I had to pretty much force myself to actually sit down and write this. And I'm not too sure why.

Pittsburgh was awesome, but it went really fast. We spent a majority of the visit prepping for the party, but that was fun. We went to walmart more times than I care to recall. Giant Eagle, Festival Foods, Target. Oh my. We lived there. But still, it wasn't annoying shopping, it was fun shopping. Although I did get pretty pissed off in walmart one day. I think it was thursday or friday. Gary drove me and Karen and my mom over to walmart to print out some pictures on the Kodak machine from our digital camera and also to make a copy of one picture. I had the idea of doing a sort of now and then thing because we had this picture of me and Gary when I was about one, making him about 6 months old in my crib. I thought it would be so cool to get a picture of us now and frame them both together. However, the Kodak machine wouldn't acknowledge our digital card. So we had to buy DVDs for the camcorder, since the machine won't accept a DVD with video on it, and the one we had brought with us had video from graduation. Then we went home and baked some for the party, then went back to walmart without my mom to try again with the DVD. After waiting in line at the Kodak machine, we found out that the Kodak machine doesn't take DVDs, only CDs. We had to go to the Fujifilm machine. Not a big deal, just a few steps away, but now we had to wait in line again. Finally got the DVD to work in the fujifilm machine, but instead of printing out pictures, it printed out receipts and told us to pick up our photos in an hour. Argh! So I said screw the fujifilm machine and made a copy of the baby picture in the kodak machine. Then, by chance, as I was checking out and paying for the kodak picture, I asked the photo guy if I should come back in an hour for my fujifilm pics. He told me they might be ready now, and checked for them. Thank God, they were there. Then I had to pay for them and we raced out of walmart because Gary had a game that he had to leave for at 4:20 and it was already 4:05. Crazy. I was a little pissed at walmart at that point, but it all worked out and the pictures looked awesome.

The shrines were so much fun. We had three posterboards each for pictures from birth to present, then we set up a table in front of the fireplace for awards, momentos, etc. I have pictures, it was really cool. The cake was awesome too. It was a little crazy. Poor Norm at Giant Eagle. We had on opposite corners two-tone roses. Two corners had green and white roses, and two corners had blue and gold roses. Then in the middle we had "Congratulations Lauren and Gary class of 2005." The left side said Go Gators and the right side said Go Titan Baseball. We thought it was going to be very "chacha" but it turned out beautifully. I have pictures of that too. ^_^

Lessee...trying to remember what else. This is why I wanted to write this before I forget anything else.

The party was really fun. It was a little awkward at times, because there was a bit of time when only Gary's people were there. They don't know me, and the concept of a joint graduation party was a little beyond them. Poor Gary, he had to explain it like 50 times. Soon enough though family showed up, and they were really happy to see me and my mom. It had been 4 years since we had seen most of them, and a lot of family members have fallen ill or died in between. Everyone's getting older, and it was important to see people for a good occaision, not for a funeral. I was sorry that Allison couldn't come, she was at Virginia Beach. Paul came though. He's really cool. Into dogs almost as much as I am. XD He has a blue merle great dane named Octavius. His roommate has a great dane mastiff mix...I think it's name is Brutus. Joan and Bill were also there, and Joan is trying to plan a "cousins" trip to Disney Land! (Joan is my mom's cousin.) Linda lives out in Arizona now, and it's only a few hours drive to Disney Land from there. Naomi was there, she got a ride with Joan. Glen has been in the hospital for a while now, and Naomi is not well after Ruthie died with Glen sick. She seemed to be ok though, and in surprisingly good spirits. Aunt Bea was there too, with Carol and Paul. Aunt Bernice wasn't there though because....I have no idea. But apparently Debbie is crazy and it's really getting to Aunt Bernice. Whatever, I always knew Debbie was psycho. But it's really....disturbing? weird? something...Aunt Bea looks almost IDENTICAL to Memaw. I mean, I know they're sisters, but still. Lots of people had commented on it, because it's kind of weird when someone's been dead for seven years to think you see them. Apparently Carol looks a ton like Aunt Alice, and that was a big deal too. I think that's all the family people that were there. Joan, Bill, Carol, Paul, Paul, Naomi, and Aunt Bea. Yeah, ok.

