Wednesday, December 31, 2003

Wednesday, December 31, 2003

2003 is almost over.  The years seem to fly by now, and yet time stands still.  I don't feel much older than I was 15 years ago --- maybe a little more confident or better able to handle difficult situations but not any less silly or childlike.  I think I have less tolerance for character-lacking people and perhaps more tolerance for others.  Heh, or maybe it just varies depending on my hormonal levels.  ;)

So I bet you're wondering how I am surviving?  I took tons of vitamin C and glutamines last night and today.  I also took some regular aspirin when I felt the fever taking hold.  Anyway, so far so good.  :) 

Happy New Year!

Tuesday, December 30, 2003

Tuesday, December 30, 2003

I'm starting to get a little worried. I got a scratchy throat yesterday and a teensy bit of a fever. Galahad told me that was the first sign of this nasty flu.


My action plan:
  1. dosed up on glutamine and more vitamin C
  2. begged Galahad to shoot me if I got the flu and the obligatory migraine
  3. gave the white blood cells and helper T cells in my arms a firm lecture that they were to take immediate action with extreme prejudice on any viral activity (heh, don't ask me why just there.  Did I mention my sanity is being evasive? I don't even remember if those are the correct fighter cells.)
  4. went to bed early

This morning I am doing nominally better. So far no Excedrin or Imitrex consumed. Yay!!! =) I feel odd but maybe that's cuz I am. =p Last time I thought I felt feverish, I took my temperature and it was 97°F. Perhaps that's why I'm always cold? Okay, curiosity got me. I officially have a low-grade temp, 99.3°F. Does that actually count?

I bet you're dying to know what fabulous gift I got for my honey. He is now the proud owner of a bat house! Not just any bat house either, but a pretty one with shingles and a copper-tipped roof. I originally thought about getting him a Mosquito Magnet, but a friend (Thanks Stuart!) suggested a bat house instead to combat the mosquito issues we get in rainy season. Anyway, he loved it! He was so excited and researched where to place it. Laugh, it will probably take him 3-6 weeks for him to get the pole installed to his satisfaction.

Monday, December 29, 2003

Monday, December 29, 2003

I am so not ready to be back at work today.  I don't feel like I even had a vacation really, more like a long weekend.  Plus, ^^%$@*@(^$@# my head is still hurting.  Two more days of this and I may drown myself in the pool.  :(  Actually, I'm not depressed (surprisingly), but I am starting to lose my shaky grasp on sanity.

Sunday, December 28, 2003

Sunday, December 28, 2003

Fucking theater is fucking sold out again.  I know you're wondering why I didn't just call ahead and reserve seats.  My head has been killing me most of this week, so I wasn't sure I would be up for it.  And, actually I was secretly relieved it was sold out because I needed to rest.  Taking so many meds is taking a toll on me.    :(

Friday, December 26, 2003

Friday, December 26, 2003

I had a lovely time with my family the past two days despite still having this fucking migraine.

Wednesday, December 24, 2003

Wednesday, December 24, 2003

Shoot me now.  I woke up at 6 am from a bad dream that I had a migraine only to discover that in fact I had a bad migraine.  :(  Since I was still sleepy, I took a pill conveniently located next to my bedside and tried to go back to sleep.  Yeah, that was a dumb idea but who thinks clearly at 6 am with a migraine?  Laugh, not I.  So, 2 hours later with no relief in sight, I got up to do my Imitrex nasal inhaler.  I did remember not to inhale this time, so the back of the throat taste was not as excruciating as before.  I forgot that isn't as quick as a shot.  Eventually, that kicked in nicely to make me not care so much that I was in pain.  I was able to stumble downstairs to get some water and a tasty breakfast of 2 Excedrin.  Yum.  Now, I'm wired & lassitudinous (dunno if that's a real word, but you get the gist).  And my oatmeal tastes like nasal inhaler.  Yuck!  :(  I can't get that taste out of my throat.  Time to gargle with peroxide.  So anyway, merry christmas eve.  =p

I'm even more bummed that I wasted 2 hours of pain-free time last night on a horribly vexatious movie.  Do NOT ever waste your time watching Adaptation!  It is a pointless and boring ego trip for the screenwriter.  Perhaps if you're one of those snooty movie aficionados you might like it, dunno.

Anyway, time to bring Galahad's presents out of hiding, add bows, and put them under the tree.  =)

Tuesday, December 23, 2003

Tuesday, December 23, 2003

I'm starting to panic.  My vacation is going by too fast.  I'm caught in my own space/time continuum.  The week is almost half over and I feel as if it hasn't even started yet.

The good news is that I managed to catch my mailman today and gift him with a bottle of holiday cheer.  :)  I still havta figure out the garbage men tomorrow and the recycling guy too, I assume.  Oh well, off to laze by the pool with a good book and homemade biscotti.  =)

Monday, December 22, 2003

Monday, December 22, 2003

Mmmmmm, I love having the week off.  Too bad Galahad doesn't.  So, I still end up waking early to make him breakfast and tea.  Oh well, he's most definitely worth it.

I spent the day goofing off and the afternoon with my friend.  We spoke a lot about girly stuff --- relationships, etc.  Somehow lately, too many people I know and love are ending their marriages.  It's easy not to take sides when it's a mutual decision or if I'm closer to one partner than the other.  However, when it's not mutual, good god it's tough to not take sides.  When I see someone I love in the most pain I've ever seen them in, it takes a strong will not to dislike the person causing them that pain.  But, as my friend pointed out, you're fooling yourself if you think it will be better staying in a relationship with someone who doesn't wanna be with you.

Someone asked me why life is so complicated.  Heh, I had to tell him I didn't know.  It just is, so accept it.  When you struggle against that concept, you are in effect struggling against the universe. 

Sunday, December 21, 2003

Sunday, December 21, 2003

I called this morning as soon as I woke up (promptly at 11 am ;)) to reserve seats for Lord of the Rings.  It was sold out all day (10 shows) until midnight.  Who can plan a movie that far in advance?  What if you aren't in the mood for it when the times rolls around?  Or is that just me?  I didn't even think it would still be sold out 5 days later.  I was too busy scheming which purse to switch out so I would have room to pack some snacks.  How am I ever gonna survive 3.5 hours?  Maybe order the pizza there and snack on that?  Otherwise, it's hard to eat a meal in the dark.

So on to other plans.  I made a concession and read my book snuggled on the couch so our kitty emeritus could snuggle also.  I don't allow him in our bed, meanie that I am.  Meanwhile, Galahad tackled the project of removing the old pool pump and installing the new one.  Apparently, our disheveled closet will wait longer.  :)

I'm just ecstatic that he's feeling better.  The broken pool motor could have waited also.  Haha, I'm such white trash.

Friday, December 19, 2003

Friday, December 19, 2003

I can't figure out this holiday tipping concept.  I sent a goody basket to my chiropractor's office.  But exactly how do I tip the garbage men?  Or better yet, why?  No offense to them, they do a marvelous job, but I don't have a personal relationship with them like I do with the staff at my chiropractor's office.  In fact, I have no clue what they look like since I'm never up that early.  I have a love-hate relationship with them at best.  I love the fact that they pick up my garbage (for a fee of course), but I hate that reverse beeping noise as they negotiate their truck into the corner near my house.  I usually bury my head under the pillow trying to block it out and get my last 5 minutes of pretend sleep.  So now I'm supposed to tip them?  Again, why?

I'm not buying most of the people in my family presents, yet the garbage men and mailman are getting something.  Doesn't that seem wrong?  I suppose I tell my siblings, "Sorry bro, I blew my budget on the garbage men....merry christmas though."  When did mandatory holiday tipping come into place?  I hear in NYC that it's not only mandatory, it's fairly militant.  Dire consequences could happen if you don't.

My company's customers don't give us presents.  In fact, it's quite the opposite.  We give our special (READ: large) customers presents as appreciation.  Shouldn't the city be giving me gifts for using their garbage vendors? 

Thursday, December 18, 2003

Thursday, December 18, 2003

Well I did it.  I cut the bottom off my CBGB shirt.  I also parted with several of my shirts, 2 pairs of shoes, and various accessories.  And, I'm not done yet.

As I write this, I am listening to an approximately 90 minute pre-recorded conference call.  I'm 82 minutes into it and losing my mind rapidly.  :(

Wednesday, December 17, 2003

Wednesday, December 17, 2003

Divine Intervention has occurred.  I may have witnessed a miracle.  Either that or Father Physics snuck into our home in the manner of Santa Claus and decided we didn't need a full night's sleep last night.  Wtf am I talking about you wonder? 

