Okay, I'm a Little Obsessive

I’m starting to think maybe the date wasn’t a date at all. It really was a geometry lesson that turned into a meal and a movie.

Which makes me wonder if I was supposed to pay for all of that??? Maybe that’s why he isn’t hanging around me. Maybe I was supposed to offer to pay, since he was tutoring me.

Except he pulled out his wallet for everything. He even has two credit cards!

Doesn’t using a credit card kind of signal a date is going on?

Lucie has been no help on this. She and Aaron haven’t seen each other since the night he canceled coming out here and she has been getting steadily more depressed. She hasn’t gotten a new job either, although she’s been on several interviews.

Man, how did things get so crappy for the Shanley sisters again?

What's the definition of boyfriend?

It’s not that I assumed R was my boyfriend just after that one date but I did kind of think that he would want to hang around me more. We still talk and joke in class but he doesn’t sit with me at lunch or walk with me to classes.

Was I supposed to do something on the date? Were we supposed to kiss or hold hands? It’s not that I wouldn’t have done either of those things but the opportunity didn’t, well, arise. Plus he could have initiated something.

Am I wrong on this?

Why is this entry late today?

Top 3.5 Reasons to Stay Up Late on Saturday Night

1. You’re at an amazing party
2. Someone good is hosting SNL
3. You rented a bunch of movies that have to be returned on Sunday
3.5 You’re on a date with a very cool guy named R

Let’s see…I’ll give you a hint. I was not invited to a party. I didn’t watch television. And I didn’t rent any movies.

Yes, that’s right, I was on a date with R. And I won’t gloat here about how awesome he is because that would be hugely tacky. However, I will say that I am not nearly as stupid in math as I think I am. In fact, that’s exactly what R said:

“You’re not nearly as stupid in Geometry as you think you are.”

Words to swoon by…

Whatever.

The lesson took two hours because we kept laughing and talking about other stuff like which shows he likes (Lost and Heroes) and which teachers we mutually dislike (SP and DM) and why his parents want him to be an engineer and why he hates that idea because he’d be a total cliché. It was…amazing.

Then we did get hungry but instead of a suggestion from either of us, it was just sort of mutually decided, like, hey, let’s go eat now, so there was no nervousness or anything. And then at dinner (steak fajitas for me, cheese burrito platter for him), we talked about movies we liked and actors we thought were pretty cool and he said he hadn’t seen “300” yet and maybe we could go and the next thing I knew, we were in line for the movies.

He was so cool and fun and there was so little anxiety that I can’t believe it was a real date.

But I think it was.

1+ 1 = 2 Dates!

Do I actually have 2 guys who like me? This is seriously not possible. I have never had ANY guys like me and now I have 2???

R is giving me a tutoring session in Geometry on Saturday afternoon. I know that doesn’t sound like a date but listen: he wants to do it at 5:00. An hour long lesson means we won’t finish until after 6, which is really pretty close to dinner. Plus we’re meeting at the Starbucks near the Applebee’s which, while not exactly top cuisine, is a pretty decent place for dinner. So don’t you think it’s possible we’ll finish with the lesson and then he might casually say, hey, are you hungry? And then, let’s go over to Applebee’s, which is right here. Which leaves me a way out, if things aren’t going very well and it leaves him a way out, like if I am a total moron in math and he doesn’t want to share a meal with me. Right?

I mean, it’s possible it could happen that way.

We’ll find out on Saturday!

Sunday Surprise

This past weekend was all about work…homework and housework. Lucie never, and I mean never, cleans. It’s not that she’s dirty - she doesn’t leave her dishes laying around and she wipes out the tub after she showers and she occasionally washes the laundry - but she is very messy. Her bedroom is just a pile of clothes and jewelry and shoes and magazines all over the floor and on her bed. But she keeps the door closed so I don’t have to see it.

I am usually the one to clean. Does that surprise anyone at all? I use that Easy-Off stuff in the oven so that cleans itself and I pour bleach in the sinks and on the floor. I do whatever I have to but as simply as I can. No wasted energy.

But not this weekend. This weekend Aaron was coming for a visit with his friend, Derek. So Lucie wanted the place spotless. We vacuumed the rugs and dusted the knickknacks (not that we have many - you tend to lose a lot of that stuff when you move around so we just don’t even bother with it) and Lucie actually scrubbed the toilet! Inside and out! Yuck! I told her I would do the entire kitchen if she would do that and she did. Shockingly.

