Last week was extremely enjoyable, even if it seemed to zoom by far too quickly. I started the week with a visit to Dyeabolical and Scott, got to hang out with Rockit Ma’am and Nikki during the week, had lunch with Stsm, and then spent the weekend celebrating my three-year anniversary with Kelly by driving down with her to Evansville to spend time with Mira. Woot!

Last Sunday morning when I got up Dyeabolical was already awake. I joined her in the living room and we watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. When Scott woke up he made us breakfast before they left to see Dyeabolical’s dad for Father’s Day. I hung out in their apartment and read HPOP until they got back. We took a micro-nap and then went to Scott’s family’s house. They were extremely nice, and man, they can cook – I may have to invite myself up there every Father’s Day! I had a great time with them all.

Last Monday morning I drove back to Indianapolis to go to work. The phones were insane all day and I was relieved when things finally calmed down in the evening before I escaped. That night I went over to Rockit Ma’am’s to roleplay on the MUX. Rockit Ma’am hadn’t been feeling well so she was treating herself to the five-hour version of Pride and Prejudice – apparently Colin Firth is a panacea. I ate quickly and jumped online. Since the event that was supposed to happen that night failed to get off the ground, I hung out for a while and then logged off. Rockit Ma’am and I watched G.I. Joe: Resolute before calling it a night and snuggling up to sleep.

Last Tuesday night I took some time to myself to catch up on my huge backlog of email, journaling, and laundry. I still have a ton to do at home, but some time for just me was very good. I pleasantly wasted a lot of time trying to read everything on the Internet, and then buckled down and got some productivity done before bed. I stayed up late but was still able to sleep until I woke up on my own, fifteen minutes before my alarm.

Last Wednesday night I went back over to Rockit Ma’am’s after work. She was passed out asleep, exhausted after derby practice. I let her sleep while I talked to Dyeabolical on the phone and then carefully woke her up to see if she wanted to hang out or go back to sleep for the night. We moved to the couch to hang out and chat, but Rockit Ma’am was still really sleepy, so before long we decided to give up and just go back to bed.

Thursday I had lunch with Stsm before work, and after work picked up Nikki and brought her back to my apartment. Nikki wanted to help me with my latest attempt at healthier living, so she offered to work out with me in my building’s exercise room. I only spent about 20 minutes on the elliptical machine, but it was a start if nothing else. I steamed some pasta and veggies for dinner and then we called it a night.

Friday morning I brought Nikki to check out a car, which she bought (yay self-mobility!). We had lunch with Kelly, and then Kelly brought Nikki home so I could go into work. After work I went to Kelly’s, who managed to stay awake about 10 more minutes after I got there before passing out completely. I stayed up for a while reading more HPOP before turning off the light and joining her in slumber.

Saturday and Sunday Kelly and I were celebrating our three-year anniversary, so we went down to Evansville to spend all weekend snuggled in bed with Mira. We picked up my sister on the way down to Bloomington, and hung out with my mom for about an hour before heading over to Mira's. Mira cooked dinner Saturday night and made breakfast Sunday morning so we never had to leave her apartment! We got in plenty of lazy cuddles as well as spending time with her roommate while he played Final Fantasy X and worked on his chainmail. It was a wonderful escape and Mira made sure we both had an excellent time (without spending any money besides gasoline). Happy anniversary, Kelly! Thanks for being so amazing! Thanks as well to Mira for a fantastic time during our visit! B)

“The incompetence at the highest levels of government in Washington has undermined the U.S. troops who have fought honorably and bravely in Iraq, which is why the troops are now stuck in a murderous quagmire. If a Democratic administration had conducted a war this incompetently, the Republicans in Congress would be dusting off their impeachment manuals.” -- Bob Herbert

Sunday morning Rockit Ma’am and I stayed up near dawn around the bonfire, partially to enjoy the revelry, and partially because we didn’t want to return to our tent and freeze to death like we had the night before. When we did return to our tent we came up with a new sleeping bag arrangement that was much warmer and so we slept better than we had on Saturday. 

When Rockit Ma’am and I woke up we had some sandwiches, showered and then broke down the tent. We said our goodbyes and headed to Bloomington for Rockit Ma’am’s derby practice. I got to hang out with James Bomb, which was fun, and afterward Rockit Ma’am and I dragged James Bomb out to dinner. After eating, Rockit Ma’am and I headed back to Rockit Ma’am’s where we unloaded her car and then promptly passed out. It was a good weekend. B) 

Monday morning Rockit Ma’am headed to work early and by the time I got up I realized I’d left my keys and wallet in Rockit Ma’am’s glove compartment. *facepalm* Luckily Rockit Ma’am got off work just a couple hours into my shift, so I was able to take a minimum of unpaid personal time and hustle into the office as soon as Rockit Ma’am got home. Unfortunately as soon as I got there I got yelled at since one of the managers is a jerk, but c'est la vie. 

