he's baaaaaack!

octopi tools!

Just in case you haven't seen it yet.... Behold the tool using power of the veined octopus!

it's the little things

Things that have made me happy lately:

* the happily purring kitteh in my lap
* the fact that both cats have been sleeping with me (Thomas is back to his old self!)
* the goodness that is the peppermint mocha at Starbucks (but only with half the amount of the syrup stuff)
* MUCINEX!!!
* cooking a wonderful dinner for my mother
* the part time mall job--who knew it would be so much fun?
* being done for another semester (even though it's not forever like I hoped)
* I have some really great friends
* homemade chicken and udon soup
* being on the mend after a couple weeks of puniness

I know there's more, but that's all I can think of at the moment. I now bid a fond adieu to the weekend. Bon nuit!

and now for something completely different

Tiger Schmiger

Are you as tired of hearing about all the Tiger Woods fiasco stuff as I am? Well, I think this is the better tiger to be talking about!

today is the day

I take my masters exam today. I feel so terribly unprepared, but how can you prepare for an exam over everything you should have learned over the course of part time studentry for the last ten years? Yes, I know studentry is not a word, but fort this occasion I think I deserve a little lattitude/lassitude/thatsadude. I've got one of the worst headaches of my life. I hope it's all the knowledge trying to burst forth. =) I made cookies last night to share with my committee (meaning, I hope to bribe them with my baked wares). So far today, all I've done is take a crazy long hot shower, make a pot of Golden Monkey (http://www.adagio.com/black/golden_monkey.html), and play some word games on m-w.com. At this point, I think studying is pointless. I'd rather relax with the kitten in my lap purring like a fool (which he is).

On a completely different note, the trip to Ohio was wonderful except for all the driving. I still haven't caught up on the sleep--hence my anxiety today. I'd hoped to study in the car, but as it happens I haven't outgrown my motion sickness. I can't read in the car. =( The boy's family seems to like me fine. How could they not??? Hah hah!

forgetfulness?

No, I have not forgotten to blog, I just haven't wanted to take the time. Things in my life are a little hectic lately. In two days I have my last test in my immunology class. After that, I have the day off, then the boy and I leave to go to Ohio for the Thanksgiving holiday. I get to meet the entire family. Then when I get back, I have to cram cram cram for my masters exam which is on the 3rd. I'm a little paranoid. Anywho, look for more to follow the second week of December. I hope everyone is as thankful for all they have as I am!

happy monday!

Here's to a Monday well accomplished. Here is a list of things I got done today:

made a deposit at the bank
had a job interview
bought some tea
went to Central Market
went by Mother's to deliver olive oil
scrubbed and disinfected entire refrigerator and freezer
cleaned fridge again when I dropped a beer and it spewed everywhere
made shrimp bisque
cleaned kitchen

I feel like a nap now. Oh wait, it's almost time for bed. Thank goodness!

Thursday post

Ya, I really don't have much of anything to say today. I have some fantastic friends who made me feel better at work today. I have a WONDERFUL boyfriend who offered to be my knight in shining armor and take me to lunch today, but work being work I couldn't take the time. Now I'm home and full of shrimp and asparagus stir fry (home made of course). It was something I could make from the junk I had in my fridge and freezer. Speaking of my fridge...it smells like something died in there. I tried to clean it out today, but it still reeks. Gah! Anyone have any suggestions?

move away from the Cheesy Puffs!

I'm addicted to these things! Dangit!

So the real reason for this post is kitten antics. Ernest has done it again. Let me regale you with the tale....

Last night I was here at the computer typing something inane when I heard a strange rustling noise from the kitchen. It sounded like the kitten was playing with something plastic. I figured it was one of his noisy toys. When it didn't stop, I finally got up and went to see what the deal was. Lo and behold, he was up on the kitchen counter (a serious no-no for which he continuously gets reprimanded) chewing on a bag of bread. {rolling eyes} He smelled and found a fancy bread that was made with rosemary that I was going to use to make a fancy turkey and emmentaler sandwich for lunch today. I yelled, shooed him away, and threw the bread in the fridge. Needless to say, when I was running late for class this morning, I completely forgot about the bread. It's still in the fridge. Guess I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow. Maybe I'll have some of the cheesy puffs, too. =)

anyone hiring?

