Laptop

So, I'm a couple weeks into having my laptop, and I can't believe how quickly I've taken to it.

I have a Dell Inspiron with a 17" screen (love!) and it's so much faster than my 7-year-old desktop...which goes without saying. I'm very happy with the various features, and I've even gotten used to the flat keyboard...my biggest reason for holding out on a laptop for so long was the whole "flat keyboard' thing. Actually, I type just as fast on it as I did the old one, with the same amount of mistakes and back spaces. ; )

I bought a case on Amazon, but of course it was the wrong size, so I'm sending it back and finding a new one. 'Til then, I won't take the laptop out. I mostly just use it on my desk, but it's nice to be able to take it in the living room and watch the 49ers with Mom, and still keep up with Twitter much faster than is possible on an iPhone.

I laugh at myself because I was convinced I'd need at least a month to complete the switch from desktop to laptop. I figured I'd have to slowly move files over, slowly get used to using the laptop. Nope. I did it all in a weekend. Before I knew it, I wasn't even booting up the desktop for days on end, so last weekend I moved it out of my room, eliminating a TON of cords and mess.

So Meg the Technophobe is moving up in the world. I have an iPhone (it's so smart!), a Kindle Fire, a laptop. Next thing you know, I'll get a car with a fancy radio system. But that's for later, because for now, RoPro and I are doing just fine.

Survey Says!

I found this old survey I did, right here at the Little Pink Blog, while going through some old posts tonight. I thought it would be fun to do it again. Original answers from 2008 are in italics.

Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours?
Hmm...I wouldn't say no to Robert Pattinson, as long as he keeps talking to me in that ridiculously gorgeous British accent.

I've outgrown RPattz. But I wouldn't scream at the thought of being tied to Richard Armitage!



Who do you blame for your mood today?
Whatever stupid bug that's making my Millie-girl sick.

I've been in a perfectly fine mood. I blame myself for going to the gym first thing. ; )

Have you ever seen a dead body?
Not a human one. Just animals.

This was actually untrue back then; I had seen my grandmother earlier that year at her funeral. I don't know why I would have forgotten, except that when I originally did this, I was stressed because Millie was really sick (she ended up spending three days in the hospital).

What's playing on iTunes?
My holiday playlist.


At the moment, nothing. Just finished watching Wives and Daughters.

What should we do with stupid people?
Ignore them and hope they go away?

Same answer!!

What was the first thing you did this morning?
Listen to my cat vomit on the bed at 4:00 am.



Dashed out of bed to turn off my alarm--which is also my iPhone. I keep it a few feet from the bed so I have to physically get up.

The color of carpet in your bedroom?
Apartment beige


Parent's House beige.

Last person you went out to dinner with?
Katie, Leslie and Lisa.

Mom and Dad, and before that, my friend Sarah.

Are you spoiled?
I was growing up...and sometimes still am.

No, I've outgrown that.

Do you drink lots of water?
I try to, especially at work, where I use my voice a lot.


I get a lot of water--I drink it at work and at the gym, and a lot of tea at home. I also get a lot of water from my veg-and-fruit-heavy diet.

What toothpaste do you use?
Crest


Still Crest!

How do you vent your anger?
Cry, silently steam, cuss.


I don't cry as easily as I used to--I've learned to control my anxiety. But I still sometimes cry if I'm really mad, and I certainly have the "silent steaming" down to an art form.

The last compliment you received?
Harley sticking his fuzzy paw in my shirt? Ha...no, I don't remember.

I've had a few guys recently tell me I'm looking good. Some more politely than others. And this week I had a lot of compliments about the musical.

What are you doing this weekend?
Chorale rehearsal and concert, worrying about Millie. Last night I cleaned the apartment.

This coming weekend? Saturday I'm teaching piano/voice lessons and on Sunday, I'm meeting some friends for lunch. Possible date, too. We'll see.

When was the last time you threw up?
New Year's Day...oy!

I honestly can't remember.

What theme does your room have?
Travel. I've got a Puget Sound tide map, a world map, a poster of London, a map of England, paintings I bought in Paris and Rome, a little teeny suitcase (with cat toys in it), and Dad's old military footlocker. 

It's eclectic. I'm staying with Mom and Dad, so my room is also my office, my music room, my library, and I've got a ton of random crap around.

When was the last time you were at a party?
Hmmm...been a while. Will probably go to the staff Christmas party on Friday.

Saturday night, the choir fundraiser. Before that, a choir potluck. Are you seeing the theme in my life?

Are you a mama's child or a daddy's child?
Both. I'm a daddy's girl, but Mom's also one of my best friends.

Same answer.

Would you ever join the military?
When I was a kid, I entertained the dream of being an Air Force pilot...but alas, I'm too short and my vision isn't good enough.

These days I would love to see how I'd come out in some of the physical fitness tests (I've been told by an Army Reservist that I'm in better shape than some guys in his unit). But I have no desire to actually join the military.

The last website you visited?
MySpace, for this survey.


Hahahaha...I can't even tell you what my log-in for MySpace is anymore. And I currently have several tabs open, including my email, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger.

Who was the last person you took a picture with?
Not a person, but Harley. He stuck his paw on my bosom, inside my shirt! Little perve.


Choir people. Before that, my friend Summer.

Last person you went to the movies with?
Me, myself and I...and Robert Pattinson (though he was on the screen).

My parents--months ago. We saw "Lincoln." It was excellent.

What did you do/will you do for your birthday this year?
Oh, goodness knows! It's not 'til August.

I need to figure that out. I'll be 35 this time around!

