I'm going to post about my trip until I can fall asleep.

I almost didn't go because I had gotten a flat tire last week and gas prices have skyrocketed to a whopping 2.29 a gallon. But, after a week of being consumed with my job ( as excited as I am), abruptly breaking up with Matt ( needed to be done, but now I wished I had done it in person ), and feeling like a 70-year-old woman, I knew I needed this little vacation.

To me, Lubbock is a vacation. ( Wait! Let me explain. )The 4 and a half hour drive alone is half the reason I enjoy going. On the way up this time I saw: a lightening bolt hit a cotton patch, 2 cows humping ( hilarious...laughed for 5 minutes ), and a three legged dog hobble down the road in Olney, TX. I love the caprocks and the miles of fields with strung telephone poles and how I can just space out for awhile behind the wheel. I'm sure I've said all this before.

The plan was to stay with Suzi, however she never called back after I left messages all week. I must say I am pretty disappointed in her for not taking 30 minutes out of her weekend of being attached at the hip with her Latin Love Stallion. I would have been more disappointed if it weren't for my other plans...

I started out friday night going to a party with Mike's friends. We played a very special game of jenga and just caught up. Mike, LauraMo, and I were exhausted, as we all have real jobs and had been up since the crack of doom. LauraMo was sweet enough to let me stay on her couch since Suzi was AWOL. Saturday was...just perfect. The weather was nice, Mike and I found a really awesome itallian bistro were I had a kickass turkey pesto panini. We talked about our jobs. His is really cool....I feel bad for yelling at him and telling him he was a "tool" when I found out he was taking the Cintas job instead of moving to Dallas. He could tell you all about it, but in short, he has to literally 'climb the ladder'. He works for the largest uniform company, and right now his job is to really entruly wear a "blue collar" while he helps fold uniforms and pass out paychecks in a hot warehouse in Odessa before he gets anywhere near a management job. If any of you have met Mike, you would know that he is *not* the blue collar type. So MikeyMo, I salute you...you will have an awesome appreciation of the people you manage someday.

We helped LauraMo move to the most adorable garage-loft apartment. She's so much damn fun, and in her 3rd year of law school. What a handy girl to have around! She gave me her old Eiffel Tower lamp to put in my class. I've had many a compliment on it.

We took advantage of the tax-free weekend and tried on work clothes together. Seriously, Mike has the best eye for design of any guy I've ever met. That extends into fashion, his car, his website...but he would probably feel too weird to admit it. :)

We sped down Quaker in his new mazda 3 with the sunroof open, singing at the top of our lungs to "Butterflies & Hurricanes" while the blue sky, flat ground, and about a dozen churches passed us by. This is my absolute favorite Mike pasttime. Well, one of them. But it's up there. Good music, Mike singing with me on backup, beautiful day...it's just good for my soul.

The pièce de résistance was that night at the Depot District. We got dressed up and took a cab to meet more friends.( Gotta be responsible now...DWI=bye bye teaching forever.) I finally got to meet Amy S, my tiny, cute, redheaded sister separated at birth. Depot itself is...well it's no Fry Street but it's quaint. I agree with Casey, people in places like A&M and Tech are just friendlier. ( Even though Denton/Dallas and Austin are more hip.) Everytime I go out there...I feel like the red carpet is being laid out. Gotta love the West Texas hospitality. More fun was had at LauraMo's apartment. At some point, we were slow dancing to the Garden State soundtrack.....and yeah.....I was taken (a)back.

In the morning we looked at each other, all hungover-like from our respective couches, and the groggy smile said it all. It had been a great weekend.

I think now, more than ever, we are so alike. We've never lived in the same city, and in the 2 and a half years we've known each other, have only been in each other's presence less than 15 times. In the past, everytime we did hang out I always figured it'd be the last time. Distance, for any friendship, is a huge obstacle.Thanks for proving me wrong. Thanks for a perfect weekend....it was the best send-off before I devote my life to being a school marm.

So school! Starts on Wednesday, if I don't die from exhaustion first. I got the best compliment today from the elder of the Spanish teachers....he said that he fed off my enthusiasm. Me. Enthusiasm. I can think of a few people laughing right now. I lived most of college like the people-version of Garfield, and here I am now high off redbull stapling crap to my walls. I got PAID to decorate and listen to music while doing so! I don't have to clock in and clock out. I can park close to my building. I have 3 mentors to go to when I'm confused. I know I say this all the time, but I really am blessed with the job thing. :):)