Last week at work we had a meeting over lunch. The boss told us not to expect to get 40 hours a week. The workload has been shrinking of late (I thought the recession was over), and we don't have enough work for all the people we have. He said that full time employment was considered 30 plus hours a week. If we finish our work early, we have to clock out and leave--not futz around on the internet to make up time. Okay, I'm not one of the people who does that, but there are plenty who do/did. I always tried to find something to do. No worries; I've got the part time job at the vet clinic. Right? Wrong. Today I got the call from them thanking me profusely for helping them out when they needed help, but they don't need me anymore. I don't know if I ever mentioned before that the singing gig at the church was nixed as well months ago due to budget cuts. Luckily there is a manager at a store I love that has been trying to get me to apply part time. I have the application here next to me on my desk ready to fill out. Cross your fingers for me!

happy Sunday night

Well, the Cowboys somehow managed to win the game against the Eagles. How in the world did that actually happen??? Granted, I don't really care. I'm a little miffed that the Packers somehow managed to get the wind taken outta their sails in the 4th quarter against Tampa Bay. I mean really, we're talking about Tampa Bay here.

Today is my father's 69th birthday. This means I had to go over and cook him dinner--a yearly family tradition. Every year I cook the same old (granted wonderful) thing, so this year I decided to mix it up a bit. I kept asking him what he wanted, but he hemmed and hawed and usually ended up saying something to the effect of "whatever you want to fix is fine." That gives a daughter no guidance whatsoever. I socked it to him and made something new that I'd never done before: lemon risotto with grilled shrimp and asparagus. Oh. Damn. That was a good choice on my part. Of course being risotto I was in the kitchen for damn near ever, but it was worth it. More importantly, I now know how to make risotto. For instance, when the recipe says "1 cup stock," it really means "you better have twice as much ready because that rice is gonna suck it all up and still be crunchy." It was worth it though. The recipe is in the Nordstrom Flavors cookbook. The whole book sounds good, too, by the way! It was a hit. The family raved, and my ego was stoked. Good times were had by all!

poopy head!

You know you are in trouble when one of the people at work says "Every time I hear your name, people are talking about doo doo." Wow. Really? I hope this is a good thing. If you know me well, you understand.

Another thing happened at work today. I found out that I'm not getting my tuition reimbursement. I'm a little peeved about it. I'm going to ask tomorrow if I can appeal the decision. Supposedly a class in immunology doesn't help me in my job deciding whether or not animals are sick. Go figure. I think I rolled my eyes so hard at that one that my boss heard it from the other room. What's really funny about that is that not one hour later, one of my coworkers started asking me about plasma cells, B cells, and T cells. Nooooooooo, immunology has nothing to do with my job. {rolling eyes yet again}

my cat, the fruit loop

Oh, sweet Ernest. What a character you are!

Actually, my cat is nuts. An absolute nut job. A fruit loop. One of his favorite things to do is play with water. Sometimes he'll jump in the shower with me. Sometimes he just attacks the shower curtain from the other side while I'm showering. Ya, that's a lot of fun when you aren't expecting it. He also loves sitting in front of his water dish and slapping his paw on the surface of the water thus splashing water all over the kitchen floor. Even better than that you ask? Yes, he likes to sit on the edge of the toilet and splash toilet water all over the toilet seat and nearby floor. I've started keeping a towel right next to the toilet so I can wipe the seat off. {shaking head} Outside of playing with water, he loooooves to roll on the ground right outside of his litter box where he has tracked or kicked litter out of it. What a goombah! I'm hoping he grows out of this messy phase. The sooner the better.

ewwww

This is my attempt to gross you out. =)

As everyone should be well aware, I had gastric bypass surgery a year and a half ago. Where has the time gone? I can't believe it's been so long. Anyway, there is one side effect of the surgery that will never leave me. Gas. It is to be expected. They bypass a large section of intestines (basically all of the duodenum), and your body has trouble digesting some stuff. Let me just tell you...today I've been grossing myself out with the stink. One of my girls at work calls it "cropdusting." And yes, they are silent and uber-deadly. I will never get used to it. Ugh.

Now everyone go off and enjoy your fully functional intestines!

should be studying...

