Moody Meow

But I just got home from my first Night Ride! There was  movie stop (those are all the super dark photos), the disco stop (the blurry photos) and doughtnuts at the end. We chatted strangers up, my chain fell off, we passed people wearing outrageous costumes, and had a lot of fun.

We are totally doing it next year.

And now I’m going to have my one celebratory beer and go to bed.

But first, and inventory of what hurts:

• my ass/sitbones - I got all “fashionable” and didn’t wear proper bike pants. I’m paying for it now.
• my shoulders - I kept hunching over - bad posture, bad posture!
• my feets - they went numb. they just need to get used to the torture.

Other than that, I’m perfect. And now, I will go to sleep.

So, I’ve not had the opportunity to get on the internets at school as I had planned. The wireless system isn’t the best and since I wiped the Mac, I need to get my laptop all shiny with the network. I hate IT. So, I haven’t done a thing to get on the system and as such, have not blogged. This has to be quick (I’m waiting for a meeting with my new mentor), so some quick observations.

• I have blogstalkers, and that’s just cool.
• Big people should not be allowed to take up 1/4 of my airplane seat. If you can’t put down the armrest, and can’t buckle the seatbelt, then you should buy another seat and not sleep on me, snoring, shaking your legs for an entire flight.
• That means — I didn’t sleep on the flight from PDX to Charlotte.
• That means I am freaking tired.
• I really missed the people I go to school with.
• Vanessa, Shara, Aubrey and all the other graduates — congrats.
• It’s a running joke that I’m the paparazi now. I take pictures from the back seat while Nu drives, and sometimes the flash goes off. It was funny, but I had a feeling that you had to be there.
• I became a donkey pinata proctologist.
• I’m terrified of my new mentor, although everyone tells me he is fantastic.
• I already miss Anne Harris’s support….. le sigh.
• Calie, my fearless crit partner, has stirred interest in an agent. I want to be just like her when I grow up — purple hair and everything.
• Grannie’s death started hitting me last night. It was kind of overhwhelming.
• I miss D.
• Val is still having issues. I may kill him if he pisses in my Chrome bag again.
• I will have lots of pictures from my trip, and that’s a good thing.
• Tonight we are having the wine social…pictures will ensue.
• I’m already tired of cheese sandwiches.
• The weather has been mostly beautiful, but it rained today. Greensburg gets very very steamy.
• Red Lobster scares me.
• I was flagged by the Govt. for my student loans. I have to forward my W2s and other tax documents before they will release my money for school.
• PA has the stupidest alcohol laws in the country. At least, as far as I’ve noticed.
• I need to eat.

And that’s all from school for now. More updates when I’ve got time, or the internet stops hating me.

I finally got home around 11 last night. Our flight arrived in Seattle at 6, and then my angelic husband drove up to Tacoma to pick me up. Alexis wasn’t in any shape to drive. It felt lovely to sleep in my own home, to actually sleep, not just to nod off for a few moments.

But interestingly enough, David Sedaris was on the flight to San Diego. I was a little too excited to give a shit, but it was cool to see him in person.

I planned on writing a long post about what a cold, smelly, unfriendly cesspool of disinterest JFK was, and how the staff at Jet Blue were way more intersted in text-messaging their families than they were in helping their customers get home to their families, but that’s just not spreading good stuff. But I did get a cold ( thanks Mom ) and start my period @ JFK. I’m thinking I got all my bad-travel crap out of the way with this trip, so my trip to school should be smooth sailing. If not, then promise to have a full-on temper tantrum in the airport.

I will write my post about the trip a little later. D is sneaking out of work. We are headed to Cup and Saucer, and then off to New Seasons for some house stuff. But it feels awesome being back home.

I’m still here. Freezing, tired, unloved by my airline (we won’t get off the ground until 9:30am), and in dire need of a good shower and some understanding. And btw, don’t try to skeep on the floor - it just doesn’t work. I should have known we were in trouble when the gatekeepers in Charlotte were completly disinterested in helping Lex and I sit togehter.  The sky fell @ JFK (remember, level of hell and all. I think it’s the steaming taint of hell, personally) and that stalled all air trafficing both incoming and outgoing. They cancelled a number of flights leaving around the time we were due. Our connection flight to Seattle sat on the runway for over an hour, but the stall couldn’t help Lex and me. We didn’t get out of the Customer Service line until nearly midnight.

