The Beauty and the Mess

This is a long day. Well, Big Brother hasn't stopped me from writing...yet. So I will talk and assume people are still interested in what I have to say. :P

Last night Evan and I had our first dance lesson, and it was so much fun! We were both nervous about it, but our instructor is nice and we felt like we did a good job. We learned a step each of foxtrot, waltz, and swing. Well, I already knew the swing one, but Evan didn't. Dancing comes naturally to me. After six years of ballet, six years of marching band, and about six years of exercise videos, plus a short swing-dancing phase in college, I'm good at following directions. This is why, at clubs and stuff, I prefer line dances to just freestyle dancing (at which I'm not so good). Anyway, I was comfortable and had a good time. The only problem was that I kept putting my feet together, instinctively, at the end of every step. I haven't marched in seven years, but every once in a while, something like that will remind me that all my training is still in there.

When we got home, Kathy called to ask if she could come over and take the rest of her stuff that she'd left at the apartment. Yay! She took her computer and its desk, which had been in the living room, and a bunch of stuff from the main closet. Now the living room seems almost too spacious. My mom is totally redecorating my parents' house, so when their new furniture arrives in a month or so, we're getting their current couch. A real couch! I only have a big loveseat and some chairs. Evan is off this afternoon, so now that we have room, he's going to bring some of his stuff over. I'm ready to get started arranging our apartment. :)

Also, it was exciting to see Kathy twice in a three-day period. I don't know if I've mentioned this, but we've always had a weird tendency to wear the same colors. As soon as she walked in, I noticed we were both wearing a dark red sleeveless top and dark pants. We haven't lived together for over two months! Evan says the real kicker is, how many days have we dressed the same and not known it? Kathy says that when we're old and in the nursing home, we'll probably be wearing the same muumuu when we come down to the cafeteria. This led to speculation about whether our generation, when old, will even wear muumuus.

Okay, enough from the peanut gallery. I hope everyone's having a nice day.

Hello! If I had to speak this entry, I wouldn't be making it. My voice is feeble at best today, so my director has evicted me from the file room until I'm well. Yay for not breathing dust all day and getting sicker.

Room For Squares is such a great CD. It's like a time capsule of the 21st-century twentysomething experience.

Most of our properties at work have nice descriptive names. Like New York/Herald Square, NY. Well, I'm working on a project in Niagara Falls right now, and my boss and I are entertained by the fact that it is not Near The Falls, as several of our other hotels are. The naming people seem stumped, so we have taken to calling it Niagara Falls/Nowhere Near The Falls. It is a sign of how long I've been here that I find this unspeakably hilarious.

Lately I'm realizing some not-so-good things about myself. Like the way I'd feel too afraid to move away by myself and start a new life, but doing so with a husband would be fun and exciting. I think I just don't want the responsibility for such a bold venture to fall on me, in case it goes bad. :P Also, the first thing I think of now when I think of moving is having to start over with vacation time at a new job. Isn't that terrible? In another two and a half years I get an extra week and I'm already looking forward to it.

I'm also frustrated with weight issues. Dieting just doesn't come naturally to me. I mean, I already eat pretty healthily, so the thought of reducing things further is depressing. I get hungry a lot. I like to eat things that taste good. I do not like feeling deprived. I do not want my life to revolve around a counting system. Also, if I exercised as much as I'm "supposed" to, I'd never see anybody. Several times recently when I could have taken a walk, I chose to spend time with Kathy since she was only home for a short time. My problem is that I put Enjoying Life ahead of Being a Toothpick. As long as this is the case, I guess I'll always be a little overweight. Sigh. I hope Evan keeps taking stock of my inner beauty. :P

Have I mentioned lately how great my cat is? I'm so glad I got him. I enjoy his company more and more- he has such a personality. Ryan is his favorite person. It's gotten so that when Ryan comes over, he runs in saying, "Where's my buddy?" and Gandalf bounds in to greet him. So funny.

Debs, home from spring break, is joining Ryan and I tonight for dinner. As Evan says, we're McAlisting.

Sorry this is so long and weird. I guess since I can't talk, I'm running on at the fingers. :)

It's always harder to come back to work after a long weekend.

We had fun with Em et al. this weekend. The three of us spent Saturday shopping for bridesmaid shoes for MaryElaine and Royce's wedding. Thus begins the flurry of wedding preparations... the bridal shower, the bridesmaid luncheon, the drive to pick up the dresses, the blah blah blah blah blah... :)

Sunday night, a whole troop of us went down to the river to see Cowboy Mouth and go to the Sunset Symphony. The clouds were threatening for a few hours, but it didn't rain, which is the most frustrating kind of weather when you are trying to do something. The orchestra kept taking breaks to wait for it to "blow over." Finally, they skipped the entire second half of the program and went right into the 1812 Overture. We spent the entire overture wondering aloud what the War of 1812 was about; none of us could remember. Our New Orleanians (Em, Daniel, and Royce) knew that the war ended in New Orleans, but that was our only clue. :P After that, we watched the fireworks. There is a new one this year that looks like fireflies. I am excited about seeing more fireworks on the 4th of July (my favorite holiday). :)

Yesterday, we went to a family party at Kathy's brother's house. We spent most of the time playing with her 1-year-old nephew. :) There were several small children there. Em and I were sitting watching them, and I said, "Do you know how crazy it's going to be when we all have kids and we get together like this?" She then figured out that, if we each have the number of kids we want, there will be 11 kids at our gatherings. We told Kathy, who responded sadly, "Oh, so one of them won't have anyone to marry!" :)

This made me think about something. I've been trying to get used to the idea that I may never get married. It seems, to me, very likely that this will be the case. But when we're talking about the future, I'm right there with everyone else talking about what I want at my wedding, and how I'm going to raise my kids. And I mean it! I realized this weekend that I still totally believe that marriage and kids are going to happen for me. I guess most people would think this is a good thing, but to me, it's not. It just means I'm going to be extra disappointed and sad when I'm 35 and living alone with a bunny and a few plants.

Sorry for being depressing. I'm kind of in a bad mood because of a health problem I am having. I've been on antibiotics for a week, but they're not working and I think I will have to go back to the doctor. In the meantime, I'm not very comfortable. I will try to write something cheery later.