the thin line between optimism and delusion…

Sometimes I don’t think about. I really have wonder friends in Athens. But every once in a while, I get a voicemail (when did we stop calling them messages?), or I think about a certain problem in my life…..or I hear a song……and a wave washes over me, my chest tightens, my heart aches, and I can’t help but sighing……..(this is where I would shed a tear if I was a crier).

There are certain friends that I will never be able to reconcile my life far away from. I used to think that I couldn’t live far away from Georgia because of these friends. But oh the irony. They have almost all moved away and left me here. Thankfully, some are in Atlanta – which is a lifesaver. I talked on my cell phone 3000 minutes last month. Yep, that is about an hour and a half a day.

But the good news is that I am going to see two of these special people tomorrow when I go to New York. I am excited about seeing the city and everything, it has been a couple of years – but more importantly, I am looking forward to recharging with Libby and Maggie. I miss them so much. How come you miss people the most right before you see them?

said I wasn’t going to watch this show, but some-how-or-nother I got sucked into it. I spent the last hour watching Wife Swap. On one hand, I think it is a sort of sick idea, but on the other hand (if this episode is any indication), it seems to really make people appreciate what they have. It makes me realize how crazy people are in general and what extremes can be found in this nation. It also makes me realize how lucky I am to have grown up in such a great family. I think that ABC must try really hard to find the most polar opposite families for the swap. Lets look at tonight’s two families:
Family A – California:
1. Three boys
2. Mom wakes up at 5:30 every morning and works out for three hours every day – she is a former body builder. She eats raisins when she is hungry.
3. Boys will be woken up at 6 in the morning if they don’t finish all of their chores – which include laundry, dishes, and trash.
4. Father is OCD and cleans compulsively.

Family B – Florida
1. Two boys
2. Mom doesn’t cook – if it can’t be microwaved or picked up – it isn’t eaten in this house.
3. Boys are never woken up, Mom thinks they should be able to sleep as late as they want to.
4 . Father has never cleaned anything in his life. Neither have boys. Mom does everything.

So they swap for two weeks, and the first week the mom follows the other mom’s routine, and the second week the family follows the new mom’s routine.

If you can’t tell, this is a disaster waiting to happen. OCD father can’t follow the rules, Mom B can’t work out for three hours a day…….I guess it is kind of interesting to watch, but also a bit painful. Not something I would set the TiVo for, if I had a TiVo. But I don’t even like to think about what else would happen if I had a TiVo…..I have a bit of an obsessive personality.

Everyone is very fired up today. It is exciting, as I have said before, I love people that are passionate. But I’m not that passionate about this. (shhhhh, don’t tell anyone, I might get jumped in the law library). Don’t worry, I took a couple of hours out of my life and the lives of a couple of complying friends to drive to Augusta and participate in early voting. I kinda wish I was registered in Athens, because they seem to have a lot more things to vote for. Augusta didn’t have that many, and about half of the people I voted for didn’t have anyone running against them. The only big thing in Augusta was the SPLOST part of the ballot. Another reason I need to get registered in Athens is because I don’t know what is going on in Augusta. I voted against SPLOST because my good friend’s parents had VOTE NO TO SPLOST! all over their yard and I noticed it on the way to the poll (that and the fact that I didn’t think they should turn regency mall into a sports complex, we barely use the civic center as it is).

I know it is amazing that I am discussing local politics when I should have lots to say about the presidential election just like everyone else. But, in my opinion, there is no way to know what will happen either way. I’m not educated in political science enough to make intelligent comments about the possible ramifications of the decision, either way. I am glad that people care, I do think it is important. I like being around people with strong views, both sides. And I have certain strong views. But I can’t say that either candidate shares all, or even most of my strong views. Don’t worry, I voted, but I didn’t enjoy it.

I had a spectacular weekend. I don’t have time to give all the details, but lets just say that I look like a kid that just got back from an irresponsible summer camp. I have bug bites all over me and lots of bruises. Bug bites are what happens when spend too much time outside in rural Georgia and bruises are what happen when you (or at least, I) drink beer. Drove down Thursday with Anne and Cristina – stopped through in Augusta so I could vote (we also ate lunch with my dad at favorite sandwich place, picked up food from my mom, and kissed the dogs).

Friday we spent the day on the beach, it was 85 degrees and partly cloudy. And everywhere I looked was an old friend and a new friend. There was a dance off around 5 – involving mostly guys – that a large portion of the beach took part in. Friday night was random and scattered – chatted with old boyfriends and old crushes – it was like a time warp – but also tons of fun – and I made the correct decision to go home with my friends before it got to late. Okay, I will give details, I’ve already started.

Allison brought me back all the stuff I left in Sea Island from Saturday night when I went to the house she was staying in for a dance party and a late night swim after we got off the bus. Important things recovered:
1. Cell phone
2. Black rainbow flip flops which I love with all my being
3. Digital Camera – complete with exceptional photos from the weekend.
4. Adorable leather flask purchased in Rome that holds great sentimental value and which I just recently recovered from parents home.
5. New Koozie from North Atlanta National Bank – Jessie’s contribution to the weekend.
6. A bit of cash that I desperately need.
7. Favorite Lipstick collection (chubby, lipstick, two glosses, and a tube chap stick – the blue kind).
8. Drivers License
9. Favorite t-shirt (50/50 blend) – “My Dad is an Old Dawg” – UGA football letterman club shirt (wasn’t that worried about this one, I have about six)
10. Black clutch pocketbook that has been through a lot with me.

Now, as bad as this sounds, most of these things were in my pocketbook, and as such – lose one thing and lose a lot is the case. And to be fair, I knew that I had left my pocketbook seconds after leaving the driveway, but Allison, as driver, said she would bring them to me, and I wasn’t worried (she did say that she found my pocketbook, flip flops and cell phone scattered about the house, but the important thing is that she found them).

back to chronological order:
Saturday:
The bus down to the game worked out perfectly. So this is how it works. The game is in Jacksonville. But everyone stays up and down the coast. Most of my friends stay in St. Simons/Sea Island or in Amelia/Fernendia. St. Simons is about an hour and a half from Jacksonville – 2 hours on game day. So most people charter buses in order to make things safe and easy. But it is a huge hassle to get together. And you always run the risk of being on a bus with people you don’t know, or worse, don’t like. Because it is always pretty random. It was wonderful to get on a bus with people I like a lot, especially after speaking with my roommate from freshman year who was on a bus with a group of people that I could not have handled. But it made me love my old roommate that she felt the same way.

The game was awesome, I did get really sleepy at one point during half time, but while play was going on, I was in tune. Hot dog count – 3. Dip -n- Dots – 1. Coca- Colas – 3. Got to hang out with Travers – always a good time.

The bus ride home from the game was one of the most fun things I have done in years. We had a dance party all the way home – we popped champagne – and I just have to hand it to whoever had the mixed cds that we listened to, because they kept everyone awake, this was no time for people to go to sleep. All the other bus rides back to St. Simons I have experienced involved reasons to sleep – we lost. This time, we won. Overall, the bus ride was a success. The house we stayed in was a success – the people made all the difference here as well. I got a new t-shirt at the game, and I made some new awesome friends. At after bus dance party – danced to “Thriller” about seven more times, also spent some quality time dancing to other Michael Jackson songs (before and after swimming). Wow. No wonder I am the worst law student in America.