2011-09-28T01:34:00.000-05:00

Oh hey.

Felt kinda awkward going to the store just now for a battery. Our smoke detector needed one. Right now ! It was beeping once a minute ! With no way to silence it !

Anyway.

I felt like a super weirdo going to CVS at 1 AM in my rainbow flannel pajama pants for a nine volt battery - until I checked out right in front of a woman in a silk nightie buying a pineapple Fanta.

WTF ?

I bet the dudes working the overnight shift at a 24 hour pharmacy on the outskirts of town have some hilarious stories.

So now the smoke detector is happy and I'm going back to sleep.

Night !

2011-09-02T19:30:00.000-05:00

We're just back from our little trip and it was just lovely. I was ill the first bit of it, but came back strong for the end.

The return to the ungodly heat here has been quite rude. Rude !

Spending the rest of the night doing very little and back to work tomorrow.

Hope you've all been great.

Xxoo

2011-08-26T19:22:00.000-05:00

Hello !

We just got done nailing a huge bowl of popcorn. Yum.

The worst cramp in the bottom of my foot for the last couple of hours. Yow.

Work tomorrow then heading off to join my love in California.

Have a good weekend, y'all !

2011-08-19T19:37:00.001-05:00

Sister made black bean quinoa burgers and beer battered onion rings for dinner.

Too full.

Must.get.horizontal.

Xxoo

2011-08-16T14:33:00.000-05:00

Drinking iced tea with big slices of Meyer lemon out of a mason jar. Quinoa simmering on the stove. It's my first time making it - hope it comes out alright.

We've been hitting Super Natural Cooking pretty hard around here lately. Some really solid, simple recipes that lend themselves well to tweaking and personalizing. I snagged my copy used on the cheap at Half Price Books. Win.

New Orleans is on the Travel Channel and it makes me want to go.

Whatchou up to ?

2011-08-14T19:18:00.000-05:00

Hey you.

Today been on call for work all day and have thus far avoided doing any work at all.

What I did do was bake some whole wheat chocolate chip cookies with spelt flakes and a healthy dose of butter. My love took some to the neighbors. Now simmering some of the biggest white beans ever seen and lazing on the couch.

We got our tri-yearly 10 minutes of rain this evening. Stood on the porch and watched it blow around.

The sheets from our bed are in the dryer.

Leaving on vacation in 13 days. Temperatures at our destination should be in the sixties and I reserved us some rental bikes for one of the days we are there.

Hope everything is alright with you and if it's not hope it is soon.

Xxoo

2011-08-08T17:54:00.001-05:00

Hey there.

Today had a mole thing (the official medical term ) taken off my scalp. It took all of two minutes and required not even a bandaid, but now it is a little achy and I'm feeling whiny.

Putting off today's workout, having a beer and planning to watch some bad television and turn in early.

Bye !

2011-08-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

Oh wow guys - I hate to be so mundane - BUT the heat here is about to kill me. Today is day 50 of 100+ temperatures and August is always the worst.

I'm ready for an escape.

Sitting here like a complete sloth. Can't convince myself to do a thing.

Hope your finding a way to beat the heat.

Xxoo

2011-07-28T14:47:00.001-05:00

hi all.

slept away a good part of the morning and now trying to catch up on some domestic duties.

the heat is really getting oppressive here and making it hard to want to do anything.

slogging through though and trying to stay at least a little active.

working a bit extra for some vacation spending money and looking forward to some time away.

hope you are all well.

xxoo

2011-07-24T09:16:00.000-05:00

Everyone except me and the big orange cat is still sleeping. We are sitting on the couch enjoying the quiet and the morning sunlight. On call for work all day today so nothing much planned. Going to make some coffee and start to map out next month's trip to San Francisco.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Xxoo

2011-07-18T21:40:00.000-05:00

Went for a walk. Did some stretching. Shower. Had a little snack and a cup of tea. Now in bed early, to sleep soon. Off work again tomorrow. Wonderful.

Night night.

Xxoo

hi you.

2011-07-14T09:24:00.000-05:00

Have been wanting to get back to this space, but then I don't.

This morning reminds me of being in my little house in Kansas while I was going to nursing school. My love and I had just started dating ( long distance ) and I'd listen to his Joni Mitchell album and read never ending textbook chapters and drink chai tea and try not to freeze in the Midwestern winter. This morning though it is KD Lang on Pandora and a cup of coffee and staring at the pile of laundry I need to put away while balancing my checkbook and trying not to melt away in the Texas summer.

The quiet though is the same quiet and I still feel loved and hopeful but less stressed and more secure.

Scheming ways to go back to school without quitting my job.

Noodling around the web for places to visit next year. We're headed to Napa/Sonoma/San Francisco for several days at the end of August and for a quick weekend in Boston the first of December, ( Brr ! ) but I want to go someplace beachy and green for my birthday in February and somewhere interesting and romantic for our anniversary in May.

Stephen is a really great traveling companion and the one who usually takes my online and book planning and translates it into the logistics of actually doing things. Like piloting the car or making sure we get on the right train or finding the perfect bottle of wine to go with our dinner.

This afternoon picking Sister up at the airport and enlisting her to help me make veggie enchiladas for dinner and then tonight going to a yoga class. Trying lately ( along with my dearest Pomegranate ) to move more and sit around like a lump less. Signed up to do a 5K run/walk at the end of September. My less than lofty goal is to complete in less than 45 minutes. Though if you could see how slowly I move you'd think it more lofty than maybe you did just now reading it. Heh.

Going now to futz with the layout of this page a bit and then to put the house in order.

Hope to see you soon.

Xxoo

2011-03-28T11:56:00.000-05:00

Hiya.

Just got home from a job interview, put my pajamas back on, and made coffee. Also sliced the ends off a pumpernickel bagel, toasted them and ate them with a dollop of Cascade Fresh Mediterranean yogurt. This yogurt is one of my latest fixations. Somewhere between Greek yogurt and cream cheese - and delicious.

On one end of the bagel radish slices, salt, and pepper and on the other a drizzle of honey and dried cranberries.

The job interviewed for most likely they will offer me, but don't think I want. Ugh. Will think it over depending on the offer. Pretty much want the job I have now with a better schedule and it seems like this is the job I have now with a different but equally sucky schedule. Heh.

Chilly here and maybe that will convince me to stay inside and catch up on some chores instead of playing outside in the dirt. It's quite grey and so likely will stay in. Just a matter of whether or not that will mean I get anything done.

I am publicly stating it as my goal to: 1) soak and cook some white beans before the chard in the fridge goes goopy and 2) clean my closet at least until I find the pair of shoes I wanted to wear this morning to my interview and could not locate anywhere.

Bye bye.

2011-03-14T18:10:00.000-05:00

hello.

almost put hello ! but then realized am in much more of a hello. mood.

heh.

all the windows are open in our house and it is really quite lovely. we've been working in the backyard and planting vegetables and flowers and we have a pomegranate tree that we are going to plant soon.

also we are putting a deck up sometime in the next month and soon you can come over and hang out in our really cute little backyard.

in fact if you would like we will be having a genuine certified Texas barbecue in the backyard the first weekend of June to celebrate our getting married in May. there will also be cake and champagne and also coffee. yes ... coffee. it's to go with the cake and for your designated driver and also maybe my gramma.

we've unofficially been married for quite some time, y'all, but we're going to do the big legal and official thing and then have a party. i'm sending you an invite.

