i'm back and i couldn't be more glad. the birthday dinner was fine. his parents and grandma are adorable. just like mine, when they used to go out. his grandma ordered ribs, tasted all the cocktails and ate most of matt's steak. it was hilarious. just like my meme, only she'd have ordered a beer. i've been invited to drop by any time i like and to a series of barbecues, his mom is the cutest. we'll see how all that goes. there weren't too many questions but they were a little awkward. his brother thinks i'm a vegan, and his girlfriend didn't know what that was. and then he asked me why i don't eat meat at a table of people all eating meat in a steak house. not the place to go into depths about the meat packing industry. and then he asked why i didn't drink, again at a table full of people with drinks. and i said "my brother's an alcoholic" and sheepish isn't the word. you ask non-stop questions get used to hearing the answers.
in regards to dress, which is like the real climax of this whole thing* everyone but his mom, his grandma and i, were wearing jeans. probably it's a good idea to hit the mom's standards at a first meeting. not that any of this bears thinking about really. but he and i both really like my new khaki's and i'm officially not allowed to shop at the gap anymore.** he's always very complimentary about my clothes. i can't figure out if it's nice boy training or if he really notices. it's nice though. i reached the point long ago that i appreciate the effort of someone saying something nice just because, or even say...to get in my pants. whatever. it's nice to hear that you look pretty, or you smell nice without having to ask. me and my vanity.

*and also she seemed to really like the daisy plant i got her. after the soul deadening search for the most emily post gift.
**at first it was just the clearance section, and still usually i talked myself out of spending the money. and then i started browsing the only slightly marked down sections, but still with the guilt. and NOW i browse the whole damn store and i'm beginning to think i need an intervention.