Sorry for the Spam and other random ramblings

If you're my friend on Goodreads, sorry for the giant e-mail with the 168 books I added to my shelves tonight. I'm down to The Last Shelf of Books, which I plan to add and pack tomorrow night.

If you're not my friend on Goodreads, why not? :P I'm Jammies there, too.

It's been a busy week at work. I got a $15 gift card for Starbucks as a reward for taking on an extra project and doing a good job, and won one of the reserved parking spaces in a random drawing. Still, I have felt like a guinea pig on a hamster wheel--I don't fit, I don't know where I'm going, and I never seem to get there.

The water-walking is really going well. I'd have to say that this is the first time I've felt that I have an exercise plan I can stick with. This Saturday will mark the first class I will miss on one of the three days I tell myself to go every week. Of course, that's because this Saturday, Mom and I will be doing the 3-mile MS Walk, followed by working together for 4 hours. Then we'll come back here and she's planning to take the rest of the wallpaper off the study walls and I am going to take a nap!

One thing that occurred to me on my way home tonight: it's still very weird to me to see a Roadway semi cab hauling Yellow trailers. Plaid Jammies worked for Roadway most of the time we were growing up, and Yellow was the big bad rival. Roadway was a pretty good employer--there were company picnics, a kickass health plan, lots of things that made it a great company for Dad to work for back then. Of course, it may just have been the times and all companies in the '70s and '80s had that level of care for their employees, but it's pretty much gone from everywhere these days.

Right now, however, I'm only interested in huffing my wrists to smell my gorgeous dandelion BPAL and heading off to bed.

Push the button, Max!

I had forgotten how much I enjoy watching The Great Race. Dad bought a copy recently, and we watched it when my brother, SIL and the boys were up for Easter last weekend. Dad's favorite scene is the pie fight, and the boys loved the whole movie. Mom said they were saying "Push the button, Max!" all day on Sunday. I'm pretty sure that the "Austrian Folly" detour on The Amazing Race. One of my favorite shows paying tribute to one of my favorite movies--perfect!

Happy Easter!

Busy in a good way.

If you were to look objectively at my schedule for the next 90 days, it wouldn't look as if I had a lot of work. I'm responsible for maybe 4 books in the next three months. However, because two of my co-workers are out, I've been picking up the slack on several books that are not on my list, and have been cramming work into my workdays.

I've gotten all kinds of warm appreciation from the attorney editor whose books I'm doing, which is nice. I've also asked my team to let me know if I seem to be having more cognitive lapses than usual. Despite the fact that I have lived with tingling in my hands and feet since September of 2003, my neuro decreed that my GP hadn't given me a high enough dose of Neurontin and I should try it again, slowly increasing the dose until I'm up to 400 mgs/day.

The catch? One of the potential side effects is cognitive problems. I'm trying it because there's an inexpensive generic, but I have to wonder why my neuro is deciding that even though there's nothing he can prescribe for my cognitive problems I need a med for a symptom I've lived with for almost six years.

Speaking of doctors, I went to make my annual appointment with Hot Doctor for my girly parts checkup and found out that he has gone to a different practice. Okay, he's worth following. Then I found out that he is now in practice with the doctor who thought my request for a hysterectomy should be answered with "When you lose weight, you'll be pretty and normal, and you might meet Mr. Right and want to have his babies. I cannot allow you to do this." Aargh. I went ahead and set the appointment, specifically requesting a time when she is NOT there. We'll see. It's been two years, but it still bugs me.

Oh, and a work funny: I made parmesan and basil scones on Sunday and took them into work on Monday. I was walking past the Big Boss's office on my way to the bathroom and heard her say to someone on the phone, "Do you like basil? Jammies just brought in some really delicous scones." *blush* About twenty minutes later, I got an e-mail from a co-worker at the Rochester office saying "I hear you make a mean scone."

My answer? "They're not mean, they're just misunderstood." I kill me.

Two women, five degrees, one combination lock...

and the lock defeated both of us.

Mom had a horrible day, I had a bleah-ish Monday, and we both really needed our workout tonight. I am really pleased with the water walking, and I think that this is something I can stick with. I'm also offering guest memberships to JammiesFest attendees for any nights that my water class is held while I have guests. I won't skip my class, but I'll be happy to share the Natatorium!

The one good thing that happened today was that when I turned in my 2009 goals, my team lead said that she'd like to copy one of them and put it on everyone's goals AND she didn't change a single word. Yay me!

Oh, and Mom's going to ask Dad to get a key lock for our locker, lol.

More ow-inna-good-way

As usual, Mom and I underestimated the amount of prep work my study will need before it can be painted. She and I worked together Saturday morning, then came over here to get started. I archived and boxed books, Mom moved boxes and bookshelves and tore down wallpaper, and Dad came over to remove the pretty-but-essentially-lightless ceiling fan. Dad kept telling me what a good quality piece it was, but at a maximum of 4 25-watt bulbs hidden behind white glass, it didn't give off nearly enough light. So it's boxed up and awaiting either sale or donation. I've decided on my paint colors, based on the blue-and-white of Delft-style china, and I'm down to the last two shelving units. I boxed up almost 400 books this weekend, and may do some more tonight (although I should in fact be putting away laundry).

Yesterday, in sunny Dallas, it was 38 degrees and the Mathgeek-Crossword family did the MS Walk. I have a lovely picture of Bookworm Mathgeek wearing her free t-shirt as a scarf, and one of Tinkerbell and Princess Mathgeek all wrapped up and sitting in a little red wagon. Thank you, my wonderful family. <3

Tomorrow is headless chicken day at work, but I have water walking to look forward to, and afterwards I will either finish up the book-boxing or actually put the laundry away!

Ow in a good way

I started a new exercise program last night, and I think it's one I can stick with for a long time. Hyphenated Corp will reimburse employees for a one-year gym or health club membership, so I joined the city natatorium. Last night, I went to my first water walking class, and I'm really impressed. I worked every single muscle in my legs and most of the rest of my muscles, had so much fun and worked so hard the hour just flew by, and got to indulge my waterbaby Cancerian otterish side. I'm now thinking about investing in a more sportish swimsuit. The one I have is cute and flattering, but the tank-style top doesn't restrain my built-in flotation devices as well as a T-strap top would.

A big advantage to the water exercise is that the cognitive effects aren't the only MS-related problems I've been having. When I saw my neuro last month, my balance was so bad after the first few tests that the nurse skipped the final balance test. In the water, if I fall over, I'm not going to hurt myself, so I felt safe in trying everything. I do need to work on my jogging/fast walking, because I noticed last night that the minute I speed up my pace, I start using my toes instead of my whole foot. I think next week I will slow down until hitting heel first is completely habitual and then I will start speeding up. Even if this is the only way I ever jog, that's no reason to get into bad habits!

The only thing I didn't do was quack during one of the exercises. For now, I will save my quacking for when I am among friends.

Color me weird

but I just can't allow my clothing to be uncoordinated. Last night, I wore a grey satin nightgown to bed. This morning, I put my red sleestak from Mallie over it and pulled on some red socks. I had to go down to the basement to start the laundry, and I couldn't make myself put on purple or blue or green slippers. I had to spend five minutes looking under the bed and in the closet for my red slippers. Then, when I got as dressed as I ever do on a day when I'm not leaving the house, I had on dark purple sweatpants and a light purple fleece top, so I had to change my socks and my slippers.

It's just a Jammies thing.

Thanks, Lush

My tax refund order arrived last night, and I unpacked and put away most of my things and set aside Maresche's items to take to work today. Somehow, I missed a little sample of Herbalism, which I noticed this morning when I was folding up all the packing paper. I set it on the shelf unit which runs the length of the back wall of the breezeway, intending to try it tomorrow morning.

As much as I love Lush's bubble bars and ballistics, I've been resistant to getting into their face care because it's so very expensive and I have very odd skin, oily yet flaky, with overlarge pores. Still, I was going to try the Herbalism.

Tonight, when I got home from work, I let Bigfoot out and fed Littlefoot, then let Littlefoot out and fed Bigfoot. When they were both fed and I had changed out of my work clothes, I ran out to the curb to get the mail and bring in the trash can and recycling bin. In the two minutes that took, Bigfoot found my sample and decided Herbalism was a nice dessert. Since the sample was about two ounces, I'm not too worried about the nettle irritating his innards. However, the kaolin may prove to be a bit of a constipator for the old man.

So thanks, Lush, but I won't be trying your skin care this time around.