Come !

ok. that's all. want to tell you all about our recent vacation, my birthday, my job, etc. but it all seems quite tedious so going to leave it at the nice weather and the backyard and us getting hitched.

Xxoo.

2011-02-17T10:12:00.000-06:00

Today starts the longest vacation had in nearly four years. It seems maybe a little silly, but I'm taking 12 days off for my birthday. It was originally ten, but then a co-worker wanted to trade days so it ended up being 12.

Wow !

Kicking it off with hot cereal and coffee and a to-do list.

Hope you're wrapping up your week and getting ready for a weekend off.

Xxoo

2011-02-15T11:41:00.000-06:00

Hiya. Good morning.

Been out of bed for about an hour. Working through some coffee. Had some leftover rice for breakfast.

My job tried to kill me last week with insane hours and call nights from hell. Ick.

Currently Pandora is playing a superb list of songs ( it's playing me the current track because it features blues rock qualities, acoustic rhythm piano, a twelve-eight time signature, great musicianship, and extensive vamping ) and making me less grumpy about plugging in time-off requests to the schedule for next month and cleaning off my train-wreck desk.

Also making me less grumpy is one last day of work tomorrow before 12 (!) days off. Saturday my sister will be here to house/cat sit and Sunday we are flying to a tropical paradise for beach lying, rum drinking, and site seeing.

We'll get home just in time to prepare for my birthday party. Serving gumbo, chocolate cake, po' boys, and more booze than is probably advisable. Stephen has a crown to wear to tend bar and I have a tiny little felt and sequined hat and a sparkly silver masquerade mask to wear not to do anything in other than be awesome.

Hope to see you there.

Xxoo

2011-01-27T16:30:00.000-06:00

It's almost seventy degrees here.

I'm still having difficulty fighting off the mid-winter blues.

Ugh.

2011-01-24T12:59:00.003-06:00

Reading blogs I notice that lots of people use tags for their posts for the sake of archiving/organization. This sounded like a good idea for about 0.00007 seconds before realized that a) organization is not one of my strengths and b) ' mundane shit I'm doing today ' isn't a very intriguing tag.

So much for that.

If you are a twitterer ( or if you read my feed over there ------> ) you can see that filed my taxes today. And feeling quite gloaty and responsible for it. The H&R Block website is super easy and not very expensive and stop shilling now. But really - use it ! it's easy ! Ok. Really done.

Drinking Earl Grey and snacking on the leftovers of this tasty stew. This week need to go on a sugar detox or something because my stomach (and the rest of my body) is seriously unhappy with all the shit put into this weekend. Gross.

Making a giant pot of vegetable stock and vowing to eat all kinds of good things made from it this week. Mostly soup. And maybe some couscous or something with barley as we have both languishing away in the pantry.

That sound you hear is my pancreas letting out a sigh of relief and holding back tears of joy.

Let's all have a good week, ok ?

Xxoo

2011-01-23T18:41:00.002-06:00

hey you.

sittin' here sippin' on some ~~syzurp~~ beers.

stephen and some guy whose name escapes me are talking about something to do with wine.

thinking i'm about to have a waffle with peanut butter for dinner. if i were a little bit less lazy it'd be awesome to smear this on said waffle and get ugly.

hope you've had a nice weekend.

XoXo !!

in which i admit my failure at numerous adult activities

2011-01-21T10:48:00.000-06:00

Our house is kinda funky, y'all.

This is because, quite frankly, I kind of suck at picking up after myself. Also we have the bad cats who make a mess and well ... we live here. It always seems kind of odd when people's houses look like they are fresh off a Better Homes and Gardens photo shoot. Where do they live ?

Today going for not quite Better Homes and Gardens, but maybe just below it. Or at least above flop house squalor which is maybe where starting. And you can tell how serious I am by the bandanna tied over my hair. And by the fact that am sitting here typing this instead of getting started.

Beyond the general scouring and straightening needed we have a leaky toilet that probably needs a new seal or some other plumbing type thing that intimidates me enough to just shut the door and use the other bathroom.

The dryer is on the fritz. Maybe. There might just be some glob of something caught in the vent somewhere. There is a test batch of towels in right now with the hose vented into the garage to find out if this is the case or if the dryer is really broken. This was my brilliant idea of yesterday. What to do if there is something caught in there will have to be someone else's brilliant idea because that shit vents up to the roof and I don't know how the hell to clean it out.

There is a newly appeared crack over the back door and maybe the door frame is sagging now. This could be normal settling. Or it could be the foundation cracking and half of the house getting ready to fall into a sink hole. Only time will tell.

The joys of home ownership, eh ?

Oh ! Speaking of ... think I need to have someone do my taxes this year ? I don't know about like home owner mortgage tax thingeys. Maybe I can ask my dad ? Or just drop my stuff at H & R Block ? How much does it cost to have someone do your taxes for you ?

Realize what a spoiled brat I am at times when I think " How much is it for someone to do my taxes ?" and then immediately following " Would it mean I'll have to miss a manicure ?" Oh the sacrifices.

Anyway.

Quit yammering away now, turn on some obnoxious music and scare the shit out of the cats with the vacuum.

Xxoo

2011-01-20T10:52:00.000-06:00

One of goals for today is to clean the bathrooms. So far cleaned one toilet.

That's the scintillating stuff a blog is made of right there.

Another goal is ... uh ...

Ok so that may be the only goal.

Low expectations people, low expectations.

Tuesday we had fun going out and staying out way past our bedtimes. We ended up hungry and eating really bad food really late. Our waiter was a Kevin Federline doppleganger. Stephen wouldn't let me write him a note about it on our ticket.

Party pooper.

Going to see some more music tonight. Now that we're party animals and all.

Don't get too excited though.

It's an early show. Early bird special at Luby's early.

Hope you're having a good week and staying warm wherever you are.

Xxoo

Disco Nap

2011-01-18T14:35:00.000-06:00

Got up before the sun and busted my hump (what does that mean ? is this a camel reference ? please advise.) to get finished with work early.

Grabbed a quick nosh ( leftover pasta with garlicky olive oil and salty cheese ) and now have time for a little snooze before heading out to listen to some blues with my love.

There's a green and white toy mouse in the middle of the bed. It rattles when you shake it.

Night night.

2011-01-17T12:29:00.000-06:00

Road trip this weekend to see family. Played dominoes with my gramma and Wii games with my mama.

Good stuff.

Finishing up the schedule for work today. Have an appointment with the optometrist. Should maybe think about unpacking and putting away all the crap scattered all over the house. Need groceries.

What should we eat this week ?

Tomorrow is back to work. And going to Antone's. Hopefully can finish the first in time to change clothes before the second. Otherwise you can find me rocking Blue Tuesday in my scungy blue scrubs.

Gross !

One of my goals for 2011 is to do something other than work and sit at home.

Wish me luck.

And feel free to request a slot in my bustling social calendar.

Better hurry ! Could fill up fast.

Xxoo

Enough Already !

2011-01-13T18:44:00.000-06:00

I've been feeling awful and working all.week.long. Ugh. Now on top of that it feels like there's a mud wrestling tournament going on IN MY UTERUS.

Charming, right ?

On-call until the morning. Don't ring phone ! Don't ! I'm serious !

Tomorrow off to Kansas for a quick visit.

Hope to see you soon.

Xxoo

Hiya !

2011-01-11T10:28:00.000-06:00

Coming to you in full effect on company time via iPhone. Firable offense ?
Yesterday I went home and to bed at three in the afternoon. Today I'm all full of cold and allergy medicine. I can feel my kidneys and liver gearing up to filter it all out.