By Sunday afternoon, the whole apartment looked and smelled great. The weather was really warm so we had all the windows open and since the days are longer, it was light out until past 7. At around 4:30, we kicked back and had iced coffees and toasted our hard work. Lucie was probably in the best mood I have seen her in a long time. We put on some tunes and she was dancing and singing with the broom. And then I would change the music really fast, like from rock to opera, and she would change along with it. It was hilarious!

But then, the phone rang. Aaron couldn’t come because his car broke down and Derek’s car was also in the shop but when Lucie offered to come get them, he said no, because it would be a lot of time on the road and he and Derek needed to be up early for a rehearsal or something. Lucie got off the phone and she looked really sad and I thought for sure she would cry or yell or something but you know what she did? She smiled and she said the place looked awesome and then she thanked me for helping her. That’s it. No tears, no anger. And then we walked to the video store and rented “Stranger Than Fiction,” which was pretty good and pretty funny and we bought a pizza and ate the whole thing.

It was a good night.

Spring Fling

Top 3.5 Great Things About Spring

1. Only 3 Months ‘Til School’s Out
2. Days are Getting Longer
3. Teachers Forget Homework
3.5 Spring Break

Lucie likes the flowers blooming in spring but I think that’s crap. We’re in SoCal, the flowers bloom all year round. She says the flowers are different, they smell different. Whatever. So long as she doesn’t bring them inside where they make me sneeze. Frankly, I think she’s just feeling lovey-dovey these days with Aaron. She’s been gone a lot, hanging out at his place or doing things in Hollywood. Thank god he doesn’t come here, that’s all I have to say. That would be just too weird to have him, you know, sleep over. So far, Lucie has been good about coming home every night - or morning. But at least she’s coming home.

Sets a good example for me, the younger, impressionable sister, you know?

So number 1 is obvious…just 12 more weeks until school is over for the year and I am no longer a freshman! Whoo-hoo! I am so tired of being the newbie in school. I can’t wait for the next class to walk around like deer caught in the headlights, wondering how they get their lockers open and if it’s cool to carry a messenger bag (it’s not…).

The days are definitely longer, now that we’re into DST (see previous post). I love that in the summer, the days are even longer. Lucie and I like to sit outside, sometimes she’ll drive the car to the park where the space is really wide open and you can see the mountains and we’ll have iced teas and just look up at the sky and the warm winds rush over us. That’s a pretty cool time of day.

So far only one teacher has forgotten homework but one is enough (and EB, you know who you are, and we love you for it!).

I am not going anywhere for Spring Break but my own backyard. Actually, we don’t have a backyard but we do have a courtyard where everyone keeps their barbecues. Lucie promised me we would go somewhere for spring break in my senior year, like Cancun or something, but I don’t know. I’d kind of like to go with my friends, you know? No offense to Lucie but I see her all the time and she’s almost twice my age. I mean, if it’s the choice of no trip or a trip with my sister, I’ll take my sister but…we’ll see. That’s three years away and we’ve already seen what can happen in 3 years. Maybe Lucie will be married to Aaron by then! How awesome would that be??

Why Isn't It Friday Yet?

It’s now been one month since the Red Rose Debacle and I am no nearer to an answer.

As for T, well, he wasn’t in class on Monday and Tuesday. He did come back yesterday but he obviously is way behind. He didn’t talk to anyone, just came in, sat down, and paid attention. I heard from Dena that he got really sick on Sunday night (right after he saw me???). They think it was food poisoning because he and D were both out and they went to some chicken place, El Pollo Loco maybe? And ate some bad meat. It was probably D’s idea. In any case, they’re back in school now but looking pretty sickly.

I kind of smiled at him when he came in yesterday and he sort of smiled back. I have to be positive about it and believe he was just not feeling very well and that whatever date he proposed is still valid. Lucie says to wait a week and ask him.

A week! Why do people throw words around like that and act like they’re nothing at all?

“Just wait a week.”

“Check back next month.”

“By next year, you’ll have forgotten all about it.”

Who thinks like that except someone whose life is passing by in a flash? That’s what Lucie says: as you get older, life goes faster. Geez, that sucks!

Okay, on to the story…

Reggie and I were at the Best Buy checking out plasmas (actually, she was checking out plasmas, I was looking at the 2.99 DVDs) when who should come up to me but T?

“Hey, Meg.”

“Hey, uh.” I’m so brilliant.

“Whatcha lookin’ for?”

I shrug. “Anything cheap.”

