It's the most wonderful time of the year

We had a rather nice Halloween party last night. Lots of beer, lots of friends, lots of friends of friends, and LOTS of candy, cupcakes, and cookies with a Halloween theme. The night included an awful version of the drinking counting game (re-re version), Gillian putting on a salmon colored shirt and telling everyone she was a pumpkin, Charlotte and Helen meeting for the first time and after a shy 'hello,' quickly warming up to each other over a British tv show and chatting for a long time, at one point having 25 people crammed in our living room, candy in the bathroom, Kate smiling once or twice even though she hates the day and hates me because I get really excited about it, a ride home from a bar downtown in a limo, and someone in the bar asking if I was dressed as a hot dog.

Pictures.













Tomorrow I'm going to share a story that involves fire and my foot...but I need to upload pictures first to properly tell the story, so I'll leave you with that for tonight.

And the sox win it

A year ago from this very moment, I was sitting in a literacy class, checking my cell phone every 2 1/2 minutes for text messages to update me on Game 4 of the World Series. I had class until 10 that night, and my professor promised us she'd let us out early so we could catch some of the game, but I knew she was lying. And she was...we ended up getting out just 10 minutes before 10. I sat through three hours of learning how to teach kids to read, selfishly wishing that the Sox would lose so I could watch the entire game when they actually did win it all. But, I got out of class, sped to Caitlin's party, and was there in time to watch the last 2 innings and enjoy some chilled champagne.

I oddly remember that night with about as much detail as I remember September 11th (the first one).

Those were the good old days, the days of cops in riot gear.



And the good days, when it didn't matter that I stayed up until after 1 o'clock for days on end to watch the series with the Yankees, because I was just getting up in the morning to go to classes, and not teach math to a class of rammy six and seven year olds. And the non-working schedule gave me the time to get out to see the parade through Boston and catch a glimpse of the trophy and Theo.


Manny being Manny, before he was Manny being Manny


I love you, Mr. Epstein



Bellhorn, before the pinstripes




Pretty great, one year ago today

Lice-free

What a week it's been.

-I was checked for lice at work. Who gets lice checks at work? (To be fair, everyone in first grade was checked).

-I found out I don't have lice.

-I learned what lice look like.



-I learned that without talking to Charlotte for a year and a half (besides email and IM), I forget how to understand her crazy accent.

-I (with the help of two roommates) devoured three English chocolate bars. They were big. My stomach hurt for most of last week.



-I got apple cider and made peace with the fact that fall is here. And now I'm really excited for snow. And sledding. And snow days. Especially snow days.

-I celebrated Helen's birthday. Did you know she'll be 39 in like 3 years?

-I took my air conditioner out of my window (with a lot of help from kate), and it didn't fall on the street and smash into 12,672 pieces.

-It did however dump all of the water from the AC onto my floor. And trail the water through the hallway, through the living room, and into the kitchen as I dragged it out in a box to store it until next summer. It's going to be interesting when I take it out of its moldy box next July.

Nothing too thrilling coming up in the next few days. If you're not already a regular reader, you might want to check out Molly's blog, if not for her brilliant insights, then for her stunning recap of Zabe's wedding last weekend in one of her recent posts.

In case we haven't mentioned it to you, we're having a Halloween party here on Saturday. Costumes, beer, candy, pumpkins, and maybe some karaoke. It doesn't get much better than that.I also want to play that game where you tie doughnuts to a string up high and have to eat them without your hands and you get the powder all over your face, but I haven't figured out how to attach the string to the ceiling. So we'll see. Anyway, if you know where we live, we'd love to have you come celebrate the greatest day of the year.


Luckily, Kate's enthusiasm for the holiday hasn't faded

Straight from the motherland

Charlotte's here! And that means I've eaten so much English chocolate today and yesterday that I've had a constant stomache ache. Charlotte's cool not just because she says funny things like slowpoke and aluminium and car park and pronounces "no" noooorrr. She's also cool because she always brings lots of presents!

Here's Charlotte with the bath toy she got me. It's a lobster named Nipper.



And here's the blow-up lobster chair she brought. Kate's making me put it somewhere where she can't see it.


And she got us some clay with little plastic add-ons like Mr. Potato Head has, and we made little guys.


Oh yeah, and then I turned six.

Zabe & Chris!

What a weekend....!



their first dance






The other Mr. and Mrs.






