Steph Visits

Stephanie came to visit! 

And it was really fun. 

The last time we saw each other was a year and a half ago.  She came to Albany and stayed in my apartment for a few days and it was wonderful! ...except I got the stomach bug.  So there was a lot of sitting on the couch and doing nothing.  Still, it's always so nice just to be physically around the people you love best.  BUT it was a bummer not to be able to do anything.  

Wellllll well well fast forward a bit.  Steph and I had been talking about visiting for a while and then two days before we embarked on our trip to Disney I get a text from the lady herself - 

"What are you doing Wednesday?"  

I said something like DAMMIT to myself, worried that we'd be in an entirely different state the one time Stephanie could travel.  But!  I looked at the calendar and phew, we'd be back in time.  Superb.  

I responded and it was set.  

BUT there was a storm and another crazy turn of events (don't want to get into it here) and we were held up a bit.  Instead of returning on Tuesday, we returned on Wednesday.  And instead of returning early Wednesday, so I'd still be home before Steph's arrival, we returned late Wednesday.  There was a lot of traffic.

(Side note:  I feel like I've become really patient as I get older, and I'm so glad.  This traffic would have been so much worse if I had been in a piss mood from it.  The kids were asleep during it [God is real and cares about me] and I spent most of it hoping/praying people in the accident were okay, listening to my Glee soundtrack (go on and judge), and cracking up because my gps asked me if I'd like it to switch over to pedestrian use.  Over all - not bad.)

Stephanie was cool about it and we pushed her visit back a day.  And then she overslept, and she arrived HOURS later than planned.  I laughed at how smoothly everything went.  

SO, the visit.  We went hiking/walking in a nearby park, we played tennis (wow I need practice.  and to lose weight.  and just general life changes???), we looked at goats.  We did my two favorite NC things: watched the sun rise while sitting on a cliff and we went down Sliding Rock - mountain turned water slide.  

It was so, so nice to see her again.  There were times we were in the car and I felt like everything was back to "normal" even though living together hasn't been our "normal" for years.  We've both changed in some ways, of course, but some of our tendencies have remained the same.  I rolled my eyes real hard when we got in the car and she turned off the air conditioner and said, "Can we just open the windows and have real air?!"  smh.  JUST like old times.  

I sooo enjoyed the whole thing.  The conversations, the drives, the cracking up during Spy. (btw - go see Spy.)  I was so surprised that she made it through Sliding Rock.  Stephanie is fun and adventurous... but she does not like the cold.  No sirree.  As we were driving deeper into the forest the temperature kept dropping and I hoped she couldn't see it on my dashboard because I really, really wanted her to try it.  I didn't want the fact that it was 70 degrees change her mind.  But!  She did it and it was hilarious.  We didn't take pictures, but omgosh.  It's like ice when you hit the water.  Luckily, you go numb, so you can't feel it long, but damn it's cold at first.   The video makes it look tamer than it is.

We hung out on a creek for a while and she skipped rocks for the first time ever.  We ate some overpriced ice cream and chatted and it was lovely.  Nothing like running mountain water for background noise.

She's also a vegetarian now, which miiight have brought on a few eye rolls and a couple rounds of "well, she can just eat cookies."  But it all worked out and I made tomato tortellini soup (one of my favorites) and kept the vegetarian-mocking to a minimum.  Good friend that I am and all. 

I was sad when she had to leave, but I'm so super glad we were able to visit before I head back north.  And I think I need to start making it a point to see my friends more often when possible.  

I also just realized I haven't done a person post for Steph!  That's got to go on my to-do list this month.  

* * *

Oh, you want to see a ton of low-quality phone pictures?  Your wish is my command!  

Til tomorrow. 

__

Charlotte

    

Disney Trip

I've got a bunch of blog posts floating around about life, politics, visits with friends, etc.  

But first let's talk about the happiest.

If you know me, you probably know that I love Disney.  Not the place, just the whole damn thing.  The movies, the brand, the old store in the Massapequa Mall.  SO of course, I've been dying to go to Disney since I was a bebe.  (Fun fact: In the days leading up to the trip I played some of the old movies for my sister and cousins.  They were VHS.  1. The kids were like, "What are those??"  2. During the previews/coming attractions there are commercials for Disney World.  If you're older than 20 you probably know what I'm talking about.  The commercial starts with kids dreaming of Disney and the parents are smitten, knowing the little darlings WILL TOTALLY BE TAKING A SURPRISE TRIP THERE WOW OMGOSH.  The girls got a kick out of them.)  

