Hatchet Burying

Munchkin and I got home safely this afternoon, no troubles with travel and The Boy was on-time to get us at the airport (he often has punctuality issues:-P). She was off-the-wall excited all weekend...which was kind of super cute (not at 5:30 Friday morning when she woke up, but the rest of the time).

I also got in a visit with Tinkerbelle, which I wasn't sure I would:-) She and her Mom were away Saturday and Sunday, but they came in to the hotel after school on Friday to hang out for a bit. We just walked around a bit, got a snack and chatted, so nothing special...but wonderful to see her.

I have to admit that the wedding was actually pretty fun. Other than sneaking out a little bit early to meet the BFFs and two other friends, I stayed for the whole thing and had a really good time. The bride's family (that would be Munchkin's sister-in-law...that sounds weird) is really nice and they are all exactly like her...very sweet and kinda timid and shy. I ended up talking with her Mother and Father for a long time during the rehearsal dinner on Friday, which was actually sort of interesting.

Munchkin has some cousins that I haven't seen in a long time that used to be really annoying teenagers but are now actually kinda cool. So that was nice, too...hopefully now that they are older, they can come out to visit her sometimes. She would love that.

I came up with a brilliant wedding present...I sent Munchkin and the bride for massages, facials and lunch right before they got their hair done (at the same place, which was convenient). Why brilliant, you ask? Because it allowed me to give a present that was of absolutely no value or interest to the groom:-D Yes, I understand that it was petty of me to think that way. Whatever...he sued me, so I don't feel bad about not giving him anything. [It just dawned on me that I have never once, that I recall, referred to him as "my stepbrother", which he is.]

Munchkin was GORGEOUS...one of the friends that came in to meet me with the BFFs hadn't seen her since we moved, and actually cried when she saw her. Her hair was up, she had makeupon, black dress, a necklace that Smoking Hot Roommate lent her...she really looked stunning. She did a fine job as Maid of Honor, too...even gave a brief toast:-) The bride's brother gave most of the toast (he was the best man) but Munchkin said a few words and I was really proud of her:-)

Interesting note...Munchkin's Brother is not on speaking terms with his Mother. This is somewhat recent (within two years) and I hadn't heard this previously. I also don't know why...anyway, she wasn't there. I don't know if she was invited.

So let's see...what's next...? Tuesday is Smoking Hot Roommate's birthday:-) I wrote her a sappy tribute last year, and I just may do it again:-P No rules limiting the number of odes I can write, are there? I think SHR and I and the boys (and anyone else that wants to come...lol) are gonna go away for a long weekend in a couple weeks...someplace warm! Just for 4-5 days or so to get some warm air and sun.

Snow is coming tomorrow, and Munchkin has no school. I may stay home if the snow is really bad, otherwise I am gonna leave her home alone. I have never done that for an entire day, but I think she is old enough. If she burns the place down, I will rescind that.

And then I have three dates with The Boy this week:-) Wednesday with his college friends, Thursday with some people from his work (after chicken fingers, of course) and Friday just the two of us at my favorite restaurant:-)

So...I guess it qualifies as a socially busy week:-)

Wedding Blahs

Happy Thursday everyone, and since it is kind of my last day this week, it is indeed very happy:-)

Well, except for Kevin getting kicked off of Runway last night. I guess I understand why they did it...the dress was pretty bad, but I still feel like they should have tossed Ricky. Seriously, he has made very little decent clothing this whole season, consistently turns in things that are incomplete, poorly made and in poor taste. I mean really...you have a girl that is kind of chunky and you put her into some shapeless potato-sack looking thing? He made that poor girl look AWFUL.

I still love Rami, and I think I liked his dress better than the judges did last night. It seems that even our previously sceptical poetic lawyer/photographer friend from Tampa has come around:-P.

Munchkin is incredibly excited for her brother's wedding, and I feel sort of bad that I don't share her excitement. I should...anything that is that important to her should be pretty much as important to me. And while my opinion of him is kind of 50/50, I do like his wife a lot, and I like him a lot better with her. So, mental note to at least pretend to care. If Munchkin wants to talk about it for an hour tonight, then so be it. I need to get over my "shared last name jealousy" issues (yes, I have always been jealous that he gets to have the same last name as her...there, I said it).

