Stubborn or Something Else

My 10 year high school reunion is going to be next summer. There is a Facebook group about it right now. That's right...14 months in advance. Rather surprised to start getting notifications about it...thanks Facebook for letting people add me to a group without my knowledge. That's a greeeeeaaaat choice.

I am not going.

I was not friends with most of those people 9 years ago. I hardly talk to any of them now. I wasn't part of 80% of the things they're reminiscing about. To make matters worse, their plan is to have a huge family-friendly barbecue so all the kids can meet each other. That sounds perfect for a girl struggling with all her friends getting married, having children, and leaving her in the dust, right? Ugh.

I'm being stupid about this.

But, if I won't go home for Christmas, why would I go for a reunion?

To Unfriend...or Not?

Why is it such a big deal to unfriend someone on Facebook? I won't even pretend like it isn't...because it is. I went through a mega friend purge last year and deleted almost 100 people and when I told my real-life friends, they were shocked. How could I?

I had specific criteria. A person only got deleted if a) I hadn't seen them in over 10 years and we never communicated past the friend request moment, b) we weren't friends in real life, nor would we ever speak again (or ever) in real life, or c) they just flat out irritated me. (<3 lol :) ;) etc. are not necessary in EVERY post.) If someone met said criteria-they were gone. What's the big deal? Not one of those people has re-requested me...they probably don't even realize we aren't friends any longer.

It makes sense to me. But what if someone doesn't meet this criteria and you still want to unfriend them? What if every time they pop up on your news feed, you feel a surge of rage...or pain? I'm talking ex-friends. Ex-boyfriends. Ex-people. Why bother holding on?

Maybe you drifted apart and you're too far away now to talk and it sucks and every time you see her posts, it just reminds you that you're not as close as you were and there's no getting that back. Or you see her squinty little eyes in her stupid drunk pictures and you want to punch her stupid face because she ISN'T lost at sea right now. Or every time you see his or his girlfriend's (because you're dumb and you're friends with her too) posts or pictures, it just hurts that you can't talk anymore because platonic friends don't exist.

Why is it such a big deal? Why is it so hard just to click that little X and confirm the deletion of friendship? If it doesn't exist in the real world, why hold on to it in the internet world?

Because humans are stupid and have feelings. Dammit...I'm human.

Productivity, question mark

Apparently I'm not allowed to take more than 2 days between posts. Some people have been tetchy and anxious and I can't be responsible for that kind of thing. So here is another multi-topic-ed post for YOUR enjoyment.

I made a lasagna! I made it with the intention that my roommates could eat some of it after rehearsals, but they've been so tired, they haven't tried it yet. But I have and it rocks. Here's what I put in it:

Sauce: 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes, 3/4 diced yellow onion, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 pkg frozen chopped spinach (messily thawed and drained), 1 package sweet turkey sausage links with casings removed (browned before added to sauce), some sugar (to cut acidity), a little salt (to...do whatever it does that makes it taste good), a dash of paprika, and generous sprinklings of black pepper, dried sweet basil, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Oh, and about a third a cup of water to make it thinner. It simmered for like an hour.

I mixed a 15 oz container of 2% ricotta cheese with an egg, some grated Parmesan cheese, and a lot of dried oregano. Layers: Sauce, 3 whole wheat lasagna noodles, ricotta mix, mozz and parm, sauce, noodles, ricotta, mozz and parm, sauce, noodles, mozz and parm. It got baked at 350 degrees for 20 minutes covered and 15 uncovered.

**You should all note this is like the 10th lasagna I've made so I actually do sort of know the recipe. Except the seasonings. I just add stuff til it tastes right. Bazinga! Still a recipe failure. Aw.

Wow. Okay. I also finished Sally's hats and gloves and got them sent off to her. (One is pictured on the left.) Then I started making some baby hats. I'm on my second baby hat right now. I'm trying to think outside the box for my baby items. For instance-not just pale pink and pale blue hats. Not just hats. I'm hoping it works. I need to get my Etsy shop back up and running. It's just kind of sitting there idly right now. Goals for that are: new/better pics, baby items, and trying harder. It's the trying harder that's gonna get me.

Roommates and I had a little bonding Sunday night. We went out to dinner and Stefanie got to have Red Lobster for the first time ever. Then we went to a poker game and Janelle played for the first time ever, which meant she, of course, royally kicked all of our butts. I'm hoping for a poker tourney this summer.

All right. I told myself that with the new blog I would be positive and not bitch and rant all the time like in the old bitchy, ranty blog, but this is still bothering me so I'ma talk about it cuz it's my blog.

Basically, lots of people I know are getting married and buying houses and having babies (in fact, six different friends either announced babies or engagements THIS WEEKEND) and it makes me feel bad about my life. Not because I'm lacking something, but because THEY think I am. I don't wish them ill. I don't want them to not be happy. I'm not jealous. I just don't like the following:

1) I do not like losing friends because we don't have anything in common anymore because I am single.
2) I do not like losing male friends because they got married and being the platonic female friend isn't kosher.
3) I do not like the phrases "Oh, I'm sure you'll meet someone soon", "Well, you've still got time", and "So...are you seeing anyone?"

I don't actually want to get married or have babies, thank you. I like traveling and having a career. Just because I'm a female in my mid-twenties does NOT mean I need a man and a baby to be happy. And apparently, MSN knows what I'm going through: "Single Women Still Feel 'Spinster' Stigma" The subtitle is "Annoyances worst in mid-20s to mid-30s." Great. I can't wait for the next decade. Thanks a lot, MSN.

Whew. Wait. I don't feel better. You mean that venting one's frustrations on the internet doesn't instantly bring about a feeling of golden-hued contentment?! Damn. Back to knitting.