So we're back from India, moving into our new apartment in a kickass neighborhood today. Husband and I both celebrated our birthdays in the last few weeks, so ready to start a new year. I have so many resolutions, but I'm still in that euphoric hopeful new-year phase where I believe I'll achieve most of them. Yee ha! (<-- Texas residue)

I'm not going to lie - I miss Austin. I miss not having to work as hard and the warmth and sunshine. I miss the hell out of my friends, who I still talk to but don't know when I'll see in person again. I miss breakfast tacos and margaritas and queso and people being friendly all the time.

But I am not going to let the culture shock of homecoming get me down. When I was in Austin, I dreamed about New York - living in Manhattan like I wanted to since I was a child, being a part of a living, pulsing city that is simultaneously full of history and looking towards the future. The snow and ice will pass, the rude looks on the subway will become commonplace and normal, but the excitement never dies. I hope Husband comes to feel the same way.

I've been busy, I know. Sorry! Fiance and I returned to central Texas on New Years Day and have spent the last 2+ weeks getting ourselves situated and reoriented. I've gone back to work and we've had to find a place to live. Lots of work and lots of things going on! Time for highlights:

• My birthday came hard on the heels of our arrival so we got to have a sort of birthday party-slash-reunion with friends. It was awesome! CL Friend, her husband and their new baby (whom I had never met before) came and it was all I could do to give CL Baby back after holding her all night. There was also Friends From Work #1 & #3 and their significant others, as well as a friend I know through FFW #1's wife (confused yet?). We had huckleberry margaritas and appetizers and it was great.

• After subletting the apartment of a total wackjob for 2 weeks, we found and moved into our dream apartment. It is a luxury apartment that comes with access to a pool and a gym. We have a balcony with a view of a lake with actual ducks swimming around (which is where I'm sitting right now, enjoying my coffee and the morning breeze). It is way more expensive than our last place but we got a deal because someone needed out of her lease, so we got it for essentially the same price. Woohoo!

• I tried on wedding dresses with CL Friend last weekend. It was super intimidating but there were a few that looked really nice on me and that has kind of gotten me over my fear. Of course, the saleswoman kept trying to get me in very high heeled shoes and lacy veils and it was all I could do not to run out of there screaming.

• Childhood Friend is coming to visit us for the very first time. So excited.

This is going to be a good year.

My throat is very, very sore and I can't sleep. Darn it!!

Today I had lunch with Fiance, the Traveler and the Traveler's Mate, Bro, Best Friend and Childhood Friend. We ate at a Thai restaurant in Brooklyn. I was able to give them their gifts from abroad and Bro gave me some souvenirs from Boston that he picked up for me. It was a lot of fun :) I had really missed them while I was away.

Par-tay

Well, I had a blast at my two parties this weekend. Party #1 included friends like Bro, the Traveler, Future Priest, etc. We had a good time despite the fact that very few people were brave enough to tackle the karaoke machine and I laughed so hard I spit out a mouthful of Diet Coke over an entire pizza pie.

Party #2 was yesterday and much of Father's family was there: my grandparents, my aunts and cousins, my great aunt, my second cousins. It was the first time I had seen them since his funeral over a year ago and though it was difficult, it was quite worth it. Great Aunt also gave me a little family history, which was awesome. When I return to the States, I need to call her and ask her for more information for my genealogical research.

The rest of my stay, which is slowly coming to a close, should be relatively quiet. And then, onward! :)

I am currently in "the country" where my family has a vacation home. We are only spending the weekend. It has been a lot of fun. My family has had this place for 2+ years, but since I live out of state, I have only been here 2-3 times. I love it every time. It is so relaxing and beautiful. There is a lake and a ton of greenery, and the little house is quaint and perfect.

There is an 8 foot tall black bear on the loose this weekend, but I am trying not to worry about that. We leave tonight anyway.

The internet is slow here, but that's okay. It prevents me from spending too much time online and not enjoying the scenery.

Yesterday we had perfect weather: in fact, my sisters and I got some sunburn (the youngest one excepted, she is half-Hispanic and tans beautifully). We went to the lake and to the pool, ate barbecue and generally had a good time. This morning, everyone is still asleep, and it is raining outside.