Yes, I wanted to have a tantrum.

I am emotionally incapable of writing something serious about Grannie’s passing, or the time we spent with the cousins and the uncles. I have a lot to say, but I’m keeping it together just enough to get myself home…. if I’m lucky, sometime around 8ish….

Lex and I are sitting in Charlotte’s Airport, unsure as to when we are leaving. Due to inclement weather @ JFK, they have grounded all inbound flights for an additional hour and a half. This very well could effect our connection, because we only had a half hour layover @ JFK. Cross your fingers, because while this has been a good trip overall, I really miss D, and my house, and my own freaking bed.

Let this be a warning…I’m on my “I can’t fucking stand self-important Christians who tread on hypocritical moral high ground” soapbox… Why? Because it’s pre-coffee time, I forgot my breakfast and I pissed at the world that I had to get out of bed this morning.

Only someone who is painfully idiotic or completly unaware would hand me a card that had “congrats to your new spawnling - it was a present from god” or some such shite on it, and actually expect me to sign it. Getting preggers isn’t that much of a miracle, at least not in my mind. It doesn’t take intelligence, and for many it’s not even a choice. For this mother it was, and so I signed the card, but the person who handed me the card irks me daily, and she, with her bible-loving heart, picked the fucking thing. No one in the office is religious, only this woman. Even the new mom is not a church goer, and I felt very uncomfortable signing a card that indicated something in which I don’t belive.

And the fucking thing was pink.

Someone please, just stab me in the eyeballs with the broad end of an umbrella.

—- Post Lunch —

Lunch: the rest of my morning coffee, funky pasta with vodka cream sauce, and some Depeche Mode. I almost like humans again.

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That was the first thing I thought this morning when I woke up. How vile? How nasty? How could I smell or taste anything beyond that stench? How in the fuck am I going to get through residency without smoking? But my friend from work is quitting and I am trying to be supportive. And I’m tired of not sleeping with D because I snore (which is equal parts smoking and my weight gain), or not sleeping at all because I smoke. And now, I’m quitting again. Chris is taking some drug. So is Lex (come June 1), and so was my Mom. I’m the only one out of the bunch that doesn’t have insurance. But I do have this near-crippling sense of competition. Not with the women in my life, but with the cyclists I see on the road. I can’t ride fast if I’m still smoking. And if you’ve ever seen a casual cyclist, they don’t haul ass, they putter. I got smoked by a chick in flip-flops puttering down the road, and it still pisses me off. So, she’s a part of the reason I’m not going to smoke anymore. That, and it would be nice to see if my food tastes as good as I think it does.

And now to the weekend recap.

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I don’t have enough time to breathe, finish my reading (I spent WAY too much time on that fucking Marie Antionette biography), and finish my writing. I’m trying to make sure I have time for everything, and I do, I just have to stop spinning my wheels and STFU.

We took the  Max all over the city this weekend. First a trip to the Portland Saturday Market, then back to la casa to walk el puppies, then back downtown to go to Velour, then to Beaverton, and then back to our side of the world. It’s really nice not having to drive. Really. Spending the time, chatting with D, taking in the sights and sounds of the drunks and disillusioned, watching people listen, laughing at the overly affectionate couple. A story (many stories) could be told about the people on the train.

D encouraged me to buy a new bracelet with a quote on it to remind me of who I am and why I am. It says:

May my thinking be creative and fill the world with light.

It’s a good reminder. It also fits my wrist perfectly. You gotta love his taste in everything.

I think I’m tired of Halo. I should spend more time reading anyway. So, this is fair warning to everyone. I’m going to dissappear for a few weeks. I’ve got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it in. Don’t be offended if I don’t call, write or blog. Feel free to call & write. I need the distractions sometimes to clear my head.

