Graduation #3...

Today was Bisobrina's graduation party. I baked a batch of cookies that didn't come out quite right but were close enough, grabbed my swimsuit and my work clothes for afterwards, and headed out. I stopped to get a card in which to put the $40 my parents pulled together as a graduation gift, and headed up to Bow, NH. On the way I realized, a bit late, that I was on a toll road. I proceeded to spend way too much time digging 75 cents out of my coin purse, swerving all the way, and in this manner I passed a parked state trooper.

I have no idea why he didn't stop me...

Anyway, I made it safely to her place, where I proceeded to spend several hours standing around awkwardly and talking to either Bisobrina (when she was available), her biological mother who I had never met before, or some of her female friends with names I promptly forgot except I think one of them was Millie, which I thought was a funny name for a 17-year-old. I left when the female friends had all left en masse to be replaced by the second wave of friends, all male.

It wasn't too bad. I did overhear something interesting, too. See, I was really confused as to why Bisobrina's birth mother was so keen on reentering Bisobrina's life, considering that she gave her up because she was a teen mother and that's not the sort of thing one usually wants to be reminded of. But then I heard her talking to another woman there, and the woman said, "Oh, you must be so pleased to see how well she's doing," and Bisobrina's birth mother replied, "Oh, yes, very much. This is what you always hope for, you know?" and all of a sudden I understood.

I can't imagine someone giving up a child, for any reason, and not second-guessing their choice, or at least feeling a little guilty or worried that the kid's not well taken care of. It must be nice, all these years later, to learn that they were adopted by a doctor's family with an enormous house with an incredible view, and sent to private school, and that they're graduating with good grades and going on to university. It means that she can absolve herself of all guilt and know her daughter was better off. Considering the horror stories told about kids who get dumped into the foster system or adopted and then abused it must have been the biggest relief ever to know that her decision was undeniably for the best.

------------------------------------------

After the party I went to work. I wore a pair of old slingback flats in, and considering that I had issues with losing them as I walked across the parking lot, I figured this was a bad idea. Luckily, Payless is two stores down. I went in and got a pair of black heeled pumps that were so unbelievably comfortable (for 2 1/2 inch heels, especially) that they were preferable, and I broke them in at work. This may have been a bad idea. Two hours later, I had blisters on the tops of my feet where the shoes rubbed as I walked and my feet were sweating.

So, on my 15 minute break, I raced over to CVS, then Payless, to try to find those socks that don't show over the edges of your shoes. That was much better. I mean, my feet hurt after I got done with work but that can only be expected when the only time you sit down in 4 hours is to put socks on.

------------------------------------------

You can tell it's summertime because I consider the status of my footwear to be interesting. I think I shoudl stop writing every day...

"The Best Advice: Call Your Mother"

200th POST! WOOOOOOO! Okay, celebration over.

-----------------------------------------

Wow. What a weekend.

So Friday was the Convocation, and Saturday was the actual graduation for UNH. We didn't go, though; instead Ryter got dressed up in his cap and gown and we watched the graduation from his mother's hotel suite. We woke up when his favorite professor came by to apologize and say he couldn't go, and then we drove over and were treated to an excellent hotel breakfast followed by second breakfasts upstairs, delivered by his dad along with his father's father. So his mom, his mother's mother, his dad, his father's father, and his aunt for good measure all sat around the big TV and ate bagels as we watched the graduation.

H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton spoke, which was kinda cool. There were secret service agents everywhere. Apparently the interim president of UNH is a friend of Bush Sr., so she was able to get him to come. Clinton had to rush off to talk at Harvard after he spoke, though.

Anyway, after the graduation we all went back to Ryter's apartment for the graduation party, for which his parents brought basically enough sustenance for an army of teenage boys. There was a ridiculous amount of food there, and my pies were a hit, thankfully- I was worried that they weren't going to live up to the hype. Ryter did a shot with his dad and there were lots of photo ops.

After they left we just hung out for a while until Loquelo came over with his roommate and we played a board game and chilled until 10, when I headed home. I was tired driving home, which was bad, but I got here safely.

Then this morning I was roused early to go to Shrewd's graduation down at Brandeis. Grandpa, Grammy, my great-aunt, and Mummy and Daddy were all there; but with Grandpa in his wheelchair (he can walk, but not for distances and he can't stand a long time) and my great-aunt with her walker, we were a slow-moving group. I sat with Daddy in the non-handicap seats, up in the bleachers. I couldn't spot Shrewd in the crowd of graduates but we did see her when they plastered her face up on the big display screen.

