To go or not to go?

So I'm still here in Alton, IL with no word yet on whether I've passed the entrance exam that determines whether I'll be going to Italy or not. If I don't go, I'm gonna have some 'splainin' to do because every single time I go anywhere at all in any of the realms of my life (work, social, family, volunteer oraganization), people are always asking when I'm leaving or whether I've heard anything yet. It's been that way for so many months that if I don't go, it will be a little strange to not have all the questions anymore. But I'm sure if that's the case I'll be answering a different set of questions for many more months ("are you disappointed?", "it sure sucks that you sold your car already, huh?" etc).

On a different note, I went to a Christmas party last night. I volunteer as a secretary and diver for an underwater rescue team based in Granite City. Every year we have a Christmas party which typically involves lots of food and alcohol and people- pretty fun. I should have known by the events preceding the party that I just should have just stayed home. First of all, I was rushed to even get ready (read: I had five minutes before I was supposed to be leaving) because I was late getting back from lunch with my best friend Andrea. So I threw some clothes on, dabbed some makeup on, and was already 15 minutes late by the time I called Tim (my boyfriend) to tell him I was running late (we were going to meet at his house and then leave together). He made me mad (not hard to do sometimes, unfortunately) by saying, "I'll give you about half an hour to find them, and then I have to hit the road." Didn't offer to pick me up or anything. So now I'm rushed, late, AND mad. Then I remember that I have two people coming to look at my car tomorrow to see if they want to buy it. Hard to sell a car without keys. Now I am worried. I have looked everywhere and cannot find them. I call Andrea and make her leave the mall, go back to her car and see if I left them there. I did not. I call the chief of the rescue team and leave a message to tell him that unless I can find them, I evidently won't be able to come. Then I call the captain and leave a message telling him the same thing. I do not call Tim because I am mad at him. The captain (Keith) calls me to see if I've found them. I have not, but I do take the time to tell him that I am mad. I still cannot find them. I am still talking to Keith when I decide to check the spare keys box in the pantry even though I am sure I do not have a spare. But I have a spare after all. I tell Keith I found them and leave the house running. I still do not call Tim, because I am still mad. I forget how to get to the building even though I've driven there twice in the past two months (I am terrible at directions). As I am driving 45 miles an hour down a dark road, the Durango hits a patch of ice and starts spinning out of control. It stops finally when I hit a ditch. Thankfully it was a small ditch. I put it in 4 wheel drive and get out of the ditch fairly easily. But now I am scared. I begin to drive again, trying to keep myself and the car under control. Now this part is funny: As I'm driving down this dark road at 45 miles an hour (I'm late!), all the sudden the pavement ends and there's a huge crashing bump and I find myself in a field. The crash was so hard that a couple beer bottles of the six pack I was carrying to the party shattered. And I'm supposed to sell this car tomorrow. At this point I'm laughing because I feel kind of like I should have been driving a plane instead of a car- it would have made a great runway. The road just stopped with no signs or warnings or anything. But at least I know this is not the right way. I need to go the other way, then. I put the truck in 4 wheel drive again and make my way out of the field. Tim calls. After a couple rings, I decide I should probably answer it. "I guess you found your keys?" I think to myself, "Yes, Einstein, I did, no thanks to you." "So I'll just meet you there then?" Fine. I keep the conversation short because I am mad and he is lucky I even answered. I arrive at the party withing minutes of the meeting starting, and the chief looks at me and says, "why are your eyes so red?" Hmm, I don't know. Maybe because I almost died twice on the way here!!
The party itself was kind of a bust. Not many people showed- the two people I was hoping would come didn't show right away. When one of them did, it was without the other (his girlfriend) because they had gotten in a fight that night and broken up. The others were telling stories of their crazy alcohol related adventures (I've heard them all before- they tell them every year), so I sat a bit away from the group and just talked with Rick (the guy that broke up with his girlfriend) about random stuff. After two beers from the remaining 4 pack I decided I was not drinking anymore. So at midnight the "party" finally ended and my boyfriend who I had barely spoken to all evening walked me out to my car and we talked for a while. Not about me being mad though. When we have problems, we generally try to ignore them at all costs. Then I went home to bed.

Today should be much less eventful- the only thing I have to do is wash the Durango after yesterday's off-roading.