dissonance

High five!

Guildford Adult Learning Centre's fall program is out!!  I can't decide!!!

Scottish Country Dancing (only if Craig joins too)
Round the World Cookery
Traditional Upholstery Skills
Enjoying the wines of Chile & Argentina
Enjoying the wines of France
Enjoying the wines of Italy
Understand, Choose, & Enjoy Champagne and other Sparkling wines
Understanding, Choosing & Enjoying wine

I am pretty sure I will do pretty well in any of those last 5 classes.  It'll be like when I was in college I took Introductory Chemistry and I totally aced it because I took AP Chem in high school but didn't take the exam.

It'll be like that except this time there will be a lot more high-fiving going on.

Pride cometh before pimples and a pulled muscle

You know what's funny?  When you are finally ok with being thirty and then the next morning you wake up with a pimple on your chin.

Oh wait, that's not funny. That is a MEAN JOKE.  Why am I still getting pimples? And if I'm still getting pimples it would only be fair if it came with a size 4 waist and the ability to do a toe touch.  I mean, come on!

And then yesterday I went to the gym being all smug that I'm trying to stay in shape and then I hurt myself stretching.  From what I understand, stretching is what you do to NOT hurt yourself.

Sigh, chin up.

(see what I did there?)

30: Not so bad

On Saturday Craig and I had an impromptu date and at the end of the night we were having a last drink at our local pub and I thought to myself, "I don't mind being 30."

I know I made a little bit of an issue out of it. I even left the country for it because I almost thought that if it happened in secrecy it might not have actually happened.  I just felt so old and it seemed like just another reminder of how my life at 30 isn't the way I thought it would be at 30.

But then on Saturday when Craig went to the bathroom and I was on my own I couldn't help but think,

"Ooh I really like my outfit tonight. I couldn't have afforded this when I was 18.  This merlot is nice. I wouldn't have known what "nice merlot" meant when I was 21.  This is a cool pub.  I wouldn't have had the guts to move here when I was 23. I'm so excited about my new job which I didn't know was what I wanted when I was 25.  Craig is so the best.  I wouldn't have appreciated him when I was 27. This merlot is NIIICE... yes, I'll havanotherglass..."

I won't say something so stupid or trite like, "Life begins at 30".  But it sure isn't the end of it.

I suppose now that I have found this peace in my life you think it's time for me to think about taking down the birthday cards. Yes, my birthday was in May, and?  No, the cards are staying.  See, now that I have finally found peace with my age, I need to be THIRTY 4EVER.

Maybe it can go on the registry

"So, do you want to go to Ryder cup next year? It's right after the wedding!"

"Well if it's free, why not?"

"It's not free! What made you think that?"

"I thought you said you just apply for tickets?"

"Yeah, you apply to get in the lottery to be able to buy tickets."

"So you're just applying for the privilege to buy tickets? How much are tickets?"

"£100. Each."

"Whaa??"

"For a day."

"WHAT?! For just the golf. It's not like there's any bands playing."

"Yeah, but it's a whole day! From 7am to..."

"FROM. SEVEN. AM?!  So I have to pay £100 to get up at 7 in the mor..."

"No, no, no... we'd have to wake up much earlier than that! It's a 3 hour drive to Wales."

"... you're not a very good salesman."

The best Wednesday

I am not sure what kept me up more last night:

1) Kinda sorta starting a new job... IN LONDON!  I haven't officially started but since it's an internal transfer I went to the new office to join in on a meeting and oh-em-gee I was so excited and it sounds so fun and exactly what I want to be doing!  I have all these ideas that are bursting that are actually related to WORK and that is just so refreshing.  And did I mention it's actually IN LONDON? YAY!

Edit: For those who assumed I've been working in London this whole time, I don't. I work 45 minutes southeast of London.  It's just easier for people to assume I work in London already the way people who work in Burlingame say they work in San Francisco. I'm not proud of it but soon I'll be working in London proper. Yay!

2) Saw Harry Potter 6!  I won't and can't say much about it for fear of spoiling it for others.  As a side note: People in Hollywood have really lost the creative spirit.  Aside from UP, all the other previews were for a movie that was a remake or a sequel or a toy from the 80s.  For fuck's sake did you know they are making another Alvin & the Chipmunks and how shitty does G.I. Joe look?

2 combined with 1 made for some really weird dreams.

Ryanair always good for a laugh

First there was the thing about paying to use the toilet.
And now I seriously can't tell if this is a joke.

Anson sums it up nicely: 
"I dont want to feel like I'm on an amusement park ride when I'm thousands of feet in the air!"

I shouldn't laugh though. This could really be the way of the future.  I also feel like this is how they transported criminals in Con Air?

Fireworks

"If you think about it, if the 4th of July never happened, we might not have ever met!"

"I think you can say that about a lot of things."

"... well, it's still a thing."

"It's a thing. Happy 4th of July."

*kiss*

My creative expression cannot be confined to 140 charac

Things that are too long for Twitting but too short to justify their own blog entries:

• Blur was pretty fantastic. I am pleased I knew 4 of their songs: Song 2 (duh), Beetlebum (Thanks, Rockband!), Parkside, and Girls and Boys.  Thanks, John, for the tickets! Also, are you not pleased I did not steal your line and made a blog post about, "Blursday"?

• I seriously can't tolerate heat anymore.  They call 90 degrees a heat wave here and I was like a wilted lily for a week.  Although, I have enjoyed going to the neighborhood pub for a wine in their backyard at sunset. Finally the heatwave broke this morning and the familiar protection and cover of grey skies are back. 

• Went to dentist this morning. Good news: No cavities!  To quote, "Your teeth are good".  Bad news: The sensitivity is because my gums are receding and I need special toothpaste. Not Sensodyne but like prescription toothpaste.  To quote, "Your teeth are good. Except for those gums."  Although I'm so relieved I don't have cavities, now I feel self-conscious about my gums and am worried I look like the Cryptkeeper and NO ONE TOLD ME BECAUSE THEY THINK THIS IS MY NORMAL SMILE.

• Going to the dog races tonight.  A bit conflicted about this.  On the one hand it should be fun. On the other hand I feel sorry for the dogs, like I feel sorry for horses at the racetrack.  The only solution seems to be to drink my conscience away.  Or maybe adopt a greyhound one day.

• Swine flu has broken into work.  Workplace Resources have passed out hand sanitisers.  I think in addition to this, they should put signs in the bathroom that say, "If you don't wash your hands you are a disgusting freak filthy manky bastard. Ask yourself, are you a disgusting freak filthy manky bastard? Have a nice day Cheers." (had to edit that to translate for British)

Maybe more cynical than horrible

I just returned from a "Congratulations you're getting married" casual work gathering for a co-worker and for f sake I hope they don't do that to me.

Don't get me wrong, it was "nice". People chipped in and got her a card, a coffee mug, an orchid and a set of champagne glasses.

I'm honestly happy for her. She's a really nice person and a smart colleague. We've even had some chats about her wedding planning (In Italy with less than 3 months!!)

But outside of work I have zero contact with her. I don't even remember ever meeting her fiance. It just seemed like good intentions executed with an awkward gesture and I kind of want my 10 minutes back.

I can't seem to articulate why it bothers me so much.  Is it just one of those things you just do as a civilized society?

And now I'm all paranoid that I am just a horrible person.