Busy weekend wrap up!

Friday was a VERY busy day, and I got nothing done…labwise. First we ordered lunch out, which is A GREAT way to kill a few hours. Right after lunch, three of us plus our advisor took a trip to Sam’s Club and Publix to pick up stuff for 3rd Friday - which is a departmental party held once a month on…the 3rd friday, duh. All the labs take turn “hosting” it, and this was our month. We bought over a hundred dollars worth of snacks, treats, and…beer. The department will pay my advisor for it. So it was SPEND AWAY, BABY! When we got back, I had just enough time to check my gel and then bang my head against the wall for the totally confusing results I was getting, before we had to go set up all the goodies in the 2nd floor lobby.

So from 4 to 5, I stood around chatting and stuffing my face, and then I had to scadaddle and head over to a bar in the Va Highlands to meet some friends, and chat, eat, and drink SOME MORE!

The best thing about THAT evening was…the hand drier in the bathroom. I shit you not…it was amazing. It was a supercharged TURBO hand drier. You know how in the movies, when a helicopter hovers above water, or a field of wheat? Well, that’s what this drier did to my skin. I walked back to the group. “guys! you have to check out the hand drier! it’s really scary!”

“yeah, right. whatever”

Elizabeth was next to break the seal. She came back to the table looking unsettled. “that hand drier is…weird!”

“YES! THANK YOU!” I felt vindicated. everyone tried the drier and was suitably impressed and frightened by it. THE AMAZING HAND DRIER OF DOOOOOOOOM!

Helped that I had a really good buzz going.

Saturday morning was dress rehearsal for choir, then a few hours in the lab. Bleah! But later, Kev and I went out to eat and met up with a grad student from the lab and a bunch of her friends for her birthday. We went to this place called Jillians, which is a big Dave and Busters ripoff…but much more expensive. (for the “for’ners”, Dave and Busters is a bar/restaurant/billiards/arcade for adults - this place also had a small bowling alley). Kev and I shared a swipe card and played a few games together. We played a race car game - Daytona 500, I think. He got ALL kinds of indignant when I ran him off the road at the last minute to win the race. Duh! OUT OF MY WAY, BEEEOOOOTCH! Just like my driving in real life. Right, Jamie?

This morning was the big music service at church. we sang several pieces, but our big piece was Vivaldi’s “Gloria.” I love singing in latin- it just flows so much smoother than English.

After THAT we had a congregational meeting to approve our candidate for new associate pastor. and Kev got yet MORE introduction to Presbyterian politics. What was supposed to be a relatively quick and smooth process hit a snag when someone stood up and gave a very emotional speech about how $32,000 a year is bare minimum for salary, and how could anyone live on that, and we should up that by $10,000. Gah!!! That was so frustrating, because:

1. the session had to scrimp and cut and paste to find the money to hire a FULL TIME associate. we’re not paying minimum Presbytery salary because we’re stingy…we’re doing it because that’s what we can afford!

2. you can’t live in atlanta for $32,000??? that’s $10,000 more than what I make, thank you very much! and it’s more than what Kev makes.

so, yeah, that motion got defeated. But the candidate was accepted. more good work by the Presbyterian machine.

and now I laze on the couch…tired from two nights of drinking. And a little early morning debauchery. Hehe…I was ONLY trying to wake Kev up - as I usually say, I know FOR SURE I can always wake at least ONE part of him up. I didn’t think he’d want to follow through with it. What a nice way to start the day