Oh, and on Flyday, we had sewage in the bathtub. Roto rooter came out and told me that the pipes were set to a shallow grade, and that we’d end up with another clog if we kept putting shit down the drain. Even with the garbage disposal…. frack. So, I’m going to look into composting. They’ve got these cool little composters that sit under the sink with the garbage can so that you can compost in your kitchen, rather than have a huge pile of rotting food in your yard. I’m all kinds of a treehugger and shit, but that could be quite nasty. We’ll see where this goes.

• Thank you Alexis for being my friend, and for making me laugh.
• Thanks C&B for one of the best Saturdays we’ve ever had.
• Thanks Amandapants for showing me my favorite restraunt in town.
• And thanks D for being you. I like your pants

I need to get myself some lunch. Happy Monday.

The flight out wasn’t a traumatizing as I thought it would be. I had a nice space between me and my next seat-mate. He read Harry Potter and napped. We shared the empty seat between us, he used it for storage, and I let my knees rest on the seat. I stared out the window and watched movies on my PSP.

The connection in Philly got a little tricky. My stomach demanded food, so I found a little kiosk that sold breakfast stuff. They made me a “Philly egg sandwich”… it worked. The hole in my stomach shut up. But the flight between Pilly and Pittsburgh flew by (get it… flew… hehehe — I’m really freaking tired). I didn’t even have a chance to try to nap. Of course, the monstrosity of a man that sat next to me fell asleep immediately, leaned into my slim space, and snored. I think the gods were punishing me for keeping D up all those nights.

On the flight out last night, we had about 5 military guys, in full uniform. The airline made sure that each one was upgraded, and all five of them sat in first class. They beamed as I walked by, lugging too many electronics on my tired shoulders. One of them said it was his first time being in first class. I think they deserved it. I know at least one of them was due over in Iraq soon. Eavesdropping is a hobby of mine.

Now I’m waiting for a classmate. She is due to arrive in about an hour, then we will head out to Greensburg and school. Actually, we will head to the hotel where I will shower and take a freaking nap. I need one. Then we will go to dinner with a bunch of the class and attend orientation later in the evening. I plan on making it an early night.Oh, and Portland has spoiled me for coffee. This piss I am drinking only smells like coffee if you plug your nose. The caffeine better work.

It’s time to take my shower, pack the rest of my things and go to dinner with my huzzie. I know I sound like an uber-sap, but I will miss him while I’m gone. But I look forward to reigniting my creative juices.

I’m not jazzed about the plane though. At least, as of right now, I get a seat between me and my next row-mate. Hopefully he/she doesn’t snore, and doesn’t wake me up when I do.

I fell asleep at 8:30 this morning (I just got up, and it’s just after 12). I know that sounds awful, but if I could show you the colors of my mood from yesterday to today — you would be impressed. I think I can call myself a nice emerald green. Yesterday, I felt more pea green, all puke-colored and watery. So, it doesn’t make much sense. Shuddup. I feel better. And that’s just that. D is making me pancakes and fakin. I’m drinking my juice and planning my day. It’s going to be a good one.

I’m re-planning my novel. The core story that I wrote back in the spring that started my whole idea is the best part of what I’ve written. I am trying to take into account that I’ve edited the hell out of it, and it has a lot more flavor than the rest of my stuff, but my workshop group seems unenthusiastic with the beginning part of the novel. My solution is to retype the whole thing. That may seem kind of extreme, but for me, it’s cathartic and brings clarity. Besides, I have to change the tense. Everyone wants it in past tense. I’m still not sure how I feel about that, but I am going to do it for now and see how it feels when its finished.

C and I spent the other night in the NW part of the city - in her favorite neighborhood. We had dinner (of french fries) and drinks at a place called Gypsy. It was quiet there. The interior glowed with warm light, and I loved most of the music they played. Although, then they later rocked it out with Guns and Roses - not one of my favorites. Throughout the night, C and I were smiled at and talked to by strangers. But people in Portland are just like that. An older gentleman and his companion parked next to our table (we were sitting outside) and he asked me, jokingly, to keep an eye on the car. His smile warmed me. Then two very interesting suits came up and sat with us, well next to us. I didn’t offer our table. That would have been too familiar, but they sat in the table next to us. You could tell their change in demeanor once they saw our wedding rings. It’s funny how that happens.

