panic, calm, panic, calm

I need to get one of those "that was easy" buttons from Staples; nothing in my life right now is very easy or simple, but I'd like to convince myself otherwise! Sorry for the lack of updates -- this is going to be a personal release of everything that's gone on in my week from the bad to the good to the oh-so-very-bad, to the meh.

Shadow has been an amazing pup -- except for this week from hell. Our 7-year old used to be calm, loved to sleep, never bugged. All of a sudden, he's been restless, hyperactive, and we really didn't know what to do. After three sleepless nights, my Mom went on about how we'd either have to go to a vet or put him to sleep. That put me into hysterics; he means way too much to me. Finally, we brought him to the vet on Wednesday where they told us he had infections all in his mouth and his teeth were horrible. So he's going in for surgery on Monday - one that's going to cost us over a grand. It's worth it, especially since it breaks my heart to see him in pain. So that's brought on some stress this week.

The Boy constantly amazes me with his love. I've been unloading so much onto him this week, even the most annoying of things. Wednesday was my low point and so I kept calling him, even with silly things like, "I just want to hear your voice." (How cheesy is that, eh?) I called him around 4pm and he went, "I'm sorry Sweetie, but I'm in the middle of something. Can I call you back in 45 minutes?" I obliged and went off to make myself Alphabetti's spaghetti from a can, since my parents were at the vet and I wasn't in the mood to cook (ah, a bad mood).

All of a sudden, 45 minutes later I get a phone call - from The Boy's cell. He asks me to open up my front door and then says he'll call me back. So I open the front door and on my 'welcome' mat there's a piece of paper. On the front it read GUESS WHAT? flip me over -> and on the back it said I LOVE YOU! If you turn around you'll get a big kiss and a tight hug! I actually turned around to look inside my house but he came from the side of my house and leaped to give me a huge hug. I started crying in relief that I was able to see him, have him, hold him. He's really been a rock ... love that Boy.

Oh, and guess what? Remember that toothbrush situation from way back when? As of last week: the toothbrush is at his place. Huzzah! Calm :)

Despite the crappy situation with 'my friend' C, this picture makes me laugh and makes me want their hairstyles. But the situation with C is anything but stylish. Me and her met in our second-last year of high school and used to be really close. Somewhere along the way she changed, and I grew tired of her always feeling superior and making fun of all of our friends. So, I was friends with her mostly through association. I didn't end up going to a bunch of her birthdays over the past few years, either because something got in the way or the cost.

This year, I decided to make an effort to actually come out and be there for her, and see if we could actually have a friendship that wasn't established on being friends with everyone else. She's a girl who loves luxury and things fancy, and decided she'd book a limo and go to a club over an hour away. I decided to invite The Boy and his two friends (also a couple), in hopes that a) the more people the merrier; and b) that the cost of the limo would go down. C estimated that it would cost between $30-$40, which was fine.

So the day came when the limo was booked and all the information was provided - and it was $45 per person for some exquisite stretch SUV limo and $20 cover for the guys for the club - and only free for the girls before 11pm. I told The Boy and his friends and they basically said they weren't expecting it to be that much, it's too much with all the school stuff going on, and that they didn't know C well enough to spend that much on one night out. I completely understood, and let C know right away that it was a bit too much for them right now. BIG. MISTAKE.

We went through a big charade of her not understanding how they couldn't understand that a night out usually costs that much, and then offering to have it be $35 per person for the limo. Still, The Boy and his friends maintained that $35 + $20 = too much, and they didn't think it was worth it {plus, they thought she was a bit r-u-d-e}. On top of that, I told C that I might not be able to make it, depending on how much I'd chip in for my dog's surgery on Monday.

So then C went and offered that it'd be $30 per person just for us four, and no cover. She asked me to text my friends and ask them if that was okay, even though I told her she didn't have to do that and that I couldn't control how my friends reacted. Regardless, I do text them (along with a 'no pressure, honestly, it's just because a lot of people are backing out') and then ten minutes later, get a text message from C basically saying that $30 is ridiculous and out of the question and unfair to everyone else, and to next time, just say no right away instead of 'backing out at the last minute'.

I never replied, she went and told my close friend that I basically ruined her birthday and it's all my fault, and I've maintained that a friendship with her is no longer worth it. The panic of wanting to please her and feeling bad for having three friends drop dissipated into a near calm.

Which brings me school, which started this past Thursday. I only had one class and spent the majority of the day getting free stuff from their 'sidewalk sale' (yay mascara and gum!). But this American Lit class is all-year-long and the Prof nearly put me to sleep in the first lecture, which doesn't seem promising. Regardless, I'm attempting to stay calm this year. It's my final year in university, I have to apply for teacher's colleges soon, and I want to to try to get the best marks possible. So ... it'll be busy, but I'm hoping to stay calm!

My apologies for the rambling this post, just had to get this out! Here's hoping for less-panicky times ahead! Hope you all have a beautiful weekend! But first, I need to ask:

What are ways that you stay calm?