When i was little boredom was solved with hangman

Oh last week, how do I describe thee? Boring. So boring I never knew how many sour patch kids I could eat in a haze of boredom not really alleviated until I discovered Netflix streaming. Yes, my Scandinavian entertainment Web site is acting up, so I resorted to a free trial of Netflix. Why? Because I was that bored that I couldn't wait for the magical forum wizards to figure it out.


Each weekday slogged by. I spilled soda on my T-shirt at lunch one day and was grateful for the excuse to go buy a new one at Marshall's. Then I spent the afternoon regretting the purchase because I'm saving for a new dress to wear to Cary's graduation. Why does boredom result in too much candy and too many expenditures? And what's wrong with the dresses I like perfectly well in my closet? Eh. I'm bored.


But then the weekend. Whose mere precious word evokes relaxation and anticipation and dreams of appetizers and naps and not feeling guilty about cooping up Butters all day and lots more TV.


See, even the sky rejoices Friday afternoon on everyone's way home from work.

Cody and I saw Kick-Ass Friday, which kicked ass. Nick Cage and the purple-haired little girl are hilarious. Actually the whole friggin' cast nailed it, from the lead to McLovin. Saturday I did a 10 miler with the Ride Yourself Fit biking club that rides around Redlands at a leisurely pace, but of course I can't get a single friend to join me because everyone is so busy or flakey or nervous about any form of exercise that I end up just chit-chatting and playing inspirational songs on repeat. In the afternoon, I trekked out to South Coast Plaza in Orange County with a group that always proves entertaining and was kind enough to invite me (this always amazes me as it usually takes me about an hour to snap out of my boredom haze that hovers over my condo). Did you know they serve you free grapefruit martinis at Ted Baker? The OC is another world, where, as my friend so elegantly put it, "they walk around with a finger up their little dog's ass." The people watching was as good as the shopping, and I walked away not with a new grad dress but a fly outfit for Hi Moms. Baby steps.


That evening a few of us went to watch my coworker, Toby Ray Jolly, play at Liam's with his band. I left when the beer got warm, I had an early wakeup call. The 10K portion of the Run Through Redlands was calling me, and the cheery weather today made hitting snooze impossible. I also like to think weekend morning activity cancels out a week of lounging around in track pants and, um, sour patch kid sugar granules.


That brings you up to the present, where I sit with a Netflix movie on pause and the pets making it impossible for me to reach for the remote so I can change the TV channel from E! to Wizards of Waverly Place.


Cary and I also got our weekly pow-wow that last longer than the two, two-minute phone calls during the week. He has a new hatchmate (who's a great guy, he says) and now a view of a spit of sand that leads straight to a shot of Newport Bridge. Search for it in the April 12 post; it's like Where's Waldo to find that little tan, weird-shaped outcropping pointing toward the bridge. He also relayed a great story in a mass e-mail he sent.


The DI (drill instructor) is a huge baseball fan. He went to the opening day Yankee Red Sox game. After telling us how much fun it was he asked, "Do you guys know why I tell you these things?" "NO SIR!" "To piss you off. What do you think I'm going to drink tonight?" "BEER SIR!" "And do you think I'm going to have just one?" "NO SIR!" "I'm going to have a couple." "Is it going to taste good?" "YES SIR!" "Would you want to have one if you could?" "YES SIR!" He says funny stuff like that about four times per day. But you can't laugh because that's breaking military bearing. He called a certain classmate 'a special kind of stupid' and somebody involuntarily let out a snicker. That guy got 10 minutes of one-on-one attention from the DI. Not fun.


Stay tuned next week to see if Cary and I make it. He from laughing his ass off or lack of sleep or demerits. Me, to meet my goal of not touching a sour patch kid. That sounds off.

I'm going to Disney Friday. What's the must-see attraction for you? Share it. Do it. Now. Go.