want. My family is all over me about what I want or what I want to do. I've been politley steering them toward gift cards or money. What I'd really love though is to get flowers. At work. No one's ever sent me flowers before.

But I'm not working that whole week of my birthday, so I guess that won't happen. Instead I'll sleep in and pack for my trip to Ann Arbor. Doesn't get much more exiting than that.

God I lead such a boring life...when I'm not drinking.

Stick that in your Funk & Wagnall's

Regret: the feeling when you wake up in the morning that you did something you really should not have after consuming one too many Long Island Iced Tea's.

Regret is not a word I try to associate with anymore. The real definition that is. By this stage of the game regret is something that can literally rip me to shreds.

So yes, there was some rowdiness last night. And yes, many Long Island Iced Tea's were consumed. And yes, I picked my cell phone up at 3 a.m. and left a message I shouldn't have on someone's voicemail.

Sigh.

What it boils down to is I crossed the line. Instead of keeping my big mouth shut I left a message for one of my male friends that put the toe of my new ballet flats over the "friends" line. Now I'm afraid I've blown it because you know how it gets when that happens. We've all been there. The line get's crossed, things get weird and you never get back to the incredibley fun hangout buddies you were before.

So to quote Ethan Hawke in Reality Bites "I have this planet of regret, sitting on my shoulders."

Because it's rainy and I want to

Today has been one of those rainy, cold South Central Pennsyltucky days that make me wish I lived somewhere warmer. It was rough getting out of bed this morning. Even though my head hit the pillow around 11 p.m. last night (how pathetic is that?) I still slept in until 12 today. God did that feel good.

Even with the crappy weather I ran around spending money I shouldn't. Some new clothes at Old Navy. A new comforter (bought for a steal I might add) from Target. Lunch at the Lobster. Even though I have nothing for contempt for my old managers at the Lobster I do still have a few good friends that work there so I stop in everynow and then for a visit. And chicken fajita soup. But I digress. Lucky for me Laura was working today. Originally I had planned on just sitting at home tonight, maybe watching Penn State kick the Illini's butts then go to bed. But Laura talked me out of it. Oh no, sitting at home on a Saturday night just would not be allowed. Instead I'm going to head into Cobblestone's (one of my favorite sports bar type places) to watch the game and grab dinner then we're going to meet after she get's out of work.

Tonight has the potential for some rowdiness. And to be honest, I'm ready for it. I've been getting that restless feeling again. Nothing is making me happy. I have the urge to get away for a day or two. Often times, this leads to me getting into trouble. Well I say bring it. I could use a little more spice in my life.

There are reasons why I shouldn't be aloud to drink copious amounts of alcohol on a week night.

First and foremost, I can't type (it just took me about 10 minutes to type these sentences).

Secondly, I'm more inclined to lose any inhibitions I may have and not only drunk email people but also claim that certaim former room mate's current next door neighbor's are so hot I would leave my phone number on a piece of paper under their windshield wiper.

Oh dear god, I'm so pathetic. Eh. You've got to do what you've got to do, right?

Oh jesus, must get to bed. Time to pas out and try to not be hungover for work.

I'll love him and pet him and call him George

For the past couple of months I've been on a kick about getting a cat.

I've never owned one, mind you, but lately I've just been obsessed with the idea of having a nice little furry ball of playfullness all to myself. Room mate #1 has Room mate #3. Room mate #2 has the girlfriend. What the hell do I have? Nothing. I got nothing I tell you. All I'm asking for is something to love me unconditionally or at least provide love under the pretense that I could someday stop feeding it if it didn't.

Is that too much to ask for? I think not.

As I was reading this story this morning I couldn't help but hear the clock start ticking a little bit louder. There was a point in my life when I couldn't even imagine myself as married with kids. Now, well, now the idea is out there. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's not an all consuming desire to meet Mr. Right, have 2.5 kids and live in the 'burbs for the rest of my life. No. It's getting to be more and more like one of those it would be nice if it happens but my life isn't going to end if it doesn't kind of things.

Besides, I am heading into the Jordan Years. Wouldn't want anything holding me back, would I?

Ch-ch-changes

You would think what with the college homecoming and time spent on the road between Shippensburg and Ambler Saturday there would be lots to talk about from this weekend. You, my friend, would be wrong.

This weekend was actually pretty tame.

When I was in college, we started "celebrating" Homecoming weekend the Wednesday before the actual game and pretty much just drank ourselves stupid through Sunday morning. Or afternoon. The one frat I hung out with would have a party to kick things off Wednesday. Thursday and Friday nights were spent hopping from party to party, often we were drunk for the parade Friday night after attending happy hour at the end of band practice. Saturday was for kegs and eggs (why lose the buzz?), passing the "water bottle" (usually filled with fuzzy navels) in the stands at the football game and more drinking and party hopping after the parents went home.