Number of layers on your bed?
Covers? A sheet, a comforter, and an afghan that Mom made me. I usually wear long pajamas and on really cold nights, fuzzy socks. 



Sheet, comforter, fuzzy blanket. It's been warm enough lately that I just use the blanket so my toes can peek out.

Is anything alive in your room?
Besides Harley and I? Hopefully not. Do wish I had Millie here tonight, though.

Millie, me. Perhaps a bug or two.

Today, would you rather go back a week or go forward a week?
Forward! One week from today, I'll be cuddled up in Mom and Dad's house, introducing them to their newest grandcat (they have 10).

Aww, how we miss that little grandcat. :(  I would like to just enjoy today (what's left of it, off to bed soon) and tomorrow. I certainly don't want to go back a week, as that was Musical Madness and I'm glad that's over!

What are you looking forward to right now?
Christmas break. 

Having a good run tomorrow, and lunch on Sunday with Summer and our old choir friend Amanda, who I haven't seen in years.

Random Musings

I feel like I've been neglecting my poor Little Pink Blog of late. Sure, I put in my Week in Instagram posts, and other random ones, here and there, but most of my writing lately has either been for a professional purpose, at my kinda-new little side blog, Music By Meg, or it's been of a personal nature, stuff I don't share here.

It's hard to believe I've been blogging almost nine years. As I look back over those years, I can see the times where I blogged about every little thing, and the times that were sparse. As different adventures have taken over my life, I've focused on those--living in England, living in a new state (Washington), the weight loss "Odyssey," etc.

I sort of feel like right now I don't have an adventure to blog about, though I'm managing to find joy and adventure in my day-to-day life. It's just not all that blog-worthy. Besides, people have moved on to micro-blogging and Twitter and sometimes it feels like what I write here is more for my own gratification that anything else. I don't get a ton of page views--I'm okay with this, I never set out to be The Bloggess!--and I get so few comments anymore, too, though I suppose most people read my posts through Google Reader, as I read their blogs, and just don't feel compelled to leave that platform to actually comment here.

Anyway, my life at the moment is a pretty well-oiled machine of routine. Monday is run-gym-clean day, followed by choir at night. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday fly by in a frenzy of running, working out, teaching private lessons and trying to accomplish as much as I can from my weekly goal list (yes, I have a weekly goal list. It's typed. Outline format. Don't judge me, I'm getting more done than most people!!). Friday is a chaotic flurry of teaching, bookended by a commute that wears me out. Fridays are amazing, actually. I work on Saturdays now, so it's up early, over to Fusion, to teach several hours of piano and voice. I am enjoying my students there immensely, as well. Sunday, then is my one "day off," and I've been jealously guarding it. NASCAR is back, so I keep the race on my TV as I play around on the computer, lounge on the bed, etc. I may get a few odd things done, but if I spend all day Sunday doing nothing important, I don't beat myself up over it.

I'm still making time for social stuff, too. I recently had a great visit with my friend Chris, visiting from Colorado. Some of the high school girls met for dinner, and last weekend I went shopping with Summer. I've been on a few dates, too--alas, they were duds.

So work is going well, in its various forms. My writing muse is visiting regularly, just not in updates to this blog, but I hope to change that. I've been blogging here so long that I honestly feel like this is an extension of my brain--a vital one. Hell, I'm proud of this blog; it's lasted a lot longer than many I follow.

I've also been musing about where my blog fits in this great "blogosphere" on the Internet. There are definite categories of blogs: political, humor, satire, celebrity, fashion, lifestyle, "mommy blogs," feminist, animal blogs...I follow at least one or two in all of these categories. I follow running/fitness blogs, too, of course, and have, in the past, tried to fit in with that crowd (but found, that with a few exceptions, most of them are, "here's my workout log from today!" blogs, which I find boring). But I find that my blog, like the woman who writes it, refuses to be pigeonholed, instead preferring to represent a wide variety of interests, ideas, and passions. This is not a blog about a teacher, or a blog about a runner. It's not a blog about a musician, or a blog about a traveler. It's all of these things, and I like it that way.

So bear with me while I find my blogging mojo again. I hope to have bigger, grander adventures soon. As Summer approaches, I'll have a wee bit more time on my hands to hopefully take some day trips now and again, and get my new Canon out for some more exercise. Summer and I are cooking up plans to see Ben Folds Five, Barenaked Ladies and Guster in June. And I'm fighting like mad to get out of a recent running slump, so expect more posts about that in time.

Tonight's random musings brought to you by...Spring Break and Tetley tea.

Settle Down, Ms. Hyper!

So, the awesome news is that a couple of weeks ago, I started a new teaching gig. I've taken on a ton of private piano and voice students at a local place that offers music lessons, dance classes, karate and other martial arts, after school care, personal training, plyometrics...I think I got it all.

It's sort of a one-stop shopping for busy families. I have one student who has a dance class then walks over to the music room for her piano lesson in her leotard, tights and hoodie.

The bad news is that I'm now pretty much on the go six days a week, what with my gym workouts (three days a week), teaching at this new place (three days a week--including all day Saturday), Sac Choral (Monday nights), and Petite School (all day every Friday). It always takes me a week or two (or twelve) to settle into a new schedule so while I'm loving the work itself, and, obviously, the extra income it provides, I'm also sort of whirling around and trying to go in twelve directions at once.

Which is why, instead of being relaxed in bed right now (9:15 on Wednesday evening) with my book, getting ready for my 5:15 wake-up call to drive to Petite School to put some extra time in doing auditions for the Spring Musical, I'm sitting at my computer...blogging.

