Updates From the Field

We showed up at the "restaurant" at the "golf course" last night for Part 1 of Dh's reunion. (Quotes used due to extremely ghetto nature of both places.) At first, rather boring. Lots of hand shaking, as Dh hugs various people, all of whom recognize him (his graduating class was like 75).
I caught up with Andrea and we chatted for a few. Highlight of that convo: "I think I might be pregnant, we'll know next week" Ten seconds later - "I'm going to get a drink." Yeah, alcohol. So when you're 3 weeks pregnant, make it a Bud Light! Yeah!
After about 20 minutes we finally made it far enough into the restaurant to spot The Playa and his wife E. E, who is normally aloof and kind of snooty to me, was warm and open. As was I in return. I think we both realized that we should put our differences aside and chat all night or we would be stuck following our husbands around saying "Nice to meet you" until our faces cracked from fake smiles. So we actually enjoyed ourselves. We talked about our lives, goals, the classy people around us, how nasty this town is, etc. Lots of laughter.
I think the highlight of the night for me was when The Playa sat down with us, more than a little tipsy. He's a funny drunk, and I had never seen The Playa drunk, so I found it very amusing. That Jack and Coke really loosened him up, in a good way. I also found out that The Playa and E only go to church at Christmas, when they are visiting his parents. Dh, and even more so, The Playa's dad, who is bishop of the ward here, are in complete denial about The Playa and E. Dh told me just a few months ago that he was pretty sure The Playa was still nominally active. Uh, yeah, not if he's openly drinking at his 10-year. Apparently The Playa is now liberal, which I can't say I approve of. That's almost worse than taking up social drinking. Ha ha
The Playa realized he better stop drinking or his dad would be able to smell it on him when they went home, so he switched to water. He quickly became much less amusing, though more coherent. I decided not to tell Dh about this. Let The Playa tell him in his own way & time.
More later, have to attend the family picnic now. Cheers!

I'm A Bit Ashamed

Dh's 10-year reunion is tomorrow & Saturday. Carisa will be there, which I'm actually pretty excited about, since I haven't seen her since my wedding reception, and I liked living with her. Plus, it means I'll have someone to talk to, since Bartlett's wife and I have never clicked, and I find The Playa's wife nearly intolerable. Harrington will be there and I'm hoping to observe him closely and decide for myself if the infidelity rumors are true.
However, here's the thing. Carisa had a baby like last week. [You might ask, Then why on earth is she attending her 10-year reunion, which is a looong drive from where she lives??? The answer, darling, is that she is a Stevens, and that (according to my dh, when I posed him that very question) is classic Stevens behavior.] The Playa's wife is pregnant with baby #2. And yes, here I am, not pregnant. Obviously not pregnant. The size 26 Lucky jeans I bought off eBay are too big. I'm kind of down about it, when I think about it, which is still not that often at least. I'm a bit ashamed because while I will be feeling bad because all these women are reproducing up a storm, I will not reveal that I feel bad, and I know that they (at least Carisa for sure) will consider me not the non-pregnant girl, but the thin, glamorous girl who doesn't have to budget her money, because she has no kids. Which comforts me and simultaneously makes me feel guilty that I keep doing the lame competitive thing. But I am. And I don't really know how to get rid of it. Besides, I feel like shiz about the whole baby thing.

Don't You DARE Ask Me If I'm Blonde

Last night I was talking to my dad on the phone. I lit a candle with a match and threw the match in the garbage can. I watched as, in slow motion it seemed, the match caught a paper towel on fire. The flames quickly spread to other garbage in the trash can. I, um, blew on it, but shockingly the fire did not go out. Giving no indication to my dad that I was having a minor emergency, I carried the trash can into the back yard, dragged the hose over, and doused the can in water for several seconds. Ah, problem solved. Not quite. The can was smoking suspiciously, so I peered in and spotted a small flame still going. I really doused it this time, until the water line was equal to the garbage line. Still talking to my dad this whole time. I had to wait until I hung up to finish the job. I needed two hands. I drained the water out of the can onto the grass (hope it doesn't die) and then dumped the contents into our outside can. I let the kitchen can dry out for a couple of hours, then put a garbage bag into the can. Dh will never notice. Hopefully. He basically NEVER takes the garbage out, so I think I'm safe. Tonight I'm going to go buy a new one. This one's all smoked up on the inside. Yeah, I'm retarded.

Books & Movies - Briefly

This is Not Civlization by Robert Rosenberg - This is some of the worst prose I have ever read. And I read My Antonia. So that's really saying something. I only finished this because it gave such interesting glimpses of life on the Rez & in Kyrgyzstan and Turkey.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - Haunting. Shocking. Very good. Really enjoyed it. Read it now if you haven't already. Aside, this will deliver you ammunition against your elders who claim the good ol' days were so pure and virginal.
English as a Second Language by Megan Crane - Thinly fictionalized account of Crane's grad school experience in England. She obviously spent most of the time drunk out of her head, or painfully hungover, but it all seems such fun.
The Island - Much fun had by all. Parts are ridiculously implausible, but ya just don't care.
Batman Begins - Ditto the above. PS Katie Holmes's acting SUCKS