After work Monday I went back to Rockit Ma’am’s to eat and pick up my laptop and then went over to Kelly to hang out and give her some snuggles. She’s been feeling cranky and since I’d just spent the weekend with Rockit Ma’am she was OK with me canceling our usual Monday plans so I could go cuddle Kelly until she felt better. Kelly and I talked a bit about what was bothering her and she was decidedly less cranky by the time we slept.

Tuesday morning Kelly cooked me breakfast (yummy Canadian bacon, cheese and egg English muffin sandwiches) and then I showered and headed over to Rockit Ma’am’s with lunch. Rockit Ma’am and I got in a little bit of snuggles before I had to head into work. At work I talked to Doubleored about joining Kelly and me for Star Trek this weekend, but since we were going to the 10 PM show near Speedway it was too late for him. DRAKE and he went to an earlier IMAX showing instead, so I’ll have to talk to Doubleored about it Monday. 

Tuesday after work I went to Chpa and Nikki’s to meet up with Nikki. We ran by Jimmy Johns to pick up sammiches and then headed back to my apartment to eat. I ran downstairs to pay my rent and hang a derby poster and then came back up with the intention of snuggling Nikki and watching Dexter. However, the more Nikki and I cuddled and talked, the less we wanted to watch DVDs, so we eventually snuggled and slept instead. 

Wednesday morning I dropped Nikki off at work and then went home from some alone time. I got to talk to Mira on the phone and accomplished a little journaling and laundry. I tried to grab some caffeine on the way to work but after sitting in the drive-thru for 20 minutes I had to give up and just go into work, which left me cranky. I napped during my break to re-set my mood, and felt better by the end of my shift. 

Wednesday night I escaped from work and ran home to put in some more laundry before Siogne’ arrived. Siogne’ grabbed food on the way to Indy so we’d have time to hot tub before it got too late. After hot-tubbing we showered and then lay down to listen to music, relax and snuggle. It was definitely nice to hang out with her twice in one year. We’ll have to get together again before another year passes! 

Thursday Siogne’ didn’t have to work so we slept in before going out to the Bonjour Café for breakfast. I tried some new spiced-chicken pita that was pretty good and then headed to work early enough to get some caffeine this time. At work I found out we might be getting dual flat-screen monitors soon which will definitely make me feel more like a super-villain. Muhuhuhuhahahah! Work was busy in the morning and then quieter later in the evening. 

After work I went to Rockit Ma’am’s to hang out, since we’d cut out usual Monday date short. Unfortunately Rockit Ma’am’s laptop is dead, so she spent some time fighting with it while we ate and hung out. She was eventually defeated by laptop gremlins so we gave up and went to bed so she could get some sleep before work. 

Friday morning I slept late at Rockit Ma’am’s after she went to work (cruelly teasing her about it over Twitter). When I woke up I played on my computer until Rockit Ma’am got home and then hung out with her. Kelly called to tell me she was free after her last final and work for the week, so I went over to Kelly’s and we napped until it was time to get up and go to meet Chwi and Melissa to go see the new Star Trek movie. 

I loved Star Trek. I’m a long-time fan and I’m impressed how they captured the essences of the classic characters, while giving themselves room for a fresh start and a new continuity. I’m fan enough to get most of the little references without screaming about how they had the wrong number of pips on X character’s cuff and therefore the movie was crap. After the movie Chwi, Kelly, Melissa and I retired to Denny’s to dissect and discuss. 

Saturday morning Kelly woke me up with breakfast and exuberant post-finals energy since she’d finally caught up on sleep at last. She ran around her house getting things accomplished while I tried to sneak five-minute naps where I could. Finally I left to head to Bloomington to meet up with Chris since Chris and I were driving down to see Mom today for Mother’s Day. 

I drove Kelly’s car to Chris’s since Kelly was taking mine up to have my brake pads changed by her mechanically-inclined brother (thanks, Kelly!). Chris drove us the rest of the way to Evansville, where we met Mom at her sister Jamcde’s. We drove Mom home and ordered pizza, and then all hung out until Chris and Mom were ready to head to bed. I got to see Mira briefly when she dropped by to pick something up, so that was a pleasant bonus. 

Today Chris and I are hanging out with Mom and plan to take her out to dinner tonight. Happy Mother’s Day, all!  

