First comes love, then comes marriage!

So, lately it seems like everyone around me is getting married? Am I missing something? Is it now cool to get engaged and married so young? I mean, I know I want to get married, I know I want children but I'm only 24..... I honestly couldnt imagine getting married and having kids anytime soon. Although, it would probably be nice to start to settle down, it took me a really long time to get out of a really bad relationship that I was in for most of my existence! Haha, well not really but in a way, yes! I was dating Chris from the time I was 16, and it got "exclusive" when I was 18... so basically 18-23.. although that relationship is not something I want to get into... I'm just using it as an example b/c of the amount of time it consumed in my dating career!
So, I'm bad at dating, I guess you can say... haha. I just want to be young, free! I do kinda wish I could have the last 4 yrs of my life back, it would be great to be 20 and free! Maybe, I wouldnt be romantically challenged like I am now. But I dont even know any male that I could consider spending the rest of my life with! I have a hard enough time picking out my clothes, let alone planning the rest of my life! So, that starts to scare me, am I going to be the 40yr old who never got married? Who never had a family & children? Gosh, I hope not!! That would suck! It may be okay for some people, but for me, it sounds scary & upsetting! I want kids!! 3 of them, I want a house in California, Fl & NY! I want to go on many family vacations, I want to have my son play baseball & my daughters to follow in my footsteps & become little ballerinas! I want all of that, but who do I want it with? Haha, you've gotta be kidding me! I seriously couldnt imagine if I had to pick someone whom I already know, to spend the rest of my life with! Okay, one person comes to mind, but he is just a really good friend, that's all he'll ever be... I think I need to move to another state, maybe even another country to find this potential husband!! Then again, maybe my idea of a 'Perfect Man' is just unrealistic? I dont think so though..... I have high standards but they are not impossible to fill... Who knows?
I better jump on this though because I don't want to be old when I get married, I do want to be fairly young & I would like to know the person for a couple years before we get married as well, so if I want this to happen anytime soon, I better get off my ass & start searching for my Prince Charming!!
So if you are out there reading this & you think you are husband material, try me! Or you have some friends, someone who you think would be good for me, hook it up!! I'm open for suggestions... I'm clearly running out of time here!! Maybe I can get a deal like Snow White, go into some sort of coma, freezing time, not aging at all, and then my Prince can come on a beautiful white horse (or nice white BMW) and kiss me, rescue me, so we can live happily ever after..........
Haha, I know, I need to stop dreaming!

Funny, cuz my little brother said to me a couple of months ago,
"You need to get a boyfriend!"
I quickly replied, "I have 25 of them!"
and my mother laughed.
(25, the number of players on the New York Yankees! get it? The Yankee bench is my boyfriends?! haha)
Yeah, well clearly, the joke is on me now!

But, the whole reason for me starting this post was, I am not educated on the proper wedding etiquette. I mean in the past, the only weddings I have attended were those of family & friends (not my friends, my parent's friends, family friends & my older brother's friends) so, I always went with my family, never went solo or with a date. So, now that my friends are starting to rush to the alter, I realized the 1st mistake I made in my wedding attendance history. One of my best friends from childhood is getting married next month, I have not seen her in about 10yrs, but we managed to stay in contact over the computer. When I was in 5th grade, she moved very far away but moved back fairly close again 2yrs after that, she came back to visit a couple times when I lived in my old house but I have not seen her in a good 10yrs. So we talk online, we talked a lot more when we were younger- in college as now, working & grad school & life just seems to get in the way, so I keep in touch with her now mainly over facebook & the ever so lovely, Myspace! So, she got engaged last year, I never met her fiance, but I know of him, because I remember when they 1st met, she told me about him, okay, so they got engaged & everything, I was invited to the wedding, I got invited to her bridal shower that was last month, I sent my regrets, I could not attend the shower because I had work, plus it is hard for me to go to PA, alone... not knowing anyone going except for her mom & sister. So, I said I couldnt make it, it didnt seem like a big deal to me, I sent a present though, I went onto Bed, Bath & Beyond, found her registry & got her something off of that & sent it with a nice little note, "Congratulations, I wish you & Luke a lifetime of happiness, love & health! Love Allison" so a couple days after the items were delivered to her apt, I receive a thank you note in the mail from Amy, it was just a regular thank you card, nothing having to do with a wedding, no return address on it at all... I truly was not expecting to read what was waiting for me on the inside of the card. It went a little something like this, I'm not sure exactly because I ripped it up and threw it away......
"Allison,
Thank you for your generosity & thinking of Luke and I but I cannot accept your gifts. It makes me very uncomfortable to accept them from you being that I have not seen or spoken to you in nearly 10 yrs. You probably wouldn't even know I was getting married if it wasn't for facebook. I am sorry but I will be returning the gifts tomorrow. I hope you can understand my feelings and respect them. As I thought you would be coming to my bridal shower but since you didn't it just creates a situation. Thank you. Amy"