“You like horror?” He holds up “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: the Beginning.” It’s a whopping buck ninety-nine.

I frown. “Not really.” But I sort of say it like I could like it, if he were to say he really likes it.

“Some horror is pretty good.” He says it like sort of an apology. I can tell he really likes horror movies but is playing it down for my benefit.

“Yeah, sure,” I say, enthusiastically. “I liked, uh…” I try to think of some recent movies I liked. “The Ring was cool.”

“Oh yeah, The Ring. Very cool.”

“And, uh, The Descent?” That one made me way claustrophobic but it was pretty awesome.

“Definitely, definitely.” He looks like he’s trying to find something to say. “Did you see Saw?”

“See saw…” I laugh. “That’s funny. See-saw. See-saw.”

T laughs too. Whew! Then he says, “Did you like it?”

“Oh god, no, I didn’t see it. It’s kind of, um, revolting, you know? People being tortured?”

T nods. “Oh yeah, you said you didn’t like that sort of stuff.”

“I…when did I say that?”

“On your blog.” Then he stops, like he’s been caught.

“You read my blog?”

T shrugs. “Uh, yeah, sometimes.”

I can feel my face get hot and I know it’s totally red. All that stuff I wrote! About him! Does he know he’s T? Does he know about my rose? Does he know I wish he was my ARRG? Oh god, take me now…

And just when I’m looking for a hole to swallow me in the bargain DVD section of Best Buy, T’s friend D comes over and slaps him on the back. “Dude, let’s go.” D doesn’t even look at me. Whatever.

T pushes him off. “I’m coming. Go away.” Then he turns back to me and says, “It’s not really as bad as you think.” I must have a total blank look on my face because he says, “Saw? The movie?”

“Oh yeah, okay.”

“I have it on DVD if you want to see it sometime. Just let me know.”

“Oh, sure, maybe you can lend it to me.”

T smiles. “I can do that or you could come over and watch it. You know, if you want.”

“Uh, yeah. Okay.” And then so I don’t sound too anxious, I add, “Whatever.”

T leaves. And I have no idea what just happened. I think I got asked out. I think.

An Hour Changes Everything

Top 3.5 Cool Facts About Daylight Saving Time

1. Hawaii and Arizona do not observe DST
2. Benjamin Franklin was the first to think of DST
3. During WWII, DST was optional, which confused the heck out of everyone
3.5 It’s Daylight Saving Time, not Savings Time

You all should have gotten up an hour later this morning because DST started at 2AM. Normally we do this in April but a couple of years ago, the President officially changed it starting this year so DST begins in March and ends in November, which is a week later than usual. I really have no idea why. The whole concept of DST really messes with my head. Just like time-travel: I think I understand it and then it whooshes right out of my head. But this website has some awesome info on it. I could do a whole research paper based on this one website.

But on to more pressing concerns: T asked me out!

Well, not formally, as in, “Meg Shanley, will you go out on a date with me?” But it happened like this…

And you’ll have to wait ‘til tomorrow because I have a TON of work to do!

Pie R Squared

I ran into R from Geometry when we were standing in line at the caf. I usually bring my lunch because it’s wicked expensive to buy food at school but I forgot it.

Okay, who am I kidding? Honestly? Lucie didn’t go to the grocery store.

Okay, who am I kidding, again? If I’m really honest…Lucie lost her job again. We still have our apartment and our car and I guess we have a little money because Lucie wasn’t panicked like she usually is when she loses her job but she got sort of distracted by it and didn’t go to the store. So that’s why I didn’t have any food for lunch.

So, I’m standing in line, trying to figure out what the cheapest meal is - the salad bar where you pay by the pound or the a la carte stuff like meatloaf or pizza buns - when I hear R come up behind me and say,

“How do you find the area of a circle?”

Me: “Uh…with a ruler?”

R laughs. “I’ll give you a hint. Pi.”

Me: “Apple or cherry?”

R laughs again, like he’s never heard that joke before. “What looks good today?”

Me: “You.”

LOL! No chance…that’s what I was thinking, though.

Me: “Uh…salad bar?”

Because what am I gonna say? I have no money and am trying to buy the most food for the least cash? That makes me sound like a loser plus I’m pretty sure his family is kind of well-off and I don’t want him to offer me a loan. And three, I’m a girl and girls are supposed to eat crap like salads, even if they want a big slab of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

R nods. “Anything but the meatloaf.” Then he shrugs and says, “I’m a vegetarian.”

Me, with a smile: “Me too.”

R nods again. “Cool.”

