Time elastic

Time seems to have taken on some foreign concept lately. Not that it is foreign and I cannot comprehend, just that it seems so elastic.

On Friday morning last, we woke up late and I distinctly told E it was ok (for me) as it was Thursday. "No," she said calmly while the heat of her body still warmed my side, "it's definitely Friday." Shit.

Now here it is Tuesday and I feel as if it is some other day entirely. Part of the disconnect is due to yoga being on a month long summer break. I will be glad when class resumes next Tuesday morning and only hope to be present. It currently depends somewhat on buying airline tickets for my son's visit here later next month.

Tomorrow can't get here soon enough. I am hoping against hope that I see even a small loss at WW so I can scoot along right away to get my nails done and then to get with my laptop to the cafe. I negotiated with myself, and if there is a gain, I endure the WW meeting as punishment. If I am even or have a loss, I can weigh in only and get the fuck out of there before the drivel begins. It really is dreary once you have heard it so many times regardless how perky the leader is. Suitable punishment for not taking the knowledge to heart.

Do I care?

The blinds just fell that are in the bathroom window which faces the neighbors. Am I going to fix them before I take my shower?

Ummm...I think not.

What does concern me, however, is the rash that is covering my entire back. I had E put some lotion on me yesterday because my back has been feeling a little tight/dry skin/itchy and she used Lubriderm, which I have been using with no adverse affects for some time now.

The itchy really amped up through the evening, and this morning my back is looking all rashy and is as red as a sunburn. Did I mention it is itchy???

I have had similar rash in the past when I have switched laundry detergent. Tide, Surf, Gain, Cheer, just about anything other than Arm and Hammer sends me into rash anywhere clothing somes in contact with skin. Surprisingly, I can use the Costco brand detergent with no upset.Wooooweeee.

I need to wear a soft dress to work today to avoid further irritation, I think.

There will also be a lot of time out for short meditative breathing periods as it helps drive the itch out, at least for a short time.

Come rake your nails over my back, will ya?

Omigod, E bought me a book!!

I have gotten more new books lately than these, but these are the ones I will integrate into the e-library this evening.

Haslund, Ebba...Nothing Happened
Brown, Rita Mae...Plain Brown Rapper
Morrell, Mary...Final Rest
Hodgman, Helen...Waiting For Matindi
Hopkins, Jeffrey...Cultivating Compassion
Mah, Adeline Yen...Watching The Tree
Goldberg, Natalie...Thunder and Lightning
Pepin, Jacques...The Apprentice
McNab, Claire...Blood Link (15)
McNab, Claire...Death By Death
Stinson, Susan...Fat Girl Dances With Rock
Stinson, Susan...Martha Moody
Miller, Carlene...Death Off Stage

Woohoo...time to get reading!!

I think I had something more to say when I began this post, but zippo...it's gone.

Slacker

I have been such a blog slacker. Really, there is little new to report. Same old, same old...life is good.

I began a memoir writing class at BNU so that has me a little distracted regarding updating here, but as I said, life, is good...so there is little in the way of vennting necessary at the moment.

Of course the asshole housesitters next door were at it again last night, but i was pretty tired when I finally went to bed, and that combined with a Norah Jones cd and E's soft and constant stroking of my tired flesh, I nodded off rather directly.

Lazy weekend, I'm yours.

Another sleep hangover

I am up this morning having slept well, but for too many hours. I feel like crap, as if I really tied one on last night. Funny though, even when I drink in mega excess, I am never hungover from alcohol, just from too much sleep.

There seems to be some sort of blah hanging in the air lately. I have a general life is good vibe going on, but yesterday I was just bored out of my mind at work. I am not sure how that indicates for the future, but it is wearing on my patience and such. Hopefully Sharon will know something definite in the next few days regarding transferring across town. A new locale will go a long way towards extending my patience even if it likely is just the same crap with new faces. But the new faces will at least be a diversion to my senses.

If there is no transfer, I am not sure how much longer I will stay with JCP. I might reconsider trying to get on with B and N where 20 hours is all that is required for insurance.

