Obligations.

London, London, how you have changed. Stores are popping up left and right in Westmount. I told my mom that we almost never have to leave our subdivision now. Basically you can find just about everything within a 5 km radius of our home. Sure it is convenient, but London has too many duplicate stores...I'm going to call it clonesville soon. I am not sure if I can fully blame it on London though. Perhaps I have changed as well. It's also weird seeing the Sundance across the road now.

I've been home for over a week now. Things haven't quite gone as I had planned it. I didn't take into account the numerous things (chores) that I'd have to do around the home. And I don't even live here anymore. I suppose it is the filial thing to do. But I will qualify that by saying that my family is way more anal about house chores than most. I should probably know by now that when I come home there is a honeymoon period. It usually lasts for about 3 days. During this time I can basically do whatever I want, whenever I want. I managed to knit a pair of mittens for Natasha for Christmas, watched some movies, and opened presents. Everything was peachy.
After this time, the impending New Year's Eve Party usually causes my dad to get into clean-up/panic mode and it's on, oh is it ever on. I think I had to drop everything that I planned to do for the next 3 or 4 days to clean the house, which I no longer live in by the way. I also ended up cleaning things in the house that were completely unrelated to the party itself. My theory is that my dad takes advantage of when I am home because he knows that I will help him. Although I don't mind helping out, sometimes I feel like it goes at a snail pace, but when I am doing chores, I prefer to do them quickly. You know, less time, less pain. Anyhow, I guess what I am trying to say is, that when I'm home, my business is everyone's business. It's hard to be an individual when you come home. And although I really like to spend time with my family (and I think I'm doing a better job at it as I have done in the past), my breaks are so few and far between, that I'd like to just catch up with myself as well.

OK, well, so I don't sound like I have been bitching this whole holiday, I think that I was successful at getting updates on most people from high school. I saw HT at a birthday party and I got a few updates from her standpoint. It looks like moving away to Ottawa wasn't the best idea. A few more classmates have gone on to get married and have kids. Then it was the wedding NY Eve party. The party to end all parties. It didn't quite live up to my expectations - it was maybe half of what I thought it would be. Maybe the average age at the party was a bit too high...Anyhoo, I got my hair curled by Susan, and was picked up by Mez. We headed to the Berkshire Club and I saw a lot of faces I hadn't seen in a while. To my surprise, our bartender was none other than Heavy, who has been skinny for a while now and has kept it off. Saw Masse's old boys, up to their usual antics - getting drunk and kissing girls. Most of Jenn's girls were with husband. Then there were the random groups of people that I didn't know. I heard a couple of times that my dress looked like the bridesmaids' dresses, ooops. But I had a fun time dressing up. Thank goodness that Russ was there. We weren't good friends in high school, but we talked and the bonus part was that he was sober and had some intelligent things to say. Why weren't we friends in high school? I think he graduated too early. CM brought her high school teacher boyfriend. I guess that sentence didn't sound so odd, but actually, he taught her in high school and now they are dating. OK that doesn't sound so weird either...he's 40-something. OK, that's better. Anyway, there was enough awkwardness to go around, esp. since many of his students were at this party. I never knew him personally, so I had a "whatever, as long as she's happy" attitude about it. I think the night was anti-climatic, and a little bit bizarre. But still worth it to go. Unfortunately I feel pretty disjointed with my high school friends. I'm wondering if I was really good friends with some of them to begin with. It's a little bit sad, and unexpectedly I am missing my meds friends a lot.

Catching up with some people has made me think more about relationships in general. Some are meant to run their course. You know, there's a time and a place for someone in your life. They play a role, and when it's over, you should be able to comfortably part ways. Others, when a reunion occurs, it's pretty refreshing to talk again and hear what is going on with their lives. Dude. Life is so complicated.

I leave you with this quote:
"All this talk about engagements and weddings, all I can think is DUCK." -- Curtis Stone (Take Home Chef)