Last night

I met three men yesterday.

I volunteered at an engineering event in the morning for the Girl Scouts. While there were Girl Scouts in attendence, it was mostly high school (male) competitors, and engineers who were there to run/attend the event. One of the men attending spent a great deal of time talking to me and filled out the scavenger hunt the Girl Scouts were using, going so far as to ask me to grade the results for him. I really enjoyed meeting him and I hope he'll call/email me.

Then, in the evening, I had a sorority event to chaperone. The other chaperone brought a co-worker of hers for me to meet/be set up with. After spending a long evening with him, he certainly seemed nice, but not really "my type". Plus, he has a kid. I've never dated anyone with a kid and don't have any interest in it, but I'm going to meet him for coffee just to see. He's obviously interested in me, which is flattering, but I can already feel myself pulling away from his attentions. But let's put those questions away for another day...

I dreamt that I woke up this morning with T in bed with me. He met my roommate, we went for brunch, and it appeared he was flirting with the waitress. She asked if he wanted her number and he said, "No, I'm with her (gesturing to me) for now." Even if my dreams I can't make our relationship last. But he took my arm and we walked away--and I woke up with a smile on my face.

Then he called tonight. It was good to hear his voice, but he is still happy with Kathy and I'm still jealous. I wish I could pinpoint why. But for now I'm just tired--and hoping for a deep and dreamless sleep.

Done with a giggle

The plan set we submitted today was over 20 sheets, so when my coworker asked our boss if he wanted the drawings folded, she was appalled when he answered in the affirmative. She said, "Only if you're going to."
"Okay," he said. "I'll just jump up and down on them."
/giggle/

Yes, my submittal is done, my muscles are slowly relaxing, and not only am I smiling, but I'm also giggling. And I expect to feel even better after a day of shopping, fun with my sister (and sisters), and sleeping in tomorrow.

A picture of me in the yearbook

When I was a senior in high school, a yearbook staff member asked me if she could take a picture of me pretending to be stressed out to put in a yearbook layout. When the picture was published, it looked like I was taking a nap--my head resting on my hand, staring (what I thought was) intently at a computer screen. I now finally understand why you couldn't capture my stress on film--my stress is all manifested internally.

Right now I'm freaking out about this work deadline--my skin is twitchy but my muscles are tense and my movement is restricted; my voice is a little louder and more shrill and I have absolutely no patience for anything. I am still presenting a positive front to the world around me, although my ever-present smile is forced or missing entirely and my inner voice is seized by every negative thought that comes along. All I want is a deep breath and a nap... but I'd also take a more flattering picture of me in that yearbook.

To really love a woman

More thought-provoking song lyrics from Camelot--okay, not really thought-provoking, I would say they are daydream-provoking. I want to be loved like Merlin suggests:

How to handle a woman? Mark me well, I will tell you, sir:
The way to handle a woman Is to love her...simply love her...
Merely love her...love her...love her.

Greetings from the divorce fairy...

Our latest scheme to get the news out...

You enter your cubicle in the morning and find a note taped to your computer monitor, surrounded by glittery footprints, which reads:

Greetings from the divorce fairy...

[My co-worker and her husband] are getting divorced.  Have a nice day!

Simple joys of maidenhood

I saw Camelot on Saturday night (at Union Colony Dinner Theater including an awesome performance by my brother). It must've been the first time I listened to the lyrics of "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood", and wow, are they blood thirsty!! For example, take the last verse:

Are those sweet, gentle pleasures gone for good?
Shall a feud not begin for me?
Shall kith not kill their kin for me?
Oh where are the trivial joys? Harmless, convivial joys?
Where are the simple joys of maidenhood?

Because, heaven knows, that I've always wanted brother to kill brother over me. Well, there were those twins in high school that I wouldn't minded fighting over me, but I digress... Listening to these lyrics made me wonder--what are the modern "simple joys of maidenhood"? Fear of online dating? Speed dating? The bar scene? PSAs about STDs? Bridesmaid dresses?

Still searching for answers...

Deja vu

Last night's dreams caught up with me while I was working quietly at my desk this morning. All of a sudden I wasn't seeing the file on my screen, but instead a sunny room. I had a feeling of deja vu--it was a familiar vision that I couldn't quite place until my forgotten dream began to trickle back to me. The funniest thing about this dream was how my subconcious managed to recall pieces of information, like the names of my college eateries, that I hadn't even thought of in ages.

X-Ray Vision Reveals Your First Look at the Lois & Clark Box!

TV Shows on DVD reports that the first season of Lois and Clark will be released on DVD this summer--most likely between June 6 and July 8. They also published this picture of the box. I'm so excited!

What women want

I was watching* the OC last night with my roommate and at one point Sandy asked his wife if it would be okay if he left for a few minutes before their Valentine's Day dinner to say goodbye to his old girlfriend. Her response: "If that's what you want to do."

Girls, you know what she was really saying. She was saying, "At your own peril," or maybe "Sure--it's your funeral." So I decided to decode for my roommate.

When Kirsten turned out to be mad at him for going (and totally standing her up for dinner b/c he was KISSING his ex), my roommate turns to me and goes, "Why do girls do that?"

