Has it been 10 years already?

I went to my 10 year high school reunion last night. It was a very surreal experience. I didn't know what to expect and wasn't sure how the night would turn out. When I went to my 5 year reunion, people hadn't really changed that much. We were all in our early 20's, had just recently finished college, and were still in that partying mode.

This reunion was quite different. The first thing that struck me was that we all had to wear nametags. I mean, how much can someone really change since high school, right? Well, after scoping out the crowd, the answer is A LOT. I couldn't recognize half the people that were there. My class had about 400 students so I never knew everyone, but I could at least put a name to a face. This crowd was full of unfamiliar faces that I knew I should recognize. As I walked around looking at everyone's nametags, I realized that women age a lot better than men do! Most of the girls looked similar to the way they did in high school, plus or minus a few pounds. The guys, however, were not a pretty sight. Half of them were fat and balding! We're 28, how could they be balding already! There were the few guys that looked the same or even better than they used to. But, all in all, the aging process did not cut the guys any slack.

After drinking a couple glasses of liquid courage, I forced myself to initiate conversations with people. At first I thought I was the only one that had been nervous before the reunion and felt awkward coming in. As I mingled, however, I found out that everyone else felt that way. Even those who were the "confident" and "popular" ones years back. They felt exactly the same way I did. That was comforting.

I made a point of talking to everyone I could find that I went to elementary school with. Although we naturally drifted apart over the years, there's nothing like the bond of a friendship from childhood. I got to meet significant others and even see baby pictures of their children. I still can't believe that the people that I still picture as grade schoolers are now parents!

I think the best part of the night was the fact that we've all grown up so much and that all that high school drama is far behind us. Everyone was mature and friendly and just happy to be able to enjoy an evening together again. There are some people that I reconnected with last night that I hope to continue talking to. As for the rest of them, I guess I'll see them at the 15 year:o)

Pseudo Honeymoon

Since our wedding was in Bermuda, we spent the entire week with our friends and family. We loved having everyone with us to celebrate, but we never had any real alone time. So,10 of His childhood friends chipped in and bought us a "honeymoon" to New Orleans. We got the works. We had a limo pick us up from the airport and he drove us to the W Hotel where we were to spend the weekend. We spent the first night in the room that was booked for us, but then we got upgraded to a suite on the 23rd (top) floor for the remaining two nights. We also each received an 80 minute massage at the spa in the Loews Hotel. The highpoint for Him was the pair of tickets to the Saints vs. Bengals game held at the Superdome. Even though I only understand a smidgen of what goes on on the field, it was a fun experience!

We spent a lot of the weekend walking around the French Quarter. We also risked our sanity a couple nights and worked our way up and down Bourbon Street. It was insane. I can't even imagine what it's like there during Mardi Gras. I think I've been flashed enough by random big boobied girls to last me a lifetime. One great upshot of New Orleans is that drinking on the streets is legal. That made for a fun time on Bourbon! It was pretty entertaining to see people zigzagging their way down the streets during the day. I think we saw at least a couple middle-aged guys half in the tank by the time brunch came around. Sad but very amusing to see.

The best part of the trip was the food. It is amazing down there. He and I couldn't stop raving about everything we ate. We had jambalaya, crawfish, red beans and rice, poboys, muffalettas, beignets, and so much more that I can't even remember right now. Every single piece of food was like a bite of heaven. Of course, this is probably because everything was drenched in full-fat butter, but that's the best part, isn't it?

As for the state of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the downtown area has bounced back pretty well. We were told by locals not to venture outside of the immediate downtown area for safety reasons so we didn't see the ravaged parts of the city. However, downtown looks great. The only signs of a disaster having happened, were the boarded-up restaurants here and there. Being from Boston, we're so used to seeing construction being done all over the place, that the work being done in New Orleans didn't seem odd at all. I had to remind myself that the area had been ravaged by a fatal storm. Tourism seems to be thriving there and morale of the locals is high.

Our vacation ended too soon and we were both very sad to have to leave such a beautiful city. I would love to go back again in the future, but I don't know when that will be. I think He wants to have the guys' next bachelor party down there though=/ I guess Bourbon Street brings out the crazy in everyone.

Little Suzie Homemaker

For reasons which I choose not to disclose, I promised Him last week that I would do my best to make him happy and make our home as comfortable as possible. Seeing as though my previous post is about enjoying my sleep, this housekeeping thing is a huge sacrifice for me. However, it has been worth it.

I've found myself a new hobby. It's cooking. I mean, I've always known how to cook and make sure we weren't starving. However, I was all out of ideas and would cook the same things over and over again. This made the activity dreadful rather than enjoyable. So, I decided to break out the cookbooks and try some new recipes.

The first thing I realized while skimming the pages of my many books was that I was in need of some staple items. I went to the supermarket last week and spent over an hour browsing the aisles. I left $170.00 poorer, but satisfied with my purchases. So far, I've made quite a few dishes. I made some turkey meatballs with a mushroom sauce over pasta. The meatballs were great, but the sauce was a bit bland. I made a chicken and butternut squash stew with a peanut butter base. I know, it sounds kind of weird, but is actually pretty tasty. I baked a lasagna a few days ago and not only was it delicious, it wasn't full of fat either. I substituted the beef with chicken, the full fat cheeses with lowfat versions, and even replaced half of the ricotta with cottage cheese. He didn't realize the changes I made until I told him. That's a sure sign that the lower fat version works well! I made a red wine beef stew on Friday evening. It turned out well too. It also has gottent tastier by the day since all the flavors have mixed together. I just finished baking some banana bread. I'm not really into baking, but we had some overripe bananas that I didn't want to throw away so I figured why not make some bread with it. He and I just had a couple of slices straight from the oven and the bread was yummy.

Considering that I am now set on trying all the recipes I can, my body is going to pay for it. We were on our way out the door today and this is the exchange that took place:

Him: Did you dry your jeans?
Me: No, why?
Him: They look tighter.
Me: *silence*
Him: Errr, I was just kidding.

So, I guess my new hobby keeps His tummy satisfied and my waistline expanding=/