Don't worry, I'll knock it off with the constant parenthetical statements in a moment (you think it's exhausting reading it, try talking to me in person these days--my mind is in six different time zones) and go to bed.

The really, really, really awesome, great, fantastic, incredible news is that on Day Four of my new pill, my hormones seem to be regulating and I'm not MOODY anymore. I feel pretty even-keeled and the crying-over-nothing is going away. I don't feel like snapping at everyone, and actually found myself smiling and being really friendly to people at the post office today--normally a place that inspires me to snarl and bare my teeth at people.

I'm not on drugs, just a lower dose of estrogen.

To add to the load and prove that I really am crazy, I'm starting a new path that goes with one of my intentions for 2013--the one that says I ought to get certified as a personal trainer. My friend Matt (the Reasonable, and I'm not going to refer to him as "my trainer" anymore because he is simply my friend now--albeit a friend I ask fitness advice of and brag to when I do something awesome like leg-press 150 pounds, which I did today, thankyouverymuch) seems excited that I want to get certified and has recommended a couple of starting points for me before I go through the actual certification process.

So in addition to teaching, more teaching, choir, practicing music, working out, running, trying to be social, and running my not-so-profitable eBay and Etsy shops, I'm now reading a lofty tome called Movement: Functional Movement Systems: Screening, Assessment, Corrective Strategies. Right now it's pretty much all Greek to me, but Matt promises that as I start to understand it more, and as he shows me a little bit of how it all works in practice, I'll really get it. For now, it's about as enlightening as getting beaned on the head with a brick, but I know I'll get there in time.


Though if the author states one more time that, "This book is about movement," I may hunt him down and bean him on the head with my Kindle.

So there you have it. My body is tired but my brain is whirring. I think I'll cozy up in bed with my Kindle. Five minutes of Movement ought to have me snoozing in no time. ; )

Stuff

I've had a pretty lazy weekend, gearing up for the next couple of days. Tomorrow, you see, is my debut concert at Petite School, so of course, I'm quite nervous.

All of my students are performing; it should be quite sweet. My first and second graders are so happy when they practice "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and my choir is so energetic and cute. But still, a music teacher is always going to be nervous watching her young musicians get up on stage. I'll be glad when it's finished and I can stop waking up to dreams that the choir forgot all words to the songs!

One of my kinder classes gave me a $20 gift card to Barnes and Noble, so after the show, I might stop there on my way home to spend it. I need some good reads and I am wanting to get something about Abraham Lincoln, now that I finally (today) got around to seeing "Lincoln" in the theaters. Daniel Day-Lewis was phenomenal, and so was Sally Field. It was an excellent period piece and I admit to getting a little teary at the end (we all know what happened to Lincoln, so no spoilers here).

So tomorrow will be a busy day of running, setting up, dress rehearsal, concert, etc. I'll be a bundle of nervous energy all day. On Tuesday, I have to return the sound equipment we're renting, get my teeth cleaned (yay) and find time in there somewhere to go to the gym. That night, I have a fun Christmas party at a pub in Sacramento, and therefore, an excuse to dress up a little, shake my tail feathers at any cute guys that cross my path (I'm getting better at this).

But for now, it's bed time. A lady needs her beauty sleep if she's to make it through a hectic few days with grace and dignity.

Stormy Weather

Because I've been pretty  much stuck inside the last few days, I've been...bored. I've been stuck inside because I'm not a fan of driving among idiots in nice weather, let alone when this is going on outside. Apparently, a lot of people have been slip-sliding off the roads.

P.S. At 2:37, that is me saying, "Gah," which is one of my favorite words ever. I don't know why.

Random Thoughts and Word Dumping

I have so many thoughts today. It's been going on since yesterday and I'm sitting here driving myself crazy, so I thought some random word dumping on the blog might be just what I need.

Scaredy Cat

We had a hell of a storm an hour or two ago. Thunder, lightning, pouring rain. It's like Mother Nature is making up for our bone-dry winter months by giving us a huge show for spring. I don't mind the rain--God knows we need it if we don't want the whole state to go up in flames over the summer--but I draw the line at lightning. I'm really not a fan of storms that involve flashes and crashes. Some people love it, but you can find me huddling under the bed with the cats.

Silly

All those years I've lived on my own in an apartment with one or two cats for company, loving my little space and my privacy and having things just so...then I spend eight months living with Mom and Dad. They leave for a two-week cruise, leaving me excited to have some quiet time at home without the TV being on constantly, or being able to shower with the door open, stuff like that...and I miss them. I found myself wandering aimlessly around the living room a few minutes ago, wanting to sit in the rocking chair and bother Dad while he tries to watch endless episodes of NCIS.

It's not that I want to live with Mom and Dad forever--a lady has to have her independence (and a job first!)--but when I'm in this house, I'm used to the noises and distractions and sharing space with two other people. It's too quiet, too empty, with Mom and Dad away.

So I feel a bit lonely. Because of the above-mentioned storm, I've been staying close to home, only going to the gym and Target this morning. I just don't want to drive in that mess out there...but at the same time I feel kind of stranded here. This, in turn, makes me feel isolated and a teensy bit depressed. Good thing I have an overly-crazy weekend ahead to make me sick of being around people. By Sunday, expect me to be anti-social.

Though I am loving the epic show tune sing-a-thons I've been having in the shower every day.

Little Miss Muff--wha?

I have an interview on Saturday morning, which is, of course, great news. The position is for a summer arts camp for ESL students (students who have limited English) and I'd be teaching music. Of course it's temporary, but it would look great on my resume. (Prayers, good vibes, crossed fingers...whatever your deal is, if I can have 'em, I'd appreciate it.)

