Moody Meow

I’m going to do the birthday thing. If you are coming, please let me know asap so I know how much to cook! (chicken anyone??)

They patched the roof yesterday, shortly after I bailed out of work. D was going to be home. but I didn’t want to miss the fun of listening to grown men stomp upon house, pounding promise and protection. I heard a staple gun, or a nail gun, and thought to myself “Isn’t that a tin roof? How is puncturing the roof going to help us out in the long run?” But I’m no roofer. That was left up to the professionals. All I knew was that Frankie was coming over for dinner (I made that chicken satay thingy again, and it was still fucking nummy!) and we had to clean. So, I played Psychonauts till the last minute. Actually, that’t not truth. I played Psychonauts until I had to get the chicken ready, and then when the taters were roasting, I hopped into bed for a powernap. I’ve not been sleeping well, even with all this excersize.
Frankie’s arrival came just as I was putting the sauce together. I had a rum and coke and the geeking out began. Dinner eaten, we decided to put off drinks. Battlestar Gallactica was coming on at 10. We watched. Then we headed to 310 for martinis. I’m not much of a fan of Winter Park in general, and 310 does seem to be a bit uppity for me, but the staff is spectacular and the drinks are made well. For the next three hours, the conversation flowed with ease. Frankie and I had espresso martinis (my new favorite) and D had the bass. I love watching D and Frankie interact. It’s like they are brethren of some strange, misunderstood community. It’s a community that is as comfy discussing/debating whether Firefly or Battlestar is a better series, the fine points of drinkin to excess, food, community, social commentary… it really runs the spectrum. 2 a.m. came too quickly, and we departed. But I went to bed immersed in a smile, loving the time we spent with him. And Frankie has a great laugh. (thanks again Frankie!!!!)

Today, I wasn’t so hot. As I said, restful sleep is rare, and I slept like shit last night. Nightmares filled with fire and danger kicked me out of sleep many times. I awoke, almost panting, and plagued by fear. But I felt D next to me. I could hear the boys snoring. I knew it was all okay. Then when I started to rest again, the dream reawoke. This went on all night. I got up this morning (after laying in bed for a long while, because I didn’t want to go back to sleep) and looked at myself in the mirror. Dark circles cupped my eyes. I was tired.

I napped. I felt better. We went to Vanya and Tim’s house for his birthday. And now we are home. I love the quiet in my house. I relish the feeling of absolute comfort.

Coming home to a leaky ceiling last night, I found that my elation deflated quickly. D and I argued, albeit briefly, about what to do with his office. See, the leak is in the corner of his office, between the two windows. It’s the same place where a tree slammed against the house during Charlie, tearing off roof tiles and probably puncturing the tin roof beneath. This is the same roof that no one bothered to check on after all three storms because they assumed that the tin roof would provide all the proteciton the house needed. These are the same morons that just slammed us with an additional pet deposit for Pip. Four hundred big ones. I think they are being spiteful. I can be spiteful as well. If one teensy thing in my house is damaged due to that leak or any other, I am going to have their asses.

So, I am heading home early from work to wait at the house for the roofers and such. I’m might irritated about having to move all our stuff around, but D’s computer was safe. He’s now situated in the reading room (which works well in my opinion) and we rearranged my office, because we were going to squish him in there, until we realized we couldn’t fit his desk through the door.

So, tonight D and I are making dinner for Frankie. Then we are going out for a few drinks. I also have to make up some work, so I have to do that at some point this weekend (which kind of sucks).

Sometimes, I just wished I owned my own house.

I would like it in the green color. I wear a Large. Just so you know, it’s this!!!

Oh…this too!

D and I headed to his Mom’s house to help show her the light that is Mac. She needed us to set up her e-mail and to give her some pointers on how to use Tiger and Widgets and general pointers on the functionality in her E-mac. My phone rang, jingling against cheap change and credit cards. I saw that there was a 719 area code which only meant one thing: Colorado. “Hey there, asshole!” bellowed from the receiver. I almost passed out. While I may get much shit about not calling people, or not returning calls, my little brother is 10000 times worse. “Did ya shit your pants?” he asked, a merry grin in his voice. “I’m at David’s mother’s house, so we are not discussing excrement, young man.” I tried to sound all proper and scold him soundly. But immediatly he piped up “You said EXCREMENT!!” and we both laughed. Derick’s not the type to call. He reached out last night, and I am quite glad he did. He hand to hang up quickly due to an incoming call (which happened to be my sister!). It’s good to hear his voice. And I am always surprised at how joyus I can get over just one phonecall.