What's up with Neti pots, y'all ? Yes ? I don't know since I have a suffocation/drowning phobia. Oof.

Better get back to work ! Eeep !

2011-01-09T11:09:00.000-06:00

Hi.

Yesterday started composing something to write here. Then I drank three beers and the Saints blew the playoff game and now am just not sure what brilliance had been brewing.

I keep typing and deleting and typing and deleting. Repeat.

Rust.

Right now it's raining here. Feel kind of icky like maybe catching cold. Drinking lukewarm coffee and wearing a blanket Love's mama knit for me. Clearing my throat and coughing and choking.

Attractive, I know.

One of my favorite wish you were my neighbor people was gone from blogging and I was missing her. How do you miss someone online ? Don't know. But I was. Then she came back and it's nice.

Rolling up on a birthday next month and maybe that is what has me feeling a little sentimental and missing people who I love but are all scattered around and mostly out of my life.

Spending said birthday on a beach just off the equator and then coming home and having a party*. Keep resisting the urge to invite people I don't really want to come just to be nice. Or to have people there. Probably to take the place of people I wish could be there but can't.

Couldn't it just be like in the third grade when everyone who was my friend and loved was only as far away as another classroom across the hall or across town ? There'd be a big party at the skating rink with giant dill pickles and Little Debbie snack cakes all around.

Imma shut up now and go eat an egg taco and reheat my coffee.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Xxoo

*We're having rum punch and gumbo and chocolate cake and you are welcome to please stop by. Unless you're one of the people I'm trying not to invite just to be nice. Oooop.

2010-08-09T09:58:00.002-05:00

Yesterday conned someone into working for me and had a very sweet and much needed day at home with my love.

Now am attempting to wade through all the crap stacked up on my desk. (Before Stephen left for work he called it the train wreck desk, but it's not that bad. Harumpf.)

Also need to pay the mortgage, drink more coffee, complete some online training for work, do something with the half pint of blueberries in the refrigerator, fold an ungodly amount of laundry, and water the plants withering away outside in the August heat.

I think I should start with the coffee and ease my way into the rest.

Xxoo

2010-08-05T17:07:00.002-05:00

Don't know if it is the heat or what, but I am so cranky I can hardly stand myself.

Ick.

Had a nice day today too with someone I like lots. I even ate enchiladas.

What is there to be cranky about ?

Gah.

I am such a pain in the ass sometimes.

2010-08-02T17:06:00.002-05:00

This big and getting bigger orange cat is snoozing in an empty laundry basket across the room. He is making little kitty snoring noises.

Today finished work early and had lunch with my love followed by a whipped cream filled chocolate cupcake. I managed to smear it halfway up my face. This only made it all the more delicious.

Tonight somehow I've to convince myself to go out in the blazing heat and take my exercise. ( Been wanting to use the phrase "take my exercise" ever since a man I work with told me that's one of his 90 year old mother's favorite phrases. I love the way it sounds. Heh. )

Took off all my nail polish today at work because it was chipped but somehow I missed the pinky nail of my right hand so one bright pink fingernail keeps catching me off guard as I type away at this nothingness.

Bye !

2010-07-25T09:38:00.002-05:00

Hiya.

There are a dozen or so birds outside flitting about chasing one another and a round little grey cat in the window who is very interested in their flitting and pining to get in on the chasing.

Been sipping coffee with a pour of milk, baking blueberry muffins, and listening to my favorite Joni Mitchell album medium loud this morning.

Lately I've been feeling kind of off and working too much and dreaming about vacations.

Now there are some stinky boy bike riders waiting to have Mexican breakfast (the muffins, I think, are already goners) and yelling at Le Tour de France on the tele.

There is perhaps another cup o' joe in order and then I need to spend the day trying to get a handle on neglected domestic duties.

We've been having an unusually mild summer here in central Texas and if anyone is interested I know a place you can stay for a very reasonable rate.

Xxoo.

2010-06-02T19:44:00.001-05:00

I've just been drivin' all over and sweatin' and givin' folks dialysis in it's various forms and sweatin'.

And did I mention the sweating ?

Ick.

I took down the windchimes and hanging plants and pushed the garbage can around to the side of the house and now I'm going to sit on the couch with my quilt and listen to the storm a while.

Hope you're having a nice week.

2010-06-01T10:59:00.002-05:00

Hiya.

Today is my second day off in a row. Rarely does this happen lately unless specifically requested for something. We have a small staff and lost several people in a short period of time. This combined with the amount of time involved getting new hires through training equals taking so much call lately that it is work/call, day off to recover, work/call, etc. It is exhausting everyone and we are all one big bunch of cranky and pissed off. Me especially. Heh.

Working on finishing the last of my coffee even though it was long ago cold and I've a shopping list ready once sufficiently caffeinated for a trip to the grocery. This afternoon going to bake a loaf of chocolate bread (Recipe from one of my all-time favorites, The Bread Bible. Have yet to make anything out of it that was not spot on. Killer.) for our new neighbor and make broccoli cheddar soup (Recipe adapted from another fave. Best brocco-che soup. Ever.) for dinner tonight and a pan of chicken enchiladas to have tomorrow. Also going to attempt to fold and put away all of the laundry we have managed to wash, dry, and pile over the last few days.

Also I plan to mentally prepare for the next three weeks of getting my ass kicked by my job.

XOXO

P.S. The bright side to all that call is buying our plane tickets for Paris when I get paid on Friday. Yay !

2010-05-31T16:46:00.002-05:00

the purple flowers on the thistles are starting to turn brown and blow away.

kept meaning to mention them in some inspired bit of blog writing but didn't and now they are dead or on their way there.

they reminded me of Eeyore.

2010-05-23T12:46:00.002-05:00

The cat is trying to sit on the keyboard while I am trying to type on that same keyboard and then gets cranky and swats at me for disturbing him.

Stephen is outside running the weed eater and making the neighbors dogs bark and bark.

We ate a lot of lunch and I don't know how anyone around here is doing anything except wanting to take a Sunday afternoon nap.

Which is what I'm going to go do right now.

Hope you are having a nice Sunday.

XOXO

2010-05-19T08:40:00.002-05:00

G'morning.

It's my day off and the only thing really need to do is push around the vacuum. Though the other person who lives here is out for an exceptionally long work day and it would be swell if he could come home and the house be clean-ish.

Maybe the enormous cup o' coffee halfway in will start to help with my motivation and I'll fly into action scrubbing and scouring floor to ceiling. Maybe it's magic coffee.

Something in the air is making me a sneezy snot factory and every five or six words I have to stop typing to have a sneezing fit and/or blow my nose. Pretty disgusting and also making typing this bunch of nothing post take way longer than it possibly should.

If you're not busy today I could use someone to match the socks and scoop out the litter box.

I've got magic coffee.

Honest !

XOXO

2010-05-06T16:17:00.002-05:00

good afternoon !

dredging through piles upon piles of crap and putting things away or sending them to Goodwill or even putting a few things on that old stand-by ebay. the fam is trekking down here for the 4th of july and kind of feel like the whole house has to be together by then. aack.

yesterday rode my bicycle for the first time in ages and ages and between the wind and the sun and the hill tried to go up nearly fainted. out.of.shape. ooof. ima go again today once the sun starts to go down a little.

all the cats are passed out post catnip binge and it is super quiet except for the click click of my typing and the occasional tinkling of the windchime on the back porch.

i better get back to doing something useful else i'll end up napping away the late afternoon.