So yes.  I've wanted to go for forever.  The 15 year old has wanted to go forever.  The 11-and-unders were excited, but they had nothing on our excitement.  Go figure.  

My uncle decided he was going to send us to Disney... and wanted to book the trip for just a few days later.  This is the part I'll probably block out.  Many, many phone calls were made to Disney.  For the most part, their customer service people are really helpful.  Their website was slightly less helpful.  And by slightly I mean it kind of sucked.  (Once the trip was booked the website was really great, though.)  Finally, the trip was booked, everything was paid, and I let myself start to get excited.  

Being the occasional over-analyzer, I read blog post upon blog post - I wanted to know as much as possible.  I've never been on a real vacation (Not trying to sound like an ungrateful b - I've been camping and gone to cool tourist-y places while visiting family and friends and I've thoroughly enjoyed those things.  My point is just that the vacation thing is new to me, and I needed to glean a little insight on planning one.) so I felt like there was a lot for me to learn in a really short period of time.  I got a few eye rolls from my family when I told them I was researching Disney and figuring out how we should plan the days.  They were pretty much in agreement that we should just go and wing it.  And really, I think the trip would have been amazing even if I didn't plan things out a bit.  But, I'm very glad I did.  And I'm just a little proud of myself for doing a damn good job with the itinerary.  If (jk - when) I go back, I'm going to plan similarly.  

I made some super corny itineraries for each of us (I thought it would be cute for the littles to have a personalized copy with their names on it as a sort of keepsake).  Giving them to each kid worked out great.  It kept them quiet for a little while during the ride as they each read it, it gave them things to discuss, and it got them pretty excited.  It was also good for the littlest one.  She's working on reading and needs all the practice she can get - she loved reading things off to us and she did a great job of retaining the info.  Throughout the trip she'd come up to me and say things like, "Charlotte, the parade is at 9, and it's not too far from Frontierland and and and..."  It was very sweet. 

From my Disney-blog-post reading spree, I learned which rides were prone to the longest lines, which restaurants were good for certain times of the day, and for which rides we should try to get Fastpasses.  I didn't want to be an over-planner and have the schedule be too rigid, so I only included a few rides/attractions.  Of course, the Fastpass rides were scheduled, but I also put on the itinerary that we'd need to do the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and other popular rides first thing in the morning.  There were certain rides that almost every blogger said had insane lines, so I got Fastpasses where possible and suggested early morning or late night times if the passes weren't available.  I made sure to include a list of what attractions were in each area, so that while it wasn't a strict schedule, everyone would have an idea of what rides they'd want to hit up while we were making our way to or from the Fastpass rides.  It all went really, really smoothly.  We were only in Magic Kingdom for a day and a half, and we all got to ride everything we wanted.  We rode our favorites at least twice.  And the longest we waited on any line was half an hour and that was only once.  Beforehand I read horror stories of 2-3 hour waits, so I think we lucked out (/planned well).  Other than the 30 minute Splash Mountain wait, we typically waited under 10-15 minutes.  It was awesome.

Fun fun fun. 

Just before the big drop on Splash Mountain, Rose, the youngest one (sitting next to me in that picture), excitedly yelled, "Okay girls!  Here we go!  Hands up, girls!  Hands up!"  

And then she chickened out.  And everyone other than me ignored her.  I have no shame, though.

So yes.  Favorite rides.  Space Mountain was my absolute favorite.  We rode it twice.  Oddly, I liked it better when I wasn't in the front seat (weird, because normally that's the most thrilling spot - it certainly was with Splash Mountain).  I thought riding a roller coaster in the dark was just the coolest thing ever.  Some of our party didn't go the second time because it had been broken earlier in the day, and Rebecca told me after that she didn't enjoy the second time because she worried about it breaking down the entire way, but I thought it made it more exciting.