**later in the day

I feel a lot better now. D and I rode. It took me forever, but the route is beautiful, if a little hairy in some places. We have to go over this short flyover with a very thin bike lane and fast cars, but beyond that it is the river, rolling hills, and lots of neighborhood scenery. The river is amazing. gnarled, twisted wood juts out of the water in random spots and because the river is low, you can see where old docks once sat. Now they are just remnants, but beautiful ones. The bike trail, and the river for that matter, run parallel to the airport. So when you ride it feels like the planes are going to land on you. It’s fun to watch them, although I should pay attention to where I am riding rather than the behemoths overhead.

Due to my blues and my lack of progress with school, we are going to forgo Foolscap. It hurts me to do this, but we just don’t have the time. D and I are going to head up to Tacoma to see Lex and the fam, but only for one day. She’s made a lot of treks down here to see us, so it’s our turn. It should be fun.

CONGRATS TO AMANDAPANTS!! She got hired by Progressive and starts next month. She rocks.

And C & B head to the coast for their anniversary trip. I’m sure she will take a million fantastic photos for us to drool over. That girl has an eye that is unrivaled.

And now that I am going to make dinner. We are starving after that ride. Have a good night all…

Just so you know, my brother is fine. I didn’t state that as the reason for our visit before, because honestly, I didn’t know what we would find when we got here. He’s a lot like me sometimes. We disappear for a while, out of communication with the world, just… well …. because. He’s in a strange space right now — lost his job, lost his girl, lost his best friend due to an argument. He’s just taken it in the nuts by life, and thought that retreating from everyone would solve things. The only thing it did really was spur his sisters into coming down to find out what he was doing. We also share a similar history with drugs. My mother and Lex freaked out more than a little, and I followed suit. What if he went back to drugs and got himself in trouble? What would we, as his sisters, do? Please understand, he’s one of the most amazing people I know - funny, genuine, twisted, respectful. He’s just a gem, but someone who is a little lost and lazy and doesn’t know what the next step is in his life.

You should have seen the look on his face when we got to the door. He thinks we are crazy for driving all this way to check on him. I told the asshole to answer his phone, then he wouldn’t get unexpected company. I’ve stayed with him while we are in Colorado Springs. As much as I love my sister’s kids, she is staying with her sister in law, and between them, there are six children. That’s just too damn many for me. Plus, staying with my brother allowed us a lot of time to shoot the shit and to catch up. We sat on his porch, drank beer, talked about everything. It was very comfy. His roommates are interesting. One is a total geek like we are, and that kid and I went toe to toe about the validity of Frank Miller’s vision. Who knew I would be able to argue comics with someone? I liked that kid, the other ones, well they are just roommates. I could see D and me and his one roommate hanging out for days playing video games and shit. It’s been fun.

Lex has two friends - D and D (hehehe) (they are married) and me and my brother and sister hung out with them tonight. I haven’t laughed that hard in ages. They are just so well adjusted, in love, and fun! The conversation ran from spiders to penis sizes to vasectomies to the future. I was struck by their generous nature and their genuine hugs. You can tell a lot about a person by how they hug you (Lex’s sister in law also gives great hugs). If I lived closer, I could see us all becoming great friends. For now, we will communicate via e-mail, and plan for a time when they come up to the Northwest, and I can cook for them. I love cooking for people.

We head back to Frisco and the Inn tomorrow. It’s been fun being here, hanging out with my little brother, and reestablishing our relationship. My siblings mean the world to me. I’ve even grown very fond of my niece, who is 2. Who would have thunk that I could survive a road trip with my sister and the spawnling? It’s more than most expected of me. I did revert to type when I bailed on staying with Lex, though. I’m good with kids in small doses. Her SIL’s got 2 sets of twins. They are great kids, especially her oldest son, but that’s just a lot of children for me. I’ve had a good time with them too, though. Kids are so damn honest. It’s refreshing.

