The joys of family

So, this past weekend I went to a bridal shower for my cousin. I wish I could come up with a more clever name but I'm too sleepy so we'll just go with Princess. Mostly because she honestly thinks she is one.

I might need to fill you in real quick on my family. My dad is the oldest of 6 kids and while my family was living in Florida, all my cousins and aunts and uncles were living in North Carolina. Needless to say, I'm not super close with them and holiday's can be a little awkward for everyone. Until the booze come out then it's awkward for another reason. But that's not this story.

I am the second oldest cousin, I'm three years (I think) younger than Princess. I got married two years ago, the first grandchild to get married. Hell, I was the first grandchild to have A) a steady boyfriend, B) to bring a boy to any family function, C) invited MY family to HIS family functions. We had a lovely wedding, very, VERY small. Just grandparents (some of them) and his best friend and mine. We didn't want a big hoopla and frankly, I didn't feel it was right for either one of our parents to shell out money that could be used as a down payment for a house for a wedding. They've done more than enough for us over the years. After our wedding we had a big, huge party. Very informal (so informal, my dad didn't tuck in his shirt and I think Andrew was the only one wearing a tie. No joke). And it was great. Everyone had a great time and it didn't feel stuffy and wedding like.

Anywho, not everyone in my family showed up for the wedding due to health issues, money issues, etc. That's cool. I completely understood. Sure, I was a little bummed but I got it. Things happen. Life goes on.

So Princess gets engaged and it's all 'happy happy joy joy' because she's the Queen of the World and all. Then I found out her wedding date.

DUM DUM DUUUUUUUM

Can't go. I'm already in a wedding that weekend. Like, I'm actually part of the wedding party. Sorry. I just can't back out of a wedding after I already gave my word I'd be a bridesmaid.

This did not go over well at all. I got angry emails from my dad's family demanding that I drop out of wedding #1 so I can be with the family. My parents were getting phone calls from the same family telling them to tell me to be at wedding #2 (hello! I'm 25 years old and no longer fear being grounded by my parents). Even during the few visits to my nanna (that'd be my dad's mother) earlier this year, she'd drop rude comments about how I need to 'be with the family' that weekend and not 'with a friend'. But I'm the bigger person and would just kindly respond with 'I'm sorry but I've already made a promise to do this and I can't back out now'.

I think they finally get it. Maybe. I did see nanna over the weekend and she said something about how she hopes to see me at the wedding.

Ok, so that's the back story. For the most part. I left out the part of my grandmother (my mommy's mom, who I was really close to and spent many, many summers at her house. They lived in Florida near my parents while my sister and I were growing up) DIED TWO DAYS BEFORE MY WEDDING!!! Yeah. True story. I can't make that shit up. She literally died in a car wreck two days before my wedding. Like, the night before she was supposed to ride out the mountains for the wedding. It sucks, I know. You can take this moment to feel bad for me. I am.

Ok, and we're moving on.

So, I'm at the bridal shower for Princess with my mommy. We had this sorta tag-team system going on since we're outsiders to this family. Never left each other alone for more than a few minutes. Safety in numbers you know? Well, the time for presents came. We're watching as Princess opens gifts and she does the whole 'awww this is pretty. I love it so much'. Really? You LOVE plastic Tupperware bowls? At least register for something cool. Like art work or pretty bedding. All her shit was kitchen stuff. BORING!

By this time I'm really bored and ready to go but I'm doing the right thing by faking the smile and laughter. 'Ooohing' and 'awwwing' with everyone else. Then she gets to the gift from my nanna. Inside the bag is this super expensive collectors bear in a wedding dress. It's cute, I guess. But I'm guessing it's expensive by what Princess and her mom were saying. Oh, but that's not all! There, in the same bag, was a set of pearl earrings and a pearl necklace. REAL PEARLS! Not that I'm a pearl type of person but all the same.

You know what I got from nanna? A box from the dollar store (it still had the tag on it) that holds recipes.

Yeah.

I know, the gift isn't the point, it's the thought that counts. I'm adult enough to know that. But the thing is, her wedding and all things related to her wedding are so much more important than mine. We invited the same family members and all the ones that weren't coming to mine, including my grandpa on my dad's side, are coming. All the family from Boston, didn't come to my reception but they're coming for hers. When people said they weren't going to be at my wedding, my parents didn't send mean emails or make angry phone calls. There were no backhanded comments.

I understand that I might not be part of the IN crowd but I am part of the family. It's only fair that you treat me with the same respect you treat the other grandchildren.