/sets the scene

I was recovering from Monday's night's migraine yesterday and accidentally on purpose took an Excedrin at 6 pm when my head started hurting again.  Of course that wired me up nicely so I couldn't fall asleep.  Galahad was suffering from stuffy-bubble-head-can't-sleep syndrome.  Another Benadryl for him and some late night reading for me (I highly recommend Bridget Jones Diary), and we both drift off to a well-earned sleep a little after midnight.

About 2 am, there arose such a clatter.  We arose from our bed to see what was the matter.   When, what to our wondering eyes should appear, but one entire side of our closet collapsed in ruins (sorry a rhyme escapes me :p).  The shelves had ripped right out of the wall.  I say Divine Intervention because perhaps it's time to part with some of my clothes. 

I have issues giving away old clothes because I hate shopping so much.  Therefore, to replace any is not just the monetary cost but the emotional cost.  Plus, since I'm on the slender side, it's hard to find small sizes.  Yeah I know, cry me a river.  That's not even factoring in my sentimentality. 

Anyway, I couldn't stop giggling after we cleared the rubble.  We rescued the better clothes so they wouldn't wrinkle too badly and left the rest in a nice heap in the middle of the floor.  Galahad was very cranky. Who wouldn't be when awoken like that (besides a crazy person like me)?  I reminded him that this was almost as funny as the time I flooded our entire first floor with a broken washing machine. 

Hehe, that memory set the giggles off even worse.  We cranked up the stereo then and danced our living room floor dry by putting down tons of towels and soaking the excess water after using the wet-dry vacuum (that we had begged Home Depot to hold for us on the phone as they were closing the store.  They did --- how lovely.)  Of course drying all those towels load after load broke the dryer, too.   ;)   That was another night we got less than my usual 8 hours of sleep.   

Wish me luck later dealing with Father Physics (or Mother Nature) telling me I have too many possessions.  I've already  started the sorting process and have gotten rid of 1 belt, 1 purse, and a pair of shorts.  There's still quite a large pile on the floor to sort, but alas, work beckoned me.

I was on the verge of cutting my CBGB's t-shirt (yes I bought it there and not online) when I got otherwise distracted.  I am hoping to find my resolve again later when I have the time.  What will that accomplish you wonder?  That will make one more half-shirt for me which in turn means one half-shirt I can get rid of.  Crazy like a fox I am.  ;)   and delirious from lack of sleep.

Tuesday, December 16, 2003

Tuesday, December 16, 2003

 Yay!!!  The good news is that both of my biopsies were benign!! 

/rejoice  =)

Monday, December 15, 2003

Monday, December 15, 2003

Let's see....movie review time.  As you may have guessed, it was a stay home and watch movies weekend.  Legally Blonde 2 was cute if you liked the first one.  Bulletproof Monk is good if you like that genre.  And Santa Clause 2 was not as good as the first one.

On an unrelated note, did you know that putting down-filled pillows in the dryer fluffs them up to twice their normal size?

Sunday, December 14, 2003

Sunday, December 14, 2003

Sigh....poor Galahad.  He seems to have had a relapse of that awful flu.  Last night he had a raging fever of 103°F and was delirious.  The delirium snapped me out of a sound sleep at 3:30 am.  Somehow he was flying a fighter jet and was getting strafed.  Hehe, part of me was giggling at that and part of me was so freaked out because he was really far gone.  I went tearing through the house looking for rubbing alcohol.  We switched from that to hydrogen peroxide which is good for cuts but useless for fevers.  I grabbed an ice pack, some more aspirin, and some Benadryl.  Then, I begged him to get better even though I was sure he couldn't hear me, caught as he was in his alternate reality. 

I think he heard me because his fever broke an hour later.  I stayed up the rest of the night reading and watching over him.  He's been a little better today, but the fever came back albeit not as severe.

I'm starting to get paranoid about catching this nasty affliction.  If I had masks and gloves, I think I'd be wearing them.  :p  I've been washing my hands every 15 minutes and washing our sheets every few days.

I forced him to open one of his Xmas presents early.  He loved it!  It's a deluxe, professional-grade ice pack perfect for those high fever days and body ache pains.

Saturday, December 13, 2003

Saturday, December 13, 2003

I called my dermatologist's office yesterday to ask about my biopsy results from the 1st.  I got a friendly but firm voicemail message asking me to leave a message and someone would return my call.  No one returned my call.  :(  It's been 2 full business weeks.  I almost feel safe...except...when I was diagnosed with melanoma it took longer because the first lab sent it up to some hotshot pathologist at Harvard for a second opinion.

Time to take some more glutamine to boost my immunities to compensate for my worrisome, brooding nature over the weekend.  Hmm and maybe a Reese's to boost my spirits?  ;)   Ooooo and perhaps some molasses-baked ribs that Galahad conveniently cut up for me since he knows I'm too spastic to cut them myself without doing serious injury to someone or something (namely his lovely knives).  FFS, I can't even launder pajama pants without fucking something up.  :p

Friday, December 12, 2003

Friday, December 12, 2003

I shrunk Galahad's pajama pants.  :(   After insisting that I had already washed them and they wouldn't shrink.  I had previously washed them, but apparently I hadn't dried them in the dryer.  Who can remember stuff like that?  I tried very hard to keep a straight face when he put them on.  But there were his ankles peeking out saying hi.  My dimples burst out as I was trying to force my mouth into stoicism.  Hehe, good thing he wasn't particularly attached to them.

Why do they only shrink length-wise?  And, why can't they just cut them longer so when they do shrink they still fit?  It's maybe 3 more pennies of material for fuck's sake.

Thursday, December 11, 2003

Thursday, December 11, 2003

I went mini-shopping last night.  Hehe, if I use that term instead it is almost bearable.  I really seem to have a 70 minute time limit though.  No matter where I am or how much fun it is, I get really antsy and ready to leave then.  I was at a bookstore (and we all know how much I adore books), but then suddenly I couldn't finish up fast enough.

So wouldn't you know I ran into someone from my past in the check-out line.  Thankfully it wasn't anyone I dated, but it was still weird and awkward.  Let's catch up 10 years time in 2.5 minutes in full hearing of those around us.  It felt as if we were tallying up our scores in life since the moment we last saw each other.  She admitted to having a hard time with addiction.  What does one say to that?  "Oh sorry to hear that.  I have a fabulous life with the man I love, and I mostly enjoy my job."   That seems wrong.  So I downplayed.  "I'm okay." 

Gone was the vivacious giggling girl I had known and in her place was a serious woman with pain in her eyes.  She gave me her card and asked me to call her for coffee since she doesn't drink.  Is it wrong to point out that caffeine is an addictive substance?  :p   I'm still debating on calling her or not.  How come she doesn't have email like a normal person?  ;)  I'm not ready to be her crutch.  Yeah I know she hasn't asked, but I see the potential and it frightens me.  And what kind of callous person does that make me that I don't want to help someone in need? 

See why I loathe shopping?  All I wanted were a few fucking books, and now I'm soul searching and feeling uncaring.

Tuesday, December 9, 2003

Tuesday, December 9, 2003

Yay!!!  We got our tree last night.  It's absolutely gorgeous and our living room smells wonderful.  Plus we got to watch Jimmy Neutron's Christmas Special.  Laugh, it was so cute.

Monday, December 8, 2003

Monday, December 8, 2003

A friend loaned me Benny and Joon and said it was really funny and a great movie.  I'm starting to question my sense of humor.  Did I get too politically correct over time?  It just didn't feel funny to laugh at a mentally ill person.  The movie had some great comic scenes, but overall, it wasn't a comedy in my eyes. 

Sunday, December 7, 2003

Sunday, December 7, 2003

I wonder if anyone remembers Pearl Harbor day.  I wonder if any Japanese-Americans will get dirty looks.  I wonder if any Japanese-Americans thought back and feel betrayed with what happened afterwards in the camps.  I wonder if anyone believes those camps were exaggerated and didn't really happen.

Saturday, December 6, 2003

Saturday, December 6, 2003

Off to get our tree today!!!  Yay!!!

We drove around to a few different tree places and of course, I freaked out after about 30 minutes and needed to eat.  Double cheeseburger for teh win!!!

