1a. My friend Dionne and her husband Phillip came to visit me and I took them on a tour of SF and I enjoyed that day SO DAMN MUCH. Dionne and I are very much on the same page, and not just when we accidentally stumble upon an undercover police sting while we're eating our sandwiches and gawk at the whole experience while Phillip gawks at the first cameltoe he's ever seen in the wild.
Me & D: OMG that guy on the bike is actually a cop!
P: WOW. Can't she feel that her shorts are totally up in her business?
Me & D: How does that potential drug dealer keep his pants up while he is being searched?
P: WOW. A cameltoe. That's amazing.
Me & D: That one undercover cop is really OWNING his undercover ensemble.
P: CAMELTOE. OMG.
I have been looking forward to my next opportunity to hang out with them since the moment I dropped them back at their hotel and drove away. Houston 2014 HOLLLLLLLER.
1b. Phillip unintentionally reminded me that I need to be looking for a man who doesn't allow me to be the man. If there's any hesitation when presented with a check or a door that needs opening or anything of the sort, I'll just pay the bill, open the door, etc. I haven't dated many men who just made bills disappear without any awkwardness or production and that whole day I was with Phillip and Dionne, bills were just magically paid and that was ASTOUNDING to me.
It is ONE THOUSAND PERCENT not about the dollars. It is entirely about the gentlemanly approach to things. Drinks appear, bills disappear.
MAGIC.
I will add that these are things that happen around my dad and my brothers (and Carrie's dad too, actually), so it shouldn't be such a shocker, but the best lesson I learned from that day with Dionne and Phillip was that I need to set my damn bar higher.
2. I have five nieces and nephews under the age of five and I love them all SO SO SO MUCH. I can't believe it's only been four-ish years since I became an aunt because I really, really, really can't imagine my life without them.
Baby J (the oldest) is such a good big cousin/brother to the others. He's so loving and so sweet and I didn't realize this was as special as it is until I saw him interacting with another 4-year-old whose sole mission in life, it seemed, was to get himself hurt and/or give his mother gray hair. I feel so good about Baby J being the role model and protector for all the others.
I can distinctly see/feel the shift from the world revolving around me/my brothers to the world revolving around the five babies. I'm happy to take a back seat to whatever wonderful things they'll all do or become.
It's also interesting to me that I didn't have any aunts who were as in love with us as I am with my brothers' children. I really really really don't mean that in a bad way, but just as a I-surprise-myself-with-how-devoted-I-am-to-these-children way because my aunts certainly loved me and my brothers, but I doubt they were all "ATTENTION ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN!!!! MY SISTER/HUSBAND'S BROTHER HAS THESE THREE CHILDREN WHO ARE THE LIGHTS OF MY LIFE" about us.
And it's not that I'm a nicer or more nurturing person because that's not true. My mom's sister is actually a much nicer and more loving person than I am. My dad's brother's wife was perhaps less over-the-moon loving, but definitely more capable of keeping us alive and unscathed under her watch.
I love both of my aunts, but they did it differently than is natural for me.
3. My dad was on the USS Hornet for a portion of his service during the Vietnam war. Last night was their big anniversary gala and I went as my dad's date. He got all tux'd up and I put on a lot of lipstick.
My dad's favorite picture:
My favorite (less shine'y-from-flash'y) picture:
4. Carrie and I are going to New Zealand in 83 days. We'll be gone for two weeks and in that time we will accomplish:
* Nine things from two books I have about life experiences that are awesome
* Three boat rides
* One helicopter ride (my first!)
There's nobody else in the world with whom I travel better so I am SO EXCITED to go see another corner of the world with her.
NOW IT'S TIME FOR DINNER.
List: COMPLETE.
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