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12 August 2009

Wednesday Three Point Update: →[More:]1. I'm on vacation, but with no money. Not so bad, I've been doing things around the house, and just being lazy, which is nice. But I've just gotten notice that they will be tearing up the curbs/sidewalk in front of my house starting tomorrow, so I'll have to park elsewhere. Ooo, construction workers!!!

2. Cloudy today, which is actually a relief. I'm really hoping to get some rain. The hummingbirds are coming around more and more; I now have three feeders for them, and they're still chasing each other all day.

3. I think I finally have cantalopes growing. For all the flowers on my pumpkin patch, I only have two pumpkins - though they really are big! Lots of cucumbers, only one carrot grew, tomatoes are growing very slowly, and just one flower so far on my eggplant.
post by: redvixen at: 11:00 | 46 comments
1. My son is at a water park today, and I know that because it is cloudy, he will not think it necessary to slather much sunscreen on his skin, despite every admonition from me to do so. For some reason, this bothers me entirely too much.
2. Out of town guest has gotten me out of the house and shopping, which has been more fun than I expected. Yesterday I purchased the new Pynchon, which I never thought I'd do. It was an impulse buy, and it was cool.
3. Entirely too much clean-up to do both indoors and outside. Feeling a little overwhelmed by the yardwork.
posted by msali 12 August | 11:08
1. I'm on vacation at home, too. I've mostly spent my time lounging and planning for furniture purchases, but...

2. I hung out with chewatadistance yesterday. Took pictures of her and Otto and her kitties, too. We shared a yummy/disgusting cheese fries at this place. They weren't in the least your typical cheese fries, though. Pimento Cheese and good ole bbq instead of the more typical cheddar/bacon combo. Afterwards I went to a local used furniture store that rather specializes in neato older furniture, and found a couch that I loved. Unfortunately, it farts. There are a couple of cute chairs there, but I'm not convinced.

3. My friend had twins yesterday afternoon, so I'll be going to see her in the hospital a little later today. Eensy ones! Boy is 6 lbs 4 oz, girl is 4lbs 12 oz. I was planning on going to Ikea, but this seemed more important. So next on the agenda is lunch, then used furniture stores, and then the hospital. More furniture shopping tomorrow in High Point.
posted by Stewriffic 12 August | 11:13
1. Hanging out with my family! We're having a ball. Wish the youngest sister could be here (she's working at her nanny job until Friday night).
2. Trying to muster up the energy to go to the gym. Really wanting to lay around and be lazy, but that's no good!
3. Waiting to hear on a job and I am DYING. DYING.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 12 August | 11:17
1. My new headboard arrived today. It's this one (just the headboard, not the whole bed frame). It looks great.

2. I am stressed at work. Training three new starters and handling my own caseload is too much. But there are so few experienced case handlers available. There's nothing I can do about it right now.

3. I was in Pets at Home today where I was looking at a degu, making little clicking noises to him to get his attention. He came over to the bars of his cage, stretched his paw out and shook my finger. It made my day.
posted by essexjan 12 August | 11:20
1. I found out why my calzones for lunch haven't been as tasty as I would've liked. Last night, I nuked one of them with a slice of provolone on top (they are filled with mozzerella, cheddar, chicken, broccoli, and pasta sauce) and that made them absolutely perfect. I'm excited for baking this weekend, which is going to be lemon meringue and peanut butter cupcakes for work.

2. I have to go over to my parents' house this weekend. I'm not looking forward to this because they are some seriously toxic people. I'm only going because my mother bitched at me hardcore about it last night. Also, I need to steal her citrus zester because I don't have one.

3. My work database is being pissy. According to my back-saved versions, the first signs of trouble manifested sometime between 7/19 and 7/21. I don't have all the knowledge in the world about Access, so it's going to be fun (read: head-desking) to learn how to fix this on my own. And I really wanted to take some vacation time soon too! But I can't until I get it fixed! Argh! If I end up losing vacation time because of this, I'm going to be pissed. (I only recently found out that in my head, I had the amount of carryable vacation and sick days swapped. Whoops.)

