Polite Company

In the early stages of getting to know someone - be it dating, new friends, new employers, honestly, anyyybody - I have a big secret to tell people.  A major bomb from the way it's been received by some.  No, I've never been married, I don't secretly have six kids, I'm not a vegan, and no, I didn't experiment with my gender in college. 

My job does kind of hint that it's a possibility - but good God man, it's Massachusetts.  It couldn't be.  She can't... be... the R-word?

I thought this article was funny - LA might be just as anti-Republican as good old MA - and it actually kind of inspired me to pay a little more attention to Meghan McCain.  A more recent bit on her site shows her on Chelsea Lately, and I can get involved with any Republican who's pro-gay marriage (let's just call it pro-marriage, mmk?) and hangs with Chels and her coslopus.  Check it out.

http://mccainblogette.com/blog/post/dropping-the-r-bomb

Get it?

Get it?!  (I didn't). 

My Best Friend's Wedding

So this weekend I get to take part in the wedding of one of my very very best friends from childhood and the best guy.  Weddings are so much more fun when two people are as perfect for each other as Jen and Gav, and I am so so so pumped for a weekend with my HS girlfriends who haven't been altogether since... I don't even know.  Probably freshmen year of college?  Too long, regardless.  Oh, it's gonna be good.

This prompts me to add as an addendum two country songs I'd forgotten:

Take a Back Road by Rodney Atkins which makes me want to get in the car and immediately start driving north.  It reminds me of high school and finding big mud puddles to drive through with Jen and my big black dodge ram.  This is the only nostalgia I have for high school and I find that in no way depressing.

Dirt Road Anthem by Jason Aldean.  Adding Luda really is never in poor form.  Never.  It takes the song from slightly too low key for me to something I've been listening to on repeat.  Can I just get him to drop a beat in my life at low points?  Immediate game changer.

Notice that my two addendum country songs involve back/dirt roads in anticipation of this weekend.  I'm starting to feel like Country magazine (which Barbara faithfully subscribes to) with the tagline "people who live in or long for the country."  Nothing like a summer heatwave and endless pavement to make me want to pick up and move back to the woods.

Rambles

ON LOVE

So, recently, for the first time in a long time, I'm entirely single.   Technically I haven't been in a real-life, local relationship in a year and a half, but now the lingering relationship is done too.  I leave my phone in the other room at night to stop myself from looking at the texts that aren't there.  I am back to self-deprecating KK, pointing out idiosyncracies and musing on whether or not THAT is why I've scared all the men off.  (Case in point, I have been asked numerous times whether I'm dating a classmate that I'm always around and who's engaged - obviously why suitors are intimidated.)

Ultimately this is a process that I needed to tackle in order to find happiness in the present.  Sucks.  But summer is the best time because I'm right out straight until school starts again, at least - and then it'll be another crazy year.  I'm also thinking about signing up for match - eep?  Thoughts?  It just hadn't really occurred to me, and now it seems to be popping up in conversation with friends, on blogs, etc.  Apparently we're getting to that age - and it couldn't hurt?  Well, it probably will hurt to go on painful dates, but in the end I need to work on my interview skillz anyway.  Let's play multi-tasking with my emotions and job prospects... heyoo.  I'll keep you posted with my adventures, and hopefully it will be less painful than this.

POSITIVE UPDATES

Loneliness, (and let's be clear, I've been everywhere but home for the past 6 weeks and living the dream and I am so so so whiny to even be admitting that I feel a tenth of what so many other people do), has been a great motivator!  I am a gym rat like I haven't been since probably 2008, I'm down 5 pounds, I get into the runners high thing where I don't really need to stop but kind of do because I'm ready to do something else or it's hot out.  I found a gym at school where there are no thugs just parking themselves on the weights, so I lift! My arms are getting definition back!  I have been eating like a girl (instead of like Cartman) and have gotten myself back on the kick where I crave protein rather than salt and sugar.  And sugar!  I'm trying to go without artificial sweeteners - going back to one packet of sugar in my coffee - and coffee is going down to ONE cup a day.  I think my stomach has always been kind of mushy, and it turns out that artificial sweeteners and beer are super bloating, so I'm avoiding those.  I'm trying to ween myself down on my compulsive gum chewing.  But I'm still loving ice cream.  Can't stop, won't stop.

All of this is doing WONDERS for my sleeping.  I have never been a great sleeper, and tuckering myself out physically and cutting way back on my coffee intake is doing great things.  WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?  Oh right.  Everyone. 

And because this is the most happy thing - everyone I know has complimented my tan.  Thank you, thank you, I look like a beach baby while still working full time and taking summer classes.  That's dedication, and I will happily accept the accolades and all those "hey, nice tan"'s from coworkers.

COUNTRY MUSIC

It's back in my heart in a big way. I think I just made the definitive new country playlist for summer 2k12. Overwhelmingly about summer, happiness, and dranking, with a teeny tiny bit of heartache - but nothing too cheesy. Sorry this is blurry, but I think it's legible enough.

Any other suggestions for me?  Keep em happy or angry, I don't do sad, unless it's in a wistful "you don't know her like I do" way.  Then I'll consider it.