Lettuce wraps and kids

Salty is adjusted. He terrorizes every rug in the place, eats out of Pepper's bowl, and knows how to get E to do his bidding. I think he's doing fine.

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Went to PF Chang's for dinner tonight - we've had a hankering for the chicken lettuce wraps. As we were digging in, the couple seated next to us very casually turned their conversation to our lettuce wraps.

Guy: "Ooh, those lettuce wraps look really good."
Girl: "Yeah, they do. Looks yummy."
Guy: "What are those green things? Chilli?"
Girl: "No, I think they are green onions. Chopped up, you know."
Guy: "I guess so. What else is in there?"
Girl: "Ground chicken, and they put those crispy white rice noodle things underneath..."
(long conversation about our wraps ensued)

The couple literally sat 5 inches away, which punctuated the strangeness of it. Now, I'm no priss, but that's weird, knowing that strangers are gazing longingly at our food and watching us carefully bundle up our wraps, picking it up and biting into it. It was blatant, unabashed looking of the zoo exhibit kind. As much as I enjoy eavesdropping on neighboring conversations or feel the burning desire to comment about something or someone when I eat out, I'm at least discrete about it. E the friendly creature sometimes sniggers at other people's jokes, and I don't waste a second in kicking him and telling him it's creepy. Every party has their own little bubble, and the boundaries of the bubble should be respected. Our bubble was trespassed. Should I have offered them some?

Bizarro.

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There is an episode of Sex and the City where Charlotte throws a fit, because while she was at a friend's baby shower, she found out that the friend stole her 'baby name' that she thought up when she was 11.

I've always wanted to name my daughter Aubrey Mae - 'Aubrey' after the song by Bread, and 'Mae' cos it's simple and pretty. (Kinda Southern, though.) Well, it just so happens that C, my freshman year roommate and matron of honor, named her newborn daughter Audra Mae. D'oh! That's too close. I wonder if she'll forgive me if I still name my future daughter Aubrey. Audra. Aubrey. Doesn't it sound the same? It's like finding a dress twin at a black tie event, except the awkwardness lasts longer than just one evening. Well, I might not even have a girl (jinx!), so it's all moot anyway.

Since C and hubby chose to wait to find out the sex of their child, everyone else had to wait too, and they are lacking in girly nursery things. Today I bought a fuzzy pink cap with little bear ears, and a super soft pink fleece blanket with silk lining. Also got a gift card for the new parents - some spa pampering goodness from Bath & Body Works for the mom, and maybe another memory card for the camera from Best Buy for the dad.

E was at the cafe in Barnes & Noble, working on his laptop, when I walked towards him with the brown Baby Gap bag. He was genuinely anxious and confused. "Honey, do you have something to tell me?" Finally I decided to let the poor boy go and told him it was for C. Guess we're not ready yet! At least he's doing his paternal thing with the kittens. One step at a time...

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M and J aren't ready for more either, but they recently adopted 2 little kittens and named them Leela and Fry. One step forward. It's been over a year since they moved in together, and things for them are peachy.

C is a mother now. Wow.

It's scary how lives change so drastically in a few short years. If I had told myself 10 years ago that this would be my life, I would've laughed. Sitting in PF Chang's, looking at the mass-manufactured terra cotta warriors standing in the American Chinese bistro filled with yuppies on Saturday night, dining on overpriced food in oversized plates, talking over John Mayer and Anna Nalick while sipping on Pinot Noir. Almost exactly 10 years ago, I was peering over the real terra cotta warriors in their pits at the Museum of Qin in Xi'an, China, with 60 others in my class for a history field trip. I listened to Michael Learns To Rock, I had never kissed a boy, and all I wanted was to do well in my 'O' levels. All of a sudden, I'm here on my own, driving to a job every morning, married with 2 cats, eating at yuppie chain restaurants with fake Chinese relics. Trippy. It really feels like just yesterday.

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I caved in and bought the book by Anchee Min. It's not brilliant, but owning it means I can lounge in my PJs and read it in my own time, instead of hovering around the bookstore.

Time to read!