I guess my second favorite was Splash Mountain (though, fun-sucker alert, I don't love getting soaked when I'm in regular clothes).  It was everyone else's favorite.  I loved the balance of thrill (sort of?  you know, drops and stuff) and beauty.  Some of the rides, like the Ariel and Peter Pan rides, were very slow and somewhat boring but I loved them because they were soooo pretty.  I liked that Splash Mountain had the fun but was also really beautiful.  

Little aside - the demons kids were just a leeeettle irritating regarding the rides.  We used Fastpasses mostly for thrill rides, but we used two of them for the slow rides (Ariel and Peter Pan).  When we got off of the roller coasters, some of the kids complained that they were too fast! too scary! and when we got off of the scenic rides, some of the SAME KIDS complained that they were too slow! too boring!  

Shut up, kids.  

Personally, I always thought Disney would be more about the whole magic thing and less about thrill, so I loved the slow rides that make you feel like you're in a different world.  IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MAGICAL, KIDS, ENJOY IT.  I also liked that the "thrill" rides weren't the same as "thrill" rides at places like Six Flags because I totally forgot my motion sickness medicine at the hotel.  Luckily, the lack of flips and sharp drops meant I was okay, though Space Mountain left me feeling... less than stellar.  

HA.  Sorry.  Okay, moving on.    

So yeah, the rides were great.  The amount of detail is crazy. Also, the shows were pretty awesome. We did Mickey's PhilharMagic the first day and looooved it.  The air conditioning was a welcome reprieve from the nasty great outdoors and the show itself was so fun.  It was nice to see throwbacks to the old Disney movies, and the special effects were amazing.  I'm purposely leaving out detail because one of my two blog readers is Liz, and she and I are planning a Disney trip and I don't want to ruin the surprises for her.  All I'll say is that I'd be content to go to Disney and just watch this show over and over and not-under again.  

Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor was also really cool.  Won't lie, I expected it to suck.  I thought it would be a five or ten minute clip of lame jokes or something.  But!  It was interactive and it was hilarious.  I want to meet whoever is behind it and be good friends with them.  I laughed my ass off the entire time.  (One of the guests who was picked to participate was reluctant and it was clear she was nervous... during the mind-reading act, she was told to think of a number between 1 and 40, and she says, "35."  Out loud.  It was funny.)  If it hadn't been after 9 on our last night there, I definitely would have gone for a second show.  My cousin remarked that I should look into working as one of the people who make fun of members of the audience.  The highest compliment! 

The first night, we ate dinner at the Plaza Restaurant and it was perfect because there was a great view of the Castle.  The reservation was for 8:45, and by the time fireworks went off, so few people were inside that we were able to watch out the window while eating ice cream.  The next night we did the whole stand-in-the-massive-crowds thing for the real experience.  The fireworks were terrific and I may or may not have teared up at the very end of Celebrate the Magic when Walt talks about it all beginning with a mouse.

Overall - incredible.  I totally get why people go back every year.  I also get why they call it the happiest place on Earth.  Every single person working there was wonderful.  Everywhere you look there's something beautiful.  The rides are fun.  The "magic" is believable.  It's awesome.  I can't wait to go back.  

* * *
I didn't take as many pictures as I normally would because I wanted to make sure I was actually enjoying the experience.  I didn't take ANY of Wishes!  But I'm happy knowing I didn't miss anything while I was looking at a camera.  Here are a few of the ones we did get:

"oh wow look even the bathrooms look appropriate to movie" 

Literally took this as I was standing up to run for the bathroom because, fun! I got sick that night.  Charlotte's the name, throwing up is the game.  

I'm like, not sure if I got enough photos of the castle.

__
Charlotte 

    

  

The Man Chronicles: Michael

Welcome to The Man Chronicles, a series at THL.  Or more accurately, an "occasional series" because my dating life is very Miranda Hobbes circa her panic attack aka sources for post subjects are scarce.  I really get my flirt on with the Chinese food guy, though.   

Series motto (for now!), methinks: "Do any of you have a completely unremarkable friend or maybe a houseplant I could go to dinner with on Saturday night?"

Check out other installments here. 

We left off with Matt and Jay, which was a real bore-fest (and creep-fest in the case of Jay).  

But luckily, things spice up a bit with Michael.  A very little bit. 

