Update
Random update, since I haven’t really seen most of you in a few weeks.
My birthday was nice. I had this idea, based on Mark’s Birthday Weekend Extravaganza, that I could have a boisterous group of people to celebrate with me. Instead, I had a lovely little dinner with my fiancé, a couple of close friends, and Shendo, whose company I truly enjoy. The next night, on my actual birthday, I had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants with my family and Mark’s (who didn’t let the recent passing of his grandmother or the fact that his mother was ill put a damper on the evening). My parents gave me exactly what I asked for - my very own set of quad roller skates. Leather high-tops. The only minor disappointment is that the wheels aren’t pink. I can fix that easily, though, should I choose to.
The next few days were all about funeral stuff. I took Monday off to drive to Lamar, Colorado, for the graveside service. Long day. It was a tough couple of days, but I enjoyed getting a chance to spend some more time with Mark’s family, whom I really like. The more time I spend around them, the more comfortable I am and the more I like them.
Wednesday evening Mark, my parents, and I went to take a tour of the Brown Palace as a possible reception venue. Last (and only) time I was there, I was working (carrying wigs for a publicity shoot for The Women) and didn’t get a chance to really take the place in. It’s so gorgeous. I love the turn-of-the-last-century styling, and anyone who knows me well would not be surprised to know that I adore how ornate it is. They treated us really well and I had a very nice time - though I was dropping from exhaustion by the time we got home.
Saturday was Mark’s and my one-year anniversary of our first date, though we didn’t do anything really anniversary-oriented. There was an open house for Mark’s grandmother in the afternoon, and then we went to roller derby in Fort Collins. Shendo went with us, and I think he really enjoyed it, although our team lost. They were robbed. Really - they were ahead by about six points with less than thirty seconds left in the last period. The rules (apparently) say that the bout should end if there are less than thirty seconds on the clock, but the fans of the other team yelled for one more jam, and the refs indulged them. Of course the coach of the league (on the other team and a freaking former Olympic speed skater) jammed, scored thirteen points, and cheated Emily’s team out of their fully legitimate win.
I like roller derby. I do not like the league’s coach when they’re playing within the league.
Sunday we went roller skating so I could use my new skates. I was kind of terrified because they were pretty stiff (even though I pounded them a little with a hammer to try to loosen them up), but I needn’t have been. I came out with a little soreness on the back of my ankles from the tops of the boots, but blister free. My skates are awesome. The wheels are about two millimeters thicker than the rental ones I’ve been using, which makes me feel more stable. They’re also a little tighter, which made me work harder, but that’s okay. I could use the workout. The toe stops (adjustable and currently all the way up) are so much closer to the ground than the ones on the rental skates, which means I can actually use them. This is especially useful when going up slopes - instead of walking sideways, I can rock my weight forward onto the toe stops and just walk up the slope (yes, there are a few slopes in the roller rink; for a laugh, ask Mark about the one in the men’s room). I feel more confident on my own skates then I ever felt on the rentals. It’s awesome.
That's about it. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, with really good stuff and really bad stuff. In the end, though, I think I came out with more good than bad. And that's a pretty darn good birthday gift from the universe.