XOXO

2010-05-05T07:55:00.002-05:00

Happy 5th of May.

Not getting up by five to go to work for hours and hours is really great. Watching entirely too much television and puttering around the house and yard.

Last night we went out to dinner at our favorite little French restaurant. Carrot ginger soup. Yum.

This morning when I went out to put the recycling on the curb our neighbor gave me an apple pie. (!) We're going to have to hold onto the pie plate for a few days just to keep her from knowing what total pigs we are because there is no way that pie survives more than 24 hours in this house.

Today we are having a water softener installed and you know you are a total nerd when that is the high point of your day. So long spotty white dishes and sinks !

Heh.

Ima scrounge around on the internets and see what I can find to throw together for dinner and also maybe some items of clothing other than scrubs or pajamas. Before I end up on an episode of What Not to Wear.

XOXO

2010-05-02T17:31:00.002-05:00

hiya.

we got the internets back on post-move. we also got (gasp !) cable tv and paid the first mortgage payment.

really living big now.

we are settling into the new digs and after today (i am on call until 0700. ick) i have 5 days off from work.

holla !

ima ride bikes and dig in the dirt and bake stuff and ... stuff.

hope you've been well and to see you more often.

XOXO

2010-03-27T12:27:00.003-05:00

Welcome, Saturday.

Cup of coffee number two, breakfast working in the kitchen, and fresh air through the open window.

Closing on our new house is Wednesday.

Have a nice weekend.

XOXO

as the crow flies, you can be my baby

2010-03-23T08:45:00.004-05:00

Good Morning !

See that exclamation point ? Good Morning !

There it is again. In case you didn't.

Really cannot quite believe the change in disposition that this second day off from work in a row has brought. It has been weeks (plural !) since had two days off in succession and the lone days off that I do have are usually after call nights and spent doing little more than trying to regroup and prepare for the next day.

Also on work days up before light and rushing around and out the door and no breakfast and UGH. It's the worst and takes several hours to feel awake and functioning and then it is 2 or 3 o'clock when maybe can inhale some food. And by the time the day is over 12 or 15 or MORE hours later all I want to do it leave my nasty clothes in a pile on the floor and pass out.

This wasn't intended to be a work rant at all. Really. What meant to tell you was that I woke up this morning and the sun was out and my love was getting ready for work trying not to wake me and the cat was feeling snuggly and knew had the whole day to do just what I want and it was beautiful.

Have had some cinnamon raisin toast (smidge of butter) and finishing up tea from my favorite little mug (splurt of honey, no milk). There is some folksy, happy music playing in the background and every.single.thing that happens lately, good or bad (or songs that play, even folksy, happy ones) makes me tear up.

It's really the damnedest thing.

I'ma try to dry it up, pull some yoga pants on under my sleep shirt, go out into the sunshine and spring and gather up some things we need.

Coffee, loaf o' bread, shampoo, etc.

Hope you have a day that's your perfect speed.

XOXO

2010-03-17T19:19:00.002-05:00

Hi there.

Fed the stray cat, went for a stroll, secured a beverage, drew a bath.

The not-stray cat who is my friend sat on the side of the tub occasionally lapping at the water while I tried to wash off the funk ( both literal and figurative ) of my day.

Getting ready to ease into drink number two, turn on some soft music, and braid my damp, unruly mess of hair.

Some days doesn't the world just beat you down ?

I know.

Me too.

Hang in there.

XOXO

2010-02-09T17:31:00.002-06:00

Today seems as if it has only lasted two hours or so.

Man.

Filled out the last of the paperwork for a mortgage today. Shooting for a closing the third week of March.

Heavy.

Just realized how much I like to use the work heavy. Ha.

Worked long long late late last night and it's making me feel like I need to turn in early to make up for it. And by early I mean right about now.

Night night.

2010-02-03T12:56:00.002-06:00

TODAY

By: Trisha

Calling in sick to work makes me feel like a jerk.

So does writing sentences that rhyme.

THE END

2010-01-28T10:59:00.002-06:00

good morning, you.

it took as unusually large bucket o' coffee to get me up and out of bed this a.m.

now am rocking some trashed-out floods-a-comin' sweat pants and pretending not to know that the shelf 'bras' in tank tops don't really count as bras once you reach my particular cup size or that you really should comb your hair before going out in public.

appointment at 1 to look at some houses and before that am going to go pay someone to rub my achy, abused feet and trim my toenails. also probably stop somewhere and pay too much for another hit of caffeine.

off i go before the skies open and dump out a buncha water.

XOXO

Hi !

2010-01-26T11:36:00.002-06:00

A week ago we were on vacation in New Orleans. Spent the first half of our trip being grumpy and worried because I felt like I had tried really hard and planned this trip and we had ended up someplace that was just so ... tired ? Run-down ?

Don't know for sure, but I distinctly felt like I had failed at finding us someplace "nice" to go. Ended up having a great time and by the end of the trip was won over by the cities unique brand of gritty, fatalistic charm.

And all the drinking before noon and strong rum-based cocktails didn't hurt.

Now we are back at home and I am completely fed up with our apartment. Our neighbors are ridiculous and obnoxious, nothing we do will get rid of the damned ants, and there are boxes of shit everywhere as we thought we would be moving by now. The house we thought we would be getting is looking like a no-go so Thursday we are back out looking at more houses.

Bleh !

But don't cry for me yet because I am going to book a Paris-bound October flight, snarf down a taco stuffed with leftover salpicon and panela cheese, and head out into the sun-soaked 60 degree day for a stroll.

2010-01-05T11:58:00.002-06:00

Nose is dribbling and sniffling and struggling and generally causing a ruckus.

Ick.

Cold here. Not quite cold enough to need an ice scraper for the car windows though. Love me some Texas.

Love.

At the grocery today filled the cart with things that are nourishing and good and threw in the multi-vitamin the nurse practitioner at my GYN office told me I should start taking two months ago. Feels like a good time to reset some bad habits and try and dig into some new and better ones.

Deluded first week of the new year cliche that I am

The coffee have been using to wash down my oatmeal with rice milk, pecan pieces, and dried cranberries is completely cold and the dish towels from the dryer need to be folded and put away.

Bye bye.

2010-01-04T14:06:00.002-06:00

Pssst.

Today I got put on-call for work instead of having a patient assignment and then being on-call.

Have been having a pretty ok day. Reasons why :

The doctor was on-call with over the weekend scored me some points with my boss by telling him what a pleasure I am to work with. ( No, really. Stop laughing ! )

Took lunch to some people who did have to work. ( See ... I'm nice ! )

The last two things made me realize that no only do I not hate this job like the last one, I actually like it. Mostly. When it isn't making me crazy.

Ha.

Also :

mid-afternoon coffee - perfect indulgence for the weather today

hand massage + bright pink fingernails

new mascara

public radio

10 days until VACATION

the giant red hearts on my Birkenstock's

1970's style heating pad that gets hot enough to leave a mark

work-appropriate attire complete with elastic in the waist

window shopping for new furniture

hello new year.

2010-01-03T13:25:00.002-06:00

whatcha got ?

don't know about the new year, but right i've now got cold feet and a warm heart.

i know. cheese.

morning started with a call-in right before the switch over from saturday to sunday call.

now am caffeinated and full of a late breakfast that eliminated completely the need for lunch. (side note : i really hate the word "brunch." bleh.) have been cut off from any further caffeine or sugar by the man o' the house and any beverage he offers me will need to be inspected for the melty pink remains of a generic benadryl. all because of a little i-phone ordering victory dance and a quick chase of the cat around the house.

so harsh !

cloudy here and cold. maybe time to give into the nagging exhaustion underneath all that caffeine and adrenaline and take a little nap. or a big nap.

or huge.

happy new year.

hope it's full of naps and love and things that make you smile.