Belated happy birthday to Mickey!!

E's sister had her baby yesterday and we had the task of caring for her three year old overnight. We did our best to corrupt him by watching Thomas the train followed by Wild Thornberry's and then Jimmy Neutron. And then, of course, repeatedly watching all three movies as much as possible during the past 24 hours. Thomas the train won at about 6 viewings.

While watching movies last night, I made him some mac and cheese and let him eat in front of the tv, and then of course we just slugged around today eating nothing but graham crackers.

Baby Mickey made his appearance last night at 11:30, weighing in at 8lbs 12 ozs and he is, of course, just darling.

On a sour note, the asshole neighbors have some asshole house sitters who at 1:30 am after E went over to ask them to quiet down, called her a shrew and after she left were mocking her and her request and suggesting we just stay over here and lick twat.

I am really struggling with how to keep an equanimous mind and deal with cultivating compassion toward those fuckers.

Promiscuous With Negroes

I am really seriously letting that be the title of my memoirs when I finally get it together. I am thinking good old Papu might have inspired a catchy hook of a title with that one. If he is still living when it is published, I will have to be sure he gets an author's signed copy. I imagine the cover art will be that of his daughter, the one not a woman and not gay and not vociferous in her opinions.

Hah!

Had a nice day off yesterday. I went to WW and was plus .6, but it is my period, and after weighing in I discovered my keys and my cell phone in my pocket. Duh!

After that I went to see Traci to get my nails done. I think she is worried I will go ack to Vicki who has returned from maternity leave. I might see her again, but really either of them do a good job, and since Vicki has never done my pedicure, I would still see Traci for that.

After the mani, I came home to meet brother-in-law Joe for a haircut. He has not seen me for nearly two months, so it was time. We chitchatted about things and then he warily brought up the recent controversy with Paou. We had a good laugh about it and he was surprised that I was not furious and hurt by it all. I tried to explain all the reasons I am not and he told me he really admired how I can let stuff go like that. Buddhism, I replied.

My books arrived for the next class I am taking at b and n uni dot com. It is a memoir writing class through them from Gotham Writers' Workshop and is offered FREE. I am interested in doing other GWW classes online which are more intense and, umm, not FREE, so I thought it might be a nice intro to their method and seeing if it fits before I drop a few hundred clams.

E got home just as Joe was leaving and we talked a little further about Papu and about Joe's son Bobby who is three and behaving terribly. Melodramatic, that one is. Kathy, Joe's wife is about to pop out little Mickey any day now and will be induced on Tuesday if she does not pop over the weekend. Bobby knows something is up. It occurs to me he might have little use for his new brother. "Send him back!" is what I hear coming from his mouth.

We had to take E's son Thomas to driving school and then while he was there we went and had enchiladas for lunch. After we ate we went by the candle shop we like and picked up a few more Circle E candles. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

We dropped T off at his dad's and then came home for a while. At around 7 we went by the hospital to visit Paul who had a heart attack Saturday and, well, frankly is not doing well at all. It was sad.

From there we went to Meteor for Ladies happy hour and saw Beth, Irina, and Mimi, always fun.

We went to MoMong for mango spring rolls and also had crab claws and fried rice, and finally we went in search of the Industry Cafe to see Grupo Fantasma. Muy excellente!

Home around 1230 last night and here i was awake this morning at 7.

Time for some yoga and then off to work.

Is he for real??? (Yes, he is...)

I have been considering planting a new bed in the back yard. Currently I have just two small Bouganvilla (I know that is not spelled right, but spellcheck offers no alternative) and no other ideas for what to put in it. Do I dig out the entire bed I will want there eventually? Do I dig out just enough space for the two pots? Tomorrow morning I will know. I will wake up knowing and just do it.

Tomorrow I also have the privilege of dealing with a family haircut. In comparison to the final drama with Papu, I now welcome the brother-in-law with no reservation.

Yesterday, an email from Papu informed E that he is just too uncomfortable around me to deal with it. He loves her blahx3, but he just can no longer tolerate me because, oh, let's see. (Fair warning, Papu is a bitter, bigoted, racist, homophobe of an old man.)

