This weekend I busied myself with packing up my house so I can move out. I did
take time off for things like eating (last night I had German food from that
little place in Widefield and almost exploded from all the buttery goodness I
devoured!), sleeping & shopping for boring things like trash bags & packing
tape (I did, however, make one thrilling purchase: Maroon 5's CD "1.22.03
Acoustic." It has 7 songs on it done live & acoustically including their three
singles, 2 songs from their debut CD "Songs About Jane" and covers of The
Beatles' "If I Fell" & AC/DC's "Highway To Hell." If you haven't checked this
band out yet, I strongly suggest you do so IMMEDIATELY! They're really good &
my new favorite band of the moment.). However, for working so dilligently on
my house, I got a reward of sorts Friday afternoon: I was invited to the
Graham Advertising company picnic.

It was held at Bear Creek Park, a place I loved to go when I was young because
of the rolley slide. That's what Derek & I called it, anyway. It was a slide
made from these blue metal tubes that rolled as you slid down...it was so cool!
The slide is gone now but the memories still remain....anyway...when we all
first got there, Collin & I were sitting at a picnic table and Derek was
standing there talking with us when the owner of the company, Jerry, came up to
say "Hi" to the guys. Then he looked at me and said, "I don't believe we've
ever met. I'm Jerry."

"I'm Heather," I replied, shaking his offered hand. His face lit up in
recognition.

"Oh! You're Derek's wife!"

"NO!!!" Both Derek's answer & mine were in unison and in that tone of horror
reserved specifically for when someone mistakes your sibling for your spouse.
"I'm his sister." Poor Jerry, he looked so confused.

"But...but I thought your wife's name was Heather?"

"It is," Derek explained. "But so is my sister's." I think he might have had
it all straight when he walked away but his eyes looked a little glazed...

Speaking of Derek...little punk that he is made me sit at the same picnic table
as an "ex-boyfriend" of mine from junior high that I don't particulary care for.
This guy Scott went to school with me from jr high on. When I was in 7th
grade, I had a HUGE crush on him but he always said that he didn't like me. So
imagine my pleasure when my friend Sandi came up to me one day after school and
said that Scott would "go with" me. I guess that means we were dating...we
never spoke escpet for a couple times on the phone (Scott: "I heard you broke up with
me." Me: "No." Scott "Oh, okay. Bye.") One time he rode his bike to my house
and stood on the sidewalk for a while. He never came to the door & I never
went outside. I was too scared!

Soooo....one day the phone call came again. Scott: "I heard you broke up with
me." This was getting stupid & old so I just said, "Yeah, I guess I did." And
that was our whole relationship. I think it lasted a week. Later that school
year, I heard that the only reason Scott went out with me was because his buddy
Greg had bet him $5 that he wouldn't!! Needless to say, that was quite an
ego-crusher & I decided then that I hated him. In 9th grade, though, I got my
revenge. He ended up sitting at my table in science with a busybody named
Tina. She asked me if it was true that I had gone out with Scott in 7th grade
and with him sitting right there I said, "Yeah but only cuz Sandi bet me $10
that I wouldn't!" HA!

But the point here is that now Scott works at the same company as Derek. And
Derek was just being exceptionally evil that day when he headed straight for
Scott's table knowing I was following him. Then he said something to Scott to
the effect of "Hey, remember my sister?" I just stared for a second then said
"Hi." He responded in kind and I asked how he was. He was fine, so was I.
Thank God for Collin - he sat next to Scott so I wouldn't have to. I'm still
annoyed at you, Derek, for doing that!!

Other than that (& Collin getting bitten by some deranged fly) it was a pretty
good picnic. A nice distraction from the rigors of packing crap up!


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