XOXO

2009-12-30T08:32:00.002-06:00

Day at work yesterday was surreal. Frustrating. Depressing.

Ick.

To the point where I apologized to my patient about 100 times in the course of his treatment and left nearly in tears at how horrible the situation that I was prolonging.

Sad.

But today away from work and not even entertaining the idea of going in. Especially in light of the schedule for next month that has me either working, on-call, or both nearly everyday.

Except the ones where we are going on vacation.

Oh, vacation. You little light in the middle of the tunnel.

Today need to find a calendar for 2010 (!) and get a memory stick and maybe a case for my new Christmas camera.

After that contemplate the bank balance and possibly get a pedicure and snag some Indian food for lunch.

Please spend your day today doing something sweet and nice, ok ?

2009-12-21T11:21:00.003-06:00

How is it Christmas this week ? Already ? Srsly ?

Wow.

Last week at work was insane and long and vaguely traumatizing.

Day off today. Using the little get up and go available to catch up the laundry and make a run to the store for boring, boring, necessary things.

I love me some pre-holiday last-minute shopper crowds so odds are 60/40 someone gets kicked in the shin and you get a call to come bail me outta jail.

Happy Holidays !

2009-12-12T18:42:00.003-06:00

Today the man that I love got up and started laundry (which may have all come off of my bathroom floor ) and made me a cup of coffee when I managed to stumble out of bed hours later. He also made blueberry muffins still more hours later when I could actually be classified as awake and not just out of bed.

He's nice.

Perhaps yesterday's 15 hour shift, spent shoving around a rolling cart with a bum wheel piled up with a dialysis machine, supplies, and a water treatment system, fueled by Diet Coke and peanut butter crackers, may begin to explain this wiped out feeling that has kept me in bed most of the day.

( Please don't mind that run-on sentence or the thousand commas is contains. Thanks )

And now am washing down a bowl of vegetable soup with a double shot mug of emergen-c and thinking about wrapping packages since my sweet family will be here next weekend for a Texas-style early Christmas jam.

Plaid paper, a three-pack of Scotch tape, and bad Saturday night network television with my name all over them.

If I can manage to stay out of bed.

2009-12-09T09:45:00.002-06:00

Today I am throwing all of my faith into the idea that bathing, grooming, putting on something other than scrubs or pajamas, having some caffeine, and going out into the world will be good for me.

Wish me luck.

2009-12-06T13:41:00.003-06:00

Happy Sunday.

Stuffed full of warm chocolate chip cookies and a taste of cold milk and hiding inside from the chill and the damp.

My live-in is packing up dishes and glassware we don't need and I am basking in the smugness of completing such grown-up financial tasks as consolidating 401(k)s, securing mortgages, and submitting expense receipts to my employer for reimbursement.

Now if I could master other things like putting away my laundry, or having the oil in my car changed on time, or even hanging my coat up in the closet when coming in from being out - we'd really be cooking.

Have a pressing need to climb back into bed for a nap and try not to obsess about work tomorrow or the difficult doctor/family combination that will be waiting to greet me bright and early.

For dinner we are having turkey pot pies and not the kind that come out of the freezer in a red and white box.

I'd share one with you if you came over and brought some wood for the fire.

2009-11-30T16:38:00.003-06:00

Yesterday our wee apartment was packed full of a whole lot of lovin' as we celebrated my honey's birthday with oodles of friends and champagne and cupcakes ( chocolate and vanilla ).

Tonight we are headed out for more celebrating, but not too much as we both have to work early early tomorrow. I have a new dress and a pre-date date with the shower and some hair product.

Tomorrow will be my first day taking call at my not-so-new job. Eeep.

Hopefully they don't call me in to try and do something I don't know how to do yet.

Heh.

I hope you had a nice holiday and ate only slightly less than I.

XOXO

2009-11-20T19:01:00.003-06:00

Hi there.

Every one of my patients this week with some nasty blood-borne illness has manged to spray either HIV or Hep C or whatever their pathogen of choice is all over the damned floor.

Holla.

I'm drinking some beers and gearing up for the fourth day of work in a row tomorrow. Also am waiting for the guy who lives with me to get on home so we can get some chow.

Or I may just eat some crackers, have another beer, and call it.

What you doin' ?

2009-11-16T15:24:00.002-06:00

Hello friends.

The percentage of my time eaten up by working lately is a little higher than I'm completely digging.

But gotsta make that paper.

Ha.

We have just been taking in fresh air and enjoying the dip in the temperature and making some damn fine Mexican food for a couple of white folks.

Today I dug out our Christmas stockings, bought some tiny blue lights to hang on the balcony, and there may be just enough time for me to snag a nap before my love gets home from work.

Hope you are having a nice fall and getting ready for winter.

XOXO

2009-10-29T09:18:00.002-05:00

You all should know that according to the online learning test just completed I am officially competent at my job.

Heh.

This may not be completely accurate, but I do think that I am getting there.

There isn't much to share that isn't either completely boring (my continuing caffeine habit or need for better personal hygiene) or completely horrifying (coding patients and back-alley pelvic exams) and I will spare you both of those categories and tell you these two things instead :

I am going to start my Christmas shopping today in the tropical heat of central Texas and if you are lucky maybe I am getting something for you.

I will be breaking my no cartoon character scrub tops rule Saturday and wearing a Charlie Brown Halloween shirt and possibly carrying it over to a party as part of my grouchy nurse who just got off work and can't drink anything because of some medication she is taking costume.

Don't you feel better for having these two bits of vital information ?

2009-10-25T19:57:00.002-05:00

just wrapping up the first two days off in a row in longer than i like to think about.

yesterday we ran some errands and scored some farm market produce, but today we did very little of anything that involved getting up out of bed.

we did manage to drag ourselves to the grocery and thus are about to sit down for pork chops, spinach, and sweet potatoes.

tomorrow is back to work and i can't say i feel that bad about it.

huzzah !

2009-09-29T10:45:00.002-05:00

off kilter and cooped up and peevish. all on the same morning.

such a delight.

maybe need caffeine or fresh air or a snack or to just go back to bed and start over in an hour or so.

wish i had one of those bikes with a big fat seat and somewhere to ride it, leisurely, some distance away.

since i don't maybe that thing i said before about going back to bed...

mish mush

2009-09-23T11:49:00.003-05:00

This morning woke up nestled in a mound of cotton and down. First break in the heat feels like fall. ( Though next week it will be 90 degrees again, so let us not kid ourselves. ) Now it is just past noon and I have only just polished off my first cup of coffee.

Public radio is playing a particularly mellow lineup of songs in keeping with the grey and damp weather and I have been puttering about the kitchen feeling sentimental about such mundane, functional things as teapots and wall clocks and mauve (not pink) coffee mugs.

Should get into the shower and put on some proper clothes instead of just a robe, but right now am quite enjoying the occasional faint reminder of last nights lovely romp with the lights on and the illusion of having zero that needs attending to except the most domestic of things. ( Brewing tea and washing sheets and scratching the ears of insistent, well-fed felines. )

If time could be made to stand still please have it be made to on a day exactly like today replete with a heightened sense of the beauty of everyday things and a pure feeling of contentedness and ease and being right where one belongs.

