Another work week is gone. Why am I not surprised that it seems like I never left the salon?

It has not been entirely bland, as the slow atmosphere at this particular salon gives me plenty of time for contemplation. The mental organization I can accomplish is pretty remarkable, and I can make lists like mad for those frequent moments when I feel as if I just can't focus.

I am catching up on the back issues of magazines I had to have for some reason or another, mainly Poets & Writers and Shambala Sun. It is interesting to me how things in my life seem to all come together, either to a crossroads or to a perfect parallel. Perhaps more on that later.

Tonight after work, i went with E to Cafe Montrose. It is a French/Belgian place and I had an order of mussels. I have been jonesing for them ever since we returned from NYC. These were pretty good, not quite the ones from Le Singe Vert, but good just the same. I have been inspired to make them myself, and will do just that on Wednesday, if not sooner.

After dinner we were supposed to meet Paul and Fred at EJ's bar, but E was not feeling right, and when we got there, there was a $5 cover charge. Since we knew we would be only there for a drink or two, we opted to leave...I know Paul will nderstand, and I will buzz by and see him tomorrow. I only hope he does not worry because my cell is temporarily out of service. That happened at 11 pm ish, and I had spoken to him on just an hour before. He will not worry too much, but it would have been nice to let him know.

Time for a movie I think.

Yippee!! my main man is back among us. What withdrawl I was suffering. I sure hope he is still running for prez...I cannot imagine a candidate I might actually want to fuck any more than wKen...well, maybe if Lara Croft was on the ballot we would have issues to discuss, too...

i was awake early again, but soon enough fell back to sleep. Something is going on that this is happening, but I do go through long periods of near insomnia, so it could be one of those approaching. I then slept until about 9:30, so I am feeling quite rested at the moment. I am trying to decide what degree of nothingness to approach the rest of the day with.

It should be chicken and dumpling day at Eatzi's, so I might go there and get some lunch. I sort of feel like running to Galveston, but I also sort of don't, so likely I won't. Ben & erry are of course, still calling my name, but I just do not feel like going out at the moment to pick them up. Maybe I will do my color, then go to Eatzi's, then pick up Ben & Jerry on the way home.

Sounds like a plan.

I have been awake this morning since 6:45. Really awake. I did not go to bed until about midnight, and then it was a while in fantasy land while rubbing my pussay before I finally dropped off into slumber. I guess I just slept hard. I am not a morning person, so it is just a wee bit bizarre. UI have even already caught up the laundry, and straightened out my closet from my girlfriend's last effort of putting laundry away. It really is beneath her.

Then I made a cup of mango tea, and returned a bunch of emails, even writing at some length to the object of my recent fantasies ( ~~GASP~~a man). What kind of lesbian am I??

More important though, what the fuck am I doing awake and alert at an ungodly hour of the morning? I have to get into the shower and get my sorry ass to yoga, then to work. What if I am this alert tomorrow morning when I have slugging on my agenda? What of my date with Ben & Jerry???

I guess if I am this alert tomorrow morning I might go to the beach and write...and read...and think of that man...

Seems like I have not had a day off since vacation, though of course, I have. There has just been something to do, or company here so it seems I have been on the go.

The weekend with CJ was rather pleasant, if not low key. The women's fest was drowned out so we passed, but we did make it to see the Master's show of works from MOMA which is here at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. E told me this is the only stop for the show in North America, so quite the coup for Houston, and a nice little event for us to see. I think I will be going back to see it again at least once mmore, but perhaps on a Wednesday when it is less busy. I want to be able to sit and make some notes. Might even do the audio tour again as I liked that aspect of it. There were many paintings I wished had that component. Whoever chose did a poor job.

This Wednesday has been reserved for slugging...just me and the pooches curled up under the covers with some Ben & Jerry's Making Whoopie Pie...maybe some tv, maybe not. I have not decided that part yet. I think I might even have E turn the phone ringers off, not that I will get up to answer if it does ring.

I have been somewhat mentally occupied by wKen lately. He has been invading my dreams a lot, and it makes me curious. Something to ponder at work today, I suppose.

On your way to the store at 10 am when you have to pick your friend up at the airport at 12 noon and your girlfriend is in a meeting so does not get your plea for help is NOT the best possible time to lock yourself out of the house...

However, babe that she is, E checks her messages frequently and I was only locked out for about 45 minutes. The store will just have to wait. Lots of pecans in the driveway so at least I had a snack.

In four minutes, I will be walking out the door to go to work...that is just so wrong. I had to switch my hours for the Retablo opening party/artist's reception/silent auction tonight. Of course that does mean I will be leaving work at 6 rather than 9 tonight...a good thing I assure you.