A few drinks later...















This weekend was tons of fun...it's safe to say anytime two Union alums get married, it'll be a good party. I got to catch up with lots of friends, wear a fancy dress while drinking Bud Light, watch Sara attempt to make her entire bridesmaid speech rhyme, see what frat guys can do to a hotel room, dance up a storm (or more accurately, a very ugly storm, if you've ever been an unfortunate witness to my dancing), and of course, celebrate with the new Mr. and Mrs. Geraghty!! I've been looking forward to this for so long, and the weekend went by way too fast. The next time I talk to Zabe I'm going to see if she'll get married again in another month. Maybe the could renew their vows or something.

And next time, I'm going to be the reverand.

Congrats, Zabe & Chris! :)

Make that two Amstels

Last night I got to be Kate's very special guest at her work's dinner to thank the people who had to put up with the crankiness of the staff during their long summer hours. Really though it was just an excuse to go to a fancy shmancy restaurant in the city and drink a lot. And my god do they like to drink. I've never seen a group of professionals get so excited about an open bar.

The voicemails that Kate left me today, retelling the scandals that apparently occurred at the dinner after we left (Laguna was on at 10 and we had to catch at least a few minutes of it), reminded me of some pictures that Kristen sent a few days ago. The title of the email was "Reasons not to drink." I might rename it "What happens when you get Losured." Enjoy these pictures of what happens after a few too many Michi Ultras, glasses of red wine (perhaps some Jenga), G&T's, or your drink of choice.

Star of the Week

I haven't blogged in a really long time, and I missed a lot of things.

Like the fact that it was Lucas's birthday this week.

Studying a piece of celery. He's really into his veggies.
Happy 23rd, Puker.

I also missed telling you that I was Star of the Week in first grade this week. I got to wear a really cool badge on my shirt every day, and hang up a poster in the classroom that showed important pictures from my life. It was very special.



And I missed the fact that yesterday I slept until 1:50 in the afternoon. The last time I did that was when I was thirteen. And even then I was usually up by 12ish. Almost 12 hours. I missed two meals. I never do that. But it was so incredible...I felt on top of the world all day.

Also, we got a new roommate this week. Last weekend, Helen moved out (with her KHAkis).
Nine Acadia knew how to get down

Belly Fat (Phat?) now resides in Brighton, and Gillian has begun to move into her room (and by move, I mean she's placed piles of folded clothes around the perimeter of the room. It's an interesting design concept).


Good Luck, Gilldog

I have a really short week coming up at work, and I'm very excited about it. And then...THEN, we leave Friday afternoon for Zabe's wedding in VT.

Sweet beaver. Go Pats. Halloween is in 3 weeks. We're having a party here on the 29th, are you coming?

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah

Somewhere in my 23 years on this earth, I developed the belief that non-tan is ugly. Actually, I don't care what your skin looks like (unless it's that really really really blindingly pale skin, because I don't think anyone should have to look at that), but I just don't like my skin color if it's not tan. This is unfortunate for me since I'm not tan for 75% of the year, and also because I'd like to live past 40 and with mildly unshriveled skin. Anyway, it's been three and a half weeks since I was at either the beach or pool, and I think a little piece of me dies every morning when I notice that my arms and legs are returning to their pale wintry color. I do realize this is a dumb thing to be whining about, but it's just another reason why when I become ruler of the world I'll be changing the seasons to be 87 degrees and higher for 9 months of the year, with one month of blizzard-like conditions, and two months of spring.

The upside of my fading tan is that it means my favorite holiday is just over a month away. Half a dozen pumpkins now adorn the apartment, as well as a big bowl of candy corn. I'm holding off on any further pumpkin and ghost decorations, for fear that my Halloween-hating roommates might kill me if they have to deal with a cackling witch everytime they walk through a doorway for an entire month. (Seriously though, when did it stop being fun to dress up and eat candy?)

Time to sit down to work on a lesson plan and watch the Sox. Perhaps some ironing and making lunch for tomorrow too. My night will be so exciting I can hardly contain myself. I think I need a new Depends.

My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard

That song's been stuck in my head for about 3 weeks now. I think it's starting to wear on those around me, mostly because I randomly feel the need to sing that nine-word phrase in a high voice.