This whole school thing is so overrated. Two more months and I can go back to being a lackluster TV watcher. Oh wait, I haven't really stopped. I did spend a good three hours studying this afternoon. I'll get back to it here shortly. Sadly, I can't quit sneezing and nose-blowing so leaning over the books is a little difficult. I can't take the Benedryl or I'll fall asleep like I did yesterday (which was for about 5 hours through out the day). Speaking of which, I really could used a nap. Ugh. Maybe I will study some more now. You've made me feel guilty. ;-)

2 quickies

Why is it that if a commerical for a prescription drug says it is for "post-menopausal osteoporosis" they feel the need to tell you that if you "are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant" you shouldn't take it? Hello??? Do they think we don't know what post-menopausal means? Duh.

Also, why is it that when a party starts at 8pm, people think they don't have to show up until 9pm? Gah! It makes me crazy!

whoot to me!

2 blog posts in 2 days??? What is the world coming to?

So here's today's rant: why do people insist on coming to work sick? Really? Do you have to come and spread all your germs all over everything? Ugh. There is a sickie at work right now who has real problems coughing without covering her mouth. Oh except when she does cover her mouth and then touch all over the microscopes. **eye roll** At one point today she was following me to our "drink and snackage" area (a little pseudotable by the timeclock). She was hacking the entire time--so much so that I actually backed away from her. Her comment? "Oh, it's only a cold!" Oh, because I am okay with getting a cold. As long as it's not H1N1 or meningitis, a cold would be fine. Here, just cough on my pretzels and make it easier for me. Thanks.

I'm gonna go cough and sneeze my way to sleep. Could someone pass the Mentholatum?

here I go again

I keep thinking about blogging. Usually something happens and I forget, there's nothing interesting to say, or I physically (technologically) can't do it. My internet was down for almost a month a while ago, and since then I've just been lax. So.......here I go again!

Brief recap of my life since June:
Not much has changed. Well, that was easy. I still have the same job, the same house, the same boyfriend. Oh, and the kitten I never posted a picture of is now 7 months old! I love him desperately. I think he rivals the Benjamin as being the best cat EVAH! Summer came and went with nothing spectacular to report. I started class again in August, and (God willing) I'll graduate in December. My last class for the stupid masters degree. Didn't think that would ever happen. Mother and I took another one of our fantastic trips in September (a cruise up the Rhine). Man, was I relaxed after that one.



Anyway, the State Fair is over, fall is in full swing, and I decided it's just plain time to start this baby up again. I hope I haven't lost you all. Oh, and here's the kitten:

borrowing trouble

That's what I do, folks! Yes, things are totally fine with me and my main squeeze. He just had to get over his little snit. We ended up having a lovely Saturday night. He even offered to stop on the way over and pick up Chinese. Ah, the way to my heart! We basically vegged in front of the TV watching Kill Bill Vol. 2 and then kicked some bootie at online Jeopardy. Ya, we lead the exciting life.

In other news, Ernest the Wonder Kitten is doing quite well. He and Thomas are now starting to chase each other around the house in play (instead of dominance). They have gotten to the point where they will BOTH share the bed with me instead of just taking turns. Aww, sweet kittehs! I also got a new sofa that I will pick up Thursday from the consignment store. Sooooo excited! It's a Quatrine that my mother found for an absolutely stellar price (for a Quatrine, that is). I'm gonna dig being able to throw the slip cover in the washing machine whenever needed.

Well, we finally got a driver at work. Gotta get working now!

confusion

Well, it's been forever and a week since I really blogged, but now I have something I really gotta get off my chest. I think I may have really made the boyfriend mad. It's not really my fault though. I was invited to a party last night, and I was really excited to see some friends I hadn't seen in ages. He wanted to go along (I asked, he said sure). First off, he got to my house two and a half hours later than I expected him. Fine, I got to watch the hockey game and be fashionably late. Then we get to the party, and all he does is park himself in a corner against a wall with a beer in his hand and his arms crossed over his chest. I kept trying to get him to talk to people. Yes, I'm a social butterfly sometimes. He's a loner type. When we left (or as he put it, finally left), he commented that it was the "most tedious" hour and a half of his life. He was mad. We didn't talk in the car on the way home. We didn't talk once we got home other than his telling me to "go to bed" and asking me 20 minutes later "you alright?" We haven't really talked today, and he hasn't returned my phone call yet. I can't decide if I want to call again or not. I'm sure I will. Of course my mother tells me not to worry, not to borrow trouble, etc. Hellooooooo??? Do you know me? =) I hate being a girl.