* * * 

I met Michael in a political science class my first semester of college.  The class was huge but the professor broke us up into teams, so we were forced to make friends, ugh.  (Mostly kidding.)  So he and I ended up being put in the same group and we got along really well.  He was a nice guy, he could carry a conversation well enough, and he was somewhat funny.  He didn't make the funniest jokes in the world, but he laughed at everyone else's, so that's something.  He was very easy going and likable.  

You know how groups will schedule study sessions or projects and then only two or three people show up?  That happened a few times, which meant I had a couple one-on-one conversations with Michael (I'm going to start calling him Mike now because full name sounds too formal..) and we became friends.  And then things got REAL and we became Facebook friends, woah.  So we often chatted online, we saw each other on the quad all the time, and we talked in class and in group meet-ups.  There was definitely flirting, but nothing that really suggested interest in a relationship at that point.  And then one night, I had just taken a shower so I was in less than glamorous pajamas (leggings and a sweatshirt ftw) and I'm pretty sure I had just thrown my hair up in a bun instead of doing anything with it when our Facebook convo went something like this: 

"Yeah I'm just going to watch a movie." 

"Oh that sounds fun." 

"Yeah, you can come over and watch one some time."

"Okay!  You live in Montauk Hall, right?  I'll be over in a few."

"Uh..... okay yeah."

You're coming here?  Now?  Why?

So yes.  I wasn't mad, but I wasn't looking forward to it, either.  It felt like a self-invite and I had totally planned on spending the night watching crappy movies and chatting with my friends.  There went those plans.  

So he came over, we watched Valkyrie in the most awkward way ever - he sat on my bed, I sat on my desk chair, and then... he didn't leave?  

I didn't say anything or ask him to leave, but I was just so over it (I looked like crap, I couldn't watch my movies, etc.) but then he just kind of laid down on the bed, grabbed the remote, and put TV on.  I believe we watched The Terminator?  Or the end of it?  And then it was over and I was like, "Okay, I'll see ya!"  And I suppose he finally got it because he stood up to leave.  

My God, the next two minutes we the most awkward of.. that semester.  

He stood up, faced me, and just STOOD THERE.  Didn't do anything.  So there we were, just standing there and then he went to hug me.  Fine, whatever.  I'll hug.  Weird, but okay.  

So we hug and then this dude just KEEPS STANDING THERE, AGAIN.  And in my head I'm just like, "What do you want?  I need to go to bed, please leave."  (In an amused sort of way, not an angry way.)  

Then he leans in and hugs me again and I'm starting to wonder if he's okay?  Maybe is he dying?  Is he sick?  Does he think we'll never see each other again?  Should I call back up?  

Mostly I'm being dramatic, but really.. 

So then that hug ends and, because we're all fond of patterns, he once again stands there.  

BUT THEN he leans in, differently, and it hits me, this mother effer wants to kiss.  I'm all for it, except, well no, I'm not.  Two hours ago I thought we were just friends and then what?  Valkyrie transforms us into more-than-friends?  I wasn't really feeling it, plus I'm not great with relationships as is, so my literal thought process was, "Oh.  He wants to make out.  Gross."  

I'm so lovely.

(Lest any potential man is reading and thinks I am against kissing - I AM NOT.  Just wasn't feeling this.) 

I wasn't about to make out though, so it was short and simple and then finally he left and I could have some peace and quiet.    

Obviously, I called one of my best friends, Dana.  I told her the whole story, and then, because we really were meant to be friends, she goes,

"Ew, gross, he kissed you?  Did he stick his tongue down your throat?"

I think I said something like yes we kissed but EW, NO.

Related aside: I once read an interview with Zac Efron in which he says he hates when people use too much tongue while kissing, and that an ideal kiss involves only a little bit of tongue.  I wholeheartedly agree.  Maybe I should date Zac Efron?  

HAHAHA

So yes, Mike. He went back to his own dorm and then sent me a Facebook message about having fun and said we were like twins because of similar interests and I just sat in my chair, bemused.  Twins?  I think maybe if we're kissing we should figure out a different way to convey that we have some shared interests.  