And, I am then off for the weekend so I can play with my friend CJ all weekend...woohoo..........................

Tuesday morning...I have yoga this morning, and I must admit it is sorely needed. I am not sure why I am feeling so ambivalent about going. It could be a mini-funk settling in, or it could just be mood hangover from work. I have to reserve judgement about work until after I am on my regular schedule.

I have been trying to edit my book list with little success. I am not sure why I am getting extra space when I add someone alphabetically. If I insert a line of text it is also inserting space below it but not an extra line, so it breaks the block of that alpha letter into two blocks. Perhaps I need to just edit my online version and then convert that to a new mini file. I suppose I will give that a try.

Otherwise, not much is new...

Amidst all my bitching and moaning about work, I will gladly entertain more customers like the walkin I got today. Randi came in for a color service, new to town and not knowing where to go. She is a hi-lift blonde and I quickly informed her how lucky she was to find me. Her service was $55 and she gave me a $20 tip. Many many more like her can get on my waiting list...

Damn!

I just realized that my booklist, shrunk down to a size 6 font I think or smaller so it is on one page, is yet another file that was on my desktop pre-crash. That means I have to make that file again. Aggravation.

Back up..rewind...I just found it misfiled under a different name. How fortunate. I wonder what else might be misfiled.

Another work week begins in about an hour, what a drag. At least at the end of this one I have company coming and will have some fun. Pleasant distraction, even if it will be a struggle to keep up with her young ass.

weirdness...yawn...

So I have just updated my "recent reads" to the left. How many get posted before scrolling some off the bottom?

I have also made some notes to update my library list. I might begin that project this week, or it might sit. It all depends on if I get my ass out of bed in the mornings before I have to or if I lounge around nekkid in bed until the last second.

I still need to go through a few shelves of books to see if there are any new additions I missed but since the desk light is burned out I might wait to do that in the morning. Then, too, there is a whole slew of reshelving to do so everything is where it belongs. I just ran across a few books I have bought and have yet to read so at least I will have something to do (read) at work this week.

Sunday morning and I am up and awake before 8 am. There is something wrong with this picture. I just poured a cup of tea, and loaded up the cd player with Diana Krall, Sarah McLachlan, Lisa Loeb, Bebel Gilberto, and Shawn Colvin. I will either figure it out by the time they all play, or E will then be up to distract me with the rest of the day.

I went back to work last Tuesday, and before the end of the first day I knew it was to be a dread filled experience. My horoscope that first day was something like "do not mingle into the drama, stay in your own space". As I read that I knew it was appropriate and that is how I have decided to conduct myself at work. I will chat with Paul of course, and with Sharon, my manager, I can be totally candid. But the rest of them can just presume I am stuck up or anti-social while I sit at my station and read.

On Thursday I read an entire book! I read The Cemetery Murders by Jean Marcy. I rather enjoy handing my book to one of the unknowing who asks what I am reading. It is entertaining to see their faces as they read the back cover and come across the word dyke or lesbian. I suppose it is as good a time as any to comb through my shelves of books and pull out ones I have not read as I am committed to staying the first 13 weeks minimum before I make a final decision. Of course, s out I can be added to her insurance, I will tweak my schedule righ away. Working less hours would make it much more bearable.

E has told me once again that I would be much more suited to becoming a therapist so I could help the world, and has reminded me that I can go to scool while she supports us and then just work part time somewhere for pocket money. I am going to go to check things out at HCC as well as at U of H, maybe even do a pre-enrollment to have them request my transcripts from my last college days. I might have a better idea about it all knowing that prior work would transfer. I will get on it after my friend comes to visit this next weekend. I switched my schedule around so I could be off Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so that means I will be working straight through until Friday four 10 hour days so I could not get to either school anyway before the following Wednesday.

On another note, my car is back among the living. I told Lewis to go out to the parking lot and put the mojo on it so I would not be back to see him anytime soon. I need to not bitch about it too much because it really is for the most part reliable transportation, and while it is in its eitghth year, it has less than 70,000 miles on it so it has considerable life left in it still. Perhaps it will be a good first car for T if I can save up spme dollars towards a new car for myself.

Who the hell knows what the future holds?

Just got off the phone with Firestone...$319.88...sigh...

Still better than I thought it would be, but still more than I want to pay. I was going to tweak my wardrobe a little with that last unemployment check as well as buy a few things I need for work, but oh fucking well. I suppose I should just be glad I have a running vehicle and get over it. I really need to contemplate trading it in, which means I need the title from the wasband. It would also mean deciding on making payments again. I am not sure I am ready for that fully.