The speaker was good, but I didn't recognize him, and apparently he's a part-time professor there so not particularly special for the graduates. The only reason he was speaking was because the previously booked speaker, a famous journalist, passed away a few weeks ago. Still, he did a very good job and I even stayed awake. The Benediction was particularly nice, as it was given jointly by the campus priest, rabbi, reverend and imam.

Afterwards we were given about an hour to get out, do a ten-minute walk over to the second, departmental graduation ceremony. Alas, it took forty-five minutes to just get out of the building, and we got separated-- Grandpa, Grammy, Daddy and I got there on time and saw it from the beginning but Mummy and my aunt were late. They still saw Shrewd walk up to get her diploma, though.

After a celebration at Bertucci's, they all went home and I stayed behind with Shrewd to help her pack-- she hadn't even started. That's what we're doing tomorrow, too-- going back and clearing out her place. Fabulous, no? I am so exhausted right now...

Spiderman is emo now, didya notice?

So... remember how that Chem exam was going to be the week after next, thus giving me a whole week between them in which I could study for Chem and forget Bio?

I was wrong.

It's Friday or nothing.

GAH!!!!!!

I don't have TIME to study for Chem AND Bio! That's what screwed me over last time when I flunked that Bio exam! How the hell am I supposed to deal with this? I mean, it's an optional final. But I really, really wanted it to be a choice, and now it might not be, not really.

As best as I can calculate, I have a 86% in that course, not factoring in the ACS exam and assuming I have about an 80 in lab. That's a B. I wanted to get an A-, but will settle (grudgingly) for a B+, which requires an 87%.

I don't know what grade I will have to get overall, all told, to induce me to try to study for Chem and take that final. I haven't decided if I want to settle for a B or not. I must think. And talk to my folks.

-------------------------------------------------

Today I woke up at 11:00 or so when Vivacia (formerly known as Mistake, if you're not caught up on recent posts) called, asking me if I wanted to go to the mall. I, in sleepiness, replied that I thought I had stuff to do and I didn't think I could. She seemed rather upset but said okay.

About half an hour later, once I had actually woken up, I thought about it, and realized that I hadn't had anything planned for today besides meeting Ryter's mom for dinner, and I could have easily gone to the mall. So I called Vivacia back and spent waaaaay too long convincing her that I did actually want to go, but my sleepy coma had stopped me from voicing my true intentions.

So we went to the mall... I got a sundress, actually, though the whole point was to get gifts for Mother's Day. I got one of those too. But I did get a pretty red and white sundress for summer, and it was only $25. I also saw the prettiest red-gemstone silver ring at a really cool jewelry store in the mall, but it was $10 for one ring and I decided I shouldn't spend that much money on myself. But... PRETTY. And SHINY. I was sad. I really liked it.

-------------------------------------------------

Vivacia wasn't feeling very well, but she needed a gift for her mom, and then we had to kill time before the bus got back, so we wandered around and made Closer stand in the girlie stores like Urban Behavior, and went to the pet store the next mall over and freaked out when a bunny looked like it was dying (he was fine), until the bus came and they left, and I stuck around to meet Ryter over by iParty.

Anyway, it was fun; I've missed seeing Vivacia. There is a well-documented syndrome that says the first time a girl gets a boyfriend, she will ditch her friends for the sake of the guy until she figures out how to balance the two. I didn't have this issue with KTMack because it was summer and I wasn't doing anything and he and Vivacia both had jobs. But now Vivacia and I both have classes and finals to study for, so I'm already crazy busy, and then I spend so much time with Ryter...

The trouble with this syndrome is all romantic relationships must eventually end*, but friendships needn't. Thus one should never forget their friends for a Significant Other, and I'm only now learning to balance the whole thing.

-------------------------------------------------

Anyway, I met up with Ryter and Vivacia and Closer went home to study. We met at iParty so he could get some stuff for a class party. At about the same time I cautioned him that since he was having me spend the night at his place before his graduation, I was going to be obligated to decorate his apartment in the most gaudy, god-awful, tacky graduation-themed decorations I could find.

He is very enthusiastic about this idea.

We then went over to his car to wait for his mom. Fifteen minutes later, I met her and we went into T.G.I.Friday's for dinner. Ryter's mom is very nice, and man, can I see where Ryter gets it all. I mean, the two of them are soooo alike, even more so than Ryter and his dad. But she was cool and I got to have a decent meal, as opposed to school food.

Ryter and I hung out for a little while afterwards, but ended it earlier than usual. We were both tired. But it was a very good day, until I discovered the Chem stuff...

*We are ignoring the marriage alternative, of course. But having your spouse be your only close friend isn't that great an idea either.