Today was a good day. I woke up at 7:30 to pull a desk shift and did an RA interview...then to my psychology lab for work on the thesis. It seems to be moving decently. I just have to pull it out within the next four weeks, but I think I can do it.

Lisa and I went to see "The Wedding Date" at the dollar movie theater. So, apparently, it costs more than a dollar after 4pm EVEN ON THE WEEKDAYS! So, I have $1.33 in my wallet and it costs $1.50--I think, no problem, I have my checkcard. Guess who doesn't take them? That's right, the effing dollar movie theatre.

So we head back to Lisa's car looking for another $.17--Lisa finds $.06 in her wallet and I frantically scrounge on the floor of her car. In a moment that can only be described as a miracle, I find a dime on the floor, underneath one of the seats.

I then hold it up like an archeologist holding a sacred relic and I realize I still need to find ONE CENT.

After fruitlessly searching the car for five more minutes, we decide to ask someone for a penny. So, we stop a well-dressed pregnant woman and her husband and I ask for a penny. After a moment and conferring with each other, they announce that they do not have a penny. At all.

WHAT?

So we stop two nice men in their late twenties and although they thought I was kidding, they let me borrow a penny.

BLESS THOSE MEN! With that, we saw the fantastically stupid and lame movie. Seriously...I can't believe someone thought Debra Messing could pull off an insecure woman who would hire a male prostitute. Although I can't believe I paid a WHOLE DOLLAR FIFTY TO WATCH IT!

*****

A-town, my hometown, was the destination this past weekend, as it was a day celebrating my brother. It was decreed by the mayor and everything. The icing on the assembly and festivities was the city naming a street after my older brother, called __our last name___ Way. Heh. I was also able to catch up with my former teachers and heard some lovely things from them. The most amusing one came from a former world history teacher, who said that I had "blossomed" and I "looked happy," which was apparently a huge jump from high school.

Whatev.

BUT, the most fantastical part of the whole thing was seeing Yma-Louise for the first time since the end of high school. We went to dinner and got some frozen custard afterwards with my brother and our other family friend. We watched the fantastically cheesy "Red Violin," which was truly crap-tastic.

It was wonderful to see her again. I must admit I was a little nervous, but once we saw each other, it all faded into a good comraderie that only comes with an old friendship.

I just hope that much time doesn't go by again before we see each other.

After I dropped Yma at her house, I was alone in the Tahoe car that our friends own, and I decided to take a wee drive around my memory. First off, it was a beautiful night--full moon, partly cloudy, but I forgot how beautiful the night sky was in A-town. Everything is just...magical almost. Since there isn't a lot of street or business lights, the sky in amazingly clear. It was almost an enchanted evening. So, I drove around my adopted grandparent's home, which, as you may remember, my adopted Giagia passed away in September. My adopted Papou was in Texas for the weekend, so it was weird just having to drive by it, not being able to go into the home where so many memories had taken place.

I then drove around my junior high school, taking in the new renovations...that was really strange. I then headed to my elementary school and it just seemed so much SMALLER than I remembered it. So many memories just flooded my brain, it was surreal.

I then drove by my childhood home, which was really sad for me. I don't know, living in a house for nearly 10 of my formative years and almost being fenced off from it. Just bizarre.

I know I am welcome to my former hometown at anytime. But knowing that it will never be the ideal place of my childhood is a tough thing to grasp.

*****

In the movie, "The Wedding Date," the male lead makes note of the reported fact that women only have the relationships that they want. If a woman wants a serious relationship, she will have it. If she wants to be single, then she will be.

I thought about it for awhile.

In a way, it is sort of true. Perhaps I just WANT to have a bunch of male friendships. Maybe that is all I look for. Perhaps I, like a cab at night, put my light on for friendship only. But after awhile, from my gut, I can't really accept it.

In a way, I am extremely frustrated with the fact that every man in my life right now is either a) far too young for me or b) in a committed relationship. And since I don't a) like cradle-robbing or b) being a philanderer, perhaps I am doomed?

Maybe I just ask for these relationships.

The thing is, I am a friend that guys go to for advice, to hang out with, to have a stimulating conversation with. And at the end of the day, they go back to spend time with their girlfriends. It's hard to have such a great time with people, the youngun's and the relation shipmen but knowing that nothing will ever come out of it is a bit tiresome. You say goodbye and you return to watching your TV - alone. You go grocery shopping together and they get calls from their girlfriends--then they have to practically whisper who they are with. Though it is nice to have company and friends, I am always wanting more. Not necessarily with these particular men, but in general. If these women are so lucky with finding quality guys, why can't I? Why can't I ever make the jump from the "best friend" to the "full-timer?" Maybe I just send off a wave of "stay back." I don't know.

Let's face it. I'm ready for a relationship. Or at least a friendship with a single guy for God's sake.

Man, I am annoying myself.

Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they need to run free until they find someone just as wild to run with...

-Sex and the City