1) Saturday a.m. Escape from Berkeley by Any Means Non Petroleum send-off flickr, someone else's pics

2) 9 hours of panicked clients to mellow out

3) today I surf

1. It's been going from 80s days to 30s nights with wildy different temperatures each sequential day. i find it all frankly inconsiderate and patently annoying.

2. Yesterday: Tried. Tried. Tried. Tried. Tried. Failed. Tired. Frustrated and exhausted to the point of crying. Then some unexpected things happened. Felt better. Passed out.

3. i've been tweeting Stephen Fry and twitter has been weird, of course, because there is not a single appliance or application i've made contact with that has not at least pointed out that it could fail to function with at least a "wink" of some sort. Glitches are machinery's facial tics.
Anyway, i'm seriously hoping i did not actually tweet him about my girlie parts and it's just one of those presentation errors, because no matter what i may be going through with this endless PMS from hell, i don't think it's something he'd want to know while in Kenya, or anywhere else for that matter.

Idiotically, i forgot that i only have a tolerance of intense continuous seriousness (or schmoozing) of three weeks, and past that, no matter what, i will start to fray. Going over things done in the last few days, there is some wacky swapping of completely opposing texts and dyslexic dysgraphia. Yesterday i hit the wall. Out of the deep end of the pool for me, serious seriousness. There is only so much one can take of human misery. i've stored my own stock pile, k? i'm sure i'm good for a long time. Wiping the mental slate today is the only thing on the slate today, and i do mean completely core dumping my headspace. i'll probably get everyone's names wrong from now on. This has been brought to you by TMI productions.

1. Essexjan's first point here in the midlands too- wtf weather? Not complaining though. Went for a swim and dried my hair in the sun.

2. Cat is on killing spree, so have cleared up two mice and a wren, and that's just this weekend.

3. Making pecan pie. OMNOMNOM.

1. Talked to my sister yesterday, and it was great. I always dread talking to her, for some reason, and the vast majority of our conversations turn out to be most enjoyable. I think we're becoming more alike in our middle age.

2. ZOMG! I'm going to be an aunt! Asked the sibling about them getting a bigger place (their apartment is really tiny). Her response: "Why? We have a drawer." See point 1, sentence 3.

3. Tried improvising a tea cozy pattern last night, and it worked! At least, it looks like it's going to work. It's screaming yellow, 'cause that's what I had a lot of, but still, I'm inordinately pleased. So long, lukewarm or microwaved tea! Hello, eye-searing kitchen accessory!

4. Want some of alto's pie. Really, really, really.

4. And now because of that crap, i've been escalated into enough coffee and cigarette use that i am right now somewhat physically addicted. Fuck that noise. See, that's the sign right there to chill. WATCH YER WARNING SIGNS, PEOPLES.

1. Going to see [title of show]'s last show during this Broadway run. So glad to be a part of it all, and will probably cry like a baby no less than three times during the show. With luck and if this one guy wins lotto, I could score a front row mezzanine ticket for $40.

2. Did my laundry and vacuumed the floors, all before noon. Also wrote Sunday post for Movie Make-out. I feel so damn productive!

3. Only 5 more days till my staycation at the Library Hotel. So damn excited!

(4. Now I really want to make pecan pie, too.)

1. Went to *free* archery on Friday courtesy of UW's archery club. Way fun and cool people. And I mostly managed to hit the target, so that was exciting too.

2. All of yesterday was spent on Vashon making cider. And that was awesome.

3. Today, I'm really tired and really sore and I *really* need to write this essay that's due on Friday. And do the readings for the week. And eat some breakfast. And pasteurize the cider, because there was a lot of deer crap around. And buy milk and vegetables since I missed the farmer's market.

But, all thing considered, this was a hell of a lot more fun than last weekend.

1. Slept in this morning... it's cold and gray outside, and I just didn't want to get up.

2. Going to see Wire tonight!

3. A guy who sounds like Johnny Depp is on NPR talking to Bob Edwards about time travel. This is making my brain feel even foggier than it really is.

Where is Wire playing, BP?

