bridal shower

i woke up to my cell phone, because my mom was calling. she was supposed to call at 9:30 but decided to wait the hour and call at 10:30 instead. that was fortunate because 1) my alarm clock didn't go off at 9 like it was supposed to, and 2) i'd been up until 5am the previous night playing wii tennis and watching 'there will be blood'.

i had to help cook and set up for my cousin's bridal shower today. i think the customs surrounding marriage are very interesting. it seems like most of them are motivated by economics; it can be prohibitively expensive to start a brand new life with someone else unless everyone helps defray the cost. sometimes i wonder .. as life continues to get more affordable (assuming it does), and as individuals continue to have kids later in life, and as those kids are more and more raised by nurses and daycares and after-school programs, will the institution of marriage really be necessary? all those traditions and showers and parties.. it just all seems outdated to me.

of course, that doesn't mean it wasn't fun. afterall, who doesn't like a good excuse for pretty things (read: sparkles and ribbons) and delicious food (read: fondue fountain! coconut shrimp! salmon mousse!).

after the whole ordeal, i worked on my homework. next week i have three exams, two papers, and a problem set due. oh, and two photo shoots for the newsletter. should be fun.