The Mega-brella

Otherwise known as... Better Safe Than Soggy

This has been one of the busiest weekends... which is a good thing.  I like busy.  Friday evening I was... home... Chuck, my roommate who has blessedly rented me a room in his gorgeous house, has had his brother in town from Connecticut.  "Rob" has been great to have around-- he and Chuck had a number of household projects planned for the week, including changing out the vanities in both bathrooms as well as adding ventilation to the newly-insulated attic.  All of the remodeling that has been done on the house since Chuck bought it from my parents in 2005 has been earth-friendly, which I think is very cool.  Chuck doesn't recycle, but his house is green.  I guess it's a trade-off.

Yesterday I met my oldest friend, Dee, for lunch at BJs Brewery in a shopping center near my small town, and then I hung out with my parents for a couple of hours.  I hadn't spent much time with them in a couple of weeks, so it was good to catch up.  My mom's foot is healing nicely after her surgery, and Dad just has three more chemotherapy treatments before we can put all this cancer stuff behind us.  I brought Aiko-chan, my incredibly vocal-yet-lovable kitty, home with me when I left Mom and Dad's.  She spent the evening hiding in my room.  (Twenty-four hours later, however, she's exploring the living room-- we've made progress.)  When I woke up in the middle of the night, I patted my mattress and got her to jump up on the bed.  I scratched her head, and she purred, happily.  She doesn't do transition very well.  I have been trying to make her as comfortable as possible in her new surroundings.  It's good to have her around-- I've missed Aiko-chan so very much in the past month that I've been here.  She's a wonderful companion.  I hesitated to bring her here because she was so good for my father-- he really loves her-- but she is my cat and I must be her caregiver.  Plus, my mother would keep telling me how much Aiko-chan missed me when I wasn't at their house... a big part of bringing her here was motivated by guilt.  Many would say that is the Catholic way-- I disagree... but it was guilt nonetheless that precipitated Aiko's move from my folks' house to my new digs. 

Last night I accompanied Chuck, Rob, and Chuck Jr. to Pointe Orlando.  I wasn't going to go... but Chuck worked on me all week.  Jen, we're going to see Bill Bellamy at the Improv on Saturday night.  Wanna come?  We're going to have dinner at Maggiano's before the show.

Ahhh... I don't think so, Chuck.  Thanks.

Finally, Friday, he asked again.  What else do you have going on tomorrow night?  He had a point there.  I didn't have a date or any kind of girly-time lined up.

Ok... okay!  I'll go!   It was actually really fun.  Dinner was... delicious!  I love eggplant parmesan, and the eggplant parm at Maggiano's was incredible.  I indulged in bread, and wine, and tiramisu.  Yum!  After dinner we went to the comedy show... it was great to laugh.  It was also great to go out with a designated driver. 

This morning Chuck went to work before seven, and when I got up coffee was made and Rob was working on the roof, finishing up the ventilation job.  Having Rob around this week has been like being on the set of Good Will Hunting.  Rob is a loud talker, and is liberal with his use of expletives, but it suits him.  He's a good guy.  His family has been on vacation this week in Grand Cayman, and he told me he's ready to see them again.  A week is a bit long to be without the people you care about more than anything in the whole world.  He was on the phone a couple of days ago in another part of the house, and I laughed, and looked at Chuck... I think your brother is great-- but if he were here all the time... I couldn't live with you. 

Jen, I couldn't live with him all the time either.  It's okay.  

Rob invited me to breakfast this morning with Chuckie Jr., but I passed.  I had lunch and shopping plans with my good friend Jessica-- plus I was working on a post.  I have realized that nowadays I'm either out living my good life, or home, writing about it.  It's different.  That's all I'll say about that.

Jess and I went to Mimi's Cafe for brunch, then shopped 'til we dropped.  We went to the Loft Outlet, the Gap Outlet (where I bought three cardigans-- I love a good cardigan!), and the Vanity Fair Outlet.  I didn't care for Vanity Fair.  I am a lingerie snob.  At the Loft I discovered I've gone down yet another size, which is very cool, but also kind of freaking me out, because I haven't exactly been eating healthfully and unable to exercise for the past two weeks due to the wound on my forearm from skin cancer surgery.  I have one more week to go until I can be active again, and I can't wait!  I have to admit, when the doc first told me it would be a month before I could do a push-up or anything else involving my arm-- kayaking, swimming, pilates, even walking-- all out of the question.

This afternoon, after our fruitful shopping expedition, Jess and I went to see The Help.  We arrived about 15 minutes before the show started, and the theater was already half-full.  By the time the last preview ended... every seat was taken.  It was incredible.  Black, White, Latino, male, female... this movie seems to have transcended both gender and cultural boundaries.  By the end both Jess and I were crying.  I looked at her at the end of the last scene, Aren't you glad I made you go to the movies?  I'm not ready to get up yet... let's stay through the credits.  Jess nodded, eyes shining.  A great, Sunday afternoon movie. 

Before we went to the movies however, we went rogue.  We bought candy and soda at CVS, the drugstore in the same complex as the theater, then snuck it in under my rain jacket.  Two sodas, a package of Raisinets, and a package of Twizzlers cost us a grand total of $6.  We would've paid at least $16 for the same thing at the cineplex.  I love drinking soda and having popcorn or movie candy as much as the next person, but I am tired of paying $5 for a soda that could hydrate half the movie theater and only drinking less than half of it.  I am an advocate for normal-size drinks and candy, for normal-size prices.  I understand that concessions are where theaters make their money, but I have to believe that if they offered cheaper drinks and food that more people would purchase them! 

When we left CVS it was raining cats and dogs.  Luckily, we had brought my rain jacket and the mega-brella, a golf umbrella that was given to me by the school district a number of years ago.  Jess says it could keep both of us plus five other people totally dry.  I don't know about the five other people, but as we made our way across the parking lot in the pouring rain, the only parts of us that got wet were our feet.  Not bad!  We had to use the mega-brella again when the movie was over and we sloshed to my car.  It's been a good rainy day in My County. 

Jess always quips, Better safe than soggy!  I have to agree.