Reports of my death are unfounded

Dell still hasn't sent the new LCD for my laptop, so it's still at work (I can use it just fine with the flatscreen monitor, but the screen on the laptop is bwoken). The parts and technician were supposed to arrive on Thursday (or Friday, at the latest, I was assured), and since I was out at an awesome all-day meeting both Thursday and Friday, I figured it was a good time - since I wouldn't even be there. Then the parts and tech were supposed to be there today. And today, I have come home from work and am typing this on Hulk's fiancee. I'm not holding my breath or keeping any appendages crossed for tomorrow.

So yes, Thursday and Friday I had to put on makeup and nicer clothes (I still dress biz casual every day but Friday at work when I allow myself to wear jeans) and jewelry and go schmooze and sit in a dark room with a hundred some-odd people and knit on my coworker's baby blanket, counting stitches to keep me awake. At least they feed us really well. Then, on Friday afternoon, I had to leave the first meeting and go do this other meeting that I'd worked myself up about, but it turned out OK and I was out of there in 20 minutes. I'd gotten a state car to get myself to said second meeting, and I was already in the neighborhood, so I drove over to the mall shaped like a race track and went shoe shopping at one of my favorite shoe stores, Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse. At this store I found a super-cute pair of sneakers that have VELCRO and laces that don't tie and are Rocket Dogs, one of my favorite brands. I also got to hold some random stranger's baby, the first time I've held a baby in a couple of years at least. He was five months old and enormous and very flirty, looking up at me from the floor with spit bubbles and toothless grins and big blue eyes, and I had to stop and chat with his mom just a little. Maybe I'm finally admitting to myself that I do want to procreate, and perhaps thinking about it more concretely than I've ever done before. I tell ya, it's weird to all of a sudden have a biological clock and this random urge to look at babies and starting to think about maybe having one in a more-than-hypothetical sense.

He really was a charmer, but I had a time limit (was picking Hulk up after class) so I continued on my way and thanked the mom for letting some random stranger hold her kid for a minute or two. And then I found the sneakers, and I found a bunch of other shoes that I kind of wanted but not enough to actually buy. And then I drove over to Auraria and picked up the Hulk.

We did all our usual errands that we try to fit in whenever I have a state car over a weekend: Sunflower market, Target, other various and sundry shopping. We also bought a chair off craigslist that seems as though it's going to work out very well in its spot in the living room - it's a medium-sized blue wingback and quite comfy. It even fit in the backseat of the periwinkle Prius with just a minimum of contorting and seats shoved forward for a few minutes.

We also drove down to Stepford Springs to visit with our friends who are getting married this fall and went with them to see their weekend wedding extravaganza location (in the mountains outside of Stepford). They signed the contracts and paid deposits; we wandered around and poked our head into random places. They're getting a big lodge and 3 cabins and use of the land for 3 days, and they're getting a really good deal, but I can't imagine doing the kind of event they seem to be planning. Oh, and after seeing some sort of lecture at the local university, they've suddenly decided to become vegan (!) Since they're both meat-and-dairy loving folks, it's going to take some real effort to make the switch, I think. And I don't think they've thought things entirely through, but that's another post entirely.

After a night of extraordinarily rare insomnia for me (damn you, Diet Coke with lime consumed at 9 PM!) we drove back to Denver and completed our errands. I took a much-needed nap and got to test drive my new memory foam pillow that I have been wanting for months and not buying, but I got my Christmas money from Aunt Edy and bought the thing at Target on Friday night. I also found a new purse (technically, Hulk found it for me) that has a long-enough strap, outside pockets, and a zipper close rather than a stupid flap with velcro that catches on everything. Hooray!

The weekend was entirely too short and without adequate sleep, and I'm guessing we'll spend a good part of this coming weekend cleaning and organizing since we wanted to do stuff with the car while we had it this weekend. Also, the weather appears to be turning back to winter, now that the snow is down to a few inches in some places rather than the good foot+ that's been in our yard for the past two months. I hope it isn't too bad on Thursday, because we're having ourselves a genuine dress-up date (Thursday rather than Wednesday to avoid the crowds; plus, Wednesday Hulk is in class until nearly 7 PM) and we will be walking to wherever said date will occur. I've been charged to dress nicely and not ask questions, so that's what I'll do.