Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Spring Breakin'

Readers, I really need to start listening to the Boy when he tells me that I need to stop freaking out about something. Meeting his  family/friends went incredibly well and I really liked all of them. He said they liked me, too, which is really good.

We drove up on Saturday and had dinner with his parents and hung out with some of his childhood friends. On Sunday we visited his mom at work (she manages a very nice but very over-priced retail store) and went to see Act of Valor at one of those fancy new movie theatres that let you eat dinner and have alcohol. Can I just express to you what a genius idea this is? Because it is. It's right up there with Redbox, Netflix, and Sheetz (a new experience for me--it's a gas station with a full-service, made-to-order restaurant inside. It's not gourmet, but it's pretty damn good for a gas station).

Monday we headed in to DC where we met up with the Boy's college roommate, who is a legislative aid for some Congressman whose name escapes me at the moment. Congress was out, so he was able to take a few hours and give us a tour and we got to sit on the floor of the House! I realize that it's pretty nerdy how excited I got about that, but it's pretty cool. After the Capitol, we went to the Air and Space museum where I learned that I am not a natural at flying planes. And that the simulator workers are sexist. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't be the pilot! After that we had dinner and drinks with his frat brothers and I met his roommate's fiance. She was very nice, and as much as I like hanging out with the guys, it was nice to have another girl around. Tuesday we went to the International Spy Museum, which was awesome, and did the spy adventure, which was not awesome. After that we headed to the Natural History Museum and saw an exhibit on evolution and the dinosaurs and the Hope Diamond and other pretty, sparkly things. Unfortunately, we only had about an hour and a half there before they closed (we spent too much time in the gift shop of the Spy Museum. The Boy was enthralled.). Then we went to dinner again and went back to his friends' house where I lost horribly at Super Smash (as always). Wednesday we saw the Washington and Lincoln Memorials and the outside of the Whitehouse, and then drove back to his parents'. We lost at their regular Wednesday night trivia.

Thursday we went shopping because the Boy needed new dress clothes for the summer (he will be helping out on the project I am working on, and we need to wear business casual clothes to run subjects). After that, we went trap shooting, (I know what you're thinking, readers. Me? Guns? What? but it wasn't like that), and I did surprisingly well, considering it was my first time ever holding a gun. It was also surprisingly fun (at least, when I was hitting things). I was, once again, amazed and impressed by the Boy's athletic ability. It really is unfair how good he is at basically everything. His dad and I spent a few hours talking about how good he is at sports. It's just isn't fair. I know I'm gushing a bit, but the guy is incredibly athletic (and it really is effortless for him), and he's smarter than I am (and kind and humble enough to deny it every time I tell him so), and he's cute to boot. And has a great family. He's quite the catch. After that, we had some dinner and then his friends came over and we played cards until way too late (like 4 AM late).

Friday was a lazy day... we watched some Walking Dead and read a bit and then went to dinner with his dad and came back and watched some Modern Family, which is just hilarious. On Saturday, we packed up and headed back home.

Amazingly enough, we didn't fight, we aren't sick of each other, and really, it was nice to spend so much time together and not feel the need to chatter or be doing something constantly. We could just sit around and enjoy each others' company in silence while we were driving or reading or just relaxing. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable at all. Maybe it's because we're still in that honeymoon phase, but I'm never able to spend that much time with someone without getting sick of them.

Bestie gets in on Friday, and I am terribly excited to see her. Expect another post about our shenanigans.

At the end of the month, I go home to throw my other friend a Bachelorette party, and I'm super excited. If it weren't for midterms, I think March might just be my favorite month.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Tequila. I need tequila.

I should not be updating. I should be midterming. Or reacting. Or packing. Or cleaning.

I'm stupid busy, readers. And I was getting things done like a boss, at least until I made a run to Taco Bell for dinner. Which I shouldn't have done, because I'm fairly certain that Taco Bell isn't actual food (although it is the second best Mexican I've had since I moved here--how depressing is that???), and because it killed my momentum, and it was $6 that I didn't need to spend, but whatever. It's done.

My shit has been resolved, which is good, because I don't know how much longer I could have kept that up. My friends' shit is in the process of getting resolved, which is good, because I don't know how much longer I could keep up that level of worry about them.

Tomorrow I leave for Spring Break with The Boy. We're going to his hometown. I'm meeting everyone. I've been operating at a low-level panic attack for the last 36 hours or so. I don't know what to wear, I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do, but I do know that I'm pretty sure this is the most nervous I've been about meeting anyone, ever. Since this is an exercise in introspection, let's unpack why, shall we?
1) I have bf's family PTSD from my college boyfriend. They hated me. It was supremely unpleasant.
2) Because of the extreme unpleasantness of being hated, I've decided I'm not opening that can of worms again. The next time I have such a contentious, toxic relationship (or even one half as bad), I'm bailing.
3) The thought that that could happen, for reals (even if it is unlikely and I'm being completely irrational and a total nutcase), is a troubling thought, because it puts an expiration date on our relationship. I don't want an expiration date. Recent events made me realize I'm way more attached than I thought I was.
4) Being attached is very scary business, indeed.
5) Meeting the family/friends is a big deal. So far, we've existed in this nice bubble of our mutual friends who have no frame of reference for our past selves or past relationships, but meeting people who have known him his whole life have all of these expectations about who/what is good for him, and they will be evaluating me from that mindset. Having Bestie come out in 2 weeks does the same thing. Taking us out of our protective bubble is scary. It makes things more real. It raises the stakes.
6) I'm not saying I want to marry him, because I am so not there. But I might be, someday. And this meeting the family thing, it seems like a step in that direction. And if I take him home with me in a couple of months, that's another step.
7) I will say, I think this is a good nervous. And I really like that he isn't nervous. He isn't worried about the disaster that I'm picturing. It's reassuring.
8) I am super excited for the weather. It's gonna be 80(!) on Wednesday.

In other news, I was starting to feel good about school until midterms hit this week. I just feel like there is so much. And stats class last semester basically shredded my confidence. I enjoy it more this semester, but I don't know that I'm actually doing very well at all. We shall see after I get my first assignment back. I will say that I have a total lady crush on my professor, though. She's like the most awesome person, ever. And I actually understand her when she speaks, which is nice. I need to finish my Developmental midterm and my reaction for Personality, both of which need to be done in 14 hours and 21 minutes. Oy.

In other, other, aforementioned news, Bestie is coming in 2 weeks. I die. Really. We will be seeing the Hunger Games and going to a Darty (day-drinking party) and engaging in general shenanigans. So excited.