Ah, home again. Again.
I spent the weekend with Erin over in the Vancouver area. The reason behind this trip was a friends' wedding, and at first it was going to be a quick drive over, attend wedding, spend night, drive home affair. But, being the extravagant gal that I am, the 36 hour mini trip became a full blown 4 day weekend. And I didn't even drive. I flew (in tiny planes, but that's beside the point).
While all time I spend with my darling Erin Jones is precious, there were some definite highlights. We spent Friday afternoon/evening in Seattle. After meeting Bekah and Tammy at UVillage we had a little coffee, discussed our bleak love lives (as ladies of a certain age...or every age...so often do), and finally decided to just solve all of our problems by creating a sort of convent-ish house where we would never have to worry about men and our lack of their presence in our lives. And we'd all live communally in a big, awesome beach house and call ourselves "The Celibate Sisters of the Beach." Even if it does not pan out, (but it probably will, let's face it), I will probably write a bestseller about it. (Sidenote: While discussing this idea with Lisa and Theresa today after my return to Spokane, we were trying to decide on a patron saint. We thought she should be a strong willed woman, probably a little bitchy, and preferably all kinds of bitter. Theresa suggested Janet Reno. And we had a good laugh, but seriously, suggestions are welcome).
After walking to Tammy's apartment (and dragging my noisy and annoying suitcase the whole way) we headed downtown for a Late Tuesday concert at a restaurant/concert venue called the Triple Door Theater. We chatted, had some appetizers, a little wine, a little dessert. I felt very in my element (other sidenote: unlike at my employee bbq today where I sat awkwardly and listened to other peoples' conversations. Can it really be possible that my sense of humor does not mesh with anyone else's that I work with? I thought it was pretty EOE, I think everything's funny, but, ummm, yeeeeah, not so much. I don't enjoy forced laughter, either forcing it myself or making others feel like they have to. And I really can't stand ass-holes, but that's a COMPLETELY different story. Grrr...I hate it...but anyway), which was nice, cause being with people I so enjoy is kind of a rare occurrence these days. I think I was especially happy because there was potential for awkwardness, and when there didn't seem to be any I was more at ease. It was a good dynamic.
The concert and company were lovely: my girls were there (sans Ryna, which was tragic), Matt was there, (it just wouldn't seem right anymore to be at a Late Tuesday concert and NOT have him there), and Morgan was there, which was rather random, but I'm not complaining.
I need to move back to the west side. Obviously no one in Spokane appreciates me like my friends do. Too bad I am so cheap when it comes to housing. Shucks.
The wedding itself was okay. Erin and I didn't really know anyone outside of the bridal party, so we sat awkwardly by ourselves (no one joined us) and enjoyed the delicious food. The food was a definite plus. I kept waxing nostalgic about being Suzanne's corefa, and how she had told me about Justin and we talked about their relationship back when it first started. It actually made me feel really old and spinsterly, but what doesn't these days? On the plus side, I think I looked smokin' hot, which is pretty rare. I wish I could wear my orange halter dress all the time. And I had a little too much fun blowing bubbles.
Another definite highlight was Powell's bookstore in Portland. Erin took me on Sunday and we spent several hours browsing. Oh my gosh. I could spend days there. Except I would die from exhaustion. After spending several hours perusing the shelves, we spent a couple more sitting in the coffee shop, examining more closely the books we had chosen. It was glorious.
And dinner that night at Sally's (Erin's cousin) was amazing. Mostly the salmon and the cheesecake, but everything in between was nice as well. I was still full when i woke up in the morning.
But everything good comes to an end, and I flew home this afternoon after a hurried good-bye to Erin at the Portland airport (I kind of misplaced my boarding pass and ID at the security checkpoint, but thankfully found them in the nick of time....) and after spending the weekend with Erin and others who just fit me so well, it was probably a mistake to even bother going to the Steam Plant Grill employee BBQ this evening. It's not that I don't like the people i work with, cause for the most part, I do. I just have this strange inability to connect with any of them on any level. I know a lot of it stems from my own self-consciousness, but maybe I really just am not like any of them. It seems kind of snobby to say that, but I've always felt that way about some group or other. Choirs I've been in, Sunday school classes, ALL of jr. high. There are places I just do not fit and I haven't figured out why. In fact, more often than not, I am the quiet, weird girl. There are people and moments that make me feel truly loved and noticed and like MYSELF. And there are people and moments that make me feel awkward and icky, but I know I'm still there. And everything in between is just life.
And now that I've written this novel that no one will read but me, I'm going to sleep. School is starting for the kids tomorrow. For me, it's just another day at work.
song: "Tooth for Tooth" The Lonely Forest
yesterday // life goes on
