I suppose in one way its a good thing for my budget and my already-crammed closet that I dislike so many shoes.

I was thinking about this whole "perimenopause/menopause" thing over the weekend when I was having such problems sleeping.

Ok, after typing that out I realize I need a little escapism...so I will now go do a bit of yoga to stretch my back and calm my mind, and then enjoy the gorgeous day we are having here.

:)

First of all, I helped her move into her condo in February. She has yet to fully unpack and organize/decorate/set up the place. It looks like the crappiest bachelor pad, with the exception of 3 sets of curtains. Her building, to me, seems really nice, in a great location. Of course all she does is complain: traffic is too noisy, the homeowners association is lackadaisical, the people in the building are lazy, yadda yadda yadda. And yet, if one DARES to suggest that perhaps she expand her horizons of real estate (new construction? different neighborhood?) she fires back with such defensiveness "No I only want to be in this neighboorhood and only in a vintage building." She doesn't give herself many options. I think she is determined to be miserable.

Health:
She is educated and KNOWS what it takes to be healthy and fit, and yet has dug in her heels, to the point of MAKING FUN OF my triathloning and also making fun of the fact that I cook for myself and my family (she lives on fast food). Duh.

Social:
Firstly, she calls me and then has literally nothing to say on the phone...I have overlooked this, figuring she was shy or what have you. But it's also where she invties me to hang out and she has nothing to say; just wants a warm body to be there; she offeres no conversation unless prompted. So I spend the time promting her with thoughtful questions...hoping to spark some sort of conversation. I get terse answers, or worse, defensiveness, as if I'm prying. I always thought it was "nice" to ask about another person ("How's work going?" "How is your family?" etc.) instead of just talking about yourself.

Here was the clincher:

As I arived, ON TIME to her place to meet her friends and then head out to the game we were all to attend together, she pulls me aside and whispers, "Don't talk about sex and stuff because they are kind of uptight." I told her I was a grown up and could gauge what was appropriate and what was not. I was really miffed.

Her friend noted to me, "She said you were going to be late." I replied, still annoyed, "She never trusts me to be on time and I always am."

As  we walked to the bus together, we passed a now-shuttered police station. I told an anecdote about a fellow I knew, who many years ago, naively walked in to the station to report a traffic accident only to realize that he was carrying a one-hitter in his pocket. Well the two gals didn't know what that meant so the joke fell flat, and that's ok. I'm no Jay Leno. But then my "friend"  gave me static about it about an hour later: "I can't believe you told that story. That are straight-laced." I turned to her and said OUT LOUD, "You know what, if you are embarassed of me, I will just go home now. This is a friggin BALL GAME not a job interview."

I think she was shocked to get push back, but she should know better. Cripes!  I have met her mom when we packed up and moved her out of her house - I was very "reserved", and proper, and I think, made a nice impression. Thus, she knows I am a responsible, respectable person, but one with a natural over-riding jocularity.
It also didn't help that her friend, also out of shape, drippy, dumpy, old-ladyish before her time, was conversationally challenged. Thankfully her sister and I seemed to hit it off and chatted easily about all sorts of things, some of which revealed to me that this woman was in no way "uptight", as I had been told.

Then I sense the energy vampire and her friend sort of gang up on me, in that they both exuded this attitude that I was some kind of sellout for being a stay-at-home mom. Clearly neither of them had a drop of maternal blood in their bones, or they'd know that raising a child is alot more complex than dropping it off at daycare/school and stating a college fund.

So, I kept my head held high and went on my way after the ball game. I have resolved to not initiate communication with that crabby woman, who offers nothing to our relationship but negativity.  I can do ALOT better. I'd rather have a smaller circle of friends.

If nothing else comes of the convention, I do hope that word of Obama's incredible speechwriting and oratory skills spread nationwide and rouse the apathetic among us to get out and vote in November.