I just don’t understand why it’s been so cold/windy/rainy lately. This doesn’t seem like nearly-summer weather at all!  I’m hoping that today is warmer.

I am officially twenty-five years old now. Time to grow up and start being responsible, I guess. And what timing, too, with my boss leaving the company this coming Friday! Things have been crazy-busy at work this week as we try to transition, in the smoothest way possible, all of his responsibilities to me, our CEO, and our PR firm. I am now 100% in charge of trade shows and web events, and will have a large piece of lead generation development along with my usual day-to-day activities. It’s going to be time-consuming and stressful, and I’m looking forward to it immensely.

Meg took me to a Yankees game last Thursday as my birthday present.  Though the first, well, eight innings were rather uneventful, the last inning was fantastic, which included a hissy fit from the coach as well as a last-second line drive that pushed the Yankees 2-1 over Baltimore.  And I hate the Orioles, so that was totally cool with me.  It was also Fleet Week last week, so there were people in military uniforms everywhere - total flashback to that Sex and the City episode (and I am so excited for the movie, by the way).  We ended up getting off the subway early to walk twenty blocks through Times Square, just to experience the city a little more, and ran into a drunk homeless guy who planted a wet kiss on my cheek (I washed my face three times later that night) and grabbed onto me and Meg, whispering, “Do you guys want to taste some chocolate?”  (He happened to be black.)  Frightening.  Meg looked like she was ready to punch him.

I went down to Virginia this past weekend to celebrate my birthday alongside my dad, who shares the same. After cooking a massive, heart-attack-inducing breakfast with her boyfriend for everyone, my sister took us to Top Golf in Alexandria, which has a driving range that actually scores your shots so that you can play versus other people. I officially have forgotten anything I learned from those golfing lessons I took back in high school, but at least the weather was beautiful and everyone had a good time. We had a BBQ later in the day on the grill that my sister and I bought for Dad, and PS, cayenne pepper in a burger is amazing.

My sister had her own barbeque at her house on Sunday and we pretty much just chilled there all night. In all, it was a low-key weekend, which is precisely what I needed, and the weather was just amazing.

I’m hoping to make an appearance at New Jersey Pride this weekend in Asbury Park.  Meg’s working until three that day, and our friend Chris is at school up in Connecticut, so unfortunately the Tripod will not live the excitement together of two years past, but it should still turn out to be a good time regardless.

Plus, my best friend from junior year of high school, AK the Swede, is coming for a visit next week!  So excited.  I haven’t seen her since February of 2002.  She’ll be in New York City for the weekend, and then head down to Virginia to stay with her host family from when she was an exchange student with AFS.  I’ll undoubtedly go down to Virginia again when she’s there so that we can have a mini-reunion with our mutual high school friends.

Speaking of high school, Madison is number 151 on Newsweek’s list of the top public high schools in the country, down from 141 last year.  Still, that’s not bad!

Unfortunately, I’m feeling a bit down - and somewhat stressed - today because my boss has announced that he’s leaving the company to pursue a new opportunity. While I understand the logic behind the move - he is currently commuting 100 miles from home to come to central New Jersey every week and is away from his wife and three young kids for days on end - it still saddens me somewhat because he’s come to be something of a mentor for me. After all, we have a highly intimate work relationship; that is, we generally plan and execute programs together, as a team, rather than doing things on our own (obviously he owns analyst relationships and such, but that’s to be expected with his experience). I do believe that I have had the rare opportunity to work in a completely collaborative environment and thus learn much more than I otherwise might have.

Anyway. Best of luck to you, D! Can’t wait to run into you again in the future and exchange notes.

Things that are difficult to say when drunk:

1. Innovative
2. Preliminary
3. Proliferation
4. Cinnamon

Things that are very difficult to say when drunk:

1. Specificity
2. Anti-constitutional
3. Passive-aggressive disorder
4. Transubstantiate

Things that are downright impossible to say when drunk:

1. No, thanks, I’m married.
2. Nope, no more booze for me!
3. Sorry, but you’re not really my type.
4. Taco Bell? No, thanks, I’m not hungry.
5. Good evening, officer. Isn’t it lovely out tonight?
6. Oh, I couldn’t! No one wants to hear me sing karaoke.
7. I’m not interested in fighting you.
8. Thank you, but I won’t make any attempt to dance. I have no coordination. I’d hate to look like a fool!
9. Where is the nearest bathroom? I refuse to pee in this parking lot or on the side of the road.
10. I’ll be going home now, as I have to work in the morning.