I am registered for school. So, with my schedule set, I can help Miss A and little River. I will probably end up watching him one day a week, which is way okay with me. I like the kid. He makes me laugh. It’s like having a little brother again….

So, what am I taking? The obvious classes: The Writer’s Portfolio, Baroque Art, and Humanities. So, that’s me schedule. I double up on Thursday, which is pretty cool. The one day I am worried about is Humanities, and I wasn’t about to take a second class in the same day as that one. I’m not so worried about Baroque and the Writing Class. I feel good about going back into a writing class again. I think it’s time.

Here are the course descriptions:
Humanities: Classicism and Romanticism
Between 1650 and 1850 two conflicting modes of thought influenced the humanities. Prior to 1790 the classical tradition predominated, while after 1790 the romantic came to prominence, yet neither succeeded in overwhelming the other. This course explores the impact of these two traditions on the history of the period 1650-1850, especially on art, music, literature, and philosophy. First, we will explore the underlying philosophy of these two traditions and their various means of expression. We will then observe the impact of classicism on the enlightenment and the factors which created a shift to romanticism in post-revolutionary Europe.
**this is being taught by Dr. Williams, an infamous character at Rollins. I had him for the short class last Spring, and he wasn’t terrible. He has a way about him that seems to celebrate smartass, and he seems to loathe the passive. I think it will be challenging and interesting.

Baroque and Rococo Art
Pursues 17th-century Baroque style in Italy, Holland, Flanders, France, England and Spain from Renaissance and Mannerist sources, through termination in 18th-century Rococo style, c. 1750.
** I know exactly nothing about this art period, so I am eager to learn. Also, Leslie Boles is teaching it and I really enjoy her.

The Writer’s Portfolio
How do writers prepare for a life of professional and personal writing? How do they define themselves honestly while marketing their skills in the world of work? This course examines the issues for students serious about keeping writing in their lives. In planning for the final portfolio of the best pieces produced in college, students will learn how to define themselves as writers, how to frame their work for the public, how to balance the desire for voice with the need for professionalism. Revising the first piece intended for a professional portfolio, students will develop an editing process for correctness (grammar, punctuation), precision (unity, coherence, emphasis), and style (syntax, voice, tone). Prerequisite: ENG 140 or equivalent.
** while I have no doubt that Humanities will challenge me, I am looking to this class to kick my ass. And I think I am ready for it. If it doesn’t work out, then I can always remain as an admin for the rest of my life (as if!!)

Other news, I think I love running. We are still only in week 2 of the program, and I understood this morning here is nothing more satisfying than an ice-cold shower after a good run. Seeing the sweat on my t-shirt, and experiencing the exhaustion in my muscles; I think I could love this more than smoking. We shall see what happens to my icky habit through the process. I admit that we are not running long or hard, not really. Reading our book I realize that we are just building up for the longer, harder stuff. Full immersion into breakneck running ends up hurting both of us. This gradual process works better. It’s more encouraging and more managable.

I am going to be working late every day to make up for the time I missed on Wednesday. No big deal, really. We still love our grill. We are looking forward to the weekend.

Oh, and I was bitching about money earlier this week. We had an oppsie that could have completly fucked our finances. But the only thing that overdrafted was Netflix. And at that it was only a few dollars. Still, we got nailed with the overdraft charge. It was less than we expected, and that’s something to be grateful for.

Have a fucking awsome day!!!! (I am in a great mood, if you can’t tell…yes…I am bordering on mania again, but I would rather be up than down!)

I thought about living it up and taking my birthday ass to the booby-bar. I’ve changed my mind. Twenty-nine is kind of special. I’ve spent the last year reevaluating what means the most to me. It’s my home, and those that frequent it. So, I want to celebrate at home.

That being said, we are going to have a BBQ at the casa on July 23rd to celebrate my last year in my twenties. Nothing big, just friends and food. After all, I really love my wine, and I don’t want anyone to have to drive my drunk ass back to the house after a night of excessiveness. It’s nice to know that my bed, if need be, is right inside. So, come on over. Do me a favor and bring a dish (we will need food after all). I will grill some turkey burgers and chicken and you can bring the booze and yourselves. Presents are welcome, but not required.

