Let's Be Friends

Bill and I went to see Barely Legal, an exhibition of artwork and other installations by British grafitti artist Banksy. It was one of the best exhibits I have ever seen. He's so clever! The pieces I liked most were the ones hung in an area created to look like a stuffy drawing room of a stately estate. I think my brother would have really liked his work.

Talk the Talk

Last Saturday Bill and I joined my friend Janet at the annual Light the Night Walk at Angel's Stadium. Light The Night Walk is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's nationwide evening Walk to build awareness of blood cancers and raise funds for cures. We were walking in honor of Janet's little brother Joshua who recently was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. Joshua is in recovering well and was able to start school at Whitney HS this week where he attended the "Hello Dance".... for those of you who remember, when was the last time you heard those two words together?! Too cute. Janet also tells us that Joshua feels very special because he's the only one at school who's allowed to wear a bandana

Part of the walk took us around the edge of the stadium's parking lot. It was a little dark and as I was walking I felt a little hand slip into mine. It was Janet's youngest brother Jacob. Jacob is about 6 years old and very shy. Jacob walked next to his mom the whole night but must have lost track of her. So we walked for a while and I listened to him talk because I didn't want to freak him out. It was really funny. The girls had also realized what was happening.

Stacey: Do you know a girl name Tina?
Jacob: No.
Kristen: Hey Jacob, ask your mom for some candy.


Jacob looked up and asked me for candy but I turned my head so he couldn't see my face. We walked for a little bit more until we got closer to the stadium and he saw his mom walking ahead of us. He looked at me and then looked at his mom and then ran away.

Walking the walk was a great experience. Janet did an amazing job rounding up everyone and organizing Joshua's team. She's the kind of big sister that I wish I was. Actually, she's an amazing person period.

Ode to Sam

While chatting with my friend Ken last week, he made a good observation. Most of my man man friends are either single (and very eligible) or married/ practically married with no one in between. One of the funniest single guy is Sam. Sam has a very good imagination, a knack for acronyms, and a very peculiar sense of humor. Let's explore that last item a bit more.

Sam's sense of humor is like cream pie and bay leaves. Sometimes its very obvious and often its physical humor, and although you may cover your eyes and shake your head, you're still chuckling. In contrast, there are other moments when he mutters a barely audible sentence that reveals his more subtle, and rather dry sense of humor.

Here are two drawing Sam made. Both are portraits of yours truly.

A Hole

While eating my In-N-Out hamburger today, a thought occured to me. I think I might be an a**hole on the phone.... which made me think...that perhaps I was an a-hole in general. Here are two examples.

Bank Call
One day, about a month ago, I received a call at work from my bank telling me that I was past due on on the bank issued credit card. I disputed this and told the bank caller that I would check with my records at home and straighten things out later that night. The bank caller insisted that I authorize payment for the $23.17 past due on the spot. I refused and he said that he would make a note on my record that I refused to comply and refused to work with the bank in resolving my financial issues. I've been with this bank for 10 years and was kinda pissed. In response I said "Oh yeah, well you can add to that note that I also threatened you because if I could reach through the phone, I'd punch you in your stupid mouth!!" I was really mad.

Sweetheart
At work we provide customer service for our furnitre and equipment. On several occasions, the caller (usually men) will ask to speak with a man because girls don't know how to work with electronic things. At this point I either (1)be nice and try to help them anyways (2)take a long time to transfer him to a guy in my office and then pick up the phone and say "oops sorry you were on hold for so long, but you know... the phone is electronic" psss... don't tell my dad I do that!

Tick-Tock

In a year and 17 days, Bill and I will be getting married. There are so many details and I'm stressing out about stressing out. Its especially unnerving to have strangers asking about the details of one's most important / intimate day. It may be that I'm being overly sensitive but I feel so lost when people bombard me with questions that I have no answers to like "What color will you paint the flower girls' nails?"

The little details really don't matter to me. I'm a bad speller, so the invitations and programs will probably not be perfect; something will be spilled; something will be forgotten. I just want to marry Bill! ..... and feed my friends & family.