Sometimes there’s no right side of the bed to wake up on

Have you ever woken up in one of those moods where you just know that you shouldn’t be around people when you feel like that? Where you’re constantly thinking, don’t you dare look at me in that tone of voice? And god forbid someone ask you what’s wrong.

That was me yesterday.

And so I sat at my desk all day with my headphones in, attempting minimal interaction with coworkers, so as not to offend anyone with my ‘tude. And I counted down to 5:30, while also fearing that I was crazy for being such a mood for no discernible reason.

This morning?

Well, I actually look a lot more like that photo (a night out after a softball game will do that), but the cranky is gone. Thank god. I can actually be social and friendly and not stare daggers at anyone who crosses me. Which really just makes for a better work environment all around.

But, should the cranky come back, I’m curious – what do you do if you have a mood you just can’t shake?

I’m pretty sure it was the alcohol last night that killed this one, but I don’t want to have to bank on that.

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Making the cut

I’m wondering how you feel about the de-friending option on Facebook.

I’ve used it only once, after friending an ex-boyfriend and consequently realizing that I didn’t actually want to be updated on his new life and girlfriend (now wife). But that was 5 years ago, and I haven’t used the option since.

I’ve been the de-friendee on four occasions (that I know of), and the first one totally took me by surprise. The next two I should have seen coming – and I’m frankly not too sad about it. But the fourth one – that’s the style, if you will, I’d be most tempted to go with, myself.

See, that fourth “friend” and I aren’t really close at all. We were in the same sorority, but probably haven’t spoken since she graduated. There’s no animosity on either end. We didn’t have some huge falling out. We’re just more of acquaintances than friends, and there’s currently no tag for that on Facebook.

And so, I hold no grudge for her paring down her friend list. And I do know a few people who pare down on a regular basis. But, even though there’s a part of me that wants to do that, I wouldn’t want it to be misconstrued (if anyone actually noticed at all).

So what do you think about de-friending? Do you do it? Or have you had it done to you? And do you think it sends a certain message? Or can it actually be as innocent as, it’s nothing personal, we just don’t really talk…ever?

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A necessary stay-cation

Most people like to go away for Memorial Day weekend. They like to take advantage of the time off to go travel – go to the beach or what have you – but basically just get away from home for a bit.

I’ve done that. And it’s great. But this year I want nothing more than to just stay home – and possibly visit one of DC’s lovely (free!) pools to work on my tan.

You see, we’ve been on travel overload recently. We were out of town the first three weekends of May, and have only just now managed to have some down time. (Though, can you call watching 5.5 hours of LOST-related television “down time?” Even if we did it to ourselves…?)

June promises to be another busy month. I’m gone the first weekend, then it’s my birthday weekend (not complaining!), then a family wedding in Minnesota, and finally his birthday weekend (plus, my best friend is coming into town).

Given all that, I think you can see how a little sun, relaxation, and recharging of the batteries would be called for – while we have the time.

I’ve always loved keeping busy, but I think I’ve somehow over scheduled this summer, in an attempt to make up for it being my last “fun” one before grad school starts.

So we’ll see how it goes, but the more I think about what’s in store, the more sure I am that this stay-cation is vital.

Do you have any out-of-town plans for Memorial Day weekend? Or are you like me, planning on hiding out and recharging?

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Date, Dump, Marry*: LOST Edition

*Or, fuck, marry, throw off a cliff – I suppose it depends on how strongly you feel.

I know that you may not all feel as strongly about the LOST series finale as I do. And that’s understandable. Before I started watching (and caught up on 5 seasons, plus a few season six episodes, in 2 weeks), I didn’t get the appeal. But now, well, addicted is a good word for it.

So, in honor of the finale this Sunday, I bring you a few characters from the show, and you decide who you want to date, dump, or marry (my answers are at the bottom).

*All photos are taken from these two lists. I may not agree with the order, but I love the idea.

Group 1:

Sawyer

Desmond

Boone

Group 2:

Charles Widmore

Ben Linus

Locke

Group 3:

Kate

Juliet

Penny

Group 4:

Eloise Hawking

Zoe

Rose

For me: 1) Toss Boone, “date” Desmond, and marry Sawyer. In a heartbeat. 2) Toss Ben, date Locke, marry Widmore. 3) (Did you think I’d skip the ladies?) Marry Penny, toss Juliet, date Kate. 4) Toss Zoe (could not STAND her), date Eloise, marry Rose.

