Newbies and Feeling Old

This might be TMI, but I always think of good blog entries in the bathroom. And like writing good copy in my head, it gets lost among the other thoughts running around. So this is bits and pieces from my toilet. I should get a laptop. I bet my blog entries would improve.

Lately, I've felt a bit OLD. A new girl started at work following the exodus of employees and she's two years younger than me, but seems a million years younger. We went to lunch and her discussions of boys were frankly sophomoric. Even my prime editorial friend, who's a year younger, seems young when the three of us are together. Why do I suddenly feel so old??

It could be the gray hair starting to appear, or that for the first time in my life, the majority of my friends are older than I am by at least 2 years. Mishy & Berger are both in their 30s and they're my core audience here. Perhaps I got mature and didn't notice it?

But, like Courtney was my little sis in Winona, I will find my new protegee to school in all things NYC including where you can dance on the bar, how to do the subway ride of shame with pride and the priceless art of mocking areas like Williamsburg and the Lower East Side while secretly loving how ridiculous the hipsters and the Westchester class reunions are. I met three young self-proclaimed dorks slash new transplants that seem awesome because a) they admit to being both dorks and new transplants just like I did when I first moved here and b) they blog and want to join our little blog community. So I'm going out with them on Saturday to see if we mesh enough for me to be their (alcoholic) tour guide.

I love my blogger girls (and boys) that I've met through friends and blogs. They're SOOO much fun and they make me feel cooler just by being around them. And, unlike most of my friends, they haven't heard my stories yet, so they're still relatively entertained. It's very, very refreshing not to know someone that well and still be discovering all their stories too.

Now, the backtrack.

I went to the Jersey shore (apparently the scummy, white trash part) on Sunday with Kelly and Shawna, and it was a blast! I didn't get burned but they did (literally - Kelly stayed home from work on Monday). It felt awesome to learn how to jump waves and be okay with wanting a wave to crash over my head (I have a deathly fear of being underwater). Plus, those are two fun girls who know how to relax, eat a massive amount of food at Perkins and blast country music (and talk about how old George Strait must be). I want to rent another car and go to the Shore again, but may have to settle for Coney because the summer is getting oh, so short.

In more serious news, the roomie and I went out last night. She told me in no certain terms that she won't let me sublet my room out to a stranger. So, excepting a rare situation, I won't be able to move out of the Heights before my lease is up in May. I told her I'm going to start looking in Feb or March to get a headstart.

But I've reconciled it as much in my head, especially since we agreed to get kitties. I miss my cat, Sam, SOOO much! He was really nice to come home to, and vent to, and have something that will always love you because you feed it.

It was good to see roomie as a friend, outside of the two bedroom apt we share that gets too small sometimes. Because of the heat, she hasn't been home in about a week (and I'm totally spoiled by having all this space to myself) but I think it will be better when she does come home. Hopefully.

Other cool moments since the last blog:

1. I got traditionally asked out at a bar. The guy actually said, "I'd like to take you out sometime, if that's okay with you..." And of course, it was. Let's see if he calls.

2. Lori, the best friend in Mich, gave me awesome advice. I told her that I had had a dream about Todd and it really shook me up (it was about how he wanted to get back together with me). All she could say was that "the L word really messes with your head, doesn't it?" It gave me some validation that she believes that I love him and was in love with him. I think sometimes my friends underestimate how hard I fell for Todd and how much it affected my daily life for, um, the past YEAR? But I think I'm ready to get out there again.... in a real way, not a replacement hunt. A very empowering feeling.

3. Thanks to a fucking town in Jersey that didn't have an open gas station at 10:30 pm on Sunday and made us late to drop off the rental car, I got to drive through Times Square on 42nd street BLASTING "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks. It was extremely therapeutic. Now if I can only get to a place to smash bottles off a cliff and scream as loud and as long as I want, I might get rid of more tension.............. (the Minnesota therapy for pent up emotion and general anger).

This weekend I'll be partying and exercising (seriously, my only plans) so if you don't hear from me, look out for a girl in an awesome wrap dress. Who will flash you if a stiff wind comes up.