Just a little late...

So I thought I was obliged to announce that Tricia is my new favorite sister. Yeah, so I'm a little late with the news, but I've been busy.

A few days before St. Patrick's Day, I thought to myself, "Self, if you're going to go out drinking on St. Pat's, who's the most likely person to be having a good time that day as well. I bet that's your sister."

So after a bit of delay, I called her up and she told us (Liz and I) to meet her at a pub on Main Street in Seal Beach. She was starting her evening at 4:00, but Liz's coworker kept her working late, so around 6ish, we drove down Main Street, where there seemed to be a plethora of pubs... each with a line about a block long.

Not having been dressed nor fed for an hourlong wait in an impending drizzle, Liz and I decided to screw the drinks and go to CPK instead. We could still order drinks with our dinner, even if the surroundings where CA cuisine, and not Irish Pub.

About halfway through dinner (and a martini), I get a call from Tricia. She's at Hennessy's and can't hear a word I'm saying. I'm instructed to text message her and she hangs up.

I've never used my phone for text messages before. I haven't seen the point of them up to this time... exept for my students to send secret messages across the school with. So I figured out how to text and very quickly realized why people use such hideous abbreviations on those contraptions. l8r, ur, u, etc.

A series of text messages and a martini and pizza later, (it's amazing how much one martini can put you in the mood for adventure without impairing your driving ability) we headed off to Main Street again in search of parking. The luck of the Irish followed us, and we found a spot just a block over.

Tricia had told us to find Dino at the front of the line. Only a bouncer could have the name Dino. Tricia had apparently given her name and phone number to a guy she hadn't been physically attracted to, and got us to the front of the line. At 4, she'd waitied 40 minutes, so you can imagine the line at 7:00, and the amount of people asking us how we got the VIP tickets.

Once inside, I discovered that my sister knew everyone in the bar, even though she'd only met them that night. I'll skip the party-age, and move on to the events that seemed the most memorable. First of all, there was the drunk guy that was kissing every one on the lips. KISS number 1.

Then there was the guy who bought my sister a gin and tonic, while she was still drinking her Harp. I'd just finished my vodka and orange and was debating a trip up to the crowded bar, when she tipped some of it into my glass. "If you can, be sneaky and drink that. Nonchalantly like." She glanced back at the guy and rolled her eyes.

So a few minutes later, I nonchalantly put my empty glass down and picked up hers. Moments later, she looked down. "Whoah? Where'd it all go?" I gave her a cheers sign. "Man that was sneaky. I didn't even notice."

That's me. SneakyMouse.

Then there was the guy in the plastic MDA bowler hat. I called him over and gave him a dollar. My sister pulled him aside for a minute and a few minutes later he gave me back my dollar and a kiss on the cheek. KISS number 2. Tricia had guilted him in to giving it back. He'd apparently only stolen the hat because it was green. Sigh. Like I was really interested in giving to charity. I'd given him the dollar because he was cute. Man. Does no one think me capable of such thoughts?

Then there was the older guy who was seriously hitting on my sister. Jeez. What the heck did he think he was doing, quizing me about her? When she said we were sisters, he was too drunk to disguise his look of suprise. He looked confused, actually.

The night ended on a rather unpleasant note when Liz, usually so good about these things, couldn't hold her liquer. Then Tricia couldn't hold her liquer. Then it was time to go home. 10pm. So we're old.

Then, according to Liz, it was time to bake pumpkin swirl cheesecake with a gingersnap pecan crust. Don't ask. But I didn't go to bed until 1am when it came out of the oven. It was good.

The Annual Vacation Plan Post

Hold on to your hats and glasses folks!

Well, since Clare is coming out in April, and Andy has been unlaid off (at least until June), that means that we might all three be able to swing a vaca together during Spring Break, instead of during the summer when it's A. Hot and B. Crowded.

So here are some of the plans I'm thinking about for the road trip (because we've so "done" LA):

Hearst Castle - Not really a castle, but the closest thing CA's got.

The Winchester Mystery Mansion - even Creepier than the creepy house... though I don't think you get to touch the antiques. ;)

Napa, Calistoga, and California Wine Country - winery hopping, and maybe a relaxing day at the famous hot springs spa.

