Yellow Dog/Bleeding Heart

The world is a beautiful place today! I forget how much fun it is because I tend to stay holed up wallowing in my unemployed-ness, but today I ventured out and functioned among the masses for a change. The weather was beautiful, people were friendly,  and the traffic was tolerable. Speaking of traffic: To the man in the white truck with the old school trailer: It was very nice of you to stop in the middle lane so I could turn right even though the guy in the right (my) lane already had it covered & I had even begun my turn, but was it really necessary to honk repeatedly at me and gesture wildly towards the center lane? I mean, we were all stopped because of the red light a few car lengths ahead. So like I said, it was nice of you to stop also, but what you didn't seem to understand was that I did not want (or need ) to turn into your lane, as I was just going to hook another right as soon as the light changed. The first time you honked and pointed I smiled and ...

1. He gets just how cool robots really are 2. He can be Ward Cleaver when he has to 3. He answered some of the "hard" questions during LD's preteen years 4. He still rocks the bass 5. He still remembers the sharkskin suit we bought at a thrift store in 1983 6. He stood in the front yard in the rain with me the night my cat got out and let to me cry it all out - even though he doesn't even really like cats 7. Even though the kids went through a phase of standing outside the bathroom door to harass him every time he went to do his business he never killed either one of them 8. He really does love being a dad 9. The kids and I can still easily embarrass him 10. Even though the bitch neighbor complained every single day he refused to quit parking in front of her house solely because that's where the shade was. And when she cut her tree down just to spite him he didn't flaunt his victory. 11. He always has exactly what is needed no matter how obscure...

It's LYLE THE PARTY GOAT!!! Also the only goat to ever grace the hallowed halls of the University.  The Pony Pasture! It was worth falling asleep drunk in Muller's bed in the barn-house just to be able to wake up and see this beautiful sight in the morning. That's Polly - the coolest Cobb in the pasture - and her baby, Veronica with Amy (?) and Tom - the Bart Simpson of horses who used to chase me and try to bite my ass! Rev - the pony that tried to kill me! Yes he did ! Shut up Muller! I still keep his shoe over my front door to remind me of my narrow escape from death. Am I correct that this is Rev too? I think it is, but I don't remember. The only time Muller and I have EVER exchanged harsh words was when trying to load a pony in the trailer and Muller got mad when I let go in order to keep from amputating my right arm. I don't remember which horse, but I know it was a looooong and silent ride home in the truck that day. It was also the LAST h...

It's finally finished (we won't talk about closet doors) and we're all moved in! It was great to be able to be involved in a little bit of design in addition to decorating. I wish I had taken "before" pictures because the transformation was astounding. It went from a place I once walked away from in disgust to a beautiful space we're happy to call home. Before this it had ugly old carpet, beige walls and pink-ish (yes, pink ) trim. The over sized crown was a must for me, as it created a perfect finish. The light wood floors were chosen to balance the deeper cherry wood of the bookcases. Budget dictated the plantation blinds instead of shutters, but the upstairs carpet made of recycled plastics was a surprise bonus! I engaged in a stand off with Marty, the Martha Stewart of contractors, about the dining room but won the battle of the solid chocolate walls - though I'm not entirely sure he didn't lower the chair rail I requested as a payback for that ...

No pictures of the new place yet, but here's the move from the robots' perspective.

Right? RIGHT?! Heh heh . I find myself kind of out of sorts tonight. I'm overwhelmed with all the stuff I need to do. I seem to be at a place in my life where I'm filled with ideas, yet empty of energy. It's weird, but I have so much to say, yet the focus to write it down escapes me. I've been on break from school for three weeks and have managed to get (almost) caught up on stuff around the house and office. If going back to school while also working full time and being a single mom has taught me anything; it's taught me to value my free time. These past few weeks have felt like a vacation! As such, I have spent a lot of time doing ...absolutely nothing. I have channel surfed aimlessly; read for pleasure; watched a few movies; and even *gasp* walked around the mall. I don't even, like shopping, but there was something kind of fun about getting out there and being a part of the masses. Maybe that's what's been missing from my life; that feeling of bein...

Muller, Good Dog and me at the pony pasture late 80s It's official: I have become alarmingly withdrawn from social contact. Not really a good place for an ex-agoraphobic to be, but at least this time my withdrawal is due to actual choice, rather than fucked up devastating biological disorder. This school stuff has truly taken over my life! Ack! But I am already digressing ... Today my best friend in the whole world called me at work to check on me and see if I was okay. It'll take a bit of background to understand why this was such a significant gesture. Muller and I have been buds since we were 16 year old punk rockers hanging out at underground clubs. I don't even remember how we met. I could have been during a then frequent spray painting expedition - hell, it might even have been the very night my little crew almost got arrested for spray painting an actual breathing, though passed out, bum. We might have met during an also frequent late night foray into an abandoned ...

