La, la, la, la...you'll be popular!

I just saw "Charlie Bartlett" tonight. It was a funny and crazy movie. I definitely enjoyed it. One character seemed like a pre-cursor to a character from "Glee." And I recognized 3 actors from "Degrassi: The Next Generation." (Yes, I am really 13 years old! :) ) Anyway, it was mainly about a guy who wanted popularity and acceptance in high school. Pretty reasonable goals, right? I've recently been thinking about popularity...namely my own. I was never popular growing up. My life was a cross between "Welcome to the Dollhouse," "Freaks and Geeks" and "Mortified" all rolled into one tight little bundle.

Then I started going to "Rocky Horror" at the end of senior year of HS. It was the first time I truly felt accepted by a group of people. I think it gave me a lot of confidence for college and beyond. I wouldn't say I was popular enough to be well known in college, but I did make friends more easily during those years. That was a springboard to my grown-up life. After college, I started introducing my college friends to the people I still talked to from high school. My high school friends reunited me with other high school friends. Needless to say, I was friends with more people from my high school as an adult than in high school. It was like having one mega reunion. :) And the Internet helped a lot too. I've met people from so many different places online. First it was through the V.C. Andrews club. Later, it was through a parenting group on iVillage. Eventually, Facebook came along to tie all my connections into a pretty little package. Moving out east was another contributor. I wouldn't say I was popular where I lived in NJ, but I managed to meet people in different ways. And now I'm here in this wonderful community where everyone is so friendly. And this is the first time I don't really feel worried about where I fit in. It's just nice and comfortable. I enjoy hanging out with the friends I have met and only wish I had more time to spend with everyone. The nicest feeling (probably more for my husband than myself, but still...) was having so many friends from our community show up at my husband's surprise birthday party after only knowing us for about 3 months.

The other thing I love is how a close friend tells me that she has a friendship connection "theory" called "Six Degrees of Melissa." It sounds funny, but it's a nice thing to hear nonetheless. I could almost relate it to Jewish Geography. (Which Facebook also takes to a whole new level.) Jewish Geography is a contributor to how I met my husband. (It was initially through a friend of a friend of a friend, and so on...)

After being at the bottom of the elementary, junior high and high school food chains, it's really nice to have some form of redemption. :) I just love connecting with old and new friends. I really do cherish my friendships, especially the ones from those who stuck by me even when it wasn't "cool" to do so. :)

Top 10 things about 2009....

Since 2009 is pretty much over by this point, I wanted to list the top 10 things about this year that will make me smile when I look back on this list in a year from now (or even in 5, 10, or 15 years from now).

1. Moving to Maryland

2. Adam Lambert

3. Seeing "In the Heights" for our 5 year anniversary

4. Glee

5. Getting a meaningful job

6. Value Village

7. Having a country music radio station again

8. Throwing my husband a surprise birthday party

9. Meeting 3 of my favorite authors at book signings

10. New friendships that formed throughout the year

Why the url?

I am Merrylandgirl as an homage to anyone who thinks Maryland is pronounced the way it looks. It's actually pronounced as Mer-uh-lind.

I've gotta be me

My BFF recently told me that I should write a blog for myself that wasn't all about my kids. I brushed off that idea a bit too quickly, thinking that I never have the time even for the blog about my kids. Then I saw "Julie and Julia" and loved how she kept a blog going every day and had all these followers. Not that I expect to have a following, but it seemed cleansing to write down one's thoughts and emotions. So I gave the idea more thought and decided to just write a blog about myself and the stuff I'm interested in. I titled the blog "Me!!!" based on Elle Woods' response when she saw she made it onto Professor Callahan's grad student law team. I think the title is poignant enough to get my thoughts across. I had a blog at livejournal.com for a while, but I think I abandoned that ship earlier this year. I'm hoping to make it a NY resolution to write in this blog at least a few times a week (I don't know that I can manage every day right now) and keep it completely free of references to stuff my kids have done or stuff I have done with them. That is for my blog about my kids (if I can even commit to writing in that one more often in 2010). So let the games begin!