San Francisco - which includes such sights as The Ghiradelli Chocolate Company, Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard St. (curviest in the world... though for some reason, it pales in comparison to Clovelly) and maybe Alcatraz, prison to the stars.


So what do you say? Huh? Huh? Sound like fun?

Ever strangely baffled by similar genes?

Four Things

Four jobs I've had:

1. Round Table Pizza
2. Pick Your Part Auto Wrecking, DMV Department
3. Telemarketer - A.K.A. Two Days of Hell
4. Camp Counselor

Four movies I can watch over and over:

1. Indianna Jones (All three)
2. Star Wars (First 3)
3. Goonies
4. Miss Congeniality

Four places I've lived:

1. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
2. Geilenkirchen, West Germany
3. Fairborn, Ohio
4. South Central Los Angeles, California

Four TV shows I love:

1. Lost
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Without a Trace
4. 24

Four highly regarded and recommended TV shows that I've never watched a single minute of:
(my parents have TiVo, it was hard not to see a MINUTE of anything...

1. Red Dwarf
2. MS3TK
3. Supernatural
4.

Four places I've vacationed:

1. Ilfracombe (Where, you ask?)
2. Paris
3. Ireland
4. Scotland

Four of my favorite dishes:

1. Lasanga
2. Bean Burritos
3. French Onion Soup
4. Jenny's "What's in the cupboard today?" Stir Fry

Four sites I visit daily:

1. Google
2. Twolumps.net
3. Wilson High School Homepage
4. Blogspot

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Australia
2. Thailand
3. In the arms of someone that loves me
4. England

Tag! You're it! Time for these people to post their lists!

Athene
Liarbyrd
fauxmiddlechild

So much for regular like

Once again, it has been over a month since last I've posted... so maybe I'll do like three posts and catch up. I'm not the only one who hasn't posted in a while, so maybe I don't feel that bad. Except I've managed to smash my pinkie a few minutes ago and every time I hit the right shift key I go ouch! Unfortunately I seem to use the right shift key a lot. Especially since I need it to type the word "I." And quotation marks too. Booger. Oww.

So how about Mr. Weather? Holy Cow! Now for some of you folks who don't live in temperate climate, the weather may not seem all that crazy. I woke up yesterday, hankerin' for some bagels, so while Liz washed the dishes, I headed off to Ralphs and the bagel place... the one where a former student of mine works.

Now this kid invited me down to his father's bagel place like every chance he got last year, and even though I've been there before, he's never been there. This time, it was like he was coming down from some bad acid trip.

"Hi, may I help-- Miss M? What're you doin' here? Dude. This is weird. You're like a teacher, man."

Students always get weirded out when they see us out of context. We never leave the confines of our rooms, apparently. We just grow there, complete adults who just disappear into our hidden charging stations at night, hibernating until the bell rings the next day.

I also stopped by the grocery store - which I can never manage to leave without spending $100. I went in for very specific things: Pecans, gingersnaps, Diet Coke and eggs. I came out with $96 worth of groceries and was really really upset when I'd forgotten the eggs. No pumpkin cheesecake today. Sigh.

Now that I've gotten completely off the point with my foray into the grocery world... let me get back to the weather. When I made the decision to leave, it was pouring down rain, but 15 minutes later, when I ventured outside, it was bright and clear with happy fluffy clouds. It stayed that way until about 1ish when Lizzie decided I had to check the mail. So I pulled on my sandals and headed outside. I had to take the back stairs to stay out of the sprinkles.

Then about 4:00 we here this God awful noise, like someone's spilling marbles out on the roof. We open the door and find, all our neighbors are standing at their doorways too. Watching the hail. HAIL!!!! I mean this is Long Beach! What business does ice have falling from the sky! HAIL! Apparently now, Southern Californians have two reasons to bond with their neighbors: earthquakes and freaks acts of the weather.

And about a half hour later when I go to check the mail again... bright puffy clouds.

This morning has shown no signs of hail or rain, but it's pretty dang cold in here. I don't mind my pinkie much anymore, because my fingertips are numb.