So that's about it. I may actually check in tomorrow since I am going to be at my computer all day. I think I will have 3-4 hours of stuff that I really have to do, but I think that will be about it for the day. Munchkin is gonna be running around helping out all day, and I am just planning on sitting in the hotel room (or some other place in the hotel) to get my shit done. No real plans beyond that.

So, if I don't check in tomorrow, I hope everyone has a great weekend:-) Chicken fingers tonight for the first time in a while...can't wait!

Primaries and Bonuses

Two topics today, both related to yesterday. Being the CNN geek that I am (and that apparently Brandy is, too), I spent last night watching election results. OK, I was getting some work done, too...but I am trying to play up my dorkiness.

Very surprising results from New Hampshire on the Democratic side. Well, it is a shock when compared to Monday's polls...but when you consider that she was ahead by like 20 points a couple of weeks ago, it is shocking in the other direction. What does it mean? Well, it means that she dodged a serious bullet. If she lost by seven, she would have been dead...now she has made it a race again, and they go on to fight in South Carolina and so forth.

It also raises an interesting idea about race and politics. Could it be that people have feelings about a black candidate that they won't voice publicly, but that they will act on privately? He did well in Iowa where everyone sees you vote, but he dramatically underperformed the final polls in NH in an anonymous vote. Could be a statistical thing, but it could also be something more...we will have to keep and eye on this. I had a Poli-Sci professor who loved to point out the Jesse Helms did better in actual votes than in polls every single election of his career. Sometimes voters think something but don't want to say it out loud...

The Republican side is just as wide open for now. McCain looks like the favorite for now, but Huckabee could be strong in South Carolina if his message resonates with Evangelicals. Romney looks to be teetering, but he actually has the highest average finish of the candidates in the three contests so far, and if he wins Michigan, he will be right back in it. That would also bring Rudy Giuliani into it as well...if the other three are kind of tied and he scored big in Florida, then he immediately joins them. But if one of them can be a clear front runner, it will be over before it starts for Rudy (like, if McCain wins SC and MI, for example). Fred Thompson seems to think he is gonna compete in South Carolina, too, but I will believe that when I see it.

Now, serious stuff out of the way...I got a MotherfuckingHUGE bonus, and I am most excited about it! I was expecting about 20% of my base salary, and ended up getting like 35%. In percentage terms, I got the largest bonus of any of the non-partners (in dollar terms, they all got more than me...whatever...I will choose whatever metrics I want:-P). So I was really, really fired up all afternoon.

Boss Foxy pulled rank on the guys in the office and stole me for lunch. Part of it may have been an effort to preempt me telling them (I totally would have:-)), but also I think she was fired up too because she got a MONSTER payout (the partners don't technically get bonuses, but it is sort of the same thing). Hers was so big that it had rounding errors bigger than my entire bonus...lol. She doesn't get very excitable, but I could tell that she was really on cloud nine yesterday. And she deserves it, she had an outstanding year, did two huge things that made a ton of money, and talked the other partners out of one that, in hindsight, would have been a disaster. She was definitely the superstar of the firm last year.

Anyway, I am feeling pretty good about my savings plan now. I am still not 100% how the new living arrangement is going to effect my budget, but I think I will still be able to save every month. If not, I have plenty of cushion to hold me over. More importantly, the house fund is becoming relatively substantial, and that makes me very happy:-)

So, today...very good day and I am in a very good mood:-)

Scrambled Thoughts

Anyone else notice the brilliant song choice in the new Cadillac commercials? I can't say it makes me want to buy one, but it sure makes me think that they go really fast. A little digging reveals that the song is "Stars" by Hum, and I am willing to be $.25 that it is on Aaron's iPod. Am I right? I slightly remember this song from my childhood, but couldn't remember the band or much of the details.

This weather is crazy! Last week it was like 6, this week is like 60. Munchkin and I went for a pretty long walk last night and then picked up dinner to bring to The Boy's place. I would say that we were outside comfortably for like an hour and a half with no hats, scarves or mittens. How great is that?

