I worked all day today and I closed the shop alone at 8:30, after which I came home and bullied Court into stopping WoW and helping me clean the kitchen. She mostly hovered about behind me while I cleaned and she also complained that I was leaving all the 'icky parts' for her.

"Ok you want to unload the silverware?" I fumed, "get your butt over here any time of the frickin' day and do it, then. Jeeze. You don't want to what... wipe counters? Put away food that you've left out all day? Take out the overflowing trash? FINE, then come over here and finish the dishes that I started putting away when I got up this morning, early, and did before I went to work all day."

And that is as close to an argument as we'll get.

I finished unloading the dishes, put away/threw away food, washed and loaded the dishes, washed all the pots and pans, took out the trash. I don't know what she did - I don't care. It has to be done, whatever, I'll do it.

( This would be a great place for a nice long rest. Alas, NO. )

Oh my poor broken heart. Oh my disappointment. Oh my emogirl. Oh my ANGER and also hotness because I had been working HARD and do you know how hot it is in my room?!? HOT hot.

So I guess it's time to go to bed, but I can't help but feel that I have booked a cruise on the Failboat - my room's a DE-ZAS-TER, my computer doesn't work, it's way late, and I have been tired for hours. Waaah!

I am going to eat TWO scotch eggs tomorrow at the Ren Faire and also buy myself a ring - a RUBY ring - because I am good and pretty and smart even if I am right now cranky as an old woman, covered in dust, and cannot make my "It's an Apple! It doesn't hardly need a USER, it's so easy!" work for crap. Everyone knows buying pretty things restores your self-worth as a person, right? Right?

Hmpff!

Dear ch4rm,

Picking the kids up from the first day of a week-long afternoon soccer camp, the first thing I noticed is they were BEAT. Tired and red-faced and dirty beyond belief. Walking slow and with a slump, they shuffled to the car... and Paris didn't stop to hug me, which just doesn't happen. Cai had been crying - I saw him on the field with his coach - but he likes to talk about things in his own time (and then he likes no not STOP talking, but that's another story) so I left him alone. Maddie was snarling sub-vocally, almost.

I could see they had HAD IT so I pulled the 'ol "Let's go get chocolate shakes!" which had a tiny effect - still, Paris wasn't talking, Cai was tearing up sometimes and Maddie was downright cranky. After 15 minutes of me chattering about funny things and some tasty shakes later, everyone was cooling off and I got some stories.

( Anyone remember community organized sports? Yeah. Under here, with pics. )

Wish us luck,

-S

Feeling better in my body today, but taking it slow.

The pleasure and problem with sleepless nights (when I'm coherent and not in tortuous pain, kthnx) is that there is so much TIME at night to fill. 9 hours of night is SO much more than 9 hours of day, isn't it? Unfair, that. But I occupied myself how I could. I read/watched:

• Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K'ang-Hsi by Jonathan Spence


• Bleach, Episode 132: Hitsugaya, Karin and Soccer Ball (It has Ichigo's sister and Court's favorite Captain, Toshiro. It was adorable!)


• I Used to Miss Him... but my Aim is Improving by Allison James


• Researched GTD and moleskine hacks for said system; also student moleskine hacks (for when I start school in the fall)


• Last 25 pages of a Psychology book (which is late at the library, oops!)


• Drew an old lady smoking a pipe (from photo ref).

( 'You did ...what?!?' )

And just for you, my pretties: Follow along in my days!

The padawans and I are watching an episode or two of CardCaptor Sakura before bed each night. Our DVDs wore out and broke so we're constrained to watching it on Youtube (bleh yuck quality) which makes me sad and I'm tempted to borrow it from someone. I'm guessing... Josh? You have this? Oh I know you must...

Finally, I invite you all to come with me to this week's events which are on the Calendar: (Events including padawans are marked with *)

• Monday, Pecha Kucha Night! Young designers from all fields, each with 20 slides showing for 20 seconds each. Like speed dating for creative inspiration!


• Tuesday*, Boba for all good little girls and boys. You may not come unless you have done all your chores, not made your brother cry, and your yoga teacher says you've done a good job in your poses! :)


• Wednesday, Bliss and real Jazz. Bring your sketchbook!


• Thursday morning*, Olde Town Arvada Farmer's Market (morning trip). Apples and pears and fresh lettuce - maybe new jam for you, if you push Syd on the swings so I don't have to.


• Friday, conversational spanish happy hour. (Oh c'mon - your spanish can't be any worse than MINE!)

Please call or txt me about coming with me/us - love to have you, invitation open to all!

My favorite coworker is Mandarin, a girl who comes to work in these cute little knit hats almost every day. Most of my female coworkers wear these: I understand that it's a fix for a bad hair day (which I don't have any need of) but it's still cute regardless and I felt a little left out, having only one Megatokyo black knit hat.

And then today Mandarin brought me in a hat. THAT SHE MADE LAST NIGHT, IN 2 HOURS, WHILE WATCHING TV.



BUT THIS IS NOT THE BEST PART!

( What, Skye - it gets better than getting a free black-and-red striped knit cap?!? )

By the time I was ready to walk out the door this morning, there was just a little slice of dark night sky peeking through right over by the mountains. I saw one star twinkling in the gap but it didn't last long; the dark snow clouds had covered the whole sky by the time I had walked to the coffee shop. So I didn't see a sunrise today and we are having lovely blowy flurries of snow - lovely because I'm warm, inside, making muffins and breakfast sandwiches and lattes for the intrepid adventurers who choose to go out in the weather today. I'm like a sherpani in the yurt halfway up the mountain - I get you fed and warm and then send you out to your day, good luck and god bless. Come back for a cupcake, on your way home, and tell me about your adventures. I stand outside, sometimes, when I feel my energy flagging - the cold wind lifts my hair and runs skeletal fingers lightly on the back of my neck.