2009-09-22T14:23:00.003-05:00

drinking coffee when it rains is one of my all-time favorites.

srsly.

today on this first day of fall thinking of ordering a new coat as the one i have is probably close to a decade old and could soon find itself in a box bound for Goodwill.

maybe something wool. in plaid. old-school style.

we'll see.

to do : fill out about a bazillion boring papers for work and pick up after myself so the person i live with doesn't get tired of my slovenly ways and give me the boot.

ta-ta.

2009-09-19T11:35:00.002-05:00

chicken soup and coffee for breakfast.

slow getting started today.

going to run some errands and seek out the perfect Saturday afternoon picnic location.

this evening headed to a movie for the first time in months and months (a year ?).

the theater we are going to has fried pickles and beer.

first rate !

quickie

2009-09-15T16:14:00.002-05:00

on the way here in the car i was thinking about something that should be a happy thought and then it started to make me panic and then i almost started crying.

i wonder where this insane insecurity comes from and if there is an antidote ?

2009-09-12T17:58:00.002-05:00

we are having a real drenching rain here for the first time in over a year.

it's fab.

this morning we had dim sum with a trio of quirky, fun friends. i suck at using chop sticks and need a fork and most of the food is full of shrimps which kind of grosses me out.

i am such a whitey pants.

came home and took a world-class nap with the windows open.

just go back from the store with a movie and the ingredients for cheesecake swirl brownies which i will be making and taking to a meeting tomorrow at work.

i am meeting all of the my co-workers for the first time and i want to make trick them into thinking i am nice.

suckers !

2009-09-10T17:26:00.002-05:00

A mid-afternoon cup of coffee feels like such a treat.

Until all that extra caffeine plus coffee in a mostly empty stomach leave you with a slightly erratic heartbeat and a case of the queasy.

I am so fragile.

Ha.

2009-09-02T19:46:00.002-05:00

you should be jealous

and not just because I am spending the week rocking San Antonio and days filled with sitting in a classroom

the real reason to be jealous...

today i booked a room here

for a five night stay

a year from now

i find it's always good to get a jump start on coveting

2009-08-30T12:36:00.002-05:00

My love should be home in a few hours.

A few hours after that I am leaving for a week of work classes/training.

He went to France, I am going to San Antonio.

Almost the same thing, right ?

hurry up and be sunday

2009-08-27T08:15:00.003-05:00

Today will be spending some quality time at waxing salon followed by a pit stop for a caffeinated beverage to sip while having a pedicure.

And lest you think me a total princess I also need to stop off and get a bag of potting soil to re-pot a tree into a ginormous pot that I hauled up the stairs yesterday.

Not to mention the table repairing, furniture moving, washing machine filter cleaning, and generally all around kicking ass from earlier this week that you may or may not have already forgotten about.

I haven't.

And neither has my lower back.

Heh.

Despite all of this girl-power rah rah it really is time for that guy that lives here to get on home.

I miss him.

And not just because he keeps the catbox clean and makes sure I ingest something other than toast and gingerale.

2009-08-25T09:18:00.003-05:00

This week it seems the universe would just like to double check that I am still capable of functioning in the big bad world all by my lonesome.

Yesterday I opened the washing machine before going to work (at 3:00 in the morning mind you) to find that it did not and would not spin out. It is always ever so nice to have a sopping pile of moldering laundry stinking about.

Gross.

When I called the repair line the woman advised me to clean the pump filter as though any reasonable person would know they were supposed to open a hidden door on their washer and let out all the lingering water and leftover nasties.

"It's right in the owner's manual."

Oh. That thing. That is somewhere. Here in my house.

Somewhere.

But thanks to the internets and a couple of grody old towels it is all clean now and we will see if the problem is magically solved.

Also my table is repaired and ready for pick-up this afternoon. I sent an e-mail to the seller requesting to be reimbursed for repair costs and received a prompt reply and the money.

Well, well. Take that universe.

Now if I can just get it back into my car, across town, and up the stairs we will be in business.

If tomorrow the engine in my car explodes or all four of my tires simultaneously blow on my way to work at 4 AM I will not be the least bit surprised.

2009-08-23T05:59:00.003-05:00

Allow me to tell you a little story:

Once there was a girl who ordered, from a carpenter, a sofa table.

Upon its arrival the table was found to be broken in several spots. One of which being the place where the legs screw in.

So unless rather than a table the girl wanted a really big TV tray, this table needed to be repaired.

An e-mail to the seller was less than helpful and firmly supported the idea that the girl try and put the table back together with some wood glue and clamps.

He also advised it would be helpful to use a small drill bit and a long screw to reinforce the gluing.

Here the girls head nearly exploded as she wondered why, if she had a drill and bits and screws and were a bloody carpenter, she would pay someone else to make for her a table rather than doing that shit herself.

But I digress.

Anyway.

After a trip to Home Depot and an hour of trying to piece the table back together the girl, who hates puzzles and is not good at them, decided to call a furniture repairman who advises her to bring the thing on down. Anytime. Today, tomorrow.

Ok !

Perhaps this is our stories hero, no?

Now develop a picture in your mind of the girl, just over five feet, maneuvering from her third floor walk-up apartment and down to the parking lot, a nearly seven foot long table top. This she shoved into the trunk, through the backseat, and into the passenger side front seat of her Hyundai Elantra. All the while muttering curses under her breath and sweating like a whore in church in the 100+ degree Texas heat.

Very nice.

And through this whole mess the girl did not cry, not a tear, even though she is, after all, a girl and prone to reacting in this way to such things.

That is she did not cry, not a tear, until sitting down on the couch with a ginger ale and leftover take-out and opening a fortune cookie bearing the message : You Love a good challenge.

At which point the girl started laughing, a bit maniacally, and was soon sobbing and snotting through bites of cold rice and tofu with basil and mixed vegetables.

Great story, huh ?

So now the table is in my car, and I pretty much hate the fucking thing for being such a pain in the ass. But I am going to drive it way the hell across town and see 1) if it is fixable and 2) how much, mister ?

Total suck.

Also adding to my total suck is the fact that I am here alone and feeling quite sorry for myself and wondering why it is that after more than a year I still have not one single friend in this whole town.

And also thinking that probably the man I live with will find his one true love in France and make top secret plans to marry her later this week. (Boy does like to move things fast, you know.) Or at least spend the week with her hidden away in his hotel room and ignoring my calls.

Heh.

(Sadly I am only half kidding that these are the things that cross my mind. Maybe more like one third kidding.)

And so, my friends, I leave you with this little glimpse into my damaged psyche and am off to catch another hour or so of sleep before I trek deep into South Austin in search of the end to my table dilemma

Nighty night.

2009-08-22T10:31:00.002-05:00

Good Morning.

False start this morning at 3 AM. Checked to make sure my love had arrived safely in the City o' Lights, and made a reservation for a sweet little January stay in New Orleans.

Then went back to bed around 5 for a couple more hours sleep and a Saturday start at a much more reasonable hour.

Now am slowly drinking a very large, very strong cup of coffee, charging the battery on my tiny pink iPod, and trying to come up with a plan of action for the rest of the day.

My new table is in several pieces in the middle of the living room carpet ( thanks UPS ! ) and it seems I need a bottle of wood glue, more caffeine, and a healthy dose of better attitude if it is going to be repaired and of any use.

(Please let us not talk about why I am going to be going all this old house ghetto style rather than returning it for repairs with the shipping insurance money. Ok ?)

