After a ridiculously social weekend where I was utterly exhausted and completely wound up beyond belief, I went up to my favorite watering hole for a pint or two and commiseration over the Caps being down 2 games in the series against Tampa Bay.

Then things got interesting…

Notice of a Presidential address.  Hmmm.  Late Sunday night?  WTF could that be that the major networks didn’t already know?  Couldn’t be the economy – that’s more prime time than late night.  Walked out for a smoke* and walked back in and every crawl had the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden.

Well that will certainly change the tone of an evening to be sure.

Though I will be happier with photographic and/or DNA confirmation, as I said on Facebook – I’m glad the cocksucker is dead.**  I’ll admit that while cheering I did send off a message to Friday’s dinner companion to get his thoughts on the matter as he has some experience with all this.  (What a strangely fortuitous time for him to find his way back into my virtual rolodex.)

That all being said, while news of this doesn’t necessarily change anything in the big scheme of thing – it’s nice to feel like we can firmly put one in the Win column for a change.  (I’m sure there have been other wins, but they don’t all filter down to the American public…)

As much as I know I shouldn’t take any glee or pleasure in another’s death – this jackass tried to kill my friends.  In my mind, after that, all bets are off and you deserve whatever painful and ugly end that befalls you.

Working backwards to more positive parts of the weekend…

This afternoon I spent a few lovely hours at Wheaton park with Chris and Celia and their two gorgeous little ones.  This encounter made me realize that Facebook (and the Internet et al) can warp time a little bit.  It wasn’t until I sat down and thought about it that I realized I was pretty sure I hadn’t seen them since they got married.  Thanks to the grapevine, email and Facebook, I had a fairly decent idea of what was going on with them, so it didn’t seem like it had been that long since I’d seen them.  Didn’t hurt that Celia isn’t aging.

Unlike me – if you’re asking a 6 year old.  Saturday was a great little cookout with Jen & Bob and their adorable little one, J.  Well, J’s friends from next door came over.  J, being the Hostess with the Mostest, grabbed K’s hand and said, “I have to introduce you to someone”***  K says, “Oh, your Grandma?”

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

Thankfully little J replied with a reassuringly vehement NO and that I was Aunt Cindy, but still – seriously???  I know I’ve got some grey streaks in my hair, but for me to be the grandmother of a 6 year old – there would to have been two *really* youthful pregnancies along the way.

This after I was feeling all young and semi-gorgeous on Friday night.  Up to Old Town for great evening of dinner & cupcakes & TV with a friend I hadn’t seen, in oh.. 4 years?  (Again, thanks Facebook!)  We’d lost touch thanks to work and life and stuff in general just getting in the way, but it had always been a curiously no-drama, no-holding-to-high-expectations friendship and there were no hard or hurt feelings on either side – and meeting up again it felt like we’d not skipped a beat and it was like sliding on a old pair of favorite blue jeans – just right.

That all being said, I think I will need to sleep for the next 3 days.

*I don’t want to hear it.
**Thank you to the writers of Deadwood for giving me a full appreciation of the many ways in which the word cocksucker can be considered appropriate.
***6 years old, and says “introduce” not “meet” – too smart for her own good, and god help Jen & Bob when she gets older.

Was incredibly happy to run into some folks that I didn’t know would be there and haven’t seen ages – it was so good to see some really special people again and I didn’t call it a night until about 3:30 AM. I’d say it was a success. Maybe we’ll all do a better job of keeping in touch this go round. “Hit me up on Facebook” just wasn’t a phrase you heard 10 years ago.

The funniest thing I found was that we’re all twice the age of when we left high school – and nobody has really changed at all. It’s nice to have a few constants in life after 20 years.

Me:  Well, that would kickass, but I have this seriously screwy thing going on with my grandmother, and I can’t realistically expect anyone in their right mind to put up with it, because it’s not their family, and she’s quite off the rails, and she’s still my responsibility.  (Especially given that none of my ex’s could put up w/her in her GOOD days, much less now – I am quite realistic in SOME of my assessments of the current situation!)

Him:  If he’s smart, he has already figured out that her problems are not your fault, and that you’re a really good person for caring and trying to fix it anyway.

Me:  Thank You.  But I’m pretty sure no one on the planet wants to take part in my little radioactive train wreck, but it’s really awesome that you think that someone would.

Granted, these comments tend to come from tethered gentlemen – committed relationships. engaged, married, what-have-you.  But still, as completely locked into the “single because I can’t drag anyone else into my horribly screwed up family dynamics, nor would I trick them into thinking it didn’t exist” status as I am, it really helps me to think that I *CAN* break out of it because there might actually be gentlemen that can see past this ridiculousness and say, “She’s fun, smart and funny, and I’d like to still hang out with her despite her insane relatives.”

Astronaut charged with kidnap attempt

When it comes to stupid relationship stuff, at least I can say I’ve never done anything that stupid. To be perfectly honest, I don’t think this would have made anything but the local news in Orlando if she hadn’t been an astronaut.  People go a bit around the bend when it comes to love and such every day of the week.

Totally unrelated, the Puppy Bowl that Animal Planet did is the absolute cutest thing I’ve seen on TV in a long time.

