Sometimes I Think I'm Still In College

Today for lunch, I had Ramen Noodles.  You heard me.  You know.  The noodle soup that comes in plastic and you heat up water, throw the noodles in to cook, and while you wait you dump the flavor packet in the bottom of a bowl.  When the noodles are done (in a mere three minutes), you pour them, along with the water they cooked in, into your bowl.  Stir and voila!  You have a completely unhealthy meal.  For only eighteen cents.

I bet most of my friends who happen to be at least around my age are cringing and thinking, "Seriously, does she still eat that crap?"  Well, yes.  Yes I do.  They are cheap.  They are easy.  And while I don't eat them all the time, I definitely go through phases where I have Ramen Noodles for lunch every single day.  I will say that I had about my twentieth packet of them today.  I am a little tired of them.  But still.  Overall?  LIKE it.

And so, I started thinking about how I still act the same as I did when I was in school.  I was a bit of a Rush groupie in high school and college. (Again, I bet some of my friends are like - you were a Rush groupie?  Who knew?)  And although the artist has changed to Andrew Peterson, I am still a groupie.  But I hope a slightly more mature groupie.  But based on my behavior when AP and crew came to town last week?  Not really all that mature. 

But in college, I was, in fact, a Rush groupie.  Followed them as they hit tour dates as far north as Baltimore, and as far south as Greeneville, SC.  I got to know their bus driver, had one of the roadies ask for my phone number and he called from time to time and we chatted about what the band was up to.  It was fun.  I met Alex and Geddy, but never Neil.  He's such a hermit.  Anyway. . . so that was something else that I never let go from college days.  It's just the band that's changed.

Oh yes.  And I still wear the same clothes I wore in college.  The ones that still fit.  I would say the ones that aren't worn out.  But let's be honest.  I graduated college almost fourteen years ago.  That should tell you what my wardrobe looks like.  In fact, it also tells me that I am so very overdue to go get some new clothes.   And it also tells me that I am fashion challenged.  Why don't you, my friends, tell me these things?  I had no idea that Doc Martin's were out of style.  Crap!

I am also still with the same guy that I met while I was in college.  He's usually pretty cool.  Except for the past two nights.  He's been stressed.  So I'll give him a pass on that.  But really overall, he's really awesome and I'm a lucky gal.  We are coming up on being married for FOURTEEN YEARS!  I can't believe it.  The only thing that has changed about him is he doesn't have a super curly mullet anymore.  (Yep.  But please believe me when I say that on him, it worked.  Even in the early nineties.)

I still hang out with college friends now.  This part is a wee little different, because where we hang out is different, and we have additions to our crowd.  For instance, instead of hanging out at Piccola's downtown, we hang out at the Christmas parade downtown, where we watch Rudolph get stabbed in the head and deflate before children's eyes everywhere.  And that includes our own children's eyes.  Not pretty.  But essentially, it's the same crowd.

The funniest part is, after the Christmas parade, we all went over to a McDonald's to each lunch together.  (Bleh.  But seriously, how can I like Ramen noodles and not like McDonald's?  What's wrong with me?)  We put the kids at one table, and the rest of us (except for our friend Tara who got stuck with all the kids, God Bless Her) sat at another table.  And suddenly, and I don't remember who it was, said something about how we all still looked exactly the same.  And I looked around at all those familiar faces and whoever said it was right!  We all looked the same.  So I was transported back in time to remember us all when we were young, unmarried, and having fun.  Even through all the kids chattering at the next table over, I went back there.  And it was fun to reminisce.  And I realized that we are still doing the same thing that we did in college.  Except now we are having fun hanging out with our husbands, wives, and kids.  The party is still there, it's just bigger.  And with a lot less alcohol.  But it's still as much fun!

Have a great day!