I like the rain. I kind of hope it rains all day. It is a nice change from the 113 degrees I left behind in Texas.

This not sleeping thing is hanging on. It's only been 2 nights so I am trying not to worry, but I am not an insomniac by nature. It must be all the impending change and the emotions/stress to go with.

I am starting to try to navigate the nuances of working remotely. I've done it before here and there but not for months at a time. I have to say, you would think that a person would be less aggravated when out of the office, but I find that I have even less patience for stupidity than I do in the office. Perhaps it is because when you are in the real world, removed from the dysfunction, you have space to think to yourself, "I don't need this shit." I bet this is why employers are loathe to let employees work from home. Such employees probably don't ever return.

Last night Childhood Friend and I had dinner and then coffee. It was great. We don't see each other or talk often but I love it when we do. It really is like no time was lost at all. She was kind enough to come to me in the not-too-enticing suburb my family now lives in since I am doped up on various vaccines and tired as all hell.

I arrived home to spend some time with my family before Boyfriend and I leave the country. I am very tired but also wired for some reason, hence being up, blogging, this late. I already miss Boyfriend and all of the vaccinations I have had to get for the upcoming trip are making me sick. So, not too conducive to sleep.

General "at home" guilty pleasures that I plan to indulge in:

• Reading issues of Glamour that are inevitably lying around the house. Someone subscribed years ago and I don't even know if they read it. I don't subscribe to or buy that anti-feminist garbage but whenever I'm home I check up on those 10 Things to Do to Drive Him Wild, you know, just to keep an eye on the ideological competition.
  
• Shopping with Mother at the Italian market. Antipasto, cannolis and vino ... oh my!
  
• Taking Little Sisters out to movies, restaurants, the library, you name it.
  
• Seeing really good friends.
  
• Traveling to the family's vacation home in another state where I can lie on the swing on the porch and read books undisturbed.

Boyfriend is sleeping, and this is my quiet time. I am drinking coffee, painting my fingernails party red, listening to Pandora and blogging. I love Boyfriend and, in fact, we probably spend more time together than is healthy, but these little quiet times (without the TV on!) are awesome too.

I saw Crafty Friend (I used to call her Artsy Friend but this seems more appropriate) the other night for dinner and knitting. She gave me a book of Wedding Crafts that she had picked up somewhere. So cute! She knows me so well, judging from her gifts.

Since we are leaving this apartment (and the country) in a few weeks, I need to go through all the crap I have accumulated here in the last 2 years. It's amazing how much you can pack into small spaces while living there. If I moved it all out, I bet I couldn't fit it back in ;) Closet full of yarn, bookshelf full of books, storage bins full of journals, greeting cards, photos, craft materials... It's incredible. And you know I don't want to throw anything away!

Step 1: Donate unwanted books to public library.

Step 2: Decide which books, yarns, DVDs, etc. are making the trip with me and which are going into storage.

I don't want to plan out much further until I get there; I'm overwhelmed enough already!

I am throwing a baby shower for CL Friend, who is having a little girl. (We just found out early this week.) I only have a couple of weeks to plan this shindig and I have never thrown one before. I've attended a couple - both my mother's - but no games were played, no activities. I have been researching via the internet and people I know who have been to baby showers and apparently games and activities are important. The problem is, all of the common baby shower games that I have come across SUCK ASS.

• Everyone cuts a piece of yarn at the length they think will fit around the mother-to-be's belly. The person who is closest wins a prize.
  
  
• People have to guess what flavor baby food is by the color of it, without the jar around. Winner, again, gets a prize.
  
  
• There is a really disgusting game involving melting different chocolate bars in diapers and people have to guess what kind of chocolate bar it was before melted.
  

I can't have this kind of thing at her shower. Any suggestions?

The other day I weighed myself after one month. It was severely disappointing. I don't know how accurate it was - last month after I weighed myself at the gym I went to the doctor a day or so later and was like 4 lbs less than the gym scale had said - but according to the gym scale the other day, I have lost nothing.

I shouldn't care. I got a new pair of jeans in the next smaller size from the ones I've been wearing for months and they fit great. I know inches are really what matters and sometimes you don't see the reduction in pounds, but seeing no progress on the scale was disenchanting. I am thinking of just gauging my progress by inches or clothes fit and stop putting myself through this!

