Gas Station Lovin’

I’ve officially regressed back into my man-retarded ways. I was getting good there…picking them up left and right, dating, smooching, flirting, laughing and loving. Then I think the last one just exhausted me, and ever since, I’ve been a little A-sexual. I need to snap the hell out of it though. Monday, I ruined a perfectly good chance that just about came and slapped me in the face…

The summer Amanda and I lived together; we were always running about, meeting new people and partying with neighbors or randoms that we picked up at Golden Gardens. One particular random sticks out to me because I Amanda and I have a photo taken with him and he has a bright red t-shirt on with a fishhook on the front and some clever saying about hookers. I ran into the said random approximately six months ago while grocery shopping at Safeway on lower Queen Anne. The two of us caught eyes a couple times until he finally came up to me in the meat department and said, “If this grocery store is a meat market, you must be the prime rib…”

Just joking. He didn’t say that. But he did ask me if I went to Western, and we had a small chat about hanging out a couple summers back. I small-talked with him for a bit, then we parted ways, and I really didn’t think anything of it.

Monday, I was coming home from work and stopped to get gas at the Chevron station on way south 99. I pulled into a stall, and the guy pumping gas at the stall in front of me was the same random guy. Except this time, he looked a whole lot cuter than I remember thinking he was. I smiled at him while seductively throwing away the garbage from my car. (Come on! I’m just trying to make this gas station pick-up story sound more sexy time.) “Did you go to Western?” He asked again. I’m glad I did, otherwise I think he’d run out of pick-up lines. I chatted with him for a bit, but was honestly in a hurry to get home, make dinner and go to belly dancing. Flirting with someone was the last thing on my mind. I had just come from sitting in front of a computer screen for eight and one-half hours. Obviously, human interaction was not on my list of things to accomplish that day. He asked me if I lived with a roommate or a boyfriend, and I replied, “I live with a Sarah.” He full on laughed at me, “You live with A Sarah?!”

God. I’m such as idiot. He kept talking, telling me that my car was cute and it suited me. He was clearly flirting with me. But, I could barely form words out of my mouth. I eventually walked away mid sentence and said, “Have a good night!” He looked a little crestfallen and walked into the mini mart to pay for his gas.

I got into my car and kicked myself all the way home. Why did I act so retarded. Why didn’t I get his number, why didn’t I casually say, “We should hang out some time,” like I always do?! Shit. He was the cutest, most normal boy I’ve interacted with in a long time.

I even tried to stalk him on MySpace when I got home. But, to no avail. Damn! I was SO prepared to tell people when they asked, “Oh. We met at a gas station.”

Next time I run into him, I’m throwing myself at him completely. Better start practicing…

Currently Feeling: Antsy to get off work and drive home in the sunshine.
Currently Anticipating: Gossiping with the ladies over dinner tonight.
Currently Hating: That I spent a big chunk of the only money I had at Trader Joe’s last night. That place is SO addicting!

Excessively American

Last weekend I went to the Mariner’s game with Amanda, Luke and Matt. Amanda’s boyfriend Luke was in town from Canada, and the Mariner’s game fell into her plan for the quintessential Seattle experience. (I just like to go to the games for the lack of anything better to do, and the hot dogs of course!) Our seats ended up being the very last top row on the third level, which actually wasn’t too bad because we were sheltered from the cold breeze, and we had a perfect view of the field from behind home plate. I was positioned next to a pretty cute guy with his family—better than a pretty cute guy with his girlfriend—so I was satisfied. (I always have men on the brain, it’s pathetic.) Apparently it was Little League day, so the stadium was swarming with little elementary-aged children dressed in their Little League uniforms. Exactly one row in front of us and a little to my left was a whole gaggle of kids—five little boys who were probably eight or nine, and one little adorable five-year-old girl. They were there with their parents, a group of slightly overweight men, obviously Microsoft employees. Why do I say “obviously Microsoft employees,” you ask? Because the men and their children were clearly from the suburbs, had money, and lived the ridiculous over-the-top excessive life that Americans are known for. After observing these kids for a while, Matt and I concluded that they are going to grow up to be the fattest little children on the block. And the most spoiled. Here’s why:

They started off eating peanuts. Matt and I got a crack (no pun intended) out of watching the little girl try to open her peanuts. She’d bang them on her seat, and just the tip would break off. (I think she was playing the Just the Tip game.) Then she would sit and try to peel the shell back, and then bang it again. Anyway, she was so concentrated and didn’t watch any of the game. Each peanut took her approximately 15 or 20 minutes to open. She was so cute.