4. My plans to sit in the garden and read have been thwarted by a squirrel.

1. Woke up early today. 6 a.m... I will need a nap later. (But I don't have to work tomorrow -- Yay!)

2. I'm putting together a packet of poems to send out to some literary journals. I haven't sent anything out in a couple years. I have a lot more rejection slips than acceptances (about 10 to 1), but what the heck. The bathroom could use wallpapering. I have a short story I wrote over the summer that I could send out, too, but it might need some cutting/revising first. (I feel a little cheap somehow, seeking affirmation that way. I like the idea of writing in a cave. But I also like the idea of readers, so...)

3. Jon and I are going grocery shopping, and then the great Hugh Janus is coming over for some porch sittin'. I'm making ziti and meatballs.

THE MCPIPS HAVE A GREAT HUGH JANUS COMING.

So dirty!
Must go bathe now.

1. I'm really happy that so many church members are excited about helping out for our annual Halloween party. We're gonna have a ball! (and to the one snooty lady who thinks the party will fall apart without her help- do you really think you're the only one who knows how to make hot dogs??)
2. I can't believe how much it costs to print at the local places- 11 cents a page, 20 cents a page! Good grief, at that rate for 300+ pages, it'd be cheaper to buy my own printer! Scoping out a few more places this afternoon, and then deciding whether to ship the job out or not print at all (but I really want to print; it's a workbook and I want to write all over it).
3. Tomorrow is a holiday for the clients, but not for me- which is great! I can get all caught up on my inbox before the next flood of stuff comes in.

1. I went out last night! With actual people! And there was drinking!

2. Very sore today as I've been taking down monster weeds under threat from the city.

3. Currently trying to keep my hellions from destroying the house or each other while I get ready for the week. And their first joint birthday party with other actual kids. I'm gonna be a wreck next weekend.

Wire's playing at Variety Playhouse, eth.

1. My Internet connection dropped sometime yesterday. I first thought it was just another one of those occasional outages we get. When it still wasn't working this morning, I checked all the wire connections, even the one behind the basboard. It still wouldn't work. Then I double-checked everything. Still nothing. I called the customer support line; they reported that all was fine on their side and said they couldn't send over a technician until Tuesday. I didn't really like the idea of a technician coming over on Tuesday, so I triple-checked all the connections, this time taking all the connectors apart and putting them back together. And it worked.

2. Bought Catch-22 (the book) on Friday and have been enjoying it so far. I also bought a new winter coat today; I'm very happy with it.

3. We went to see David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises on Friday. Two days later, Viggo Mortensen's smirk is still haunting me.

1. Worked yesterday, but afterwards I met up with my mom and visited my 70 year old uncle who was hit by a car on Wednesday night. He suffered a broken leg (they set it with surgery and two rods), a broken shoulder blade, broken ribs, possible a torn rotator cuff, and they're still cleaning gravel out of his back and head. He's been involved with the volunteer first aid in his town for over 50 years, and was responding to a call about a five-year-old who'd split his head open. He was crossing the street when a car hit him. All things considered, he's doing remarkably well. His son, my cousin, came up from Florida so it was great to see him as well.

2. Above mentioned uncle has a second wife (he was originally married to my mom's sister) who is 20 years younger, but weighs, and I am not kidding, about 500 lbs. She arrived at the hospital to visit when Mom and I were there, riding a scooter as walking has become too difficult for her. Her nearly-as-big sister came too, riding her own scooter. The room was not big enough so we took my cousin out to dinner.

3. Today we were supposed to go to New Hope, but Mr. V isn't feeling up to it today. So we're watching football, hanging yet another Halloween decoration, and heading to our niece's fifth birthday party later on. It's a gorgeous fall day, and we need to remember each day is a gift.

1. Went out to dinner with Mom last night, talked wedding planning. She loves hearing about the ideas, but wants no hand in the event. Squee!

2. Mom surprised me with a big fat check designated for a starting wedding budget, and stated her expectations: she wants us to do whatever we want with it, and it gives her no say in the planning. This is characteristically generous of her, but uncharacteristically precise and clear.

3. Having guests over tomorrow evening for tapas, which is our polite phrase for "we don't have a dining table." Thinking up a menu right now: probably slivers of frittata, a small mezze, spiced nuts, I don't knoow what else.

1. Went birding Friday, Sat. and this morning. Finally saw some cool migrants, as well as some winter residents.
2. Got a lot of gardening done--ripped out weeds, mulched the south wall of the house as preparation for another bed, planted 5 dozen garlics, layered my compost pile in hopes of getting some good heat, ripped out the summer flowers to make room for more plants, planted radishes, beets, chard, and carrots, and am tackling the back corner that's run over with honeysuckle and blackberry vines.
3. Went shopping this morning for work clothes. Somewhere alone the way I've lost between 15 and 20 lbs (OMG!), unintentionally (!!). So my pants are all falling off. Didn't find anything other than a pair of smartwool socks and some perfume (Eau De Hippy).