Anyway, part of the interview entails teaching a sample lesson to a group of teenagers. I have to present a music lesson teaching them "Little Miss Muffett."

My first thought was rap, but honestly, I sound like a nimrod when I try to rap along with Eminem's "Lose Yourself" in the car. So I turned to the wonderful world of Facebook, populated by friends who are creative and awesome in so many ways. Suggestions included making it into a round, or a call-and-response. Add harmonies. Have the kids act it out. This kick-started my own creative juices and I've come up with some ostinatos to teach the kids about rhythm and get them chanting bits and pieces of the rhyme.

It's a work in progress. I'll fine-tune it tomorrow.

Kicking Ass, Taking Names

The biggest drawback to the stormy weather is obvious--I have to keep my workouts indoors. No running outside. I have a 5K on Sunday so of course, I'm a little worried that being stuck indoors will make me sluggish out there...I truly loathe running on the treadmill.

No worries, though. After yesterday's appointment with M. the Reasonable (I only have a week or two left working with him, which makes me sad!), he suggested I do a back-and-forth between the Stair Master and the treadmill. Ten flights as fast as I can (takes me like 2 minutes) and then walk on the treadmill until my heart rate goes back to normal. Wash, rinse, repeat. It was good cardio for right after a grueling appointment with him (yet more Turkish Get-Ups--they are killer).

Today, I modified this by doing 10 flights fast, 10 flights slow. I did this sequence three times, then hopped on a treadmill to do some running/walking intervals. I pushed my running speed up to 7 miles per hour, which is quite fast for me. On the third running interval, I started feeling queasy, but I made it through to the end and felt really good.

Angst 

Part of what really makes this stuck-indoors-watching-the-rain-fall-incessantly thing suck is that once again, my bloody hormones are making me crazy. My mood swings over the last few days have rivaled any two-year-old's. Fortunately, I'm keeping them mostly self-contained.

Though I had an iffy moment this morning when I got an email from Target thanking me for applying, but...

Really? I know I'm kinda overqualified, but come on!!

She's Got It

I heard back from Monday's coffee date and he wants to see me again! We're aiming for Tuesday.  I am taking this one day at a time because I've always had this tendency to rush into things, and right now I'm actually interested in more than one person and I don't want to commit to any one dude until I know what I really, truly want. Besides, I have this nagging priority that is constantly on my mind--getting a Jay-Oh-Bee.

But it's lovely to know that I am turning heads. I have a new confidence these days--it's not entirely the weight loss, either. It's a combination of factors. Being in my thirties. Surviving unemployment. Having awesome friends. Anyway, it feels good to get out and date, flirt, turn heads, LIVE.

On my own terms.

And We'll End This Post With The "Woo-Woo"

My friend Lindsay sent me "The Secret" a couple of months ago. I perused it and passed it on to another duck lady. The whole premise of "The Secret" is simple--you can invite positive or negative energy into your life with your thoughts.

I know, it all sounds a bit woo-woo, but bear with me.

I've been working on practicing positive visualization this year, because I think there is some truth to the notion that if you have positive thoughts about things, the universe will return that positive energy in kind. Or maybe it's more of a self-fulfilling prophecy--if you think you can, you will.

Whatever it is, and however crazy you might think I am while you read this, let me share a little story.

Around the time I had the book in my possession, I started daydreaming about what I'd like to have happen this year. Maybe above-mentioned dude will get a bloody clue. Maybe a great music ed job will open for me. As I practiced this positive visualization stuff, I thought of a local school district. This district (for purposes of not jinxing myself, let's call it Happy School District, or HSD), had a music opening in 2008, which I applied and interviewed for. I was called back to teach a sample lesson--one of only three candidates to be honored so.

It goes without saying that I did not get the job--a month later I was hired by Stockton Unified and my life took the crazy and wonderful and maddening path it's taken in those years since. One orange tabby, one hideous principal and 75 pounds of weight loss later, here I am. And in February, I was happily daydreaming that HSD would have a music job open up. How happy I would be to get an interview, and to find out they wanted me to fill the position.

Well, guess what? They opened up a job this week. It's only 40% of full time, but it's still a music ed job, just as I visualized (in this economy, you can visualize full time but still be happy with 40%). I've applied, and included in my cover letter that I was one of their top candidates a few years ago.

Again, crossed fingers, good vibes, prayers wanted and appreciated.


And there you have it. Crazy ramblings from a bored woman with PMS. Cheers!

Random Bits and Pieces

Sometimes I have lots of little stories, but not one big blog post...today is one of those days.

A Present For My Trainer

I had my usual Wednesday appointment with M. the Reasonable this morning. I handed him the tag to my new size 4 jeans and said, "Here, I have a present for you...look at the size." He peered down at it, his face lit up, and then he half-yelled, "Oh, SNAP! I love it!!!"

So do I, M...So do I. : )

Later, we were looking something up on his iPhone, so I had him look at last night's post, showing my progression through several pairs of Sweetheart jeans from Old Navy. He loved that, too.

Shopping!

Can I just tell you how much FUN it is to shop these days? Size 4 jeans, a size medium dress for Easter dinner (in my favorite color, too). Today I bought some pretty new underwear, to replace the panties that are way too big. You know you're doing well when your underwear is too big. Hilariously big. I fixed that. Lace may or may not be involved.

Also, Mom treated me to some interview clothes today--a pair of black pants and two pretty button-down tops. I'm pleased that the tops are size 8--while my waist and hips may squeeze into size 4 jeans, my bust is still, well, my bust. And not going anywhere.

