It’s gonna be a boozy weekend

Of course the main event being Ms. Kelly’s bachelorette festivities this evening…and the pre-requisite hangover brunch tomorrow morning to amuse ourselves with drunken stories of the night before and check out all the pics of the great things we’re going to make her do.

I’m actually quite excited – the only other bachelorette party I’ve been to was my own – we all had a fabulous drunken time and I was SO happy that the ‘kung fu girls’ threw it for me since I’d only known them a short time – and we didn’t do any of the cheesy things that you hear about (thankfully!) But I never really went through that period in my 20’s like so many others seem to have where there is a summer or two where all of their friends suddenly get married and it’s one party after another. None of my college friends – or even high school friends that I kept in touch with – got married until they were into their 30’s – or are not married – so by the time any of us did we were scattered across the country – I attended the weddings when I could, but didn’t do any bachelorette type parties. And most of my friends here of the marrying sort either were already married when I met them, got married so soon after I met them – like Violet and Laurie – that I wasn’t involved in that sort of thing. Or do a Sandy and AJ and call on Tues and say “hey we’re getting married Friday at the courthouse – wanna come?”

So at the age of 35 this is the first friend of mine that is getting married locally where I get to hear about the plans and be involved in some things like tonight – it’s pretty cool just to be able to celebrate with friends that way.

And then to follow that up, tomorrow is a tropical themed bbq for Ann’s birthday where her hubby has coordinated that for a total of 7 of us this is the booze menu he has planned – plus beer:

• 750ml Tequila, Limes, Margarita mix,
• 750ml Light Rum, Grenadine, Pineapple Juice
• 750ml Vodka, Guava Juice, Ginger Ale, Orange Juice
• 750ml Malibu Rum, Triple Sec, Cranberry Juice
• 750ml Dark Rum, Amaretto, Coconut Cream

Whew….

Lifetime Summer Vacation

So there are 14 weekend in the summer (real summer - Memorial Day to Labor Day - I know school doesn't get out until mid-June but we don't have kids so we don't care and I know that 'officially' summer doesn't start until tomorrow - but it also doesn't think winter starts until Dec 21st and while it may not get cold around here - I spent enough snowy Thanksgivings (and even a Halloween or two) to know that's not very realistic!)

So there are 14 weekends in summer:
1. Starlight Parade/Misfats at Ash Street/Ian's B-day
2. Festival of Bands/Grand Floral Parade/Misfats on the East Coast
3. whew...drinking and relaxing....
4. Bachelor/Bachelorette weekend/Noland in CA
5. Indigo Girls/July 4th Fest
6. Camping?/Canada Party?
7. International Beer Fest/Noland's mom
8. bridal shower
9. M& K WEDDING!!/Brewfest
10. Wedding #2 T&W
11. Camping or M&K's sausage fest
12. Camping or M&K's sausage fest (I don't remember which weekend we said for which...)
13. back to the Midwest
14. Labor Day fest

Whew!
I love summer - especially in Oregon where it's sunny and not to hot most days - but man, are we going to be exhausted when it's over. Happy - 'cause that is a lot of fun packed into one strech of weekends (and who knows what develops over the weekdays - patio beers a plenty though I'm sure!)

But really - doesn't this alone make a pretty good argument as to why adults, not kids, need a summer vacation? I mean really - what are they gonna do all summer long but drag their parents to endless swim lessons, baseballs games and cries of "mom - I'm booooreeed.."

I say we start a movement for permanent summer vacation.

Don't Mess with the Olive Garden

I’ve refrained from ranting about a co-worker here, because it is after-all a small world…and a small office….but I just can’t help it today. Today is neither the unadulterated bigotry, the close-mindedness, nor the constant need for “one-upsmanship.” Because those make me genuinely angry and I would say way more than I should.

No – today it makes me laugh. This co-worker had to storm out of the office ahead of those that were all going to lunch together because I had the gall to say that I don’t like the Olive Garden and women wearing ties. Ok – and some of it may have harkened back to yesterday when I said that Walt Disney was a fascist. Magic Mountain is her favorite place in the world – so I think that hurt a bit.