So back to Home Depot to get our tree.  We start looking through the selection.  Mmmmm, smells so good.  Some rich folk pick out a 14 foot tree for $159.  Okay, I'm a little envious. :p

They walk off and leave the tree employees to handle it.  Well Galahad watches the two of them struggle for about 30 seconds before he jumps over and holds the rolling cart for them and helps slide the tree onto it.  The tree guy thinks it's amazing that Galahad is so nice.  (Sad to say that it's rare in that section of town where the nouveau riche live).  Anyway, he tips us off that these trees have all been picked through and the next shipment will be in on Monday if we want to wait for a better tree.  No Charlie Brown tree for us today.

Friday, December 5, 2003

Friday, December 5, 2003

Omg, what a fucked up movie that was.  I won't even tell you the name it was so bad.  Foreigners seem to have a different idea of what's humorous.  Suffice it so say that in my humble opinion, a rip-roaring comedy (so quoted on the box) does not entail someone dying at the end after everyone got laid off and are fighting with their spouses.

Thursday, December 4, 2003

Thursday, December 4, 2003

Sushi and a movie!!!  =)

Galahad rented 4 movies!!!  Tonight was Bruce Almighty cuz I wanted an easy laugh.

Wednesday, December 3, 2003

Wednesday, December 3, 2003

I went with a friend to Home Depot to scout out potential Xmas presents for our men folk.  We were such the stereotypical females in that store.  Fortunately, we found a chivalrous employee who took us on a tour of the whole store (was it wrong to wear my low-rider jeans?  ;)), showing us where to find various products and explaining all about them.  At one point, we thought we had stumped him with a question, but he found several other employees with whom he conferred and answered us.  They do not make a GF1 extension cord.  Hehe, it made sense after he explained why.

I almost didn't even go.  I was thinking about calling and canceling.  Sigh, I'm so insecure and sensitive sometimes.  Hehe, that's the nice way of saying vain.  I still have a wound on my face that is healing from Monday's scary visit to the dermatologist.  Fortunately, the one on my face isn't the worrisome one.  That one was on my foot, so I limp nicely now.  Gah, I'm such a fucking wreck sometimes.  :p

Monday, December 1, 2003

Monday, December 1, 2003

Sigh.

I got 2 more spots cut off me this morning and sent away for biopsy.  One is really worrying me.  Yet I know stress is bad for my immune system, so I'm trying to pretend it's nothing.  It looks very similar to the time I had melanoma.  Maybe it's nothing though.  I've been taking glutamine very regularly.  Gah, something has to help.  I'm too immature for serious cancer again.  See?  Who else would joke about it?  =(

/clears mind and repeats "it's nothing but a skin anomaly"

Saturday, November 29, 2003

Saturday, November 29, 2003

My nephew had his black belt ceremony today.  I was so proud and so appalled all at the same time.  Was very odd sensation.  They made such a Hollywood Production out of it.  They mouthed the mantras of Modesty, Humility, etc....and then were showing off, bragging, and just acting silly.  Most of their performances were set to Death Metal.  I felt like I should jump off the bleachers and start a mosh pit.  Galahad and I were cringing the entire time.  Oh well, it gives my nephew esteem and that's very important.  Perhaps it will keep him off drugs.  High intelligence seems to lead people to self-medicate at some point.

Afterwards, we did my family's Thanksgiving dinner (Galahad's was on Thursday).  That was wonderful to see everyone getting along.   Plus the food was yummy!  =)

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Don't you hate when you're reading a book and there is a word on almost every page that you have to look up?  I like learning new words but that is ridiculous.  And after the 3rd word, what are the chances I'll remember the rest?

New words I learned:

probity

atavistic

avuncular

Tuesday, November 25, 2003

Tuesday, November 25, 2003

Yay!!!  My head is better!!!  Yay!!!  =))

/rejoice

And the birthdays continue.  Happy Birthday to my sexy southern-accented friend!

Monday, November 24, 2003

Monday, November 24, 2003

Yay!  My dentist appointment is today.  Okay, I might be crazy, but I'm beginning to think this cavity is contributing to this prolonged bout of migraine-itis. 

My dentist is absolutely wonderful and was so nice and patient with my sensitive sissy-ass self.  He had to give me extra shots cuz I'm so sensitive.  (rolls eyes)  He used bubblegum flavored topical numbing agent on my gum before he injected the long-pointy-needle-of-burning-acid. 

I didn't get the More-Flossing-Less-Sweets-Lecture either.  In fact, he started trading ice cream tips with me.  =p

Happy Birthday to my slightly altered state of mind friend!

Saturday, November 22, 2003

Saturday, November 22, 2003

I dragged my sorry ass into my chiropractor's office for emergency treatment.  He worked on me for about 40 minutes.  I'm hoping that helps break this migraine cycle.  On the way home, I was gonna stop for wonton soup.  I was trying to think of any Chinese restaurants on the way.  Serendipity!  I passed a new Gourmet eatery and stopped in.  I picked up a brie sandwich, a quart of gourmet beef barley soup, and a pint of shrimp bisque. Yum!!  =)  At least we'll be miserable in style.   

Happy Birthday to my crazy dragon-backed friend!

Friday, November 21, 2003

Friday, November 21, 2003

What a pair we are.  I did an injection yesterday and woke up again today in pain.  :(  However, Galahad seemed more miserable than me, so I took care of him first. 

Then, I drove to Blockbuster to return Lara Croft.  Galahad informed me that Hollywood Video (which is across the street) has better prices and longer rentals.  So I borrowed his card and tried it out.  Wtf???  Blockbuster's new releases are 2 days while HV is 5 days.  AND.... All movies for BB are $3.79 while HV is $0.99.  How is that possible?  Why do people still rent from BB?  Am I an idiot for not knowing this?  I did have 6 months worth of free rental coupons to BB, which is why I went there.  So I guess free is still better than $0.99.  I have 1 month left and it's the end of my fun with BB.

As I was pulling up in my driveway, who should appear next to me but my scary neighbor.  I bit the bullet and gave him a friendly hello.  Haha, it fucked him all up.  He literally did a double take.  Then he smiled and said, "I bet you've been happy we've been away so long."  Hehe, what could I do but agree.  =p

Last night we watched Spirited Away, which I highly recommend.

Thursday, November 20, 2003

Thursday, November 20, 2003

Since dinner was up to me last night, I of course ran right out to Boston Market and "cooked" a lovely meal with sides and cornbread.  =)  I also picked up movies from Blockbuster for our viewing pleasure.  Lara Croft for teh win!1!!!

Somewhere toward the end of the movie, I realized my head was hurting badly enough that I was wearing a hole in my right eyebrow futilely rubbing the pain away.  I took an Imitrex pill (dumbass that I am I should have gone for the shot).  By the time I realized this was one bad mutha', it was too late to do the shot.  The pill takes 2 hours to give some relief.  At about the 70 minute mark, I completely lost my mind and had a breakdown.  Poor Galahad had to stop being sick for a while and tend to me. 

Despondence had reached its long spiny fingers down into my heart and started squeezing.  I felt like all the progress I thought I had made was gone -- leaving me stuck in the same helpless position I was in 20 years ago.   I knew I shouldn't start crying since that hurts worse, but the tears poured out.  The illusion of being functional had shattered, and I felt like such a burden on this planet.  I was almost desperate enough to try the Botox Migraine Treatment.  Hehe, but then Galahad made Botox faces at me and made me giggle.  He reassured me I wasn't a burden to him.  He got me ice for my head which I crushed down with a fury.  I was holding it so hard against my head that I popped the Special Ice Pack (Gah, I hope it wasn't toxic!) and it leaked all down my shoulder.  I'll have to remember to buy him a new one for Christmas. 

So here it is Thursday morning and I am proven right yet again to be a Little Weather Predictor.  Couldn't I just get psychic flashes instead of migraines?  Couldn't the Cold Front (yeah I know 60°F isn't cold for most of you but it was 80°F yesterday) have just rung our doorbell instead of intruding into my Inner Pain?  =(

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

I was supposed to go to the dentist today and get a cavity filled.  Yuck!  :(  But, there was some sort of mix-up so I showed up 2 hours late and they didn't have room.  (My little card said 1:15 but they wrote me in the book for 11:15...sigh.)  Heh, quite the mixed feelings over that one.  It's 30 minutes away so a pain in the ass to get to, plus I had to be aspirin (and therefore Excedrin) free for the few days preceding it.  This is to prevent me bleeding like a stuck pig.  [Hi my name is Wendy and I'm addicted to Excedrin.]  On the plus side, no Long Sharp Needle to jab into my gums 368 times because I'm so sensitive and need it numbed a lot.  No drooling on the drive home.  No worries about eating later.