Fun Ahead

I'm really excited for Saturday--my friend Shae has a friend, named Shay (awesome, right?) who lives in Stockton. I've met Shay a couple of times, when Shae has visited California from Houston (are you confused yet?). Anyway, California Shay frequently goes to Treasure Island (in the middle of the Bay Bridge) to watch rugby matches on Saturdays, and this weekend, I'm going with her.

What is unbelievable is that I've lived in England twice and I know nothing about rugby. I'm looking forward to learning more about it, seeing fit men in shorts, and getting some stunning action shots against the backdrop of one of my favorite cities in the world.

Keane

Have I mentioned that Keane is coming back to California? Oh, I have? Did I mention I got tickets? Oh, I did? Have I mentioned I'm super-effing-excited? Have I mentioned that I love that band and can't wait for the new album?

Really? I did?

Okay then. Carry on.

(I'm SOOOO EXCITED!!!)

Creativity Abounds

You may or may not have noticed (if you follow this blog) that I have been very...bloggy...lately. It seems that since I abandoned the idea of having a duck for a boss (instead of just having a lucky rubber ducky in my purse), the creative juices cannot be contained. I've been taking pictures. I've been writing. I think this promises good things. Let's face it, Meg needs creativity to survive.

I'm also reading more again. I went through a period of being almost disinterested in books, which is not only strange, it's downright worrying. It feels good to find that joy again.

One Quick Link...

I just found this on my Yahoo homepage--a couple dozen dogs and puppies were saved from a burning home last night by a group of firefighters. Aside from my first obvious question (Who has that many dogs in a house?!!), this story melts my heart and is making my ovaries weep. Men who love animals? Beyond sexy.

And with that, I'm off. "America's Next Top Model" is on soon and I don't want to miss it. It's the one piece of crazy reality TV I allow in my life, and Tyra is good at bringing the cray-cray.

Night-night!

A First

Today, I mowed the lawn for the first time ever.
Yes, yes. I'm thirty-three and two days old and I've never mowed a lawn. You might be wondering what kind of priveleged princess I've been all these years. Allow me to defend myself.

Growing up Cooper meant having a brother seven years my senior. When the time came that he was old enough to be trusted with a lawn mower, I was still a little kid. So Aaron had the job of mowing the lawn for years.

At our first Folsom house, we lived on a lot that was almost half an acre. Huge front lawn, huge back lawn. Also, huge hill. Mom and Dad hired a couple of professional guys for many years, especially once Aaron and I had flown the nest.

So all those years and there was never any need for me to even know what a lawn mower was (though I did, indeed, know what it was. I just never used it).

As an adult, even when I've lived at home, the lawn mowing was either something that Dad was happy to do, or we had a gardner come by once a week. Living in endless apartments, I haven't even had a lawn to worry about. So here we are, in my thirty-third year, and today marks the first time I ever mowed a lawn. Granted, it's a postage stamp-sized piece of lawn in Mom and Dad's backyard (the front yard is all natural landscaping--no grass). Dad has an electric mower, so the hardest part was keeping the extension cord out of the way. It took me all of fifteen minutes, going over the lawn twice so as not to miss any spots. Frankly, it's as easy as vacuuming, which is one of my favorite household chores. (And that little quirk is another story for another blog post.)

Even Dad said it looks pretty good.

At the end of September, Mom and Dad are going on a three-week cruise of Italy, Greece and Turkey, so the lawn care will be on me. I can handle it!

Random Musings

I've gotten into a bit of a blogging rut lately. Either I blog about everything in one long post, or I don't blog about anything for weeks except for the bigger adventures that are mostly pictures. So I'm going to be trying something new for various reasons.

I'll be trying to post more often, but in shorter updates. Little blogs like the ones you've seen in the last few days about my return to running, or a trip to Boot Camp at the gym. As soon as I have an idea I want to write about, I will blog it.

The biggest reason for this is because I'm trying to write more in general. It's actually on my weekly to-do list. Write something. Every day. On Monday this week, I wrote a limerick. It counted. Blog posts count. Emails do not. The writing must take some sort of creative thinking, they must be expressive.

A few weeks ago, Mom gave me a cut-out from one of the hundreds of magazines she reads. Good Housekeeping is doing a short story contest, and Mom thinks I've got the required writing talent to at least enter. It's a fiction contest. I cut out the information and taped it up to my computer hutch. As I type this, if I turn my head about 45 degrees to the right, there it is, daring me. I want to do it, but every time I sit down with the intention to write, I freeze. Ideas fly out of my head and hide in corners. A blank screen stares at me.

I never was very good at writing under pressure.

So when I feel the need to write, I will do it--here at the LPB. And who knows? Maybe something will inspire me to move even further with it, and by September I'll have a short story ready to submit.

Happenings and Whatnot

It occurred to me that it's been a while since I've blogged about stuff and things that are happening. Most of my blogging these days seems geared towards either ranting about something or posting pictures. So here are a few headlines from my life this week.

California Girl Almost Gets Creamed In Parking Lot

Good grief. It was awful. Today I went to the Chorale office to help out with a mailing. I left around lunchtime, and an employee of the building where the office is located was leaving on his lunch break, or whatever. We backed out at the same time. I saw him, so I stopped, but he...kept...backing...up. I drive a small sedan; he was in a mid-sized SUV. When his back bumper was about two feet from the driver's side door, I stopped screaming (not effective) and started honking. He kept backing up.

Finally, about 10 inches from my door, he figured out the honking was aimed his way and stopped. He pulled forward and then stopped, allowing me to go by so he could wave and smile sheepishly. I half-waved back and shouted something like "OHMAGAH!!!" My heart was pounding and it took me a few minutes to get my breath back in control.