Monday blues

Warning: seriously whiny post ahead.

My headache from yesterday is still with me, and it has been joined by dizziness, because headaches hate to be alone.

I took on a new project at work, and did most of it well, but I did manage to get a little tangled up in my underwear and submit one request twice and one not at all.

Tomorrow, I will be representing the family at a memorial service for a father of young children who was just barely older than me.

I thought that starting my seeds would be good therapy, but I can't find the fricking peat pots I was going to put them in.

A nap sounds lovely, but I know that if I do that this late, I'll be up half the night and my sleep schedule is screwed up enough as it is, thanks to stooooopid DST.

*whine*

So close I can smell it!

This morning, I took Plaid and Flannel Jammies to the airport. They're in Dallas now, visiting with the Mathgeek-Crossword family. I stopped at the bank, then came home, made lunch, cleaned the bathroom and took a nap.

After dinner, it was warm enough for me to spend twenty minutes outside clearing last year's leaves from the glads and petting the daffodil and grape hyacinth shoots. Tomorrow, I am hoping for more warm weather so I can rake last year's leaves out of the front flower beds. The garden catalogs have me drooling, and Cochran's Nursery is showing signs of getting ready to open. I'm ready to garden!

Sign of the (bad) times

I was one of many folks who were late to work today, owing to a huge traffic tie-up caused by 5,000 people trying to get to a job fair near my office.

Video and story.

Ironically, today was the day my probation at work ended. I've still got to be careful and triple-check everything so that my cognitive problems don't cost me my job, but I do have one.

Shameless begging

Please sponsor me for this year's MS Walk. Flannel Jammies will be walking with me for the first time ever, and while I'm sorry that she won't be in Texas to see Princess Mathgeek turn six, I'm glad we'll have the chance to walk together.

Please let me know if anyone is doing a local MS Walk, and I'll add your fundraising link here if you'd like.

The good news, the bad news, and the worst news

The good news is that I'm not imagining things, I'm not crazy, and I'm not being over-dramatic.

The bad news is that I'm not imagining things, I'm not crazy, and I'm not being over-dramatic.

The neuropsych testing shows a significant gap between my intelligence and my recall and speed of processing. It's more than likely that it's secondary to the MS.

So now I need to learn how to manage all this and still stay employed.

The worst news is that one of my dearest friends was just diagnosed with MS. I hate this damn disease.

Woodchuck for lunch--YUM!

My almost-9 year old nephew got his purple belt in Tae Kwon Do on Saturday. Mom and Dad and I drove down to watch him do his test, break his boards and get his new belt. Then we went out to lunch with the entire Pickypants family, and I discovered that you can now get Woodchuck cider in Ohio. It was wonderful, and exactly the right beverage with my filet mignon sandwich.

The Book From Hell went to Manufacturing yesterday, which is good. This morning, I got the results from my neuropsych testing, and I'm still trying to process them. I'll write more when I have a handle on what it means for and to me.

One thing related to this morning's appointment:

I don't mind when people correct me when I use the wrong word or something similar, especially not now, when I'm grappling with cognitive issues and have caught myself using a completely wrong word in e-mails or in conversation. I also don't mind having my pronunciation corrected. I have what I call "oldest child syndrome," by which I simply mean that I read a lot as a kid and didn't have older siblings to tell me when I was saying things wrong. I think I was in fifth or sixth grade when I found out that "suicidal" was not pronounced "soo-iss-iddle."

I do mind when I've been running around using the wrong word and making myself look like an idiot and no one tells me. I've been saying "neuropathy" to mean the tingling in my hands and feet since September of 2003, when it started and the resident at my doctor's office called it that. This morning, my neurologist told me that what is going on with me is not neuropathy, as that is a specific syndrome which can have tingling as a side effect. I wish he'd corrected me five years ago! Sheesh.

The Book From Hell Saga Continues

The Book From Hell got more hellish yesterday. The attorney editor (someone I ordinarily enjoy working with and with whom I have a pretty good rapport) decided to start the pub review after a recruiting trip to a local college campus and before eating lunch, so he was tired and extremely cranky.

He decided the book needed to be rescheduled for early April.

Our immediate supervisor hit the roof because that would push it into the second quarter and our team already has a three-volume book that has been moved out of the first quarter.

At that point, I didn't care. My hard part was done. I'll build the book when I'm told to, with such changes as I am told to make.

By late afternoon, everyone had eaten something and was apologizing to everyone else; the supervisor said we can push it back by 2 days and still get it out by the end of March; the attorney editor realized I'd done a better job than he thought and the review wasn't going to take a week; and the authors weren't going to get to see the page proofs.

Enigman stayed late last night and finished his review of volume 1. I got all his changes made by noon, and told him to go get some lunch and I'd do volume 2 when he was finished with it. The authors promised to be good little boys and return any changes in two days, so when I completed all the changes, I sent .pdf files to Enigman and he was going to pass them on to the authors. The book will build on Wednesday instead of Monday, and then it will be out of our hair until next year.

*whew*

The First Quarter Book From Hell

Two volumes.

Two authors.

Two MS Word documents.

NO markings on last year's copy as to where the new copy goes.

Late manuscript from both authors.

It's my first full annocode book.

It's supposed to be built on Monday and I just got the page proofs to the attorney editor for his publication review today. The authors are going to have until 9 a.m. Monday morning to review the proofs and sign off on them.

Or not. Right now, I have a feeling this book is going to manufacturing whether they like it or not, because if it doesn't go Monday, it doesn't generate any first quarter income.

Oh, but I did win a bag of Milano cookies today. Woo.

*Been around the world

and I, I can't find my froggie. :(

The cute little croaking froggie keychain Sherri disappeared from my keys some time between Thursday morning and Friday night, and has not been seen since. It's a cold, cruel world out there, and he will not be a happy froggie. Plus, I am not a happy Jammies without my froggie!

Mom and I did have fun Friday night at a local production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The daughter of a friend of hers played Hermia, and it was a really good production. The young woman playing Helena really made me think of the version of AMND that appeared in the Pibgorn strip, especially with her facial expressions. My only two snobservations were that A. The guy playing Lysander was about the last person I'd pick for any kind of love interest, and the guy playing Oberon was too pale, dark-haired and potbellied to be appearing onstage shirtless. Pleh!

Stitches come out first thing tomorrow morning, and if I didn't have a book to build, I'd be very tempted to take the day off and wallow in the bath tub. But I do, so I shall have to postpone my first celebratory bath until Monday night. If you need to talk to me, do it today or do it Tuesday. ;)


*sincere apologies to Lisa Stansfield!

It's what I didn't say...

(song title from Saving Jane)

aka Medical Snobservations

When the dermatologist had me sign a waiver saying I knew there would be a scar and I wouldn't sue because of it, I thought but didn't say, "Well, there goes the Playboy shoot."

When he said, "No heavy bending, stretching, or lifting," I thought but didn't say, "Damn, and the new pole was just installed!"

I mentioned last November that I'd seen kind of an odd license plate. Today, I saw one that said IN2BATE. The owners thereof just have to be related.

Monday was 5 hours of neuropsych testing with a one-hour "break" for lunch, during which time I did the 344 question MMPI questionaire. Apparently, there isn't a website anywhere which will tell you what "Raymond Kertecz" and "archery and stamp collecting" mean. Irritating. They probably still won't tell me when I get my results on March 5th.

One small victory for English majors, though. One of the questions on the verbal general knowledge quiz was "Who wrote Faust?"

My answer?

"Well, it started out as a German folktale, then Christopher Marlowe wrote a play, Goethe wrote a novel (I was wrong about that, he wrote a play as well) and someone did an opera.

Perhaps I can't remember to send an e-mail to Codes when I need to, but I can bygolly remember all kinds of useless stuff!

Day Three

No bath.

I think I'm dying. I'm beginning to hallucinate about Kohler tubs and deliveries of mountains of free bath products.

Just ask me--I'll tell you the passwords, the secret recipes, the name of the mole, anything.

All I want is a bath...

Ew, ew, ewwwwwwwwww

I had the cyst on my back removed today. It took about 90 minutes, and the doctor didn't listen to me when I said I didn't want to hear details, so I know that it was the size of a Ping-Pong ball, most of it under the skin, and that I now have 20 stitches. I did manage to keep him from (eeyurgh) showing it to me.

*sigh* No baths for two weeks. :(

Wishlist

I could use some retail therapy, but since I'm broke, I'm internet window-shopping.