I am officially tired. Bone tired. The kind of tired that the more eloquent poets call weary . I am almost to the point of surpassing tired and just being done . Yeah, I’m depressed too. Does it show? Heh heh . I’ ve always felt that if you just get up every day and do the best that you can do then that is enough. I believe that if you always respect the very least of those among us; if you stand up for what is right, rather than what is popular; and if you never ever feel that you are entitled to anything more than any else then you are doing all right. But what about when that is not enough? You get out what you put into life. As a devoted Buddhist I firmly believe in Karma. But you know what? I look all around this fucked up world and I see some really crap ass people getting ahead. I see good people losing their homes, their jobs and custody of their children. I see pathological liars succeeding not despite of their dishonesty, but because of it. Sure, it only makes sense that ly...

Little Dog is about to turn 16. It's sort of puzzling, the lack of enthusiasm he and his friends are displaying about this momentous birthday (both his and their own.) When I was turning 16 I all but parked at the Tag Agency the night before so I could obtain my driver's license as soon as possible. But these kids are just kind of " meh " about the whole driving deal. I have friends with kids who are 18 and still haven't moseyed down to the DMV . LD displays a definite interest in driving, but it's not all consuming as it was with me and my friends. I also have to admit that LD and crew haven't done half the crazy things I had done by the time my 16 th rolled around. I was certainly not a "bad" kid, nor were my friends. But by 14 I had already been drunk (and tearfully confessed the same to my mom the very next day, so strong was my guilt.) I had also smoked pot, hitchhiked, and I'm pretty sure I had probably done a hit of speed or two......

...but I am American Idol's bitch. Yes, that's right, I am. And it is not because this season, rather than watching the show for its inherent snark value, I actually found myself caring about a particular contestant. Okay, not caring so much as lusting after. I quickly nipped that in the bud once I figured out that not only am I old enough to be his mother, but since he is old enough to be a father that makes me old enough to be his kids' grandmother . Ew. That didn't stop me from downloading several of his performances from iTunes however. Even when he covered Iz's What a Wonderful World, one of my top favourite songs of all time, leading Little Dog to exclaim disdainfully, "Gah! He's doing that song you want played at your funeral!" my enjoyment of his music did not wane. No, that is not why I am AI's Bitch. This is why: I downloaded that stupid Mariah Carey song that she sang on the show. Gaaaaah! I know! What is wrong with me?! I used to be ...

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions so much as I embrace the opportunities offered by a new year. I like beginnings: blank sheets of paper, Mondays, the first of the month, the beginning of a semester, the first stage of falling in love, empty rooms and blank walls. So much opportunity when you start from scratch! This year is starting out well, which is easy enough to say when we're only two weeks in. By November I was pretty much done with 2007 and ready to start anew. For me, 2007 was a year of health crisis - from root canals to emergency surgery and most everything in between. It was also a year which included a poorly thought out relationship which, thankfully, I regained my senses enough to end. It was fun while it ... no, scratch that, it wasn't ever really even that much fun. It was as much my fault as his though, so don't think I am pointing fingers here. I wish him the best on whatever he chooses to do, I am just no longer willing to wait around to see what that ...

First we cleaned out the attic! Then we chopped down all the trees in the world! Okay, so really we had a major freeze disaster that ruined most of the trees in the city and left us without power for a week! But the power came back on and we had The Most Patient cat in the World help us to get in the spirit. Then, just to make it even more festive it snowed!!! After that we were far too caught up in the excitement to take any pictures, so I will leave you with one final picture of Bojo, Little Dog and Furry dreaming of sugarplums....

Last weekend there was a horrible gi - normous bug in my entryway. Ordinarily I can deal with the average bug, but this one was BIG. And creepy . Little Dog is worthless when it comes to bugs, as he squeals like a baby mouse and flees at the sight of one. So, Saturday afternoon we were standing on the stairs, a good length away from this interloper, both of us wondering what to do. I had the phone in hand and was wondering just who was closest for me to call to come shoo the monster out when my neighbor, Ron, pulled in. I darted out the back door and explained the situation. He is not a big fan of the bug himself, but his chivalry is unrivaled. He grabbed a broom and a bucket from the garage and headed to my house. I felt justified when he saw the creature and was visibly astonished at its size. "What do you want me to do with it?" "Get it out!" And with that, he dropped the heavy bucket smack on top of the bug. Little Dog Shrieked and I must have exclaimed somethi...

I had a very nice day today. Good things kept happening to me. They were small things, but I think sometimes it is the little things that make the bigger picture so much nicer. Everyone remembers to be thankful for healthy babies and near misses, but few remember to be grateful for full bellies and coupons. But back to my day, which was sunny and beautiful for the first time all winter. I headed first to the car wash and after I paid for my De- Luxe wash the machine spit out 2 bucks in quarters for me. I paid with a credit card, so it's not like this was change for a ten or anything. I briefly considered the Karma on this one. It was not my money after all, but then, whose was it? There was no attendant on duty to return it to, so I went ahead and tossed it in my console. Then I headed to the grocery store, where upon my arrival a lady was pulling out of the very first spot by the door! Not only that, but as she closed her trunk she asked me if I wanted her to leave the ca...