So, that was Wild and Absolutely True.

The Job Hunt Stalls

Eh. I've had several interviews, and I have not gotten any of the jobs as yet. There is one slim possibility brewing that I'm asking for all the possible good vibes for...but until budgets are cleared and all that good stuff, I just don't know if it will work out. I'm keeping quiet about details (don't want to jinx it), but seriously. Asking for those good vibes, folks.

And in the meantime, I'm keeping the resume current, logging into CalJobs, Ed-Join, and LinkedIn, and researching other career options.

Please Look At My Cute Etsy Shop!!!


Here are some pictures of the latest "fancies" in my shop, with links to the items in the caption. Even if you don't want to buy, help a lady out by passing my shop on to people who might be interested!

Wedding Card

Add caption

Happy Daffodils

I Love You Banner

It's A Girl! Banner

Japanese Tea Garden Photo Cards

Life Is Just...

Life's A Beach Photo Cards

Pink Power -- $3 of the money from this will be donated to Komen.

Pink Power -- $3 of the money from this will be donated to Komen.

Quilt Style Thank You Cards

Slainte Cards

Stars and Stripes Set

Thanks a Latte cards.

Mr. Swimmy Is Slowly Taking Over the World

Last night, Maayan posted to me on Facebook that a picture of Cali Swimmy, taken at the Railroad Revival Tour, was posted on a Tumblr blog. Since I had not posted this picture:

Swimmy with Ben "Smiley" Lovett

...on Tumblr, I was confused--then I realized that the lady who posted it had found it via my humble Little Pink Blog (and had, of course, given credit to my blog). I told her the brief version of the story of Mr. Swimmy and she loved it.

Swimmy now has 47 fans on Facebook, and even my parents didn't bat an eyelash when I pulled him out of my purse on Sunday for a photo op at Lake Oroville.

Who knew a rubber duck could spread so much happiness?

Harry Potter

I wanted to post a more formal review, I honestly did. But I got busy, and lazy, and really, the only thing I can think to say was "Oh, heavens, it was wonderful!!!"  So I'll just post a few points here. Spoilers ahead and all that.

• I cried. In Part 1 of "Deathly Hallows," I slightly teared up when Dobby died. But in Part 2, I bawled, pretty much non-stop, for the last 45 minutes or so. Enough to make Mom turn to me and say, "Are you alright?" My response: *sniffle* *squeak* "Yes!"
• Alan Rickman is so marvelous. I mean it. Taking a character who is so unlikeable (remember, in the books, Snape never learns to like Harry and protects him all these years only because of his love for Lily) and making me sympathize with him--brilliant, just brilliant. Through the whole of "The Prince's Tale," when Harry is watching Snape's memories in the Pensieve, my lip was trembling. My lip never trembles.
• I was crying, laughing, and clapping my hands all at once when Neville killed Nagini. And I cried and laughed at the same time when Molly said, "Not my daughter, you bitch!" and then proceeded to give Bellatrix what was coming to her.
• Speaking of Bellatrix--there is no one in the world who could have played her as well as Helena Bonham-Carter. And Helena playing Hermione playing Bellatrix? Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.
• Yeah, I knew seeing the Weasley family bawl over Fred's body? Well, just use me to wipe up the floor, why don't you?
• I even wept through the epilogue. Happy tears, seeing Harry all grown up and a little pudgy, and his speech to little Albus Severus? Oh, good grief. 
• Oh, and that little scene where a 17-year-old Boy Who Lived says, "I'm ready to die" and sees his parents, Sirius and Lupin again? I think I'd soaked through my Gryffindor shirt by this point.
• There were a few nit-picky things that I wasn't thrilled about, but honestly? They're nothing compared to how much I enjoyed the movie and felt that it was 95% true to the book and 100% satisfying to me.

And that's all I have to say about that. Well, for the moment, anyway. Until I see it a second time, which I will, even though money is tight. Some things are just worth it.

Speaking of Harry Potter...

All of the kids involved in the eight Harry Potter movies have grown up before our eyes. None more so than Matthew Lewis, who plays my favorite "secondary" character, Neville Longbottom. This little meme that has been going around Tumblr sums it up best.

And this one, too:

Fun Times Are A'Comin'

A couple of months ago, Summer bought tickets to see Ben Folds this Friday in San Francisco. He's one of her favorites. Her husband (also named Ben, which makes me giggle) decided not to go because he has to work the next day, so she offered the ticket to me. Yay! Yesterday, via Facebook, we put together a really fun plan. I'm going to meet her at her house at about 2:00, and we'll drive over to the nearby BART station. We'll take BART into the city and disembark near San Francisco's mission, San Francisco de Asis (also known as Mission Delores). I am a mission-visiting fool this year!

After that, we'll take BART back to a nearby mall where there is a fabulous food court full of healthy options for dinner. Then we'll go to the Warfield (same place I saw Mt. Desolation and Mumford and Sons back in October) for the show. I'm going to crash at Summer and Ben's place that night because there is no way we'll get back to Oakland before midnight.

I always love spending time with Summer, and we get to see a mission and go to a great show. Life is grand, my friends.

And that's it for this evening. It's a busy week, with working out (walked into the gym today after being at my parents' this weekend and found that everything had been rearranged. I found Gershom and said, "They moved everything!" He replied, "I did it!" I should've known.), job hunting, and completing my daily list of tasks, like promoting my Etsy shop, listing stuff on eBay and promoting that, checking various sites for the job search, keeping up with important emails, household tasks, making myself write just to practice writing--bad poetry, blog posts, silly stuff in my notebook--and other various chores.

