How bizarre duh nuh nuh nuh oooh

Every time I look around, it's in my face. What's in my face? Why, another person I didn't know I knew. Allow me to explain.

On Monday night, I accompanied my housemate to a dinner party. She was called upon to provide "gender balance." I had nothing better to do, and hey, free food.

What ensued was a cheeksore evening due to laughter of the choicest variety. But more entertaining was a game new friend Zack and I played: "Hey, do you know so-and-so? Why, yes!"

Turns out we went to college at Cal the same years, knew all the same people, but never met. He told me I looked familiar and darn it all, that's what happens when you're mixed. Like a sore thumb among non-sore thumbs. I hate that I can't remember faces.

Well he knew a friend that I was going to visit the very next day, and so was he. So it's kind of hilarious (or bizarre) we would meet one way or the other that week.

So the next day, I go meet said mutual friend's new boyfriend. Mutual friend and I have a rootsy connection: we both grew up in Memphis. Turns out, so did new boyfriend. I ask him, "Hey, where did you go to school? I grew up in Memphis, too."

At that, he said, "E.M.! 1st Evan, ECS Ridgeway! I thought you looked familiar when you walked in...you always had his unique coloring..."

Holy crap! My first thought was that he did some Internet research on his new gf's friends before meeting them, but nope, we went to elementary school together and to the same albeit giant church. Another round of, "Hey, do you know so-and-so? Why, yes!" ensued.

So, mentally trippy week that taught me: just when you think you know everybody, there are still people you know you didn't know you knew. How bizarre duh nuh nuh nuh doo doo doo doo doo doo

Maximum efficiency

At work, I have been enlisted volunteering to work on the company newsletter. I get to design it and proofread it. Jolly good fun.

One of my recently married coworkers submitted an article, but upon realizing I forgot to use her married name, I went and informed her of my gaffe.

"That's okay," she said, "I still haven't changed it on a lot of stuff. I'm in the middle on a lot of things, like my drivers license."

"Oh, good, okay. Yeah, it's such a pain I hear. I just went to a wedding last week and a new friend of mine 'introduced' me to a guy with the same last name as me. I thought 'It would be so convenient if I married someone with my last name. I wouldn't have to change my name on anything. How nice would that be.'"

Of course, it's a little weird, but not unprecedented (see Eleanor Roosevelt, Steven Curtis Chapman). It's not like the hypothetical man in question and I are cousins [or siblings - ew] or anything.

I think I had a similar conversation about this before. For some reason, I was picturing a scenario where a guy proposes, but the girl—imagining the five-hour wait line at the DMV in a bubble above her head—says, "Nah, that's okay."

This is not to say you have better odds if you have the same last name—heck no. It's just more efficient.

Serious edits to previous entry

So, last entry, I talked about how Austin found fault with "Honey I Shrunk the Kids."

Well, last Thursday my friend Madalyn and I had a superhero potluck where we brought dishes that explained what our superpowers are when we're not in disguise. It was really fun - dare I say super - fun. The conversation was EVERYwhere. Dishes included Uni-corn bread, alphabet soup, Aquaman's shrimp tapas, guacamole nacho libre, Spongebob Squarepants Mac 'n' Cheese, etc.

Gina showed up with an amazing pecan pie (for what superpower, G? I missed the explanation. Other than you being SUPERSWEET and SUPERTHOUGHTFUL), but I think the main reason she made the trek was to ask Austin about more scientific inconsistencies in film. That's okay: if ever there were a time and place, a superhero potluck would be it.

"So I wanted to ask you what you thought of 'Back to the Future'"
"Actually, there is an element of truth and validity with the flux capacitor theory."

"In 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids,' even if you shrunk them, they would still be the same density. That's crazy!"

"What about 'Transformers'?"
"There's no way you could fit an autobot that large into that compact cell phone. No way."

And so it went.  

We also talked of alchemy and homonculi, which he explained that people in his science fraternity would try and create so they could have little slaves to do things for them.

To which I asked, "Isn't that why people have children?"

This is a homonculicious homonculi:

This led to questions about other movies:
"What about Pinocchio? Was Pinocchio a homonculi? Oh, wait, Geppeto wasn't a warlock."

Currently Listening Mad World By Michael Andrews, Gary Jules see related

A willing suspension of disbelief?

Reading my marketing textbook last night, I came across a paragraph that said people have the ability to suspend disbelief when watching movies, plays, commercials, reading, etc.

I'm not sure that this is true for everybody. The examples they cited reminded me of the time I encouraged Austin to watch "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" with me. I told him, "Hey! You're an inventor! This is about an inventor's adventure! You're gonna love this movie."

Austin did not love the movie. He couldn't even sit through the whole thing. Because obviously a baseball will not block the heat of a high power laser beam and therefore a shrinking machine can't exist. This machine would microwave the people, or blow them up. Duh, it's science.

He would also make exasperated noises when he would see incongruities: like the blades of grass being way too big in comparison to, well, I forgot what he said, and the backyard being only 3 miles long instead of the "days" it would take to get across.

You know, on second thought, the fact that he didn't balk at the idea that you can actually shrink people may actually prove the marketing people's point afterall.

Maybe that's because he's working on his own shrinking maching??? Is that what's in the garage?!

Laughs in bulk

Normally I hate Costco. I even say this under my breath in the store, but I always try throwing my voice because I have a fear that there is a Costco gestapo listening for stuff like this who will ship me to China in a packing crate for spreading small town America propaganda within the walls of their very store. I hate that there's all this crap you buy in bulk which doesn't at all fit in your tiny apartment and screws people making quality things in America.

But my last two trips to Costco were actually quite amusing. Austin was my companion, because he has the card, and so we went to get items for the house.

Walking in, we forgot to get a basket, so I meander to the nearest empty one in the store, not really processing that it could belong to someone. My fantasy world is broken into quickly by this lady who, like the seagulls on Finding Nemo, or like any throaty two year old, barked "Mine! Mine! Mine!" to me and nearly slapped my knuckles as she grabbed her basket. To my credit, as I got to it, I asked out loud, "I wonder if this belongs to anybody?" My mistake.

Austin and I broke out into giggles after we walked away, incredulous at the savagery upon JUST entering this huge store.

Later, Austin succumbed to buying hummus, which he said is spelled, "homos" in Egypt or something. So, of course, that's what we started calling it. "Did you put your homos up there?" "Got your homos?" As we walked out of the store, receipt-checking guy asked us what was so funny. Austin told him about the homos. He thought it was pretty funny, too.

Today we had to go back for paper towels. Naturally, I forgot to get a basket again. I was highly caffeinated, so I zoomed through the store and through the line and we were outta there in no time. The thing I do like about Costco is that I feel like I get exercise when I shop there. Because it is so big. It makes me feel like an Olympian.

Upon walking out, I was carrying this big honking load of paper towels while Austin carried nothing. The receipt-checking guy asked Austin why he wasn't carrying it. I liken these receipt-checking guys to the palace jesters. Wise ones, they are. Asking the tough questions to the knights and damsels, kings and queens of the food court.

So at Costco, you may spend a wad, but the chivalry lessons are free. I don't know if they're available in bulk, though. I sure hope he taught that seagull lady a thing or two.