Last night Boyfriend and I went to City Theatre and saw a production of August Wilson's Fences. I love that little theatre and we had a good time. Wilson's work is very powerful and the cast was pretty good. As I told Boyfriend, it is really nice to take a break from the movie scene and watch people perform right in front of your face. It is a totally different feel.


In fact, I have thought a lot about my year on the stage recently. I was in a high school production of Guys and Dolls when I was thirteen and fourteen, and working on a play is one life experience that you just don't get in any other setting. The camaraderie with the cast, the hours of your life spent practicing and perfecting, the feeling of putting on a production in front of a live audience... I do not consider myself an actress, but I would love to experience that again, perhaps in a community theatre or something.

Things That Make Me Happy: Birthdays

Well, I had a kick-ass time celebrating the fact that I am now a quarter of a century old. Here were the highlights:

• Night before mini almond cake and champagne with Boyfriend.
  
  
• Big lunch with colleagues followed by cupcake dessert, all paid for by the boss/company. (I had red velvet!)
  
  
• Receiving of floral arrangement at the office, sent from Mother.
  
  
• Pier One browsing and purchase of super fancy natural soaps on clearance.
  
  
• Viewing of Slumdog Millionaire along with $1 bag of popcorn. $1!

I should write about my weekend because I had a damn good one. Aside from the wonder that was downtown Austin at night with Christmas lights around and a classic movie at a class theatre - which I already wrote about - I did some other really fun things. After work on Friday, Boyfriend went to the Christmas party at the group home with me. I was really excited for him to meet the girls and find out why I talk about them so much. He met them briefly as they ran out to hug me while we walked up the drive, then bombarded him with introductions. "We've been wanting to meet you!!" they yelled. "We saw your picture and Sojourness told us all about you!" They were very hyper and excited because of the party, and we didn't get to talk to them much for the rest of the night, but it was fun. I get so happy just from spending a short amount of time there with them.

Saturday I got trained for a new kind of volunteer work I am considering. I know, I can't stop piling it on. I really can't. I get such a high that I keep looking for more ways to spend time I don't have free :) After that I had lunch with my women writer's group at my favorite Indian restaurant in Austin. The food was outstanding, naturally, and the company was delightful. The women were all older than me but I knew most of them and I always learn a lot from them with regards to my work. Besides, they are fun.

After lunch I drove up north to CL Friend's house for the baking party. I met a ton of new people and we made a ton of cookies. It was a blast but by the time I got home I was exhausted from all the running around. I took it pretty easy on Sunday, knitting, reading, and working on Sister's Christmas present (a scrapbook about Father, which was a big project that took several hours).

Last night Boyfriend and I got takeout from another good Indian restaurant and watched "The Darjeeling Limited," which we had both wanted to see. It was not what we expected but I enjoyed it and I think he did too. It was bizarre and quirky and meaningful and a fun way to pass the evening, especially with samosas and naan in hand. Though, samosas and naan can brighten up anything.

I had a fantastic time seeing a late showing of "It's A Wonderful Life" at a downtown theatre with Boyfriend Friday night. It really made it feel like the holidays, and I just love that movie.

I couldn't help but think about the SNL "Lost Ending" :) It still cracks me up.

Mmm... We just had our company potluck lunch. There were tamales, rice, tortilla soup - this is Texas, after all - plus salads, veggies, pigs in a blanket (made by moi), cheesy potatoes, spinach balls, venison, meatballs, etc. For dessert, we had rum cake, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, homemade chocolate walnut cookies, rice krispies treats and cranberry mousse. Yowser.. it was good.

Tonight Boyfriend and I are going to a Christmas party at the girls' home and then on to a late night viewing of "It's a Wonderful Night" in my favorite downtown theatre. Then tomorrow is a writers group lunch at my favorite Indian restaurant, followed by a cookie baking party at CL Friend's house. Does it get any better?

I hope my stomach - and the rest of my body - get to recuperate on Sunday.

Note: I couldn't pass up that image. Isn't it the coolest poster ever?

Further Updates

• Taught the other 7-year old to knit. She picked it up quickly as well, but got bored just as quickly and went to play Wii. I am a dying breed!!