I’ve been asked what I want for my birthday. I got a lot from D early this year, so I don’t want much. If you want to make a donation to Superior Mutts in my name, that would rule!! If you feel like getting me “something” then my wishlist is as follows:

Movies: Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Run Lola Run, Killing Zoe, The Matrix (Pip ate our copy), books (or gift certificates to Amazon works as well), iTunes gift cards… I always want more music, a new shower curtain rod, funny socks (no pink, Anne!!), a Tom Bihn bag (it’s a wishlist…so I am wishing).. that is all I can think of for now.

So, come one, come all!

I woke up with a roaring sinus headache this morning, so I stayed home. I was pleased to find that D was here too when I woke up. We are hanging out in our jammies, playing video games and trying to get rid of the headache….

I think Psychonauts is my ibuprophin…

I have happy-sushi-belly.

All is well.

I have to input time sheets this morning, so I don’t really have time to write. But my weekend was great. Our new grill rocks. I drank too much and slept too little. But we began the week well by getting up this morning to run.

Already the plans for the weekend are solidifying. Tonight, I plan on going home late (I have a lot of shit to get done here) making dinner, starting some wash and playing Psychonauts until I get sleepy (which should be sometime around 9ish I guess). I have a boring life compared to many, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

And Snoogs… I love you.

I have to say, I am still loving this Psychonauts game. Right now I am bouncing around in the mind of a mad gatekeeper who thinks that the milkman has the keys to the gate. The world is twisted, literally, and I have had to find “disguises” in order to pass through parts of the level. I found flowers, and then had to go to a graveyard to get a gun….strangely funny I think. But the guys that are watching over the graveyard keep saying “I’m a grieving widow” It makes me laugh because they are all men dressed as detectives. Someone had a seriously twisted sense of humor when they thought up this level.

Last night I got drunk. D and I got had wine and some time…and we talked until I got too tired to keep my eyes open. I will retierate. I love porch time with my man.

The grill is assembled, and tonight we will try it out for the first time. It’s quite windy, so I hope it works. And it’s hot. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Hurrican Dennis doesn’t pummel the coast too much when he finally hits landfall. Let’s all cross our fingers.

Anne and Mr. River are coming over for dinner tonight. I anticipate a good time. And I would say more but I have to clean the house. The fur-bunnies (we don’t really have dust bunnies….they are made of fur) are tumbling around the house, dancing with the beat of the fan. I don’t want them to eat River when he comes over.

Oh….and I got new septum rings. But I got the wrong size. They are 6 guage. I am going to punch them through anyway. Ouch is all I have to say. But they have colors!! Woo hoo!!

This
and this
oh, and this too!

Oh oh oh…. I must have this!

Boing!
Boing!
Boing!
Boing!
Boing!
Boing!
Boing!
Boing!
Boing!
Boing!
Boing!
Boing!

I love coffee!

I’ve grown exhausted by running in the a.m. All I wanted this morning was just a little more sleep. Unfortunatly, once I wake, it’s quite difficult for me to go back to sleep. Still, it was nice to lie in the dark, immersed in blankets and beagles for a spell.
Last night we bought the grill. I guess I am just a dumb grrl, but I really thought that the propane tank was included! Silly me. We didn’t pick one of those up yesterday, instead, we are shopping around for the best deal. We need to do it soon. Dennis looks to be a wicked bastard.
I went to bed waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay fucking early last night. But, I tried to make some calls before. Here are some messages to those I missed:
Jess - sorry we didn’t come by. I napped. And that was pretty much the end of me for the rest of the night.
Cat - I tried to call you last night, but the message on your voicemail didn’t sound anything like you, so I hung up. Can you e-mail me your # again? Please?
Alexis - Sorry babes! I remember your calling last night as I fell asleep. I will call you tonight after we clean the house and go for a run. I love you!

So, the plans for the weekend are as follows:
Tonight - work late. Clean the house, including the couch, run, sleep, get food for the weekend, get some wine.
Tomorrow - D has homework. We clean up and stuff (I don’t really know what will occupy my day, save Psychonauts). Dinner with A and Mr. River (we are cooking on the grill again!!) Drink wine and be merry. We also have to run at some point, probably when we wake up so we can get that out of the way. Maybe I will garden.
Sunday - Firefly with Frankie.

Meanwhile, I am drinking coffee, listening to the Gorillaz, and trying to remember where I put my brain today….