tgif

Kinda. I still have to work tomorrow. At least it is at the new vet clinic. Well, it's not NEW, just new for me to work there. In fact, the clinic opened the same year I entered the world. Whoa. And technically, it's a "working interview." What does that really mean? I think it means I have the job already since I'm uber qualified. The best part of the day will be when I head back home with the newest member of the family. I've given up. Thomas needs a friend (before he drives me absolutely bananas). I had an email this morning from the neighborhood animal alert, and a kitten had been abandoned in our neighborhood. I wasn't really all that interested until I saw his picture. Oh damn! Sooooo cute!!! Little black smudge on the nose did me in. I'll post pictures soon.

Anyway, hadn't posted anything in forever so there's my super brief update. I swear I'll get more in soon. I mean, I don't want to be bombarded by emails to see my new baby! BTW--I've named him Ernest (as in The Importance of Being...).
>^.^<

happy Monday

kharma can suck it

Why is it when things seem to be going well, someone comes along and pees in your half green half black no water no classic iced tea? Today started out to be such a good day. Then it caved. No, correction: it tanked. One of the girls at work is PMSing terribly and is uber sensitive. Well, all the girls started being girly and talking about our fat thighs. I mean, really...what woman (in the real world) is truly happy with her thighs? Exactly. Well, I made the mistake of likening hers to mine. Keep in mind she's a size 4 (yes, four) who complains about how fat she is. She went into this stone cold silent depression for quite a long time. Granted, she started it--the complaining. And she does this just about daily. A size 4! I apologized til I was blue in the face. I hate upsetting people more than I hate being upset by others. Then I got all teary, and she told me not to worry, it was all okay. Fast forward 2 hours. She got all snippy with me about something insignificant, I blew it off and didn't take it personally. Remember, PMSing size 4 girl. She came over a bit later and apologized to me to which I replied something to the effect of "whatever, no harm no foul." She wouldn't let it go until I accepted the apology that I didn't really need. This is when I did the evil deed: open mouth, insert foot. I said, "well, consider us even now." I meant this with all the best intentions and humor. I know, road to hell and all.... She got all huffy. Really, she "harrumphed" me and told me to never bring it up again (meaning the fat thigh thing). This is when I just about lost it. I started to take it personally. Really, am I so fat and hideous looking that the mere thought-in jest-of being likened to me is so horrifying that you have to have a conniption? I threw up my hands of the matter. If you can't please someone with anything you say, just don't say anything at all. Did I mention she wears a size 4? Oh, and her waist is like a 24 incher. Ooh ya, she's a real porker. Ugh.

Thank you for letting me vent. I feel a touch better now.

for your listening pleasure

Okay, I've been searching for a particular Eric Whitacre song on the net, and I came across all these performances that were recently uploaded onto youtube. This is one of my favorite songs of his (my all time favorite is "Sleep," but this one is more fun to watch). I dare you to watch this and not end up smiling and swaying along to the greatness that is his use of words and chord tensions and all his magnificence. It gets really fun at about 6:14 into it. Yes, it's long, but it's so worth it! One of these days, I'll sing something of his. Enjoy!

ah May

I can't believe it's already May. Where has my year gone??? I guess spending most of it at work makes it go by faster. That's probably why time seems to go by faster as you age--there's just not as much time to relax and enjoy yourself. Anyway, I have a few little anecdotes to share that will hopefully bring a smile to someone's face.

