In an email exchange with blogtastic friend Casey, he sums up perfectly my feelings (and pretty much everyone's, I'm sure) about the Sunset closing:

"Duuude, totally bummed about Sunset Bowl closing, too. I saw on the news a month or two ago that they were going to shut it down, been in a state of mourning ever since. And I rarely ever go bowling. I just liked the idea that IF I wanted to go, Sunset was always there. Ah, going to Sunset Bowl was like returning to the arms of an old lover...who worked graveyard, slept 4 hours a night, PMSed at least twice a month, and smoked 3 packs a day for 30 years. Sure, she wasn't pretty, she smelled, and could be a little cranky if you caught her on a busy night, but damn it, she was ours. *sigh*. "

I responded with:

Yeah, Sunset was THE BEST. I really loved it there, even though I always had problems. Where else am I going to go for a "pull tab casino"? Or a pink drink they questionably called a "cosmopolitan"? I'm gonna miss fighting with the snarky peeps at the counter. So much entertainment all gone. No other bowling alley is the same. Boo.

And, finally, Casey says:

"You know, though, i will say that no bowling alley has ever been the same since the no-smoking law passed. i don't smoke, so 99% of the time I love the no-smoking law, but there are a few places on this planet that just NEED cigarette smoke, like it adds to the charm somehow, and I'd say sunset bowl was one of those places...yes, there ought to me some sort of wake, only instead of cigars and whiskey and Irish tunes there should be only watery electric pink cocktails and a fog of menthols, with the melodic thud of Brunswick pins and ka-chunk of pull tabs in the background. ah me, I'm getting all choked up over here...or maybe that's just the smoke."

I love it! You know someone is a good friend when they commiserate on the loss of a bowling alley with you. :-) It's great when people just get it.

Also, I'm a fan of Casey right now for this line: "If you ever get the chance...you'll probably want to avoid it like the plague." I feel like saying it to everyone, although he said it in reference to the cool strangeness that is Gold Point, Nevada. He visited there recently and really liked. I haven't been, but I like eerie. I like weird. I'm adding it to the list!

I think I'm getting a cold. I've been in close contact lately with peeps who have colds, and now I have the congested, scratchy throat, tired feeling that only happens at the start of a cold. Hmph!

But, in spite of my somewhat sickly state, I have fun things to report.

Now that my beloved Sunset Bowling Alley is closed (boo. Am very sad), I've discovered a new one in Shoreline called Spin Alley. Spin Alley is hilarious to me, because not only is it a bowling alley, it's also a post office. I don't understand the thought process behind the bowling alley/post office combo, but my next bowling partay is going to have a mail theme. The good news is that they seem better organized and like I may be able to plan an actual party with a reservation there. That was not Sunset's strong point. Every time, I ended up at the counter arguing with them about how they effed up my rezzie (or attempted rezzie), while all twelve party people ended up crammed into one lane. Good times.

Friend Jen has decided that Megalomania has a whole new meaning: I heart Meg = Megalomania. I enjoy the sentiment, but the fact is that she thought of it while heading to the bathroom at work. In her message to me she said it "just came to her" as she was on her way to take a whiz. Hmmmm. Thanks.

I have to say that I've been loving the lovely girls in my life even more than usual lately. Maybe because they all make me laugh so much. They are the best!

My mom and sisters are pretty funny, too. Mols now refers to my rental car as the "Hoopty" and it's caught on. After a dinner out the other night, Em gave me a ride to my fabulous car. She'd never seen it, so I had to shout out, "There it is! There's the Hoopty!" so she could come to a screeching halt in front of it. Em laughed and laughed. In the response to my news about driving around the C300, friend Shannon emails, "My brain can't even create that mental picture..." Really. I'm counting down the days until I can ditch the Hoopty.

Hilariously Awkward Conversation with Mother

I finally caught up with my mom by phone after a couple of weeks of not connecting. In response to her questioning about a recent and unexpected romantic night out with boy (this is what happens when you and your mom become more like "friends"), I finally admitted that, in our time together, boy and I kept things pretty innocent and did not get "serious" (my mom's wording, but you know what I mean).