Okay, so now I'm confused! This doesnt seem like someone who I spent most of my childhood with, this seems like a random person I met on the street. Maybe it's just me? I am not a person who lives in the past, as I am very much aware of the present & who are my real friends, but I clearly did not see this coming! 2, what situation does this now create? Was I wrong to send a gift? Was it a horrible decision on my part to not attend the bridal shower? I always thought bridal showers were informal, the weddings were the big deal, but have I misunderstood the whole concept? It really upset me, but I just tried to put it behind me. This is not the Amy I know, she clearly has changed. I can't blame her or hold it against her but, I just thought that we would always remain friends, always be close, no matter how far away we are from eachother, but guess I have a different grasp on that friendship! So, I am no longer going to the wedding as I now feel very uncomfortable! But, I guess now I know where this friendship lies... and that from now on, I better attend Engagement Parties, Bridal showers, Bachlorette Parties *yes, I know they are for guys, but man, I dont want to regret not showing up to anything!!* and of course, the weddings!!
So tonight I sent her a message on myspace, as I have been checking my credit card statement every day this week to see if she has returned the items! Nothing yet, but hey, it's a $200 I can spend elsewhere! Maybe, I'll buy something really great for myself, something to make me feel like a better person! (Cuz, I know I am a good friend! I'm not conceited but, if you are one of my friends, I'd give you the world!) But, I then decided to go onto Bed Bath & Beyond's website to check out their return poilcy, so okay... she doesn't have a receipt, I dont even have a receipt, I just have the conformation emails for the purchase & then the shipping conformation, so it states:
Returns to Our Processing Center:
Return postage labels are included with every purchase from our online store in the event you need to return an item. Please follow the steps below to complete your return:
Please circle the item you wish to return on the bottom copy of your original packing invoice form.
Choose a reason for return from the back of the invoice and enter its number next to your circled item.
Provide a telephone number in case we have questions.
Detach the top copy of the invoice form and keep it for your records. Enclose the bottom copy with the items you are returning.
Pack your return securely and attach the pre-paid return label found in your original carton.
To return your package you may take the package to a UPS customer counter, give the package to any UPS driver making a regular pickup or delivery, drop off at a UPS authorized shipping outlet that accepts Authorized Returns Service packages (i.e. Mail Boxes Etc., Handle With Care Packaging Store, Pak Mail, Parcel Plus, Postal Annex or Postnet) or call 1-800-PICK-UPS (1-800-742-5877) for the nearest Authorized Return Service drop-off location.
Should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to call us at 1-800-GO BEYOND® (1-800-462-3966), and a customer service representative will be pleased to assist you.
You may also mail returns via the US Postal Service to the address below. We recommend that you insure the package prior to shipment. Enclosing your original packing invoice will help us expedite your return.
Returns to Our Stores:
We gladly accept returns or exchanges at any of our store locations nationwide. Please remember to bring the original packing invoice and the credit card used for purchase. Without the original packing invoice and your credit card, you may receive an exchange or merchandise credit. Purchases using a Gift Card will be refunded as a merchandise credit. Gifts:
For gifts sent back to our returns processing center, we will issue a merchandise credit which can be used in any of our stores nationwide, or we can issue a check refund to the gift recipient. To receive a check refund, the recipient's address must match the original shipping address listed on the gift's packing invoice. Please provide the original packing slip included with the shipment so we may expedite this process.

GREAT!! So, basically the only thing she can do is return the items & get a merchandise credit or a refund check to herself! Now, not to be a bitch... I wouldn't mind if she kept these items, because I purchased them for her as a gift, but being that she sent me that cold thank you card & said she couldnt accept anything from me, I now want my $200 back!! Why waste $200?? I could clearly use the money on something else, so I sent her a message on myspace, I was not mean at all, I was just simply asking her if she could please send me the items so I could return them myself, because she would not be able to get anything but a merchandise credit or refund check, wait, I'll post the message,
"hey amy,
i got your thank you card, sorry it took me some time to write back but i have been sick! listen, i competely understand where you are coming from, i did not mean to make you uncomfortable at all, that was never my intentions, i just wanted to send you something but i understand how you dont feel you can accept it. I know you said you were going to return the items, i'm not sure if you did so already, but i'm pretty sure they would just give you a store credit?! so, if you didn't return the items yet, if you could ship the items to me, i could return them. i could provide you with a prepaid shipping label... just let me know what you want to do! Again, I'm sorry about everything, i was only doing it with good intentions, wishing you well. but, get back to me and let me know, okay? again, i wish you nothing but the best, you were a good friend to me & i still consider you a friend, although we don't see eachother, but you are a big part of my childhood & those memories will always be with me! hope to hear from you soon! x0<3 "

I dont think there was anything wrong with my response, let's just see what happens... but man, never in a million yrs did i think my 1st wedding of my friends, wait! 2nd wedding, because technically, alex got married back in july, but i didn't attend his wedding! (yes, that is a whole other story in itself!! let's just say, with friend weddings, i am not doing too well.. i'm 0-2 haha) OKAY, I'm done now! I need some sleep, but these yankees are killing me!! It's 3:12, this game was delayed for 4hrs.. and it is now tied at 6, in the top of the 11th inning with 1 out! & Jorge got thrown out after he struck out his last at bat, i seriously haven't seen him get that mad in a very looooooong time!! but the umpire was a definite diiiiick! In a way, I'm kinda glad that I didnt end up going to Detroit for these games, because 1. the game was delayed 4hrs, it didnt end up starting til 11 2. it is supposdly really bad in detroit, weather wise, they had like a tornado 3. i dont really feel good at all! 4. rachel ended up not being able to meet me anyways, because she is actually coming back to NY tomorrow! yay!! So, we will clearly be partyingg in the city soon enough!! yay! okay, goodnight!!
*i think it was a pretty successful day of blogging for me! especially for my 1st time, i think i did pretty goooood, i'm a natural! =] *