I am a W O M A M. Which he says in a derogatory way because I have disagreeable feminist leanings. (Yes, his daughter is one, too.)

I am gay. Does he think his daughter is not? Yes, I think he actually does.

I am a Jew. He thinks there is a small group of Jews controlling the world and his conspiracy theory is something that really distresses him. He often says things disparaging, and it is always his daughter who alerts him and contradicts him, yet I *am* the Jew.

I have two black sons and have been "promiscuous with Negroes". First of all, when it is not about him, he does not pay attention. While I do have two sons, just one of them is black. Secondly, I was married to his father for 10 years which does not by any stretch of the imagination make me "promiscuous with Negroes".

Lastly, He said that I was too vociferous in all these faults/opinions and he just can't deal with it any longer. If I am to be included when he is invited somewhere, he will pass. Boofricketyhoo.

E was concerned that I would be upset about this email, but really, I find it somewhat amusing and I have a reaction more of pity for how pathetic Papu is. Her reaction is to be through with him and she replied just that to her siblings, all of them had been cc-ed on Papu's original email.

He lost the one person who tolerated him best.

There is to be a family gathering July 4 at her sister's house which E says we will not be going to. I reminded her that I am usually the one who cooks at these events. Hah! He lost the cook then, too!

Just another daydream

Not quite eleven, and I am pretty wide awake. I suppose it is rather early, but it seems as if it has been a long day. Really the long day will be tomorrow when I am working 8-7, knowing that for many it is a holiday. Time and a half just does not seem to mean a whole lot.

E and I are planning to go to the beach early next Saturday morning. I will do a little research and see if I can find a coffee house for us to lunch at. Or late breakfast at. I think I might push for us to go even if it rains. We can then explore the Strand or see what else we can uncover down there.

Last summer, I had the ambitious desire to find a way to rent one of the small cottages down there for a few weeks during the summer. I think it might be something doable for the off season, but I have yet to discover how much even that might be. It is fairly nice in April and it stays warm enough into October to make it feasable. I could trade my Wednesday iff for Monday or Friday to have 3 day weekends to go down, and even burn some vacation days to have 4 day mini retreats a few weeks in a row. Some advanced planning might just be in order and perhaps I can indulge in 05.

Take me out to the ballgame

Yesterday I went to Minute Maid Park and lost my Astro's cherry. It was an ok time, but I will consider heavily whether or not to accept future offers to go. E and her dad and her son and I went and we had her dad's corporate tickets. We stayed about four or five innings. I even wore an Astro's t-shirt for the occasion which I got deeply discounted at JCP.

Not much else going on to indicate it is a holiday weekend. The real holiday being tomorrow is a regular work day for me, 8 am to 7 pm. Ewww. Maybe I will have some fabulous lunch somewhere, but it is also regular for me to go to PF Chang's on Monday anyway. so no big deal. Unless of course E comes to join me. That would be nice.

We have a proposed family day at the sister-in-law's for July 4 when the brother-in-law is visiting for a week and I am thinking I might pass. Don't think my name will be mud, but I will meditate on it.

Strangeness

This morning I had a disturbing dream. E was masturbating at a party. There was a woman who hit on me and I rebuffed her rather vehemently. She new who my wife was and that she was present and that she had heavily consumed libations as had all in attendance. She proceeded to basically dare E to masturbate. E thought it was a private thing and she ended up having an audience. I was not at all put out with her, but I proceeded to murder the grrl who had manipulated the situation.

It was so disturbing to me that I was consciously going to shave my head this morning after my shower. It's a good thing that my clippers were at work.

I brought home all my fabulous pottery which I made over the last 5 weeks in class, and I think I will become a continuing student. At least for a couple of months. If anyone has an electric wheel to donate, please give me a ring.

Early Sunday evening. It has been a relaxing and lazy sort of weekend. Very enjoyable.

