twicketface

I split out of work last night early to make my appearance at the BBBS director’s meeting to show off the mad, phat website to the rest of the directors. Meeting started at 5:15 and were all set to use a laptop and have people huddle around me as I went through the pages. I was skeptical since they didn’t have a live hook-up, so it would consist of me copying the files onto a disc and opening them up individually. When I arrived, I come to find out they had a laptop with Win 3.2 (yes, 3.2) on it and Netscape 3.0…which wouldn’t be a big deal except it took a good 5 minutes just to launch Netscape and then it kept searching for a modem that wasn’t there.

SO, Marie and I went into the BBBS office instead and fired it up on a desktop computer and waited for our turn in the agenda. 45 minutes later, the board members shuffled into the office and it was my time to shine. Before I started, I was told that I couldn’t leave until I came into the conference room with the directors. I went through the site, showed off the pages and took a few suggestions. After it was done, Marie and I went into the conference room and I was presented with an envelope with a gift certificate for the Oshkosh Chamber (i.e., I can use it damn near anywhere in Oshkosh) for my efforts and could feel my head growing a little bit larger.

I thanked everyone and then Marie and I headed out to go home. As I was walking to the parking lot, I opened the envelope, figuring to find a $20 or $25 certificate. I was surprised to find a certificate for $50. I was astonished to find three more $50 certificates in the envelope as well. Granted, I put in a fair amount of time towards getting everything the way it is and a lot of hard coding, but I didn’t expect to be rewarded so generously. Karma, baby. In celebration, Marie and I went out to Tortilla Flats and had delicious kay-suh-dee-as and conversation.

Also spoke with Andrea last night about her ongoing struggles with her parents over the wedding. While we had a lukewarm friendship in high school, I feel hurt that my efforts since then to build a friendship haven’t been reciprocated. Marie and I had a talk last night about how at times we feel that we do a lot of outreach towards our friends and, for whatever reason, get little in return. There are times when I feel like Terry and Danielle will be our only “couple” friend that we’re really close to. And I hate that. I’m staying positive that after people get married they have a new perspective on things and realize what is important.

But part of me wants to have a talk with some of them similar to the talk I had with Eric, but along the lines of evaluating the friendship and putting any problems or issues out in the open. In the back of my mind, I have the fear that I’m doing something that other people don’t like and as a result, they are pulling away from me or us but for whatever reason, haven’t brought it up.

I think I just dwell on things too much and maybe I’m just paranoid.

Anyway, I amazed North America by getting my ass out of bed at 5:30 and going to the Y. I woke up from right in the middle of a dream (where I was a Jedi and was fighting Darth Vader but we were fighting using action figures with light sabers, akin to Rock’em Sock’em Robots) and walked to the other side of the room to shut off the alarm to avoid waking Marie while I was half-dreaming. I had to sit down on the floor for a minute and fully wake-up. Also, I had another dream that Marie was pregnant. I remember being excited and scared. We were at my parent’s old house and my mom commented how Marie was showing the same way Muffett did when she was pregnant. I again got about 4 hours of sleep, constantly waking up in the dark and squinting to read the clock, only to realize I still had hours until I should be awake. It’s gotten beyond frustrating and I don’t want to go back to wearing a sleep shade, since my forehead broke out as a result. Perhaps feigning narcolepsy would get me through this life.

Tonight will be dinner with Brian after a stop at the voting booth. Maybe it’s more for show, but I feel like when I’m given the opportunity to in theory, make a difference, I should take advantage of it. It doesn’t change the fact that I think the system is rotten, but sometimes we have to use the tools we have until change can be made.

I’m looking forward to autumn and the combination of vast quantities of tea and clothing. I think I look best in autumn, sweatshirts and khaki pants. And lets not forget about pajama pants. Anything to stop this constant sweating. Now, if only I had a bike to ride around through the fallen leaves, I would attain a higher level of understanding and joy.