Yesterday afternoon was beautiful. Sunny, mid-70s, breezy. Just sublime. I was exiting the grocery store with Matt, waxing on about how wonderful the weather was and how lucky we are to live here, it’s freaking January for pete’s sake, when I ran head on into one of those half-size concrete poles they stick in the ground at store entrances presumably to keep people from driving through the glass front doors, smashing innocent patrons in the entryway as they gather their carts and contemplate the weekly BOGO specials bins.

Matt missed it entirely, but instinctively turned around when he heard the (all too familiar) distinctive “whoosh” of his clumsy fiance knocking the wind out of herself, as the top of the pole dented my abdomen. He claims the man walking out of the store behind me saw it happen, but since I did not hear any hysterical laughter behind me, I remain skeptical.

Here are the Top 3 coolest things I saw when traveling for the holidays:

1. Two volumes of Harry Potter in Russian, sitting on Matt’s dad’s bookshelf – I recognized the fonts instantly
2. On descent in Orlando, fireworks from the plane window
3. The Mahoney Sorceress

Don’t you think the new Pepsi logo is a blatant attempt to evoke Obama’s logo? I think it’s crashingly obvious but Matt doesn’t believe me. Who is right?

Vintage Jamie:
Throwaway entry on my Dad’s visit, and I guess I kept that Al Gore letter writing thing going for a bit. I have no recollection of the link that “cracked me up,” way back in the day, referenced at the end of that entry. Unfortunately, it’s a dead link now.

My father wins me over with cash and prizes. Some things never change… heh, look at #20. That stupid ornament still gets hung every year, and I have to tell someone the story every year – well, it’s not much of a story. Just that in that time and place, that damn lobster was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen, but it still makes me laugh. Maybe I’ll take a photo and post it so you can roll your eyes and reflect on how lame our senses of humor are.

Unlucky things that happen to me:

1. This first one is for Matt and I both. If we go see a concert or a show or any sort of spectator sport, and we’re in a room/auditorium/audience with a big group of people, the biggest, loudest assholes in the entire room will be seated directly in front of us.

2. My back is super-inviting, and here is how I know that. If I am standing in line, the person in line behind me will stand exactly one millimeter away from me, if I’m lucky, but they are usually close enough to actually be touching me. Why? WHY?! I’m thinking about this because when we were in airport security lines a few minutes ago, the woman behind me was pressing her tits into my back. When I had the chance to take a step forward, I put my hand on my hip and cocked my elbow backwards to try to give myself some space, and I think she got the hint somewhat because she backed off a bit, but she still knocked my elbow with her tits a dozen more times before we were able to get through screening, and then as we were waiting for our stuff to come out the other end, I happened to glance to my right/behind me and her big stupid head was so close to my face she actually startled me.

People in lines, hear my plea. This is not necessary. It won’t get you through the line any faster. BACK THE FUCK OFF.

Of course, we’re flying from Orlando to VA/PA/OH, where they are apparently suffering through “dangerously low” temperatures, and when I’m freezing my ass off, I’ll probably be wishing that lady was with me, to cover me in the blanket of her bosom.

Vintage Jamie:

Preparing for my Dad’s first visit to Florida. Well, he’d been to Florida in his life, but that was the first time he visited ME in Florida. I actually don’t remember much about that, so I’m kind of excited to get to the next vintage entry. Also, at the same time, my Mom was in a home for a while recovering from a shattered leg. That was 8 years ago. Feels like a million years ago.

I’m having the kind of day where I’m tempted to put “brush teeth” on my To Do List, just so I can have the satisfaction of checking something off.

Two weekends ago, I headed back down to Florida to play with my rugby team in the Florida Cup. We lost (boo!), but came in third (yay!), out of four teams (boo!). More importantly, I got to visit with tons of people I love and miss and that part was good.

Then I got into a fight with one of the original Dreamgirls. I’m not even getting INTO that.

