And the hits just keep on coming

Man, I don't know where all this uncharacteristic positivity came from, but somehow the good week just keeps on going... Don't worry; I'm sure my usual cynicism and surliness will return next week, when MnDOT will be shutting down and ripping apart a crucial and hard-to-detour-around portion of my daily commute... and keeping it shut down and ripped apart until 2008!!! Because I am an entirely present-oriented person who rarely looks ahead or worries much about the future, I put all notices about this planned construction out of my mind, as if failing to acknowledge it would somehow make it go away. You know the drill: insert fingers in ears, close your eyes, and chant, "Nah nah nah; I can't hear you!" Apparently this avoidance tactic does not work with the Department of Transportation, unfortunately. The big orange barrels have been laid on the shoulder of the road, just waiting to step into position... lurking there as a menacing and taunting reminder of what's soon to come. Send good vibes of inner peace for me, OK? It's going to be a rough ten months or so.

That's next week, however. This week I am still feeling strangely Zen and decidedly upbeat. I've actually even found a few more things to add to the growing list of reasons life does not suck. Yesterday, for example, I realized that the one portion of my usual responsibilities at That Place About Which We Do Not Blog that aggravates me the most--the one putsy and annoying task I do each week that should in no way be particularly odious or annoying and yet for some reason antagonizes me no end--is something I do not have to do for this upcoming week. I consulted my schedule, and for once, for this next week, that task does not apply. Whoo! This just means, of course, more time spent idling away on the Internet (read: remaining wholly productive and on-task with entirely more important things), but that is OK with me.

I also discovered yesterday that not only do I get to see the handsome and talented Mason Jennings perform tonight, but his opening act is one Mr. Alexi Murdoch, whom I tried to see last month but did not get myself in gear for soon enough and hence, found myself ticketless for an unexpectedly sold-out show. So, bonus! Double-bill! I could not be more pleased about this.

And finally, last night I had a lovely time on my "blate" with -R-. Our flighty and distracted waitress (whom I'll call Ursula, even though she was a tiny, near-elderly Japanese lady instead of a 20-something played by Lisa Kudrow) may have shorted us on a soup and appetizer, but we still had plenty of sushi and green tea ice cream anyway. And then we went down the street for an after-dinner drink, where we were jointly hit on by a socially awkward middle-aged man who said we were both "very attractive girls." Wait. Scratch that. I wouldn't say he exactly "hit on" us. Essentially, he asked permission to hit on us (we declined the offer, explaining that we were just about to leave). He may have been slightly smarmy and lecherous, but at least he was considerate and polite. Have to give him credit for that, wouldn't you agree?

On the way back to our cars, I turned to -R- and said, "I need a Friday Five topic for tomorrow! Give me a category, -R-!" To which -R- replied, ever-so-helpfully, "You should do Five reasons -R- is awesome."

OK, she didn't say "-R-," of course. (In particular, she did not pronounce the hyphens.) But I am not sure she wants me to out her by real name on my blog, so we'll just pretend I call her by blog alias in person as well. Considering I continually have to resist the urge to refer to her husband as "H" (despite the fact that his real name does not even start with an H), this really isn't so far-fetched an idea. Anyway, so I won't quote -R- directly and repeat her name here, but I will take her suggestion, because... well, why not? -R- is, in fact, awesome. And here are five reasons why.

1. She has all sorts of cute shoes.
   
   
2. She's not above making fun of people. Particularly when they deserve it.
   
   
3. She said I can borrow her husband any time I need to have the illusion of having a man in my life. I just can't borrow him for "making-out purposes." (I am OK with that extra qualifier. It's only fair, I think.)
   
   
4. She is a blog rock star who successfully launched an awesomely amusing Internet phenomenon. Just look at all the people willingly posting photos of themselves in all their sequined and crinolined and Aqua-netted glory!
   
   
5. She's all about putting people in a box. No, really. (Sometimes don't we all just need to be categorized?)
   

OK, I just re-read that list and realized it probably does not adequately or accurately summarize -R- in any particularly flattering sort of way. You will just have to trust me that in person, she is fun and smart and nice and has plenty of other fine attributes (beyond generic one-syllable adjectives) as well... like the fact that she routinely makes use of public transport. And that she impressively knows her way around the Minneapolis skyways. And that she has lived in approximately 17 different states. And that she likes libraries almost as much as I do. So. -R- is cool. (-R-, feel free to tell -H- I said so.) And this concludes my Friday Five for the week.