Gridlock

While I was in Medway this weekend, I ended up playing Checkers with Sister's Boyfriend SS while Sister engaged in a heated Battleship competition with D.

I'd originally hoped we'd play Connect Four, but when I opened the box and also found a Checker Board, I was tempted. I said "SS, would you prefer Checkers or Connect Four?"

He thought long and hard, and finally said "Checkers."

I was excited but concerned, as I haven't played Checkers in nearly two decades.

We set up the board and started to play. It was uneventful for a while. No close calls, no jumps, no suspense, nothing.

We played for about 10 minutes, and then it happened: GRIDLOCK.

I played Checkers a lot as a kid and this never happened. I've never even heard of this happening. It makes sense, but man. Bizarre! Basically, we moved all the pieces in the perfect order such that my three rows shifted one row forward and SS' three rows shifted one forward and the game ended.

There was nowhere to go. Nobody jumped anyone. We were just stuck. It's as though we'd set up the board wrong, or the board had been missing two rows.

I am trying to figure out if this means that we are both really good, that we are both really bad, or that we think alike.

I am also trying to figure out why this doesn't happen more often.

Bizarre, though.

In other news, The Temp has started and I am fairly certain I know him from somewhere. He looks and seems really familiar. He also said that I seem familiar to him. I think we must have just seen each other on the T or something (he spent the same 7 years in Boston that I did). Maybe we commuted at similar times for a few years. I don't know. It's driving me a bit crazy, though.

The weekend was good, although I am exhausted, as usual.

I went to see 40 Year Old Virgin on Friday night, and it was awesome. It was nearly perfect. It was sweet and funny and I was so pleased by the reverence the film showed for its lead character. Rather than poke fun of him and his lack of experience, they made him into a completely believable and sympathetic hero. You almost rooted for him not to lose his virginity. Freaking adorable. You must all see it immediately.

The night was not without its drama. One of the reasons I moved away from Boston was to escape drama. I wanted to be completely in control of my life, my decisions, and to surround myself with sane, grounded, drama-free relationships. I experienced my first moment of drama on Friday night and it did not feel good. I don't like when I am made to feel bad for being a good person and for doing the right thing, for not being psychic, for being mature and grownup and inclusive.

The drama made me feel dirty during the movie. Additionally, before the movie even began, the iniator of said drama thrust a $20 bill in D's face and forcefully demanded "Get me a large popcorn and a diet coke." D said "OK" and ran off to purchase a large popcorn and diet coke despite the fact that he'd purposefully bought food beforehand so as not to have to wait in line at a movie concession stand on a crowded Friday night.

Who does that? First of all, get your own damn popcorn! I can understand if he'd said "I'm getting a popcorn" and then the bill was handed to him. Second of all, if you are really so put out by getting your own damn popcorn, say "Hey, would you mind getting me a popcorn? Thanks!" instead of throwing money at someone and forcing them to. Third of all, if you are there with a friend of yours, force him to get it instead of someone else's boyfriend.

Weird power maneuver. I said nothing until the following day, when I said "D, do you think its a little rude of someone to force someone to get them popcorn when they are completely capable of getting it themselves?" and he said "That's just how it is." I said "Well, I don't think that's cool. Why can't she just ask you nicely?" "That's how she is. It's easier to just get the popcorn than say something about it." Understandable, given the high drama quotient of this individual. I guess I want D to be treated nicely and appreciated. Not that getting someone a popcorn is such a big deal, but man. Say "Please" and "Thank you." I would never say "D, get me a popcorn!" and if I ever did, I would want him to be like "Excuse me?" and then I could say "Oh, sorry, would you mind? I'm really tired and I don't feel like waiting in line." Except that I would never do that, because I'd wait in line for my own popcorn no matter what unless someone was already going. This conversation snowballed into D thinking that I was mad at him for getting the popcorn, that I was uncomfortable with his relationship with her, that he has to do something different, etc. I said "No, I think I am uncomfortable with this person's very existence. Like if a male friend of yours had done that, I'd still be like 'Dude, rude!' and if she had done it to the friend she brought, I'd have been like 'Dude, rude!'" I also said "I just don't get her. I don't like how she is with you when I am around, and I don't like how she is to me when you are around. She can't deal with us together, you know? This would be like my being at a movie with like you, A and her boyfriend M, and then turning to A's boyfriend and declaring 'Get me a popcorn!' Isn't that weird?" He realized it was and said he understood and we have decided that we will never hang out all together again.

He said "But you should totally hang out with her separately still," and I said "Dude, why would I want to hang out with someone who indirectly antagonizes me when you are around? What kind of friend is that?" Drama. Don't need it. Unfortunate evening. Oh well.

Should I play nice? If she won't, why should I? I think what got to me most is her failure to play nice with people who aren't even D and I. This is messy, and I don't want the drama. I probably wouldn't have been upset about the popcorn if I wasn't already seething about the previous 7th grade lunchroom behavior I had to suffer.

After 40 Year Old Virgin we went for drinks and I wanted to strangle people. I had one glass of wine and was drunk, thank god. We left and packed and didn't get enough sleep before departing for Boston.

The bus ride took less than three hours, and we headed to Somerville for a burrito! We then walked to Hall Street, where we lounged and engaged in the rare pleasure of watching TV. We then headed to Harvard Square, where we shopped and frolicked and where I felt like I missed things. We met up with a bunch of people for dinner at Cambridge One, then headed to Finale for desserts, where we obsessed about old candy from the 80's. We then sought out said candy at CVS. We sat outside because the weather was perfect and because it was quiet and there was grass to sit on, and because I don't have these things anymore. We then had more drinks outside. I laughed too much about things I'd completely forgotten and enjoyed hearing Brother's honesty about his summer.

On Sunday we had breakfast at Rosebud and then headed to Medway for Brother's going-away party. It was overwhelming and crazy. Coming home from afar is not easy. It was nice to see everyone, but all I wanted to do was hide in the cool basement with Sister, SS, LBF, and D. I wanted to play Candyland and have an uninterrupted conversation. I wanted to relax and not say the same things over and over. "New York is good," "I think things are going well between us?," "Buenos Aires was awesome," "Yes, my apartment is as small as my father claims it is but you don't need 1200 square feet to live stop making fun of my apartment because at least I don't have 40 zillion knicknacks that require 1000 square feet for themselves there are other ways to live why can't you just be happy for me?!?"

It wasn't that bad. It was just a prime example of the feeling-14-again-phenomenon and I don't like it. Not one bit. I don't like people laughing at my apartment. I feel like I should then start laughing at how long it takes them to mow their lawns or something. I'm exaggerating. I was just in a bad mood because Mother made copies of a photo of "the family" and in it was the five of us and our three significant others, which made me feel like I couldn't breathe because all I could think about was 3 sets of this photograph on people's refrigerators with D's head cut out or and one with D's head replaced with a cutout of Christian Bale's face. Mother said "Please, don't worry, this is just now. You're happy now. This doesn't need to be up forever, honey" but this was after her speech about how happy she is that we've all found amazing significant others and that we're all together for Brother's special day and that we're all finally so happy! Ah, the pressure.

I had a good time, though. It was nice to see everyone.

We got in at about 2am last night and despite sleeping on the train and getting a good five hours' sleep here, I am still fried. Too much getting up early and getting to sleep too late.

I will, however, be doing nothing tomorrow night! Yeah! Watch out, Duane Reade and Gristedes. I am going to run errands! HAH! It's been ages since I purchased groceries.

I am going to buy eggs! And milk! And I may even buy vegetables! Whoa. Take it easy.

Until tomorrow...