Poor Galahad has some nasty funk in his immune system so he stayed home today, and I attempted to take care of him (like he didn't feel bad enough :p).  That also means the sink didn't get fixed, but he did borrow a special Green Plumbing Wrench from his parents last night.  Apparently, that was threatening enough to the sink to leak less today.  Now it's just plink.........................plink with the Green Plumbing Wrench conveniently keeping a menacing eye on the sink from the counter.

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Today I put a metal pot lid in the kitchen sink at a certain angle.  It changes the inflection & tonality of the constant Chinese water torture plink ... plink ...  plink.

Monday, November 17, 2003

Monday, November 17, 2003

Our kitchen sink just developed a leak or more accurately a drip.  How does that happen?  One day it's fine, the next it has issues.  So of course, I decide not to call Galahad immediately and burden his mind with that.  I waited until he was at least 3 feet into the house.  =)  He's all excited cuz he thinks he already has the parts to fix it.  He starts talking and my mind strangely tunes it all out except random words like wrench & gasket.

He tells me there is no water shutoff just for that sink so he has to do the one for the house.  Okay, I filled up my glass of water and am set for 30 minutes or so.  I hear some rustling and rattling.  I would offer to help but I can't even keep my mind focused on whole sentences when he's speaking about it.  No wonder plumbers make gobs of money. 

He finally says something something blah blah blah it isn't fixed yet.  Okay, that's fine.  It was nice of him to try.  I know better than to call a plumber though.  It will just be one of those things I will learn to live with.  It's not bothering me so much since we aren't in a drought.

Sunday, November 16, 2003

Sunday, November 16, 2003

I was a slug all day and watched TV, only moving from the chair to the couch and of course to the kitchen for food.  :)

I started the morning with some Jimmy Neutron and ended the evening with the search for Miss Apple Bottoms with quite a range in-between.

Friday, November 14, 2003

Friday, November 14, 2003

I'm Galahad's little science experiment I think.  He's got me dosing up on L-Glutamine now to fix my myriad issues.  It's supposed to boost my immune system which I wore down by stressing out too much lately.  :\  I'm not as stressed but my body is still recuperating from it.

Thursday, November 13, 2003

Thursday, November 13, 2003

My body is falling apart.  :(  I got another migraine today.  It seems like there is always something wrong with me lately.  The funny part is (well maybe more ironic than humorous) is that now that I actually have stuff to be sad about, I'm not.  ;p  Yay for not being sad and crying!!  =)

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Time to see my lovely Galahad again.    Yeah I know it was only one night without him, but I still missed him.  I came home from the airport a little before he got home from work.    And because I love him so much, I surprised him by baking banana nut muffins and mini-muffins.  =)

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

I had to fly to Tampa for a quickie business trip.  I thought I was being so smart in choosing my airplane seat.  As I started to sit down, I began to think I wasn't so smart.  The man next to me got larger as I got closer.  He started to spill over a little into my seat.  Well, I could lean over a bit towards the window plus it was a relatively short flight.  Omg, the B.O. on him!  I opened my AC vent so wide to try to blow fresh (relatively) air into my rapidly closing nostrils.  The vent was blowing so strongly that my peanuts were blowing all around.  Thankfully, it wasn't too long of a flight.  :\

Sunday, November 9, 2003

Sunday, November 9, 2003

Galahad and I went to an insane party to watch the Offshore Powerboat Races.  It was hosted by Trinis and we all cheered the Trini boat.  They got beat out at the last minute by the Bacardi boat.  Oh well, still had lots of yummy food to eat.  =)

Wednesday, November 5, 2003

Wednesday, November 5, 2003

As usual, I am flabbergasted by my county's shoddy handling of elections yesterday.  They did a special BY MAIL only ballot, which I didn't really pay attention to.  I get tons of junk mail a day.  I had put these packets aside as something to look at later.  Turns out that I couldn't go in person yesterday to vote.  So, I had to fill out my mail-in ballot and drop it at the courthouse by 5 pm.  It's a good thing my job allows me to be flexible with my schedule.  After circling 3 times looking for a parking spot, I threw my hazards on, pulled up at a yellow curb, and decided to make a run for it real quick. 
 
I forgot that there would be security and lines to go through.  Heh, it was actually the first time I have ever been there even though I have lived in this area for over 10 years.  When I dropped off the ballots, I asked the man there if they would be counted.  He didn't laugh. 
 
Here's the irony of the whole matter.  I voted absentee last year because I was out of town.  It turns out that our incompetent and corrupt supervisor of elections missed a bunch of absentee ballots.  No idea if mine was in that bunch.  So, she is the first one to make a MAIL only ballot after issuing this statement:  http://www.browardsoe.org/press.php3?Article_ID=0051&Cat=2
 
No idea if my vote ever has been counted in the years I have been voting here, but I sure have been amused starting with the chad counting in 2000.  =)  I suppose that's a fair trade.  ;)

Tuesday, November 4, 2003

Tuesday, November 4, 2003

Hard to believe that my mom died 4 years ago today.  It seems like it's been both longer than that and shorter.  Dunno how to explain it.  I still miss the fact that I don't have a mother at times, but mostly I'm okay with it.  I think I cry a few times a year over it and probably that's just when I'm extra hormonal.  Somehow, I have no tears or sadness today which surprised me a bit.  I even had a smile because so many of her orchids are in bloom.  An absolutely beautiful shade of purple orchid just opened today.  =)

Monday, November 3, 2003

Monday, November 3, 2003

One of my favorite people just told me that I am not too sensitive -- I am wonderfully attuned to my senses.  Hehe, I love it!  =)

Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Serendipity!  =)

Galahad found my missing lipstick in one of his pockets while he was out of town.  I've been missing it for months & months. 

Yeah I know...from absolute grief to lipstick...kind of odd & trivial.  It's the only way I can function sometimes --- to focus on the trivial and let the horrific news fade a bit.

Tuesday, October 28, 2003

Tuesday, October 28, 2003

I had crazy, fucked up dreams last night.  I got horrible news about a friend that just made me sit & cry yesterday evening. 

Monday, October 27, 2003

Monday, October 27, 2003

I am so sleepy  =(  but my baby is home safe!  =)

I felt so bad for a friend yesterday who IM'ed me to say he was being evacuated because of the fires.  I found out today that he was able to return home.  :)

Sunday, October 26, 2003

Sunday, October 26, 2003

Yay!!  My baby comes home today.  =))

I got a phone call from him when he changed planes at LAX telling me they canceled his flight due to the fires.  And to come back tomorrow.  It was only 9:30 am local time.  WHAT??!!???!?!?!!!  No one puts obstacles keeping me away from my guy!  Not even Mother Nature.  I was on the Internet and on the phone with the airlines within 2 minutes.  I found 3 alternative flights by the time I got an agent on the phone.  Galahad was still in line for the ticket agent at the airport.  The agent on the phone was able to switch him and his co-worker (who was waiting in a different line at the airport) to the very next flight (which happened to be non-stop thankfully).  I began to relax and hung up thinking I would still see my man soon.

I cleaned the house --- vacuumed and dusted.  I checked the airline's website and saw that his flight was delayed.  They basically strung him along, delaying by 30-60 minutes at a time, for over 6 hours.  I called my sister to see how she was faring with the fires and to ask if she could put Galahad up overnight if need be.  He called to check in every few hours and kept reassuring me that the airport wasn't closed yet.  A logistical nightmare is what kept delaying them.  The nearby airports had in fact been closed though.  And most every other flight had been canceled.  I was so relieved at 9:30 pm my time when I saw his flight had left finally.  However that meant I needed to pick him up at 2:30 am.  :(  You'd better believe I was there early!!!  =)

Saturday, October 25, 2003

Saturday, October 25, 2003

It rained all day saving me from figuring out what I wanted to do.  I ended up reading my book and eating junk food most of the day.
 

Friday, October 24, 2003

Friday, October 24, 2003

Well last night sucked.  I basically cried myself to sleep.   Watching some girly movie didn't help I'm sure.  =P

I called my manager and asked if I should be concerned about my job.  He said that I've been with the company for several years and am well-respected and the asshole is very new.  I started to feel a bit better until he mentioned that he had spoken of me to the HR Director.  [ I hate that directors know me by name.  :( ]  They both concluded that despite the fact that I'm an odd egg (rolls eyes), I do my job very well.  I think he meant for this to cheer me up.  The good thing about a phone conversation is that he couldn't see the tears trickling out.   Yay!  My voice didn't waver or shake either.