And they wonder why I don't come around more often. Maybe if you'd didn't treat me like the red headed step child, I'd be more than happy to deal with your snotty and holier than thou attitudes.

So I leave with my mom, all sad and sorta feeling....I don't know. I don't want to say unloved because that might be too much with the dramatics. But I felt something and whatever it wasn't, it didn't feel good.

I'm going to need someone to buy me these for me. It'll make things a whole lot better.



OH! The good news is, my Vegas trip is ALMOST taken care of. Technically, it is taken care of. Flight, hotel, concert ticket, all booked and paid for. Only, I'm now having to pay back for the concert ticket and my half of the hotel room. But it's cool. I'm getting very, very excited!!

Poor Callie

I wasn't going to be posting anything today or for the rest of the week BUT I had to do this.

So I have 4 dogs. Yeah, I know. Who has 4 dogs? Well, I do. I love them and since I will never had children (that's another story for another time) these giant balls of fur are my babies. There's Abbie (or Mufasa as she's been renamed), Sadie, Maddison and Callie. Callie is the baby and a mommy's girl. I won't go as far as to say she hates Andrew but she doesn't really care for him either. It's kinda cute and one of the things I love most about her. She's all mine and I don't have to share her with anyone.

Well, last night I woke up around 1:30 needing to pee. It was like, if I don't go now, I'm going to wet the bed and then I'd have to take a shower and doing all that, at that time of the night, not really high on my list of priorities. Anywho, so I get up, I can hear some thunder off in the distance and I'm praying it's leaving so I can go back to sleep.

That was not the case.

This storm, if you can even call it that. I like to think of it as God (if you believe in such things) throwing boulders down around my house. I mean, between the thunder and lightening, it was like I was sitting front row, center for the opening of Phantom of the Opera or something. (Side note, go see that if you haven't. It will change your life.) The house and windows were shaking and I didn't need to turn on any lights to see anything. The lightening was doing that for me.

Most nights I sleep alone because Andrew snores and neither one of us can sleep. I can't sleep because he's snoring and he can't sleep because I "beat him up". I'm not really buying that but whatever.

So there I was, back in bed with Callie and Sadie and then all of the sudden, it was like a cannon went off in my room. Poor Callie let out a yelp and scampered from the foot of the bed to right beside me. Picture it like this, it was more me spooning her than anything else. So, I'm laying there. Holding this poor shaking puppy who is scared half to death and then there's another scary boom of thunder. This time laying beside me isn't good enough. This crazy dog crawls up on top of the pillow that I keep over my head (whatever, so I sleep with a pillow over my head. I'm sure you do weird things in your sleep too) and lays on top of my head.

It took me a good ten minutes to get her off of me. I'm surprised I didn't die because breathing....not so easy under a 50 lbs dog and pillow. Needless to say, sleeping was not an option during this storm. I spent the better part of three hours laying with her and trying to calm her down. And of course, once she calms down, I'm wide awake and can't go back to sleep.

Yeah, last night sucked and I'm exhausted. So no shoe today. I'm too tired and this stupid computer at work is too slow. Maybe I'll double up on the shoes next time.

I am a golden god!

Yes, I FINALLY got around to watching 'Almost Famous'. I know, I know. I hear you. I know the movie came out like, I don't know ten years ago or something. Point is, I finally saw it. And now I'm mad I waited so long to see it. It was (and I'm going to quote my friend S right now) perfect. Honestly. I can't think of one thing I didn't like about it. Even Kate Hudson, who I don't really care that much for. She's just... kinda there. In the world that is. I watched the entire movie saying to myself 'self, this guy that plays Russell looks really effin' familiar'. Then the credits roll. DUH! How did I not know it was Billy Crudup?!? I really think something has made my brain all mushy and soft. Either way, the movie was amazing and needs to be seen by all.

Other than that, I have nothing super important to say. I'm working on my Netfix list which is slowly but surely sucking my soul right out of me. Between the instant movies (most of mine are just TV shows) and the movies they mail out, I may never leave my house again. Or, I may never leave because I'm broke.

I watched 'Michael Clayton' last night. It was good. Really good in fact. But I have a problem following movies where there's no background given when it starts. Sure, they tied up all the pieces at the end but up until that point, I was sorta lost. Even if it had sucked balls, I probably would have finished it anyways. Two words: George. Clooney. What more can you ask for in a movie? Oh, wait. You can ask for this, Leonardo DiCaprio. After 'Inception' I've fallen in love with him all over again. He makes my soul happy (when it isn't being owned by Netflix that is).

Me thinks I have a problem with jeweled shoes. So pretty.