Something Black & Blue

First of all, I'd like to thank Kelly for her comment on my last post -- you really helped calm me down in the midst of a bed bug-panic attack!  And the more I think about it, the more I think you're right.  So I appreciate the chiming in!  And since according to history, the next bite explosion will happen today or tomorrow, I'm on the edge of my seat and also planning on continuing to wear long sleeves to bed as well as stick with the closed-window/AC plan.  I also have that dermatologist appointment on Wednesday, so I can discuss it with her and show her pictures, even if I have no new evidence (knock on wood.)

Weekends!  How were they?  Mine was a lot of fun but today I'm just wiped out.  Friday I found out at the last minute that Hike's high school friend (who now lives in Texas) was in town for the weekend, so we drove out to Huntington to meet up with a whole crew for a few beers.  I enjoyed the divey bar with the juke box and we even got in a game of pool, but man, I was so tired and would've rather spent the night at home.  (Of course I ended up having fun and getting a little buzzed, but it was not my ideal evening.)  Then Saturday we were up earlyish to get ready for our brief trip to the Poconos!

So his brother picks us up from my house, where we then drive back into Manhattan to pick up his brother's wife, since his brother decided he'd have to go back that way anyway?  It was all confusing and we ended up waiting for forever and I was grumpy about it, but we finally got on the road and then up to the Shawnee Resort, after a stop for lunch at Holy Guacamole, of course.  The wedding was romantic and we got drunk and silly and danced a lot (I may have taken a knee while trying to limbo?)  The place was nice, and the ceremony was outside on the banks of the river (but hot and buggy! don't worry, I used bug spray) and then the cocktail hour was on the veranda and the reception/dinner was in the ballroom, so it was cooler.  But we got sweaty dancing anyway!  And his friends are all so fun, and it's very comfortable now, so I had a great time.  I also loved the view of the river and the foothills beyond -- oh, nature.

Sunday morning we were up early and hungover after about 3 hours of sleep, and we get the hotel's all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet (biscuits and gravy! bacon!) and then hit the road back to the city.  Once we finally made it, Hike and I immediately put on PJs (at like 1 pm) and climbed into bed to watch movies and nap the rest of the afternoon.  It was a tough weekend, energy-wise.

Then last night I took sleeping pills since I was worried that after the napping I wouldn't fall asleep, and this morning I was a tired mess -- I still feel like I could fall asleep at any minute!  I had a ton of crazy dreams last night, too -- a big, long one was about a bed bug infestation and in my dream they looked different than they do in real life, and I had to go through the whole bagging of clothes and everything, and then I woke up and went to the bathroom and the rest of my dreams remembered that one, like I couldn't tell in the dream (or even this morning when I woke up) if it had really happened.  Ugh, my biggest fear.

Anyway, I'm exhausted but had a lovely time at the wedding, and am equal parts excited and totally money-worried about my own!  Happy almost-summer, friends!

Jet Sweating

I bought my tickets to London/Scotland for Britch's wedding!  I leave on a Thursday night at 11 pm from JFK, land in London at 11 am, try to recover for the afternoon and then it's the Hen Party aka Bachelorette Party.  We're in London (all staying at Britch's apartment, maybe?) until Sunday, when we take the train to Glasgow and all stay in a hotel.  Monday we go to the castle and move into our lodges (as in, I'm staying in a lodge with my good high school friends who are now married) (in separate bedrooms) and then the wedding is Wednesday and on Friday morning I'll take a bus down to Edinburgh to catch my flight home (through Amsterdam), landing at JFK at about 7:20 EST.

Whew!  I'm much more excited now that I booked it (and that it was about $200 less than the price I'd been seeing.)  We were really disappointed that Hike couldn't join me, but now I'm seeing the silver lining there, too -- I would be more worried about his comfort when bunking 6 people in an apartment or while doing girl stuff (Hen Party, bridesmaid duties) and also I'd feel guilty making him miss the first week of grad school, since I know he'll be anxious about that.  So I think it's worked out rather well, and it'll be some great time to spend with my two best friends from the ol' high school days, and I'll try to look at it as my last great traveling alone adventure.  (I mean, I hope...) 

I also discovered that I already have shoes I can wear with my bmaid dress, so I'll save a bit there, and I'm just going to enjoy this trip and try not to stress about money so much.  I hate money and how I worry about it all the time.

So, in other news, remember all my optimism about the bites?  Well, yesterday two little red itchy bumps showed up on the back of my right wrist, and I honestly thought they might just be random mosquite bites, but now the insane itchiness and some swelling is making me think my nighttime vampire friend came back.  Maybe he couldn't get up my arm to the sweet stuff (due to my long sleeves) so he bit where he could?  I mean, they don't have those red streaks or anything, but the itching is really intense like before, so I'm not sure.  I am very upset that it happened again, in the once-a-week timeframe, too -- so I still haven't solved this mystery.  SO ANNOYING.