I had to go to a birthday party for a 9 year old this weekend with the significant other (his best friend's son). Not only did I pick out the gift (he was sickly so I told him to sleep a little longer and I'd get it), I was told I had to sign the card. This means he and I together gave the kiddo a gift. Dun dun DUN! Not only that, I was at this party for almost 5 hours. Five hours of being the only gringa with a gabillion children running amok and killing the Spiderman pinata. Damn, they had some mighty fine food though! It was kinda fun--the friend's son is finally not scared of me. =)

I had to go back to the dermatologist this morning because the eczema thing on my face won't go away. While I was there I asked him why I get all itchy and bumpy after being in the sun. No, it's not my super sensitive skin, it's an allergic reaction to certain UV wavelengths. Are you kidding me? I'm allergic to sunlight. {rolls eyes}

I went by the car place to have my tires checked as one has a slow leak that needed to be filled. When the car was ready, the main mechanic dude came over to me and said "Is your name Michelle?" I looked at him a little dumbfounded and corrected him, and asked why he asked. Well, I have been going to this particular place for oil changes and simple things for years so I guess they know me there now. He got almost giggly and (acting all embarrassed like the aforementioned 9 year old) asked me if I'd lost weight. Guys are so funny! I said that yes, I've lost about 100 pounds. He commented that he thought so and "it looks good--you look good, I mean really good." Well, if that didn't make my Monday morning, nothing could!

Now the one not so happy thing. We've had quite a few bad storms lately (welcome to Texas in May!). As a result of high winds, my Direct TV satellite is askew. Great. At least I enrolled in their protection plan so they'll come fix it for free. What they didn't tell me at the time was that I may have to wait forever and a day for that to happen. I called yesterday about 2pm. They are sending someone out Friday. Hmmm, Sunday to Friday. I wonder if I can get my bill prorated since I'll not have TV for an entire week! I think I'll call on that.

things you don't want to hear from your doctor

Today being my day off for the week, I had two appointments: one with the dentist and one with the internist. Dentist was first at 8:30am. Ugh. On my day off? Really? Anyway, so it was. I've been having issues with my whole TMJ problem, and he wanted to adjust my mouthguard that I sleep in. Oooh ya, it's sexy. So he's poking around at the different muscles in my mouth and around my jaw asking things like "is this sore, does that hurt?" Then he says this: "Huh, that's interesting." Not something you really want to hear from the dentist. I ask what is interesting to which he replies "well, no case is textbook." I still never really got an answer. Whatever. The man gave me valium. We love him.

Then after a lovely lunch with my delightful mother and a longish nap, I had to have a check up with the GP. When he walked in the room, he just looked at me with his deadpan face and said "so, why are you here?" Personally, I relished my reply of "I dunno, y'all called me." So there! Sticking it to the man! It was just time for a check up and a new and improved tetanus shot. When we finish with all the checking up issues, I always watch what the doc types in his little computer terminal, and he put in something to the effect of "patient denies STD testing." What? He asked if I needed it, and I said no. That's not denying. I called him on it, and he was all "well are you at risk?" Again, I said no, but that I wouldn't "deny" testing. Then he gets all insurancy on me and said they prolly wouldn't cover the testing anyway, does my OB/GYN do it, blah blah blah. Don't get me wrong, I loooooooooove my doctor, but he was being a patooty-head. Guess that was his way of rewarding me for losing 98 pounds. Strange little fellow. =)

Now I'm back home, chilling before I have to go to choir rehearsal. Our night got switched this week since the director has symphony stuff later in the week. I guess I should go. Oh ya, btw--feeling SOOOOO much better, thank you for asking. Just a little 48 hour bug-a-boo that's all gone now.

sickie

Why oh why do people insist on continuing to come to work when they are sick??? Because of that, my 3 day weekend has been ruined. I have a fever. I never run a fever. I feel like hooey. All I wanna do is lay in bed (or on the futon) and sleep and complain. I even warned the boy he may not wanna come down to watch the Maverick game after all. Sweet boy said he just wanted to see me and make me feel better. Let's all say "awwww." Luckily for him, all that will involve is leaving me pretty much alone and refilling my cup of tea.

So, for all you martyrs out there, if you are sick, STAY HOME! We can work without you for a day or two. Darn it.

Holy (holey?) week

Did I mention the hole in my roof? The one in my tv room? The gaping two foot square hole covered in black plastic? Yaaaaah. It now has a new problem. It is spawning waterbugs. If you are not from the South or live ridiculously close to a body of water, you may not know the atrociousness of these hideous things. Imagine a really big dark brown roach and give it wings. Also make it aggressive. Ugh. So, since all the rain in the past week or so, these bugs have been crawling in through gaps in the plastic. Heck, they may be chewing holes in the plastic. They do that, ya know. Okay, that's a little background info for what I'm about to type.