While I am having a lot of fun, I really miss the huzzie and home. I left my phone charger at the house so the cell is dead right now, so I didn’t get to call him today. I will be glad to get home, get a big fucking hug, and some alone time with my man. Meanwhile, I will be home in 3 days or so. There’s more to say, but I’m sleepy.

Snoogs I miss you. And I love you.

G’night.

You should see the sky as it truly is. In a place where the shadows of the trees truly are darker than the heavens. Do you really understand how bright the night sky should be? How the stars spread like sand across the darkness and how they swim in milky swaths of light… you should see it. But you can’t. We wash it out with our lights and the pressing civilization. But I enjoyed it while I could. The sky can’t be described, nor photographed by my little camera, just know that I got neck cramps from staring skyward, I want to go back just to look at the stars.

We loved Crater Lake, and I will write about it more, but I have to get back to packing. I’m heading out again, for another trip, to Colorado with my sister. She’s been planning to go down to see her friends and family, but can’t really drive down from Tacoma herself, so her friend was going to come with her. At the last minute, the friend flaked, and Alexis was left holding the bag. So, after D and I talked about it, we decided that I would drive down there with her. We leave on Tuesday… so it’s a quick turnaround. I will be back home in about 10 days…

This is where I am going this weekend. I am using this site as inspiration so I can get this part of my novel finished. When I am done with my homework, I can go out and play.

Kudos to you if you know that song. It’s cheesy, and fun.
I did walk over 5 miles last night, and not because I thought it would be fun excersice. No, I locked my keys in Vader. On my way home from work, I ran by Starbucks on S Orange. I was craving a mocha and thought D could use a coffee after his bike ride. With my keys in my mouth, I juggled the two coffees and the pastries (I am a sucker for crumb cake and D loves banana muffies) and tried to get everything settled in the car — the coffees in the cup holders and the pastries nestled in my Chrome bag, safe from my high velocity turns and other erratic driving maneuvers. I would have been pissed if they fell onto the floor. Then, I locked the lock, dropped the keys on my bag and swung the door shut.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck! 

I almost cried.  My phone, all of my phone numbers, my purse, my Chrome bag — all on the front driver’s seat. The keys were visible, the phone glowing, charging, pulsing, screaming “BREAK INTO THIS CAR!” The tears started to trickle. I wiped them away, went back into Starbucks, where the fabulous kids were nice enough to let me use the phone. I called three wrong numbers. I couldn’t remember any numbers, least of all D’s. I was stuck. It was around 5:45.

So, what does a stranded moron do? Walk. It’s not far, really. I chanted to myself for most of the trek.

The car will be okay
David is okay
The car will be okay 

David rode to work, so if he got a flat or something, he was kind of screwed. I was more worried about him than I was about myself, and I really didn’t want him to be mad at me.

To give you an idea of where the car was, I was behind Deli Planet, Starbucks and a Pizza Slut. Not a very good area. It is just too close to Michigan, where the rough and tumble stroll, and the cars zoom relentlessly. I walked through Delaney Park, Thorton Park, and Colonialtown, until I got to my house. I’d never been so happy to see Virginia Drive.
I learned some nice lessons in my walk.

• Things really aren’t as far as you think they are.
• Some Christmas lights aren’t that tacky but they still should be in storage by now.
• I want that iPhone from Apple, which I wouldn’t have left in the car. It’s just too pretty (I read about it before I left work).
• I am a fucking airhead.
• Some runners are very polite, others are complete douchebags.
• People should be cautious when they whip around neighborhood corners after dark.
• Crossing South Street on foot = very dangerous.
• Everyone with a dog, who is not on a cell phone, smiles.
• A lot of people walk their dogs while talking on cell phones.
• Most people don’t pick up the poop.
• Turn signals are a rarity, all over Orlando.
• There are many quirky, unobtrusive houses throughout those neighborhoods, but they are often eclipsed by the shitty new construction.
• I still mourn for the trees we lost in the Hurricanes.
• I miss living in Delaney Park.
• I am a fucking airhead.

