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Ups and Downs

Long time no post, eh?

Let’s start with last Monday, where I started but failed to finish my blog post:

This has been a very eventful yet uneventful weekend.

On Wednesday afternoon, I got a call from my mom informing me that my sister’s best friend Liz was in the ICU. She had been diagnosed with (I think) stage 4 melanoma in 2006. After undergoing chemo and other procedures, her cancer returned late last year and tumors had spread throughout her body, including her brain and spinal cord.
Anyway, she’d been admitted to the ICU, which was a surprise to us since we’d been under the impression that she was actually improving. I spent most of Wednesday evening and Thursday worrying about Stephanie and Liz. Friday afternoon, I got a message from my sister that they were going to the hospital to say goodbye. We were told that Liz would probably fall asleep that night and not wake up. After a very tense evening with not-frequent-enough updates from my mom, I got a call from Stephanie that Liz had passed away on Saturday morning. Stephanie is surviving. She has her ups and downs.

Spent most of the weekend lazing about and discovering that sometimes “cards” and “board games” is code for “beer pong” and “drunken debauchery”. Bad night.

This past week was quite eventful!

Tuesday was Amanda’s lecture for all of LARSS and the Center. I was very nervous for her (sympathy nerves) but she ended up doing very well on the performance.
Thursday night, Brandon flew in to Norfolk and I rented a brand new Chevy something and drove up to get him. yay!
Friday I gave him a brief tour of the Center and we sat around bored for awhile until mandatory fun night. We had fun from 4pm to 7pm then went home and prepared for actual fun night at Ryan, Trevor, and Jake’s house. Watched Bill and Ted then danced and learned how to play beer pong.

Saturday was the beginning of the DC trip for Brandon and I. We slept in the drove up around 1pm to arrive at our hotel (the Hyatt in Arlington) to rest for a bit.
While resting, Brandon said, “I’m not very good at all this romantic stuff” and I was, like, “huh?” Then he said “will you marry me?” And I said “whaaa?” The we hugged and I said no in a joking manner so that it was clear that I actually said yes! Then we hugged and I was in shock.  Doves flew and a chorus of angels with trumpets sounded.
Sent text messages and Facebook status messages out before heading to the Hard Rock Cafe. Had some drunken German men almost run into me. Then got lost on the Metro and city then eventually got to the Nat’l Mall and looked at the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. Got home exhausted then slept poorly until the next morning at 11.15 where I got ready to go right before check out time.
Our last activity before heading home (it was a very relaxed weekend) was a trip to the International Spy Museum. Fun! We got lost several times but had fun. Got home at around 6.30 then rested and went to Anna’s Restaurant no2.

Tonight will hopefully be poker for a happy send off for Brandon, who leaves tomorrow afternoon.

I’ve had lots of people ask all kinds of questions about the wedding and I have no answers except “next  summer.”