Wednesday, December 31, 2003

I woke up at a relatively decent hour today. Then I took Isaac for a walk. I think he was very happy for it at first. He trotted around happy as hell to expend some energy. He barked merrily at a passing Amish buggy, and relieved himself in various other dogs’ yards along the way while the poor buggers barked and whined, miserable at having to watch. But eventually I had to pull him out of somebody’s yard because he was digging it up. That made him angry, and he kept shooting me dirty looks for the rest of the walk back.

Tonight, I have sort of vaguely formed New Years plans. I feel almost guilty about them since I think my family wants me to stay home with them. I think in a way, I’d like to, too.

Mom: Sarah, you’re bad to your mother.
Me: Oh? What’d I do?
Mom: Running around on New Years Eve, instead of celebrating with your loving family.
Me: heh, loving family.
Mom: No one will have any fun without you. The only fun of New Years is beating you at Trivial Pursuit.
Me: Nobody beats me at Trivial Pursuit!
Mom: Yeah, but it’s the challenge.
Dad: Jeanette, you forgot the part about disappointing her poor sick mother.
Mom: Damn! That was a good point too.

But I’m 21, and ought to be doing things with my friends, I think. Though I’d probably get drunker staying at home. I don’t really know what we’re doing, except that Angela and I are meeting at five to get Mike. I’m sure that, whatever it is we’re doing, it’ll look like we’re having much more fun in the pictures we take, than the fun that we actually have. Which, consequently, isn’t a statement on how much fun we have; it’s a statement about how cool our pictures are.

My walk with Izzy was almost surreal at points. When we passed the Amish buggy, a young woman pressed her face against the window with no little curiosity, and smiled broadly at me and waved. I felt, for a moment, like a tourist attraction. I’m sure it’s something they feel a lot. But I suppose I wouldn’t mind being a tourist attraction if it was a bit like living in a zoo, and despite the signs dictating otherwise, visitors fed the animal.