I am ready for the weekend but I miss Galahad.  =(

Thursday, October 23, 2003

Thursday, October 23, 2003

How the fuck do people get up so early when it's still dark out? 

/cry

I hate saying goodbye.  I did get him safely to the airport and had enough time to come back home, practice my presentation one more time, and drive down to Miami where the conference was. 

The good news is that I did okay (even the asshole said so).  The bad news is that I lost it at dinner with two co-workers.  Gah, I hate when I start crying at an inappropriate time.  =( 

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

I had a  meltdown today.  I really started hammering in on my presentation and felt so overwhelmed.  Plus I heard via the grapevine that one asshole (with whom I have to work closely) I'm having trouble with has gone high up the food chain (director level) to complain about me.  :\  And, he'll be at the presentation tomorrow.  Nothing like a little pressure to work with.  :(  I thought about updating my resume but decided on a hot shower instead and gave myself a pep talk. 

And even worse, my beloved leaves tomorrow so I'm helping him pack and get organized to leave.  We have to get up at 6 am (Yuck!) to get him to the airport in time.  He's so wonderful.  =)  He came home with sushi in hand, took one look at my tear-streaked face, let me vent for a good 45 minutes, and then helped me to polish my presentation.

Monday, October 20, 2003

Monday, October 20, 2003

I've been having weird dreams for the last week --- not quite nightmares but certainly not pleasant either.  I think it's because I'm anxious over a presentation I have to give on Thursday.  Or perhaps I'm anxious that my sweetie is going out of town and I'll miss him.  :(  The combination of the two is not helping.  :p  I have a zit from the stress.  :( 

Sunday, October 19, 2003

Saturday, October 18, 2003

Saturday, October 18, 2003

My poor baby.  :(  He's all fucked up from a martial arts injury.  I've been trying to take care of him.  Haha, I am so bad at that.  He hates all the shortcuts I take when preparing food (like microwaving everything).   At least I can't fuck up ice packs too badly.  =p

Friday, October 17, 2003

Friday, October 17, 2003

What a hell day!  Started working a customer problem at about 1 pm until after 6 pm.  I even had to get a Director involved.  :\  Apparently that was a good thing to do.  He called me at 7 pm to commend me.  ;)

Thursday, October 16, 2003

Thursday, October 16, 2003

I was lying on our couch reading a book when I happened to glance over at my sweet, lovely man.  I know it's silly but I got tears in my eyes from the love in my heart for him.  He has changed my life so much and made me happier than I've ever been.  =)

Wednesday, October 15, 2003

Wednesday, October 15, 2003

My darling man bought me some new clothes.  I have no idea how he can buy me clothes that fit better than the ones I pick out.  Lucky for me now I don't have to go shopping.  Yay!!

Tuesday, October 14, 2003

Tuesday, October 14, 2003

Today must have been family day.  I saw my niece online and chatted with her via IM.  She slays me.  =)  Then, I had dinner with my brother (her father).  Sushi of course.  ;)   We got into quite the philosophical discussion regarding life, death, race, and many other taboo subjects. 

Monday, October 13, 2003

Monday, October 13, 2003

Feels kind of weird to have the day off in honor of a man who brought harm to so many people.  Maybe this day off for the working folk is reparations?  :p 

I tried to relax by the pool but it's so fucking hot!  So I came back inside, read my book, and ate Ruffles with artichoke dip.  Yum!

Sunday, October 12, 2003

Sunday, October 12, 2003

I had crazy, fucked up dreams -- nothing too scary thank goodness but disturbing nonetheless.  I can't get some of those disturbing visuals out of my head.  :(

Saturday, October 11, 2003

Saturday, October 11, 2003

Yay!!  Movie & ice cream!!  Hehe fuck my migraine, might as well enjoy myself.

What a fucked up movie it turned out to be.  Yeah, I know, I'm more sensitive than most.  It was still a fucked up movie.  I don't recommend it unless you like fucked up movies, and then it was well-done so you might enjoy (seems like the wrong word) Amores Perros.

Thursday, October 9, 2003

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Fuck me.  This migraine is just never-ending.  :(

Tonight's movie is Bend it Like Beckham.  So funny!  I highly recommend it.

Monday, October 6, 2003

Monday, October 6, 2003

/thanks the universal spirits again that Imitrex was invented

I have so much work to make up since I was gone all last week.  My head is fucking pounding, and I have no motivation.  :(

Galahad brought home movies for us to watch.  :)  Tonight was the newest James Bond, Die Another Day.  I was impressed that they subtly condemned conflict diamonds, but I think they could have done a better job explaining what they are.

Saturday, October 4, 2003

Friday, October 3, 2003

Friday, October 3, 2003

Last day!  Yay!!

Omg, role-playing today.  I hate that.  a LOT.  :(

And one man decided to role-play an asshole.  Gee thanks, that helps my self-confidence and new skill set.  Note the sarcasm?  I never use sarcasm because it's veiled anger.  Fuck that!  I'm not veiling this.  He was an asshole to me!  Fucker!  He realized afterwards that he was an ass for no reason other than his own insecurities.  So he did the manly thing and apologized.  I guess I should let it go now, huh?  :p  It truly made me appreciate my adoring Galahad even more (is that actually possible?) in that he isn't intimidated by being with a strong, opinionated, confident (when I'm not in crisis :p) woman.  In fact, he wouldn't have it any other way.   /beam

Lucky for me, I got to skip out a little bit early (missed role-playing session #3) so I could catch my flight back home.  I met some cute girl who sat next to me on the plane.  She is one of the few gringas who still lives in Miami and doesn't speak Spanish.  I was amazed.  I was annoyed at first that someone was sitting next to me, but she had such a cute personality that I soon got over that.  Plus I was fighting a migraine (the aforementioned asshole didn't help that situation), so I was on meds and pretty mellow.

Then the long drive home from Miami airport.  I'm glad I flew into there though.  It's so much better lit than Ft Lauderdale airport at night.  Laugh, I actually felt safer there.  I called my brother on my cell phone and chatted to him on the hour-long drive home.

And finally, nirvana at the end.  =)  My lovely Galahad, a warm bowl of soup, and our comfy cozy bed to snuggle in.

Thursday, October 2, 2003

Thursday, October 2, 2003

What a hell day!  Okay, I learned a lot but it lasted forever!  8 am until 7 pm and then dinner with everyone.  At least it was with my people --- the geeks.  Hehe, I didn't get the silly cheek-aches from too much smiling this time. 

Wednesday, October 1, 2003

Wednesday, October 1, 2003

I never finished retelling my adventures yesterday.  I got sleepy and went to bed first.  The reason I got so sleepy is that my flight was 3 hours late.  Yeah, it took us 3 hours to leave Miami airport.  Glad I busted my ass trying to get there in time.  Part of that was due to mechanical failure and part due to Mother Nature.  Oh well, I had a good book and the 2nd half of my Cuban sandwich, so it wasn't really a bad day.  :)

Luckily today I was able to sleep in a little bit, have breakfast in my room, and leisurely get ready before my workday started.  I'm on a blazing 24Kbps connection, so I couldn't really work much.
Training was fun and fruitful.  It was a small group so we could jump in and ask questions all the time.  I love that.  :)  Hehe, I'm such a geek, and a curious one at that.

And then....omg I had such a treat for dinner!  My former manager from three years ago showed up and hung out with us.  He made a special trip to see me.  I feel so special.  :)  Plus another friend of mine showed up to dinner also.  I had a bit of an awkward moment cuz I thought he brought his girlfriend, so I didn't hug him.  It turns out it's his friend's wife.  If I had been more observant I would have seen her ring.  Oh well, I'd rather err on the side of caution.  I know what you're thinking.... wtf is wrong with a hug?  Nothing in my eyes or else I wouldn't do it, but I also respect that it makes some people jealous.  I was able to sneak in a hug at the end, so it all worked out.  ;)   And, he brought me a book by one of my favorite authors.  It's Clive Cussler's newest novel, White Death.  If you've never read one of his books, I highly recommend them.  It's like an underwater James Bond who saves the world each time.  :)

Off to bed to get some sleep cuz I havta get up sooooo early.  :(  And, I miss my love.  :((

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

My lovely Galahad got up early today to gas up my car (well his actually) and check the tires, etc.  Laugh, I was driving down to the jungles of Miami, and he was making sure my safari vehicle was properly maintained.  He switched cars with me cuz I normally drive the newer one and we both were a little leery of leaving that at Miami Airport.  I washed my hair and finished up packing for my journey to the far north.  It felt weird to throw in turtlenecks while I'm standing around in cutoffs and a half-tee.