When I got home, D was pretty frantic. He knew I was at a Starbucks because he checked out bank account, but he didn’t know which one it was. So, he was pretty freaked out when I walked in the door. He remembered that we had roadside assistance on Vader, so we called the number and they dispatched someone out to pop the lock. We got home sometime after 8, ate pizza, and I buried myself in my comforter and fell asleep. D wasn’t mad at me, and the dogs were happy to see me. And it worked itself out. But, if you leave your keys in your car, remember to bring your cellphone. It’ll keep you from having to walk home.

And some links of interest:

There is hope for me and the iPhone, which of course, I am lusting after. I scare myself with my consumerism.

Fucking hell, this is funny! 

And this is more for my viewing pleasure, but you may drool as well.

That is a plane on I-4. See that street on the left? I take that every time I go home. It’s going to take a while for me to get home.

Sixty miles or more: Daytona Beach, Lakeland and Cape Canaveral are less than sixty miles from our house. If you drive to Gainseville, sixy miles, and you are already half way there. That is what we rode last weekend. Thirty miles on Saturday and another thirty on Sunday. I would like to increase that to eighty, but I think we should take it a little slower for now. We woke later than I would have liked on Saturday, and as a result, my face burned a little. Before you yell at me, I wore sunscreen. But, my nose was runny and I kept wiping the sweat away. Even the best sun screen can’t hold up to that. On Sunday we met Frankie at Chucks for another ride. It took a lot to get me up that morning. I had a manic snap, didn’t take my meds and got a whopping 4 hours of sleep. But I am very glad I woke up. The weather cooled a bit. I don’t know that it got above 85, and it felt cool, even in the sun. The tricky thing about the West Orange Trail is the wind. D told me it was probably a case of the air and land heating up halfway through our ride, but the damn wind always seems to shift so that it’s a direct headwind, or it slows you down by blowing you sideways. My legs felt fine this time. I am pushing myself to get faster. It was more than a little amused at watching Frankie try to catch up to D. He burned out pretty hard at the end, but I think he had a good time. We had a quick lunch when we finished and D and I headed home. Not bad for a couple of slackers.

Sunday Prayers: Some people find divinity in their churches or scriptures. Others find their spirituality in meditative practices and the teachings of wise men. I find that kind of peace in the natural world. I am a pagan. I could be considered Wiccan, but I am such a slack ass motherfucker when it comes to religion. And even Wicca feels too structured sometimes. So, it’s best to say that I am a lover of the trees and the flowers and all of the creatures on the earth (cockroaches don’t count. I am pretty sure they are an alien race sent here to kill us all. In the name of humanity – those bitches need to die!). I live by the wiccan crede as much as possible “Bide the Wiccan Law ye must, In perfect love and perfect trust. Eight words the Wiccan rede fulfill: An’ ye harm none, do what ye will. What ye send forth comes back to three. Follow this with mind and heart, merry ye meet and merry ye part.” What does all of that mean? Be nice and groovy and don’t give anyone the shaft and any nastiness or good will come back to you. Although, I would like to state for the record that it oftentimes comes back as something you need rather than something you want. So, back to the biking. When I am riding through a shadowed canopy of trees, through the developments that tore up vast plains of wild grass, and beyond the manicured green of the golf course, I find my Mother, my Father and all of the things I need to get me through. Sunday Prayers come from the back of my Precious. And nothing could make me happier. Except riding past people. I still have a huge ego and a competitive spirit, after all.

The death of the Widow: D and I started putting up Halloween decorations. I knew a spider lived in the corner of the porch, high up beyond my reach, and she stayed there for years. I’m not one to kill anything, except roaches (as stated before) and creatures that could harm my fuzzies. D thought the spider was a Black Widow. That made me sad. For two years that spider lived there and never harmed me. In fact, I never saw her come out of her little tunnel of a web, but we couldn’t have that kind of spider there, so D hosed her down. Her babies erupted from the web and she fell into a candle. D left her outside. We checked her species in the morning. She was not a black widow and I felt horrible.