People were really generous too. I got a card from Ruth Sumpter, who I don't know who that is. But apparently she was invited and didn't come, so she just sent us both cards. Allison gave me a gift separate from her parents too, and she wasn't there either. Gary and I each had baskets set up for cards/gifts. I ended up getting a little over $200. Aunt Pam and Karen also picked me out a graduation charm for my bracelet. It's sparkly. XD

The Burdetts came to the party as well, minus Justin. : \ I was really kind of anxious and nervous to see him, but he had to work late. The rest of the family was there for about two hours, then a few hours after they left Mrs. Burdett came back. After that my mom, Mrs. Burdett and I spent a majority of the party in the living room or on the deck catching up. The neighborhood has apparently changed a lot. These kids on the corner house became heroine dealers/pharmacists. I don't remember them, but apparently they were nasty little children and my mom and mrs burdett called it that they would be no good adults. Mike Seaver is like 30 now and has a family of his own. He is like the only other person I remember from Cashley Ct. Anyway, it was really really nice to see them. Comforting. It's cool to hang out with people who have known you forever. Mrs. Burdett was like my second mom. Me and Justin were together 24/7. She and my mom still joke about planning the wedding. How would that be for irony....we did get married when we were five. Then again, we also went trick or treating in June. And sold rocks. I defended those last two, seeing as how people actually gave us stuff on both accounts. It was using our cuteness to our advantage. So anyway, key piece of information: Justin is on facebook. I facebooked him as soon as I got home and we started up a conversation. Haven't carried it over to IM yet. Seems we keep missing each other. Always away when the other one is on. He is going to Penn State, information science and technology. Kind of makes me regret not going to Penn State. But it's not like we would have had classes together or anything. Hopefully we can reconnect through online and periodic visits. I'll try to see him next time I'm in the burgh. I'd also really love to see the old house. Right now there's a family in there with two young-ish kids, one of which has downs syndrome.

We talked long into the night, and Mrs. Burdett was one of the last to leave, well after midnight. Sunday (the day after I got there....no longer in chronological order) we went to Trader Horn to buy candles and other random party stuff, and we found this swing, like one of those three person swings you put in a yard or porch, and we bought it for Uncle Paul for father's day. He liked it, but he still says that the best part of the present was that me, Gary, Karen, and Jeff put it together. We messed up a few times, but eventually got it together, and it was very popular at the party. We put it on the deck for people to sit and talk. Friday night (night before the party) we went out to dinner at Eat 'n Park. That was fun too, it was nice to get a break from cooking.

Wednesday after we picked my mom up from the airport we (mom, me, Jeff, and Gary) went to the Pirates game. I tried to buy a pirates shirt, just because it's cool, but there weren't really any good ones with the Pirate logo. My mom bought a Clemente shirt and we spent a bit of time walking around the Park. PNC Park is so awesome. I got my full dose of Pittsburgh-ness by having a Primanti brothers sammich (sandwich) at the park. The perogi (sp?) race spurred a nice discussion of Pittsburgh accents, which I discovered I have more of than I thought I did. "It's time for the Great Pittsburgh Perogi Race 'n 'at!" People dressed as giant perogis race around the stadium. It's fun. Gary and I were really rooting for Oliver Onion, but Saurkraut Saul took first. Oliver was slow, and Gary screamed out "Cut him! Send him back to triple A's!" It was really funny. Pirates lost, but we still had a good time.

Aside from Pittsburgh, things have been pretty uneventful. Work is really more exhausting than I planned. But it's paying off. And when I say paying off, I mean money. I got my first paycheck!! $229!! I was so excited. I have so much money now, it's crazy. I have money from work, money from graduation, and money from cat-sitting for Mrs. Demko. Hehe...But now I do have like 40 million checks to cash/deposit. I like working with the kids, but 21 5-year olds for 7 hours a day takes its toll. I come home every day and take a nap. I'm not getting much rest this weekend either. Saturday is Fishmonger's partay, and Sunday I'm teaching Sunday School. In retrospect, it was probably not a good idea to continue teaching sunday school while I'm doing camp. I'm starting to just get five-year old overload. The other day my mom was watching Nanny 911, and I had to change the channel. It was just too much to watch screaming little children on TV after having dealt with them all day. But they are cute. A few of them have gotten really attached to me and they hang all over me. They're crazy. They seem, though, not to understand the rules very well. They always want me to carry them or to sit on my lap. And they can't. They take offense to that too. Somehow, though, they get over it. There are a few of them that just walk right over me. They know exactly how to get me to do whatever they want. It's terrible. But nevertheless, those are my favorite kids.

I never used to believe when people said how fast time goes, but it really does. I mean damn, we're going to college this year. Scary. Soon we'll be married and have kids and jobs and white picket fences. And mortgages. Gah, I'm done venting for this entry. Over and out.

Never look back.