I want this shirt; these socks in Geranium, Peacock, Purple Haze and Space Ocean; these socks in Nightshade and Waterfall; a sock zombie cat; a Konad Build Your Own Kit and a ton of Lush, Skindecent and BPAL.

And as long as I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony, too. ;)

Meh

I'm so freaking tired of being manic-depressive it's not even funny. Even with the Lexapro, I go from happy and bouncy (Tuesday) to utterly flat and meh (today). Of course, yesterday's little adventure combining standing-still traffic and a migraine didn't help any.

At least I will get my niece's birthday present mailed out tomorrow--it will wind up being just shy of a month late, but at least it will get there. I hope she still loves "Mickamouse."

Ack! Books and snow.

The thoughtful Zayrina sent her big snowstorm to Ohio, so I spent yesterday mostly in my recliner, checking e-mail from time to time and being glad I wasn't one of the very few brave souls who went in to the office. Apparently, Cleveland had a hard time getting and keeping the freeways clear, and the mayor suggested businesses start telling people to go home at 3 o'clock.

You'd think with an unexpected day off, I'd do something productive, but the fact is that I managed to pull a muscle over the weekend, which was pretty inhibiting in terms of boxing up books.

When the 'Foots go outside, I hook them up one at a time to a forty-foot airplane cable chain. They tend to wrap it around the well cap, and so I go out and unwrap it. Of course, when it's really cold, I usually stand on the back steps, pretend the cable is a jump rope, and "skip" it over the well cap. On Saturday, I turned the wrong way or something as I was doing that, and pulled the muscle that runs from my right armpit to the side of my right breast.

Yes, I sprained my boob.

This of course led to me not shoveling the driveway on Wednesday. I called the woman who used to plow out my driveway at the old place, and she's still doing that in the winter, so she came over and did a great job. Her family owns and operates an ice cream place in the summer, so plowing is her winter job.

In March, my mom and I are finally going to de-wallpaper and paint my study. In order to do this, I have to remove all of the books and bookshelves. Mom offered to help, but I usually tackle a project by working for half an hour, resting for half an hour, until the job is done. This would drive my Type-A mother absolutely librarian-poo.

However, given my current very sore state, I think I shall box up as many books as I can, and then ask Mom to bring over a dolly and help me move the boxes out of the room.

This is assuming I can get all of them boxed up. I keep noticing ones I'd like to re-read and realizing how very lazy I have been about listing them all on Goodreads.

If anyone would like to stop by and smack me, I could use the motivation.

Cute video

Let's see if this works:



And thanks to Cakewrecks, where I found it.

Lyrical snobservations

Dear Brian McKnight,

In regard to:

One
You're like a dream come true
Two
Just wanna be with you
Three
Girl it's plain to see
That you're the only one for me
Four
Repeat steps one through three
Five
Make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I start back at one

Those are not steps, you idiot. Those are statements. Go take remedial English.

Dear Everything but the Girl and Norah Jones,

In regard to:

And I miss you, like the deserts miss the rain
And I miss you, like the deserts miss the rain

and

Like the desert waiting for the rain
Like a school kid waiting for the spring
Im just sitting here waiting for you
To come on home and turn me on

respectively.

You both fail geology, zoology and biology 101. Deserts do not "miss" or "wait for" rain. In the first place, deserts don't perform any actions, because they are places, not people. Secondly, deserts are full of plants and animals which are perfectly adapted to life with very little water. Rain or any other form of water is utilized, but life goes on without it and without the anticipation of it.

All of you need to go back to high school or hire better songwriters, damnit.

Thoughts for an inauguration

My team went out for lunch and watched the inauguration on the giant tvs at Damon's. Two of my co-workers played trivia through the whole thing. *eye roll*

There were five guys from either an automotive supply store or an auto shop at one of the tables behind us, and I kept hearing these big, loud, manly "I'm not gonna cry in public damnit" sniffles. It was so cute!

President Obama's speech was wonderful, but the clergyman who said the Lord's Prayer paused in the oddest places! I swear I thought he was channelling William Shatner. The poem didn't do anything for me--it seemed to have been written for an earlier time period.

I want this administration and my country to succeed as we start all over again.

A rug with Moses on it

The back story is here.

As a belated Christmas gift, TD sent me a bottle of Holiday Stress Relief bath oil from Black Phoenix Trading Post, and a surprise.

She had been told of the "mug with roses/rug with Moses" conversation, and was apparently looking for a latch-hook pattern to make me a rug. Thankfully, she couldn't find one, and commissioned Kogi to make me a mug, instead.

It is a mug with roses on it:


But SURPRISE! It's also a mug with Moses on it!




Truly a dream come true. :)

Yesterday

was a pretty good day. Bigfoot turned fifteen, I was snowed in for the day, and I got laundry and some tidying up done.

I don't think I'll keep one of the promises I made Bigfoot when he was a puppy, though. He used to jump from the back seat into the driver's seat of the car at every opportunity, and I told him I'd let him drive when he turned 16. If he makes it that far, I'll probably go back on my word.

Please let him make it that far...

I had to edit this to quote Zayrina's comment. "My afterlife will be spent throwing celestial tennis balls."

First of all, thank you, Z.

Second, I love the optimism and the thought behind that comment.

Third, I can picture you doing that with Allie and Ralph and all the rest.

Fourth, thank you again for the hope and the thought and the empathy.

From There to There to Here

The World's Best Heather sent me a lovely Christmas package, stuffed with treats for the dogs and for me. While I love all of it, I have to say that I was especially intrigued by the dark chocolate cocoa mix. TWBH is in Toronto, and I'm guessing she bought said cocoa somewhere in the Toronto area. The cocoa mix was made in Dallas, where the Crossword-Mathgeek family resides.

Small world (and I'm easily amused).

Happy New Year and all that jazz

No 2008 in review post for me. Much of the year sucked, and I'd rather be all Pollyannaish and just remember the good stuff, like the Disney Cruise and JammiesFest.

I don't do resolutions, but that doesn't mean I don't make up my mind to change or tackle things about my life. I just don't believe in setting myself up for failure with a hardline do-or-die goal. I do have an appointment with a dermatologist on Thursday, to see about the psoriasis on my elbows and what I think is probably a sebaceous cyst on my back. I have learned from my father not to look for solutions to psoriasis online. He gave up when he ran across two websites in a row stating that the only "cure" for it is prayer. I've also learned from the estimable Becs not to google sebacious cysts. If a woman with ten cats is grossed out by the results, I'm not going near that.

Mom and I worked yesterday morning on an accounting, then I went to the dentist for a cleaning, then home to pick up frantically before a co-worker arrived. Vintage Attorney bought two ugly '70s chairs from my mother, and they've been residing at my house since Christmas Eve. VA came down to pick them up, and she wanted a tour of Casa de Jammies because it is a classic midcentury ranch.

She loved the house, and even loved the oooooogly '70s Mylar wallpaper (I offered to peel it off and give it to her, but she didn't take me up on that), but what she loved most of all were the 'Foots.

Right before Christmas, VA had to have the older of her two dogs euthanized. Apparently, he looked pretty much like an all-black version of Bigfoot. When she met the dogs, Littlefoot was his usual charming, overgrown-puppy self, and Bigfoot surprised me. He is usually pretty standoffish with strangers, but he showed VA all the warmth and gentleness he can show me. He seemed to understand that she needed fuzz therapy especially from him, and he did his best to provide it. Of course, that kind of response always evokes a "Metoo metoo!" reaction in Littlefoot, so VA got swarmed with puppehlove the whole time we chatted.

Bigfoot has seemed slower and frailer the past week or so, and I'm just dreading what I know but can't believe in my heart will happen. He's fifteen now, and mortal like all of us, but I can't imagine that he'll leave me.

Okay, now I have to go hug my heartdog.

Edited to say that either Bigfoot is just feeling extra lovey these days or he's really being sensitive to moods. When I laid down for my nap today, he cuddled up behind my knees the way he used to, and didn't move until I woke up.

Presents!

I was insanely spoiled by friends and family this year--I got clothes, linens, candles and the softest scarf ever from Mom & Dad, Lush from my brother's family in Texas, Julphia bath stuff from friends, good coffee, homemade treats, chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate, cute fuzzy pants, books and a screwdriver set.