Jan-- that is a spectacular headboard.
TPS-- *sends good job getting vibes*
posted by sperose 12 August | 11:21
1. I made the most amazing plum cake (Dorie Greenspan's dimply plum cake).
2. Otherwise, everything is failing.
3. Except! Guy is home this week and we're going to a fancy cocktail party for a good cause.
posted by crush-onastick 12 August | 11:29
Also, I love Otto, stew. The Ottos of the universe are so good and necessary.
posted by crush-onastick 12 August | 11:31
Jan, that is an awesome headboard.

1. I have sciatica. WTF. I am too young for that. I may have a herniated disc. Again, WTF. Also - OW.

2. I just went nuts at Target on my lunch hour. I bought a bunch of clothes and didn't try anything on, so hopefully they will fit because I notoriously fail to return things that don't. They just languish unworn in my closet.

3. Some jackass sent me a message on match.com and told me that one of the sentences in my profile would sound better if it were worded a different way, and he advised me to read The Elements of Style.
posted by amro 12 August | 11:32
Jan, that is an awesome headboard.

1. I have sciatica. WTF. I am too young for that. I may have a herniated disc. Again, WTF. Also - OW.

2. I just went nuts at Target on my lunch hour. I bought a bunch of clothes and didn't try anything on, so hopefully they will fit because I notoriously fail to return things that don't. They just languish unworn in my closet.

3. Some jackass sent me a message on match.com and told me that one of the sentences in my profile would sound better if it were worded a different way, and he advised me to read The Elements of Style.
posted by amro 12 August | 11:32
Huh. How did that happen?
posted by amro 12 August | 11:32
Also, I love Otto, stew.

I initially missed that comma, and thought it was kinda in poor taste to be talking about "Otto stew" after mention of someone's cute little puppy!
posted by mudpuppie 12 August | 11:36
1. Last night's sleep was snatched curled claustrophobically in the backseat of a car speeding from Chicago to Columbus in the wee hours. I have the aching weary knees and back of a little old lady without the freedom to rinse my hair blue.

2. I currently live in the heart of downtown Columbus and this city still seems dinky in the light of spending the past week in Chi-Town. It's like a little kid saw Chicago and decided to build a replica in Ohio out of Legos and Tinker Toys.

3. I'm the "top candidate" for a job in the Loop and my new house in Wrigleyville is gorgeous and OH GOD I WISH IT WAS NEXT MONTH SO I COULD MOVE TO CHICAGO SO BADLY.
posted by Juliet Banana 12 August | 11:42
1. Missed wishing happy birthday to redvixen, for which I am deeply regretful.

2. I have been getting many many blossoms on my pole beans, but have only gotten 10 beans. I am not sure what's up.

3. The goddess may smite me down for this, but my first impression when clicking on jan's headboard was, "hmm. ..so many places to tie restraints. . ."
posted by danf 12 August | 11:46
1. They unblocked the blue and the green at work! I waited a whole week to mention it so as not to jinx it. I've probably jinxed it now.

2. Still traumatized (after 2 years) by my old boss, I very meekly asked my new boss if I could leave at 4 for a special concert (promised not to make a habit of such things, etc.). When he found out where I needed to go, he said, "oh, you'd better leave at 3, with traffic and all."

3. There's another meetup next week of the 40s and 50s social group that purports to watch a Red Sox game. I've often been accused (sometimes by myself) of not giving people a second chance, so I'll try it again. On va voir.
posted by Melismata 12 August | 11:49
1. I don't know what to do with my life right now and it is driving me crazy. Go back to programming? Stay freelance? Figure out a way to have a life of leisure? Something completely different from what I've been doing? Too many options = I'm not getting anywhere.

2. It's raining, and after the horrendous heatwave we had a few weeks ago, I'm so filled with joy to see it.

3. I booted up my Pentium III laptop and played Diablo II for the first time since 2001. Super fun, and while I had the laptop going, I got to see some of the programming I was doing back then and also some photographs I had forgotten I had taken, neat.
posted by Sil 12 August | 11:50
Well, of course, danf, that was a consideration. And with those loops to hook things round, the likelihood of getting into a Gerald's Game scenario is greatly reduced.
posted by essexjan 12 August | 11:54
amro, I am exactly the same way about returning things, especially to Target for some reason. And then I take forever to donate the clothes after it is clearly too late to return them.