And just when I think I’m gonna mention tutoring and see if he’s still interested and maybe glean some sort of tell from his answer, like if it would be more than tutoring, the line moves and the cafeteria lady asks me what I want and out of sheer instinct, I say, “Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”

R looks at me funny but doesn’t say anything.

Me: “I mean, just a salad, please. No meat at all. At all.”

But I think it’s too late. R takes a salad from the salad bar and walks over to the drinks.

I don’t know how to salvage this one. Should I?

JA, where are you when I need you????

Another One Bites the Dust

G from French is also a no-go. Mister WiFi did google me and he did look at my blog and he pronounced it LAME! Lame? Okay, his website? A collection of blond jokes (I’m blond and I think I have a good sense of humor but I don’t think those are funny at all) and photos of a model starship he’s building in his bedroom. It’s about as big as he is which tells you a) how puny he is and b) how lame he is! Who cares about models? He’s not even guy enough to have photos of real models and by models I mean real human girls.

Hello, G, are you listening?

I walked into class yesterday morning and said, “Bonjour G,” because he was my conversation partner and he said, “Bonjour, Mademoiselle Mega Girl.”

And I started blushing insanely because of course that meant he found my blog so I said, really cool, “Comment ca va?”

“Ca va bien, Mega Girl.” And he smiled like he thought it was good or something.

So I said, “Vous l’aimez vous?”

And he said, “Non. Je ne l’aime pas de tout.” But he said it with a big smile so I was still thinking, maybe he just doesn’t understand French.

“Pourquoi pas?” I asked, smiling back.

And he said, “Parce que, c’est trop lame.”

What’s lame about me, I want to know? What’s lame about what I have to say? But I couldn’t say any of that en francais because I’m only in second semester of my first year of French! Plus the teacher came by and told us we could only have conversations about tous les choses que tout le monde parle.

You know what? G’s not cute at all. And no one even talks to him, in French or not. I’m glad he’s not my ARRG.

They're Grrrrreat!

Top 3.5 Breakfast Cereals For When You’re Watching Early Morning TV

1. Rice Krispies
2. Honey Chex
3. Cinnamon Eggos
3.5 Cheerios

Normally I’ll just have a bowl of corn flakes, nothing fancy, maybe a little sugar on top or a handful of raisins to make it sweet but on the weekend when I get up early because I'm so used to it, I like to veg in front of the TV and watch cartoons with more fun cereal. Or like this morning, I'm watching thousands of people run through the streets of LA, a/k/a the LA Marathon.

Rice Krispies are the number one choice because they remind me of being a little kid. The snap, crackle, pop and the little characters on the box instantly make me feel like I’m five and Lucie and I are watching television together, sitting on the floor, banging out the theme song to “Animaniacs” on the coffee table. “We’re Animaniacs…we’re zany to the max…”

Honey Chex are a relatively new flavor of cereal, way better than plain old wheat or corn or rice. The honey eliminates the need to add extra sugar plus they stay crunchy in milk. I know the crunch has something to do with the preservatives but I really don’t want to know any more than that or I will never eat it again.

Cinnamon Eggos are also new but awesome! I don’t even use milk. I just eat them straight out of the box. With a cup of coffee, yummy! It’s a grown up cereal for grown ups who are really kids. You know? They’re like Frosted Flakes only for adults, with lots of sugar and fun shapes.

Cheerios have neither fun shapes nor sugar nor any prizes inside. They are plain old o’s but they have a very high nostalgia quotient. Who has never tried Cheerios? They give them to babies and they recommend them for adults who have cholesterol problems. They’re a miracle food! Seriously, they are the best. I have been known to pour myself a bowl, eat the whole bowl, add more cereal, then add more milk, then more cereal and more milk until I am stuffed with o’s. But happy.

I found this link on breakfast cereal...hilarious and very informative!

Mr. Breakfast

Enjoy!

A Respite From ARRG

A quick non-ARRG entry…
American Idol? The girls kick ass! The boys are just not as good and I really wonder why. I think this is pretty consistent for all the seasons. The girls are way better, overall, than the boys. Could it be that women are just more talented than men?

I think it’s more likely that men have more self-confidence so if they are really good singers, they go pursue it while women question themselves more and end up having babies or going to school or just getting jobs when really, they should be out there getting record contracts.

I don’t really know. That just seems to make sense to me.

I love LaKisha and Melinda! They are miles beyond everyone else, just total professionals. But I still don’t have a favorite yet. Maybe next week.