A word about the screwdriver set: every time Jay & Sherri visit, when Jay needs a screwdriver, he is always aghast at my extremely limited selection. Each time, I remind him that my screwdrivers tend to be annexed by my father, who sticks them in his toolbox and takes them home with him. So this year for Christmas, Jay and Sherri got me a mini tool set, which includes a handle and various screwdriver heads, all in black and hot pink!

Up at the lake, I told my folks about this, and said to Dad, "I know that you aren't going to walk off with a set of pink tools."

Dad looked at me and said, "Watch me." :)

Post-Christmas lassitude

Christmas was, as planned, just me and the folks and the dogs at the lake.

Unplanned was Bigfoot's reaction to being spoiled on Christmas--two attacks of diarrhea and one of vomiting.

On the plus side, Mom and I got in two lovely long walks and finished an accounting that has been bugging us. Mom & Dad both seemed happy with their gifts, and I was outrageously spoiled.

Littlefoot took the opportunity of our walks to dirty himself up so that he no longer looked as pretty as he did right after his bath. He's still wearing his "bandana," though, and smells pretty good for a dog.

On Christmas morning, Mom had put out stockings for Dad, myself and the 'Foots. While I was in the bathroom, Littlefoot strolled right up to his stocking and lifted out the rawhide chew. There's always one who can't wait for presents!

Happy Solstice!

It's nice to know that the days are once more getting longer. Of course, so are the lines leaving the shopping center nearest me, where I had to go buy a new tie-out chain for the 'Foots. *rolls eyes* I do wish people wouldn't make left-hand turns out of the back parking lot--I spent eleven minutes waiting for idiots who only thought that they'd skip a light and not about the fact that ALL of the traffic at two lights was against them.

Work was tiring today, even though it was entirely sedentary. I'm still not 100% over this chest cold, and it was a long day. By the time I got to PetSmart, I was doing a pretty good job of feeling sorry for myself. As the cashier rang me up, she asked, "So how are you doing today?" and I nearly said, "Crappy, thanks." Then a tiny bit of empathy poked its way out of the rocks in my head, and I thought, "I may have been sick, but I'm not working freaking retail three days before Christmas!"

Of course, at the speed it takes me to think these days, the chain had been rung up, my cash tendered and the change handed back to me.

So to Sharon, at the Chapel Hill PetSmart, thank you for asking, thank you for being cheerful, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. I wasn't being surly, I'm just slow.

Pity party

I'm seeck. I have a nasty chest cold that I am trying to keep from becoming bronchitis. As part of my effort to do this, I am giving up the two vacation days I was trying to hoard for next year in order to stay home the rest of this week. That means no visit to Sherri next March or April. :(

Here at Casa de Jammies, there is much misery and even more grossness, so I will spare my three or four readers and just say that I shall see you when I am better.

Oh no! Timmy's down the well!

Apparently, Timmy never actually fell down into a well. Nonetheless, it's so much a part of pop culture, that when Bigfoot starts running back and forth from me to something else, whining, I call it his "Lassie" act. I typically check the water bowl, the food bowl, and then see if he needs to go outside (unless it's past 11 o'clock, in which case I know he's nagging me to go to bed).

The night before I took lunch in to my team, Bigfoot did his act running between me and the bags of bread I had gotten for the lunch. I laughed and told him, "I don't care how far down the well Timmy is, you're not taking him any bread."

The other night, he did it again, but this time when I followed him, he nosed the doors to the freestanding cabinet in the kitchen where the dog stuff is. Apparently, Timmy needed a pig ear, and Bigfoot was going to be noble and eat it for him. It was so cute (and he does it so infrequently) that I opened the cupboard, got both 'Foots a pig ear and handed them out.

I'm such a well-trained human. ;)

O The Huge Mango!

Christmas cards have started to arrive, despite the fact that I am lame and haven't sent any out since the beginning of this century. I got a really cute picture from JP and The Heather. Not having seen The Mango for a while, I was surprised at how huge he has gotten. He is not fat, but he is certainly tall (I guess it's "long" for babies, since they're not standing up much). He is definitely a huge mango, and adorable to boot.

I also got a very sweet card from my aunt and uncle in Florida (one set of them), wishing me "happy fireplace time at Lakeside with your parents." I am looking forward to a very different and quiet type of Christmas this year, as it will just be me, my folks and the dogs up at the lake.

In today's mail, I got a card from the Pickypants family. It was a picture of my nephews on the Disney island last February. I love the picture, and I love my nephews. That said, having spent a large amount of time with them over the weekend, I'm seriously over the whole little boy experience. Little boys sort of smell, even when they're clean, they like to grunt and belch and say "butt" and "fart" a lot, and they're much too energetic for this old crab.

Still, I think we all had fun over the weekend. Friday night, we went to Blossom Music Center for a drive-through holiday light show, which was really neat. Saturday night, we went to see The Nutcracker at the Akron Civic Theater, then out for ice cream afterwards at Mary Coyle's, which is both an Akron institution and a family tradition.

Sunday morning, the boys and I decorated gingerbread houses, and then I came home and reveled in the quiet and some girly scents. I would have been a lousy mom, but I think I'm a pretty good aunt.

Edited to add pictures of said gingerbread houses:

Seasonal Snobservations

To the lady walking out of the theater before us last night: First of all, the white belt with three rows of grommets was ugly in the '80s and it's uglier now, when we know better. Your pleather jacket with the fake fur trim was as much too short as your white jeans were too tight, and my nephews didn't really need to see your muffin top and your tramp stamp. For future reference, the ballet is The Nutcracker, not The Slutcracker. Next time, bring the class you must have left at home.

To the three houses in a row on Ghent Road on my way home: Okay, this is Northeast Ohio. I totally get why you took advantage of a warmish day in November to put up your Christmas lights. You didn't need to turn them on the day after Halloween. Do you do this just to be irritating, or do you believe Santa is going to be fooled into visiting you early?

To all the nouveau riche who've moved into my old hometown: I checked, and there's no ordinance saying that all outdoor lights have to be white. I'm sure all of you think it's all restrained and elegant, but I have to tell you, that shit is boring.

To Walmart: We know you're the actual Outpost of Hell on Earth, doing Satan's bidding. You don't need to rub our noses in it with that horrible commercial with the toddler who spends all his days asking for STUFF and his deluded mother who's going to get it all for him thanks to Walmart. We need to add a new deadly sin just for Walmart executives.

To my neighbors with the huge amount of yard lights and the inflatable Santa, penguin and nativity: Everyone appreciates that you turn off the lights when you go to bed. And we understand that the inflatables need power for the fans, so they deflate until you turn the lights back on after dark. But could you please put the nativity on a separate circuit and just leave that one up? 'Cos really, not only is it creepy when Baby Jesus deflates, I think it might be blasphemous, too.

A talk with Doc

What happens when you are friends for 30+ years:

Me: Lush or Skindecent

Her: Can't decide. Queen size or full size bed?

Me: Queen. Blackberry or spearmint?

Her: Blackberry. Wait. No, blackberry, definitely. Flannel or cotton?

Me: Cotton. Thick socks or thin socks?

Her: Either, because it depends on the circumstances. Are we done?

Me: Yes.

Her: Then we never had this conversation, we're just really good at picking out presents.

Me: Yup.

GobbleFest and run

Yesterday started off well. It was a lovely sunny day, Imp gave me the easiest way to get to her little corner of heaven, and I made it there just fine. I collected hugs and kisses from everyone, handed out the presents I'd remembered to bring and lamented the ones I'd forgotten and started nibbling. Sherri & Jay gave me a huge grocery bag full of dog toys and a Sherri-made cuddle wrap in deep red, Imp & Bel gave me Imp-made candles and a GobbleFest apron and coffee mug.

I should back up here and say that I'd been trying to call my dogsitter since Monday just to double-check on the arrangements and timing and not getting an answer. I finally left a message on her husband's phone. After dinner (which was fantastic), I saw that he'd sent me a text message saying she was in the hospital, her sister should have called me, and no one would be taking care of the dogs. I called my friend Doc and she went over to the house, let the dogs out and fed them at 7 last night, and then I left Imp's for home at 9 this morning.

The dogs forgave me the moment I dumped the bag o'toys on the breezeway floor. The multi-squeaker toys lasted about twenty minutes before the squeakerectomies were completed. I've made three circuits of the living room to clean up toy fluff since 1 p.m., and tomorrow morning I'm sure I'll have to clean less-pleasant things off the basement floor. I'm sad that I didn't get to stay longer, but so happy to have had my day with loved ones.