Work, in general, sucks. It is a very depressing place to be, surounded by ghetto mentality. I am not sure I can explain that further, but most salons have a component of it, just so happens it is the majority in the salon I am in.

More later...

Pain in the ass piece of shit jeep cherokee!!!

My first day at work went off pretty well. I did 4 people, 14 woulda been nicer, and 3 of them were requests for me. Not too shabby considering I have been out of the salon for nearly 3 years.

I clocked out at 9 pm, went out to my car, and the piece of shit would not start. It was getting juice from the new battery fine and dandy, I think it was not getting any gas. Tomorrow Papu will meet me there, we hope, after work and we will wait for the triple A dude to arrive for a tow to the Firestone we use. Hopefully it will be a minor enough fix to not completely drain my funds.

E came to pick me up tonight, and Paul will pick me up on his way in tomorrow.

Just sucky...

We got up on Wednesday morning at my aunt's house and packed up our thngs. All the loot we had collected at Rice's Market in PA was packed into a box to be shipped ahead to our home. I am expecting it soon, hopefully before Christmas.

We than packed up our suitcases and put fresh linens on the bed for my aunt. We were delivered to the bus station and took the 1:35 into NYC. I was surprised that it was only a one hour trip, and it was a rather seamless transition from life in the country.

The bus took us right to the Port Authority and from there we took a cab to our friend's place in Chelsea. He was out, so we left our bags with his doorman Jose who was a total doll. We then went to get a sandwich at a cafe and walked around the neighborhod for a bit. We eventually got onto the subway and rode down to Prince Street to pop into Dean & DeLuca for some tea, and then across the street to Kate's Paperie. We did not get all the things we wanted to on that trip downtown, but we scouted around and picked up some roses for our host, then headed back up to his place.

We relaxed with Scooter for a while on Wednesday evening, and then my niece came into the city after work and took us to La Guardia to pick up E's sister K. I have not seen my niece in a couple of years and we caught up on everything on the adventurous ride to the airport. She had used mapquest to get directions to Scooter's place, but had sketchy and less-than-accurate directions to the airport. A little foraging on our own, and then a call to her boyfriend got us there, and getting back to the city was pretty smooth. I was surprised at how much less traffic there was at 8 pm.

When we were back in NYC, we went up to the roof and took in the city view at night. We were relaxing with a beverage of choice and enjoying the nice fall weather. My niece headed out around 11 or so as she had work and school the following day, and we settled in back at the homestead for the night with another round of drinks or two.

On Thursday we tried to go to the Gugenheim, but found it closed on Thursdays. We bought some art on the street on our stroll down to The Met where we toured around some of the art; the el Greco exhibit, some mideval stuff, and the first floor of the modern collection.

We went to dinner on Thursday night at one of Scooter's favorite places, le Singe Vert. He lived abroad in France for a few years and to him this place is sort of like going home. It was fabulous. I had a tartine which was toasted slices of French bread topped with tomato/honey confit and goat cheese. It was exquisite. I also had the duck. Tres magnifique!!

Scooter had a bowl of mussels, his favorite, and as I had never had them before, I accepted his offer to try a few. They were very delicious and melted in my mouth. I will definitely be adding them to my menu soon.

On Friday, we shopped around during the day a bit and K and E's brothers drove in to join us for dinner. It was a surprise to K right up until we were at the restaurant to meet them. I could not believe someone did not let the cat out of the bag. While we were waiting, they called to say they were stuck in traffic, and at that point we had to tell her what was going on because we had to wait for them a couple of hours.

We decided to go around the corner to a different bar where we could drink a little cheaper than at the restaurant. g lounge is a chic boy bar and we listened to some tunes and had a few drinks whille our host cruised some of the local talent. The place was packed.

We finally met up with the boys around 8 pm, not 5, and had a fair dinner at Elmo's, which is right next door to le Singe Vert. It was fair. Not great. Not soomewhere I would recommend or return to. My meal of pan-seared scallops and cheesy pumpkin rice was actually quite excellent, and Johnny, our so very cute gay boy server was actually perfect. But overall, the place was merely adequate.

After dinner we went back to Scooter's for more drinks and a little side of family drama...enough said about that.

On Saturday morning we went to meet the boys for breakfast at their hotel before they went home to DC. After that, we hit one of the chelsea flea markets. I picked up a lovely pin, and a carved asian incense holder. I think it is soapstone, and I am not sure what its traditional purpose is, but I liked it and I thought the incense would be nice stored in it. While I was browsing that particular booth, the woman whose booth it was came over and started rambling on in Chinese. Her daughter said "Whoa" to her, and began translating.

