Tonight we had a bowl-a-thon to raise money for the burn center. I knew that I would see the Boy there; it would be the first time since he dumped me. I was a little nervous, but was on a team with friends, so I knew I'd be OK and have a good time.

This afternoon, as I was riding out to Chapel Hill to shop here, my phone rang. I'd been waiting for a call, so I answered, even though I didn't recognize the number. It was the Boy.

Boy: Are you bowling tonight?
WG: Yes.
Boy: Can you bring my tent?
WG: It's already in my car.
Boy: What are you doing?
WG: Going to Chapel Hill to buy jewelery.
Boy: Oh, OK. Well, I'd talk otherwise, but I'll let you go, since you're with (mutual friend). We can catch up tonight.
WG: OK. Bye.

Tonight, he ended up being 2 lanes away (meaning there was only one lane between us). I was hanging with my friends, having a good time. He came up several times to talk- I was fairly laconic. At one point I was standing near the lane, talking. I had my hand on my hip, and he walked by, said, "Hey" and bumped my arm. Pregnant Friend: "Wow. He really is a jackass. I think he's pissed that you're having a good time."

Later, as I walked by him after returning my shoes, he said, "Meet me in the parking lot?" I said OK, because, well, tent. He gave me a flirtatious eyebrow raise (trust me, I know him, and I know what it means). I believe it was met with an eyeroll and derisive snort.

I waited for him in the parking lot, and handed him his tent when he came out.

Boy: So, what have you been up to?
WG: Not much, traveling for work a lot.
Boy: Any hot dates?

Sorry for the lack of posting- I've been busy and messy-headed.

I'm headed out to Charlotte in about 15 minutes. I'll be making the drive on about 4 hours of sleep.

Saturday I'm having a party. Technically, it's a game night, but I'm calling it a party.

Monday I go back to Charlotte and come back Thursday.

My furniture should be delivered Friday.

I am back. In my house. For three whole entire days before I go back to Charlotte.

I did not find any shoes. I did finally find this, however. Raleigh's Sephora hasn't had it for at least 6 weeks now. The woman at Foster's told me, "You smell good!"

Foster's. Yes. I was IMing with Stewie earlier, telling her I needed to stop at the market (not just any supermarket, but the really fancy one) and buy jelly for the party. She was all, "Seven Pepper Jelly? I love that with cream cheese!" She also pointed out that I could go to the actual Foster's Market to get it. Which is why she got this phone call:

Stewie: Hello?
WG: I'm lost in Chapel Hill!

(She did set me on the right path, and now there is jelly.)

Sorry. I'd forgotten.

I am in Charlotte through Thursday.

I have decided to start running. Bought new sneakers, went for the first run today. I am starting slowly.

If the travel does not slow down after Gainesville, I will need to look for another job.

So, I sort of freaked out yesterday, called my supervisor, and told him I was tired of being in Charlotte, and that there was no reason I couldn't do what I was doing in Charlotte in Raleigh. Then I told my PM I had personal things come up that needed to be taken care of in Raleigh. (In this case, "personal things" = keeping myself sane.) The bad part about coming back early is that I have to drive my own car now.

In other news, the party this weekend was a success. The last guests left at 2:30- they had to sober up. We may have been doing shots, which may be why they needed to sober up.

Two days until furniture delivery!

PM to me: We use will, not would, because we use the present tense.

Dear Ashley Furniture of Raleigh,

Recently I purchased my first brand new set of furniture, and I gave your store my business. After dropping down more cash than I pay in rent every month, I was informed that the furniture would not arrive for 3 weeks.

When your distribution center called to set up a delivery time, I told them that I needed to have it by 5PM, as I had plans that night. Unfortunately, I have a job and a life, and I cannot sit around all day waiting for my furniture.

I made arrangements to work from home tomorrow. The distribution center called today and told me my furniture would be delivered between 3 and 7 PM. When I said, "But I told you I can't accept delivery after 5," the response was, "Well, don't you have a friend or a neighbor who can accept delivery?" I'm sorry, this is furniture, not a book or a jacket. You'll forgive me if I want to make sure that it is a.) what I ordered and b.) in perfect condition before I accept delivery.

Oh, you can try and be there by 5 tomorrow, but if I'm not there when you get there you will charge a re-delivery fee?

What's that? Reschedule? Hmm, but you can't tell me what time you will come on that day either, can you? I fail to see how that helps. At all.

I have 2 more rooms in my house that need furnishing. I do know where I won't be going.

Thank you for making my first furniture buying experience , um, memorable,

Watergirl

P.S. Thanks for calling me the morning of delivery to tell me that I won't be getting one of my pieces as it was damaged in shipment. I am so thrilled with the idea of having to go through this again.

So, I spent most of this weekend at the State Fair. We are running a Turkey Shoot, and I am on the committee. It’s fun, but tiring. And I am still jumping occasionally when I hear the shotguns, which is a bit crazy. You know, since I work there.

I also found out that I am a bit of an idiot. Or, as I told Jenny, the stupidest stupid that ever stupided. (Just so you don't get all mad at her, she disagreed.) So, even though I had decided to blow off my run, I ran. And now my knee hurts. Good news is the running/not being able to eat combo has made my pants too big. Which is good. I’d like to lose some weight before I live in Gainesville.