It began after work on Friday by going to Slick Willies to shoot some pool and listen to the juke box. We had a few beers there and then headed over to Cabo for some food. The shrimp tacos are pretty good.

After dinner we called on Beth and Irina and joined them, and Mimi in watching The Statement. Though rather slow, it was a decent flick. Somewhat heavy subject matter for a Friday night.

Saturday was a lazy morning with us leaving the house around noon for lunch at St Pete's before a 2:30 theatre time. We saw "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum", or I should say we saw the first act. It was entertaining enough to stay for the second act, but one act of sitting still in the dark on a full stomach is usually all we can take.

On the way home from the theatre we had to detour due to construction on the ramps connecting I-10 to 610. During the detour, a white truck pulled over to the shoulder and the red truck in front of us braked (broke?) much harder than necessary causing us to brake. The car behind us was rubber necking the truck and then BAM!@*>$&, we were struck from behind. We are all just fine, but the muffler on E's car is scrunched.

The boy driving his Mom's green Ford Taurus station wagon called to see if we would work with the collision shop he is employed by rather than going through insurance and E has agreed as long as it is timely and she lays out no $$. We go Wednesday to the place to see what the deal is.

Today, we did the Sunday morning usual. E went to Lowes while I took Nola out for the breakfast run. We went first to Olde Towne Kolaches and picked uo two Ranchera Kolaches with ham. If I tuck the bag between the seat and the door, it is safe from Nola's sniffing and prodding.

Then we swung around to the Starbucks with the drive thru and got two iced venti 7 pump Chais and a New York Times. While collecting my $$, the grrl at the window asked if the pup could have a treat. I said yes and she produced a lid with a shot of whipped cream on it. Nola was liking it more than she had been liking riding in the car in the first place.

Lowes did not have what E wanted, so after we ate, we went over to Homo Depot. We needed some fencing solution for the side with the whacked out white trash lesbo neighbors (go figure) who basically refuse to repair their falling apart fence which allows Sawyer and Nola to go through on occasion requiring us to prop all sorts of things on our side to prevent this making us seem white trashy. The fence is on our property with consent to the previous owner, but as they have a pool, by law it is their responsibility. We asked them last year to repair or replace it to no response.

We got pickets to attach on our side to the existing framing and made sure they extend over the line of their existing pickets just enough to irritate them just a little. I think we will subsequently attach some lattice and vining to the top so we don'y have to see them at all.

While E did the fencing, I went back to Beth's to cut hair and then went looking for a couple of books which I did not find so I just bought them at half.com.

Alias season finale rounds out the weekend nicely this evening.

A new look to stave off gloom and doom

These dots might make me crazy, but I was feeling it time to redecorate. I suppose I could design one myself or ask E for some help with it, but it is not something that matters terribly much.

I think I will tweak this template a bit more and then go get my nails done before retiring to Brasil, the cafe not the country, with my laptop for a late morning snack.

General blah circulating this morning. Day two of getting up in the early morning amd walking the dog a mile. Hate it. But doesn't it make you just feel good? Umm, no.

Well, I accomplished everything I set out to do yesterday.My legs have had there quarterly shave, and I went to Lowes. Then I was off to the Galleria where I parked at the entrance which takes you in through Lord & Taylor. A mistake of course because there were two sweaters, a tank, and a shirt beckoning me near. There was much more I wanted to get and I showed great restraint.

While at the Fossil store for a wallet, I also picked up this. I have been needing a watch for work, and while I preferred a sleek and petite leather banded one, it was not as water resistant, which for work is a necessity. I might go back for that one soon, though. I also got a wallet like this in red.

While down in the Galleria area, I also went by Eatzi's where I had chicken and dumplings for lunch. I also brought a second helping home which I just had today for lunch. Roasted southwest pepper cream cheese and an olive oil boule(bread) were also in my bag. Tres yumm.

Today I have been cleaning the house room by room, and for the most part I am done. I have a little bit of surface cleaning yet to do, mainly my alter which has measurable dust on it, which really is a project in and of itself. I am trying to decide if I like it where it is because I want to hang a few things on the wall over it as part of it, and I want to be sure it is in a reasonably permanent location.

