One Thanksgiving Away From Home

I graduated from high school on a Saturday. I suppose most people do. That night, with the thought of curbing underage drinking and extreme partying, the parents of the graduating seniors organized what we called at my high school The Senior All Nighter. It was a big deal. The vast majority of the class loaded up into four school buses and we went to a bowling alley where there was bowling, of course, a gambling room, a karaoke room, and a bunch of other things that parents of high school seniors think high schoolers will like. We were in lockdown, but we were so distracted we didn’t know that they were manipulating us STILL. And I remember, when we arrived back at our high school, the high school from which we had just graduated, one my good friends from high school said, “hey, we’re alumni now.” And it was at that moment that I realized I wasn’t going to see my friends everyday. I mean, it seems IMPOSSIBLE when you graduate from high school that you won’t see these people the next day. Or, at the very least, see them after a fairly extended break. I mean, I had been in the same school district for TEN YEARS. It was, at that point, more than half my life. I had the comfort zone of those same people for years and it was this moment, this “hey, we’re alumni now” moment that the reality of the situation overcame me and I STARTED BAWLING. And I couldn’t stop. How could I not see Nick? Carrie? Kristy? Go to my super organized locker and hand in my super organized homework? What if, in my next thing in life, I’m not super organized? I’m not successful? The pressure was too much for me. Yesterday, I sat in my bed and watched the last season of Sex and the City on Thanksgiving. And went downstairs every now and then to check in with my roommates and play with the cat. I realized that this was another moment. I didn’t spend a major holiday with my family. It’s a whole new world. What if, without the fallback of my family, I fall apart and become one of those people who hate the holidays because they don’t have that family? But, instead of crying like I did that day when I graduated from high school, I smiled. I like watching Sex and the City instead of stressing out about having quality family time. And I like this. This new phase of my life when I decide if I want to have family time, how much, and on what terms. Your twenties kind of suck, but at least there are little steps when you realize that growing up isn’t so bad.

Winter...

IS HERE!!!! FIRST SNOW!!!

I love the snow. More than you will ever know. You don't hear my complaining about cleaning off the car (well, I guess if I had to do it more than once every two weeks, you might). Yay!!

I was going to write this long post about how this dog almost killed me today, but it's not funny in retrospect. What was funny in retrospect was when I called the boy with the beard and said I had heard a noise in the median and it had scared me and he said, "was it a raccoon?"

An Epic Adventure

I paid off my credit card balance yesterday. I owe zero dollars. That, in combination with a paid off student loan, means I am DEBT FREE. Well, at least until I have to take Monster in to be winterized, but that's a whole different ball of wax. So, what did I do? Oh, yeah. I took what was left in my meager checking account and went shopping.

Three long-sleeved tshirts (purple, white, brown)
Two pairs of cords (light pink, cream)
One pair of jeans (dark blue)
Two camis (pink, brown)
One v-neck ribbed sweater (purple)
One corded sweater (green)

Oh, yeah. Now all I need for winter is a better pair of gloves, cheap shoes I can slosh around in the snow and not feel guilty if they are ruined, and a new pair of slippers. And I will be finished with preparing for the winter.

Also to spend money on: Christmas gifts for Biker Boy (who is growing a beard - I have sworn he will be Beardo until the damn thing is shaven off in the spring - I HATE the beard), winterizing Monster, Christmas gifts for mom, dad, and sis, and, um, I think that's all I can justify. I need to start putting the rest of my extra money in my IRA so I won't be poor when I'm old.

FYI - inexplicably means unexplainable and inexorably means relentless. I feel better having settled this word fight with myself.

Elections!

Today is election day. Local elections are arguably more important to our daily lives than national elections, so get out there and vote!!

Four Sentences or Less

1) This morning, while buying groceries at Rainbow, the lady working the cash register gave me flowers. A bouquet of roses. For free. It was strange, but a nice way to start the day.

2) NutThins, a gluten-free (might I say delicious) cracker, has just developed two new flavors. One is terrific, one is okay. This makes me happy. More choices for the gluten-free crowd!!

3) Yesterday was Novermeber 2. I went to a Timberwolves game that began at 7 pm. I wore no coat. Remember - November AND Minneapolis.

4) As I went to unlock my bike from the bike rack, I noticed that my lock was not where it normally is. Crap, someone stole my lock. OR, my lock was being used for locking purpose. I'm such a dumbass.

5) Tomorrow morning there is a free breakfast. Can the world look any rosier?

6) Last weekend we went to Duluth. Pictures may eventually come if BB ever decides he wants me to have them. We stayed at a fantastic inn and they gave us a free jacuzzi room. Oh, yeah.