I'm probably late to this party, but "animated shorts": tee-hee!

Today I put plants in the ground. A globe basil, some peppermint, lavender, and lily of the valley. I've never planted plants before. I also realized that he garden needs a lot of cleaning up. Oof. It should have been raked after the thaw. and I found a slug. I wonder what else I'll find as I clean it up. I need work clothes and shoes. The coveralls should do the trick for clothes. But shoes? no idea. I saw that Gardeners Supply has Gardening Coaches, like personal trainers for gardeners. I might look into that.

Tonight I saw/caught two neighborhood cats and a dog in the garden. I have no idea where they came from or what they were doing. The cat took off when I opened the sliding door. The dog (a small-ish dog with a pronounced underbite) looked at me, took a step toward me, as if to come into the house, then stopped, just looking at me. I considered going outside and making friends, but decided against it, mostly because I couldn't find shoes before the dog walked away. I wonder if a gate would help. I already have 4 cats, I don't want to scoop poop out of hte garden, or bring in parasites from other animals.

I also purchased a lily of the valley for my coworker. She's had a hell of a year and is getting ready to plant window boxes. She's kind of strapped at the moment (3 adult children living with her, one is special needs, one just moved back in after a break-up, one graduated college and is planning on grad school, all on only her income) so I got 10 pips for her while I was out.

For dinner, polenta with sundried tomatoes and fresh basil is setting/cooling. We'll have it over fresh baby spinach. I dipped 1 pound of strawberries in chocolate "for dessert". Yeah. had 4 already.

It's been a short weekend. Even though I had two days off, yesterday was almost all rest. We did go to the Langdon Street Cafe to see The Wiyos, a trio playing "Vaudevillian Ragtime Blues, Hillbilly Swing and Old Time Country". They were really good. Some bands and musicians have the courage to play in front of people, some are good enough to listen to, and some I'm happy to pay for the privilege. The Wiyos were more than worth the $10 at the door. And they deserved a lot better than the chatty crowd. They played interesting and entertaining songs, The main singer really impressed me. Lots of styles, good range, excellent control of his voice. One of those talents that makes me wonder why I bother trying (not that I've tried in a while, one of the casualties of moving.). Watching the bassist play reminded me how much I enjoy the upright bass. I could go on and on (you mean I haven't already?).

Friday night I met Diane at the Sapa for tea. It was really good tea in a very dribbly pot. The place has a nice feel. The tea tasted very good. The presentation lacked something, though. I think the neighborhood was expecting a bubble tea place, and that would go ever really well. This is not one of those, though. Very good tea, some local chocolate truffles, an interesting juice and smoothie menu (which is nice since there's no juice bar in town right now), and some pastries: madelines, croissant, and muffins.

I was hoping for something like Pekoe Sip House: a full coffee bar, tea selection, fresh baked goods, and bubble tea beverages. There aren't many things I miss in Colorado. Lots of people, but not many things. Pekoe is one of the things I miss.

feeling should-y. probably just PMS. but don't ask me about my hair. Experiments with Dr. Bronners are not going well.

for the first time in a few weeks I have nothing pressing to do. There are plenty of things I could be doing, but don't HAVE TO do anything right now. In 2 hours I'll make dinner and get ready for work tomorrow. In the meantime, I get to relax for a little while. This might be the closest I'll get to "everything is done" for months.

( garden )

bookshelves

We bought some gorgeous maple bookcases yesterday. We paid for them. They will be polyurethaned and delivered in the coming weeks. After going back and forth about the best way to do it, we decided that a sturdy well-made piece of furniture that we won't ever have to or want to replace was the way to go. The pile of boxes of books still gets on my nerves, but now the end of boxes is in sight. lovely.

nesting

I don't want to go out ever again. I want to stay home and nest because it's such a pleasure to be living here. Even doing laundry is easier now. I just want to dig in and stay. Maybe also I feel very tired.

Why did I wake up at 4:45?

This morning we're headed over to the rental to clean it up/out.

This new place is great. It's big but cozy, small but roomy. The bedroom door has a catflap in it. The cats haven't all figured out the flap yet. I'm OK with that. We closed the bedroom door last night. The whole place is really quiet, but this was almost silent. Sitting in the dining room now (no desk for me yet) I can barely hear the rain unless I try hard. If it were warmer out I could open the sliding glass door in the dining room and hear the rain.

breakfast of champions: cold pizza and hot oatmeal with a glass of water and a mug of coffee.

Today I hope we can get the stuff we won't have time to deal with soon up into the attic. I want to keep all the books out but the other things (mostly my office stuff) can get stored temporarily.

livejournal has not been retaining my log-in. it used to, but not lately. i don't stay logged in. it took me a few days and I don't know how long I've actually missed. so i apologize if i've missed anything big and important.

note: I have the blanket baby charlie is wrapped in in the pictures I posted yesterday. Now I REALLY can't wait to unpack.

we're getting ready to pack some more. i'm walking a line between freaking out that it's the most disorganized packing I've ever done* and realizing we're just about as done as we can be.

segue

it's totally allergy season. sinus pressure, feeling sleepy. But I know an antihistamine will do the trick. as long as I take it with enough caffeine it won't slow me down a jot. It's a cocktail I'm not above resorting to. Now, If I could remember to take the antihistamine at night, this mixing of OTC remedies (coffee counts as an OTC remedy, right?) won't be necessary.

OK, now we're going to implement plan FEKIT: great big coffee drinks (with antihistamine sidecar), cookies, and then home for lots of loud music to help us plow through the rest of this weekend's packing, cooking tsimmes and going to a seder at 4PM. I'm supposed to bring a symbol of hope. um...?