"What?"

"Say something they don't mean."

Um. Why do we do that?

*my roommate was watching it while I ate dinner

Showing my age

It was a long and emotionally exhausting day getting ready for my first homecoming dance. My mom took me to have my hair done--her hairdresser put my hair up in a french twist. Being 14, the french twist looked too old for me. We came home and took it down--washing my hair in the bathtub and then drying and curling it. My mom also did my makeup for me, and like most of the times she did my makeup for a big occasion, I cried, claiming it was "too dark" or "too bright". Poor Mom.

Then my date arrived. We took the requisite pictures and then left for his house. His sister acted as our chauffer and her then-fiance was the maitre d' at our private restaurant. There were printed menus and everything. At that moment, I didn't truly appreciate the effort he'd put into our evening. Soon the time came and we headed over to the dance.

The most memorable part of the dance is the fact that two of us were rarely alone. My date had a stalker--her name was Shirell Parnell. (Names not changed so as to preserve the humor factor.) I had my own admirer--his name was Bobby and the four of us were quite the group. The only time M and I were truly by ourselves was when we danced the last dance--it was "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men. Wasn't the last dance of any middle school or early high school dance by Boyz II Men? Hearing a Boyz II Men song, like I did this afternoon, triggers these memories.

Just like that, it was over. While M called his mom to pick us up, Bobby sucked helium to try and impress me. I was certainly flattered but declined to give him my number--it seemed unladylike while I was someone else's date. His mom took me home and to cap off the evening, turned onto the wrong side of a divided road on the way into my neighborhood. No harm done, but just like everything else, the end of the evening was a little imperfect.

Overheard

Lady 1: "GS Cookies will be delivered on Monday."
Lady 2: "Then I can again roll myself in Thin Mints."

Sheep in wolf's clothing

J and I joined a couple friends at the bar on Friday night. S had spent her first night with her new boyfriend--a date from eHarmony--the night before. Considering that was all she could think about, it wasn't surprising that the conversation focused almost exclusively on $ex. Despite the fact that most of my knowledge in this area is based on "book learning" versus "practical experience", as one might say, I participated pretty fully in the conversation. I didn't feel like explaining my somewhat unique perspective--after all, my opinion is my opinion regardless of whatever experience, or lack thereof, it is based on.

Midway through our evening, we decided to head downtown. Riding with S in J's car, I was continuing our conversation with S when J shot me a nasty look. I'm not sure why all of a sudden it bothered her that I was contributing without any personal experience in that arena, but apparently it did. Receiving that withering glance from her made me suddenly worried she was going to "expose" me and made me wonder if somehow I being a hypocrite by not disclosing that most of my information was theoretical--a sheep in wolf's clothing, so to speak.

Being an 'angineer'

Tonight I was dropping a friend off after our evening out. As she was giving me directions she said, "It used to be easier because my street connected directly to (the main road)."

As I drove away, I thought to myself, "If her road used to be connected to the main road, that means her development was built in phases (did I see any other signs of phasing?), the connection would've been granted as a temporary access and shown as a note on the development plans..."

I may not be an engineer when I leave the office, but I can't stop being the "angineer".

Cookoff results

After weeks of planning and hours of prep, the chili cookoff/dessert competition are over. Results: we didn't win anything.

A lot of people did like our dessert, and a Cincinnati native tells me that other than being a little "tomatoey", our chili was pretty good and pretty authentic. I'll take that one small victory--and tons of leftovers.

Until day breaks

Every night I pull you into bed with me.
I curl into your warm arms and
Rest the weight of my head on your shoulder,
Rest the weight of my day on your shoulders.
Your presence lulls me to sleep and allows me peace
Until I wake alone,
Until day breaks.

Morning blues

Today is the third day in the past few weeks that I've woken up with a start and without the annoying blare of my alarm clock. Unfortunately all have been operator error--twice I've forgotten to set the darn thing and once I decided it was a good idea to turn it off and climb back into bed. Sounds like it is time to develop a new wakeup strategy.

Fraternity rules

A remark to my co-worker from her brother:
"We had to make a rule that there was no drinking during (fraternity) meetings because we just weren't getting anything done."

This is why I do it

I spent the weekend at my regional sorority seminar with four officers from the chapter I advise. It was a great weekend--I got to know these officers better and got to connect with other sorority sisters from the west and northwest.

As we were flying home, I suggested to the president that she create an opportunity when the officers who attended could share what they learned with the chapter so they would understand why the chapter paid to send them. So last night at their weekly chapter meeting, the president yielded the floor to one of the officers who attended, TT, by explaining that she was one of the four officers who had been at this seminar. TT said:

One of the best things about this weekend was getting to meet girls from other chapters. We were sitting with some girls from Nevada, who told us their advisers weren't around and didn't really help them much. They pointed to Angie and asked, 'Does she work at international headquarters?' One of the things we learned this weekend is what a great adviser we have. So, to recognize that she knows, like, everything about the sorority, we made her the 'Sorority Encyclopedia' award.

/Blush and grin./