The woman was curious about my hacking cough. I exlained to her that it was seasonal allergy/sinus crud and that I just had to wait it out. She explained that there was a remedy, and asked permission to apply some white clover oil to my throat. I made my purchase and walked around some more, and did not cough again the entire time. I went back to tell her, and she gave me the bottle which was almost empty. I am going to see if I can get some at Whole Foods. She also told me to stir-fry some chopped fresh ginger and then add the egg, rice, and meat and veggies. She said add whatever I like, just be sure to use plenty of ginger. I am going to add that to my menu soon, too.

I went around the next corner at the flea market and bought a box of bright pink silk daisy tops.

Oh, and a small Wedgewood saucer as well as a second saucer that I just really liked for a couple bucks each.

E and I went back up to Scooter's to rest for a while and Scooter and K went out for a walk as they had just finished resting. We watched a movie and then decided we were hungry. It was still early enough for thr brunch menu so I proposed we go back to le Singe Vert and share a bowl of mussels. I ate nearly the entire bowl myself and could have gone back there yet another time if our budget had allowed. Divine, they were.

E and I seemed to keep missing Scooter and K most of the day, and we finally settled in for another movie in the evening and ordered out for Chinese from MaMa Buddha's. Another interestingly adequate meal, and just the low key solution we needed to recoup a little more from all the indulging we had been doing.

On Sunday morning, K was gone to the airport by 6 and a little later, E and I got up and hit another flea market and then went back downtown for our final purchases from Dean & DeLuca and Kate's Paperie. Before doing that, however, we had brunch around the corner from there at a place we found in one of our previous trips to NYC. Zoe's makes a terrific "al uovo" (sp?) pizza. It is a thin crust topped with thinly sliced potatoes, fontina cheese, mancetta bacon, and two fried eggs. Fantastic fabulous!

On the way back from the morning shopping we went to yet another flea market, this one set up inside a parking garage just a street down from Scooter's place. We looked around a little, but I was definitely nearly shopped out at this time. I decided the big corner booth would be my last, and that I would pore over what they had closely. In the back corner of the booth was a set of glassware. It was red glass on the bottom half and clear on top with gold rings around it. 20 pieces for $20. Shot glasses, water glasses and hi-ballish glasses. I had to have them but had no idea how I was going to get them home. Then I decided I could empty my back pack into my suitcase and put all the fragile stuff in it and carry it home on the plane. Perfect.

The two stores I wanted to go to were Satya and Mr Pink, both of which I saw on Queer Eye and both linked from the "Meet the Parents" episode. I made purchases at both, as well as a few other quirky stores we just happened upon and whose names escape me.

Now I am home and after this post, I need a nap!! Tomorrow is back t work...

The first night we were here at my aunt's house, we discovered how hot it gets in the guest room when the door is closed. She said, "Did you crack the window?"

As it gets into the 30s at night, it did not occur to me that this would be okay. Since then we have kept the window cracked and enjoyed the snuggle factor under the huge comforter.

This morning when we awoke at 7ish, it was 34 fucking degrees. Omigod...a heavy frost could be seen when looking out over the back forty. E took one look out the window and said, "Nope! It is too cold to be going to any flea market this early in the morning."

Of course we still got it together and after my aunt threw a pot roast dinner into the crock pot, we were out the door by 9, just an hour past the schedule proposed last night.

We stopped down in Clinton about 15 minutes down the road for a bagel and cup of tea, and as they did not have chai, I settled for an ice cold Yoohoo. Nice combination with a hot onion bagel with cream cheese. While in Clinton, we stopped at the bus station and got our tickets for the ride into NYC tomorrow afternoon.

We then went off to New Hope, PA to the Rice sale and market. I was surprised at the size of this place given it is on Tuesday. It was just enough looking around. Aunt Patty even supplied E and I both with $25 each spending money.

E got a pair of Gucci knock off sunglasses for $5 and then a nice hippy-ish purple cotton shirt for $12. After strolling around some more, she saw a hat she really liked which totally gives her the country-dyke-about-town look. I liked it so I encouraged her to get it. It was $20 amd a similar one she wanted in TX was $100, so it was a deal.

I was entranced by all the knock off purses that were mostly just $20. Plenty of Gucci, Yves St LAuurent, and Louis Vuitton. Of course every other table had a vast array of Kate Spade bags and I am already regretting having the self control to get only two. I got a nice burgunty color one with black trim and a nice dark grey felt one, both rather conservative. I should have also gotten one of the striped ones and one of the pleather ones.

