Ooooh la la, it's VALENTINE'S DAY. In fact, it is the most over-hyped Valentine's Day I have ever witnessed. Everywhere you turn around this city, it's either huge heart displays in windows or Screw Cupid pub crawls. All this over-saturation of this Hallmark-created holiday has seeped into my subconscious because I find myself wearing a red sweater set today. Gag.
Besides, if you are in love, isn't everyday like Valentine's Day?
Just me?
Ok.
For the first time in my 28 years, I am looking forward to this usually dreaded day. I'm blissfully in love and genuinely not bitter about this day anymore.
"Fuck you, Bethany!" you say. "I don't want to hear it!"
Then fine, I will not elaborate. I'll move on. But as I sit here in my red Gap sweater set with a smile of anticipation on my face, just believe I have payed my dues and deserve to be happy today DAMN IT!
3 items of interest before I get to the meat of this entry:
1. Don't listen to NetFlix recommendations.
Ever.
They recommended I rent the movie Wet Hot American Summer. So I did. Dio and I popped it in last night and I swear to God, we had to turn it off after 20 minutes. Great cast. Janeane Garofalo, love ya. David Hyde Pierce, you rock my face. Paul Rudd, I have wanted you since "The Object Of My Affection" made me realize how self-destructive loving a gay man is. Molly Shannon, even though you play the same character in every thing you have ever done, your quirky antics make me happy in my pants. And Michael Ian Black? Where do I begin? No one has ever made me laugh longer or harder than you and your take of pop culture of the 70s, 80s and 90s. I would bear your children on general principle. But when you took it in the butt while standing against a wall and donning only tube socks, you went too far. My dreams of what could have been crumbled around me and I had to turn you off. To say this movie was bad would be kind. I was embarrassed to have it in my possession.
2a. The Grammys. I am downloading Jesus Walks right now. That damn performance made me proud to be holding it down in Chi-town. Kayne West rules. Cockiness aside, he deserves more Grammys than 3. But Ray Charles, dying might have been the best career move for you. Grammys galore!
2b. Desperate Housewives. Skeeved me out. All the blood from the gun wound made me queasy. If I see Dio sweating and not being able to focus on me as I prattle on at dinner tonight, I'll know what is up.
3. I realized while talking to Dio Sunday morning that every guy I considered a boyfriend (meaning we dated for more than 4 months) I mean, EVERY SINGLE ONE, all 6 of them had a sibling one to two years younger (in 5 out of 6 it was a sister) and was extremely close to their family. How weird is that? A younger sister and a very tight family bond. Some were so tight, it was hard to even spend time with them. Even a few guys I casually dated follow this pattern. Dio is a strong, strong example of this phenomenon. In most cases, I got along with the sister, but only just so. I have never been super tight with a sister before. I get that. If I had a brother, I would be super protective of him as well. I know how these bitches are. Kind of a strange revelation.
And now for the main event.
I stole this from ChicagoJo. I rarely think of high school and when I do, it is with much disdain... but reading her answers to these questions made me remember a bit more fondly those years of my life. And as my 10 year high school reunion approaches (October 8th), it is kind of cool to look back...
What year was it? 1991-1995.
What were your favorite bands or musical artists? My freshman year I listened to The Dead and became a pot-smoking hippy to fit it with the kids in my lunch hour. I had no one to sit with since my friends were in the other lunch hours, so I became an "Outbacker" sneaking smokes between classes in back of the school. My sophomore year, I got a huge crush on this boy named George who was super into Pearl Jam. My first CD I ever got was "Ten" and I would listen to it over and over. I became a grunge goddess, a thin line from being a dirty hippy. That carried me into my junior year, where I discovered the pop-soaked alternative rock of Gin Blossoms, Hootie & The Blowfish, Oasis, Dave Matthews, Live and a little lady named Alanis Morrisette. I would also listen to Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" on repeat and smoke out my bedroom window.
What was your favorite outfit? I started high school wearing tie dye and Birkenstocks, which evolved into a flannel and ripped jeans that gave way to the preppy collection at the GAP. Sweater vests, oxford shirts and loafers, OH MY! I never realized until just now how much the music I listened to affected my wardrobe.
What was up with your hair? Went from reddish shoulder length frizzy curly with skyscraper bangs to blond straight with longer bangs to dark brown long waves and no bangs. I think i had about every color and cut imaginable.
Who were your best friends? I started off with my pot smoking buddies like Natalie (whose wedding I am attending in July) and Karen. Then I became involved in a clique. We dubbed ourselves "The Clan" (not cool, looking back on it). There was six to seven of us, 2 of which I still talk to sporadically. We'd throw these slumber parties called GNIs (Girls Night In) where we'd drink beer and sneak guys through the window. We could have been a boy band. There was the fearless leader with the cool mom that let us smoke in the house, the shy one who tried to make peace between everyone, the rebel who dyed her hair black and hated her strict mom, the total flirt who was our scapegoat and got a lot of shit talked about her behind her back, the tough girl who would challenge people to fights behind the school, and then there was me. I can not look at myself objectively, so I don't know which one I was. I have been told I was the really good dancer, but I am sure the rest of them would have something different to say.
Where did you work? At the age of 15, I got a job at McDonald's. I worked there all throughout high school for spending money. I was even a McManager at one point. the most vivid memory was the smell of my polyester pants after a hard day's work. That smell has never left my memory. It always haunts me whenever I enter a McDonald's. Oh, and I always wore a banana clip.
Did you fight with your parents? I was a BEEEE-RAT. My sister and I fought all the time and I was such an annoying self-centered little bitch. Which my mom still sees me as.
Whom did you have a CELEBRITY crush on? Having just come off a tumultuous one-way affair with Fred Savage, I turned my sights to Eddie Veddar. But after that, I am trying to remember... oh hell! I am the most ENOURMOUS crush on Mark-Paul Gosselaar. I would lay in my bed and dream up possible scenarios where I would get to meet him and eventually bed him.
Did you smoke cigarettes? All the time. I never became addicted, mind you. Pure peer pressure. And now that cigs are way more than $1.60, I am so glad I'm not! Most of my high school friends are still smokers.
Did you lug all of your books around in your backpack only because you were too nervous to find your locker? Those ESPRIT cotton multicolored bags were so OUT, so I got myself a forest green Jansport, that I would wear on both shoulders, thank you. I made that cool. I still use that bag to go to the gym. The zippers are fucked up and their is a hole in the bottom, but damn... that is one durable back pack. I never had the heart to get rid of it.
Did you have a 'clique'? See "The Clan" above.
Did you have "The Max" like Zach, Kelly, and Slater? We would go hang out Pizza Hut after football games. We'd do zany stuff like unscrew the salt and pepper shakers. The next patron would be subjected to highly salted or peppered food. Ooooo!
Admit it, were you popular? I wasn't in that group whose daddies gave them a Benz for their 16th. I didn't play sports. I wasn't too involved in clubs. I basically hated the world. I did my own thing. I wasn't a douchebag... I had lots of friends, but man, if I could have that 120 lb body back that I took for granted...
Whom did you want to be just like? I am having a hard time answering this. Did I really block out these memories that much? I was really into dancing and choreography. I wanted to be Janet Jackson at one point, but that was more like eighth grade.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I had no clue. And it scared the shit out of me.