The other side project is to attack my library and neaten things up. I started Friday night with fiction and it is ordered, but still not prettied up.

Saturday morning and I'm home alone. E has gone to the yoga retreat and it just was not calling my name, so here I am, relaxing with the dogs. I think I might shave my legs today and then at some point go get a new tattoo. Or two.

Also on the agenda is the bank, Lowes, and the Fossil store at the Galleria. While at the Galleria, there is also a new tea store I need to scope out.

Have I been shopping too much lately? Perhaps. But not in a dollars-wise way. I think there has been some retail therapy going on, but I am not sure why. Of course, it could just be that I am becoming a grrlygrrl as I approach 40 this year. The signs are all there. I have nails again and I get them done every two weeks as well as get a pedicure. This alone isn't really cause for alarm.

In addition, I have become a purse whore of sorts. I have bought 6 new purses in the last month, and not less than 10 in the past 6 months. For the most part they are cute little bags that are too good a sale to pass up. My reasoning is infallible as the more purses I have to rotate through, the less wear each one will receive, making each an investment which will endure.

Then there is the shoes. While my selection is not over the top grrly, I have bought at least 6 pair already this year and there is an immediate plan for several pair more.

The retail therapy angle applies if it is miscarriage anniversary blues that are encroaching. May 22 marks the day, but I am not convinced this is the case. I have had a general blues malaise recently, but it seems more of a seasonal blah sort of transition.

Maybe I need to give Norah Jones a rest as I realized yesterday that listening to her latest CD makes me very sad. I love the music, but the sadness is definitely lingering much like it is lingering after yoga. I think I will ask Kathryn (my yogi) about this and see what she says.

I think there might be a cafe in my plans today as well.

Norah Jones is stuck in my head. Her song 'The Prettiest Thing' has a lyric that just keeps rolling around in my head.

"Lately I just haven't been myself at all, it's heavy on my mind"

I suppose this sums things up in about as much of a nutshell as there is and I just don't know if there is anything to be done about it or if doing nothing is what is called for and letting life just work itself out as I go along is the rule to live by.

Really this entire cd by Norah is a sort of catalyst for me in one way or another as more songs then not have me off in deep reflection.

So, blogger has a new design...not sure I like it, but you get what you pay for...

Yesterday I had the strangest dream. E and I were visiting Kathryn on vacation. Kathryn is our yogi and she lives here and we have not been to her house, but I am positive it was her we were visiting.

Each morning, I was awakened by kisses from Adrienne while E was lying there next to me propped up on her elbow watching. When we were talking about this at breakfast noone knew who Adrienne was or what I was talking about. It was as if I were not let in on the joke K and E shared.

I am on my way this morning to yoga and I think I will just ask Kathryn who Adrienne is.

What a week of nothingness. Work was slow, and my patience for that is waning. I went this morning to see a couple of cliets at their home and I had a moment to wonder if I am really doing something I *Want* to be doing with my days. I am not really sure what that means as I like doing hair, yes, it is the lack of steady busy-ness that plucks my last nerve.

There really is but one question. Do I want to commit to working enough to get a new car, or do I want to run the current car into the ground and become a housewife eventually with us having but one car. It really is a toss up.

We went last night to the Red Lion for fish and chips which was pretty decent. The cod fillets were huge and one serving was plenty for two to share. Then we went to Slick Willies for our routine Friday night of pool playing and we were able to monopolize the juke box fairly early on.

Today, E and her dad are trying to get the pipes changed out in the bathroom so that the shower project might find completion. Then I think we will head on over to Goode Company for some lunch and then home or elsewhere for some beer drinking. A flute player I know is playing tonight at Vinoteca so maybe we will venture there for a bit.

Blah...blah...blase...

kd lang with the Houston symphony last night...swoooon....

I could have done without the 45 minutes of the symphony opener, but it was smashingly fabulous and I wished it would go on longer. Listening to kd lang is like a drug, and I doubt that I will ever pass up a chance to see her live.