I am a junkie. My addictions bubble up in food and games and my love of wine (although I could never claim to be alcoholic. I can’t drink all that much at these days). But there are things that I obsess over, that claim my waking thoughts while allowing little else to wander through my possessed mind. Sometimes I am quite surprised that I remember to breathe. The ever-present thoughts in my head at the moment are: Chicago, Psychonauts, my 29th birthday, my mother’s visit. That’s quite a lot for a summer project. I will game till my fingers are sore, have some stranger tear bits of my womanhood from me and somehow fly to Chicago to see one of my dearest (and if I am a very lucky and good girl then tw0) friends. I am frightened more by the prospect of surgery than I am of my final year in my twenties. For those of you still swimming freely in the 20’s world, remember, at the end your joints will ache and sleep will elude you. Your body will cease its willingness to remain controlled, and will instead, control you. So live it up while you can, my little spring chickens. This old bitch will tell you just once that its been worth it. (although, I say that now. Ask me if I feel the same when I am wearing diapers)

So, new game. Psychonauts. Fucking adorable. The main character is rendered beautifully, as are some of his compatriats. The rest of the characters are flat (this is a platformer, and an open world, so there is a lot of render) but I find it excusable due to the cartoon-y nature of the world. So far, I have killed censors, been eaten by the hand in the lake, and traveled through the deranged mind of one of the camp counselers. I made myself stop after 4 hours last night. Why? My hands hurt =) I am addicted, though. Let there be no doubt about that.

I didn’t celebrate the 4th. I was inside playing with my video game. Sunday night we bought some firecrackers, and lit them off in the back yard. The beagles were not fond of the noise, but their mommy had a blast.

So, this weekend I got a lot done. Saw a lot of people. I was social. It’s almost hermit-time again. I am not really that jazzed about my birthday. I don’t know that I really want to do anything about it now. It’s relatively underwhelming. Blech!

Links for you!
I think her art is amazing. I found her through Ballistic Publishing. I bought D a limited edition press of a digital painting book, and thought about purchasing more books. But the expenses will not dictate that kind of layout of cash at the moment. Still, it’s fun to look. I’ve a soft spot for dark girl/goth art. And I think she does it quite well.

Owning an iPod has become dangerous!
I have read that people will steal them, but killing over it? Come on! A word to the wise: don’t use the standard headphones that they come with. People are now looking for the white headphones, knowing that there is probably an iPod attached to it! Before I head to Chicago, I am going to buy a nice set of comfy headphones that are not white…. I don’t want anyone stealing my present!

A long time ago, Tali sent me a link to this site. Through the travels from PC (peice of shit) to my loverly laptop, I lost many bookmarks. I admit, it was all my fault. But, I was happy to rediscover this site. It’s simple. Fun, and quite entertaining when you are stuck on the phone all day. Then again, I am easily amused!

The Monorail in Seattle has started to cause a few problems. Now the heads of the monorail are stepping down. Although I understand the fear with the expense, something needs to be done to accomodate all that traffic. If you can get people (like me) out of their cars, then that has to be a good thing. I hope they figure something out before I move there. The less I have to drive, the better!

Eco-friendly furniture! I would love to see that shop when we visit the sibling! Yay for the enviornment.

On a similar note: trees that help with pollution! Brilliant!

I should really go to work now……

I just spent the morning ankle deep in cool, dark dirt. My attempt at wrestling back my garden from Her wild vines went better than I expected. Still, I stepped on 2 bouganvilla thorns and I feel a blister welling up on my pinkie. And since I came inside and showered, I’ve had a grin plastered on my face. I think that working in my garden brings back a childlike joy. A feeling of productive construction and purpose that is so simple in its meaning, but so expansive in its weight. I feel clean. There is still dirt under my fingernails, but this is the cleanest I have felt since…well… the last time I worked out there. Pulling weeds, chopping vines, all while my ears tingled with the soundtrack from The Fellowship of the ring. I didn’t care that sweat spilled past my brow, trickling between parted lips. I focused on cleaning up around my poor plants, and rescuing a caterpiller that fell from a vine. It’s a hell of a way to spent your Sunday morning. Oh, and for the record - Pip is a garden beagle. He loves nothing more than to stomp around in my flowers while searching for his elusive prey - the lizards. What cracks me up is that he wags his tail the whole time.