So...cheers from California. : )

P.S. I had yet another response from Richard on Twitter--hardly worth mentioning, really, except, well, it's Richard. Of Keane.

Adjectives

I am so many adjectives tonight.

BUSY

No, no, actually. I was busy. Now I'm in a certified state of "Good grief! What day is it?!" I've been getting up at 5:30, and putting in some time at the Chorale office (I'm volunteering while they advertise for and hire a new Office Manager). It's four hours, three days a week, and I have kept busy doing office duties and librarian duties.

EUPHORIC

What started, earlier this week as one possible connection and one job interview has morphed, in one day, into three job interviews. My friend Summer called me on Sunday and told me that the choir she sings for has a non-profit side that helps fund music teachers in the Oakland school district. She is friends with the lady who runs this. They might need a full-time K-5 music teacher. Summer told the lady all about me and was told, "Get her resume to me!" Today, I had a text from Summer: "Check your email!" Turns out the lady wanted to talk to me, so we chatted on the phone this afternoon and she kept mentioning that she loves the teaching experience I've had. We're meeting on Monday in person.

Then tomorrow, there's the job interview in Palo Alto. This would have been great, but then my phone rang this afternoon--another school district, and another interview! This one is on Friday. It's a three-hour drive and I'll have to leave at 5:45 to get there on time, but I'm not complaining. Not at all, no. Actually, I'm getting interviews!!

Oh, and I woke up this morning to another Retweet from a certain drummer of a certain rock band that I kinda-sorta like.Two in 24 hours!

BUMMED

Because I now have an interview on Friday morning, three hours south of Stockton and four hours south of where Mom and Dad live, I won't be able to go to her quilt show. I can't go tonight, either, or Saturday (Adoption Day) so I'm bummed that I won't be able to support her. She helped put it together, and she has a quilt in the show! My mom rocks.

HYPERACTIVE

What I should be is a blubbering ball of exhausted, but instead, I've been scooping litter boxes, running the vacuum, sweeping the kitchen, washing the dishes, giving the bathroom the quickest possible once-over, getting to eBay sales ready to ship, organizing my desk and working a little on a project I'm helping Summer with. I promoted my Etsy and eBay shops on Twitter and Facebook, joined a "cruise" on a Facebook page called The Craft Show to get more fans for my own Facebook page that I set up for my Etsy shop...you get the idea.

IRRITATED

I think my upstairs neighbors got a dog.

I love dogs.

I just don't love dogs in 750 square-foot apartments. Dogs that yap for 10 minutes straight at 9:00, then 10:00, then 11:00...when one certain blogger has the lights out and is trying to sleep because her alarm clock is going off at 5:30.

Also, Pacific Gas and Electric needs to get their act together. We had a two-and-a-half-hour power outage last week, and a few times since then, it's blinked ominously and last night even went out completely for about a minute, leaving me in my bathroom, about to shower, in the pitch dark, thinking, "Oh, swell."

SATISFIED

So many good things--it's great to feel productive. And tonight I have a few minutes to sit and blog, with a fat little ginger cat on my lap, alternating between headbutting my chin and staring at the moving cursor on the screen. Ahhh, he's just leaned his head against my arm and stretched his front legs out before him (he's sitting on my lap like a child would) and he's dozing off. Millie is napping on top of the hard drive. I have cute cats.

HOPEFUL

Getting job interviews makes me very hopeful that something really good is coming for me. This last year has been a year of learning and transition. I've had time to dream and scheme and I've come up with some interesting ideas for myself. And now it seems there's hope that I'll have a job again, and more income. Lovely.

WORRIED

Well, of course...even while I'm hopeful, I'm worried. My first year of unemployment benefits end on Saturday, and though I know there is a second year available, I'm still worried about the what-ifs...it's silly, but there you have it. And of course I'm worried that none of these job prospects will work out, or that the one I really want won't and the 3rd choice will and I'll have to orchestrate a huge, crazy move to a part of California I don't really know.

But I guess it's best to leave the worrying behind and just focus on the hope, right?

SWEATY

After an uncharacteristic cold and wet start to June, Summer (not my friend, the season) has arrived in California, reminding me why I never really look forward to it. We've had some very hot days this week, requiring closed blinds and near-constant running of the two wall units in my apartment during the day.

I've been avoiding being outside as much as possible and so far, I'm beating the heat pretty well. I mean, I sit around my apartment drinking hot tea, so the air conditioning must be doing its job, right?

EXHAUSTED

With two early mornings this week, a hard time sleeping last night, the heat, and this afternoon and evening's hyperactivity, I find myself getting sleepier and sleepier. It's almost 9:00, and I have to get up at 5:00, so...good night!

Dreams

"If your dreams do not scare you, 

they are not big enough." 

- Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

In the last few years, my dreams haven't been scaring me. I've been standing at a fork in the road for a year now and wondering which path to take...one of those paths is pretty simple, the other, not so much. I don't want to go into too much detail because there really isn't anything to report...just some ideas brewing in my head. Ideas that terrify me, but also intrigue me. Ideas that are worth exploring. Ideas that would take me so far out of my comfort zone that I have moments where I think I am crazy to even think them.

Anyway, I saw this quote today and it is resonating with me. After a year of allowing what happened to me to shape my views on my worth as a potential employee, I'm finally starting to come back out from under that stupid rock, and see that I have a lot of offer the world. It's just time for me to make the world see it.