A pome

'Twas the night before GobbleFest, and all through the house,
not a creature was stirring, except Jammies' mouse.
The puppehs were nestled all snug on her bed,
while visions of Nylabones danced through their heads.
The pound cake was made, and cooling just fine.
The bacon was packed, and so was the plum wine.
Jammies' outfit was chosen, her heart was athrill.
Tomorrow she'd see Imp and Mallie, and Jay and Will!

From Hellidays* to Holidays

Lunch went well today. The big boss said I overdid it with the large deli tray, pita chips, pretzel crisps, fancy coffee etc., but everyone loved lunch and there are plenty of leftovers for tomorrow. I built a two-volume pocket part, and got my copy of the Kentucky Tort Law book today. Tomorrow I will build one pocket part and one softcover book, and do a boatload of CDs.

Right now, it's just nice to be home with the snow falling outside and warm dogs inside.

*(© Mallie)

Almost there!

Five working days until our fourth quarter hell is over.

Eight calendar days until ImpBelTurkeyFest.

I ran around like the proverbial headless chicken (shut UP, Mike) after work tonight, gathering items for the lunch I'm bringing in for my team tomorrow. I did this last year and it went over well, and I think it helps ease the stress a little bit. Since most of our books have to be built by Friday, I'd have done lunch then, but three of my colleagues have Fridays off or work from home, so I'm doing it on Thursday. I've got a giant deli platter from BJ's, four kinds of bread from what my dad insists on calling "the used bread store," pretzel crisps and pita chips and a salad.

Hopefully, I won't leave for work in the morning and forget the food!

Eep

Another big meeting today. Turns out Hyphenated Corp is going to ask for seventy voluntary terminations from three sites (Cleveland being one of them) in the first half of 2009.

I have a mental picture of me clinging to my cube with my fingernails. :(

Freudian shirt

Yesterday, we had a company-wide teleconference wherein we heard phrases like "Opening new facilities in India and Asia," "We're not outsourcing jobs" and "We hope to avoid involuntary job loss."

Uh-huh.

This morning at work, I was a little chilly, so I grabbed the wrap I keep at work. As I threw it around my shoulders, I thought, "This does not go with my shirt."

*pause*

*think*

*realization*

Ohmydog, I'm wearing a red shirt!

Contentment

Fleeting, but much to be savored.

Sunday evening, and even though I lost all of yesterday to a migraine, right now, life is good.

I worked at Mom's office this morning, vacuumed the living room, got all the plants in from the garage, did all the laundry, did my weekly long shower with girly stuff, my lunch is packed for tomorrow and the coffeepot is set up for the morning. Even with a slight headache, the house is warm and cozy, the puppymonsters are snoozing and percolating, and I have the entire interwebinetz at my fingertips, along with a good book I haven't re-read in a while.

*happy sigh*

Random randomosity

Best quote today, from Girlygirl on the Lush forum: "I think my butt is broken. There is a big crack in it." (The poor child fell down the stairs yesterday and is recuperating with Vicodin today)

Most disturbing vanity license plate: EX2BATE.

Weird epiphany in the shower this morning: I love sugar scrubs because they're authorized scratching.

I would like to do something unspecified but evil to all the people honking at the poor lost driver the other night. Not only is that just making someone who's already sad and scared feel worse, it's hard on the ears of innocent bystanders like myself.

It's been so long since I polished my nails that all my nail polish has dried up.

This was a totally pointless blog entry, thank you for reading it.

Sincerely,

Jammies, wasting your time since 2006.

Still alive

although it doesn't feel much like living. I go to work, try not to make mistakes, come home, look around on the interwebbinetz, take a bath and go to bed. *sigh*

Death by cuteness

Live webcam with Shiba Inu puppies!

A day just for me

Mom & I worked yesterday morning, then went Christmas shopping. We got a ton of good stuff, and I'm now done with presents for my nephews, my nieces and my brothers.

Today, I am free to clean, pressure-wash the east wall of the garage, get my houseplants inside and take a long nap.

*contented sigh*

*sigh* A little envy

Every time I turn someone else on to a book, I get a wistful little pang. I share books that I know and love, and when I talk someone else into reading them, I know that he or she is going to have an experience I can't ever have again.

While I love to read, and frequently re-read favorites, there is nothing like reading a wonderful book for the very first time. Watching someone else fall in love with a book or a series is fulfilling in the sense of sharing joy, but sad because for me, the joy and wonder of the first time reading that book are part of my past. There will always be other loves to come, of course, but still, I feel a pang for that first sight of something wonderful, knowing that particular moment is gone forever.

Does this SUV make my butt look fat?

No, I'm not really going to buy one, but I've been thinking idly that it might be getting to be about time for a new car. I love my Saturn, but it's 11 years old, and sooner or later it will need work that costs more than it's worth. I've ruled out the Dodge Caliber, which would have been my first choice, because it doesn't come with an automatic transmission and I'm too old to learn how to drive a stick. The Passat wagon is too pricy for me, and Saturn, damn their eyes, doesn't make wagons anymore.

I wouldn't get a sport utility vehicle anyway, but the ones I've seen on the road recently look terribly pear-shaped. I've noticed a number of models that seem to swell at the middle. They resemble a bench full of heavy-hipped people seen from the back. I don't care what pretty colors they come in, I can't imagine driving a car that makes my butt look that fat and my head look even fatter for buying the damn thing. :P

Vocabulary test

Inspired by Sherri, who is getting ready for the GRE, I decided to test myself with her vocabulary list. Original words are in bold, my guesses are italicized, definitions are plain text, and the ones I've gotten wrong are bolded and italicized. All definitions are from Onelook.

exigent
urgent
adjective: demanding attention

fulminate
Complain strongly
verb: criticize severely

neologism
??
noun: the act of inventing a word or phrase

nugatory
Something which negates
adjective: of no real value

obviate
To make disappear, make irrelevant
verb: do away with

precipitate (alternative definitions here)
Too hurried
adjective: done with very great haste and without due deliberation

ameliorate
Make better, especially after harm has been done.
verb: to make better

cogent
Logical
adjective: having the power to influence or convince

demur
Decline
noun: (law) a formal objection to an opponent's pleadings
verb: take exception to

didactic
Strongly lecturing, bossy
adjective: instructive (especially excessively)

intransigent
Stubborn
adjective: not capable of being swayed or diverted from a course; unsusceptible to persuasion

penurious
Miserly
adjective: excessively unwilling to spend

endemic
Constantly present
noun: a disease that is constantly present to a greater or lesser degree in people of a certain class or in people living in a particular location

evanescent (no, not the rock group!)
Transitory
adjective: tending to vanish like vapor

hegemony
A cohesive group
noun: the domination of one state over its allies

inchoate
Defying description
adjective: only partly in existence; imperfectly formed

occlude
Block
verb: block passage through

pedagogy
Teaching
noun: the profession of a teacher

penury
Miserably poor
noun: a state of extreme poverty or destitution

polemical
Strongly biased
adjective: of or involving dispute or controversy

laconic
Not speaking much
adjective: brief and to the point; effectively cut short

probity
Honesty
noun: complete and confirmed integrity

recondite
Complicated, hard to understand
adjective: difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge

refulgent
Glowing brightly
adjective: radiating or as if radiating light

sedulous
??
adjective: marked by care and persistent effort

trenchant
Deeply held
adjective: having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect
adjective: characterized by or full of force and vigor
adjective: clearly or sharply defined to the mind

vituperative
Viciously critical
adjective: marked by harshly abusive criticism

fell (alternative definition)
Dark and evil
adjective: (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

guy (alternative definition)
UK slang: a fool
verb: subject to laughter or ridicule

obtain (alternative definition)
Get (don't know an alternate definition)
verb: come into possession of

occult (alternative definition)
Spiritual, magical, specifically non-religious (don't know an alternate definition)
verb: hide from view

scurvy (alternative definition)
A disease caused by malnutrition or Low, contemptible
noun: a condition caused by deficiency of ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
adjective: of the most contemptible kind

abjure
To give up, refrain from using
verb: formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure

adumbrate
??
verb: give to understand
verb: describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

apostate
Heretical
noun: a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.
adjective: not faithful to religion or party or cause

asseverate
Declaim, aver
verb: state categorically

calumniate
To say untrue, bad things about
verb: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone

captious
Flighty
adjective: tending to find and call attention to faults

celerity
Quickness
noun: a rate that is rapid

contumacious
Argumentative, pugnacious
adjective: wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient

