7/?

I can't wait to share the joy of Shaolin Soccer with everyone I know that wasn't forced by Mart or me to watch the original on VCD. It's so much funnier than the previews make it out to be. It's very stupid, but in a much funnier way than Kung Pow which was just ... stupid and not funny. Oh well, English dubbing tends to make any movie funny so even if you don't find Shaolin Soccer funny, you might still have a good time.

I am so, so tired.

So out of it I let the older Diva buy regular (not decaf) chocolate frappucinos to take to her CHURCH SLEEPOVER. well I know it's not a bottle of vodka but what in hell was I thinking? I'm sure that's what Katie was muttering as she wrote me a check and sent me home.

Today was ... tiring.

7/19

Went a-shopping with Connie, her mom, her unsmiling cousin and her sister. Lots of things went wrong. The in-town part went okay but then we tried to get to Waipahu in two separate cars and then it got fun. Actually Connie and I ended up at the bridal shop with no problems whatsoever, due to a massive mistake on the freeway. Go figure. Unsmiling C, the sis and mom, however, arrived maybe an hour and a half later, after Connie and I discovered that the in-stock size of the bridesmaid dress fit me perfectly and we would need no alteration for me, and after she found a beautiful, lovely, wonderful gown that she tried on at the spur of the moment. I actually thought that was going to be my contribution of the day. I pulled it off the rack and suggested she try it on as a time-killer, plus I was feeling silly standing around all dressed up, so she tried it on and voila, she loved it. Unfortunately when the rest of the crew arrived they were all unsmiling and they yelled at Connie a lot, mostly about getting lost but some about the dress. There was her mother, not wanting to be there in the first place, who got lost AND she hated the dress. Actually, all three of them hated the gown but I didn't feel in the best position to defend Connie because I was the only non-relative present. At one point, during a snack break outside, everyone started screaming at each other. Her mother started screaming at her sister, her sister was screaming at her, her cousin was just sort of screaming. I felt useless. All of them barged back into the store with their sandwiches and sodas in hand despite the LARGE no food or drinks sign on the door. Eventually the confusion (about alterations) was cleared up, but everyone left pissed off. I tried to say nice, helpful maid-of-honor things like no matter what you wear on your wedding day, you will be happy, and so you will be beautiful. (I wasn't just saying that.) And that her mom would be happy for her no matter what she wore. (That, I was just saying. Her mom wanted to vomit on the dress of her dreams.) I really wanted to say that if it were my budget and my dress, I would listen to others but decide from my heart (and budget) because personally if I want a colorful wedding gown (which I do) I am going to wear a colorful wedding gown. I am going to pay for it, I am going to wear it, and I am not going to give a flying french fry who disapproves of red accents on the big white dress.

(I'm sure I'll need to be reminded of this later when my own little party is making me cry in a little bridal fitting room.) Anyway I thought it was wrong, somehow to say those things because she seemed so intent on getting a gown that would please her mother.

After people left grumbling about "too many cooks" and wanting to go play tennis and not wanting to be there in the first place, I felt horrible for Connie. I'm pretty sure I was the only one who had fun today. But she seemed less frazzled now that her relatives were gone. We sat on her car and ate lunch. She declared, "I hate wedding gowns." We left Waipahu.

That was our dressy adventure, and much to everyone's chagrin we will have to go out to Waipahu again in December (personally I don't see the big deal but then I didn't get miserably lost.) The Unsmiling C should be the happiest one, she gets to walk with Benny's cutest friend. Cheer up, sheesh.