“Life is like a box of chocolates. A cheap, thoughtless, perfunctory gift that no one ever asks for. Unreturnable because all you get back is another box of chocolates. So, you're stuck with mostly indefinable whipped mint crap, mindlessly wolfed down when there's nothing else to eat while you're watching the game. Sure, once in a while you get a peanut butter cup or an English toffee, but it's gone too fast and the taste is fleeting. In the end, you're left with nothing but broken bits filled with hardened jelly and teeth shattering nuts, which, if you are desperate enough to eat, leaves nothing but an empty box of useless brown paper wrappers.” -- Cigarette-Smoking Man, X-Files

"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March
1992 because we received notice that you passed
away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there
is a change in your circumstances."
--Department of Social Services, Greenville, SC

"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it."
-- A congressional candidate in Texas

“More and more of our imports come from overseas."-- George W. Bush

“I think this building should be condemned. There's serious metal fatigue in all the load-bearing members, the wiring is substandard, it's completely inadequate for our power needs, and the neighborhood is like a demilitarized zone.”
-- Dr. Egon Spengler, Ghost Busters

"This Republican Party of Lincoln has become a party of theocracy," Connecticut Rep. Christopher Shays, one of five Republicans to vote against the Schiavo legislation, tells the New York Times. "My party is demonstrating that they are for states' rights unless they don't like what states are doing. This couldn't be a more classic case of a state responsibility."

I had a great weekend on January 10^th and 11^th.  That Saturday I went into work early so I could leave in time to get to Sweet Little BBW’s wedding, where I was one of the ushers (listed in the program as one of the Bodyguard B-!s: The Least Sneaky Ninjas).  Rockit Ma’am picked me up for work and drove me down to Bloomington, where the two of us got to watch the rehearsal. 

Sweet Little BBW’s wedding was structured like a play and held in a theatre.  They performed an amusing re-enactment of how they met, bringing the wedding party on stage as they were introduced in the narrative.  The play portion was funny and sweet, and when they got to the “And in the end, there was only love” part, Chwi, the officiator, moved down to join them.

Chwi read a ceremony from his BlackBerry. He pointed out that the wedding wasn’t going to be sanctified by god, or the state – as part of Sweet Little BBW’s vow not to get legally married until everyone could, regardless of sexual orientation.

Brbe and Sweet Little BBW exchanged vows, which were both hilarious and so heartfelt that I almost wound up teary-eyed myself. Next, each of the wedding party either told a story about the bride or groom, or gave potentially shady marital advice.

Brbe and Sweet Little BBW invited the guests to speak, and DRAKE and I said something along the lines of, "As the original starter B-!s, we are pleased that you found a B-! that makes you this happy, and since we love you, we love Brbe for taking such good care of you."

Chwi pronounced them bride and groom, and they kissed before they even exchanged rings. DRAKE and I threw open the doors and the guests were released through a long receiving line back into the main reception, with homebrewed mead and awesome food.

I got to see a lot of people I seldom get to – I hugged Jeroph before I remembered she doesn’t like me anymore (she was very polite and took it well); I got to see Kristy for the first time in ages; and “Isn’t She. . .” was there with her looking fabulous with her beau.

I hung out with DRAKE, Chwi, and M31, and with Emily and Doubleored, who were there with their adorable kid.  I told Sweet Little BBW how absolutely beautiful and sexy she looked in her fishnet-enhanced wedding dress, and I complimented “Stop Staring at My Breasts!” on pulling everything off brilliantly.

Rockit Ma’am and I hung out as late and long as we could, and then skipped out to attend Roller Ball, which was fortuitously happening just three blocks away.  This year they had a Vegas theme, and when we got there Rockit Ma’am’s team kidnapped her for secret business.

Jamie was at the ball since she is a new striver in Rockit Ma’am’s league, and it was fun to hang out with Jamie and Rockit Ma’am most of the night.  I got to see Raven furies and Scbe as well, although I didn’t get as much of a chance to talk with them at the ball.

Sir Loin had prepared a video showcasing the derby veterans from last year, and there was an award ceremony for best jammer, etc (Kaka Caliente deservedly won MVP). The league framed the jerseys of the retiring athletes, signed by all the league members, which was sad and sweet.

After the planned events there was music and dancing.  Rockit Ma’am had enjoyed mead at the wedding and brown ale at the ball, so she was relaxed enough to be seen dancing with me in public.  Jamie joined us for grooving with the friends she’d brought along.

The music seemed to start with the 60s (fitting the Vegas theme) and then progress forward in decades.  Naturally, I did most of my dancing to 80s songs, discovering just how much work it can be to dance in heavy steel-toed boots. 

The company was good, the dancing was fun, and the eye-candy was great – turns out that a room full of inebriated roller girls leads to a lot of hot badass girl-on-girl grinding.  Imagine my surprise!  *chuckle* 

Rockit Ma’am and I hung out at late as possible and then headed back to Indy to sleep.  I didn’t have plans on Sunday until late in the day, so Rockit Ma’am and I got to sleep very late to recover.  We’d had an excellent time.

Sunday night I met up with Nikki to celebrate her birthday.  I couldn’t afford to take her out to dinner, so we ordered Chinese food and stayed in.  We got time alone and the ability to sleep in late together, which she said was a good start to her birthday week.

All in all I had an excellent weekend.  Sweet Little BBW’s wedding was original and reflected her personality far better than most of the generic church weddings I’ve been to.  Roller Ball was a lot of fun, and it was great to have a rare sleep-in day with Nikki.