The little boys on the other hand didn’t stop eating the whole game—they always had something in their laps. It was a silly display of excessiveness. After the peanuts they ate hot dogs—the foot-long ones, not the regular ones—then some of them had long licorice Red Vines, then they had garlic fries. Then little baggies of candy. THEN, they saw the Cracker Jack man and kept trying to yell in unison to get his attention. I think they were just doing it to be little brats. The Cracker Jack man of course thought they wanted to purchase some of the candy he was selling. So he moseyed on over to the row below me, and the little kids freaked out because they didn’t know they were going to actually have to buy some after getting his attention. Go figure. When their dads figured out the situation, they immediately ordered three bags of Cracker Jacks, even though the kids had already eaten hot dogs, garlic fries, Red Vine licorice ropes, peanuts and M&Ms. The kids blew through the Cracker Jacks. One little boy in the middle didn’t stop chewing the whole time we were there. He had enough food in his braces to last until the Mariners go to the World Series. It was so sick. I thought they were done after the Cracker Jack’s, but then I overheard them asking their fathers to purchase gummy bears for them. And this is what their father said:

“If you guys get the gummy bears then I’m going to have to say no to milkshakes when we go to Burgermaster later!”

Are you freakin kidding me? I about passed out when I heard this. What parent thinks good parenting is about giving your children an endless stream of junk food, or anything they want, at any time, without an end to it? Furthermore, what parent thinks it’s okay for children to eat peanuts, Cracker Jacks, garlic fries, hot dogs, Red Vine licorice, gummy worms, M&Ms in a three-hour period, then burgers, fries and a milkshake for dinner? I have never seen such a ridiculous display of money and over-indulgement in my lifetime. It was too perfect of an example of our American society, why everyone makes fun of us, and why everyone is fat. To top it off, when the kids groaned, he replied:

“Life is about choices!”

Life is about choices. And I choose to never raise my kids like those fat, rich dads do. Changing our society starts with one person at a time…

Currently Feeling: Antsy as all hell to pick my car up this afternoon.
Currently Anticipating: Sasquatch Musical Festival this weekend with Luke, Jana and Josh.
Currently Listening To: The Flaming Lips and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah in preparation for the concert.

Spring/Summer To-Do List

Oh my. It’s sunny and oh so beautiful outside. This weekend was amazing and gorgeous, and I believe we have a whole week of sun and 70-something degrees ahead of us as well. Of course, it automatically puts me in a good mood to wake-up to the sunshine peeking through my pink curtains. Why is it so much more fun to put on capris, sandals and sunglasses in the morning? I’m jealous of those who live in sunshine states and get to relive this feeling every morning for three-fourths of the year. It makes me automatically start creating a list in my mind of all the things I want to accomplish this summer. My best friend Amanda and I did this one summer when we lived together, and we hung it on the fridge in order to refer to it each time we were bored. It felt exhilarating to cross something off that list every time we completed it and plan what we wanted to do on our next days off. While she doesn’t live in Seattle anymore, I’m going to carry on our tradition. I plan to make the most of my spring and summer this year, so here’s my list so far:

1. Go Kayaking. (I’ve never been.)
2. Buy a cruiser bike and ride at least once from Seattle to Redmond on the Burke-Gilman Trail.
3. Try to jog or walk on my lunch hour three times a week.
4. Take a ferryboat to the San Juan Islands.
5. Camp in Wenatchee or somewhere I’ve never camped before.
6. Have a BBQ and bonfire at Golden Gardens.
7. Play catch.
8. Walk through the Aboretum’s beautiful gardens.
9. Play Frisbee at least once, and learn to throw the damn thing right.
10. Play tennis.
11. Buy a kite and fly it.
12. Find some dude with a boat and get him to take me and some friends out on it.
13. Take a mini road trip.
14. Attend as many summer Seattle festivals as I can, including Folk Life, Summer Solstice, Bite of Seattle and Seafair.
15. Go to at least one outdoor summer movie.
16. Get a pedicure.
17. Walk barefoot through soft, green grass.
18. Play a Game of mini-golf at Interbay Golf Course.
19. Drive to the Oregon or Washington coast.
20. Spend a weekend in Portland.
21. Go to hot springs. (Another thing I’ve never done.)
22. Take a hike and try to enjoy it.
23. Picnic!
24. Buy fresh flowers at the Market to put in my apartment.
25. Lie in the sun and swim at Madison Park as much as I can.
26. Sit on a dock, with my feet dangling in the water and feed the ducks.
27. Rollerblade as much as possible.
28. Float down a river in an inner tube.
29. Read outside on a blanket.
30. Tour wineries in Eastern Washington.
31. Hot air balloon ride?
32. Hit a bucket of balls at the driving range.
33. Go to the fair.
34. Mariner’s Games!
35. Swing on a swingset.
36. Water ski or various other water sports.
37. Rent a paddle boat at Greenlake.
38. Play Bocci Ball.
39. Play horseshoes.
40. Soak at night in a hot tub.

I look forward to each and every one of you partaking in this spring and summer to-do list with me! Seattle Summer…here we come!

Currently Feeling: Excited about my new eating healthy/less drinking/more exercise plane!
Currently Anticipating: My sunburn fading into a slight tan, getting more tan, and Amanda coming back home this week!
Currently Wondering: If I’m going to pass-out on the jog during my lunch hour today. It’s been awhile since I’ve ran outside!