Meeting New People, Playing New Games

Tonight Lyn and Aaron came into town to visit their friend, Clint, who lives down the road from me. They went to the same summer camp together for almost 15 years. At camp, Aaron developed the nickname, Pickle and Lyn, Relish. Clint did not know their real names until four years ago. That is amazing. I wish that I had the chance to grow up with friends like that. If I ever have children I want to provide that for them.

As a child that moved from place to place most of my life, I know what it is like to be the new kid in school and in the neighborhood. It's never fun. I ran the risk of being an outsider, the weird kid, or, if I was lucky, accepted into a group. More often than not I was the outsider because I was quiet. I listened when others spoke. I took it all in, but was never actually included. I spent the most time in one school halfway through my freshman year until the end of my junior year. I was quiet, but I had enough time to grow on others and be included as the "nice quiet girl". Then we moved again and I faced torture again at the worst possible time: my senior year.

Again, it's not that people were mean to me, I wasn't the weird kid, despite what some of you may think. I was quiet and the other seniors didn't get it. I had a group that I hung out with, but I wasn't exactly into the same stuff they were, so It was awkward. I'm glad that I moved to Tennessee. I do wonder what life would have been like back in Texas. I had plans like most Seniors do. Get my paramedic license and work through college at Dallas Baptist University, and become a nurse. Who knows where I would have been?

If you have a tight group, though, it offers so many opportunities. You are confident because your friends know you and your quirks and most importantly, you belong. If anyone is true to themselves, then you can all vouch for that. Belonging, whether to a circle of friends or a team, somewhere outside of your family makes you feel OK with everything else life throws at you.

Now to the fun part of the evening. After we ate at Ruby Tuesdays (Well, Clint and I did. Aaron and Lyn had dessert and appetizers.) we went bowling. It was a lot of fun. I haven't bowled since Hollywood Video Guy took me out. Both games I scored a 69. No joke. How funny is that?

After bowling we went back to Clint's place and played two card games: golf and Texas Hold 'Em. Golf is like its namesake, you want the lowest score at the end. It's hard to explain, but if you know me you should ask me to play once. It is fun.

Texas Hold 'Em was even better. I have never played poker in my life. I've tried a few times, but I was either drunk or the group was playing a difficult version of poker and I didn't understand the explanation. Playing with Aaron, Lyn, and Clint was great because Aaron knows what he's talking about and was patient in explaining, even when I stopped game play to ask questions. I won! Technically, Clint and Lyn still had some chips left, but we stopped playing because it was late and I had the most chips! It was a good last hand. I beat Aaron! Again, people were playing nice so it's not like it was a real game. I want to play more!

Tomorrow I promise to update about some funny stuff that happened after the New Year.

Peace.

Christmas goings.

This holiday season has been a blast. There have been some mishaps with the shower curtain and Bowie, but all in all, I've loved every minute of it.Christmas was filled with family (Aaron's and mine) and lots of FUN!Two days before Christmas Sam, Mel, and I exchanged gifts. Sam got Mel and me some pretty cool stuff from Papyrus. Mel got Sam a pretty candle and my gift to Sam was the best. I can say this without a doubt because I know Sam and she loves me. She has to... I know where she sleeps.

I got her Cranium. We played a bastard version of the game, and it worked out well. At one point Mel was asked who played Dr. Spock on the original Star Trek TV Show. She struggled with the answer because she knew what he looked like, but couldn't remember his name. She sang this weird, random song "It's life Jim/But not as we know/not as we know it/It's life Jim/But not as we know it/not as we know it" with her index fingers on the side of her head like horns while bobbing her head back and forth.I haven't laughed that hard in so long! I laughed so hard I cried and could hardly breathe. It was a case of the gigglies. That was the beginning of the end for me. We were playing so intensely that I got a major headache and stopped playing.

I'm not normally like that, if ever, but my head hurt really bad. I went in a dark room to calm down while Max, Sam's little brother, finished out the game with Sam and Mel. He cheated. In Cranium, you get the card to look at as long as its not a spelling question. When Max got his cards to look at he held them up in the light to read the answer on the back.

All three of them are dirty cheaters anyway. I don't know why Mel and Sam complained. Playing cards with those two is horrible.

Christmas Day rolled around and opening the gifts was a lot of fun. We all got money this year, so Connie and Dad got us all some really cool stocking stuffers to open Christmas day. I went to Papa's house, Aaron's granddad, and spent time with his extended family and his mom, dad, and sis. It was a lot of fun and there was a lot of food. It turns out that Aaron's cousins, they're all older, know the lady I babysit for. She was their counselor at church camp, and her grandmother lived around the corner from papa. Small world, huh? Aaron's mom, Freda, gave me a great present. She's helping me with knitting! She got me some yarn and told me to pick a pattern and she would help me through it! I picked up knitting awhile ago, but got stuck when I finished my first blanket square. I don't know how to connect them or tie off the last line. I'm looking forward to her knowledge and expertise. I've seen pictures of this amazing blanket she made Aaron for Christmas. I can't wait to be able to do that kind of work.

After Christmas lunch Aaron and I went back to my house to hang out with my family until dinner. We played Boxers or Briefs (I bought this game for Shannon's Christmas gift), which was a lot of fun. Aaron did really well considering it was a game trying to guess true or funny things about an individual, and it was the first time he met my family. Grrr. Sometimes I get too competitive, but how is life fun without a little competition?

After dinner Aaron and I watched My Super Ex-Girlfriend with Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson. It was OK, but I am glad I didn't pay to see it in a theater. It wasn't worth $8. Aaron went home after the movie, and I thought I was going to bed after, but Mel and Shannon had other ideas and we went out to a movie. Mel and I saw Blood Diamond and Shan and her friends saw The Holiday. Both movies were very good. BD was very good. Everyone should see it. Leonardo DiCaprio has come a long way from Titanic.

That was Christmas. I didn't get Aaron a gift right away. I'm horrible at gifts. I really am. Last week we went to Hastings and I bought him a Pink Floyd music DVD that he's been looking for. He got me two things: Book One of The Walking Dead and he carved a pine tree from wood and painted it to look like it was covered in snow.

TWD is the continuing saga of Rick and his family and friends in a post apocalyptic world of zombies. Those of you who know me, know that I love Zombie movies. I love them. I would love them even more if they further examined life after the initial outbreak and this is exactly what TWD does. It focuses on the people and how they change to survive. It's also got some amazing artwork. It's so cool. He's really sweet.

(Side Note: Gentlemen, buying your girlfriend a zombie comic or any other type of comic that interests you may not always be the best idea. Aaron got lucky that I enjoy Zombies and Comics. Be warned.)

I'll post more about the New Year later. I'm bored with this.

Peace.