Week has been going well. Went with Terry to the Navy base to work out on Tuesday and last night. It’s a great place to work out. Not too many people, good treadmills, TVs to watch, all you really need. Tonight we’re going to attempt some strength training. I’ll probably be sore tomorrow. That’d probably be a good thing. Oh no, just remembered the last time I worked out my arms. Gary almost killed me. It was a year and a half ago, I went to the Tulane Rec Center with Ren and Gary and we did the machines for 90 minutes or something ridiculous. I couldn’t raise my arms above my waist for about a week. Ooh, must take it easier tonight.

The Navy base, by the way, has me wondering why I never joined an armed service. It is so cool, and this is just a small one! They even have a bowling alley! It’s just like a little town. So cool. (Oh wait, I know why I never joined an armed service – I’m a wuss.)

Tomorrow is Jon & Paola’s wedding. I have to make my spinach bars (mmmmmm…..) tonight to bring. Could be dangerous, I don’t know how many of the bars are actually going to make it to the reception, they’re sooooo gooooood.

Kind of had a hellish weekend, don’t want to post about that part of it. But parts of it were okay. George and I went to dinner with his friends Andy and Linda to this delicious (but slooooooowwwww) Jamaican restaurant. I had a really good stuffed acorn squash. Mmmmm. After that, we went to their house, which is gorgeous. Really old. Then to the pub after that. Had some drinks.

Saturday, George and I went to breakfast. Then we walked a little around old Gretna, which is really quite cute. It was really foggy. I had things to do so I dropped him off at Best Buy, where he bought a laptop. I got some books from Barnes & Noble (last time I get to use my discount?) and ran some errands. Went home, cleaned a little, then went out with some girls from the neighborhood, for a bachelorette party. Meanwhile the guys were doing the bachelor party.

We went to 360, a club at the top of the World Trade Center, but it was so foggy, we couldn’t see anything. But it spins, which is also cool. Every so often, we’d find ourselves next to the bar. Or the bathrooms. Or the dancefloor. Or the bar again. It was fun. Then we went to (urgh) Coyote Ugly, then walked down Bourbon Street, split a Lucky Dog with Ross, went to the Bourbon Pub, danced for about two seconds, then went and sat on the balcony with Polly. The boys met up with us shortly thereafter, and thankfully, I got to go home.

Sunday, everyone was hungover, but we had a good turnout for my APMS day. I showed “Mr Smith Goes to Washington” which went over pretty well. Made delicious lasagne. Felt like total crap. But weekend (for reasons I won’t go into here) was redeemed by the end of the night. Felt much better.

Yesterday George and I went to have Vietnamese for dinner. I think it’s my new favorite cuisine. God, the vermicelli bowls. I could eat them for every meal. But then, we stopped at the pub to get a drink and Ross and Raul were having a sort of dinner party across the street, and they insisted we come over, so we had to eat a little more. Ah well. Raul’s such a good cook. It wasn’t a huge sacrifice!

Tonight I’m going to work out with Terry. I’m excited. I hope we can make a habit of this. I’m all about the cheap gym.

Mardi Gras over. And I survived. Don’t know how. Friday night, I stayed at the pub with George and Colin and Polly. Drank waaaaay too much. Ended up barfing. Niiice. Walked around the Quarter on Saturday with Annie and George. Was fun. Went to the pub afterwards, again, drank too much. Sunday was Polly’s movie day, watched “American Movie.” It was funny and depressing. Afterwards, we went across the river to watch Bacchus. Colin was doing security and riding on one of the floats, so we got a ton of stuff. I saw Regan (from Barnes & Noble) and her boyfriend. Monday, I had to work. Was deadly. Barely made it. George and I watched a Sherlock Holmes movie and crashed. Tuesday I got up and met Colin and Polly and Liam and some other people at the ferry. We walked around the French Quarter. I got some cool beads from a walking krewe, the Krewe of Elvis. Also saw John Goodman in another walking parade. Went by my uncle’s condo, hung out there for a while, then we went to Monahan’s, then back to the pub…for just one more drink. George and I went home, he was in a rotten mood. I stayed home last night and read. Today was not too fun at work. I was tired. Blech.

Sunday is my movie day for the APMS (Algiers Point Movie Society). No one reads this, so I can say what I’m showing…either Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or Fever Pitch. I think Mr. Smith. It’s a classic, but people will be expecting me to show a British movie. Ah well, I’ll just surprise them.