Now, though, I'm lucky if I can make it through two beers without passing out. This year I spent most of my time at the Alumni Tent in the Greek tailgating area. Oh, I still had fun and talk about your self-esteem boost! Despite that fact that I've been out of college since 1997, I was mistaken for a student once and hit on by a drunk fratboy. Big fun baby.

Some of the changes to the campus caught me by surprise. The new performing arts center is immense. The road that used to pass by the building where I spent 80% of my four years is now, well, not a road. It has been made into a grassy area with some sidewalk. I caught myself looking both ways as I crossed. So much is different now and it's only been 8 years. Dear god, has it been that long already?!

Time she's really flying.

Saturday night was spent in transit, 2-1/2 hours on the PA Turnpike to Ambler for a band competition. Woo-hoo. Not exactly the most mentally stimulating drive a person can take. I spent most of my time thinking ahead to the stop at Starbucks on the way home and crossing my fingers that I'd have enough gas. By the time I got home Old Sammy (my Saturn) was going on fumes and I was just thisclose to falling asleep behind the wheel.

Yesterday was pretty lazy. My mother and I spent some time at the Oyster Festival downtown sampling oyster stew, fried oyster sandwiches and handmade apple fritters. It was some nice quality time. The rest of my day flew by in a haze of Julia Roberts movies (Pretty Woman & Runaway Bride) and my new book.

Seeing all of the changes at my alma mater made me realize I was due for some changes myself. After all, you can't move forward without a little change, right?

Co-worker: "Boy you're in a pissy mood today".

Me: "You can't tell, but internally I'm flipping you off right now".

Note to self...

Drinking like you're 21 on a weeknight when you must be awake and functioning at 5:45 a.m. is not a good idea. In the future, it would be a good idea to switch to cranberry juice and club soda after one beer.

Drunk + new people = overly flirtatious agategoddess

O.k., so I just got back from this unbelieveably fun group call Drinking Liberally. Shocking but yes, they DO have a chapter here in my own town in South Central Pennsyltucky.

But I digress ( I also can't type worth a damn right now).

The whole thing started around 6 p.m. I left around 9. In between I had three Smithwick's pints, lots of good conversation, picked up a scoop about someone who is going to be running for office locally but isn't going to announce for another week or two and managed to flirt shamelessly with two guys in one night. Did I mention I was the only girl at the Drinking Liberally thing? Hey, you have to play the odds baby.

Do I rock or what? Wait, don't answer that.

I can't wait for our next meeting. If you're in the area check it out, we meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at the Harp & Fiddle. Even if you're not see if there's a chapter near you on the website. They're all over the freaking place.

I just may have found my next great adventure...

The piece of sand in my oyster

For some reason, today, everything is just so damn irritating.

The room mates, the room mate's girlfriend, the dog, hell even the fricken phone is getting on my nerves. Could be a bad bought of PMS. Or just the dreary weather we've been having the last couple of days but something is dragging me down.

And I'm not happy about it. I need to get away for a day or two. Drive somewhere NOT here.

One things for damn sure, I'm not going to sit in this house all night. Nope. No way. Even if I have to go to the gym I refuse to sit around here and watch television (there's never anything on anyway) or think about all of the cleaning that needs to be done.

Not this girl. No way, no how. This girl was not born to mope around.

The paparazzi were just too much for me to handle Saturday at the wedding.

Unfortunately, my shirt couldn't handle the pressure either.

*Photo courtesy of the famous photographer and celebrity hound, D. Friend.

Weekend

Eventually I did get out of the house Friday. In spite of the rain I found time to run to Target where I was able to show some restraint and not overspend. It's so easy to go into that store with one thing in mind and come out with about 10 other things plus the thing you went in for. Unless of course you're like me and you leave with the 10 other things then realize once you're almost home that you forgot to pick up the one thing you wanted.

I also managed to find something for my dad's birthday. We don't celebrate it like we used to. Since the whole weirdness with my parents' marriage started birthdays just aren't given quite as much attention as before. My dad also doesn't really like to celebrate his birthday so much anymore because he shared the day with my grandmother, and her death three years ago is still hard for him. So I left the bag with a nice new O's sweatshirt and a card from the three kids (Little Sis, the dog and I). I'm sure he liked it.

Saturday was wedding day. I actually got myself up early and made an attempt to make myself look like a human being. The ceremony was an early afternoon affair and even though it was gray and dreary outside, it was nothing but sunshine and smiles at the wedding site. The reception was wonderful, good food, good...um, questionable music and the opportunity to catch up with old friends I have not seen in a long time. We sat around and talked so much that we closed the place down! The original plan for post-reception was to meet up at a local sports bar, Cobblestone's to catch the PSU-Ohio State game (ahem, WE ARE...PENN STATE!).

