"Be bold, wear gold."

I had an awesome birthday weekend. First of all, my birthday was on a weekend. It doesn't get any better than that. Second, it was a three day weekend--rather I made it one, but same difference. Third, a brand new, TWO HOUR Battlestar Galactica was on Friday night that I saved for Saturday. And finally, my husband got me some awesome gifts that he picked out ON HIS OWN. He got us tickets to see "Annie Warbucks," a sequel to "Annie," at the Woodstock Opera House. Woodstock is where they filmed parts of one of my very favorite movies, Groundhog Day. Then he got me a gift certificate to Ann Taylor Loft, where I shop for my work clothes and book event clothes. He also picked up The Little Mermaid on DVD, which is one of my favorite Disney movies, memorized from when my sister was little, and two books that I would have bought myself! And I didn't even hint to him about any of it. Good job, Greg!!!

We saw the show on Saturday night, and it was a lot of fun. The kids playing the orphans were so freaking adorable. Sunday night, so as to avoid the construction into Indiana, we headed to Valpo, my home away from home. My sister had a college visit day there on Monday, and Greg and I decided to tag along. Just being there has the most peculiar effect on me. I'm happy, but also homesick because I don't belong there anymore and no one I know lives on campus anymore. Though, at one point, when I was crossing campus, I heard someone call a name ending in the "e" sound, and my head jerked around automatically looking for someone to be calling me. Um, hello? It's been almost ten years since I graduated. It was fun to show Susan the dorms and the cafeteria and stuff. I hope that she was able to see it as a potential school for her rather than just my school, but we'll see.

I got to visit with one of my professors and just feel like I was at home again, which was nice. Valpo was the first place in my life where I ever felt like I belonged. And life was good there. I told Greg that even though things weren't always easy there, sometimes I still miss being there and living that life so much it makes my chest ache. (Not that it would be the same without the people because that's what made it so good--What do you say, my fellow alums? Want to chuck it all and move back into the dorm? I'm sure no one will notice the husbands/wives, kids and the dogs and real furniture...). Other times, I'm insanely grateful for my non-communal bathroom and whole house versus square cement block room. : )

For other Valpo grads, you should know that brown and gold is in in a big way now. I remember when you couldn't even find a sweatshirt in those colors in the bookstore. Now they have the slogan all over the ARC, "Be bold, wear gold."

I bought a brown and gold sweatshirt. : ) Call me a sucker for a good marketing campaign.