Came from Alabama with a banjo on my knee

Wow! what have I been doing with myself? Well, I went home this past weekend. I brought back a tv, a down comforter, and a banjo. I am telling the truth.
I am going to sign up for banjo classes. I don't know if this is a good way to meet men, but it will take me one step further to my dream of being a banjo-pluckin', tap-dancin fool. That oughta attract the men like flies to molasses.
I did go home. I drove down on Friday, missed seeing my sister Kim by hours, as she was on her way to Melbourne, Australia for work. I stayed in her room. I hung out with Nate, I had dinner with my parents, I talked to Cheryl on the phone (church commitments). It took me over 12 hours to get to Virginia. I drove in the rain and thru Queens, NY.
I drove back on Sunday. It only took 8 1/2 hours. I bypassed NYC by going up the Garden State Parkway and cutting across Connecticut (expensive gas!) The only sad part about that is that you don't get to see the sign when you leave Brooklyn, NY that says, "You are now leaving Brooklyn. FUHGEDDABOUDIT." No, I'm not kidding - your standard federal highway sign.
The whole reason for the trip, by the way, was to see my old store's Grand Re-Opening. The store looks 110% better. Some parts even better than my new store. I didn't tell them that I was coming. I wanted the element of surprise, although I might have planned the trip a little better if I had told them. Everyone was really happy to see me; I felt like a celebrity. It was good to see them too. I felt like we'd been thru war together - war buddies. I'm hoping that Jess and Pam will get to visit Boston, so we'll see. Plus it was nice to vent a little about things in Boston to non-Boston people.
What's in store for me this week? Lots, but I'll tell you after it happens.
P.S. Sorry to Jen and Leanne, since I could have seen you at some point during my trip, as I literally drove past y'alls' houses. But time was tight as it was. For God's sakes, I spent over 20 hours driving!
P.P.S. Have I mentioned my latest obsession with ABC's The Bachelor, Brad Womack? He is so beautiful, he is ALMOST worth giving up my Superman obsession. I am seriously willing to move to Austin, TX to meet this man. But we're going to Memphis for our b-days. Walking in Memphis is going to be my theme song for the next few months.

World Series of Dating

You'd be proud of me. I went swing dancing on Friday night. Yup, me and some galleys hit a local church where they have swing dancing about once a month. Apparently quite a few people know about it because we heard about it a lot. So we went.
I had a good time. I danced with a few different guys and we met one really nice fella named George. George said that he goes swing dancing quite often and that there are a lot of places that have lessons and dancing. He told us about these places and I said I wanted to go. So at the end of the night, we exchanged numbers. I hope I'll get to go.
Meanwhile, giving my number to someone should count as a date. It was definitely putting myself out there. We concluded our night of swing dancing with a visit to a night club in Cambridge. Definitely to be considered a night out. Which is saying something for me. I don't get out much in my old age (29).
So that's October's date. On to November.

Where's the guy in the big yellow hat?

Ok, so today I volunteered with a group called Single Volunteers. The purpose of this organization is to put together groups of single people to volunteer for various organizations. The organizations benefit and it's a great way to meet new people. I had heard about them in DC; in fact a friend of mine had met someone at one of their activities. They dated about a year, but it didn't work out. I had always wanted to do this in DC or Baltimore but just never got around to it. It's hard on a retail schedule. I was hoping that I could count this towards one of my challenge dates.
It was a great activity too. I was volunteering to help with the grand opening of the new studio of a local (world-famous) PBS station. They make many programs at this studio, seen all over the country and world, including a certain talking aardvark and a famous very curious monkey (cartoons, of course). I was helping out with children's activities (how appropriate). Since it was the 2nd day, there weren't as many people, but enough to make it interesting.
Only ... there weren't that many of the single volunteers there. And I think they were mostly women. I didn't even get to MEET any of the other volunteers. We all got placed at different stations. Today was so far removed from the concept of "meeting new people," that I am willing to concede that this shouldn't count as one of my challenge dates. Unless you want to count Arthur, Curious George, or Buster Bunny as potential mates.
That's ok, I've got a swing dance thing lined up for next Sat that might work. And I'm not giving up on Single Volunteers; I'll sign up for more events. I just hope the turnout's a little better next time.

Bats and skunks

Honestly, why are there so many freakin' skunks in Massachusetts?

I think he IS dead.

You know, I loves me some dream analysis.

So last night, I had a dream that I was at work and things were crazy mainly cause my fish died. Yep, the ones in the fish tank. So I'm running around all over the place, taking care of multiple things and everyone talking 'bout the fish dyin and "what are we gonna do, Ginger?" Eventually, I head over to one of the other stockrooms and walk in looking for something and who do you think is there?






Ronald and Nancy Reagan.

Not Old Ron and Nancy either, but a little bit younger ... think when they first took the presidency. Yep.

I kinda tip-toed around them, trying to think what is the proper etiquette for running into ex-presidents in a stockroom, but they paid me no mind. They were talking to one of the other managers from work. So I headed back to my department to tell my team that an ex-president is at work and get this?





They don't know who he is.

Ummmm ... I've been having some trouble deciphering this one. The best that I can come up with is that I'm stressed out at work. What do you think?

She's starting on me now.

Just a quick update on life so far:

My parents visited last week. Much needed. We had lobster, we had brunch, they brought me cookies. I wonder if my family has an unhealthy obsession with food. Well, that wasn't all we did. We took the trolley tour, which is way better than the Duck tour. We walked around Fanueil Hall. We strolled around the Boston Gardens. It was really nice. They continued their visit by driving around the rest of New England and visiting a resort spa. They had a really nice time. It would have been great except for one little thing - my mother telling me at the very end of the trip, as I am walking them to their car, that she's glad that I'm doing really well in my job but my priority is to meet someone and get married so that I can have kids. Seriously, I was so mad I almost started crying. What a thing to tell me.

Which reminds me, the challenge is coming along. If we count 5 in Baltimore and then 5 here in Boston, that puts me at only 5 left. Which averages out to one a month. So since October has just begun, I am on the lookout. I am having some luck with craigslist, although that's not the best quality guy. I am thinking about rejoining match.com, but I'm kinda over that and my friends who are doing it aren't having much luck. I am exploring other options such as a Swing Dance thing once a month, a Young Professionals thing once a week, and some other stuff. So we'll see.

Not that I'm trying to make my mother happy. But I'm just tired of her making me unhappy.