I loaded up everything and then remembered that I should print my boarding pass to make things easier to get through security.  I turned the PC back on and tried not to get sidetracked by last minute emails.  I'm so easily distracted.  :p

I began the long, perilous drive down, remembering that it's still part of the US so I won't need my passport.  I called Galahad to say goodbye and he looked up last-minute instructions on how to get to the airport from the turnpike.  I was just going to wing it, but exact directions are always better.  ;)  About one mile after I crossed the county line, I got back into Miami-driver mode.  It isn't pretty.  ;)  I started weaving in & out of traffic and began to feel at home.  I'm also happy I have the older car as the roads are not as nice anymore. 

I watched the clock and the storm clouds moving around.  I hit a few patches of rain but nothing too fierce.  I varied my speed by how close I was cutting the time with how heavy the rain was.  As I exited the expressway to get to the airport, I felt an overwhelming wave of emotion.  Somehow that exit triggered a childhood memory of my mother that was incredibly strong.  I felt the tears blur into my vision.  I choked back a sob and tried to keep my emotions checked so I could navigate my way.  It worked but a part of me felt guilty for having shoved her memory aside.

I parked my car and traversed the long path to locate my gate.  As I was sauntering through the morass of humanity, I began to realize that I was the ONLY white person there.  Every single person that I studied was of Latin, Caribbean, or European birth.  I forgot how chivalrous Latin men can be.  ;)  It was a nice change.

I stopped to buy a genuine greasy Cuban sandwich for my lunch.  Yum!  While I was eating it, tucked away in a corner of the terminal, I let myself think about what happened when my mother's memory popped into my head.  I'm not sure what happened but the same memory didn't provoke the same visceral response this time.

Monday, September 29, 2003

Monday, September 29, 2003

Well, I managed to fuck around all evening and not start packing for my trip until midnight.  Gah, I suck!  Hehe, Galahad is of course used to it and is offering up suggestions and reminders while watching me scurry around like a mouse looking for her misplaced stash. 

Sunday, September 28, 2003

Sunday, September 28, 2003

Galahad and I went to look at my friend's house she just bought.  I went because I'm curious;  he went to give valuable ideas.   I'm not so great at which home improvements are feasible and which aren't.  It's an adorable townhouse that has a European flavor to it.  I can't wait to see it when she's all finished renovating.

We left finally when I freaked out and needed food (as usual).   We stopped at the first food place we saw which happened to be a bagel shop.  Who knew it was Rosh Hashanah and would be packed?  Heh, and then like heathens, we ordered traife food, but they didn't seem to care. 

Serendipity struck!  :)  The bagel place was right across from a homemade ice cream store.  So many choices!  I finally picked vanilla cinnamon.  And, it's my new favorite flavor.  Plus, they added in granola for me.  Haha, I can just see all of you squirming & gagging out there.  It's actually very tasty with a nice texture.  I love that they don't make their ice cream too sweet or too rich.

Saturday, September 27, 2003

Saturday, September 27, 2003

I went to Recovery Fest 2003 tonight.  That was an odd concept.  It was a free concert at Mizner Park to help promote recovery from substance abuse.  I felt bad for the performers since so many of the audience left because of the rain.  I managed to slide up almost onto the stage and lean under the overhang.  I still got wet but not soaked.  And, omfg, my hair got so trashed.  I should have opted for soaked.  Cuz damp = frizzy.  I felt like I was back in the early 90's with my big hair.  =)  Soaked would have been preferable I think.  ;)

I was there to see a friend perform, which is why I stuck it out.  She sounded amazing as usual.  :)  And she was so sweet and called me afterwards to thank me for showing up and staying in the rain.  She laughed and said I was like the postman because last year, I stood out in 100° heat to watch her perform.  I told her I won't do snow though.  :p

I was out with my partner in crime (the tea fanatic) who persuaded me to go to the auction house after we had gotten a bite to eat.  The fun part of eating at Mizner is sitting outside at a cafe and people-watching.  We started giggling like school girls when the topic turned sex-&-the-city-ish and I got busted staring at some man we were discussing.    I didn't mean to stare so overtly, but her comment really made me ponder.  And no I won't be sharing.  ;)

The auction house was a treat.  I forgot how amusing it is to listen to an auctioneer rattle off the bids.  It's as if he speaks a new language.  They had some cool items there, but the one I liked had already been sold, which is fine because I don't need anything else in my house.  I saw a beautiful bronze mermaid statue but decided I would get sick of looking at it one day so why bother.  Yeah, I know, I'm entirely too practical sometimes.

But the best treat of all was coming home to my Galahad.  =)

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

Ack, back to work --- I had to go to a client site to give a demo.  Laugh, it was hard to get up early *and* get dressed properly.  After the demo (which went well, Yay!!!), I stopped in at the regional office to say hello and go to lunch.  I brought home a surprise for Galahad.  One of my friends there knows he likes hot peppers and gave me some scotch bonnets fresh off the tree.  Hehe, I was almost scared to touch them.

Monday, September 22, 2003

Monday, September 22, 2003

I took the day off since I was accruing too much vacation time.  It was nice to have a 3 day weekend.  Mostly, I just lounged in my library with my Ruffles, a good book, and a snuggly blanket. 

Sunday, September 21, 2003

Sunday, September 21, 2003

Today was light-bulb detail day.  Hehe, we're so lazy that we let a few die before we start replacing the hard to reach kind.  Those outdoor lanterns are a bitch to get to.  Galahad bought the long lasting bulbs this time since I had purchased those for the other ones a few months ago and they hadn't died yet.  Apparently they make them in chandelier tips now, too. 

We traipse all over the back deck checking the lanterns.  Of course, once he climbs the ladder to open the fixture, he gets all anal about cleaning them.  I gave him the "Omfg you are so wasting your time" sigh on one of them that was about 15 feet high and on the side of the house.  Who the heck would even notice that's dirty?  Laugh.  He moved on after my sigh (and perhaps a commentary :p).  I did back down when he wanted to clean the one right out the backdoor by the BBQs.  [Yes, you read that correctly.  We have more than one BBQ. :)]  He's such a perfectionist that he asked me to get the canned air that I use for our computers.  Hehe, he's so lucky I love him enough to waste money on that.  :p  Actually, I'm the lucky one, which is why I'll waste money on that for him.  =)

So I was Miss Helpy Helperton, handing him new light-bulbs, screwdrivers, Windex, canned air (sigh), etc. 

Laugh, the back lights were out for so long that when they all went on at once, it felt like bright daylight.

Friday, September 19, 2003

Friday, September 19, 2003

I forgot to write about my funny day on Tuesday after the BBQ fiasco.  My girlfriend had called me late Monday night in a panic.  She was craving the tea I bought for her and had just run out.  Hehe, I'm glad she liked my birthday present so much.  =)

I went back to Whole Foods to buy a few more boxes for her and started browsing while I was there.  This employee came running up to me to ask if I needed any help.  I said no thanks.  But that didn't stop him!!  He says, "oh you're just looking?"  Laugh, why yes, yes I am.  At this point, I was perusing the beer aisle seeing if I wanted to buy Galahad some new fun beer.  The first time I bought him Trois Pistoles, which he loved.  Next I bought Ephemere, which was also tasty.  Now I had pressure to live up to.  So this ardent employee commences to explain every single fucking beer on the beer aisle.  I don't even drink beer, so I have no clue what he means when he starts explaining differences between malty & hoppy.  Wtf?  It all tastes pretty bad as far as I'm concerned, although the last two I brought home were somewhat palatable.

Two separate people came up to him to ask him questions, and he blew both of them off saying he was busy.  Wtf??  I'm getting his life story and the beer drinking habits of every store employee and people who have legitimate questions are being neglected.   He also raises an eyebrow when he looked into my little basket and sees 6 boxes of tea and inquired why I had that.  Wtf?  Thank god I didn't have organic tampons in my basket.

Suddenly he leans into me (I immediately back up) and says, "what's that?"  I'm starting to suspect he forgot his medication today.  But, I'm in a good mood, so I take the bait.  "What's what?" I ask, again glad that I wasn't shopping for feminine hygiene products.