But seriously – a group of people from work often go to lunch together on Friday. I often go as well. Today they asked if I wanted to – I hadn’t planned on taking a lunch today, so I was only going to go if it was someplace that sounded really good. The Olive Garden would not qualify, so I said no thanks. Honestly – that’s all I said. I know some of you reading this may find it hard to believe – but I did not provoke this at all! Her response was that “Jenn doesn’t want to go because it’s corporate, they’re all Nazi’s, and they’re all fascists….” I thought that was funny – so after each statement I called out a resounding “yeah!” Another co-worker thought it amusing too – she said she used to work there and that she could tell us what not to eat – and that included soup because the waiter’s ties were always dipping into them and no-one ever washed them. That led us into a brief dress code discussion – which I of course am quite opinionated on – and that included that fact that I hate ties and that women should never wear them…. apparently she likes ties – she chimed in and said so, I dared to say I disagreed – that they way they lay over the boobs just isn’t attractive…and for God knows why, that just put her over the edge and she stormed away – leaving behind the others that were going with her…..

Seriously.

I like to argue. (I know - surprise) But I also will gladly acknowledge when I'm arguing with someone - trying to pick on their weakness, push a few buttons, and I'll admit I enjoy doing that with this particular person... there are so many buttons to push. But this was just a conversation about lunch. Wow.

So yesterday I posted about coming across as older or younger than you actually are – and I often don’t mind that people assume I’m a bit younger than I am – but at least the way I act doesn’t make them think that I’m 12.

Pondering the ages

I seem to have gotten engaged in a number of conversations lately regarding age – people who do or don’t look their age – act their age, etc. While I’m not a big worrier about getting older – it does inspire me a bit.

I was only 25 when one of my good friends in DSM was turning 30, and freaking out about it. I didn’t understand why and her comment was ‘just wait 5 years and you’ll understand’ Well – 5 years later I turned 30 with one of the biggest and best birthday celebrations ever – and lovin’ every minute. It was at that age of 30 that I then met my wonderful husband – to me turning 30 was fantastic.

Now at 35 I have friends starting to turn 40 – some are doing ok with it, others are freaking out a bit…and I still don’t understand. I know that they’re probably thinking – just you wait – but honestly it doesn’t bother me now and I don’t think it will then. But I think it has more to do with the way that we live our lives.

A gal that I do flags with in the OMTAAMB told us last year that she was getting ready to go to her 40^th class reunion. We just about fell off the bleachers – there’s no way she was a day over 45 let alone nearly 60 – but sure enough. This same woman points out to me that another flag members mom who always comes to watch is the same age – 60 – as she is. Again – falling off the bleachers – only 60? I would have put her closer to 80. So they’re both 60, but Nancy looks in her 40s and this other woman in her 80s.

Not to that same extreme, but it’s interesting to look at your family and how old they seem. My Newman side grandparents seemed old for as long as I can remember. Much older than the Amble side grandparents. But the Newmans were retired as far back as I can remember, grandma baked and canned and quilted and all those “grandmotherly” things, grandpa was a bit crotchety and cranky the way old men are. They talked about ‘darkies’ and the days when children respected adults.

My Amble grandparents had a cabin in the woods where we rode motorcycles and went out in the boat. We always had to say please and thank you, but grandpa loved to buy the latest and greatest new gadgets and anything modern.

I can see the same sort of different in my parents and Noland’s. And maybe it’s just a skewed perspective because it’s hard to see your own parents getting old – he may think just the opposite – but I never knew his parents when they were younger. I do think that if I were to meet the two independently I would assume that his folks were at least 10-15 years older than mine. Just in their mannerisms, the things that they believe in….his parents have been retired for as long as I’ve known them – my dad just retired and my mom is still working. A Saturday afternoon could find his mom baking, quilting or canning. It could find my mom at lunch having margaritas with her girlfriends.

But to give them both credit – they are all close to the same age as the two women at flags – and neither of our sets of parents seem as young as Nancy – nor as old as the other woman.

I don’t know that there is a point behind all of this rambling – but just an interesting perspective I guess.