The Little Things

This weekend was pretty low key. As I prepare for another week back at my boring and unfulfilling job, I've realized (yet again) that the weekend just isn't long enough.
On Saturday, we went to a baby BBQ for my friend Holli, who is due with her first child in October. (No, we did not BBQ a baby. Holli chose to have a backyard BBQ to celebrate instead of a baby shower.) It was a very mellow event. Roy and I sat the whole time and talked to Candice, one of my bestest pals. Unfortunately, I don't get to see Candice or Holli that much anymore. The three of us met at Chili's as lowly servers before the days we had college degrees. Holli and I have since moved on, while Candice is on her way out. I got to hear all the Chili's gossip and also hang around with Candice's daughter Madison. Maddy is one of my favorite kids of all time, mostly because she never gets tired of touching my nose and saying "Boink." I don't get tired of touching her nose either, and I certainly don't get tired of saying "Boink." It's the novelty that never wears off. It was awesome seeing Candice and Holli, because Saturday was also my 1 year anniversary of my last day at Chili's. Those who know me well know of my extensive experience as a server. I spent 8 years of my life waiting tables! 6 of those years were at Chili's. So it was a huge deal when I finally got my first "real" job and said good-bye to the world of working 3 hours a day, putting up with enormous amounts of crap, and living off tips. I think that everyone should work as a server at least once in their life. It taught me so much, and I met so many different kinds of people. Candice and Holli are 2 of those people. Here's us at the BBQ (Holli's in the middle):



And here's me and Candice from my last day at Chili's:



I suppose it might sound weird, but my life was much less complicated as a server. Working in an office has made me more grown-up and probably less fun. Now I have to think about insurance, 401K, and life insurance. How boring - and yet, how necessary.

But I digress. After the BBQ, we stopped off for a few minutes at our friends Nancy and Jenn's house. Their daughter Lily just turned 2, so they were having a party for her. We only stayed about 20 minutes, and I didn't really get any good pictures of Lily. Like any normal 2 year old, she was running around like crazy. Here's an okay shot of the birthday girl:



But because that picture does her cuteness no justice, here's one from when she was a baby:



Yep, she's dressed as a chicken. In her defense, it was Halloween. Last Halloween, to be exact. And she was not even walking on her own yet - and now she's running around like a crazy person. It's fascinating to watch kids grow.

Now that I'm starting to sound like the embarassing old aunt at the family reunion, let me move on to the biggest event of the weekend. I got a new phone, courtesy of Patty, my mother-in-love. (I've given up on the mother-in-law thing; it just sounds too formal, considering how much I love her.) I know, I know. The RAZR is basically old news, but for me, it's the coolest thing. Not quite as cool as the iPhone, but the coolest new thing that I've gotten in awhile. I am especially excited about this because Patty has put me on her family plan, which means that I'm not going to have to pay my cell phone bill anymore. (She pretty much insisted on paying for the cell phones for her kids that are still in school.)

After hanging out in the Verizon store, we went to Cold Stone Creamery and had some sinfully delicious ice cream. I hadn't been to Cold Stone in about a year! We sat outside, ate our ice cream, and talked. I love talking to Patty because it's like talking to an old friend. I feel sorry for people who aren't able to connect with their in-laws; it must suck. I feel very fortunate to have Patty (and Cherie, her partner) as my California mommies.

From Cold Stone, we went to one of my favorite places in the world: Borders. I'm always up for going to the bookstore, but today's visit was especially welcomed, since I heard about a new series called Twilight. I got the first book in the series (only $10!) and can't wait to start reading it.

I spent the rest of the day at home reading and hanging out. In the evening I went for a bike ride through downtown. The weather has turned a bit cooler, and the bike ride was refreshing. I rode by this cool cemetery a few streets over from where we live. It has always fascinated me, because it's old and the headstones are upright as opposed to flat. It carries with it the energy of time past and life lived. I always can appreciate old things, because they have a life all their own. In the right light, the cemetery looks amazing. I would love to photograph it someday when I actually have a decent camera.

So that was my weekend. Nothing big or terribly exciting (okay, so I'm thrilled over the fact that I have a pink phone), but it's the little things, right?

Boink.