You know when you were little, and you got to be at the front of the line when you went to lunch or gym or something? Or when the teacher let you call on someone to answer? I'm finding that's one of the coolest things about teaching. I always get to lead the line out to recess or to art. And even though I'm 17 years older than them, it's still lots of fun. And standing there with 15 pairs of eyes looking at me, and picking one to write their best lowercase "h" on the chalkboard...well, that's a lot of fun too.

I'm slowly starting not to mind this whole "working 5 days a week" thing as much, though I'm still annoyed on principle with the fact that I'm actually paying to work. That seems wrong. Yet so right. No wait, just wrong. I did some fun things this week...I learned a new math game, sang a new song about spreading sunshine and joy, and I taught a lesson on telling time to the hour, which was funny because I couldn't tell time on a clock with hands until around 6th grade. And it wasn't until sometime in high school when I could sort of smoothly.

I'm listening right now to Kate's side of the phone conversation with Losure, who is about to experience his first hurricane out in Texas. I was getting the idea from my hours in front of the weather channel that the storm was going more north and not that direction inland. But from what I can tell through Kate's conversation, I think Losure decided to self-evacuate himself, as he is currently getting his pillow and blanket set up to sleep in the computer lab. And isn't drinking tonight...opting instead to stock up on food.
Godspeed, Losure.

The most dramatic transformation ever

Last night I typed up an incredible post, easily the most intelligent and thoughtful piece I've ever written in my life. But when I clicked "post" and left my computer, my internet decided to be screwy and not load the new page. I lost all of my amazing words and pictures and whined for a little while. I didn't really want to rewrite it, but I'm home from school, and without any lessons to get ready for tomorrow, and class still 3 days away I decided I might as well write to kill the few hours I have before I have to go back tonight and be Miss Gross again for "Back to school" night.

So.

Last weekend at Chris and Beth's wedding, Zabe told me that she and Chris decided they didn't want their priest marrying them next month. Instead, they asked her uncle to do the ceremony. He agreed, and was ordained online through the Universal Life Church. I got home, thought it sounded cool, got on my computer, and a few forms later I became a reverand. I can do weddings, last rites, and a few other things that I can't remember. I just can't do circumcision, which is fine because I don't really want to. Let me know if you need me at your wedding. If you want, maybe I could do some interpretive signing for some of your hard of hearing guests?

Check it out:


I stayed up too late watching the Emmy's. They weren't too exciting though because I realized I don't watch too many quality shows that were nominated. Oddly, Laguna Beach and Real World weren't up for any Emmy's. I did however watch a little bit of the pre-show on E. I'm a sucker for the red carpet. Earlier in college I used to like to watch "The View" if I didn't have class in the morning. I haven't seen it in a while though, so I was ill-prepared for the dramatic shrinkage that took place with Star Jones. Her body is about 100 pounds thinner I'd guess, but her head appears to be about the same size. It's sort of freaky. The second picture wasn't actually from last night, it might have been a year ago, so imagine the body even smaller but still the Shrek-like head.

Before


And after.



And this one was just too good to pass up

Two weddings and a funeral (Minus the funeral and one wedding)

This weekend we packed up and headed out to central NY for Beth and Chris's wedding. And that means I've entered a new stage of my life...the stage where my friends start to get married. And it's weird.

To kick off the weekend, Kate and I got up before 6 on Saturday to drive out to Utica. I got coffee for the first time. It had the potential to be scary (read: rammy) but I think Kate would agree that it wasn't that horrible. Now, if you are a frequent reader of Kate's blog, you probably already know and are horrified by the fact that Kate likes to take pictures while she drives. During the four and a half hour trip on the highway, I was able to capture these sort of scary moments. Allow me to show you pictures from the other side of things.



Equally scary, is when she puts on makeup while driving. You'll notice in the second picture that her eyes are closed as she puts on eye shadow.





The wedding was lots of fun, though I still felt like I was way too young to be at the wedding of one of my friends. But that might've been because Kate was making me laugh at the church during the ceremony. Once I got drunk I think I told Beth at least 4 or 5 times how weird it was that I was at her wedding.






Molly couldn't come, so like any classy group of girls, we set up her name place and drew a picture of her, and took the picture up to the bar, the dance floor, and to eat.




She was a little messy with the strawberries


Zabe had to cut her off


More photos: http://ericg.net/stacy/gallery/album17


Congratulations, Beth and Chris!!!