Thoughts? Is anyone else as excited for the finale as I am?

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It doesn’t take much to bring out my competitive streak

I have a tendency to get a little competitive.

I can turn nearly anything into a competition – for better or worse – and, in turn, I get frustrated should I (or my team, if it’s a group effort) lose. This competitive spirit particularly comes into play in the summer – during softball season.

There is, of course, the competition on the field. But usually, there’s not too much bad yelling – unless you decide to be a little bitch and call yourself safe when you’re clearly at LEAST three inches off the bag and you’ve already been tagged.

Sorry, where was I?

Anyway. Softball is supposed to be fun, and most people take it as such, so I can usually keep myself in check. But afterward, well, afterward we go to the bar and inevitably play several rounds of flip cup. And drinking games introduce a whole different level of competition.

After our first scrimmage of the season, we did just that. Throughout the night, our game slowly grew bigger as other patrons of the bar asked to join in. One of them joined my team, and took up his flip cup spot next to me, as the anchor.

I don’t remember everything about the game, but I remember that he wasn’t doing so well (at ALL). And I remember that we were almost at the end, and I just wanted to win, and we were so close to winning but he lost it so I might have yelled at him. Something along the lines of, “What’s wrong with you?! What are you doing?!” During games, a sweetheart, I am not.

(I did, of course, immediately apologize, though, and he laughed it off – and, I think, stopped playing with us.)

Fast forward a couple weeks later, after our first real game, and we’re at the same bar. We started playing pool with a couple guys who were already there, and they asked if our softball team came there regularly. “I think I played flip cup with you all a couple weeks ago,” the one guy said to me. “Someone was yelling at me a lot.“

I immediately chalked it up to our resident Flip Cup King, and started explaining how he takes the game really seriously, and can be a little mean sometimes, until a light dawned and I realized, “Oh my god…that was me, wasn’t it?” The kid (college junior, whatever) nodded, and told me, “Yeah, you were really mean that night. In your defense, though, I was playing terribly.“

But all I could think was that he clearly still remembered my yelling from two weeks before.

I just hope I didn’t scar him permanently.

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Crash course

I think I need a crash course in soccer.

Not in actually playing the sport – that I know how to do. (And, I’ll have you know, I was a pretty tough fullback in my day.) But in following it.

You see, while I enjoy a good game in any sport, baseball and football have always been my preferred professional teams. (And I kind of have to follow hockey, now, with the Flyers on their streak.) But now, with the World Cup quickly approaching, I really want to know what’s going on.

I want to be a little bit more invested than I currently am, and than I was four years ago. I loved watching the games then, but I didn’t feel any sort of elation or heartbreak at a win or a loss because I wasn’t connected to any teams or even players!

In fact, there are only three players (I think) that I can actually name off the top of my head, and for obvious reasons:

• David Beckham

• Zinedine Zidane

• Cristiano Ronaldo

Sad, right?

(And now I’ve just learned that Zidane has retired, I’m so behind the times, so make that two current player that I can name.)

In any case, I have less than a month to gain a general knowledge of favorites, underdogs, star players, injuries, scandals, and deep-seated rivalries. And even though I love consulting the interwebs, I’d love a little personal opinion, too.

Who are you pulling for this summer and why?

And what should I know about the teams, the players, or the tournament, above all else?

My soccer education starts now.

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That’s what you get

Well, you asked for it.

Or, at least, some of you did.

I don’t have the video of me shoving gently removing my brother from my path, but I do have one of my first childhood performances – thanks to Mama.

(She recorded it from the TV with her camera, hence the quality, but thanks, Mama! Yes, I’m sure there’s a better way to do this, but I don’t know it.)

Anyway – that’s me, three years old at the church advent party, singing The Friendly Beasts, and not a trace of stage fright.

And notice how there’s no microphone? That’s the most surprising part, because now, apparently, I’m much more like Shy Ronnie.

I miss that fearlessness.

What do you miss about being a kid?