Yesterday I was similarly productive. D mowed the lawn (a new sparkplug brought the bastard mower back to life) and I bathed the beagles. That’s no small feat, let me tell you. Puck will jump right into the tub. Pip, well he is a “you gotta pick me up and dump me in the water” kind of guy. Both of them smell lovely. I also took them to get their nails clipped and their ears cleaned. They are not fans of the grooming center, and Puck wiggled out of his collar in protest. But they are clean and pretty now. Next up - the cats! Also, in preperation for our little riverboat cruise, I wanted to get a nice outfit. Instead I spent hours wandering Orlando, finding nothing. Well that is not entirely true. I found plenty of stuff, but I was plagued by indecisiveness. Then in a hissy fit I went home. Dragging D out with me helped me focus. I ended up with a fuzzy purple purse, and a nice sweater. D has new t-shirts. He’s wearing a nice one right now….shagging is on the schedule for later.

The Riverboat Romance cruise was a blast. I will write about that later. For now, I am going to digest my pancakes and get ready to head to Frankie’s. It’s Firefly time!

Things to do:
Wash the kitchen floor
Clean out my car
Take the bag of soil from the trunk
Assault the bouganvilla
Clean the litter box

Things not to do:
smoke
snore
sniff glue
snort snuff
Use the “s” sound more than seven times

People to call:
Cat - let’s talk about sex…I mean meeting in Chicago!
Tali - blabbermouth. You are the reason my fucking phone bill is a bazillion dollars
Vanya - to inform you of the rescheduling
Lex - because if I don’t talk to you every day something is wrong

Things to eat:
Some kind of chicken on saturday
Sushi or mexican tonight (I have decided the perfect food would be some kind of mexican sushi….really! Think about it! It would work!)

I really want to leave work now. But I am working late tonight….blech! I get to fight traffic to get home! Ugh. Does Seito deliver?

There are 2 pups that need a good home. They are both females. One is a sheppard, or shep mix and the other one is cute and black. I would post pics, but we (as in D) are still trying to fix some stuff on the site. E-mail me if you are the least bit interested!

I had Chickfila (it’s much more fun if you just say it in one word…. say it with me) and I never realized how much ketchup can fit on one of their waffle fries. Holy shit! I used almost a whole package just for one fry…then I realized I was being a touch excessive with the condiments. But the bloody thing is made to hold. It’s shape begs to carry additional calories to your hungry lips. I think those fries are instruments of the devil. Truly I do.

I took a “nap” last night. That “nap” (and yes I am using finger quotes in the air) started right around 6 and then we woke up at almost 9. D ran out of bed, and then out of the house. We had no dog food, and we didn’t want a beagle-riot on our hands in the morning. So, he grabbed food and I ended up on the phone with my Mom for a few hours! For dinner I had made some tasty (see: spicy) sketti sauce (sound it out, it makes sense, really!) and then I felt like I hadn’t slept in ages. We ended up going to bed pretty late, after conversations, television and trying to wrestle a part of the bed from Pip. That dog can turn into a 3-ton block when he doesn’t want to move.

Saturday’s Firefly thingy is postponed. Something has come up, and D and I will not be home. Sorry to disappoint, but it’s kind of important, more on that later.

Work is work. It is what it is. I get paid. That is a good thing. I am listening to music and loving the sound of my nails clicking on the keyboard. And it will rain again today. But that’s par for the course.
I left my phone at home. Shit!
I have a great husband…just thought I would remind you all of that.

Happy Belated Birthday, Anne! I have your present in my house! I need to get it to you sometime this week!

I would sing, but I don’t want to damage your ears! Have a great birthday!

I am a dolt.
Let me repeat this:
I am a dolt.

I got all whiney about phonecalls, and yet again, my fucking ringer was off. Duh. I am an airhead. And yes, I am fired. I’m so mortified that I haven’t even checked the messages.

It looks like I will be pretty busy today. But I have some words of advice:
If you are feeling blue, then a gelati is the cure.
If you are shagging, remember to be nice to your back muscles. (honey, next time I get a massage first!!)
Post-it-notes in eye-catching colors can save you from disaster.
There is no happier dog than one sticking his/her head out of the window, slobber flying, eyes closed, and grinning all the way home.
Jak 3 will turn you gray.
Muscle relaxers really do work…use with caution.
Coffee actually does make the world go around.

Blessed be!