Mom: "I see. Who made that decision?"

Crap! Instant major dilemma in head. How do I explain this one? The answer feels complicated somehow. Primarily, I don't want to admit that boy behaved more responsibly than me. I rambled on for a while about how it was a mutual decision. We discussed. Boy was perfect gentleman, no pressure, and blahbitty blah.

Mom sits there in silence. Waiting. She sees through me. I crack.

Me: "Fine! It was the right choice, but it was really tough for me, OK?!?!"

Mom (laughing): "Uh huh. I'm sure you're right that it was a good decision. I must say that I'm sorry to hear that YOU weren't the one putting a stop to things, though."

Hmph. Really. There must be limits on the things you discuss with your mother. I'm not going there again.

Hall & Oates IM Convo With Em

Em: So, I usually have a stack of CDs on my desk at work, and I guess this guy has been taking them and ripping them when I'm not here. So, to thank me he brought over a bunch of CDs of his for me to rip. And there were six Hall and Oates CDS. I was like, um...thanks.

Me: Hall and Oates - wtf???

Em: I know! I asked, did you get these from the library? He said, "No, I own them."

Me: You even gave him an out with the library question.

Em: I know! I mean, I can get into a little Maneater every now and then...but I'm not going to buy all their albums.

Me: This story is killing me.

Me: Oh-oh here she comes. Watch out boy she'll chew you up! (We then proceeded to randomly IM each other with lines from Hall and Oates songs for the rest of the day.)

Em: LOL! Have been giggling about it for days. I should have been like, do you have any Kajagoogoo?

Me: Seriously. Thanks for the Hall and Oates!

Em: I mean, I have CDs I wouldn't really want to bring in to work and advertise that I own them.

Me: Journey, anyone?

Em: But not H&O's whole catalog.

Me: Even one is questionable.

Em: Exactly. "Hey, I brought Wham in!!!"
...

Are you entertained?

In the world of Megan...

I am finally getting over being sick, after a long week of feeling like crap and a couple more sick days from work. My voice continues to be pretty iffy (still waiting for the sexy scratchy voice part of getting well. Any day now, please.), and I have an annoying night cough, but I feel ten times better. I realize just how much better now that I'm going completely stir crazy from being at home so much. I am suddenly Ms. Social, harassing everyone to hang out with me and go out into the world to do stuff. This evening, my lovely friend, Jen, and I went to see Atonement (beautiful, intense movie) at the Seven Gables and had a wonderful dinner at Bilbao Tapas Bar, talking up a storm. So fun!

To entertain myself while taking it easy, I've spent a lot of time reading, alternating between the romance novels Em brought me and Karen Armstrong's A History of God. While the romance novels are, of course, deliciously steamy fluff, I'm really enjoying and taking a lot from A History of God. I haven't gotten very far yet, but already it's just so interesting in so many ways. This may sound incredibly lame, but I've never really thought about obvious details like who wrote the Old Testament and why, or how the concept of God has changed over time and why. It's fun to think about new things. Sometimes it's overwhelming to realize just how much I don't know, and I like that I'm learning, learning, learning. Learning has been the major theme of 2007, I've decided.

On an unrelated note, does anyone else question People magazine choosing Matt Damon as the sexiest man alive? Really? I mean, sure he's cute in an overgrown frat boy kind of way, but...Really???

Molly and Trav will be arriving for an impromptu visit this Monday. I'm excited to have them here and can't wait to pick them up at the airport in just two days! Yay! You know what this means...Bowling Par-tay! My friends, this is your warning that you will be seeing an email invite soon, demanding your presence at this very important event. I will not take no as an answer. And, yes, this time I will make sure to call ahead to confirm that it isn't league night. I may even reserve lanes. No dud party!

Finally, there are a couple of people I love very much who are going through extremely difficult life issues and painful changes right now. While, sadly, I know there isn't much I can do to ease the pain or worry, I'm thinking about you and sending you good thoughts every day.