So it's Holy Week. Last night I had a 3+ hour choir rehearsal at church. When I finally got home absolutely exhausted about ten til ten, I noticed I'd not turned on the front porch light. Damnation. Fine, I can find the keyhole in the dark--I've done it before. When I did get the door just opened, *whoosh!* my cat goes running out the door. Are you kidding me? So I spend a good 5 minutes crawling around on my driveway trying to get the dumb beast out from under my car. He was loving it--rolling around on the ground where I couldn't reach him. This is why many of his nicknames are expletives. I finally corral him inside, and start my night time bed time routine. I was checking my email and winding down when I heard this scurrying noise. Oh damn. I know that noise. Little legs on plastic. Ewwwww! It was the biggest damned waterbug I've EVER seen. I swear it was as big as your face! Well, not really, but it may as well have been. It was at least 4 inches of nasty aggressive flying terrible-ness. I got out my bug spray, and I think the bug laughed at me. "Hahaha! You stupid woman! I'll get you!" And then he flew straight at me. Yes, I screamed like a girl. I kept trying to spray it, and it kept trying to attack me. Keep in mind, I was using the hornet spray that shoots across the room in a stream up to 5 feet. I hit him a couple of times, and then he just went ballistic shaking his wings and running 90 to nothing across the walls and ceiling and floor. Last I saw of him, he'd run back to the wall with the hole in the ceiling. I never saw him again, but I'm sure he'll come back to haunt me.

Thank goodness I'm having the carpets cleaned tomorrow. I'm sure there's enough bug spray in the carpet now to kill a squadron of those damnable beasts.

nom nom nom

love and loss

By now most of you know that I lost Cornelius last Friday. He was a great little kitty! He was only four and a half years old, and he had a bad heart. The vet and I think he had a massive heart attack while running through the house at break-neck speed. Not the thing to do with a really bad heart murmur and high blood pressure! I think he may have had a dozen or so brain cells to rub together, but he wasn't known for his smarts. I got him back from the vet yesterday in his new home of a little cedar box. I know this sounds morbid, but I swear it's not. Surprisingly, Thomas is handling this all rather well. Yes, he's been clingy, but he may be a quite functional only cat for a while. He also has a great clean bill of health. It's awesome working for a company where I can get all those tests done for free. Thank you Jesus! I had him tested for everything. So, that is my little update for Spring. I'll come up with more later I'm sure.

tgif?

It's Friday night. It's been raining for 3 days straight. It's cold. Needless to say, I'm glad I don't have to play a softball game in this craptastic weather. There is nothing on TV tonight. I had such interesting things to blog about earlier in the day, but I worked all day and forgot all the exciting little nuggets of interest. I'm thinking the rest of the night will be spent finishing reading The Reader. I hope I have enough energy to sit and read. =) I hope you all have an exciting weekend.

just for some Monday fun...

the L word

No, this is not going to be a cable network show type of post. This is about the original L word. He finally said it. It seems to be rather official. We've both said the "I love you" thing, and he's mentioned that he plans on being in my life for quite a while. Good thing since I'm pretty danged fond of him, too. Generally it was a fantastic weekend. If only I hadn't scraped both of my knees and beat the snot outta my right index finger playing softball Friday night. I'm just not as young as I used to be. And for your reference, yes, it is hard to type with a band aid on your index finger. Also, the finger mouse thing on the lap top will not recognise my finger with the band aid on. Dangit. =)

On a completely different note, I went out and spent my birthday money today. I got a prefect LBD (little black dress) and 2 new skirts (one denim one khaki). Would you believe the skirts are a size 8?!?!? OMG!!! I still gotta tone up these thighs though!