Things were a little awkward for a few days and the next weekend my suitemates and I were having a little shindig.  He texted me a few times and I told him he was more than welcome to come by, but he was insistent that I leave and go to his room.  I politely said no, but he kept on keeping on, so I stopped answering his texts.  But then he called a few times and I got so annoyed.  He said some really rude things and then told a mutual friend he was pissed I wouldn't go there and sleep with him and I pretty much cut things off there.  (This made class really fun.)  I don't really harbor any ill will toward him, though I thought the way he acted that weekend was.. less than classy?  

There's some regret or "what if" thoughts with some of the guys I've talked to, but definitely not with Mike.  Again, I don't feel negatively about him or toward him, I just don't think a relationship with him was in the cards anyway.  All is well with that one.  

Next up: Nice guy Chuck. 

__

Charlotte 

The Man Chronicles - All the Posts

You can find all of the posts from this series here;

The Man Chronicles: An Introduction 
The Man Chronicles: Matt and Jay 
The Man Chronicles: Michael
The Man Chronicles: Quick Question (aka help)
The Man Chronicles: Chuck

June into July | 2015

Ah, my monthly post.  I think after this, I'm going to start doing these on the last day of each month to make things less confusing.  

Over all, this month has not been a good one.  Really bad, actually.  People dropping off of the face of the earth, hospital trips, poison ivy, plans getting postponed, aaannnddd (this is awk to include in a blog that I know some of my male friends read but) a month-long period.  One whole month.  Which, aside from being annoying and uncomfortable, has meant constant pain, really bad moods, headaches, and weight gain.  It's been just swell. 

But let's try to think about some of the good things?  It'd be a little sad to write a monthly summary that only includes the worst of the worst.  

1. Trip to New York. 

Most unflattering pic but look how huge my lil bro is.

This was frustrating because I was given about eight hours notice before having to make a 13 hour drive.  I went up to get my sister and cousins... so the ride back was an adventure.  Me, 15 year old, 11 year old, 10 year old, and an 8 year old.  Many, many stops were made.  

But I got to see some of my friends, hang out with my younger sibs a bit, and went to the beach.  I don't know how, but I had let years go by since the last time I swam in salt water.

(Dana, if you're reading, let's make sure to take a picture together next time, because I don't have any.)

New York consisted of beach trips, long drives down Montauk Highway, sunsets, and watching skydivers.  Also a lot of food.  Pizza, rice balls, French onion soup, coffee, coffee, coffee, egg sandwiches.  NY is really the best place for food. 

I also had a minor stresspisode when faced with buying a bathing suit.  I've lost a lot of weight over the last year, but I'm still way heavier than what I want to be or should be, so it's a stressful endeavor as is but Target just... is not the place to go for a bathing suit if you wear anything above a large.  When I'm at my ideal size - between 155-175 (according to how I feel and to doctors/charts), I wear a large.  Targets selection was dismal for anything other than xs and s.  So yeah.  We left Target in bad moods, but my cousin said, "Why not just stop at Walmart?"  I rolled my eyes because if Target didn't have anything suitable, Walmart obviously wouldn't have anything either.  Buuut my sister and cousin helped me look and we found one I liked and that fit me and that did not have a price tag.  This last bit worked out great, because the manager said to find another top by that same brand and use that price.  So Rebecca went ahead and found a $10 suit by the same brand even though the one I picked prrrrobably would have cost more but yes, winnings.    

I also used some of my time on LI to check out my dream house and spent a lot of time at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Island, which is always super peaceful and calming.  (pics at bottom.)

2. Insomnia

Okay, okay - this isn't a good thing.  But for the last week it's been a big thing.  I haven't been sleeping.  This usually happens when I'm very stressed and/or when depression hits worst.  I know what situation is causing it, but it's out of my control.  I've been handling the stress and emotions better during the day, but I can't get to sleep.  I've resorted to taking three benadryl every couple of nights, but it's not an ideal or even real solution.  I feel like a zombie, and I get less done during the days because it's hard to focus when you're sleep deprived.  Any suggestions on how to get to sleep are welcome. 

3.  Swimming

Specifically, swimming in mountain water.  

I love the ocean and the bay, but there's nothing like sliding down an actual mountain into a pool of fresh, moving water.

Although there's nothing quite colder than that, either. 

