Monday at Friday's

So last night, our big plan was to go to this bar where Hannah's roommate Ines was performing. No, not THAT kind of performing you sickos. She's a professional magician. Yes, really. Anyway, 45 minutes later, our plans of beers and magic were dashed when, upon emerging from a rather long metro ride, I received a voicemail message from Hannah which went more or less like this: "Heyyy so guys. Umm we're here... but it turrnnnsssss out thatttt...Ines's thing isn't until February 23... sooo... yeahhhh..." We stood on our destination's metro platform staring at each other blankly trying to figure out what to do with ourselves.

Since we were dressed for action, hungry, and not at all close to our apartment, we took another metro line with visions of hamburgers (for her) and chicken fingers (for me) dancing in our heads (taken from "The Night Before Christmas: Fat Kids' Version" -written by me). TGI Friday's was the target, and it was every bit as gloriously American as we needed to make up for having our evening's hopes and dreams crushed by our group Texan. And oh did we dine in that oh-so-American way: overindulgently and until we felt mildly ill.

At one point during our romantic date, a group of about 8 all-American, sorority-looking girls (they were undergrads studying abroad) was seated near us. A little while later (I think right about when we had finished our plate of nachos) Joanne looks at me and says, "wow.. were we really that young when we came?" So we slyly watched them for awhile, and obbbbviousy eavesdropped. One comment made it rather clear, at least to me, that this little group had just arrived for a semester abroad from college. Either that or they are somewhat dense and just haven't caught on yet. It was: "Ohh my GAWD Stacy... and then this GUY came up to me and said that I just had the most beautiful eyes and that he was falling in love with me!! And he was really meant it... I could tell!!" ("Ohhh sistah-friend," I thought, "so much to learn... so very much to learn...") Delighted giggles ensued from the table of our fellow americanas.

Anyway, I really couldn't help but be kind of shocked. Because technically/chronologically that WAS us two years ago, but I never felt then as young as they looked (or acted, for that matter). And never once was I fooled by the 'beautiful eyes' gig... then again I was dating somebody at the time and therefore not in dire need of compliments from strangers. But regardless, I'd just roll these "beautiful eyes" (I'm quoting, not complimenting myself) at him and then watch as he'd shoot the same comment to the girl standing next to me... probably a friend of mine. Sometime I couldn't help but wonder what such a character would say if he ever came up behind a girl who, unbeknownst to him, has say, an eyepatch- just a thought- because if he said that to her he'd get a swift kick in the jewels for being a sarcastic, insensitive bastard.

How was that for a tangent. Anyway, just to clarify things, I don't consider myself wise or old. Okay, I MAYYY have had a minor age crisis upon turning 23 in which I thought I was old ("OH MY GOD I ONLY HAVE LIKE 70 YEARS LEFT AND I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WITH MY LIFE YET!!! I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME!!!"), but I by no means feel or think of myself as ready for a participating role in adult society. By 22 my parents were married, working, and otherwise heading gung-ho into life. Meanwhile, their oh-so-mature eldest offspring (that'd be me), at 23, is pretty much the polar opposite. The idea of marriage makes my knees tremble in fear, there's no company at home that's currently awaiting the addition of my brilliance to its esteemed workforce, I turn green and need fresh air or possibly an inhaler when thinking about having children, and I'm still in school which, consequently, means I remain somewhat financially dependent upon my parents....who, by the way, are saints, ("I SWEARRRR I'd write that even if I didn't know they were going to read this"- she says with a sweet, innocent smile.) Go me! At least I write senseless blogs, I guess, for the entertainment of more people than I had been previously aware of.

I don't really have any concluding thought to tie things up, so I'll just leave off with a quote off the wall at TGI Friday's that I jotted down on a scrap of paper: 'Here's to the good ole days, which we are having right now.' It pretty much summed up how I was feelin' last night, out and about in Madrid, eating and laughing with one of my best friends.













Joanne and I, two years ago and this year.