The Not-So-Secret Diary of a Bad Luck Girl

So glad I took the day off today. My entire team is out, including my boss, though knowing him he’ll probably be sending bullshit emails all day and late into the night. Loser.

MB and I saw more movies this weekend. Sweeney Todd, which was pretty good, though Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter can’t really sing, and The Orphanage, which wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be.

Yesterday ES came into the city, and so we, MB, and YP all had dinner at Spoonbread. First time meeting the friends! It was pretty relaxed and fun overall, though I was a bit nervous. It’s the first time I’m introducing anyone to my friends since my ex. Crazy.

ES stayed over, and this morning we hung out with SB. Ellie was at her grandparents’ so we missed seeing her. At the same time though, it was nice to be able to have a peaceful meal and catch up without a three year old demanding attention or throwing food.

This afternoon I’ve been watching the Anthony Bourdain No Reservations marathon. Excellent! Now I’m totally hungry.

Tonight MB and I will be bar hopping in his area. Since neither of us drink – I’ll probably have one or two – it’ll be fun to observe all the drunk idiots. Maybe I’ll bring my camera.

It’s that time again! But rather than do a month-by-month, as I’ve done in the past, this year I’ve decided to do a post on 32 things I learned. Why 32? Cuz that’s how many there are.

1) L.A. has awesome food and my cousin’s baby Mia is adorable.
2) New York has awesome food too
3) I love running (duh).

4) I like to procrastinate by writing about procrastination.
5) An awesome 8-hour date doesn’t necessarily lead to happily ever after.

6) I’m supposedly negative.
7) I’m no good at being positive.
I’m good at ranting about someone I hate.

9) I’m supposedly a worrier.
10) At the time I can be very positive about a breakup, and in retrospect I can recognize when someone has been projecting their anxiety onto me and making me feel like I’m the anxious, worried one, when I wasn’t before meeting said individual.
11) When someone answers, “Let’s just live in the moment,” to your question, “Are you dating anyone else?” it’s a red flag.
12) When someone tells you his ex was also Asian, and when you say it’s not a big deal, and he says, “Don’t repress your feelings,” it’s really him that has a problem with his ex also being Asian and not you.
13) When someone who is not drinking insists that you shouldn’t feel the need not to drink just because of him although you’ve told him a million times that you are allergic to alcohol, that it’s him who really wants a drink.
14) A man who NEVER lets you pay your half, at the same time complaining that he’s poor and after you’ve offered to pay, has a real problem.
15) Hindsight is 20/20.
16) Bastard.

17) 35 can be a really depressing birthday.

18) I like TV.

19) 35 is not too late for a career change.
20) Las Vegas sucks.
21) D.C. does not.

22) Bear Grylls rocks.
23) So does running in Central Park.
24) So does a steam pipe explosion in midtown, which I somehow don’t hear.

25) One fun date with a history professor also doesn’t mean happily ever after.
26) Library science is popular. Who knew?

27) Naked comedy doesn’t equate pretty, or even funny, comedy.
28) A first date in a dark bar is not a good idea.
29) A first date in a well-lit musem is.

30) Dressing up for Halloween can be fun as hell.

31) Seeing naked comedy can be even less fun than it was the first time.

32) It’s possible to find the right person.

Wah, back at work and so don’t want to be.

My boss was especially annoying last week, which makes me even less motivated. Not only is he annoying, he’s a terrible manager. For example, he’ll blame the team for not doing something that he never told us to do. After getting chewed out in a meeting, he’ll turn to us later and say, “You guys should have done that,” when he never stressed the importance before.

I know I have to stick it out till I finish school, but I don’t know how much longer I can take. Today I looked at job postings again. You know the highest level secretary here – what they call a “coordinator” – makes only a little less than I do, and probably the same with overtime? So tempting, though I’d never be allowed to take a demotion.

Yes, that’s how bad it is.

Otherwise I had a lovely few days off. Spent lots of time with MB. We saw Juno, which we both really liked. I also enjoyed the soundtrack quite a bit and might buy it. Last night we saw, get this, Aliens vs Predator: Requiem, a pure MB choice, though I’m a total Alien fan and thought it might have some promise. Not! Some of the fight scenes were cool, but the rest of it was just horrible. I don’t need David Mamet dialogue, but at least I don’t want to be rolling my eyes every two seconds.

We also did quite a bit of work, he cooked a few times, and we went shopping one day.

I went to the ‘rents’ on Monday. It was uneventful. I realized what I had planned to give my mom – a bunch of treats from Jacques Torres and some coffee from the Porto Rico Trading Company – wasn’t enough so I suggested a trip to the mall.

We thought it’d be a madhouse, but it was quite empty. By 4ish everyone had skedaddled to start Christmas Eve dinner. It was just me and my parents and Mongolian hotpot so we weren’t in any rush. Ended up getting a Nordstrom gift card for my mom, and a couple of books for my dad, as well as a few things for myself (new jeans, long sleeved Ts, undies).

One night is definitely enough at the ‘rents. By the next morning, they were bugging me about stuff. 401K, where I’ll work after my degree, buying an apartment in the city. Okay, gotta go! Was back in the city Tuesday afternoon.

MB and I both took yesterday off, and just had a lovely day together.

The main reason I’m crabby today is that I actually have meetings. From 11 to 3. Oh wait, the 2 is canceled. Yay! And the 11 may not take the whole hour. I had ANOTHER meeting at 10 but I totally skipped it. I’m sick of this place.

Click, click, wine basket for dad. Click, click, coffee basket for mom. Throw the brother some cash and I’m done.

Of course this isn’t how it used to be. In the past, I’d kill myself looking for the perfect gifts for my in-laws. Comfy pajamas for my ailing MIL, a beautiful pen box for the FIL, whatever for the BIL and his snooty wife. I have to admit I was sort of competitive with them, and relished when one of my parents-in-law received a gift they always but never knew they wanted.

Now I don’t care.

I’ve been working on my memoir a lot, and the other day I was writing about these old family dynamics I dealt with, namely the competition/jealousy with my SIL, who cared very much about her appearance, wasn’t interested in being friends with me, and was somewhat favored by my in-laws.

Anyway, so I was writing about that while hanging out with MB at his place (he was working away at his projects), and I thought, How different my life is. Just a few years ago I was dealing with in-law bullshit, and now here I am hanging out with this beautiful boy, being creative and feeling loved and free.

Crazy.

Rough week at work. Too many meetings, annoying boss. Tomorrow should be relaxed. Then I’m off till Thursday. Woohoo! Five day weekend here I come.

So MB and I did end up seeing I Am Legend, though at midnight cuz all the other shows were sold out. While we were waiting in line, a fight broke out. What the – ?

I didn’t see anything, but according to MB, someone messed with this burly Russian guy’s girlfriend, and the burly Russian guy landed the harrasser with one punch. Next thing, the harrasser and three of his friends were on the Russian guy. Security didn’t show up for 10 or 15 minutes, and it was the Russian guy who was asked to leave.

Aside from that, the movie was good, though there were people who just wouldn’t shut up.

Saturday night we saw a revival of Army of Darkness. Very campy and fun to see in a theatre. Apparently that same theatre showed Star Trek: Wrath of Kahn over the summer. Wish I had seen it.

Lots of writing and hanging out with MB on Sunday.

I just realized that I haven’t bought any Christmas gifts, and Christmas is in a week. Crap! Time to get online.