descry
See, pick out
verb: catch sight of

desuetude
??
noun: a state of inactivity or disuse

encomium
Praise
noun: a formal expression of praise

exegesis
SWAG: has its beginnings outside the body
noun: an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible)

expiate
To make up for, make amends, repair
verb: make amends for

extirpate
Completely destroy
verb: surgically remove (an organ)
verb: pull up by or as if by the roots
verb: destroy completely, as if down to the roots

heterodox
The opposite of orthodox?
adjective: characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards

lubricious
Lewd or oily or sometimes both
adjective: characterized by lust
adjective: having a smooth or slippery quality

meretricious
False, untruthful
adjective: like or relating to a prostitute
adjective: based on pretense; deceptively pleasing
adjective: tastelessly showy

minatory
Warning
adjective: threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

peroration
A long, boring lecture or speech
noun: (rhetoric) the concluding section of an oration
noun: a flowery and highly rhetorical oration

plangent
Directly to the point
adjective: loud and resounding

pusillanimous
Cowardly
adjective: lacking in courage and manly strength and resolution; contemptibly fearful

sententious
Preachy
adjective: abounding in or given to pompous or aphoristic moralizing

tendentious
??
adjective: having or marked by a strong tendency especially a controversial one

tyro
Newbie
noun: someone new to a field or activity

vitiate
To make weak
verb: take away the legal force of or render ineffective
verb: make imperfect
verb: corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

Not bad results. I learned a few words, learned the right meaning of some others, and learned that I know a lot of words!

Who needs coffee?

Really, why bother with two cups of coffee in the morning when you can start your day with a quarter-sized dark brown spider on your white shower curtain, leading to an adrenalin-filled chase with an old Skindecent lotion container?

Eventually, I got the sucker outside and twitched until noon.

Happy, happy, joy, joy

On November 13th (unless I'm building a book that day or the day after), I get to go have seven hours of neuropsych testing. Then I can either move up my January appointment to December, go see the doc both in December and January, or wait until January to get my test results and suggestions.

Right now, I'm writing everything down, making lists and checking them more obsessively than Santa, and just trying like mad to hold on to my sanity.

I did drink all of my water today out of my beautiful Kogimug.

Out of the closet

I finally told my boss and the other members of my team that I have MS. I've been having some memory problems lately, and they've affected my work. I've got a call into my neuro's office to ask about ALCAR or a prescription alternative. Everyone on my team has been very supportive. It turns out to be a good thing I 'fessed up--one of my co-workers was thinking that because the mistakes I made aren't understandable for someone "as smart as you are," she thought I had a drinking problem.

Coping with all of this lately has been hard, and last weekend, I allowed myself a good long wallow in depression and self-pity. That's pretty much over, but in today's mail there was one more reason to be grateful for all of the love and support I get from friends and family.

The back story:

Earlier this year, my friend Kogi did a gorgeous mug for a customer that was black and covered with roses. The pics were beautiful, and at some point after I saw them, I was on the phone with Kogi, and said that I wanted a rug with moses on it for myself. She said I might get one for Christmas and we kept talking. A minute or two later, the penny dropped, and I interrupted Kogi to ask "Did I just say I wanted a rug with moses? I meant a mug with roses!" Kogi had to stop and think about it, because she'd heard what I meant to say, not what I actually said.

Today, when I got home from work, there was a box from Colorado on my doorstep, containing the most beautiful rug with moses that I have ever seen. I'll take a picture and post it at some point, but right now, I just have to cuddle my present and think again how very lucky I am.

Dear Snickers,

Damn you, you horrible man. Okay, granted, I lent you some of my Terry Pratchett books, the ones about Death, but that did not call for such an extreme level of retaliation!

I have been pretty much safe from reading science fiction since Ender's Game and its sequels. I adored those books, but I thought there wasn't much new out there.

Did you really need to send me a copy of Hyperion? It was so good that not only did I finish it today, I did something I am not supposed to do under any circumstances.

I went to Borders.

Yes, I went to an actual brick and mortar bookstore, and worse, I paid retail! *gasp of horror*

To make matters worse, I couldn't just buy the two books that complete the Hyperion series. *bitter laugh* No, I bought four other books.

Why did you do this to me, Snickers, WHYYYYY?

Technical difficulties

We're sorry, the Jammies you are attempting to reach is experiencing a shortage of goodmoodedness. If you wish to reach the grumpypuss bitchy Jammies, please leave a message after the beep.

Grrr--parents!

Yes, I'm lucky to still have them and to have a good relationship with both of them.

However, sometimes they are, in a lovely Regency phrase, the outside of enough.

Flannel Jammies decided back in August that she and I needed to power-wash my house. Plaid Jammies agreed to let us use the little electric pressure-washer and come over long enough to show us how to use it. After thinking it over for a while, he decided that it wasn't powerful enough and would take to long, so he needed to come along and bring the big gas-powered washer. They were supposed to arrive Saturday morning at 10. At 9:30, FJ called and said there was an oil leak in the pressure-washer, and they'd be coming on Sunday. There followed a short discussion about scheduling, owing to the fact that I had to work Sunday morning at FJ's office.

I spent Saturday under the influence of large amounts of Benadrool, and didn't manage to do any laundry or cleaning because I discovered after I had taken said Benadrool that I was out of salt for the water softener (and was unable to drive to the store and get any). Sunday morning I was up at 6:30, dropped off some boxes at the house Mom & I are slowly cleaning out, went to her office and worked, hit Home Depot for softener salt, mulch and spray paint, and got home about three minutes before my folks arrived.

Pressure-washing is fun but it's work. The worst area of mold and yuck was on the west wall of the house, which gets almost no sunshine. Cleaning that wall took about an hour, after which Plaid Jammies decreed it was time for a lunch break. Over lunch, he just happened to mention that he's having hernia surgery on Thursday.

Hello? Surgery in four days? Were you PLANNING to tell me at all? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I refrained from smacking him and just ate my Sun Chips, but seriously. My parents' secrecy about medical matters drives me bonkers sometimes. Anyone who would care to send some good vibes to the curmudgeon who sired me, the surgery is Thursday morning, outpatient with a sedative and local anesthetic. They can't do it laparoscopically because they need to insert a piece of mesh, apparently, so it's going to be done via incision.

After casually dropping this bombshell, the folks were ready to go back to work. Dad actually let Mom & I do any washing that didn't involve being up on a ladder, and although it is immodest for me to say it, I was much better than Mom. She's too slow and she doesn't get up under the folds in the siding. After hearing about her insufficiences from Dad, she took my ladder and started cleaning the outside of the windows on the walls we had washed. I discovered this morning that she had also washed all the windows of my car--no more dog snot (or as Zayrina prefers to call it, puppy kisses).

We ran out of time owing to the late start, so Dad agreed to leave the little electric washer with me. I did the front of the house all by myself (yay me!) and then had a quick lesson about how to use the little washer, complete with instructions on not getting the plug wet. Right, Dad, I was gonna wash that, too. *eye roll*

Overall, the house looks great (the one wall that didn't get done was the east wall, which no one but me can see anyway), I found out about Dad's upcoming surgery, and we mostly had fun and didn't kill each other.

I will say that as miserable as I was this morning, I would not recommend that anyone with a sinus infection pressure-wash her house on a cold autumn day. I wound up leaving work slightly early to go to the doctor and get a 'script for a Z-pack.

*snork*

*kicks universe*

I am so sick of lousy scary things happening to people I care about. Khover getting fired, my dad being diagnosed with diverticulitis, and now some news from a friend that is just horrible on top of what has been a lousy fifteen months without the recent news. I can't help anyone, can't do anything, can't even suffer for them.

*kicks universe again*

Edited to respond to Sherri's comment:

I hope I didn't come off as thinking this was about me, because it's not. In fact, I'd rather this was happening to me as opposed to the people it IS happening to. I know that I have wonderful, loving friends, and my thanks go out to all of you for all the support over the miles and the years. Sherri, thank you for the practical suggestion about how I can help at least one friend.

And the universe continues to be shitty--another forum friend just found out her husband has a tumor in his lung, and a former co-worker was finally diagnosed with MS after two years of doctors' visits, tests and whatnot. Oddly enough, the latter is actually semi-good news, because the penultimate diagnosis was Parkinson's, which is harder to deal with at 46 than MS. I need to pack up all of my "first year with MS" books and things and take them to her when I take the pups in for their 12,000 mile tuneup in two weeks.