That reminds me, I have a small bag of clothing I need to donate to a homeless shelter....
posted by Sil 12 August | 11:54
Oh my god, essexjan, I've never read any Stephen King, and so I had to click on your link to find out what you were talking about, and it was kind of interesting until I read the words "degloving injury" AND NOW I CAN'T GET THE IMAGE OF THE GIRL'S ENTIRE HAND SKIN SLIDING OFF LIKE A GLOVE OUT OF MY HEAD.
posted by unsurprising 12 August | 12:09
And now you all are suffering along with me.

Also, I probably should've said woman instead of girl.
posted by unsurprising 12 August | 12:12
Update on my #3: I FIXED THE FUCKING DATABASE AND IT WAS MY OWN SCREWUP THAT MADE IT FAIL IN THE FIRST PLACE.

But still, it's fixed now and I know what I did so I won't ever do it again. Ever.
posted by sperose 12 August | 12:34
1. My partner is on a work-related tour of a rocket factory today. He even had to take his birth certificate and other ID so that he could get past security. I find this incredibly cool. (I wish he could take pics, but that appears to be a bad idea.)

2. Good news about a Friday deadline at work: I only have to have about 50% as much work done as I was originally told. This is good, since it was a kinda crazy deadline before.

3. Minor run-in with an asshole cop this morning threatened to be a cloud over my day, but happily, that hasn't happened and I'm having a decent day after all.
posted by BoringPostcards 12 August | 12:34
1. Fairly interesting conference Monday on my dad's illness, frontotemporal dementia, which I tweeted. I'll catch you all up in a bit as I have other things on my plate.

2. My new Trek 7.3 FX has already logged 50 miles in 6 days. I used to do some country touring back on my old ten-speed but this may be a record week for me. All in the service of losing 20% of my body weight to stave off complications of diabetes.

3. Gaggle of utes here in the Janesville ghetto blocking traffic gave us the evil eye for deciding we wanted to use the street instead of them, you know, milling around and cell phoning and such. I really think behavior like this is a factor in the history of white flight and blockbusting -- you get so you can't stand living in your own neighborhood anymore. It's frustrating that there's such a racial-tribal-communal factor to it all, which I don't want to be a part of, but it seems to involve self-selection. Anyway, called cops (blocking traffic is ticketable), and on my bike ride saw that they had dispersed and the squad was just hanging out monitoring things.
posted by dhartung 12 August | 12:54
1) finally paid someone back for babysitting my boy, by babysitting her boy. Got over my fear of driving to Town 30 Minutes Away. Of course I turned right instead of left coming back, and it ended up taking an hour to get home. SIGH.

2) went out with ladies for dinner and (one) drink last night, NO HIGHCHAIRS PLEASE. Woke up with a headache this morning. I used to be able to drink, what happened?!

3) lying in bed typing this while boy naps. Thinking about napping myself.
posted by pinky.p 12 August | 13:08
1. Dealing with getting estimates for roofers for the garage. I'm really afraid that it's going to cost a fortune. Why did I think that buying a house with a 10 car garage was a good idea?

2. Trying to volunteer for the NetRoots (Lefty Bloggers) convention here in Pittsburgh this weekend but they're not very well organized (shocking I know) and even though I've responded to every email with "yes I want to volunteer", I'm still not assigned to anything.

3. Trying to move the neighborhood website to Wordpress. I found a usable template but I'm really stretching the limits of my artistic ability to set this thing up.
posted by octothorpe 12 August | 13:13
1. First day out of the hospital after last Tuesday's double bypass.

2. Going to The Scooter Store today by phone anyway. I will never drive again after this bypass, so it's time to hit the seniors' freeway, better known as the sidewalk.

3. I have lost most of the use of my left hand, most likely from all the morphine I've had over the last 10 days. Most days I got the maximim dosages (40 mg hits, 1 every 4 hours), and 20 mg hits in the other timeslots. Hopefully this bit of paralysis is temporary. Morphine, btw, opens blood vessels, justifying its heavy use on cardiac patients.
posted by Ardiril 12 August | 13:32
essexjan: Headboards made for bondage are an awesome thing.

