so another themed week ("reunions") draws to a close. we all drove out to kailua to see the Cousins we see maybe once, twice or at best three times a year. michelle's heading off to law school in stockton, where she'll move in with the fiance we all adore. (and we finally got to see the ring, the beautiful, lovely heart-shaped solitaire. one-and-a-half, i think. he proposed at disneyland, on the mark twain boat ... and i could vividly imagine her crying "oh, don't drop it in the water!" as his hands shook nervously. cute!) peggy is returning to pullman, WA to be with her sweetie and begin veterinary studies. they are so funny. (i'll always remember the night they came over for dinner a couple of summers ago. i hadn't smiled in about a week, but they came over and i laughed all night. it's one of those memories that probably never crossed anyone else's mind again, but that i'll always treasure.)

monday -- i met fellow ex-editor (Sweatshop) for lunch downtown. he's now the computer guy for a law firm; seems happy and busy. we talked till the place was empty (guess Computer Guys get long lunch breaks.) he keeps in touch with a few ex-Sweatshoppers.

tuesday afternoon -- met Vampire Z @ borders for an iced chai and a little conversation. i hadn't seen him since last november, not talked to him in many months. we caught up as well as we could in an hour and a half. kevin and al kindly remembered to be sort of on time picking me up for minky's house -- an urgent request i had made far in advance. hmm: Vampire Z says i have a soothing effect on him, which i find somewhat amusing because the reason we speak so infrequently is, well, he really agitates me, and i agitate him back. in a subconscious-on-purpose sort of way. but maybe ... maybe i'm a better listener than i thought.

that night Ye Olde Writers Group regathered at minky's apartment in mililani. we hadn't convened in over a month. as usual there was very little actual writing ... the boys were happy to play Dead or Alive and the girls talked about grad school. the cat fell in love with kevin's foot and then it was time to leave.

wednesday -- i called meg to invite her to Ye Olde WG's next meeting, tentatively scheduled for the following wednesday. so we talked for the first time in many months (many more months than Vampire Z, in fact). we both have large, inquisitive rabbits, and we're both returning to school sometime in the near future. lots of things have changed, but others haven't.

thursday -- went for an a.m. run with the demon, and fell into his closet (don't ask, okay?) in the most interesting way. i must be very bouncy. i have bruises everywhere! in the evening i babysat for the diva-ettes, these wonderfully theatrical girls who live just a stone's throw from my house. in addition, katie has referred me to a couple of families who need ... a nanny. i know it's not written anywhere that nannies must be old ladies, but i'm only 24! in addition to not wanting a job synonymous with "professional grandma," i don't know about living with another family -- which is not, by the way, fragmented in any way. they are just hardworking professional couples who can afford to feed and house (and pay) someone to care for their children full-time. it's an interesting thought. anyway, the diva-ettes were entertaining as always (they will end up on stage somewhere, i can guarantee it). surprisingly, the older one was a handful. she turned herself into britney spears and put dime after dime in the jukebox, baby. the little one fed me generic ibuprofen tablets for my headache.

saturday -- sat was the kailua reunion, of course. also in the afternoon i met meg at borders. i keep on ordering chais at borders -- seems so much less decadent than ordering what i actually want, which is a strawberry french soda. don't get me wrong -- i'm not into self-deprivation. this same day i bought a $120 pair of jeans (but at a fat discount, so) just because. anyway meg knitted as she talked, and i listened, wishing i'd brought something to do with my hands, too. it wasn't bad, as far as first encounters go. looking forward to introducing the rabbits.

sunday -- yama called. meeting this week to pick up CD of pics taken in january.

monday -- saw "road to perdition" with michelle, peggy and brother mart. though it was our second choice (first was "reign of fire") we all really enjoyed it. i've had a mild mental obsession with tom hanks (mental vs. actually running out to rent all his movies, though i did go out of my way to watch "big" and "sleepless in seattle") since the AFI lifetime achievement special on USA. if not for that, i might have insisted on tiptoeing into "reign of fire" 20 minutes late. but "perdition" was great. the essential question ("was he a good man?") was not all that hard to figure out, but i guess everyone has their own definition of goodness. after the movie we shopped -- i kept the $120 jeans in my head and didn't buy a dress and/or matching cardigan from cinnamon girl, didn't buy jacket from nordstrom rack, didn't even buy $19.99 pair of sample sale leftovers from shoe place at ward warehouse. we went to eat at spaghetti factory. mm, spumoni. dropped by merle norman to say hi to chari on the way. she is newly, and happily, single. yay! she brought me up-to-date on here-and-there news: naja's engaged (knew that); paulie is engaged, too!! (did NOT know that!!)

bringing me to today, which i spent getting a TB test so i can get my ass back in school, and accompanying my mom on various other errands. mom just told me the neighbor's grandpa has a brain tumor. she thinks it's because of his radio headset!! ah. okie doke, time to go help with dinner ...