It helps to take refuge in the practical things.

*sigh*

One of my very first work friends, someone who became a friend friend, was fired today. I don't know why and I didn't get to see her--apparently she did a whirlwind imitation in cleaning out her cube and left. :(

Very belated JammiesFest Photo Album

But first, a quick thanks to anyone or anything who may be watching over my friends, as Zayrina came through her surgery just fine today and called to talk to me while under the influence of good drugs.

On to the pictures!


Cantina de Jammies:



Bikini Chicken:





Mariachi Coco, home of the white chili con queso Imp dreams of:





Final group picture on the last day of JammiesFest:

Project Walk

is going well. Tonight, Mom & I walked part of a trail at Sand Run Metro Park. Dampy, that's the park we went through on the way to lunch during JammiesFest. We walked for almost an hour, and wore both dogs out. Bigfoot was extra tired, but bless his little heart, he did his best to keep up. Littlefoot will be wearing his Gentle Leader on the next walk, as he about pulled my arm out of the socket trying to play with every dog he saw, and the one he did start to play with, he was going to play rough the way he does with Bigfoot.

I always enjoy talking with Mom, and tonight was no different. She told me about her weekend up at the lake with her group of female attorneys, asked how work was going, and we chatted as we walked. She did say one heretical thing to me--she said (appropos a purchase made by middle little brother) that nobody needs four new books.

Ahem. Everyone needs new books!

When we were done walking, Mom was disappointed that I wouldn't let her hand out puppymonster treats, but as Littlefoot had a soft stool while we were walking and Bigfoot hadn't finished his dinner, I was firm with her. We are definitely going back to Sand Run for our next walk on Monday.

For Z

To cheer you up: Cake Wrecks.

Vehicular Snobservations

To the idiot in the grey car with the Starfleet Academy bumper sticker: Yes, when you drive a grey car in the morning rain and fog with no lights on, it's like your own personal cloaking device. I-77 is a lot smaller than space, however, and on this planet, the Klingons drive great big semi-trucks which will squish you if you invisibly enter their space. Turn your lights on, numbnuts.

To the guy in the Outback wagon: It's just precious that your car is the same color as your little waiter's polo shirt. You're so cute we can't stand you. It was bad enough when you slowed down traffic onto the interstate because you were looking in the rearview mirror and patting your cute little hair. It's inexcusable when you did that in the left lane. Get a damn alarm clock, set it, and get up five minutes earlier so you can groom before you get in the car.

To the elderly couple in the white land yacht with Florida plates: I don't know if you were visiting or moving back to Ohio or what, but if you can afford that car, there are a few other things you should think about buying or renting. First, a U-Haul or your own trailer so you don't overstuff said land yacht with your personal possessions to the point where the rear window is completely blocked. Second, a GPS. It's more than a bit irritating to be stuck behind you as you creep along at 10 MPH, constantly changing your mind about which side street you need to turn left on. Finally, buy a clue. You're too damn old to be trucking a carfull of crap around. Give it all to Starfleet geek or waiter dude, go back to Florida, and stay there!

Finally, to the guy riding shotgun in the pickup truck. This is Akron, not New Orleans or Indianapolis, so there's really no situation where yelling "Show us your tits!" is appropriate. If you were serious, you're a little scary, and if that was meant as humor, you're lame. Oh, and btw--yes, I was wearing a camisole under a half-buttoned shirt, but that one inch of cleavage you could see was really all the good bits. Trust me, if I take off the clothes and the architecturally-structured undergarments, you wouldn't like the result. Go browse the interwebbinetz for boobs to look at, mmkay?

Dayumm, Jammies!

I may not have gotten promoted, but I certainly made my co-workers happy today. Maresche's work baby shower was today, and even though she's on another team, I was invited. I made Jan Hegel cookies as my contribution to the potluck lunch.

Mom's recipe makes a huge cookie sheet full of cookies, so I brought the leftovers upstairs and let my team know to come have some. Everyone liked them, several people had seconds, and three people said, "Dayummm, these are GOOD!" in tones of reverence.

I may have to take some to ImpFest 2008.

ETA: The admin assistant who took a cookie up to her third floor desk yesterday stopped down to see me today and said, "It's too bad you can't bake at all, and may I have the recipe?" *grin*

*insert bad language here*

The co-worker who started two weeks after I did and is 18 years younger than I am got promoted.

I didn't.

*looks for something to kick*

"Some women bond over martinis"

said Flannel Jammies to me as we stood in the rain in my driveway. "Not us!"

We spent most of the day together, from 8:30 this morning until 3:00 this afternoon, cleaning out a Ward's house. We made three trips to Goodwill, donating about $600 worth of clothing and household items, filled two trash cans, and filled my car up with things that might sell (costume jewelry, fur-collared wool coats, handbags and scarves and such). We talked while we worked, got the giggles a lot, and got grossed out once or twice--why do old ladies keep partials in with their jewelry? ICK! In the bathroom, I found a one-liter bottle of old liniment, which was pure isopropyl alcohol mixed with wintergreen oil. Mom poured it down the drain and put the bottle in the recycling bag, and when we left, the house still smelled like a breath mint explosion in a distillery.

It poured all day and gas is back up to $4/gallon, both of which seem to be the effects of Gustav and Ike on Ohio. Since I don't have the Weather Channel (or any cable, for that matter), I am relying on info I pick up on the Internet and from friends. My heart goes out to the people who've had to evacuate, and to the people who should have but didn't.

It's entirely possible that I am too tired for a bath tonight.

Okay, the troll thing

Yes, I have referred to myself as "photographing like a troll."

Yes, I sometimes would like to be a troll and hide under my bridge and let the world go by (an occasional tribute of gold would be nice, but no goats, please).

No, this does not mean I go around thinking of myself as ugly and made of stone. It means that I know that I am not photogenic. I can look in the mirror and think I look nice, or good, or some days, even pretty, and then that's not what the camera sees. To me, it is a fact of life. It's also genetic. My paternal grandmother was a bubbly, giggly, loving person who was a flapper in her youth and in her sixties liked to sprawl on the sofa and watch football while keeping her granddaughter from tickling her feet. In all but one picture we have of her, she looks cold and forgiving, and the two trenches on either side of her mouth don't seem to come from smiling as much as she did.

So to some extent, when I use the words "troll" or "trollish" about how I come across on film (or digital media, whichever), I am identifying myself with a woman I'd have loved to get to know as an adult and who left a marvelous legacy.

And I'm also acknowledging my own tendency to retreat from time to time.

That said, apparently the words offend or upset some of my friends, so I shall make a conscious effort not to use them.

Ahhhhhhhh, now I feel like fall is here!

Okay, so it's still in the 80s every day and I still have to water my tomatoes. Nonetheless, when I went to the grocery store this weekend, they had my beloved girly Harmony Bay Autumn Spice coffee. I know most people think flavored coffee is rubbish, but I love the maple-cinnamon flavor of this coffee, and I spend most of the fall buying 3 times as much as I need so that I can drink it all year.

Tonight, I was thinking about Becs' touching entry about her kitty Dylan. Bigfoot was crying for something, and when letting him out for twenty minutes and refilling the water bowl didn't quiet him, I tried petting him and then giving him a second dinner. It was food that he wanted, and he snarfed it all down, and then came up to lean on me. I ruffled his ears and laid my cheek on the top of his head, then said, "Are you happy? Happy puppies make me happy."

He burped at me. *chortle* Damn, I love that dog.

Late Lunch with Lioness

Very much on the spur of the moment, Fiery Lioness arranged a mini meet & sniff as she was returning to Michigan from Columbus. We met at the Rte. 18 exit from 71N, and headed for Miss Molly's Tearoom in Medina. We got lost on the square with its silly one-way streets and had to call Kogi, who got us the actual address, directions and the phone number.

We made it to the tearoom just as they were closing down the kitchen, so we quickly ordered lunch. Then we could open presents. FL got me an adorable otter and made me a very professional-looking book of otter pictures from her recent zoo visit (Imp, she reminded me of you--she went to a zoo on her honeymoon).



I got her assorted bath products and a very creepy BPAL version of Neil Gaiman's short story "Snow, Glass, Apples." As a side note, that's got to be the perviest version of Snow White I've run across, and not the good kind of pervy, either.

There was much perfoom on the table, and much sniffing was done as we talked.





