Family Planning

It's been a Saturday where I've been curled up on the couch with either my laptop or a book. Last night, I slept alone in the apartment, all of my roommates either at home or at the State game. It was daunting! For the first time, I was sleeping in a place completely alone - no dog, no cats, just little ole me and I thought I heard freaky noises all night. But, I woke up and have experienced a lovely day of writing, reading, and a memorable trip to Wal-Mart.

I've been sincerely missing my cats and having something around to take care of. With that in mind, I woke this morning with a desire: finish decorating my apartment. I tacked some posters up in the bathroom. I hung my graduation cap and the Dean's List certificate on the wall. I asked one of my grandmothers for a poster of Van Gogh's "Starry Night" painting to hang in the living room as a birthday present. Then, I was going out into the cool weather of September to check the mail, I saw a plant in someone's window. Idea! I must get a house plant!

I called up my roommate from last semester, insisted that we hang out, and that we take a trip to Wal-Mart. I picked her (Nicole) and Chris up at Nicole's dorm then we headed to Wal-Mart. After arriving and parking, Nicole got a phone call from one of her hall mates. The hall mate needed a pregnancy test.... uh oh! She asked if Nicole could pick it up. So off we go, Chris and Nicole looking like a couple, me as the third wheel for support, going to the Family Planning part of Wal-Mart for a pregnancy test. For record, I didn't even know where that section of the store was until today!

"Which one should I get?" Nicole asked.

"Uh... Clear Blue," I suggested.
"And how do you know this?"
"I watch commercials," I stated. "Hey, look... that one shows a little smiley face if you're pregnant!"
"It should be a frowny face!" Nicole remarked before finally picking out a test.
The rest of the trip was spent with me speculating out loud whether Chris (who is over six feet tall) and Nicole's (almost under five feet tall) imaginary child would turn out to be small, tall, or maybe their freakish heights would lead to a normal height. Don't be repulsed by this teasing. They do worse to me, and whenever we get together, we verbally slaughter each other with good-natured ribbing and egging on. Chris was walking around as the "proud father" telling his darling Nicole how "it was a prom night to remember" and all that. The reason this is so hilarious to us is because Chris and Nicole are SO wrong for each other it's just unthinkable! For them to be together, forget parents, is within itself a joke!
So here we are at the check-out counter:
Nicole - a pregnancy test, a 12-pack of water bottles
Myself - Cheerios, oatmeal, lucky bamboo plant which is supposed to bring good fortune and prosperity in a ceramic pot
And we ran out of the Wal-Mart!