Last weekend, my sister and I took a long-awaited trip to Las Vegas. We partied and gambled and saw shows and walked around till our feet wore off and all we were left with were bloody stumps. I’d only been to Vegas once before, and while I had a decent time, my memories were grey – I didn’t really feel the need ever to go again.

Let’s just say this trip made me love Vegas again. Mollie and I are already planning our next trip.

This weekend starts really soon. I just got back from the grocery store with the supplies we need for Thanksgiving. This is the first year of my life that I’m not either joining family, or joining with other Floridians away from their families for a Sunshine State Orphans Thanksgiving Dinner. It’s just Matt and me, cooking and eating our favorite foods and enjoying the first holiday we’ll spend in our new home, and I can’t believe how much I’m looking forward to it. He should be home any minute and I’m anxiously awaiting…. simply because I can’t wait for it to get started.

Friday, a close friend who lives overseas but is visiting FL is driving up to spend the weekend with us, and I’m very excited about that as well.

I’m feeling grateful today.

Vintage Jamie:

Harry Bush has since passed away. That’s kind of a downer, but he was a great guy, a wonderful friend, and he lived a terrific life.

Oh, this is cheerier. My best friend commented on the Vintage Jamie from my last entry, because it brought back so many funny memories. Reading through this one should do the trick for Maggie again – I know it did for me. And, I have a follow-up!

Little did I know that years later, while anchoring and reporting for a radio station in Miami, I would get the chance to interview Mr. Gore. I blew off an alumni event I was really looking forward to in order to see An Inconvenient Truth, and thought long and hard about how the next morning’s interview would go.

Despite all of that, when Gore said, “Hello, Jamie!” I blurted, “So… do you like, totally hate Florida, or what?”

There was this horrible pause during which I thought he didn’t get it, and that I’d blown the whole thing, and then finally, he laughed and replied, “No, I love Florida!”

And then we got on with the interview. Me and my imaginary pen pal. Al Gore.

Margaret and Helen: Best Friends for 60 Years and Counting…

I waited in line for more than an hour to vote yesterday, but damn it, I voted. When I finally made it to the booth, I took that pen in my fist and made the heaviest, inkiest mark in the circle that I could, like a six-year-old coloring a clown’s nose.

Obviously, I’m not getting to the recap of the 3rd round of Jamaica photos. Suffice it to say we had a wonderful time. Full set here.

Stories left to tell:

1. I got engaged.
2. I moved to Orlando.
3. I bought some chairs off of craigslist.

Vintage Jamie:
My very first Fantasy Fest. My three best buddies flew down to join me. It was really an insane weekend of fun. I still miss the sweet parade party passes my job at the radio station scored for me.

Talking about my oldest friend, Beth. I was in her wedding a few years ago, and then we lost touch again for a while after she had her son. We really keep touch best through the internet, and we tend to lose it when she takes sabbaticals from the computer. She’s back online, though, and we’ve been talking regularly. When Matt and I went to Pittsburgh a month ago to check out wedding venues, we stopped by her place and hung out with Beth and her kid. I think I’m going to end up leaning on her more and more when it comes to wedding stuff coming up, as well.

Huh. This was a good weekend, but I didn’t remember it at all till I read that and now I’m realizing my awesome weekend standards are higher now. I think that’s a good thing.

A lot of good stuff is going to happen after we move to Orlando tomorrow. Matt got his dream job. Our new apartment is bigger, nicer, and cheaper. So are our utilities. We’ll be minutes from The Simpsons Ride. We already have friends up there. I’m going to look into playing a new sport, and my team plays in Central FL frequently enough that I should still be able to join up with them pretty often.

But I am really going to miss the beach. And I am really, really, really going to miss my friends. I don’t know how I lucked into knowing such amazing people. It is hard to say goodbye, which I did last night.

Now Matt and I are off to say so long to the beach.

1. Updating my flickr stream. I’ve got photos on standby from June.
2. Laundry. Our love seat has been reassigned as “holder for mountain of clean laundry.”
3. This blog. SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED since July.