Am going to go look at gyms this weekend, I think. I am feeling disgustingly slothful. Bleccch.

Today is last day of first full week at new job. Am liking it. Need a neck massage or something at the end of every day, though, I forgot how exhausting it can be to just sit at a computer all day. I need to talk to Laurie about joining a gym, we might go to one together. I’m pretty sure we talked about that on Friday night when we went out, but to be honest, I could be wrong about that. Hope not. Anyway, aside from anything else, sitting on my butt all day isn’t going to do my running any good, so I need to find some other way of being active.

But truly, the most exciting thing in the world (how could it have taken me so long to ge to this?) right now is that Chris’s wife, Rebecca, is pregnant! Woo hoo! Baby in October! Geez, it’s about time, too. I’ve been bugging those two about reproducing for some time now. Yay!

Today was first real day at work. Got stuff done, figured out problems, blah, blah, blah.

But the real excitment is that I’m going to be a faux aunt again! Okay, okay, so my brother and sister-in-law aren’t procreating, but at least my friends are. Chris and Rebecca are having a baaaaaabeeeeeeeee!!! Yay! In October! So, I guess no more marathons for Chris for a while…

Fun weekend. Friday was last day at B&N, went out afterwards with work people and Laurie and James and George. Went to some really crappy bar with crappy band playing crappy music (not really a band – two hicks in mullets and gold lame.) But then we left and went to Cooter Brown’s, and except for my car getting stuck on railroad tracks, was really fun.

Saturday, George and I went to Baton Rouge for my cousin Rob’s wedding. Was very beautiful.

Sunday watched “The Commitments” with neighborhood crowd. Imbibed a tad too much afterwards.

Today is my first real full-time day at new job. Ack!

Ack! Got beautiful flowers from Kristina and Anne today at work (new work)! I was so excited! And they’re so freaking pretty!!! Will write more later…

Need to post lots. No time now. Starting (officially) at new job today. Went in Thurs and Fri briefly to help out a bit. But am also finishing at B&N this week, so will be very exhausting week. Argh!

Mardi Gras half marathon was yesterday. Finished 10 minutes faster than last year! 2:44:26 or something. Yay! Am very sore today.

Afterwards went to my first meeting of our neighborhood movie club event thingy. Was fun. We watched Torch Song Trilogy. Will explain all this later, must get ready for work. Ack!

ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!

yay!!!!

Had part two of root canal today. Ow. Painful. Whoop-die-doo.

My Uncle Nick (great-uncle, really) died on Saturday night. Sad. Am going to funeral tomorrow. I only met him a few times. He was kind of mythical family member, seen rarely, and worked at the racetrack, training horses. And he was Italian, so what were we to believe, except that he was a bigwig in the Mafia? I suppose we’ll find out tomorrow, see how many large men with dark sunglasses are there.

Ran ten miles on Saturday. Was very good. Averaged 12 minute miles. Last mile done in 11:10. Am quite confident can finish half marathon faster than last year (2:55).

Valentine’s day is Friday. The first V-day I’ve ever been able to celebrate (see bitter diatribe from last year’s Feb 14 blog) and I’m cooking dinner for George. Sweet. 🙂

Helped out at Mardi Gras Store today. Filling packages. Making a few extra bucks, always handy. Have phone interview scheduled tomorrow at 11:30, half an hour before the funeral. Must remember to be outside at the time. This is a second interview, had first interview last week. Yay!

Ow. Am in pain today. Had root canal yesterday. Apparently was pretty bad, because my dentist called me today. I couldn’t believe it. He wanted to see how I was feeling! I mean, what dentist does that? Wow! I have the best dentist ever! Took a Xanax before appointment, was pretty woozy. Took a Vicodin last night, slept pretty well, but it started to hurt again this morning and again after lunch today. Am about to take another pain pill and go to sleep. I would have taken one earlier, but I went over to a neighbor’s house and helped her with her 6 week old twins. Ack! Oh my god, they are unbearably cute. I held Eoin (pronounced “Owen”) the whole time, he’s teeeeeny, smaller than his sister (Marigny) and he has wittle dimples and a teeny head and um is just so dang cute I’m using baby talk in my head. Must quit. Must take Vicodin. Must relieve horrific pain in my head. Must run 9 miles tomorrow morning, followed by job interview (oh please god, please please please i can do it) and then work. Blech. Busy day tomorrow. No time for pain!