"you're... here?"

New York has been wonderful and very eventful! Tomorrow is the last day of the most eventful trip ever so I really ought to update!

We got to my aunt and uncle's house on Tuesday (after flying in late on Monday night). They're the head of the family, so to speak, and of course we were going to have a big family dinner with all my cousins and their kids. We were hanging out on their patio and my cousin-in-law, Wendy (whom I adore), called me inside. I'm bounding up the deck stairs to the house and out steps Jimmy. IN NEW YORK. AT MY FAMILY'S HOUSE. And he gets down on one knee right there in front of all the people I love and proposes!!!!!!! (Of course you know what I said! :) So, he stayed until very early this morning and got to meet all the family (which takes some considerable time) and it's been just wonderful and very, very surreal. Esp when he gets introduced as "Lauren's fiance". I also had the most wonderful 21st bday party ever thrown by my cousins Dave and Wendy complete with Dave's band playing live music. What a trip! I am a lucky girl! I hope everyone else has been having a wonderful couple of weeks!! I can't wait to see you Oles back on campus!

live and legal!

There is nothing quite so exciting as ordering a drink on your 21st birthday... or 5 drinks. :) (Haha, don't get shocked -- they were spread out and I was definitely not to the point of anything past giggly! The best was a Sex on the Beach.) We went out to dinner with family and a few friends at Punch Neopolitan Pizza in EP which was wonderful. My aunt and uncle came down from Maple Grove and Elizabeth, Amanda, Jennifer, and Jimmy also came from various corners of the cities. Then we wandered over to Old Chicago and sat on the terrace for a few hours. It was like a birthday open house -- people kept dropping in and out. I hadn't seen many of them in a while, so that was quite exciting!

Other interesting things happening lately:
*found a baking soda remedy to the green hair
*the power went out at the pool yesterday and everyone was screaming when it went dark from the awful storm that slammed Chaska
*Wendy and I played frisbee with two 15 year olds in Excelsior
*Res Life has not sent out any rosters for door dec info and I'm leaving in less than a week!
*Peter is definitely going to be at school all of next year, yay!
*My family was invited up to Askov to meet the farm, Jimmy's foster brother and his family, and generally hang out for a day. It went really, really well!
*I'm trying to tie up loose ends in the next few days like doing all my shopping and packing for school. Next Monday is NY and then the morning after we get back, I move in! Wow!
*TWO MORE DAYS OF WORK!!! 'Nuff said, that's damn exciting!
*Can't wait to see everyone back at school!!!!

signs you spend too much time at a pool

1. You teach two sessions of swimming lessons a day and still have time to pull a full 6 hours of guarding.
2. You look forward to the days with 200+ kids because "the time passes faster."
3. When you leave the pool deck, there's a ringing in your ears from hours of screaming children.
4. You eat the majority of your meals at work.
5. You wear a swimsuit more often than not.
6. It will take about 4 showers to scrub the smell of pool off you.
7. Even the construction workers say "you're here AGAIN!?"
8. You don't have enough time at home to wash your guarding shirt.
9. You forget you're wearing a whistle and walk around in public.
10. While showering in the locker room, you notice that your hair is green like a mermaid's! (actually happened this morning!!!!!!!!!)

While it's fun to keep busy and I love teaching those kids, I'm very much looking forward to the 12th, my last day at the pool!