'Debbie Downer' Strikes Again
So I have to post it, while its still fresh enough in my mind.

The last time I was angry enough at a friend to blog about it, was the post 4 months ago Of Friends And Foes, describing how miserable I was after hanging out with my friend Leslie for the first time in a year and a half (and retrospecting on further distant incidents). Well, it isn't news, but yes, she's still depressed and her life still has some overwhelmingly negative qualities, at least in the self-esteem department.

She got a job, funny enough. She became a full-time nanny. She got a car, (from her parents, I believe.) And she and her boyfriend moved in together, into a rented double-wide, on its own plot of land, for a lump sum of $3300/month. No, thats not a typo.

During this period, I'll say 2 months ago, we hung out again. She was baby-sitting her siblings (here in Roanoke) for a week or two while their parents were on a cruise in Greece. Over the course of a couple days, we did a couple lunches, and just general hanging-out type things. She didn't abuse my hospitality, and least I didn't think so.

But then a week and a half ago, it all went back to "normal". I was making plans for my good friend Ben to visit. Best friend of mine, in the whole world, and he hadn't seen me in 9 months (I turned 21 six months ago, just so you understand). So I was very excited about all this. And I get a call from Leslie. Guess what? Not only did she break up with her apparently verbally-abusive boyfriend, she also quit her job as a nanny, moved in with her parents up here in Roanoke (yes, if you've read my previous blogs, or you know her, this should shock you - they think she is the scum of the earth), and she left her car in Evington at her now-ex's place because she got out of there in a hurry and hasn't been "brave enough" to fetch it yet.

Yes, I know, WTF. I have another female friend, who I shan't name, that Leslie reminds me of. If the people you keep dating turn out to be psycho, (or if a person you are friends-with-benefits with keeps dating psychos), then there is something wrong with you! Yes, that means you are a psycho!

Okay, so putting all this aside, why am I so angry? Read on.

Because Leslie has a job up here now. At Ruby Tuesday's on Electric Road. Due to its proximity, Ryan and I (used to) eat there fairly regularly. And Ben's coming into town. So to be nice to Leslie, and to spice things up, I thought we would have dinner there during one of Leslie's shifts so we could say hi.

She eventually notices us, because she was busy. She passes by a few times and makes mini-conversation, and I feel satisfied that we have succeeded in brightening her day. And then, when we are in the middle of our food, she walks up and sits down with us. Without asking. Using her jacket to cover her uniform. Holding her purse. Apparently, she got off early. (Boy, do I now feel stupid for thinking that coming 3 hours before her scheduled off-time was a good idea.) Okay, so what, a friend joins us for dinner, right?

Well then, in one breath, she declares herself hungry, but without money. (See where this is going?) So I offer to buy her dinner, during which she declares she doesn't want to go home yet. (Its 9:30, her apparent curfew is 11:30, and she doesn't have transportation.) But she can't drink, because she's living with her parents and has to keep her "act together". But me and Ben were going to go drinking.

Like, we were literally planning for Ryan to drop the two of us at a bar, and then to catch a cab home later. But now, we've got a straggler. When we were in the car, trying to decide what to do, (should I get cash from an ATM to pay for two seperate cab cars?) (Ryan wants to go home, but Leslie needs a ride...) (I don't think Ben wants to hang out with Leslie tonight either...) And so we are trying to vocalize our predicament as politely as possible, at least I am, since I am the unknowing orchestrator of the mess. Ryan's trying to drive, but doesn't know where we are going. Ben can't comment, because like me, he was probably holding back negativity. So I ask Leslie, "Okay, where are we going? Home? Bar? What?" And she stares at me. She didn't say anything. She could not commit to either willingly hanging out with us, or willingly going home.

In fact, her next conversation with the group was *after* we got to a bar, (go B-dubs!), and *after* she got off the phone with her dad, (because it was 10PM, and she "had better" be home by 11:30PM).

And of course, she ordered a couple virgin drinks that she also, could not pay for. Never mind that the only reason my beloved boyfriend is there, (because yes, he stayed), was because he didn't know if we could handle getting Leslie home. (Ryan hates bars. He hates smoke, and he hates watching people get drunk.)