Other things I need to do today include washing all my dirty scrubs ( all five pairs of them), eating cold* vegetable soup before it goes bad, and trying to get out of PetSmart with only a bag of cat food and not another cat.

If any of those things sound like a barrel of laughs to you you are welcome to head over and join the fun.

Please bring vodka. Or at least a drink from Sonic. Or, ideally, both.

*Yes, I am that lazy. Did you really even have to ask ?

2009-08-21T17:29:00.003-05:00

I am exhausted from a flip-flop sleep schedule week.

The table I ordered to go with my new sofa arrived today. It is handmade and beautiful and all busted to shit from the transit here.

Grr.

My love is on a flight to Paris right this very second and will be gone for a week.

I do not like any of these things.

Maybe tomorrow I will wake up feeling much less foul and come back with a list of things that I do.

Caffeine and Carbohydrates

2009-08-18T17:37:00.003-05:00

Our refrigerator and pantry are bursting at the seems with tasty morsels.

Even so today have ingested (listed in chronological order) :

1 large cup coffee, 1 bowl puffed honey rice cereal with milk, mucho iced tea, 1 grilled cheese sandwich, bottle of sparkling mineral water, 1 slice of toast with peanut butter and chocolate chips

For dinner another bowl of cereal maybe and call it a day of great ! nutritional ! value !

Today my love called me and I told him I was feeling sad and he came home for a quick lunch before his afternoon work engagements. He is sweet like that.

There is no real reason for feeling sad except a touch of the lonelies and maybe that I could use a close by friend or even perhaps two.

Dreaming of visits with not so close by friends and scheming a mid-winter Cajun lover's getaway.
Nothing much else happening and soon it's early to bed for too too early make me wanna gag to rise.

Night night.

2009-08-11T10:57:00.002-05:00

Licking up the last crumbs from a slice of pumpkin bread and sipping on a cup of coffee with milk. Both of these things could have been made here at my house in my kitchen with things already on hand for 1/10th the price paid for them at the coffee shop next to the yoga studio.

But I am after all a good American and nothing if not a consumer and lover of convenience.

(In my defense it is so ungodly hot that the idea of turning on a burner let along the oven is incredibly unappealing.

Oh.

And I am a lazeabout.)

Once the caffeine kicks in there are grand plans for flying into action and throwing together some keep in the fridge for the rest of the week types of dishes and finishing up the laundry.

And lest you think I never do anything except sit at home drinking coffee and doing laundry you should know that this weekend we had some friends over for all-the-fixin's burgers, monopoly, too much wine, and homemade ice cream.

Next weekend we could do something along the same lines. Just let me know what time to be there.

XOXO

mundane

2009-08-04T14:10:00.003-05:00

started making coffee.

got distracted by the phone.

started vacuuming.

took a shower.

had lunch with my love. (oh Indian food i love you !)

came home.

remembered coffee.

now drinking iced coffee, listening to the last hour of music on public radio before the news comes on, and folding laundry.

maybe i should pick back up and finish the vacuuming next.

party up.

2009-07-30T17:51:00.003-05:00

today while i was at work the sky opened up briefly and dumped out some rain.

i keep typing and erasing trying to put into words what it was like to be in a room full of people who all stopped what they were doing and let out a collective sigh of relief at a short respite from the 100 degree days and blazing Texas sun.

nothing i put together really does the moment justice so it is going to have to suffice to say it was pleasant and grounding and very much made me realize how similar we all really are.

2009-07-28T11:56:00.002-05:00

Just home from being out in public looking a mess.

Black yoga pants pulled on under last night's sleep shirt, ratty ballet flats, neon green splatter dyed-bandanna over a tangle of hair, and a giant pair of sunglasses.

Luckily the places I went were a yoga class and Whole Foods. And I live in Austin. So really I looked quite at one with my surroundings. Showing solidarity was a 6 year old kid going into the grocery wearing his spider man pajama pants and yellow plastic clogs.

Rock.

For some reason now that I am home there is no water in our apartment. When/if it decides to come back on I am making Indian food for dinner.

Murgh makani and yellow lentils and rice.

It would make me feel much more worldly and exotic to type murgh makani if I hadn't just copied it out of the sturdy little 50 Great Curries of India my mom bought for less than an hours work at the new minimum wage from a clearance table at a cheesy big-box chain bookstore.

Oh well.

I am also using there being no water as an excuse not to tidy up the kitchen and am just ignoring all of the laundry that needs to be put away with no excuse at all.

Tomorrow I go back to work and strangely enough thinking about it doesn't fill me with dread and/or rage.

This I could get used to.

Go outside today and soak up a little bit of sun.

It'll feel nice.

Promise.

2009-07-22T10:19:00.002-05:00

Hi.

New job continues to chug chug along.

So far, so good.

My internal clock is thrown out of whack from the super early mornings and also working at my old job a couple of days last week.

To confuse things a bit more just finished eating a bowl of pasta with red sauce at 1000 in the morning.

Heh.

Right now the compliance training module for work is playing and I am getting paid to watch it, but boy it is booooring.

Bo-ring.

Slide 182/208.

Whee Hoo !

2009-07-16T10:52:00.003-05:00

have been rocking my new job the last three days

starting at 4 am.

it hasn't been as bad as i had anticipated. the time.

the work i am totally digging.

in the mail today there was a nurse's day card from my old job that came late late late because it had the wrong zip code on the envelope. inside were three lifesavers.

thanks !

how typical and lame of them.

right now waiting for the annoying morning dj to be off the air and the not annoying at all afternoon guy to take over.

also there are groceries on the counter and i am planning to make the following :

peppadew hummus ( to smear on fresh bread and cover with veggies for some killer sandwiches )

barley corn and green bean salad ( to go with the killer sandwiches )

half a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies ( maybe ! if i work out ! )

this afternoon someone is coming to check out our washer so i had better go do a quick check to make sure there are no unmentionables strewn about or puddles of cat vomit on the carpet.

bye !

2009-07-11T13:39:00.003-05:00

going to have a late lunch with some friends.

fried chicken and cornbread.

and the blueberry buttermilk cake that is on our counter cooling.

yum.

monday i have to be at work at 0400.

but i am trying not to think about that. yet.

oh weekend oh i love you.

love. love.

2009-07-08T09:18:00.002-05:00

there is a story on the msn homepage today called "sizzlin' suits" only when i saw it i thought it said sizzlin' sluts and i was excited to click on it.

heh.

today i am going to go to a yoga class, pee in a cup for my job, and get paid to sit at home reading a book about kidneys.

in order to do these things should go and get dressed.

spend some time outside in the sunshine and fresh air today, ok ?

2009-07-02T08:01:00.002-05:00

it feels like i ate a basketball for dinner instead of a strawberry milkshake.

not that it should be surprising that having a milkshake for dinner might cause one to wake up feeling a bit...um...heavy.

such is life.

and now i need to go finish throwing some things in an overnight bag and pull on some pants with an elastic waist so we can get started on our really long drive up I-35.

see you soon !

perspective

2009-06-30T15:28:00.004-05:00

the hardest decisions have had to make today were:

1) what color to have my toenails painted (aquamarine beat pale pink and violet)

2) which pair of shoes to buy (whiskey brown leather sandals beat turquoise patent peep toe flats and metallic gold cut-out wedges)

3) what speed to set the treadmill at (super lazy slow beat every other speed just like it always does)

2009-06-29T13:51:00.002-05:00

Today it is only 99 degrees here. Only. Ha.