He starts to touch my belly chain (I lean further away) and says "that".  I decide that he must be slow, so I answer him slowly.  "It's a chain," I say in long slow speech.  He exclaims how fascinating it is.  Perhaps he's high?  At this point, I'm starting to plan my quick escape.  I had decided not to buy any beer somewhere along the course of the conversation, but I realize it will advance my getaway if I get one.  I pick one in the manner that I normally do --- by the graphic design of the label.  It also was one of the 15 or so that he recommended.  So Galahad is now the proud owner of a 6 pack of Flying Dog beer.  I'll let you know how he likes it.

Thursday, September 18, 2003

Thursday, September 18, 2003

I WIN!!!  =)

The tree has been scalped.  It looks so naked.  I feel so exposed.  :(  What was once a beautiful lush tree is now 4 spindly stalks.  /cry   I can't wait until it fills in. 

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

I lose.  :(

A different tree guy says that tree isn't on the list.  Sigh.  Time to make a phone call....

It was his & hers day at the chiropractor today.  My poor injured Galahad.  :(  It's all wrong for him to be the fucked up one and me to be the better of the two.  Neither one of us is very good at the alternate role, but we are adjusting.  He's learning to accept help, and I'm learning how to be more assertive and insist on doing certain things.  Hehe, but I'm walking a fine line on not being too assertive and pissing him off.  He wanted to drive so I let him, after asking if he was sure 30 times.  =p

We stopped at Costco on the way home.  I won the battle of pushing the cart.  :)   But I still let him open my door for me.  :)

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

I win!  =)

The tree guys came around last week to start doing the hurricane cuts on all the significant trees in the community.  I asked one short, bad-toothed man if they would be trimming the HUGE tree in front of my house.  He says no.  I ask 2 more times.  Dunno why, laugh, but it was hard to take no for an answer, so I kept asking.

This morning, someone knocks on my door and asks me to move my car since they will be cutting my trees.  Yay!!!  I pointed to the big fucker, and he said yes.  I'm still a little leery cuz I don't think he understood English very well, so maybe I didn't win after all. 

I moved my car and on the way back inside I noticed that Galahad had his BBQ returned from his friend.  Apparently he didn't move it into the backyard because of his shoulder injury.  So, I feel all beneficent and think I will move it for him.  Go me!!  It's on 2 wheels, so I should be able to lift and roll, right?

I suck.  It tipped over, smashed down onto my ankle slicing it nicely, and spilled out all over the front porch with a giant clatter.  How embarrassing.  I hope none of the tree guys witnessed that debacle.  I reassembled it and moved it another 5 feet before I gave up.  Maybe I'll try again later after I disinfect my ankle and wash the soot from my body.  =p

Monday, September 15, 2003

Monday, September 15, 2003

I may have created a monster.  I gave my friend various caffeine-free teas for her birthday since she is a tea fiend and cannot have caffeine anymore.  She called me up tonight (at 10 PM :p) begging me for the store where I bought one of them.  She has used up the whole box already.  I may have mercy on her and buy her some tomorrow.  ;)

Sunday, September 14, 2003

Sunday, September 14, 2003

My poor Galahad is injured and he's stuck with me as a caregiver.  I made soup & frozen pizza.  Gah, I sometimes wish I had the patience to cook.  I am good at making him laugh through the pain though.  =)  We snuggled up in bed and read our books all day with me hopping downstairs every hour or so to refresh his ice pack.  It's times like these that remind me that I couldn't be a parent and do justice to a child.  I could teach them right from wrong (finally), but I couldn't nurture them enough I think.  And I don't buy that "it's different if it's your own" crap.  I know my nature, and that won't change.  I have my adopted Internet youngling (/wave), and that's enough for me.  =)

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

Girls night out again.  My brother asked me to come out and help support his GF in a singing contest sponsored by the local rock radio station. 

I picked up my friend at her house and was wowed by her outfit!  She had borrowed her teenaged daughter's clothes and looked very good.  I had just thrown on jeans, a t-shirt and sneaks.  Oh well, I wanted to be comfortable.  I'm past the age of trying to compete with all the 20 year old hussy-dressing girlies.  Haha, now I compete with women my own age.  ;)  It's actually easier to compete with the younger ones because they lose most of their points with outward signs of insecurity.  I'm much better at masking mine now.  Not that I was insecure last night but rather at times when I actually care. 

So back to the story.  My friend spotted the perfect parking space right across the street -- only 2 disadvantages.  One, it was metered, and two, I would have to parallel park.  I'm much better in my car at high speeds.  At slow speeds (like parking), I'm terrible at maneuvering.  With her help, I slid into that spot like a pro.  For those of you who are wondering how I've gotten through life sucking at parallel parking, remember that 99.99% of the spaces here are pull-in ones.  We dump all of our change into the meter and buy 30 minutes.  Big fucking deal.  So now the begging starts.  No establishment there would give us change for a dollar.  The nasty pizza guy offered 3 quarters for a dollar like 25 fucking cents is gonna break him.  What an ass.  Finally, my friend walks up to 3 cops having a dinner break and asks them.  They start to hem & haw and she says either give us change now or a ticket later.  It's your choice.  Laugh.  They fell for it.  Or maybe it was her sexy outfit.  :) 

We met up with my brother and his GF.  They had procured a table right up front with the best view of the stage next to the judges' table.  Somehow, where I sat looked to be a good place to walk through even though there was no room.  So I constantly had people asking me to move so they could get through.  The official aisle was about 10 feet away, so they were just lazy or blind.  Most I gave my bitch look to and they went around.  One man was very persistent and got on his knees and begged.  Dunno why.  :p  I laughed but still didn't feel like moving.  Finally he started kissing my feet.  Laugh, that did it.  I jumped up fast and let him through.

The range of the talent there was incredible.  Some really sucked, and some burned brightly.  She placed 2nd which sucks because no prize for 2nd place, but at least she was recognized.

Tuesday, September 9, 2003

Tuesday, September 9, 2003

This morning there was a crew out to catch yesterday's baby gator.   Poor guy.  I hope they release him in the Everglades.  No more sassy white duck though.  :\

I forgot to watch the news yesterday to see if they aired that.  Gah, I truly hope I wasn't on it.  I can't believe they think it's that slow of a news day with this category 4 Hurricane Isabel barreling down upon us.

I still don't feel like writing about why I was crying yesterday (hence the swollen eyes).  I'll try soon.

Monday, September 8, 2003

Monday, September 8, 2003

I was rudely woken up this morning by a migraine a few hours before my normal time.  Years of this has prompted me to sleep with dry-swallowable Imitrex (the tiny ones) by my bedside.  I took one, rolled over with a pillow on my head, and pretended to be asleep for 2 hours until it started kicking in.  Then I stumbled downstairs and took two Excedrin to take off the last little edge.  Somewhere in between, my beloved Galahad came over to kiss me goodbye and looked at me with that look on his face that I hate to see.  That look that says he's hurting to see me hurt.  I feel so responsible.  :\

And then, some excitement in my quiet little community.  I had seen a police car cruising in front of my house earlier.  That was unusual, but I didn't see where he stopped so I forgot about it.  Later in the afternoon, I look out my window and see a news van with the giant antenna on top.  Wtf?

So I trudge over to the end of the pond where neighbors and news crew are gathering.  I'm subtly making sure that there are no news cameras aimed on me, but I know they can get you from hundreds of feet away, so I'm a bit apprehensive.  I'm barefoot, wearing my shredded cutoffs and a faded half tee -- not the best attire to be televised in.  I did have the good sense to put my sunglasses on to cover my swollen eyes (more on that later).

I ask what the hullabaloo is and find out there is an alligator in our idyllic little pond.  Then, one woman gets all teary-eyed and says he ate Eloise.  I was guessing that's her dog.  I felt so bad for her.  But it turns out that's my fucking duck!!!  That bastard killed our beautiful white duck.  The mallard (her fella') was just sitting all by himself looking bereft.  I peered into the pond to get a better glimpse of the killer gator.  Wtf?  He's like 3 feet long, just a baby.  Poor guy.  He didn't even eat the duck.  The neighbors pulled her away.  Wtf?  And buried her.  Wtf?

I scurried back into my house thinking it must be a hella (/wave DB  --- he hates that word =p) slow news day to be covering this. 