I stopped drinking at 11:30 last night. ( and had one of the best drinks I've had yet. )


So. I will sit here on this mountain, today, where people come to me and I give them what they want and then send them on their way. Maybe you will come back and tell me of your adventures, though in your case I hope you make beautiful pictures that I can look at. I won't tell you that when I look at the pictures I secretly feel that I am almost, almost there with you.

THE GOOD!

• I got a new Hello Kitty charm for my cell phone and I'm going to put it on tonight. (PS If you like cute things, DO NOT click around on this site. Fair warning.)


• I have made oodles of scrumptious double chocolate cupcakes with mounds of chocolate merague icing. You don't even want to KNOW how much butter is in them!


• I have been invited to go to Thailand, where PrincessD, my coworker, is going to be living with her boyfriend in April and May!


• I have negotiated a trade with the Yoga Studio: I do Marketing for them, and I get a discount on Yoga Boot Camp. The month of January, 3X/week, MY BUTT WILL BE KICKED. W00t!!!


• I have finished cleaning the shop and I am going to go next door for some wine and a little sketching practice.


• I have Mediation on January 29th - this means we discuss things for a whole day, compromise, and ch4rm and I are divorced by February. No courts! No long drawn-out fights!

THE BAD :(

• A round-trip ticket to Thailand costs $2,000. HOW CAN I...??? Oh maaaaaan no way... *sob*


• I worked 8am to 9pm, and thought about One. Thing. All. Damn. Day. I should be shot in the head just to stop it from thinking.


• Oh my gosh I am a divorcee come February.


• I don't want to watch movies and shows all alone. It distracts me a bit, and then I turn to say something to someone who isn't there which pretty much sucks and makes my soul ache.

THE CRAZY

• My hair. Which is in two braided behind-my-ears Princess Leia buns. :P


• I got a free 30 min. massage today at the spa next door. (No, Justice, not as good as yours are, darlin'.)


• Anyone want to go to Thailand with me for a week or so and subsidize my trip? Anyone? Bueller?


• I have made a discovery about the people I attract in the last year or so. A UNIVERSAL truth, that every single one has in common. That sort of... freaks me out, you know, that it's everyone...


• I have not written not received a text in 2 days.

( Pictoral illumination under the cut )

I don't understand how the nearwind makes a monsooning Sahara of the snowfield, but the clouds over the mountains don't move. I wonder this about myself, too.
I got a fun gift and a pretty gift and a polaroid instant camera and handwarmer gloves for my birthday. Time is like butterflies lately so the camera sits unopened in a drawer presided over by Khnum.
The small burn scab on the outside of my wrist keeps getting torn off. The silver scar is going to be in the shape of a tiny rainbow.
Every day, now, I wear silk underclothes like an external fascia.
Today I made nearbrother Chris a salad and Court english muffins and scrambled eggs and the kids Italian paninis and bagels and cream cheese (pepperoni on the side); I had sweet black tea with milk.
My coworkers and I are like measuring cups.
Chris and I can never talk long enough but I am going to see him at the end of the month and I think we will talk until I fall asleep on the couch and he has to carry me, sleeping, to bed.
I have manufactured a bracelet onto my wrist; it cannot be taken off now, only broken off. It contains two small keys from a child's diary. It is a symbol, but I'm not exactly sure what of.


( First dream of the new year )

W00T!

Though I did have a breakdown earlier, I fixed that 'ol situation up and moved on to better things this evening just like Mario fixed the plummer truck in Super Mario Brothers' live-action movie.

Oh snap, did you think I had given up trying to find this classic movie? Oh ho HO I should say NOT! ( This Ain't No Game, It's a Live-Action Thrill Ride! )

I just realized there are, like, 12 jokes that are in this post that only one person each will even get. I wish I could have a party and make some communal jokes together so I could subtlety bring them up in posts and you would all know how clever I really am. Content yourselves with just believing me when I say I am FUNNY and you wish you could invite me out and also buy me dinner this Sunday. And you'd want to come hang out with me at work and help me close this Saturday. And also if you knew just how sparking my personality was, I'm sure you'd send me more D.L. Action because I'm home alone this Friday night.

(15 jokes.)


All right, all ...to the bat-bed with me!

Puffy white clouds are almost covering the sky today like a cooling celestial bubble bath and the temperature is perfect with a nice mountain breeze.

Syd and I cooked all morning. I made rice for my bentos for work the next few days and Syd and I made pie crust for our dinner's Chicken Pot Pie tonight. Then we had a ball making and baking a lovely, moist loaf of beer bread! We sliced it hot and ate our fill for lunch: we were so hungry from smelling it all morning we couldn't even take time to toast it, and it was so delicious and flavorful that it didn't even need butter. We cut slices for Ch4rming who was as usual working in the office, and then two more for Syd's preschool teachers. Syd and I took our time walking to school, looking at all the different wildflowers and the bugs.

I'm at work now, about to erase and draw something for work's dry erase board that goes out on the street - hmm, Peanuts-looking characters, anyone? ;) Lest you forget, Skye.

At 2 I start picking up children and by 3:30 we'll all be playing at the park for an hour or so, and I hope to get some sketching done! My babies are going to learn that when they feel tired and need to sit down and rest = mommers comes and draws them! I hope that's a happy memory for them, later. It certainly will be for me as I look back in my sketchbooks, won't it?

Tonight I get to go someplace I never have before, but I plan on being quite regularly from now on!

Oh MAN it's a great day!

:)