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It takes more than a couple childhood home videos to embarrass this girl*

Each time we’ve been back at my parents’ home in Philly, my boyfriend has asked to see embarrassing photos or home videos of me as a child. And my parents are all too happy to oblige. Though, before this past trip it had only been photos. And that had been sufficient to showcase my chipmunk cheeks as baby:

and the mullet I rocked for far too long (not my fault, btw, and Mama takes full credit/responsibility):

But this time, in response to my challenge that all our home videos were on old 8mm tapes and therefore we couldn’t actually show any childhood movies, my mom dug out three old VHS tapes.

Her way of saying: challenge accepted.

And maybe I should have been embarrassed, having my boyfriend watch one video of me playing La Cucaracha (poorly) on my trumpet in an elementary school variety show (in my super cool nerd glasses, no less). Or another video of me prancing around as a three-year-old, belting out Christmas carols, and shoving my little brother out of the way while decorating the Christmas tree. (And then stumbling like a Weeble Wobble as he tried to get me back, while I was singing for my parents’ friends at the holiday party.)

But honestly, as much as I might cringe sometimes thinking about some of those phases, my trips down memory lane are mostly pleasant. I can laugh at the often overbearing, outgoing, ham of a child I was and be grateful that I turned out the way that I did.

Though, it definitely helps that I no longer have the mullet or the chipmunk cheeks.

At least not noticeably, anyway…

*No, Mama. That is not another challenge. I promise.

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Getting ready for Wedding #2 of the season

Everyone tells me that I’m at that age where all of my friends are getting married. And that might be true. Last year, around this time, we were [shit shows] at Steph’s wedding. Next year, it’ll be BB’s.

And tomorrow, tomorrow is Gaff’s.

I’m SO excited – though, also a little bit nervous.

Or rather, I’m excited for her (and to see all my high school girl friends), but nervous for me, because this will also be the first time that the boyfriend will be meeting that group. It’s not exactly like I was a wild child in high school…but I had my moments. And all of those moments were with this group of ladies.

I’m guessing that he’ll be questioning both my intelligence and my sanity by the time it’s all done.

Though, he’ll probably be right to do so, even without the high school stories. Because, if Gaff’s reception is anything like Steph’s (similar group of people and it’s in the same place), we’ll be taking shots, requesting throwback songs from the DJ, and jumping off the stage when we hear “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”

Because we’re classy. And that’s just how we do.

Have a great weekend! I know I will.

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I guess MPAA ratings are more just guidelines anyway

Last summer, when I went to see the newest Harry Potter movie, I remember being surprised that the mom next to me had brought her child to the theater. Some of the earlier movies (and the books) may have been kid-friendly, but this past one was pushing it. And definitely not for the pre-teen set.

Last night we went to see Kick-Ass. And, despite the fact that a big part of the idea is based on kids as superheroes, the previews and reviews (and the R rating) made it very clear that this was another movie I would never have brought my child to. Which, I suppose, is why we were both surprised when a dad walked in with his 13ish-year-old daughter.

Now, I don’t want to spoil the particulars of the movie for anyone, but let me touch on a few broad characteristics:

• There was a LOT of very graphic violence

• Even more blood and guts

• A character who talked about his frequent masturbation habits and fantasies

• And a child whose vocabulary consisted of words like cunt, cocksucker, and dick – on a regular basis

Don’t get me wrong, those aren’t actually criticisms. I enjoyed the movie even more than I thought I was going to. The sailor mouth on the little girl didn’t bother me (though, even being forewarned, it was shocking at first), and I only covered my eyes at one violent scene. In fact, I would recommend Kick-Ass…to adults.

I just can’t imagine seeing such graphic fight scenes as a kid. And, even more than that, I can’t imagine being a young teenager (and therefore already awkward) and watching that whole movie – the violence, the language, the sex – with my dad.

I don’t know how much 13-year-olds know today, or what their comfort levels are, but, when I was that age, I got squirmy watching the sketching scene from Titanic with my parents. I can’t fathom watching [*spoiler alert*] sex between teenagers and some guy jerking off to his English teacher – with either of them.

But maybe it’s just me, and I’m behind the times. What do you think? And how young is too young, do you think, to see an R-rated movie in the theater?

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