*and I'm a little sad that I can make a comparative analysis of the relative organized-ness of the packing for all of these moves.

I posted a handful of old pictures to my flickr. All but one are from the week baby Charlie came home from the hospital. I wanted to say one of them is my favorite, but I can't. They all fill me with warm fuzzies. Here's one.

I wonder if I could get away with bangs again...

begging to be photoshopped:

"crap detector"

I got my bike back. It's lovely. BRIGHT yellow fenders. hooty honk-honk horn. little light. I fall in love with my bike every spring. I rode it home from the shop, then to the Y for class, then home again. I'm way out of shape, but I feel energized and excited about having my bike back.

It's time to accept that my bike is old, though. I got it in 1997. It's 11 or 12 years old. I don't know the model year. Charlie says I need a new bike.

I heart my bike. I really do want to make it my primary mode of transport. I'll feel ashamed of using the shuttle to get me up the hill for a while. But I know it's for the best. I'll work on riding up the hill on my own on weekends. To be honest, it will start with WALKING up the hill. Then walking with the bike. This is why it's a long-term goal to make the bike my primary mode of transport. Hills. we don't get along. Gears are the answer. Gears, and patience. and persistence.

Tomorrow night I'm going out for drinks with some I hope becomes a new friend.

out of curiosity, and not that you have to answer, because heavens know I've not been replying to anything...

What time do you eat dinner?

The thing I quoted from Margaret Cho's blog last night captured much of the thinking I've been doing since I posted about my self-image issues. Just to connect the dots.

Roller Derby has come to Vermont. I'm so excited, but there's just no way I could participate...too many old neck and back injuries...bruise like a peach... One of the absolute coolest people I know is in it and I'm living vicariously through her.

I can be an athletic supporter a vocal supporter and fan. There's a fun-raiser next month and I'm telling EVERYONE about it. There's even a chance Hot Neon Magic might get a gig out of this craziness.

It's been a good and busy week. I went out with Martha and Ian Tuesday night to celebrate his new job. Wednesday night we went to see "Be Kind Rewind" (about what I'd expect from Jack Black, less than I'd expect from some of the other people involved). We stayed up late last night to visit with Pete, who's in town through Sunday afternoon. He's defended his thesis and has a great job and Noe's pregnant (due in July) and has a new job and they bought a big gorgeous house in Pittsburgh just 2 blocks from the East End Co-op. The Woods are busy.

This weekend there's an art auction Saturday at 1 main. The Barre Opera house is putting "The Full Monty". Tonight we might watch "Back to the Future" with Martha and Ian or play some games. Or maybe just go to bed early.

"I am a real live perfectly beautiful woman, and just because I may be larger than the mostly anorexic female population in Hollywood, it doesn’t make me any less desirable or gorgeous because I like food. ...I must take back all the millions of insults that I hurl at myself without knowing it. I would never, ever say any of the horrible things I say to myself about myself to anyone else, not even someone I hated, because there is no one I could possibly hate that much. We must stop fighting the war against ourselves before we can truly start to love ourselves. We are not “chubby,” we are perfect. We are beautiful. We are so very very beautiful."

I'm tired. run-down tired. no reason for it. been eating well. been sleeping well. getting a fair, if not exciting, amount of exercise. exhausted and easily short of breath, though. don't get it.

ETA: It's like I've forgotten what it means to be human or something. I was tired, so I took it easy for a little while. Then i was fine. For heaven's sake.

I haven't turned on my computer at home in about 3 days. It was the result of a decision to spend less time in front of the computer. I went overboard and fell behind on correspondence and journals. Have to strike a balance.

Look for redemption in an influence that has created a mess or broken your heart.

some good advice from Rob Brezsny.

roundup

-been spending too much time on the internet and not enough time on myself

-wrote to someone about guitar lessons today

-got new headphones. they're really good. like good speakers that hang on my ears. yes, i know how silly that sounds

-the flu is almost gone. there's some sinus stuff to deal with, but we went out today and it felt awesome

-being sick re-arranged my priorities. now, to find a way to keep them in order.

-got invited to a vegan potluck tomorrow night. so tickled I just might giggle. I'm thinking either gluten free cupcakes (at least two of the vegans in attendance are also wheat-free) or roasted veggies (eggplant, delicata, potatoes, yam, zucchini, onions, and butternut)

-I received one of these as a gift. it is the grossest thing I've ever enjoyed. it's rocking my socks. it can bolt to the wall and I'm considering it.

- i heart my scissor-switch keyboard and do not look forward to using the clunker at work on Monday.

-yes, i feel well enough to go back to work Monday.

-no, i probably won't take the hydropulse with me. i might take a neti pot.

- i need a haircut, but just a trim. the rush to chop it has faded.

took the day off. i was feverish and couldn't stop sneezing. ibuprofen on top of dayquil later, my fever has broken. hopefully i'll go to work tomorrow. i've been drinking lots and lots of water and sleeping almost all day. i turned the heat up to 70 (from 65) in the bedroom. wanna remember that

I can't stop sneezing and eating. I'm sneezing non-stop and I want bagels, lots of bagels ...and cookies.

I know I'm sick when I just don't care.

Yep. sick.

I spent all day at work acting like I wasn't sick. Now that I'm home I just can't concern myself with much of anything. Not imperative? Not caring.

there's a list of things i'd like to do scrolling through my brain and i just don't care. knitting...baking...cooking...reading...swimming...whatever

i'm struggling to stay awake until 9PM so I can sleep until 5AM rather than wake up at 3AM like this morning. 5AM is OK. there can be a shower and a walk or a real breakfast or something. 3AM is too early to get much done and too late to go back to sleep for a useful period of time.

hey woo, 5 till 9. close enough.