No matter how sluggish a mood I’m in, Murder Incorporated gets me up and about in no time… off to do the laundry!

In an hour, I'm going to meet with Charlene Meyers, who I met out on the lava fields of Kilauea last summer. I'm giving her a tour of my office. After that, it's off to the MetaFilter/MetaChat picnic. The Kool Aid pickles are looking really lovely.

Ah, the Boss.

My weekend just got started. I woke up and realized I had no cigarettes, so I had to put on pants and walk to the corner for smokes and coffee. I'm better now.

So far, it's been pretty okay. Yesterday, after work, I took a little nap, then played videogames for a little bit. Then I went to see The Hip Hop Project, one of the LR Film Festival screenings, with my pal Margo. Then we went to Ciao Baci, where I drank Newcastle, she drank Breckenridge IPA and we shared calamari and a cheese board (Morbier, horseradish white cheddar, blueberry Stilton, fruit, bread, etc.). Then I went home and read a newish Donald Westlake book for a bit, and then I went to sleep. Now I'm at work.

Yesterday, after the after-work happy hour festivities, I went to the Greek Festival with some coworkers and gorged myself on copious amounts of delicious, delicious food. After that, I went with some friends to someone's house party. All good fun.

Today, although I have a whole list of things to do, all that I (desperately) want is sit on a beach somewhere where the weather is sunny and it's at least 80 degrees. When I feel like this is is very difficult not to get in my car and drive south on I-95. It's supposed to be 87 degrees in Fort Lauderdale today.

I really need a vacation.

Had a pretty crappy Friday night.

Today I've managed to get some company admin done, and played the piano a bit for my own amusement. I have some design work I need to do this weekend, but it's already 4pm on Saturday and I haven't started it yet. Must kick my arse into gear.

I'm going to a glass bead making class, should be pretty fun :)

I slept-in a little bit. The kids and I went to Dunkin' Donuts. I got a large coffee, they got maple frosted and chocolate frosted donuts. Today, I'm supposed to be finishing the job of cleaning out our office. We've already made a huge dent, but I have more work to do. We bought a new area rug and two gorgeous leather chairs. We're redoing the room because husband bought another flat screen television. There's something obscene about having three huge televisions in an 1800 square foot house. Talk about gauche! I'm not arguing though. The man never busts my balls, so I'll refrain from busting his.

My sister is coming over this afternoon. We'll probably cook dinner together while the kids play. Tomorrow I'm visiting my parents like I do every weekend. It's the same boring routine weekend after weekend.

Did a couple errands yesterday including finally making it to a plant nursery. We bought: two tomato plants (forgot to get cages for them), five hostas (for the front flower bed), one rosemary (it smells sooo good) and bunches of annuals for the front window-box.

We're going vehicle shopping today. And it's raining.

Weekend just started because I just woke up.

....woke up to my mother yelling at me to clean my room.
Ah, the joys of being home again.

Getting ready for a party we're having tomorrow celebrating mr. init's new job.

Suckier than I believed it could be.

I'm at my sister's and, as those of you who know me are aware, we are as different as Paris Hilton (her) and Gimli (me). We went shopping today round her local shops and then out for lunch. Then I watched the Cup Final (my team lost, but it was the worst game I've seen all season, really dire football) and now she's gone out with her boyfriend, so I have some peace and quiet.

Even just a few hours today was hard work. She's nearly 51 and her conversation revolves around knowing all the details of the soaps (which I don't watch), the lives of Z-list UK celebs such as Vernon Kay (no, I don't know who he is either), which record is number one in the charts (I haven't followed the charts for 20 years) and her favourite cartoon characters (currently SpongeBob Squarepants and Scooby-do).

The only food in the house is processed, packaged stuff, so I have bought some fruit and cereal bars, otherwise the only thing for dinner is Quavers and sausage rolls that have a sell-by date of several weeks ahead.

I'm sure she finds me as difficult as I find her. In fact, I have no doubt of that. Thank God I brought a book with me because there sure as hell isn't one in this house. We have nothing in common. She hasn't once asked about our elderly aunt who is very frail.

She's been on Dating Direct since the end of January, so it was just a month after Andy left that she jumped back into the pool. According to her profile, she was born in 1975 and she likes horse riding (she's not been on a horse since she was 15 and that was an old nag at the seaside), country walks (yeah, right), she trained as a vet (wft?), oh, all kinds of bullcrap you wouldn't believe.

I suppose I should try to be charitable and cut her some slack - she wants to have a good time and she can't do that alone, that's just how she is. But we were talking today about relationships in general (especially my lack of and her terrible pity at my singlehood) and also about her six failed marriages and I asked her if she'd ever considered changing the pattern. She couldn't even see the pattern. I said to her that her marriages to (and divorces from) Gary, Dave, Mark, Neil, Steve and Andy all have one thing in common (her). She is still trying to work out what that common thread is.

I am finding it increasingly difficult to spend any time with her. I know this is a reflection on my own shortcomings and judgmentalism more than anything to do with her, she is content in her own skin and that's fine.

Families! Gah!

I want nothing more than to be in STL...but, alas, i have to work all weekend, so that has to wait until monday...blargh...

the upside is that i have regina spektor stuck in my head...interspersed with random shins songs...

My team was just knocked out of the NHL playoffs, so right now...

≡ Click to see image ≡

Seconding Doohickie.
There have been tears.
I'm still getting the Sabres tattoo, though.

Made a bunch of pasta sauce for freezing, did another round of tung oil for the bar top, planted two new roses, picked up veggies to get us through the holiday weekend, did two loads of laundry, cleaned up the remains from the spring flowers, trimmed the evergreens and the grapes, cut the grass, and made Angus burgers and a red and yellow pepper heavy salad for dinner. Just spent the last couple of hours sitting in the backyard listening to the fireworks and the country music festival downtown.

High points:

Dinner Friday night with an old family friend. No bullshit, no need to explain. Sincere interest in one another genuinely reciprocated, and good advice offered, and given, and gratefully received by all parties. Tears in everyone's eyes at parting.

Saw "Chops" at the Jacksonville Film Festival this evening. Great film, great kids, great music. We're gonna see "When Pigs Fly" tomorrow.

A neighbor brought my foolish dog back Saturday morning, after he ran out the front door when I was coming in with my arms loaded, Friday night. He loves running loose, and only gets the chance in fenced dog parks, and when he gets away. He generally hangs around the neighborhood, visiting other dogs, and running through the drainage canals. He's usually ready to come home after a night out, under the stars, when he stinks of swamp water, and is hungry. So, I need to give him a bath tomorrow, and he's spent the day and evening in exile to the garage. He knows he's been a bad boy, and won't meet my eyes, and is skulking around out there, in the garage, with his tail between his legs. But it was good of the neighbor to bring my dog back, and I'd do it for him if his mutts would ever come within arms reach when they're out running loose, which is way too often.

Downers:

I fell off a short step ladder while trimming bushes this morning. Left leg is protesting. Massive application of Scotch so far ineffective. Switching to the hard stuff soon.

Triple threat antibiotics I've been taking since Friday for persistent low grade infection are kicking in. I feel like death warmed over, but I'm not even forming dental plaque any more. Take that, you colonizing little microfauna!

Depression. Depression and paranoia. Depression and paranoia and too much alcohol.

I really should stop drinking, for now.