So, I leave for France next Tuesday, in 5 days. And while this fact a)has not yet sunk in, b)is terrifying, c) is exciting and awesome, it more so means that d) i need to actually pack and do everything else I need to do to get ready. Thus, mimzy and I have been running errands the last two days like our lives depended on it.
Yesterday: Epic Target Trip
i stocked up on toiletries, bought a new umbrella, bought a black purse, a light blue cardigan because mine had been eaten by moths, hair products, a tooth whitening kit (excited/scared to try this!), and so much other crap. Mimz got a bunch of stuff too, including a package of 400000 paper towel rolls and a 2 gallon jug of laundry detergent.
As we were in line paying, this cute little girl behind me was ogling the mounds and mounds of stuff we were piling onto the counter and asking me annoying questions, including "Wow! How much shampoo are you buyiinnnnggg???" Well, I was buying a lot. I figured that I don't want to spend a bunch of money in the first week just buying toiletries, though I'm perfectly aware that they sell shampoo in France. It just seems like an unnecessary cost when i can go to target where its cheap and where my mother buys it for me haha.
Then today, Mimz and I went out to lunch with our cousin Mindy, because Mindy wanted to see me before I jet off for six months. Mindy is my dad's first cousin, her mother was Aunt Freda, my great aunt, and she has 3 kids who are my favorite cousins. Two of whom are now MARRIED!!!! crazy stuff! Our families are pretty close, even though they're my second cousins, because we are the only two branches of the fam that live here in California. Everyone else is in the DC/Washington Metropolitan/suburban Maryland area, where my dad and Mindy grew up. Aunt Freda lived just 10 minutes from our house, while Mindy and her husband Gene live out in La Canada, about 45 min-1 hr drive. Aunt Freda died a few years ago, and my grandma before her, but the rest of us still all get together and recount tales about those feisty sisters (Freda and my grandma Ruth- neither one was ummm "sympathetic," they were both kinda bitches actually but in a funny lovable way.)
So after lunch where I ate a big spinach salad with tomatoes, pinenuts, and feta cheese, mimz took me to get my haircut, which only took a few minutes because my hairdresser has ADHD and does everything on hyper mode! I just cut off about an inch and got more layers, going for a bob-ish look. I think I like it, it's too poofy blow dried right now.
Post haircut we went to the electronics store where I bought a laptop lock and .... (drummmmm rooooollllll).... an IPOD! I had never had one before, and I was kinda proud to be the last of the mohicans. I didn't even have itunes, I still have to download that later. I finally caved because the shitty old mp3 player I've had since I was 16 only had 20 GB and so has been completely full since I was about 17. I needed something with much more storage, and ipod seemed to be the only option that makes anything beyond a 32 GB. So now I have a 160 GB ipod classic in black, waiting to be unwrapped installed and danced to.
After the electronics place, decorated in an Alice and Wonderland theme with giant statues of the characters and fake topiary gardens, Mimz and I went to Barnes and Noble to get a gift for my host family in France. I finally settles on a book about LA, since they say that a good gift idea is something typically representative of your homeplace or university. This book has lots of neat photographs of LA back in the day, major landmarks, famous places, and of course, our freaking huge freeways. I also got my brother a belated bday gift (he's been out of the country for a few weeks and I didn't get him anything before he left soooo) of a book of really cool, cutting edge and crazy photography. He's really into photography and is behind his big fancy camera like 99% of the time. I also bought him a pair of socks that look like dinosaurs. (he's just turned 24)
Next we went to Office Depot to get some basic school supplies for the same reason as the shampoo, just so I wouldn't have to blow money out on that kind of stuff since the euro is so strong and it's much cheaper to buy stuff here. Got some of my favorite pens, Pentel RSVP fine point ballpoint pens. I love them! Also got post-its, highlighters, index cards and a 6 pack of notebooks. Should cover all the bases pretty well.
Now I am completely exhausted, but I had to come home and check my email and facebook etc etc. I had an email from the Sorbonne in French! Very excited! Wooooooo! AAAHHHHH!!!!!
Then I remembered Amanda said she started a blog so I found it, read it, and was inspired to post here about my tiring days of errands and ridiculous purchases. Now I'm going to go do one of my favorite things, take a nap with my cat.
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