How do adults make friends?

I'm trying really, really hard, but at the end of the day, I'm all alone.

Moving to a new city is very challenging.  I don't have any friends.  I have been through more emotional highs and lows than one would experience on a roller coaster.

Last week was great!  I was very busy.  I had rowing in the mornings, an ice cream date with coworkers, trivia night, and an online dating date. 

I was thrilled for the long weekend and the prospect of sleeping in and relaxing.  Saturday morning I rowed, took Wilbur for a long walk and then treated myself to a Groupon pedicure.  Immediately after my pedicure I went to buy myself speakers for my apartment.  Unfortunately, I walked into Old Navy first.  There were tons of sales going on (and a very attractive employee encouraging me to try on more items) and I got a little carried away.  Needless to say, I am still using my computer speakers to listen to music, but I am rockin' a great new top right now.

After my little shopping spree I headed to Capitol Square to work at Taste of Madison.  I was volunteering with the Jaycees at one of the beer tents.  I had researched the group at my mother's recommendation and signed up for the first activity I could.  I showed up to the beer tent in an awesome new pair of pants ready to serve some beer, enjoy the vocal stylings of Mr. Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn, and meet some new friends. 

Four hours later I had a minor crush on a repeat beer buyer with a perfect smile, and plans for an evening out with the Jaycees.  We traveled in a pack to a nearby brew pub for cheese curds and beer before going to the one and only nightclub in town, if you could even call it that.  I walked home a little after midnight to find Wilbur sleeping on my bed.  His plan for me to come home too late and too inebriated to notice was a failure, and he was immediately scolded and sent to his own bed.

The next morning I pried the pup out of his bed and for a walk so I could report to half marathon training before 9 am.  I ran my prescribed 4 miles and hung around for a while after the run in hopes of sparking an amazing friendship with one of my fellow trainees.  I was home before 11 am without any new BFFs. 

Wilbur and I took another walk, sans headphones and sunglasses, with the intention of locking eyes with anyone awesome and starting a great conversation, and naturally, a lifelong friendship.

We were home within an hour.

I vacuumed my apartment, cleaned my bathroom and kitchen, listened to music from my telephone horn and eventually got ready for the Day Before Labor Day Barbecue I was invited to.

An iPhone horn.  It only costs about $5 and it is really awesome.  If you can't control your spending at Old Navy and therefore don't buy yourself real speakers, I highly recommend this.  It's also really great for using in the bathroom when you take a shower. 

With the top down and my passenger seat empty I sang my heart out all the way to the middle of nowhere for the barbecue.  I brought my standard brownies and impressed the crowd with my Wisconsin beer.  Beer chicken, buffalo dip, tomato mozzarella salad, and many conversations later, I drove home.

Monday morning I was ecstatic to wake up, see the clock read 6:04 am and turn over.  After 10 am I jumped out of bed with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.  With nothing on the agenda and an amazing night of sleep under my belt, the day was destined for greatness.  Wilbur and I walked the long way to the dog park.  No amazing connections were made on the way there, but the small pack of humans at the park looked promising. 

While awkwardly standing and watching our dogs sniff each other's butts, we humans laughed and made small talk.  My phone buzzed in my pocket.  A text message.

Heather sent a mass text that her surgery was scheduled. 

I hadn't finished reading when the only person that regularly calls me started flashing across my screen.

"Hi, Mom."

I clipped the leash to Wilbur and we left the park. 

After my mom accompanied me on my walk home and asked me more questions about Heather's surgery than I could answer, I was back in my air conditioned apartment and all alone again. 

I spoke to Heather just last week and she told me surgery was the next step, but having a date scheduled made it real.  My heart hurt.  My heart hurt for Heather.  I wanted a distraction from my racing head and hurting heart, but I didn't have one.  My day was open, and I was all alone in Madison.  I am always alone in Madison.

So this is where I ask for audience participation!  How is an adult to make friends in a new city?  I have been trying all sorts of things and I still haven't found that person or those people, so any advice will be welcomed with open arms.  How am I to make friends?

Turn that frown upside down!

Monday was a rough day.

It was my first staff meeting at work, and oh my goodness was it overwhelming.  Over 6,000 employees in one auditorium for over 2 hours?  Yikes.

After that, we had an all trainers meeting followed by a team meeting.  Let's just say, there were a lot of meetings today.  And as an employee still fully engrossed in training, and desperately trying to learn the lingo of the land, I had to think really hard... all day long.

I know that sounds silly, but it is so true.

This company runs on acronyms, and I don't know any of them.  I am trying to learn the names of each application, and I haven't even attempted to learn what each app does!  I don't know computer stuff.  I don't get Star Wars jokes.  Basically, I don't speak dork yet.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not judging dork at all!  Dork is what created a job for me!  But, I don't understand what is being said!  Therefore, in my 5 hours of meetings yesterday, I had to listen really hard.  I had to think about what the acronym might be referring to.  Or, what the Yoda reference may have meant.  Then I would quickly think about how I need to buy Star Wars to watch, before I was struggling to keep up with which app was being discussed.

Needless to say, I left work with a pounding headache.  I thought too much.  I looked at too many screens.  I didn't drink enough water.  I was beginning to stress about upcoming deadlines.

I drove home, popped some ibuprofen, took Wilbur out for a walk, and decided to turn my day around.  The day hadn't been all bad, but my headache was taking over, and I needed to end on a good note.