Collared: Valentine. My lovely gray beast has a taste for the outdoors. He’s escaped through cracked doors and unlatched windows a number of times and managed to get dirty, pissy, and wormy (He had to go to the vet and I savored my revenge when they poked him with the needle). If he gets out and someone sees him, I want them to know that he’s a part of someone’s family. How did I do this? A collar. A blue reflective collar. Val is Houdini and has always managed to wriggle and slither out of any collar we managed to get on his skinny neck. This time, I am successful. I smile a little when I walk around him and see that little reflective material wink at me. He has tried scratching, licking and contorting his back legs in an attempt to get out of it. But, I’ve won. Huzzah! We put one on Voodoo too. That poor little bastard is so trusting that he comes when I call. I put the collar on him as well. He didn’t react at first, but then he started walking backwards with is head down. He looked like he was trying to get his head out of something and he did this for a long time. At first it was funny, but I felt bad for the little critter. He’s fine now, walking forwards and still running across the house when I whistle. I have to say, he looks better in his new collar than Val. Black and reflecto-material go well together.

School: I am drowning. There’s really nothing more to say about that. I am burnt the fuck out.

There is more that could and should be said, but I need to cut this short so I can get back to being a data-monkey. A reminder to all that read this: Punkin Party on the 27^th. Happy Wednesday.

What in the hell is a “woman-thing” supposed to sound like? Gawd!! Some of the things I hear at work make me want to run away screaming. And have you ever noticed that some voices just piss you off? There are two here that annoy the shit out of me. I turn up my iPod a little louder when I hear them. And one of the voices I hate just said the “woman-thing.” Is it Friday yet?

I think you all know of my obsession with crap-tastic little plastic toys. I don’t know what it is that drives me, but the cuter the better. So last night at Uberbot (my local crack-house for goodies) they were having a Dunny Series 3 trading party. I got an e-mail stating as much, but I just wanted to grab a few for myself. I’m not into the whole trading thing. It seems a little cultish. D and I arrived to find tons of people with bags of little opened Duny boxes and shining silver wrappes. Some of them bought whole boxes (that would be 30 to a box) and were sifting through the Dunnys, looking for the rarest ones. I had a case of the “holyshitthisiswierdIgottagetoutofhere” and ran to the register to pay for my measly 5 little boxes. When I got into the car I opened all of the boxes. I lucked out. Not only did I get the Tokidoki Dunny, the Crash Test Dunny (and I laughed my ass off when I found that one - it epitomized my cheesy sense of humor), the little black monster Dunny, and the Robber Dunny…but I also got the rarest one. The sad thing is, I don’t like it much. I was thinking of returning it to the store and getting credit, because I know some lunatic wants it. I have the damnest luck with those thing. Oh well. It pays to keep your sanity with those kinds of things.

I am heading out for Chicago later this afternoon. The good news? Tali has everything arranged. The bad news? I started my damn period and now it feels like my uterus is in a vice. I hate cramps!! I am very much looking forward to seeing Cat and B, but I am ready for the move to be done. Then I can relax a little.

I didn’t run this morning as I had planned. Apparently D “woke” me up, and I told him I didn’t have any socks. I don’t remember him waking me up at all, but I felt very rested. So, at least I got a longer sleep…that’s something..

The posts from the road will be scarce….wish us luck!

Holy shit! Dog parks galore!
I think our puppies would be very very happy.

Metroblogs Portland
An interesting place to get info about Portland…

Sustainable Living! 
Cat and I talked about this… so I found some interesting info.

Dinner Cruise 
David took me on a cruise like this (although this looks a lot classier) and I loved it. Perhaps we should all make a date, eh?

A Japanese Garden
I think Cat already linked this, but I thought I would restate it

The Farmer’s Market 
Again… I think Cat already linked this, but it’s a nice site.

And a Chinese Garden! 
This is going to be a day trip.

Birdies and such.
I liked this so much here, I can’t wait to see what Portland brings to the experience.

If you need to get around..
I am going to use this a lot

Beer, beer, glorious beer!
Kudos for you if you get that movie reference (I think Julie will get it)

Okay… I really should get back to work now…. damn work… it interrupts my surfing