A la la la la la life is wonderful
Today is my last day as an 18 year old. What a year.
More specifically, this weekend was my last weekend as an 18 year old. And what a weekend. Totally random, and totally worth probably ringing in my birthday tonight with Kirchoff and a power series problem set.
Spontanaeity is exciting and fun, and this weekend was definitely one where I couldn't have told you what I would be doing even an hour before I was doing it. Case in point: getting tickets to the football game less than an hour before kick-off when I thought I would be eating brunch. Sometimes you have to improvise and have (blue and white!) pop-tarts instead while walking briskly to the homecoming game you had no idea you would actually be going to. Somehow I ended up being one of those people they lift up and toss in the air after our team scored. Slightly against my will, but actually kinda fun when I stopped worrying about being dropped.
So every Friday afternoon, there's a farmers market set up right off our main street with organic produce and Mennonites selling baked goods and flowers. I actually bought some apple cider as a present for my parents there a few weeks ago. Anyhow, Friday around 4 a friend and I were walking back to her dorm, where our mailroom is located, and saw some guy carrying a bouquet of flowers. We looked at each other and had a very girly "Awwwww, how cute" moment and I felt an acute longing for the end of the summer yet again. We were content enough just to muse on someone else's soon-to-be surprise. Then we checked our mail. For whatever reason, we both had slips for "perishable packages." We exchanged mildly frightened looks.
Here's the point where I decide that I have some of the best guy friends. Ever. Because one of them just randomly decided to pick up some flowers for me and two of our friends. Just to be nice. Especially considering some of the complete and total assholes I've been dealing with lately, it came as several breaths of fresh air. It was so darn nice/thoughtful and decidedly not creepy and not alterior-motive-y. And being the total sucker that I am for flowers (I know, I know . . . laaaaa-aaaame), I was on this very silly high for the rest of the night. After watching the homecoming parade, we "guarded" the school mascot statue and saw break-dancing ninjas (!!!!!) and a local band that was pretty good, especially when they had a didgeridoo player accompany them.
Last night was also rather ridiculous. After being a cheering college football fan during the day and having quite the nutricious pop-tart lunch, I made the last-minute decision to haphazardly don nicer clothes and go the the formal dinner we'd been invited to at the fraternity we did homecoming stuff with. I was a little skeptical, but it was surprisngly classy and dignified and, well, nice. I guess they really cleaned up their act for the alumni who were visiting. It was catered and there was even a chef guy wearing the whole fancy-chef outfit, interesting white hat most definitely included. It was during wardrobe change #3 for swing dancinggg - which was fun but of course made me a little bit homesick - that it dawned on me that this is my birthday weekend. I had almost forgotten, but once I remembered, I felt less bad about running from event to activity to event with little to no regard to the work I was neglecting. Monday is a pretty hectic day for me and now that I think about it I probably won't be able to go out to dinner because of research. Le sigh. At least I won't have any exams, and I can hopefully dance after I get out of research.
Wardrobe change #4 last night was by far the most interesting - the fencing house party was army-themed so I broke out the camo pants and authentic camo hat (it's funny 'cause I'm a pacifist?). At the party, the one and only football player that I actually personally know (yes, the one I met at that academic achievement ceremony last spring) was also there, completely and hysterically goooone. But still sentient enough to remember my name and proclaim his drunkenly intense affection for me to anyone who happened to stumble nearby. Pssshhhhh, athletes. Hahaha, it was a highly entertaining, entirely necessary, and very fun night out. And one of the fencers is from Setauket and knows Hal . . . drunk dialing ensued.
Alas I must now return to those power series (Airy's equation is kinda cool). But here's to an amazing birthday weekend that I nearly forgot was a birthday weekend. 18 has been crazy and fun and random and stressful and enlightening and painful and wonderful. Here's to what will hopefully be an equally amazing year of my life. Cheers!
And p.s.
Happy (early) Mole Day! Avagadro's number, woooooot!