I have the time and energy for real cooking. It’s hard to really describe how much that means to me. I’ve been on an Asian kick this week (chili shrimp, satay, tonkatsu and great sticky rice), who knows what next week will bring. Though tonight was Hot Italian Grinders (pretty simple, but it was something Mom always made and I never really *watched* her making them, so I was winging it completely from memory – the way back machine served me well.)

Dave* has gotten some good intel on what appears to be be a kickass German restaurant down in Triangle. We’re definitely going at some point – he’s in charge of ordering. I saw the menu, and it all looks fantastic – couldn’t even imagine picking one thing. Funny thing, just last week we were both bemoaning the lack of good German restaurants in the area.

I have good wine. Called the wine shop yesterday to see if they were getting the wine in I was looking for – after I told him the name, the owner exclaimed, “Aaahh, signora!! I remember! You liked it!” They just got a customer for life there. Went over there this evening, the truck didn’t show today – he felt horrible, but has my number and will call me when it gets in, and I have yet another wine to try out in the meantime. When I left, he went for the handshake. Screw that, he’s Italian (or from Jersey and puts on one hell of an act) – he got the hug and kiss.

As an aside, why the hell don’t we do that here more often?! Granted, I’ll fully admit I am a hug & smooches kinda gal to start with – but really, why does it seem that we’re so averse to a hug and a peck on the cheek here in the states? It’s so much warmer than just a handshake.

I also found a nice Grenache, another good Monferrato (Monferratos are the closest thing to a Bardolino I’ve found, and Bards apparently just don’t get imported much) and “Chilean devil wine” at Wegman’s. (Well, the Chilean wine is called Casillero del Diablo – if you want to check it out, it’s up at the main kitchen area at the moment. A good spicy winter red – Carmenere – perfect for coming in from a snowstorm.)

I have a lot of good people in my life, a kickass little brother, and one especially spiffy guy. Who really likes it when I stop by where he works for a coffee break. :) Who also appreciates the fact that I cook and make sure he gets fed. (Full time job with screwy hours + some stress = crap eating. Been there, done that – I will do whatever I can to prevent it in others when I can.) His quote, “You are a badass cook.” Can’t even begin to tell you how much that means from someone who gets paid to cook good things for folks. And unquestioningly helped me on my quest for a decent Bardolino, and understands the sentimental attachments to a particular type of wine**.

In other completely unrelated news, the fall fashion buzzword is apparently “butt ugly”. Been looking around this week for some long sleeved shirts & medium weight sweaters. Found some nice classically designed twinsets at Old Navy – snagged two tanks and a good universal black cardigan, and a nice V-neck sweater & some camis at American Eagle. Hit Ann Taylor Loft – usually pretty good – oh dear lord, I can’t even begin to describe the crap they’re trying to sell right now. Managed to find couple more sweater tanks & 2 long sleeved jerseys (one of which I had to make them take off the display cause it was the last one in my size), but passed on the matching cardigans cause they were freakin’ hideous. (Note to designers: Belted cardigans are NOT COOL OR FLATTERING.) Dave nudged me in the direction of REI, and I’m glad he made me think of it. Now have 2 nice mid-weight sweaters of a very simple design that will be perfect over my multiple black tanks & t-shirts, and a black zip front fleece, which will be “universal cardigan #2.” REI is very dangerous for me – but I was good and hauled ass before I decided I needed a snowboard or something along those lines.

Yes, life is good. I am so thankful I have all these things and the ability to appreciate them. I am so insanely lucky in so many ways.

*Dave = spiffy
**First place I had a Bardolino was London, in a great hole in the wall Italian restaurant, where I was able to get across to the waiter, in my very fractured Italian, that we wanted a good table wine, but I was not made of money…and we got a wonderful wine.

*sigh*

I just want to see him again.

I like the beginning stages. It’s fun.

I like thinking about him, and wondering how his day is going, and when the next time I get to see him is. When do I get to kiss him again?

I want tomorrow to get here. I want to hear about the beach. I want to sit next to him and have him put his head on my shoulder again. I liked it.

Heavens, I sure hope that in 2 weeks I’m not sitting here lamenting the fact that I am an idiot or something.

As of this moment, 26 hours.

So, we’ve basically had 2 encounters. Both have been nice. Damn, I want to smooch that boy again.

It’s been 4 days since I saw him. Wow, I am a dork that I just sat down and figured that out.

I’d say I am successfully over him.

Have management making promises I have no earthly idea how we’ll keep, the stuff keeps piling on, we’re starting to wonder out loud if they’ve got some contest to drive people out of the department. Gonna have to make sure I stay in good graces with my ops dance partner just in case.

Apparently tonight I am also the lesbian sex & dating advice queen. Given that I am straight, I have no idea how that came about, but hey, maybe eventually they’ll tell me the secret handshake.

Ah well, tomorrow is another day, isn’t it?

Went out w/friends last week.  In the group was a guy that has gone on a couple dates with one of the gals.  He scored well with all of us, and all the body language over the course of the evening says he is interested in her.  They had plans to hang out on Sunday, he was to call and firm things up and never did.

Granted, yes, she could have called him, but if he said he was going to call – why the hell wouldn’t he, even if just to say, “I can’t make it/My house burned down/I have to wash the cat/If I have to spend any time again with your insane friends I will slit my wrists so I can’t see you anymore.”

I just really don’t get saying you’ll call and then not bothering.  (Don’t get me started on folks that don’t check emails.)