Glass Half...

On the down side:

1. Last night I threw an engagement party for a fellow graduate student. Four people came. Even though I expected no more than eight people, I had enough food for at least fifteen, and consequently, will be eating cocktail fare for all my meals until September.

2. For this engagement party, among the dishes I presented were hot artichoke dip with Parmesan cheese, mushrooms stuffed with spinach, bacon, onion, cream cheese and feta cheese, and an assortment of cheese. Turns out that the bride-to-be hates cheese. [sidebar: WHO HATES CHEESE? Or maybe I just have a cheese addiction problem. In fact, yes. My thighs will confirm.]

3. Even worse: I knew that the bride-to-be hated cheese. I had her over for dinner during the winter term (along with a girl who didn't eat meat or shellfish...so that was a fun meal to dream up on a grad student budget...), and I had specifically eliminated cheese from the menu on that night. I just had a total brain fart when it came to preparing you know, her ENGAGEMENT party.

4. I did laundry two days after I came home from New Orleans (June 15). I still have not put it away.

5. Instead of putting it away, I am sitting in the den watching an episode of Top Chef on Bravo which I have probably seen ONE THOUSAND TIMES.

6. You know those ads for the SPCA that feature Sarah McLachlan with lots of sad-eyed puppies, and have "Angel" playing in the background? Yea. One of those just came on. And I cried.

6.5 Whenever I type the name "McLachlan" (which is, admittedly, not that often), I have to google it. That's not really here or there but I am SURE I'm not alone here...right?

7. The ONE TIME I do not back-up immediately (i.e. today), my computer eats my photos. I'm currently scanning my computer (I'm on Preston's at the moment) with recovery software, but I'm not holding out too much hope. I lost photos from the beginning of June, including a Phillies game with Preston and Penelope, a bajillion photos of Ness, a few summertime dinners, and, most disappointingly, about 250 photos from New Orleans.

8. Bryn Mawr forgot to mail my stipend check for the summer, which means I haven't had a steady income since April [insert many, many panicked tears].

9. Today, Preston told me that he hates the caps lock key. I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM.

On the bright side:

1. My little brother Jeffrey and his I love her like a sister girlfriend Rachel are coming to visit in two days! So excited!

2. I'm in the den with two very snuggly puppies (and a very snuggly husband). They make everything better.

3. When I was baby-sitting today, the kids introduced me to a FANTASTIC park that's just fifteen minutes away--there's a great stream, tons of shade, trails galore, big rocks that just invite summertime picnics, AND it's dog friendly. Basically, it's 93 acres of woods, which is the perfect antidote to the traffic-heavy Main Line.

4. I do not have Kate Gosselin's hair.

5. I am not related to Kevin Federline.

6. I generally buy only white flowers (because I put them on the bright red shelf by our front door, and white is really the only color that goes with HOLD YOUR PANTS ON FIRETRUCK RED), but for the party, I splurged on flowers for the dining room table. I chose those roses that are whiteish pink with bright pink tips-my quintessential guilty pleasure flower. Every time I look at them, they make me feel totally girly and sixteen and first date giggly. Also really happy.

7. I do not have ANY papers due for at least three months. I will savor that fact for every possible second.