1. Last night, I met up with two girls I hadn't seen since I left high school, thanks to the power of Facebook. We wound up walking up from the LES to an apartment above St. Marks where this guy named Mark Fontana has been holding Tuesday night jam sessions for quite some time. As I banged a tambourine against my leg, one of the girls played the bongos, and the other girl shook an egg-shaped shaker-thingie, all while some classic rock shook all around us and the heady scent of weed, cigarettes, and sweat hung in the ear, I remarked to them: "Did you ever think that back when we were in high school, we'd ever be together in a room like this?" Both of them had to say no. Man, I love NYC.

2. Today, I have a minor hangover and am wearing my Friendzone Guy's dress shirt over half of the outfit I wore yesterday. No one has noticed at work.

3. This weekend, I will be gorging on NCIS, making good food for my Navy Friend, and riding an Acela train on the way there. Must wear fancy traveling outfit for the ride down.
posted by TrishaLynn 12 August | 13:32
1) My wife is way too cool for me. She sets fires and chops down trees. She was recently telling me about these aerial saws things and I was all, like, "whoa".

2) Maybe I'm just feeling inadequate because my current work project involves accepting and responsibly storing credit card data and I've never done stuff like that before and I'm a-skeered.

3) Been listening a lot to a new CD by my nephew's (latest) band and one of the tunes is earworming the crap outta me today.
posted by danostuporstar 12 August | 13:33
1. Farmers' market: tomatoes, chard, basil, cilantro, potatoes, green beans.

2. Blisters: both pinky toes.

3. Wardrobe refashion: two new lightweight cardigans made from two long-sleeved shirts.
posted by Elsa 12 August | 13:59
1. I can't wait for this day to be over. I have to spend time with family members who make me feel stupid, small, and fat.
2. Really, I can't wait.
3. On the other hand, it's raining! I love the rain. I'm worried these cool temps mean the end of cucumbers and tomatoes, but I really really love the coolness and rain. I feel like I can properly think again.
posted by birdie 12 August | 14:07
Morphine, btw, opens blood vessels, justifying its heavy use on cardiac patients.


When my boss had his heart attack, first thing the ambulance people did was give him a baby aspirin to chew on and offer morphine. He accepted but it made him sick.
posted by danf 12 August | 14:21
1. Tough day, rough calls to deal with at work (made me cry, actually), but then I came home and had an hour-long phone call with a mentor of mine and feel much, much better.
2. Not looking at the kitchen because if I do I'll see the piles of washing up and will feel guilty for not doing anything about it.
3. Wearin' my favourite Wonder Woman shirt.
posted by Specklet 12 August | 14:23
1. Moving in three days!
2. Replacement wheel for the lady's birthday bike finally came in. It was late by the time I finished getting it on, but she still took a maiden voyage around the parking lot. She loves it, and I'm so happy she does.
3. Did I mention the moving? We're gonna start bringing little stuff down in the evenings for the next few days before the truck move on Saturday.
posted by SpiffyRob 12 August | 14:33
1. Bought a new truck from some pals. Going to sell my old truck to another pal. Ah, the circle of life.

2. Lots of coworkers ordering pizza for lunch today, so I'm getting a pesto pizza w/spinach, artichoke and roasted garlic. Sounds delicious.

3. I'm listening to lots of jazz from 1959 lately. Kind of Blue, Giant Steps, Mingus Ah Um, Change of the Century, Bags and Trane, Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall, Nina Simone at Town Hall, Abbey Is Blue, Byrd in Hand, Duke Ellington's score to Anatomy of a Murder, Cecil Taylor's Love For Sale (the straightest thing he's ever done), etc. It was fun making that list.
posted by box 12 August | 15:02
dano, your wife is way too cool, period.
posted by gaspode 12 August | 15:09
"basil, cilantro, potatoes, green beans" sounds like most of a recipe right there. Lightly cook in the basil, garnish with the cilantro.
posted by Ardiril 12 August | 15:14
1. Had a first date. It went well.
2. Can't hope for 2nd date until after my houseguest is gone on Saturday.
3. Have been doing lots and lots of antiquing with the houseguest.
posted by JanetLand 12 August | 17:06
1. GYNO just called to postpone appointment for two weeks. Good news because mammogram was the day before. That's just way too much to deal with in two days.

