Happy Birthday, Leos

During the first week at college, there was all that mostly required freshmen orientation bullshit.  I managed to duck out of a lot of it, but in the interest of making friends (and seeming cool), I went on a very long boat cruise at night around the Charles River.  A girl on my floor gave me some crazy polyester disco thing to wear.  Basically a halter and some too-long-for-me bell-bottom pants.  My boobs looked great!  Who knew how fabulous I could look in a halter.  The pants made me cringe, but everyone else was basically wearing a similar get-up, so I tried to mash those feelings really far down (what fucking shoes did I wear?  I only had Converse and steel-toed Docs).  My only memories of that evening are singing The Cure's Just Like Heaven on the bus with everyone, that Boston is fucking cold in late August on the water, and that I was bored out of my mind.  I was so cold and bored that I think I went in to shock.  It was just awful.

I vowed to never go on a party boat again.  I broke that promise today.

My core friend group has many August birthdays, and this year they wanted to celebrate by a booze cruise on Lake Travis (ahem, the Colorado River to everyone else).  Since I am working on being more social, and I always celebrate birthdays, I went--dragging The Boy and Wikus along (Guamaniac invited all three of us as his guests).

There are several similarities between this boat ride and that one 17 years ago.  There are also differences.  Especially in weather.  I spent the day in my bikini and got to swim and lovely warm water.  There were drinks and snacks.  Other than that.  Same thing.  Loud music, loud people, not much to do but sit on the boat.  It wasn't as terrible, I do really like some of these people a lot.  But alcohol and 100-degree weather isn't exactly a good cocktail.  It's mainly my own fault and my anxieties.  I'm not a dancer, I didn't know a lot of people and I sweat more than the average human, and felt pretty ugly for it.

Now I am home, eating Cheez-Its and watching X-Files with The Boy.  I'm considering this unwinding.  It's been a relaxing weekend.  The best time was Friday night at Emma's Mom's.  Finally met her roommate (very sweet lady), and by 1am we were lying on the driveway staring at the sky and trying to get my iPhone to identify stars for us (most of the stargazing apps out there suck).  It pleases me greatly to get to know her more.  I hope there will be many more nights at her house.  I've also been promised a fabulous haircut--they seem to know someone that they feel I MUST get in to see.  Sounds fine by me. 

Goodnight kids.