More wedding stuff later. I'm too tipsy and seafood-stuffed (yay Fridays!) to do justice to it.

Middle sis is in town with us for Easter, and she and I went to the used book store today. Since we are both raging biblioholics who hadn't been book-shopping for awhile (except for through on-line venues, which fall short in the pure tactile pleasure department), we collected quite large piles of books before heading for the check-out. Then again, neither one of us violated the 'more books than you can carry yourself' rule, so I didn't think we looked that odd.

Nevertheless, the girls checking us out seemed bemused.

Girl One: Why are you buying all these books?

Girl Two: Are you going on vacation and need something to read?

Me: Uh, no.

(pause pause pause...more ringing up of books)

Girl One: No. Really! Why are you getting all these books???

Me:(very slowly and with perfect enunciation) We haven't been to the book store in awhile?

At least they were trapped behind the counter and we could just walk away. More annoying is when people come up behind me in public (or at school, or wherever) and say:

"What are you reading?"

"Is it good?"

"Do you read alot?"

"You sure seem to be enjoying that book."

Yeah, I was.

Mom mailed a big box to us (all three of us) full of all sorts of goodies for Easter. This is on top of the sacks of stuff she gave to me a few days ago in Dallas to carry back in my suitcase.

Several years ago when mr rampy and I were engaged but hadn't told anyone yet, I used to sneak into Dallas on the weekends. Not that I don't love my family, but if they knew I was in town, they would have wanted to see me. Ironically enough, although these trips were supposed to be about us (just me and mr rampy) we kept ending up having to spend time with his family (they would invite him to a family BBQ, and I would have to go too, etc.).

So I was secretly in town for Easter several years ago, and I didn't even think to call my parents to wish them happy holidays or anything. I was a little wrapped up in being young and in love, plus I was afraid they would somehow figure out that I was like seven blocks away from them. Not that they had caller ID or anything.

So I came back to my apartment late Sunday night, and there in front of my door was a package containing a huge shoebox full of candy and Easter trinkets. Also, there were five messages on my answering machine, ranging from "Oh, we must have missed you at church. We'll call back later," to "CALL US WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR WE'RE CALLING THE POLICE TO LOOK FOR YOUR DEAD BODY."

So I did. And a couple months later when we announced our engagment and then took our parents out to dinner so they could get acquainted, I fessed up. I could tell our mothers were going to be simpatico, and I figured the truth would come out soon anyway.

That's pretty much the extent of my bad girl-ness.

Happy holidays, everyone. :)