In other news, my coffee table has no top. Because the glass for the top? Was delivered broken. When the delivery guy told me, I said, “Of course it is.”

They’re shipping me a new one, but I’m going to need help to get it on the table.

Not only because the carny who hit on me last night told me he'd stop by and see me tonight (Little Matty and Lori, stop laughing!), but also because I've spent so much time there that the fried Snickers bars are starting to look interesting.

Speaking of Little Matty, I pretty much forced him and Lori into the Turkey Shoot. He won the round. Got a turkey. It pays to listen to me.

Tomorrow they are picking up the old couch. Jasper will be sad. He likes it in front of the dining room window. Lots of sun.

Also tomorrow, I am getting a haircut. I'm tired of long. I'm thinking of chin-length.

One of my e-mail accounts was wonky for about 5 days. I don't check it often, but there was a 5-day gap between spam. No idea what happened.

I would like to enforce an office rule about coffee. Namely, if you are unwilling to make coffee when you empty the pot, you are not allowed to drink coffee.

Cohesive theme? Look elsewhere.

It showed me this link today. It's a bit out of my price range, but I think it's actually a very good deal.

Who wants to go in with me?

So, a few weeks ago I had a party. Well, it was a game night, but there was a point where people were doing shots. I may or may not have been one of those people. Which may or may not be why I am posting this weeks later, as I had to have help remembering one of the pertinent plot points.

Two of my guests stayed later than the others, for reasons that were not in anyway related to the shots.

Anyway, we sat around the living room talking. During the course of the discussion, my guy friend gave me points for various things. The points are detailed below:

Knowing and properly using pwned: 3 points
Purposely having no antibacterial soap in the house: 2 points
Being a morning person: -1 point
Telling Sarah that she could take Ri for a week, and then when she tried to give him back, it would be like "The Ransom of Red Chief": 2 1 points

So, I now have a total of 5 points. I don't actually know how many I need, or what the prize is (that last part is worrisome).

• The Turkey Shoot was a success, and although it completely wore me out, I can’t wait to do it again next year. I am sorry to report, however, that there were several stuffed animals that did not make it.
• We are also running a haunted house. I have said that the only way I will help out (I did help move stuff in and sew curtains. (Fishing line is terrible thread.)) is if I can be a cashier. For those of you playing along at home, this means my thought process goes something like “Shotguns good. Costumes bad.”
• I ate dinner in my hotel suite last night. I was very thankful not to have to go out. Believe it or not, eating out every day gets tiresome.
• Almost everyone loves the new hair. I have heard “cute”, “sassy”, and, in an announcement to the State Fair, “I like it.” It’s drastic enough that 6 men have noticed it. One of them had the lone dissenting opinion. “It looks weird from down here.” (I was sitting up in the crow’s nest.) It should be noted that his opinion no longer counts.
• It has suddenly gotten quite cold. Well, it wouldn’t be too bad, but when you go, over the course of 2 days, from mornings in the 60s to mornings in the 30s, you really notice it.
• I did not run the entire week of the shoot. First of all, lots of walking at the fair, so my legs hurt. Second of all, completely and totally exhausted. Tonight, I am running. On the treadmill. (See above, re : cold. Did not bring cold weather running gear. Also, not willing to run in a strange city in the dark.) Eventually I will make it out of the first week’s program.
• Cdub has to give Orion antibiotics for a UTI (she’s taking care of the boys while I’m here). She called last night to say, “He spit it out three times!” He’s stubborn, but not terribly combative about it.
• I really need to start saving for/planning my trip to Ireland. I think I need an actual vacation next year.

As I was checking out this morning, the clerk at the desk, (she hadn't been in earlier this week), looked at me and said, "Did you get your hair cut?"

Yesterday, after a riding lesson, I got my brakes done. After they were pulled off of the car, I asked "Were they as bad as I thought?" Answer: yes. Or possibly even worse than I thought. In fact, we could have taken this picture. So now, the car stops easily. This is considered a good thing.

(Note: Due to all the travel, I was only driving my car 25% of the time. Also, not home to get it worked on.)

Unrelated to the brakes, except that it also happened this weekend:

I went to the grocery store to pick up some things. While there, I checked the beer aisle, because I've been craving some Boddington's. Score! Except, when I got to the self-checkout, I suddenly remembered it was Sunday. I asked the cashier, "What time is it?" He looked at the clock and said, "Noon." I said, "Really noon?" and he looked in my cart. "Oh, it will go through now."

No alcohol before noon on Sundays.

New look! The brilliant, talented, and highly pulchritudinous Megan created this after receiving the following information:

"I want the masthead to be this picture, and also I would like purple."

Alas, the picture is not me, but I wish it were. Love riding on the beach. Many thanks to the also brilliant, talented, and smashingly lovely Janet for allowing me to use it.

Love it! Tell me you love it too.

(P.S. Emails welcomed along with comments. watergirl.micheleATgmail.com)

To: Watergirl
From: Angeler
FW: City crime rates-interesting reading

Congratulations – you grew up in the Safest city of America and now live in the 8th safest city!