We took a moderately different route through the Public Garden last night on the way home, which reminded me...is there anything in Boston cooler than the duckling statue (of that there is an almost identical one in Moscow)? I never heard of the book growing up, but it is as good a children's book as there is. If you need a gift for little kids, it is a wonderful book...especially if they have been to or will be in Boston and can visit:-) And seriously, what is cuter than ducklings?

I can't believe no one yelled at me for being non-committal on going to a wedding in four days! That is pretty rude of me:-P

Big doings in New Hampshire today, which is all over the news today. The Boston TV stations all broadcast through New Hampshire, so there are basically nothing but political ads these days. My gut says that Clinton and Romney are both gonna be in serious trouble if they lose today by as much as it looks like they are gonna lose by. Of course, if they manage to win, they become the immediate front runners. Should be interesting, and the really warm weather bodes well for Obama, Paul and maybe even McCain...keep that in mind.

Meeting today at 11:00 to get my bonus...wish me luck:-) They are kind of going in order of reverse seniority, so I am the first person on the schedule. That makes me the guinea pig, and I am sure I will badgered when I am finished by people looking to gage where the numbers are coming in. A couple of the guys in the office have already put lunch on my schedule, which I have a feeling may be related to the fact that I will be coming out of that meeting. Whatever...free lunch! I am not counting my chickens before they hatch (chickens? duckling? lots of poultry today) but I am guessing that it will be something like 20% of my base salary or so...a pretty nice check. Wish me luck:-)

[Update: Aaron reveals that the song in question is NOT on his iPod, so I owe someone a quarter. I will drop it in the March of Dimes box at Dunkin Donuts.]

Settling In

OK, I am over my little mid-life crisis from the other day. It was strange to wake up yesterday and today and not have Smoking Hot Roommate around, but I think I am over the most emotional part of it. Munchkin come back helped a lot:-)

Speaking of which...she got older while she was gone...lol. I don't know if it is the tan or if she actually got bigger while she was gone, but she looks like two years older than when I sent her off. She is really growing up fast...

It was good to have her home, though, and she was pretty excited to move back into this condo. The Boy was over and we did some unpacking all afternoon (I unpacked, he and Munchkin did more watching football than they did unpacking), and the SHR and The Rocket Scientist came over for dinner (she brought a housewarming gift...have you ever heard of a girl bringing a gift to someone who is moving into a condo that she owns? This could be a first.)

I guess I am a little excited to do some decorating. The furniture and linens and drapes and shit are all already there, but I think I will get some new pictures and such. That could be fun...I am not really sure what look I am going for, but I am sure I will figure it out. Or just have an ugly apartment...lol.

Two large events for later this week. The first is bonus time:-) We get bonuses in early January, and it looks like they are gonna be handed out this week. I know a lot of Wall Street-type places cut back on bonuses last year, and it is not a great time to be in the business of borrowing money (which we sort of are), but last year was still a pretty good year, so hopefully I will get a good bonus! The house fund is growing pretty good:-)

And then we are leaving for Chicago early on Friday morning. Munchkin is gonna spend Friday helping with last minute wedding prep stuff, and I will probably try and get some work done to justify not taking the day off. I sucked it up and decided to stay in the hotel where the wedding is rather than at someone's house. Mostly I figured it would be easier and would require less shuttling of Munchkin around. It's gonna cost me like $350, but I think Munchkin will enjoy it more and it will be easier.

I haven't decided exactly how much of the wedding I am going to, if any. I would love to see Munchkin all dressed up (and I like the bride a lot) but her brother and I still have kind of a strained relationship, and I have even less than that with a lot of the family members. [As a reminder, this is Munchkin's father's family, so I am not related to any of them and have openly feuded with some.]

At this point, I am thinking that I will go to the ceremony and then cocktails and kind of take it from there. I might skip out if I can convince the BFF's to come in and meet me at the bar and come back and get Munchkin later. I guess I will have to see how it goes...I may be sort of persona-non-grata, or maybe not.

Anyway, not much else this week...just getting settled into the new place. And enjoying the warm weather!