Having had a particularly busy summer I haven't gotten to see my sister that often but when I do I have a good time. It's usually after work when I take Gus over for dinner at his Pa's house (having a 2-year-old daughter and a dog for a grandson makes my father feel so special) !!!

KB loves to see me- one really great feeling is when she runs for me and grabs a hold of my leg, get's me every time. Our favourite activities together include puzzles, colouring (this is my all time favourite as my stepmom can attest too after I told her that I wish it was acceptable for a 24-year-old to buy crayons and colouring books for themselves), and- my favourite- dancing.

As I mentioned before, I don't get to see KB often but every time I do see her I'm completely amazed at the things she's able to do and understand. I was an only child and I've never really enjoyed being around children that much so kids growing up is ever astounding to me. My new favourite thing she's picked up on (being Miss Independent, of course) is wanting to do everything herself and when she's not allowed to she says "no" and then tells you her full name! As if being able to say her full name now (she makes it sound extraordinarily French) validates that she does everything on her own.

Last night we had fun dancing to slow jamz such as Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now". She really liked it when I dipped her like a ballroom dancer. Whenever I sat down I was scowled at and told "Sisa, dance!". Too cute.

Here we are after our particularly good night of dancing:

What I hate: stupid fights

I was in line at the bank earlier today and I saw a lady reading "How to Have Relationships" (sidenote: not something you might want to read in public).

What I hate more than stupid fights: relationship books

But the point is I probably wouldn't have given a darn about relationship books if it hadn't been for stupid fights so they get to share the same post.

I hate relationship books because the reason why we're special and human is 'cause we were given this nifty little device called logic and reason. We really shouldn't need a manual to tell us how people and our interaction with them works. But, hey, who am I to judge?

'Cause then someone really stupid had to go and make emotion, which just completely blurred out logic OR reason.

HUMPH.

I wish that I wasn't such a coward and didn't hide behind stupid, snarky comments and just say what pisses me off. But instead I'm more afraid that my feelings (you know, the really stupid girly emotional feelings that many of us women were given- somewhere along the line someone thought it would be really funny to totally pour the whole barrel of emotion into me) aren't worth ten cents and so I'm just right back to that whole snarky thing.

Oy. I'm going to eat some chocolate now.

So many changes even my little blog is feeling them. I have to write a story about AD/HD before I get my head cut off and fired before I leave so I can't chat much but make sure to scroll down to the bottom and check me and my cyberspace saving pup out!

Lovin' the change!

Well, more of a recap of boys in dog pecker pink shorts.

SarahT is back in Buenos Aires and she called me with the last bit of time she had on her phone card yesterday. Most of it was used up with me trying to figure out who the hell it was while attempting to maneuver my mother's car without hitting something (I'm pathetically incapable of doing two things at once).

I didn't recognise her voice and I hardly even remember that I was in Argentina only a mere two months ago. This summer has been such a whirlwind of change and action it feels more surreal than it did to be thousands of miles away on the other half of the earth. But while she's alone in South America for the next few days before she comes back to her sunny Island I know she'll be looking forward to hearing about the now famous Pink Shorts Party. So, although I'm not a fan of the recap, this is for Sarah! We missed you!

It started off like it always does. A drink in hand. Something pink on the body. I, in honour of our outfits last year, donned my shortest, dog pecker pink skirt in memory of you and strutted my gams in a new pair of heels specially bought for the occasion (I have to have some logical reason for buying a pair of close to 3 inch, black stilletos- wait 'til you see them!)

The night, as always included shots as fines, boys drinking yards then throwing up (Georgio took pictures!!!), boys singing silly, dirty songs while the boys drank the yards (we didn't even get one raised eyebrow this year. Then again, it was the dark pit so it's not surprising), silly party bags filled with condoms (of course) and Alex taking his shirt off while dancing.

I drank way too much (surprise, surprise), tried to call you while someone sang,"Why are we waiting? We could be masturbating" but couldn't figure out how to dial out of the country, I also threw up on Front Street (how embarrassing) 'cause NTF wouldn't hurry up and take me home, lots of boys flirted with Meg but I won't name the offenders but I'm sure you can guess, who, of our sleaziest friends would do something like that (initials SS, WB, NK, BB), we danced to early 90s music and forced C-Rock to play the funny music video for "Call on Me" several times. I now have the greatest dance move in honour of that.

By the end of the night, Alex had his shirt off and was dancing in the Rock Room. By dancing, I mean whatever that thing is that he does and Georgio also- what decade does he think he's from BTW? I had also successfully taken Grant's $10 pink shades and will certainly be rocking those the rest of the summer (Except for the fact that when I put them on again this morning I got an extra queasy feeling from everything being surprisingly rosy hued!)

This morning we met for breakfast/lunch at the Hood! My favourite. We were actually rudely awaken by Benny B at 9 a.m. and he proceeded to come over to the apartment and drink all the beers in NTF's fridge- with the help of NTF (not a big surprise there). I then had to endure being dragged to The Beach and almost threw up as I walked in- ugh, it smelled like my vomit! We left George and Grant their comparing their balls once the Hood opened. Then I had to sit next to Grant while he insisted on wiping his whole, sweaty body against me and drank a bullshot??? Something you would most enjoy- beef broth, vodka and HP Sauce! I also decided to rename NTF Big Fish in honour of many things but particularly because of the movie and his insistence at telling tall tales.