Sunday, September 7, 2003

Friday, September 5, 2003

Friday, September 5, 2003

I forgot how much I hate this time of year.  The constant weather changes are wreaking havoc with my head.  I seem to have a migraine every other day.  :(

Thursday, September 4, 2003

Thursday, September 4, 2003

I did such a girly thing tonight.  My friend called me up and asked if I would go with her to some seminar.  Of course I said yes cuz she sounded like she needed the company.  It was a live demonstration on permanent makeup.  It was a gaggle of women with too much concern over their appearances.  Yes, I like to look good but it doesn't consume my every waking action.  And, I've reached a stage in my life (thankfully!) where if people don't like how I look, fuck 'em.  I kind of felt sorry for these women who cared so much.  They were all older so maybe I'll get back to that stage (Gah, I hope not!).  I suppose I shouldn't judge too harshly or at all.  It was weird to be there since I wear only light makeup as it is.  They were all fully made up.  I started to feel wan in comparison.  =p  It's probably cuz my lip gloss wore off.  Did I mention how much of an esteem booster that is?  ;)

Well anyway, it was cool to watch someone get her eyelids & eyebrows tattooed. 

I wonder what parents could be doing for their little girls to give them higher self-esteem so they don't grow up and spend millions on altering their looks and still being insecure.

Monday, September 1, 2003

Monday, September 1, 2003

Yet another rainy day to laze around, curl up on my suede couch in the library, and crack open a good book.  I love losing myself in someone else's world for awhile, forgetting who & where I am and getting engulfed into a different universe.  Not that my life is bad --- I just like to explore and see new things through someone else's perception.  I get restless in my world sometimes.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Sunday, August 31, 2003

We siesta'ed in our lovely backyard, enjoying the cool breezes blowing in from the approaching storm.  I got brave and asked our friend about his marriage and why it ended.  We talked a lot about partners and finding the right one and how do you know.  I'm a Disney kind of girl, so I believe there is "the one" for everyone.  But how do you know?  And what if there isn't?  Is it wrong to settle for someone close?  Is it better to combat loneliness with someone you're pretty sure won't make the cut or forge on alone with a pet and a string of meaningless affairs?

Out of 6 billion people, what if your "one" doesn't speak your language?  How did I get so lucky to have found mine in my twenties?  What if I'm self-delusional and he isn't my one?  Could we both be delusional?  And if so, would that work anyway?

Maybe you get a chance at your one at certain stages of your life.  So if I had fucked up this relationship with Galahad (which I almost did by the way but that's another story), maybe I would have met someone else who would have been my new "one" in my 30's.  I wouldn't be the woman I am today had I not been involved with and influenced by him.  Therefore, I might be compatible with someone else entirely.  Dunno.  These are the things that plague my thoughts lately.

Saturday, August 30, 2003

Saturday, August 30, 2003

Happy Birthday to a great friend of mine!!  =)

Because I love her so much, I braved the big bad stores with the nasty children and worse parents to buy her a present.  She is on a restrictive diet that allows no caffeine yet she is a tea fanatic.  I managed to find a bunch of fun flavors and varieties of either caffeine-free tea or herbal infusions.  Remind me to never go to that store again on a Saturday.  Oh the horror!!!  It was worth it though because she loved her present.  =)

And to add to my horror-filled day, she decided to celebrate with a bowling/karaoke party --- as if one isn't white trash enough.  And to seal in the extra special white-trashness, she picked a place down near Davie.  I think I heard more bad Tammy Wynette (is there any good Tammy Wynette?) than I have in my entire life. 

To make matters even better (she said facetiously), most of the people in our party were on restrictive diets.  Well, you know me, Miss i-have-to-eat-every-3-hours.  So, there I was, wolfing down a pizza in front of people who can't eat pizza.  That was so uncomfortable.  I did ask in advance.  I wasn't sure which was ruder, eating in front of them or leaving them to eat alone.  I was told to act natural.  Sigh.

In case you're wondering, my friend is one of the classiest people I know and so far removed from white trash that she finds it fascinating.

Friday, August 29, 2003

Friday, August 29, 2003

Galahad took the day off work to hang with his friend.  They went and had all kinds of fun while I slaved over a hot computer.  My day started off slowly but then kicked into overdrive at about 3:30 when everyone and his brother decided to get things in order before the long holiday weekend.  I ended up working until after 7 pm.   /cry

Thursday, August 28, 2003

Thursday, August 28, 2003

Our friend from out of town came to visit today.  He recently separated from his wife, so it's kind of weird for me to not see her, too.  I was talking to another friend of mine (/wave DB) about how sad this was for me, and he pointed out that the relationship was probably over way before then.  It still sucks.  And it makes me lose even more faith in the idea that permanent relationships work.  Mine is still strong (as far as I know), but I want a fucking guarantee that it can last.  I know of 3 different marriages of people close to me that are ending now.  Two of those were 20+ years, and the 3rd was 8.  Shouldn't the 10 year mark offer some kind of assurance?

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

I almost ordered the smoked salmon platter for breakfast but realized I had been eating an excessive amount of salmon lately.  So, the $12 egg mcmuffins won out.  Omg, how do people wake up and function so early?  No wonder everyone has a coffee addiction.  I was up before the sun rose.  That's just not right.  Last night, Galahad said I could call him in the morning if I wanted but I could hear the note in his voice silently begging me not to call so early.  I decided that I wasn't feeling pitiful enough to need a morning pep talk from him even though the migraine was back and the 2 Excedrin didn't seem to be helping.

I popped another Imitrex on the early morning ride to the office at about 8 am.  I was told that I might be riding into the city very early to meet with customers.  So there I was sitting in the office again checking my email and doing routine work at an ungodly hour with a migraine.  The meeting I actually flew in for wasn't until 1 pm.  I was asked to schedule an extra 2 days there for client meetings.  I had a hunch that wouldn't happen, so I scheduled only 1 extra day which went to waste.

I was a teensy bit nervous about the 1 pm meeting as it had a couple of bigwigs in it, and I had to give a presentation of how smoothly knowledgeable I am.  Haha, I'm probably not overly charismatic whilst medicated, in pain, and bags under my eyes.  I put on my lip-gloss and went to town on my vast expertise, faking some serious self-confidence.  Lip-gloss is quite the confidence booster --- more powerful than alcohol in my eyes.  Plus Galahad had just bought me some new power pants.   Black dressy cargo pants -- perfect for the tech professional on the go.

The meeting went well with one small glitch (in my perfectionistic opinion but maybe no one else noticed it).  Then off to the airport to grab a bite to eat and my flight home.

When checking in at the automated kiosk, I was able to change my seat to a window this time.  My head was starting to pound and I was pretty sure I would need the wall of support.  Security wasn't too bad except for the whole "please remove your shoes cuz you might hurt someone with them" thing.  I wonder if I can just fly barefoot next time.  I hate wearing shoes anyway.

I wandered the 17 miles down to my gate, trying to scope out an eatery on the way.  Sad to say that I barely found one I liked with so many to choose from.  A Hawaiian taco stand.  Dunno how they are different but my burrito was kind of tasty.  ;)

As I was people-watching the multitudinous aberrations who frequent the Newark airport, I heard my flight announcing a gate change --- waaaay on the other side of the terminal.  Good thing I'm a light packer and I like to walk.  =)

So off I strut the 38 miles to my new gate where I find out that my flight (the last of the day) has been oversold.  They ask for volunteers to spend the night who will then get a $300 voucher.  Are they fucking crazy?  Apparently their clientele is even crazier as they got their volunteers in about 15 seconds.  The mad rush to board begins.

 I find out that the seat in the row in front of me has been removed for the exit row, so I now have lots of legroom.  Serendipity again! I settle into my seat and try to relax and ignore the fucking banging in my head.  Yeah, you guessed it, it didn't work too well.  I did get lucky with my seatmate.  He is also a tech professional.  We start chatting away.  The Excedrin turned me into quite the Chatty Cathy.  Next thing I know, it's been 45 minutes, and we haven't moved more than 10 feet on the runway.  Sigh.

We finally take off and I remember that tonight is the best night to view Mars in the eastern sky as it is the closest it will be to Earth in 73,000 years.  As luck would have it, I am on the eastern side of the plane so I get quite the view of Mars.  I'm still chatting away with my seatmate.  It's funny what strangers tell each other on airplanes.  It seems to provide some degree of anonymity knowing that one will probably never see the other again.  That enables people to get intimate with their life's details.  I learned a helluva lot about my new friend.  ;)