Just back from walking across the road to the bakery for a loaf of bread. The woman working there cut me off a slice to munch on as I sweat and slid back home sockless in my ballet flats and toting the brown paper bag concealing my purchase.

There is beef marinating and garlic roasting and bedding washing all evidence of my inspired domesticity.

In three more days we are leaving for a little getaway back to the place where my love and I first met and then to my every-other-yearly extended family reunion.

The smell of the garlic roasting is making me hungry.

Going to try and scrounge up something to eat other than the last cup of Mexican vanilla pudding which technically is for the other person who lives here.

Bye.

2009-06-28T17:35:00.002-05:00

airplanes are buzzing overhead taking people in and out of the texas heat and someone downstairs keeps beep beep beeping their car alarm set beeper.

earlier today my stomach was knotted and felt like rejecting its contents but instead of puking i took a couple of swigs out of a bottle of mylanta and sat up in bed willing it to be better.

it seems to be now. better.

right now the man i love is asleep in the next room. can hear his breathing in and out and also the smaller, shorter in and outs of the cat next to my hip.

want to wake one or both of them up because i feel lonely but maybe i can try to not be so selfish all of the time.

i feel small and sad for no good reason and wonder what there is to take a couple of swigs of while willing it to be better.

2009-06-27T10:40:00.002-05:00

things i love
saturday edition
(in no particular order)

neko case
coffee
cat acrobatics
teh facebook dramaz
air conditioning
peanut butter toast
dirt
date night
sunshine
bird chirps
vacation
kissing

2009-06-26T05:58:00.002-05:00

cancelled from work today. which means can use my last bit of paid time off an no one can bitch.

having a cup of coffee and listening to the quiet.

feels like my soul has been snatched back from the abyss.

melodramatic, i know, but true.

gonna stay awake and make some things happen. or just take it easy. or a little of both.

have a nice day.

i plan to.

2009-06-24T20:51:00.003-05:00

Today at work some of my co-workers had for me a "going away" brunch.

Only my day was sucking so big that I couldn't get away to go and instead was eating a slightly stale muffin and room temp cheese cubes in the break room by myself well past a reasonable lunch time.

Pretty much a fitting end to the story.

2009-06-19T19:42:00.002-05:00

the feline residents in our house think everything we bring home is a new cat toy. right now the two bigger ones are chasing each other around some cardboard boxes filled with wine.

tomorrow i have to go to work and it is making me want to gag. ew.

not making me want to gag is the slightly greasy man who is cooking out my dinner. i actually like him quite a lot and he hardly ever makes me want to gag.

hardly ever.

ha.

i should go and do something useful besides sit here and stare into the internets. like maybe drink some wine or turn on some music.

bye bye.

Little Green Basket

2009-06-18T14:24:00.002-05:00

baby bok choi (cute !)
2 ears of corn
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 gallon 2% milk
3 limes
4 center-cut bone-in pork chops
pile fresh green beans
2 serrano chiles
handful shitake mushrooms
2 carrots
baby corn (also cute !)
2 stalks of lemon grass
chunk of fresh ginger

2009-06-15T11:57:00.002-05:00

Trying to get out of the house into the fresh air.

Engine won't turn over.

My new job officially starts on the 6th of July. Current one ends June 26th.

Going to try for a jump start in the week between.

Searching for the spark plugs.

Hi summertime.

2009-06-08T14:26:00.003-05:00

Lately have been exceedingly difficult to live with. As of this morning am officially in bad attitude rehabilitation.

For real.

There is a fresh peach cake in the oven, folk music on the radio, and the beginnings of a two week written notice to my job that I hate on the desk.

(My official end date will be the 26th. Then a little vacation. New dialysis nurse job starts on July the 7th.)

As soon as the cake is finished baking heading to the pool to test out my new tropical scent sunscreen and drink a quart or so of iced tea.

If you decide to come along please bring a couple of trashy magazines and a bowl of salty snack mix.

2009-05-28T09:40:00.002-05:00

After a string of days of completely irrational behavior, crying jags, and mood swings it occurred to me that something might be a little off in my wee brain.

There is a little collection of dietary supplements that I am going to try for a few weeks to see if can at least get a placebo effect working. If not suppose I should go to an actual (gasp !) doctor.

This makes more sense than my initial plan to pack up all of my things and move into a hovel where only Cat would be forced to put up with me and I could wallow undisturbed in my unabashed misery.

Though the current plan is much less dramatic and I should probably just admit the occasional pull towards the more.

Other than my burgeoning mental illness very little is happening.

Pulled a muscle in my back lifting a back of cat litter at Petsmart.

No call-back from potential job for a final interview. If nothing today it probably means they aren't interested. Boo.

Going to one of my favorite little haunts to have lunch with a friend from work.

For dinner planning to make some samosas and dipping sauce.

Maybe between those last two should go to the pool and mentally prepare myself for a weekend of work.

If anyone wants to plan a summer vacation to Texas please do and I promise to try and be sweet and not crazy while you are here.

Love.

2009-05-27T12:48:00.002-05:00

The little black cloud that normally hovers just above my head has been increasing in both size and depth of shade for some time now.

This morning after being awake for some time trying to convince myself to go to work called in sick. This was at 3 am.

It was a full 8 hours later when finally I drug myself out of bed.

Calling in depressed is perfectly legitimate, right ?

2009-05-26T12:36:00.001-05:00

Should be starting some domestic duties.

If anyone sees my motivation skulking about please send her home straight away.

Thanks.

2009-05-19T13:00:00.003-05:00

Waiting to see if there are any nibbles from my job application spree.

Trying to eat more vegetables and move around.

Cleaning out the closet.

All the windows are open and the air smells fresh.

2009-05-14T16:35:00.003-05:00

Hello friends.

Today am on a stake-out to find the culprit behind the poo at my front door. No success yet, but I remain hopeful.

Spent the morning applying for jobs. Spreading a large net in hopes of something getting caught. A lot of different things seem interesting and possible and none of them is a strong favorite just yet.

There is a big mess of emotions welling up about the end of my current job coming up and maybe it will start to make sense and turn into words soon, but right now it won't so I'm going to stop trying to force it out.

Going to make a grocery list and wait on a dog instead.

Bye bye.

2009-05-10T11:39:00.003-05:00

Good morning.

One of our super terrific neighbors has started letting their dog out to piss and shit on the sidewalk just outside our front door.

No one but me probably remembers the last war of the apartment neighbors that reached its boiling point when some downstairs stoners stole the bag of candy left at Christmas for the mailman, but this has the potential to be just as fun.

People suck so bad.

Also sucking so bad is going back to work tomorrow.

My goal is to have a new job and be making a little more of that paper in 6 weeks.

Wish me luck !

2009-05-08T10:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning slept late after too many days of work.

Then last night we had an early dinner, snuggling, sex, shower, more sex, wine, music, more snuggling, sleep.

Thus my mood is somewhat improved from my last posting.

Today starting to apply for jobs. Many jobs. All kinds.

Hopefully someone somewhere is just dying to hire me.

If you know who that might be flag me.

2009-05-04T18:48:00.002-05:00

Cranky and wishing I were some other type of mammal with a burrow or a den to crawl into and sulk.

This could possibly be linked to the massive amounts of sugar that I have been taking in lately throwing my metabolism and blood sugar levels into a roller coaster ride or it could just be my usual difficult nature coming on particularly strong.

Or both.

Either way I am not terribly good company so be thankful if you don't live with or near me and sorry if you do.

Bleh.