  
  

• I had dinner the other night with three people I worked with in Venice two years ago, the Traveler and her beau, Boyfriend and a friend from Austin. We ate delightful Turkish food, reminisced, talked about American politics and laughed our asses off. Yay!

  
  

• I got to spend a bit of time with Boyfriend's aunt and cousins, one of whom loved my homemade scarf and tried to abscond with it until I promised to make her one. I also took the opportunity, on my way back to the bus, to pick up souvenirs for the teen girls I mentor back home.

  
  

• Thanksgiving dinner was fantastic. Yes, it was sad to think about the last time we made these dishes and brought them over to share with my father, but it was good to share them with each other again.

  
  

• I am cosmically destined to be told by people over 50 that I am heavier than Sister, as if I hadn't noticed. Always at functions where I would like to enjoy myself eating, and this time, by someone who is not even a family member (of mine)! I must have picked on fat people in a past life.

  
  

• I head home tonight. Not too sad because I will see my family again in a few weeks, and happy to have a weekend to decompress before returning to work.

I'm sitting here with a cup of comfort and reflecting on my visit home so far. Highlights include:

• My very first Greek wedding, which was freaking awesome.

  
  

• Teaching a 7-year old how to knit, and watching her do it successfully, to my amazement.

  
  

• Watching a 2-year old pick up a plastic ball-in-a-maze toy and say in an exasperated voice, "How do you play this?? There's no mouse!"

Mama needs a cup of coffee...

I had a great Halloween, man. I rocked my Rosie the Riveter costume all the way to first prize in the "What Are You?" contest. *Rolls eyes* Whatever, I still won. Defending costume champ two years in a row. I am especially proud that I decided not to spend much money on a costume this year, and the total cost was $1.67 (for a yard of fabric for my head).

After doing absolutely no work and palling around with my coworkers in costume, I went to a party with one of the teen girls I mentor. It was held at the boys home, and the teen boys were just as sweet and lovable as my girls are. I made melon brains the night before, which were a big hit.

Today I am trying to recover from steadily eating garbage for 24 hours straight.

Bro just spent the weekend with us, which was nice. We visited a prehistoric cave, went swimming, ate at some of my favorite places, played pool and went bowling with CL Friend and her husband. Oh, and we watched a couple of episodes from his DVD collection of Super Mario! Wow, did that take me back...

Weekend Trip

I had a lovely 3-day weekend. On Friday Boyfriend had to travel overnight so I had Artsy Friend over. We ate dinner and watched "Gosford Park" and then we gawked over a giant craft book. Fun times.

Saturday he returned and then Sunday we took off for the Texas Hill Country. We spent several hours in a small rustic town on the river that still had its old general store and mill and all. It was super cute, and all we kept telling each other was, "We should take Bro here when he visits next month." After that we went a little further south, to the area where our bed and breakfast was. This was also supposed to be an historic district, with remnants of the German heritage of the people who settled it. Unfortunately, since it was Sunday everything was closed but the bars. German restaurants and bakeries, little shops... everything was totally shut down. So we wandered around the downtown area to no avail. We did walk by a (closed) train museum along the still active train tracks and we were able to take pictures because large trains are still visible, even when the museum is closed :)

We spent the night at the bed and breakfast. It was pretty cute itself, but it lost some of its charm considering that there was a Walgreens a few blocks away. We had expected it to be more in the, you know, hill country. The breakfast yesterday morning was also totally shitty. But overall, it was nice to get out of our apartment and see a new place.

Wednesday night I had a mini-dinner party with Artsy Friend and Former Intern I Actually Liked (I am getting good with the aliases, aren't I?). I picked up pizza, AF picked up red wine and FIAL picked up a chocolate cake. We lounged around my living room and watched "Annie Hall." It was great. AF is a longtime fan of the movie and FIAL had never seen it but loved it.

Woody Allen movies always make me miss home. I think Boyfriend and I need to live in Manhattan for some period of our lives, even though the prospect frightens me (hustle, bustle, high prices, small living space, stress!).

In other news, I am in the process of patching things up with Cool Aunt. She has been diagnosed with cancer and I told her I want to support her during this time. I'm trying to set boundaries though, and let her know that there are things I won't accept. We'll see how this turns out.