I found out that Sea of Tranquility, a discontinued scent, is FL's Holy Grail and she doesn't have a bottle. Happily, I remembered that Tangoing Owls has a bottle for sale at a very reasonable price. I felt like a BPAL matchmaker, and was sorry I hadn't worn black with a head scarf. *grin*

As we were finishing our sandwiches, a group of women filed past us to line up for picture-taking in front of the fireplace. We offered to take pictures so that they could all be in them, and it was easy to see that FL has recently experienced a wedding photographer, as she herded the ladies into just the right position for me to take 2 pictures with each camera.

After that, all that remained was for us to pack up the precious and have our picture taken. As usual, I photograph like a troll, but we were having so much fun I'm thrilled to have the picture as a reminder.

Thanks, I needed that.

Work was just peachy until about 2 p.m. when Manufacturing exploded at me and got my boss involved. When everything was fixed up and done, I was just thrilled to get the heck outta Dodge and go walk with my mom and my dogs.

We went to the same park, but tried some different routes on the trail and got in a good forty or forty-five minutes of walking and climbing. I fell once, but thankfully I landed on my fat ass, so no damage was done. Bigfoot lost his footing once and sat down hard, but after Tuesday evening's walk, he was the only one not limping, so I think he's in better shape than I am.

Now that I'm home, I'm debating whether or not tonight calls for one of my hoarded Lush Marathon bubble bars. They're a little stinky, but a lot effective for sore muscles, and stupid Lush is discontinuing them. I have six left, which is twelve baths, and I'm campaigning like mad to get Lush to put them on the Retro menu. That's where they offer small amounts of discontinued items and I definitely will always need my Marathon!

"Chuckery" ≠ "Oxbow"

It has now been over a year since I started at Hyphenated Corp, and while I've settled in well, I do miss my pretty much daily interaction with my mom and friend, Flannel Jammies. About ten days ago, she called with a suggestion that she expected me to dismiss out of hand--we should get together twice a week and exercise. I surprised her by responding to "Don't say anything, just think about it," with "Well, I was going to say yes, but if you want me to wait a week before I do..."

*grin*

We agreed that we would start with walking before we lose the warm weather and the late-day sunlight, and that we would start the day after Labor Day. After several phone calls on Saturday and Monday, I was certain that we were meeting at the Oxbow area of the Summit County Metro Parks promptly at 5:15.

I came home from work, changed into shorts and a t-shirt, loaded the dogs into the car and was in the parking lot by 5:14. At 5:23, I did a quick drive through the other two parking lots in the Oxbow section and didn't see Mom. I returned to the parking lot nearest the trail and the 'Foots and I got out of the car. I walked them around a bit, trying to stay within sight of the parking lot. At ten minutes to six, I stuffed the dogs back in the car and told myself I would do one more circuit of the other two parking lots and then give up and go home.

As I was coming out of the second parking lot, Mom pulled in. She'd been sitting at the Chuckery Area since 5:15, because it was the first branch of the park she saw as she was coming from work. She admitted she hadn't even looked at the sign, just pulled in and waited. It took her 2 phone calls to my house and half an hour before she wondered if she was in the wrong place, and she was actually heading for my house when she saw the Oxbow sign and pulled in.

So we were a little late, but we had a great walk. The trail is 1.2 miles long, edges the Cuyahoga River in a couple of places and is pretty much always within earshot. It did have one stretch that was essentially "Climb this here big hill and we'll put in some railroad ties you can't really pretend are steps," but hey, that's good for the calf muscles!

Mom and I talked as we walked, and laughed a lot, and she kept apologizing until I wanted to smack her (she stopped when I told her that!) and generally had a great time. I'm looking forward to doing it again Thursday night, but without the bit where I drive around parking lots in a car full of panting, smelly 'Foots.

Oh, and both of them drank a bowlful of water each and then crashed out for the rest of the night. I still had to water the plants, bathe, set up the coffeepot and make my lunch for today. Rough life those dogs have...

Anxiety dreams

Friday night: dreamed that I had giant zits in five different places on my face.

Saturday night: dreamed that the waterline into the house was broken and flooding the basement and when I finally got it shut off, I had no water for days.

Ugh.

Note to self

Idea for work pumpkin-carving contest: "I got a rock."

It's about time

I am so ready for this holiday weekend it's not even funny. Work has been full-tilt for the last three weeks, and while the overtime is good for my wallet, it's not so good for the rest of me. I ache everywhere and I'm hideously short on sleep.

My current book is my first ever looseleaf product, and it's difficult and different from the pocket parts and softbounds I've been doing for the last year. The difficulty has not been lessened by the fact that it's authored by a firm of lawyers who have taken for-bloody-ever to get their work in. Not only were they a month late with their first draft, they got their final changes in less than 48 hours before I was supposed to build the book.

My team coordinator did the senior editor review for me today, and she found so many little things that needed to be changed that she called Manufacturing and told them the book wouldn't be ready until Tuesday. So I get the weekend to catch up on my housecleaning and my sleep, and then first thing next week I get this monster finished and out of my hair for a week!

Brrrrrr!

And hooray for that. It's 63° F right now, and I am happy to have a leetle cold front visiting. Plus, it's raining, so I don't have to go water my plants. The less I have to do at home, the better, because I am swamped at work.

My very first looseleaf publication builds on Friday, and of course, the idiot lawyers who are authoring it didn't get their final pages to me until mid-day today. It's four volumes with a CD, and I have to get it all done tomorrow so I can put it together on Friday. I'm seriously tempted to go smack these guys!

*deep breath*

Instead of thinking about work, I'm going to think about fall, which has always been my favorite season. I've always loved the look of the Harvest Moon, so I ordered the 2008 version of that scent from BPAL. As my darling Kogi always says, "It could smell like accord of ass and I'd still buy it" just for the associations with autumn. I want to smell like a fat round gold thing on a cold night!

Speaking of BPAL and associations, I keep running into phoenixes. I love BPAL (Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab) perfumes, my current favorite bath & body product scent is Phoenix from Julphia, our proprietary software at work is called Phoenix, I pass an office or something for the University of Phoenix every day on my way to work, and a new second-hand car dealership just opened up down the street from me called Phoenix Auto Sales. I can hear my little brother saying it's just coincidence (Hi, Captain Crossword!), but I can't shake the feeling that maybe it's more than that...

My brother, Billy Chapman

I promised I would write this story up, so here goes:

A decade or so ago, my middle brother and his wife had bought and moved into their first house. At the time, they had no kids, a cute little grey tiger cat and a cute big yellow Lab. The house was in a brand new development, so they had very few neighbors.

It was December, and cold. The big cute yellow Lab hadn't adjusted to the move very well and had had a number of accidents in the house (shut up Scott, lol). My sister-in-law left the Friday before Christmas to spend some time in New York with her family, and my brother remained in Columbus because he had to work.

On December 23rd, Billy came home from work, parked the car in the garage, opened the door to the kitchen and was immediately confronted with the results of the loss of canine self-control. He threw his keys on the kitchen table, grabbed the dog and hauled him outside. He was fairly upset at this point, but he really got mad when he discovered that he'd just locked himself out of the house.

So it's near Christmas, what few houses exist in their development are empty, and Billy is outside in the freezing December weather with an incontinent dog and no cell phone. He looks around the garage, grabs his wood axe, winds up and smashes it into the door frame so hard that he can hear the strike plate crash into the sliding glass doors on the other side of the kitchen. The door pops open, he goes in, cleans up the floor, calms down and has a quiet evening.

Around bedtime, he realizes he hasn't seen the cat all evening, and goes looking. He finds the poor thing wedged in the bathroom corner behind the toilet, trembling like mad. Little brother figures that Kitty was probably in the kitchen when he killed the doorframe, and spends a fair amount of time petting and soothing the poor little guy.

On Christmas Eve, Billy drives up to my folks' house, Annabel comes in from New York, we have a lovely Christmas and they leave a day or so later. A week after they get home, they wake up one morning to find giant clumps of fur everywhere, and a cat who is one-half to three-quarters bald.

So they rush Kitty to the vet, and three doctors, two techs and a student intern all rush around looking things up in books, doing blood tests, asking questions until finally my brother says, in a very very small voice,

"Erm, if something scared him really badly, could that cause this?"

"Oh, of course, stress-related alopecia" says the vet. "Why, did something scare him?"

"Maybe." says little brother, still in that small voice.

So that is the story of how my younger brother literally scared the fur off his cat (who did go on to live a pretty long and full life).

Oh, and the name Billy Chapman is from Silent Night, Deadly Night