long weekend coming

Oh the joys of getting older. Yep, my birthday is Monday. Yippee skippy. Anyway, at least I know people like me! Tomorrow night I'm going to a Stars game with the May Boy from work. Friday morning, my father is picking me up and taking me down to a resort he built down in the Hill country. Saturday morning we'll be going on an hour and a half trail ride. Please dear God let the horses be good and the trail leader realize that I know what I'm doing. I gotta do more than walk that pony! Sunday morning I'll be getting the full spa massage. Sunday night, with luck, I'll be joining friends for a movie. Monday night, the BF is coming down to be taken to dinner at Abacus with me by my mother. Love Abacus. Love my mom more! Then to top it all off, Tuesday night we'll be going to see the Rat Pack musical. I won tickets on a local radio station. Who'd'a thunk it??? Ergo, after the Ash Wednesday service tonight, I came home and made some soup and watched Top Chef. Stupid sore throat. I will not let it ruin my birthday weekend!!! Now I'm going to bed after seeing Hosea take the title. Heck, if it couldn't be Carla, at least it wasn't Stefan. =)

caffeine and sunshine

It's amazing the difference one can feel mentally just by being exposed to a little sunshine. Combine that with the re-inclusion of coffee in the morning routine.... Man, today is a beautiful day! I know I've been a bit of a lug lately. Lack of sunlight, crummy monetary situation (like the rest of the country), constant allergy "sickness" and all. It's good to be back. =) Although I am a little worried about the golfball like lumps where my lymph nodes should be in my neck.

awww

So, my boyfriend just left my house. We finished watching Blazing Saddles on AMC. Damn, what a funny movie. Too bad they had to bleep some of the stuff out. Anyway, as he was leaving, he thanked me for the best Valentine's Day he ever had. Really? I made dinner (granted it was divine--poached salmon, steamed asparagus with hollandaise, and roasted red potatoes with rosemary), and we ate it while sitting on the couch watching the Stars get slaughtered by...huh...I don't remember who they were playing. Then we finished with 2 games of Trivial Pursuit (both of which he won) with truffles and sparkling Shiraz. Anyway, it really wasn't all that special. Maybe that's why it was so good. It was just the two of us not having to deal with all the crazy people out and about on a Saturday night V-day trying to make things memorable. It was a wonderfully lazy evening. Today we spent the afternoon shredding old mail and documents, gathering up recycling, and walking around the lake looking at the birdlife. Ya, I'm pretty lucky. Too bad you can't see my smile. Some might call it perma-grin. =)

polar blog

Lately I've been feeling a little sorry for myself. I talked about it last night with the sax man. I feel like I've been forgotten by a lot of my friends. I know we are all busy with our jobs and commitments, but there are people I love that I haven't seen since before Halloween. I try. I try to plan parties/game nights, I call, I email, and I text. I know that people change and grow and drift and all that mess, but it makes me sad. For those who have stuck by me through the last year, I am so grateful. For those who haven't, I miss you.

On a completely different note.... Yesterday we had a potluck lunch at work for our monthly meeting and coworker's birthday. The boss brought a smoked turkey that he'd gotten from the building manager so everyone else brought stuff that would go with turkey. It was like Thanksgiving in January! The only problem with this was that I'm not crazy about smoked turkey, and the dressing was only so-so. Because of all this, I felt like I missed something from it all. I stopped at the store on the way home and bought a turkey breast and stuff to make dressing. Am I a total dork? Of course I am! But by the end of today, my house is gonna smell soooooo good like Thanksgiving all over again. Time to go make myself happy with the joys of cooking.

tgif

What a Friday! I'm finally home after a crazy morning/early afternoon. I was back up at Presby today for an abdominal sonogram specifically looking at my gall bladder. Happily, everything inside me is beautiful! My gall bladder is totally empty--no stones. I'm so freaking excited that I don't have to schedule another farking surgery for the next week or so. Whoot to my gall bladder! Then I had to come home and wait for the shelter people to come by and pick up some clothes. I say "some" like it's not that big of a deal. Hah! I had 14 bags of clothing, 1 bag of shoes, and 1 bag of hotel soap/shampoo/consitioner samples that I donated to the Austin Street Centre. I hate to admit that it made me really smiley when they were so happy that I had so much. What a way to give when you don't have the money to give. Then I made the mistake of falling asleep all cozy wrapped in warm covers and was almost late for my hair appointment. Dang, my hair looks FAB-U-LOUS now! Dane is freaking amazing. Then I got my brows totally reshaped--I have arches now. I had fun talking with the esthetician all about France (she is originally from Provence). Now I'm back home, eating a protein bar (ugh) and contemplating another nap. What a fantastic day off work. Too bad I have to go back to the poop tomorrow. Have a great weekend my peeps!