Maybe it's the ice storms we've been having. Maybe it's the new year. Maybe it's the break between semesters at school. All I know is that I have been doing more this month than I have in a long time. I've been cooking like crazy, catching up on my reading, cleaning out the house and generally thinking a lot. What I've cooked this week: Chocolate chip cookies, homemade broccoli cheddar soup, Italian chicken with wild rice, a creme cheese coffee cake, my incredible Reuben sandwiches, spinach quiche, pumpkin cookies and a huge Mexican feast including fajitas. Books I've read so far this year (with opinions ) : Good Body , by Eve Ensler ( not as good a Vagina Monologues), Horse Play , by someone whose name I can't remember (An amusing quick mindless fiction read.) How it All Vegan and The Garden of Vegan , both by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer (Cool gals who are really really into the vegan way of life. I didn't read every single recipe, b...

Furry Furry, with the big blue eyes - Oh how I adore that child! He turned two this month and decided to put the T in Terrible, by locking his dad out of the house and seizing the opportunity to wreak havoc. We have been having terrible ice storms here, and as such, WS (Furry's dad) has been having more trouble than most with the walking-on-the-ice skill. Maybe it's because, having grown up in England, he doesn't have a lot of experience with the kind of ice we deal with every winter here in the Midwest U.S. Anyway, he was being particularly careful the other night when he took Furry home to wait for Bojo. He carefully carried him into the house and set him by inside the door before returning to he car for the bags. He had not made it down a single step when he heard, "Bye Bye daddy" and the distinct click of the lock. Now, I have been the first to condemn WS for some of his past actions, but for this one, he has my complete sympathy. I know I would certainly not ...

It has been a couple of months since I last posted, so I feel an explanation is in order. Since October I have been incredibly busy not doing school work. It has consumed almost my every waking thought. I haven not read a book, gone out to dinner, entertained guests or even taken a really long bath because... I have papers to write. But have I written them? Sadly, no. I thought, when I decided to return to school, that the bad habits of my youth would be gone now. Rather than procrastinate about my papers I figured I would now manage my time so wisely that I would be turning papers in early. Ha! The only thing I can say in my own defense is that when I decided to go back to school I did not know that the firm would decide to expand; therefore I could not have foreseen the increase in my workload. I also did not know that I would end up having to have minor surgery, nor did I know that said surgery would turn out to be not-so-minor and take weeks to recover from. I did know that Christ...

I did not know how to cook until I was 28 and pregnant with Little Dog. Prior to that I had no interest in cooking at all. Kitchens were merely places for storing my smokes and caffeine. Restaurants were invented for people like me. I learned to cook one reason: I was pregnant and I was hungry! I ate like an elephant, but thankfully never looked like one. I consistently lost weight and ended up weighing 2 pounds less when I delivered than I had when I conceived. I had tiny little bird legs and a big huge belly full of baby.  See?! During the pregnancy I craved my mom’s old fashioned cooking. She made me meatloaf, roast with potatoes, macaroni and cheese and even Jell-O with Cool Whip mixed in. She would tell me dinner was ready and then warn everyone else to watch out for my flailing limbs as I frantically shoveled huge helpings onto my plate. So, while my mom cooked me dinners, that still left breakfast and lunch unmanned. At the time my entire experience with “cooking” c...

Life's been keeping me busy. It's almost Christmas and my brain is still stuck somewhere back around November 3rd. Seriously. But, since I promised Muller a picture here's a quick post. Zombie Morning: Pre makeup or hair "biggening." Just sleepy nearsighted me. Full on Zombie: You can't see my Bride of Frankenstein forehead beehive, or my yellow/green decayed fake teeth, but trust me. They were there. As were ornate Mexican silver earrings that were severely tarnished to an almost black. Damn I do good rotting flesh! I was an awesome Zombie! I still can't believe I got beat out by a friggin' clown. Sigh.

First, I have a public service announcement which apparently a LOT of the public needs to hear: You cannot sue someone simply because you were inconvenienced. Did everyone hear that? I do not care what you saw on Law and Order, what you read in a John Grisham novel, or what the Republicans want you to believe. You cannot do it. If you could, I would have sued Walgreen’s, the public school system, my paperboy and the cable company – and that is just so far this morning! Second, Tort Reform is NOT a good thing people! Frivolous lawsuits simply do not occur to the degree some would like you to believe. In fact, many so called frivolous lawsuits are actually myths created by the media. And I swear, if any one of you cites the McDonald’s coffee lady as the uber example of how out-of-hand it has all become, I will….well, let us just say you will probably want to sue me for what I will do to you. Currently running in my city there is a campaign commercial for a Republican Candidate for Sena...