2. Had another 3½ hour nap. Dreamt a horrible dream that ended with me having a baby. Please stop with the dream babies, okthxbai.

3. Why oh why did my maternal clock wait until this late in life to kick in? I thought I bypassed all of that shit.
posted by deborah 12 August | 17:41
PS: I love love love ej's new headboard.
posted by deborah 12 August | 17:42
1. I have a headache. A caffeine headache, no doubt. The latest jar of our favorite instant Bustelo coffee has a nasty chemical taste, for some reason, and I'm too lazy to go out for a cup.

2. Vegas Sunday! Can't wait. Our first real vacation in three years. Gonna sit by the pool, drink giant daiquiris, stuff ourselves at buffets (including one with unlimited lobster!), gamble a bit, and maybe get a tattoo. I definitely wanna go to the ice bar, and the casino with the pole dance girls (what happens in Vegas, there's usually a shot for when you get home ; ). We're also going to see O, which I've been dying to see, and (hee, hee) Bette Midler! (Jon's been tellin' everyone about the Bette Midler. It apparently gets him extra drinks at his bar.)


3. I had a last minute interview at a high school last Friday, the deadline for open transfers, but I didn't get it. : ( At least I made it there this time, without getting lost. I liked the school and the location (lower East side, below Delancy), so it's a bummer. I had a few other nibbles, but nothing I'd take over my current position (long commutes, poorly rated schools). So I guess it's back to my old school for at least another year. I'll just keep to myself and make the best of it. I know I'm lucky to have a job.

(glad you're on the mend, Ardiril... Jon wants one of those chairs for around the house ; )
posted by Pips 12 August | 18:00
Thank you, pode. :)

It's weird that I got the urge to brag about her today, before I found out she was in today's Washington Post. Like WSBurroughsian No Accidents weird.
posted by danostuporstar 12 August | 21:25
1. Had the Mobile Crisis Unit call me about one of my clients. The client is ok, but it's a bit heart-stoppingly stressful when the people who are normally sent out to deal with suicidal folks leave you a message about someone you're working with.

2. I am puzzled over a notice we got that a visiting mime troupe will be performing in a local park this weekend, and "the event will have amplified sound." They're mimes. How much amplification do they need?

3. It was unusually warm tonight for coastal California, and a lot of neighbors and their pets were out when I was walking home. People kept saying hello to me, and there was lots of conversation on porches. It felt very cozy and friendly and nice.
posted by occhiblu 12 August | 23:16
1. Movie glut week.

2. My voice is finally comming back after six weeks.

3. The table I wanted to put on my side of the vestibule turned out to be too big for the space. I asked my neighbors about putting it against the longest wall, but they said the table they put on their side (kitty-corner to my suggestion)is bolted to that wall. The space needs fixing up anyway and I'm waiting for them to get back to me on this.
posted by brujita 13 August | 00:06
*crosses fingers for TPS*
posted by brujita 13 August | 00:07
1.) Finally got word that my mother is out of surgery, and expected to recover.
2.) Made the most amazing dinner of fresh pea soup with leeks and mint and crème fraîche and sandwichs of montrachet and roasted pepper on baguettes that I made from scratch. (Did I mention I'd been hovering in the kitchen, by the phone all day?)
3.) My 6 year old is turning into quite the little sous-chef and pâtissier assistant.


Ardiril: I'm glad to hear that you're up and about! Why no more driving?

essexjan: How fabulous is that thing!

occhiblu: I share your mime confusion...although, we must keep in mind that a mime *is* a terrible thing to waste.
posted by Dejah 13 August | 00:11
2. I am puzzled over a notice we got that a visiting mime troupe will be performing in a local park this weekend, and "the event will have amplified sound." They're mimes. How much amplification do they need?


If it is the San Francisco Mime Troupe, there is no mime about it. Actually, it would be better if they talked less, though.
posted by danf 13 August | 09:32
danf, ha! It is the San Francisco Mime Troupe.
posted by occhiblu 13 August | 10:34
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