1. Got up late due to a weird severe fever on Thursday that screwed up my schedule. Been staying up late writing anyway, so not necessary for me to follow the timetable of the outside world.

2. Sat out in the backyard with my fat cat in what must be one of our last warm days for breakfast/coffee/lazing about.

3. Got some groceries, but passed on the mint oreos for double chocolate oatmeal baked in the store. Oh yeah. Pass the milk, baby.

BP, how big is it? Never been there. Is it newer?

1. No more obligations for rest of weekend. Sports watching commence!
2. Am craving ice cream like nothing else. Mint chocolate chip, please!
3. Had a mimosa and a beer at brunch. Feeling it. Love this whole cheap drunk after 9 months of nearly-abstinence thing.

daniel charms - Eastern Promises has that kick-ass fight scene, yeah? I love that.

0. I drank the last of the cheap whisky last night, and a couple of glasses of vintage port, then felt ill this morning out of all proportion to the alcohol consumed.
1. Then I had to go into work for a few hours before lunch.
2. We celebrated Canadian thanksgiving a day early - Newfie-style turkey dinner: yum!

1. afternoon looking at leaves and llamas with friends
2. saw Man on Wire last night with other friends, great movie
3. even more friends for sunset & suppertime tonight

More social weekend than I'd had in a while, not bad though!

1. I've spent a lot of time coding and stuff over the last few days. I made a nifty widget for the music site I run, displaying upcoming shows, and a server move on my host's part involved a bunch of unintended consequences to the stuff I have running. I'm glad it's done and I made some improvements along the way, and I think it's good for me mentally and I enjoy the work, but I tend to get hyperfocussed and do things for, like, eight hours straight without peeing or eating or sleeping, which is bad for me.

2. I've felt kind of wonky all weekend and spent a lot of time if not asleep, then in bed just feeling gross. I'm not sure if it's a poor diet catching up to me (I really really need groceries) but I kinda feel like ralphing and I'm grossed out by the idea of food at the moment. Maybe catching a virus?

3. Long weekend! I have no plans for Thanksgiving tomorrow (no family nearby) but I am going around the corner shortly to get a case of pumpkin beer so that will have to suffice.

(bonus points to balance out the bad stuff)

4. Going to see Mt. Eerie/Phil Elverum/Microphones tonight

5. Dude friend possibly visiting this week

but passed on the mint oreos

I mushed mine up in vanilla ice cream just now.

1. Saturday: finished delivery from latest Ikea run around 4:30ish after 12 hour day Friday making said Ikea run. Fell asleep at 7:30pm, woke this morning at 7am.
2. Test drove a mini cooper today. Like. Want.
3. heading out for wine and cheese with friends momentarily.

1. No bulk batteries in Vancouver, or at least all the websites I've been to have the listings cleverly obfuscated. bastards. Why does New York have tons of cheap batteries ($0.45/ea.), and Vancouver has them for $2.99? grr.

2. Playing lots of GTA4. Was going to go look for more bike clothes, but can't face talking/dealing with humanity. Instead I'm just stealing cars.

3. Forgot to soak kidney beans, so it's a french lentils, peppers and chicken breast thing for dinner/lunch. Think I'll make it a little on the spicy side.

Bonus. They're re-running The Fringe on Space, so I have that on in the background. Hoping that it'll turn out to be a good show. Expecting to be let down. Going to continue the general theme of violence and watch Planet Terror.

1. Been sick all weekend with tonsillitis. Got some premade chicken soup with matzoh balls from a local kosher supermarket. Omnomnonom!! Should be well enough to go back to work on Tuesday.

2. I used to love being sick ... lie in bed all day, watch mindless TV, ponder the meaning of life. Now it's boring and uncomfortable. I miss those days.

3. I did watch, however, for the first time the National Geographic well-known show about what would happen if suddenly all the earth's humans disappeared (forget the exact title). Hadn't seen it until now. FASCINATING STUFF.

