Modest Yahoo

Sometimes you look back on decades-old family photos and come to the realization that your older brother was very pretty as a child, perhaps even prettier than you were.

Moi: How come you were so pretty when you were little?

Brother: I was a very pretty child.

Sometimes you also look back and realize that your brother was also very self-confident, more so than you ever will be.

Hairspray

Mother and I have very different definitions of 'busy.'

(discussing picking me up from the airport)

Mother: Do you want to go to Chinatown for brunch? Or a haircut?

Moi: I don't know. I have a very busy day today, I don't know if I have time for a haircut. 

Mother: I figured you'd be busy, that's why I thought we'd go get a haircut.

Moi: ... ...

Freudian Slip

My Outlook autocorrect keeps changing "blogspot" to "bloodspot."  You know, that very common word in my vocabulary.  I should probably leave less of an email trail when I discuss moving bodies.  

The Hand That Gives

Pretzels, yesterday was Roommate Anna's birthday.  As a thoughtful roommate, I bought flowers for her at the farmer's market on Sunday.  Unfortunately, we bumped into Roommate Anna as I was getting the flowers, ruining the surprise.  Still, I was happy to give her flowers.  Yesterday morning, I added a card by the flowers and left it on the dining table for her to see, and found it strange that it was still there at the end of the day.

Finally, I brought it up over dinner.

Moi: Did you get a chance to see the Korean-soap post card I got you?

RA: No.

Moi: I left it by your flowers.

RA: Wait, those flowers really are for me?

Moi: Of course, they are.  I told you they were for your birthday!

RA: I thought you were joking.

This revelation led to some deep soul searching.  What are the choices I have made in my life, Pretzels, that would make my roommate doubt whether I'm nice enough to recognize her birthday?  To make someone think I would joke about giving them a birthday present?  That I would get flowers and a card on my roommate's birthday only to keep them for myself?  What sort of monster has graduate school made me out to be?  

Probably someone who also made a birthday cake from scratch for a different friend the day before and attended a different friend's birthday party instead of Anna's. Someone like that?  Though the way I see it, it just means I have a lot of friends, that I'm nice to all of them, and Anna has the worst sense of humor.

Drought Season

It has been almost a month since my last post.  This would be unacceptable if I wasn't simultaneously overwhelmed and procrastinating in my work.  And sharing the minutiae of my life on Facebook.

I will be back.  There will be anecdotes and indignations.  Like unexpectedly riding in a convertible with the top down on a highway (hint: I did not look glamorous.  It felt like being slapped in the face for an hour.)  I haven't forgotten.  This is just a very busy season.