So eventually Ryan takes Leslie home, whilst Ben and I stay, get drunk, have girl talk, and be glad that Leslie is gone. And we eventually took a cab home, and enjoyed the rest of our 36-hour period of "hanging out" together. (IHOP, movies, nothing but awesomeness...)

Ryan later referred to Leslie as "Debbie Downer". (I know, alliteration is cute, isn't it?) Debbie Downer is miserable. She makes no major effort for self-improvement, but insists on overtly dwelling on her problems to the point that it kills any and all buzz that anyone around her might have.

She has a deleterious effect on the very fabric of happiness within your soul.

And she's a mooch. And I don't know what I'll do the next time she wants to "do something", because I have a hard time bringing myself to be mean to people I feel sorry for... I guess I just need to stop feeling sorry.
Sunday, December 16, 2007 2:57:00 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)      Comments [1]  personal | drinking

I've Turned 21
Yup, the rumors are true, Bruce is 1 year older. Its been a weird, strewn out celebration. My birthday was on Saturday, but my celebration with various friends and family started on Thursday, and isn't over yet.

My mother took me and my sister Megan out to lunch (Golden Corral, my choice), on Thursday before I had to go to work. On Friday, my dad and stepmom took me and my youngest two siblings and Ryan out to lunch to Olive Garden (also my choice). Both were all good and well, but I wasn't 21 yet, so I couldn't have a drink!

On Friday night, I convinced Ryan to take me down to Buffalo Wild Wings real quick at midnight, and we stayed for about an hour. My first alcoholic drink I ever ordered was a Top-Shelf Long Island Iced Tea. I followed that up with a Frozen Mai-Tai (OMGosh, it was so delicious even Ryan liked it). My final drink there was a Bloody Mary - saltier and spicier than I expected, and a little thick to choke down - but I finished it! (But the celery that came with it was quite a bit more delicious.)

On Saturday morning, the morning of my birthday, Ryan's friends came over for our weekly D&D session. (Which we hadn't had in 3 weeks, so we weren't going to put it off just because it was my birthday.) My coworker and friend Crystal (C Monkey!) took me out that night...

First we went to CI (Community Inn), to meet a couple lady friends of hers. I had a Parrot Bay bitch beer, which was yellow colored and Pina Colada flavored. Then, when it was time to go, (about an hour later), I downed a shot of Goldschlager. (Mmmm, pepper minty.) And then we went to the Hilltop on Shenandoah, which was full of old semi-rednecks doing karaoke - we were meeting a couple more friends of Crystal there, including another birthday boy, Mike. (I had a Smirnoff Black Cherry while we were there.) They couldn't come yet, as they were just arriving at CI when we got to the Hilltop, so we went back to CI after about 45 minutes.

With Crystal and I added to the people that were already there, there were like 7 people at the table. Keeping in mind, that the only person I knew previously was Crystal. But we had a blast, just hanging out, and I had another Parrot Bay followed by Red Bull. Well, we needed some excitement, and we still had a couple more of Crystals friends to meet up with, so we went to The Park, while Mike and his friends went to run a late-night errand before they would drop Mike off to meet us.

Crystal and I headed to The Park, and met up with a couple more people. We got there between about 11:30 and 12:00. The guy taking cover charges at the entrance, and checking IDs, noticed it was my birthday, and I got in for FREE! Oh yea! We went in, we played pool with Marcello and Steph for a while. I had a few Smirnoff Ice's. But shortly after Mike managed to show up, we had to go so that Crystal could take him home.

Apparently Mike had something on him, that he shouldn't have, that the security guard took off of him when he tried to get into The Park. He was quite bummed, (but not as much as he could be, but he was a little drunk). I felt bad for him, but at the same time, I was very grateful that I got to do so much the night of my birthday. Thank you Crystal! You are teh shizzle!

My mom still wants to take me out, (with my sister Megan as the designated driver). And I still need to go out at some point with Ben, (who is going through, once again, some life changes.) But thats all good - because I work tonight, and then I have another 3 days off. Hurray!

And I can't wait to sit in the bar tonight, when I eat dinner at Macados. Hurrah!
Monday, June 25, 2007 12:33:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)      Comments [1]  birthday | drinking