friday is for lists.

Friday! I'm exhausted! Exclamation points and bullet lists! Ready, go!

• I am totally that person who turns up the air conditioning, then realizes it's too cold and puts on a sweatshirt. It's kind of ridiculous. My brother is always commenting on it, but I can't help it! My computer desk is right across from the AC unit, so when it's on, the cold air is coming directly at me. Some might say, well, then just turn it off - but then it's too hot! #firstworldproblems #usinghashtagsoutsideoftwitteriscool
  
  
• Alex freakin' Wong, my favorite dancer on SYTYCD of the past three seasons, is officially off the show because he ruptured his Achilles tendon. Yes, I cried. But his little face! He was so! sad! Okay, that's enough now.
  
  
• Why am I playing Animal Crossing for Gamecube on a daily basis? Why? I should be looking for a job. Effing mindless video games sucking my life away.
  
  
• I've only been out of my relationship for three months and already I'm feeling those shitty "I'm going to be single forever and become a cat lady" feelings. I think it's worse now that I've actually been in a relationship; at least beforehand, I didn't know what I was missing.
  
  
• Speaking of my past relationship, in case anyone was still wondering, I'm pretty much over it. Mark and I have entered the friend zone and I don't really think I'm going to budge. We've had several discussions in the past few months and every time we disagree on something, it just solidifies in my mind that we really don't match up.
  
  
• I know I'm way late to the party on this one, but I am in love with this song. I mean, come on - it's begging to have a dance choreographed to it.
  

video game girl.

Thanksgiving 2009, Wii Tennis tournament.

I’ve always been a video game girl. For a long stretch of my childhood and teenage years, any money I received as a gift was put immediately towards a new video game. My brother and I would go into Best Buy and spend a solid half an hour perusing the shelves and trying to decide which games to get. Sometimes we knew exactly what we wanted, but I specifically remember the occasions on which we’d be holding two games in our hands, weighing the options and determining which one would be more fun.

Fall 1999; getting my game time in before a family picnic.

Because my brother was heavily into video games and I had my own healthy addiction, we accumulated several systems – everything from an old-school NES to our new Wii and my DS Lite. Hidden in our entertainment shelving is a vast collection of cartridges and disks, many of which we’ve very recently been using all over again.

Christmas 2006. Guitar Hero with my brother.

Last night, as I was sorting through my own Gameboy games, my brother came in with his collection and emptied the box on my bed. I nearly died - it was like he was pouring our childhood out, in little two-by-two-inch cartridges. Among the findings were five Pokemon games (blue, red, yellow, gold and silver), a word puzzle game that I used to play for hours, and a bunch of other favorites from when we were young. I hadn’t seen half of those games in years and it was just such a throw back.

Things clearly haven’t changed, though. With the purchase of my new DS Lite and two games to go with it, I spent most of this weekend attached to it. I could never gauge how "normal" it was, because I'm a girl and the stereotype is that they don't play video games (or, if they do, it's very limited). But to me, it's totally normal to spend a Friday night playing a bunch of old games or even dedicating a whole weekend to conquering a new game.

it's friday! bullet points!

It's Friday and this week flew by so fast that I'm pretty sure it didn't actually happen, so... here's a bullet list.

• The big news of this week was that Mark (my ex-boyfriend, which is a dirty word in my book so I'll just call him by his name from now on) finally, finally got into his top choice for medical school. This has been a two-year-long journey that has now reached its end, THANK THE LORD. The sympathy stress I've been under has been too much. But, aside from that, I am incredibly happy for him because he wanted this so badly.
  
  
• I'm kind of itching to have a party or at least a reasonably-sized get-together. Throwing a birthday party for myself was so much fun and I really like when everyone's able to hang out together. Last time we totally geeked out on old video games, but what I'd love is a full-fledged game night, which was our specialty back in college. So, to my real life friends: don't be at all surprised if I start chatting up this idea with you.
  
  
• I've been spending way too much money lately, but I think my spree is finally over, save for a few necessities (yes, sundresses are a necessity). My best (and most expensive) purchase has been this beauty, which is totally worth the money I paid, especially since I found a deal where I got accessories and two games with it!
  

Yes, I'm THAT girl who has to have all her electronics in pink.

• Tomorrow, as long as I'm feeling up to it, I'm attending a baby shower for one of my friends. It's a strange thing knowing that people my age, that I know, are having babies and getting married. This will be the first person who I'll actually physically encounter who's going through major life changes - all the other babies and engagements I've only witnessed on Facebook - and I'm really excited. She's a friend from my town that I went to school with up until I disappeared into private school, so it's basically going to be a mini reunion, for me at least. Frankly, I'm surprised I was even invited!

Happy Friday and happy weekend!