Big Fish and Benny are still drinking. We left the Hood but not before Ben picked up a dead rat from the middle of the road and threw it at Grant. I came running around the corner screaming about to puke while Ben waltzed back down the road with the carcass hanging in his hand.

Aren't you sorry you missed all of this?

Considering it's such a boring, flat slice of brown cereal it really tastes quite delicious and full of flavour.

But the cereal Life has nothing to do with this post. And life has everything to do with it.

Socially, everything has been so super keen (I totally love using that phrase).
I got my kayak.
The rowing team.
Friends who take you out for drinks after work when you're a teensy bit mad at your boyfriend (Rarely do after work drinks need an excuse but this did fuel them).
A boyfriend that makes me laugh on Saturday mornings after being a teensy bit of a bad boy.
Then cooks you the most delicious chicken schnitzel for dinner that night.
And then takes you out on the boat for a day of lounging in the sun and swimming even though I was a bit of a nag. Awww...Life.

This all sort of comes out of a comment that I'd like to reiterate. He came like that. I didn't train him. And there should be more of them in the world. And even though he likes to list all of the things that are "wrong" with him, he knows he's so completely wonderful.

And there again, this has nothing to do with this post. But I just thought it needed to be said.

In other things (other things meaning not my boyfriend, kayak, dog or rowing), I've been reading wedding magazines again. It has a little bit to do with my magazine obsession and a lot to do with something WAY bigger than that (and no, in light of what I said at the beginning of this post, NTF and I are not getting married).

It's actually quite humorous to sit eating muffins and drinking coffee on Saturday morning and point out the pretty wedding dresses to your boyfriend who you don't intend on marrying in the near future. And even if you were you'd probably gag on said muffins before you wore any of the dresses because they always come in white. Ugh. How boring! Instead he's been super helpful with some decisions I've been trying to make and so have many other people out there (including SarahT, who is still off gallivanting in Patagonia but keeps in touch with us here in the northern hemisphere by MSNing me at work and keeping me from beating myself over the head. And there's also newbie Mels, who has her own blog out there in cyberspace! And my all time favourite gal Al, who is always one step ahead of me in the area of career advice!) Notice how they all have super blogs.

I want to say more but I, unfortunately, can't yet but I'm really excited about it all and just hope that I make the right decision. Change is always so scary.

NTF has really been on a roll this week.

This morning he called to tell me about a completely smile inducing blog he'd found (I know he really doesn't work as hard as I thought he did when he's looking for blogs to make me smile and buying the Wrinkle Quartet!)

Only a dog lover could really appreciate this site and I guess anyone who has a sense of humour (sorry cat lovers!)

DogBlog has all those necessary ingredients including scaring off all the cats in the San Francisco area! Now I wanna know, when am I moving to San Fran! I bet they even have dog parks there.

Unfortunately, if plans go as planned I probably won't be moving there any time soon. Can't say much yet but I smell a little change in the air and it isn't just my hair colour (although it is a glorious reddy brown colour that NTF hates) Maybe that's why he's buttering me up these days. He's hoping I'll go back to a blonde. Nah. I gots more to worry about than that!

Wow! I'm the luckiest girl in the world! NTF surprised me with the WHOLE QUARTET last night after he read my blog!!!

See, I knew this was a positive thing. And I don't even have to give subliminal messages any more. I can just out right say, "Hey, NTF give me this now!!!"

Or, I could just really enjoy the surprises.

When summer comes around I'm almost always reminded of sailing camp or week long trips to Florida and Disney World. But what I remembered last night during a conversation with NTF were lazy days of summer reading every one of my much loved Babysitter's Club books.
Oh how I wished to be Claudia. She was so funky and cool and probably was the hottest dresser (if you can call anything that we teenagers wore during the early 90s cool) or even Dawn, who embodied that laid back California charm- is that really what all 12 year old girls are like in California?

But the conversation made me think hard about what I would classify as my all time favourite books and although I loved Nancy Drew and all her scary mysteries and the Babysitters for their quick reads, the book or more accurately books I can say really made me want to read day in and day out weren't those books. These books were the Harry Potter's of my generation. My favourite quartet of books from my younger days have quite a few similarities to the ole' HP. Madeleine L'Engle probably never was or never will be as famous as J.K. Rowling but she certainly new how to transport me into another world.

I could lay out in my yard with the sun beaming bright over head and the daffodils scratching at my feet and follow Meg on her first fantastical journey in
A Wrinkle In Time:
and I really could lose myself in a book. I read all of the "Wrinkle" quartet.

I think I'd like to spend a day soon, lost in all of those books again lazing away in the grass. I can't really remember what other books kept me as interested as L'Engle's books but I'm sure there are plenty out there that have also inspired you to wish life could be as easy as getting lost in a book.