Somehow as we were leaving the reception Tom managed to bring home what was left of the quarter kegs of Yuengling and Bud Light. Instead of squandering our hard earned money at a bar, we went to Tom's apartment, filled the bathtub with ice and did our part to root on the Nittany Lion's while polishing off at least one of the kegs. Considering his performance Saturday night, it was a good call to make a drinking game out of Posluzny's name (everytime the announcer said Posluzny, we drank). After the game we all parted ways. I was supposed to go to another shin-dig at a different bar with friend Lyzz and her husband Brian but by the time we left Tom's I was more than a little tipsy and tired. So I opted for home and bed.

Sunday was more low key. There were many chores around the house I should have done but instead I went to the public skate at our local rink (I'll be missing practice this week). On the way home I picked up some things to throw on the grill as I'm trying my damndest to extend the grilling season as much as possible. I picked up a steak and some squash and zucchini which I seasoned with a wide variety of things (chili powder, garlic, salt, cumin and some Mrs. Dash). The rest of my night was pretty low key. We purchased the NHL Season Ticket so I caught Calgary at Detroit then I picked up my new book for some reading before bed. Before I knew it, it was almost 9:30 and I was yawning like crazy.

For once I actually paid attention to the fact that I was tired and hit the hay early. This morning I woke up without the usual dark circles and surprisingly refreshed. Who knew that eight hours of sleep could make a person feel so good?

Pictures from the wedding will be forthcoming.

Entertaining myself

The room mates are both at work.

I've got the most recent version of Romeo & Juliet on the television (the one with Leo and Clair).

There's laundry to be done.

And I'm so freaking restless I could scream. Oh there is plenty I could be doing right now. The laundry is just one of many things that need to be done around the house. But I don't want to.

Instead I want to go outside and jump in puddles (it's been raining like a bitch all day) or blow my entire paycheck at Pier 1. Or just hop in my car and head off for the beach.

But instead I'll change clothes in a little bit. Head over to Target for a wedding gift for tomorrow. Maybe drop by my parent's house. Maybe stop in to one of our local watering holes to visit friend Krysee.

Then again maybe I'll just do absolutely, positively nothing all night.

Fall in South Central Pennsyltucky

Change

There's something about fall that makes me want to change.

Sometimes it's my hair color or style. Sometimes it's a renewed resolve to take better care of my finances. And sometimes the change takes place in my attitude and view of the world. Usually it's more optimistic.

For whatever reason, I finally got tired of the old blog design. I had been using that template for the past couple of years and while I enjoyed it's sunny brightness, it was starting to get on my nerves. No unlike some of my exes. Commitment issues? Maybe.

The comments issue has been resolved. I'm going to stick with Blogger's comments for now. Less muss and fuss as Grandma Verna says. The counter, unfortunately had to be redone. I was able to start with what I remembered the last number being so my hit's aren't too bad. My history is all gone though. Also, I had to put in my links again. If I'm missing anyone, please email me and let me know. I'll happily add you again.

Otherwise I hope you enjoy the new look. Other changes will be coming here and there as I think of them. In the mean time, happy blogging.

Duh

Um, as you may have noticed, a slight change has been made to the look of this thing. However, like a dumbass, I didn't get everything from the previouse blog switched over correctly and now all of my links are freaking gone.

I'm so perturbed right now I could scream.

Soooo, please be patient as I try to get the blog back to some semblence of it's old self. Oh, and if anyone can tell me how I go about condensing the archives I would greatly appreciate it. Just drop me a line here.

Flood

Saturday was homecoming day at my old high school. This year I was asked to help with the band so for the first time in 13 years I was there for the annual homecoming game.

I was too incoherent at 8:30 a.m. (after not hitting my pillow until 1:30 a.m that morning) to realize that it had been that long. As the large coffee I was sipping started to finally work it's magic it suddenly occured to me that I had been avoiding my alma mater.

High school was a different experience for me. On most levels I hated it. Sure, I was so involved in activities (field hockey, band, drama club, student council, SADD, debate, chorus, etc.) that I barely had time to think about how much I hated it, but I did. My grades were not very good, I still wonder how in the hell I got accepted to Camp Shippy. Boys, when they weren't busy making fun of me, generally ignored my existence. I didn't go to either of my proms. I only went to one homecoming dance in the 9th grade my friend Amber and I went stag. I decided that night I would never go stag again since spending the night guarding purses as everyone else slow danced wasn't exactly my idea of fun. If it wouldn't have been for my wonderful friends (who I still call my best friends) high school would have been living hell.

Saturday brought all of those old feelings back again. All of the insecurity, all of the pain and all of the feelings of teenage depression flooded over me.

It's crazy, I know. Now I'm a slightly more well adjusted adult (or so I'd like to think) who can appreciate a quiet night at home. That I don't need to have the attention of a boy or man to complete my life. And I must admit, the more I thought about it the more I was glad I'm at the stage in my life I am. My good memories of college have all but rubbed out the bad ones of high school.

Saturday I returned home from the game with a little bit of a sunburn and a feeling of profound peace. Life, to my surprise, really is good.

In a totally unrelated note, the rockin' boys and girl from Terminal Lunchbox have put some new demo's over at their site. Head on over and show some love.