I called the cable company and I spoke to the nicest man named Paul.  Paul helped me to pick the right cable package for me.  He made sure it includes ABC, Food Network, CMT and TLC.  Then he scheduled for the technician to come out Wednesday evening between 5 and 7pm.  Perfect!

While I was on the cable high, I went to the mattress store.  I know I need to get off my air mattress, but I have been working late, and I hate leaving Wilbur alone longer than he needs to be.  But on Saturday even my horoscope told me to buy a new mattress, so I knew it was time.

I went into Mattress Firm where Gabe helped me to pick the perfect mattress.  I awkwardly jumped around on the beds, feeling a bit like Goldilocks.  As I went down the row I would barely let my head hit the pillow before saying, "oh no, toooooo soft" and moving onto the next.  Gabe occasionally came back to check on me, but he left me to my bouncing, shifting, sitting, side sleeping and back sleeping.

After a good thirty minutes of bed testing, I picked my favorite, and the sales game began.  Gabe tried to sell me a nicer frame, I denied him.  Gabe tried to sell me a special mattress pad, and I denied him again.  Gabe told me the mattress pad normally sells for $119, but he would give it to me for $69.  I said no thank you.  He asked me why I didn't why to buy his super special mattress pad, and I told him I already had one.  Of course, that was a lie.  I was just planning to go to Target to buy one for less than $69.  Finally, Gabe pulled out the big guns.  He would sell me the super special mattress pad/ protector for $25.  Sold, fine sir.  Sold.  I would have paid more than that at Target, so Gabe, you win.  Better yet, I win.

With my mattress protector and washing instructions in hand, I headed home.  But, I took a detour.  I went to Bed Bath & Beyond to buy myself new sheets for my new bed.  I was able to drive from one side of town to the complete opposite side without using my GPS, and that alone put a smile on my face!   At BB&B I found egyptian cotton sheets, that I think will feel wonderful.  I spent almost as long shopping for sheets as I did for my bed!

I decided that while I was in the area, I should give Home Depot a shot for purchasing a kitchen trashcan.  I have an awesome slide out trashcan drawer in my kitchen with a slot for a trashcan.  But, I hadn't yet found a trash can that fit it!  I bought one that was too tall, one too wide, and one too deep for the opening.  Home Depot was my last stop before I was going to give up for a while.  So, while I was in the neighborhood, I ran in, bought a trash can for $6.97 and left.  On my entire drive home, I was sure the trashcan would be too big.  At one stoplight I would look at it and think, yeah, it looks too tall.  At the next stoplight I would look at it from another angle and think, yup, definitely too wide.  I cursed myself as I brought it up to my apartment, knowing I was wasting time and energy. 

I walked into the apartment and sighed with relief.  Not only had Wilbur successfully spent the time I was gone out of his kennel, but he was quiet!  Or he was not noisy enough to have the neighbors complain, but I'll go with quiet.  I played with the pup for a few minutes, reminding him that I hadn't abandoned him yet.

Begrudgingly I went into the kitchen to test the new trashcan.  And much to my surprise, it fit!  I threw a little party and got Wilbur super worked up.  Wilbur doesn't know what "trashcan," "it fits," or "we really live here now" mean, but he now knows that they are all good phrases.

With my new trashcan in place and my puppy tired from the trashcan party, I continued on my productive streak.  I unpacked the rest of my clothing, hanging and folding, and placing each item in its new home.

And as if that weren't enough, I started one of my many picture projects!  I have tons of framed photos but many have old photos in them, and all have dirty glass.  So, one by one, I opened the frames, took out the photos and cleaned the glass.  I only sliced two of my fingers, and I still have frames to fill, but it was a good evening's work.

After my super long and rough day at work, I was able to turn it around.

The moral of the story: With the help of an adorable dog, a credit card and ibuprofen, anything can get better!

Time to pack

My family is a bit strange.  We each have our own bizarre habits and such.  We each have weird tendencies.  But, when it comes to packing, we are all pretty similar.  Except for my father.

We are leaving for family vacation soon, and my dad has been packing for a week.  For an entire week he has been hanging things in the mud room, and choosing shoes and laying them on top of Wilbur's kennel.  His suitcase has been in the ready position for days, but has been left untouched.  He has piles at the foot of his bed and a few on the dining room table.  He has switched some shirts for others, put his shoes in individual bags, and rethought his sock choices.  And the rest of my family has spent an entire week making fun of him.

The rest of us, we wait until the last minute, and it is hilarious.

So now, at 9 pm, Garvey, Erin and I are all packing upstairs.  Erin is planning every single outfit, and exactly which night and to which dining room she will wear it.  She is also making sure that I bring exactly the accessories I promised I would.  Garvey, is cleaning out.  He is getting rid of things left and right.  And every five minutes or so, he calls Erin into my bedroom, and asks both of us if we want     blank   .  First it was an ipod dock.  Every time Erin and I would chuckle, call him crazy, and go back to our respective rooms and music choices.  But, most recently, Garvey called a giveaway meeting, and pulled from behind his back two old cups.  Yes, he offered us his old cups.  Weirdo.  But, I had an idea.  Poor Wilbur gets very cold ears in the winter.  I had just finished telling my mom that he needs a pair of earmuffs, and voila!  We had earmuffs.

At one point Garvey let Wilbur borrow his headband so the earmuffs stayed in place on their own, but by the time this photo was taken, Wilbur was all done with the game.

So, now I'll get back to packing.  I did a little dancing, a little slideshow making and now a little blogging, but it's time to get down to business.