I totally resisted everything Christmas.

We also got an artsy candelabra sort of thing which will always be a remiinder of the trip.

We then went on to the original Peddler's Village (I think) and had lunch. Of course after lunch we drove through the village of New Hope, another walking day in itself for our next trip. and then stopped at an ice cream stand my aunt used to ride her bike to as a girl. I think it was called Dilly's.

Then it was home, and anyone with anysense, namely E, is currently napping.

I am ready to zip on over to the A&P and get some laundry detergent and some Luden's Honey and Lemon cough drops. I got some when we arrived and they are the most tolerable cough drops I have ever had. Not too sweet, not too mentholated, and they really work.

Last night we forgot all about going back to the observatory. We watched Alias and than I read some while the others watched The Practice. I have little interest in that show, really.

This morning my mom took E and I to breakfast and then when we got home we decided to go to the store so I could cook dinner for everyone. I made mashed potatoes with St Andre cheese added, some fresh green beans, and pork tenderloin.

While we were out we also stopped at an orchard so I could make an apple pie and I used the extra apples for some fresh apple sauce.

Everything was tres yumm, of course.

Tomorrow morning we are going to a flea market in PA and Aunt Patty is going to make a pot roast in the crock pot so we do not have any work to do.

After dinner tonight my cousin brought his kids over. I used to say my little cousin David, but at some point he shot up taller than me, and once he was married that went by the side somehow. His son David is 3.5 and he has a daughter Autumn who is 9 months. Both were delightful. Happily, they have gone home.

I spoke to my neice and she is going to meet us in the city on Wednesday so I will be able to visit with her then for a bit. I have not seen her since my last trip to the city a couple of years ago. I am excited to hear about a roman catholic church she is designing in Philadelphia. I am not sure if that is part of her Architecture schoolwork, or if it is something for the firm she works for. hopefully she will bring sketches.

Tomorrow is a new day...time for bed, I think

An update...we made it to NJ, even though I took us to the wrong airport for our exit from Houston. For a mere $25 each, the counter tech was able to get us on a corresponding flight so we made our connection in Atlanta with no trouble.

My cousin met us at the airport inNewark, and we will be here until sometime Wednesday.

We went to Dinner at a local diner last night and I had a decent burger, and then today we went to some breakfast buffet at the Holiday Inn. It was also ok, and my mom is here now too.

After breakfast, we broke ranks and went driving around with my cousin. First we went to the observatory which is at a state park here, and Bill invited us back to view some stars if it clears up tonight. He went on and on...

After that we stopped home and then went down into town and looked in some shops. Then to shoot some pool at a local pub, Planet High Bridge, and had a few beers and then a snack of pierogies...tres yumm. We also monopolized the pool table much to some local asshole's annoyance. All he had to freakin' do was to ask could he get in a game.

Soon it will be time for Alias and we will attempt to convert the entire household as my mother sits there complaining about one thing or another...whatever...

Well, it is official... I am re-employed...

I went to JC Penney this afternoon and filled out my paperwork so that I will be in the system by the time I return from vacation. Luckily, I adore my boss, and I appreciate that she will benefit from me being there. I rather like that aspect of my return.

She is also going to get me in as a rep for Tigi Bed Head products and possibly also for Farouk Systems. Hair artist extraordinaire...

How did it come to be October???

Yesterday, E and I managed to change the driver's side taillight on my Jeep and it works!! Then we tackled the front driver's signal light. What we found there was an 8 year old (original) bulb that was fused and corroded in the socket.

Leave it to my grrl to put a little muscle into it and get the old bulb out with some pliers and force the new bulb in through all the gunk enough that it made contact!

Wonder no more why she does the man stuff...

Today I need to get my ass in gear and shower, then go get the car reinspected and then go get the registration transferred.

Temp registration for inspection purposes: $5
Inspection: $39
Electrical system troubleshoot: $20
Battery + installation: $97
Tail light and bulb: $70
Registration transfer: $177

Grand total cost to get the car back in the road so I caan return to work after vacation because unemployment expires that very day?

$408 fucking dollars, better spent on vacation in NYC!!


~sigh~but the up side is that we will have 2 functioning cars again and I can work the schedule I want to work rather than something convoluted to accomodate having just one operable vehhicle. Also, there will be more gallavanting potential when my buddy CJ blows into town at the end of *THIS* month (OMG), and as well, I will be able to jaunt down to Galveston on my off days and not have to hurry back to pick up E.

< /ramble >