Since coming to North Carolina, I really haven't been doing enough hiking and swimming, which was one of the main motivators behind staying.  

I'm prioritizing this for the next month. 

4. Like a pill

I've finally (finally [finally]) started taking vitamins.  It makes me a little nauseous because when it says "take one each morning with food" I read it as "take one each morning with coffee."  So I've got to work on my morning eating habits.  

Not like a pill but somewhat related since it's got to do with overall health/well being, I've started using this aromatherapy lotion body cream stuff (totally the technical name) from Bath and Body Works and you guys, I think it works.  Which is saying something because I'm a skeptic with this kind of thing.  I bought it while it was on sale for $5 and I'm regretting not buying more of them. 

5. School stuff

I want to write another post on this later in the week with more details, but school might not be happening in the fall.  Someone was going to help pay for it, and it's starting to look like that might no longer be the case, which means I'll need the fall to save the money myself.  I'm trying (not always succeeding) to not get too down about this by telling myself that it'll give me time for that surgery we're hoping to get as well as time to fix the room I'll be staying in at my family's house.  It currently has holes in the walls and the baseboard is broken and missing in one spot, and you can literally see the outside world from inside.  While nothing is set in stone yet, I'm trying to focus on the stuff I'd be able to do before going to school.  

* * *

Just little fun things this month:

 Jurassic World, which I almost always just call "Jurassic Park." 

I loved it.  Chris Pratt was great.  And I know I might get some side-eye from this, but I think he was better looking in this movie than in Guardians of the Galaxy.  After seeing (and loving) that movie, I didn't really understand the obsession with Pratt.  I do now.  

My friend Joe didn't like the ending (is two giant dinosaurs fighting too corny?) and I've heard quite a bit of agreement from others on that.  But I'm all for corny endings.  I really wanted that dinosaur to go down, and I'm glad the t-rex could deliver, even if the roar at the end was massively cheesy.  

Also, I was so glad when Vic Hoskins bit the dust.  I don't think I've ever rooted for a movie character to die like that before.  

Best of both...

(Let it be known that this friend just informed me he doesn't like dinosaurs.  What in the world?  [I wasn't going to bring this up but now I'm feeling some type of way: he also dislikes baseball.  To Joseph McCarthy you go.])  

I can't wait to watch it again.  It's also making me want to go rent the original movies from the library.  

Actually, I think I'll do that this week.  

Another activity that's been a lot of fun?  Basketballllllll.  I've always loved basketball.  In my last Up To, I mentioned playing a bit, and being really, really bad.  Turns out I actually make a lot of the shots I take when I'm playing an actual game.  I think competition helps me. 

* * * 

Books

I'm very embarrassed to say I didn't read any books this month.  I started Pride and Prejudice and Seizing Your Divine Moment but haven't finished either.  Told you, rough month.  

* * * 

This month's to-do 

Figure out the school thing

Write book reviews for Better Than Before and Awaken the Spirit Within

Exercise more 

Schedule doctor appointments for late Aug/early Sept in NY

Publish blog posts four times a week 

* * * 

Links worth looking at

H is for Heartbreak - Amy Poehler's Smart Girls 

Losing my twin baby boys for ever changed the way I treat my patients - The Guardian

Ask Polly: How Can I Stay Happy When Tragedy Surrounds Me? - NY Mag/The Cut

Spunky 4-Year-Old Flower Girl Steals The Spotlight In Mom's Wedding Photo - HuffPo

Overheard - Yellow Paper Dress

Dispatch From Charleston: The Cost Of White Comfort

Report: Only 47,000 Social Justice Milestones To Go Before U.S. Achieves Full Equality - The Onion

Woman Removes Confederate Flag In Front Of South Carolina Statehouse - HuffPo

Inside Out Proves Studios Shouldn’t Fear Animated Movies Featuring Female Characters - Vulture

Channing Tatum Is Just As Great at Voguing As You Dreamed - Vulture

Powerless in the Face of White Supremacy and a Gun - RH Reality Check

What Is Benedict Cumberbatch & Sophie Hunter's Baby's Name? The Couple Just Welcomed A Son - Bustle

* * * 

Finally, some poor quality photos: 

__

Charlotte