1. Went to haircutting fundraiser, and my friends were there-we looked thru tons of hairstyle books, and they talked me into going shorter-now I literally have wild hair and I LOOOVE it.

2. This fundraiser was to help a couple raise money to pay for adopting a baby-baby is due around the first part of November. They are so excited-they will make cute parents. The wife also makes wonderful cupcakes, which they were selling-omnomnomnom! Yum!

3. I am now sitting here having consumed two hotdogs brought back from a Parade of Homes cookout, getting ready to finish off a plum and a little bit of scuppernong rose. Today's diet, not so balanced.

1) For a change today, I went shopping at a reputedly cheaper supermarket that I'd never been to before and unexpectedly saved, like, $30 - I walked out of the store with three huge bags of food for something insane, like $17. First cold pressing extra-virgin olive oil at $4.50 for 750 ml! 500 ml of Balsamic vinegar for $2! The price difference was easily on the order of 50% or more. This is a huge deal as I cook all the time. Yay!

2) Film festival! Previous post about it on the front page somewhere.

3) Disappointed to find out the laundromat/bar by the university has closed down. That would have been the making of many a fun afternoon.

1) Foam Sword Combat! Someone loaned me a spear, with which I poked people with. I need to buy some garb and make my own weapons, I'm pretty sure that you don't wear Chuck Taylors into combat.

2) Starbucks has been playing 'golden oldies' and it's starting to grow on me.

3) My Moleskine sketchbook is all full, now I must buy a new one.

1. While returning home from a chocolate procurement mission late-ish last night, I came across a huge pile of firewood that some neighbors had left in the street. (The city picks up yard waste. These folks were kind enough to separate the burnable stuff from the brush.) Now I have a car full of firewood! And, it turns out, ants!

2. At 4:30 this morning, there was a security breach in the chicken coop. After being awakened by the god-awful screaming, I bolted to the bathroom to find my robe. Spent about five minutes trying to unknot the sash and get it tied, then gave up and donned GF's robe. Opened back door to find chicken frantically trying to get IN. As soon as I opened the screen door, she darted into the living room. It was like, "Mom! Don't make me go back out there!"

I got her back outside and scared off the raccoons that had been messing around in the coop. Well, I didn't scare them off so much as I had a conversation with them. They were clinging to the the redwood on my neighbor's side of the fence, peering round the trunk at me. I searched for something to throw at them, but could only find handfuls of dirt. They finally shrugged and climbed onto the neighbor's roof.

I then had to open the back of the chicken coop so that I could ascertain the status of chicken #2. This sounds easier than it was -- I had the thing tied shut with zip ties. It necessitated a trip to the garage for some tools and a change of flashlight batteries. I'll remind you that this is at 4:00 a.m., and I was in my bathrobe, and it was about 45 degrees outside.

When I finally got the coop open and said hello to peacefully sleeping #2, I went to extract #1 from under the bush where she had since fallen asleep. Chickens are actually easy to grab when they're sleeping, so I was lucky not to have to chase her. But as soon as I touched her, she let out the most blood-curdling scream I have EVER heard. It was so loud and prolonged, my neighbor came out thinking the chicken had been at least partially eaten. So THEN I had to have a conversation with the neighbor too. At 4:30 a.m. In my bathrobe. It was 45 degrees.

Didn't get back to sleep until 7. After I came back in, the cat decided to be an asshole.

3. Slept in this morning. GF and I ripped out most of our remaining tomato plants. Also went to a street fair in town. There were lots of community groups tabling. One of them was for No On Prop 8. They were handing out stickers. I swear, three out of every four people walking through the streets (white suburbanites, most of them) wore one of the stickers. It actually made me choke up a bit. Still does, thinking back on it.

3a. Hamburgers for dinner. Someone was cooking hamburgers as we walked back from the garden, and now I want one. I'm impressionable.

1. Take-home exam in class I've been slacking on. Having trouble working up motivation to start at all. This seems to have been case with my entire PhD career so far.

2. Bought metallic turquoise nail polish, forgot to use $2 off coupon. Waiting for toenails to grow to paintable length anyway.

3. Shipped off the first sale on my etsy shop! So excited!

Paypal is a scam though. Sigh.

Metallic turquoise sounds cool! I want some.

1. Spent the weekend at my dad's house which was relaxing
2. Went on a hike and got big blisters
3. Came home to find out the most recent ex is dating someone new, which upsets me and is keeping me up.