Mojo

Hmm...I feel as though I've been quiet this last week or two, on the blog front. Last night I scheduled a few Monday Music posts, and in the next few days I'll do some more Wordless Wednesday posts. I've inundated you with pictures of past adventures, and blathered about my green lifestyle, but I haven't really talked about what's going on in my life now.

Probably because the answer is, "Not much."

Still, I'm quite content. I've been working out regularly (and meaning to do a post about my new obsession--swimming and the steam room) and while my blogging mojo has been slow, my creativity has been on fire. I've been making cards and scrapbooking like a fiend, and enjoying every minute.

In a matter of a few days, I managed to complete the scrapbook from my Epic Week--five-and-a-half days of fun and adventures. It turned out quite well and I can't wait to show it off.

And I've been promoting my Etsy shop as much as possible. I'm figuring things out--to get sales, one must play the Etsy game, so I've joined some teams and started posting in discussion boards on the site to get some exposure. I recently had my first sale to someone that is not a friend or family member, and that inspired me to get my shop organized and moving again. My latest thing is Pink Power--I've been doing lots of collage-style cards in pinks, and a portion of each sale will be donated to Susan G. Komen. Tonight, I finished some St. Patrick's Day cards that I never got to before the holiday...I figure they're now in my stock for next year, and in the meantime, you never know who might want a green, shamrock-themed card that says "Slainte."

I've been enjoying these sunny days with mildly warm temps and the cool nights that follow. I'm home a lot, so I keep the windows open until the sun goes down, then I only have the bedroom window cracked open (I keep a bar in it so no one can open it) during the night for that fresh, cool air as I sleep. The cats enjoy basking in the afternoon sun as it comes in the windows.

Money has been tight (as ever) so I'm stretching food and not letting anything go to waste. I  had a marvelous dinner tonight of baked chicken, butternut squash-flavored risotto, steamed broccoli, and fruit salad (strawberry, pineapple, grapes). The leftovers will last me until Tuesday, and on Wednesday I'll be going to Mom and Dad's for a few days.

So life has been quiet of late, and I'm enjoying it. I look for jobs every day--there's not much, but I'm applying everywhere--and making good use of my free time to create. It's not such a bad thing, really.

So Much Epic Craziness and Win (In Other Words, Endless, Random Rambling)

Over the last few days, I've been feeling a little bit overwhelmed by all I have to do. There's been sorting music for Chorale, and dealing with all of the questions people keep throwing at me. The same questions, over and over, even as they stood there and listened to me answer it to the person right in front of them in line. It's like teaching. I do my best to stay patient.

After all, I love these people, and I love what Chorale has brought to my life.

Our director publicly referred to me as "a very organized young woman" last night, and I was flattered.

Today, I woke up a little bit earlier than usual because Keane played a gig in Beijing that was live streamed on their web site. It started at 6:15 Pacific Time and while I'm normally up at that time, I'm usually just dragging out of bed and going to the loo and brewing the tea, etc. So I got up at 5:30 this morning so I could get the page to load and have the caffeine already flowing through my veins. With being up late-ish last night after Chorale rehearsal, it means I'm sleepy tonight. It's a bit after 9:00, and I'll be in bed soon.

I had a to-do list as long as my arm today (I have short arms, but believe me, that list seemed really long). I did some important stuff, like checking the teacher job sites and paying a bill and getting my desk organized after my weekend at Mom and Dad's. I also did some stuff that needed doing, like printing out some letters to two soldiers I'm sending mail to through AdoptaPlatoon. I backed up my iTunes library and typed up some lists (I keep a list of online accounts and passwords in a super-secret place, just in case I need it).

It was a productive day, and I felt good.

I also feel really good because I've had two really good workout days in a row. Yesterday I focused on my upper body, today on the lower. I pushed myself and it makes me feel strong and capable.

On Monday, I made a little video, which I'll share here now:



That's. Right. One week from today, Maayan will be arriving! One week from tomorrow, we're off to see Mumford and Sons! We're both so excited we can hardly stand it.

In the meantime, I've got plans. Friday, I want to go to the Stockton Asparagus Festival for a little while. Saturday, I'm helping out with Adoption Day for AFC. Sunday, I'll do my normal cage-cleaning, then Mom and Dad are bringing Bella and Duchess down for an extended visit. Monday, of course, is Santa Barbara with Meghan for Mumford gig number 1. Tuesday I'll recover from that and clean this apartment top to bottom. We don't have Chorale on Tuesday due to Holy Week. Wednesday I'll drive into San Francisco to see Sarah, a colleague from my days at St. Peter's in England (the reason this whole blog was started!) and that night, I'll be off to Sacramento to pick up Maayan. Thursday is Oakland and the concert and on Friday, our only concrete plan is to find a beach and park our butts on it for a little while.

So all this craziness starts on Friday. Tomorrow I want to get a few more things done and spend some time relaxing, if possible.

Of course, my camera will be with me every step of the way next week. I'm just going to carry a ton of extra batteries and my extra memory card. I'll try to blog every couple of days but it's hard to say how much time and energy I'll have.

I'm not excited, or anything. ; )

Middle-Of-the-Night Ramblings

I decided to work out at midnight tonight, as I'm going to Mom and Dad's tomorrow and don't want to have to get up super-early after a night at Chorale to go to the gym. I did some time on the cycle and will take tomorrow--er, today--off and resume regular workouts on Thursday.

So here I am, at 12:45 am, fresh from the shower and ready to finish packing before going to bed.

Today marked the seventh (the SEVENTH) time that Richard of Keane responded to me in some way on Twitter, but really, who's counting? I love the fact that I just randomly respond to something my favorite celebrity posts on Twitter and then get a response back. My friends and I think he likes all the attention he gets from us!

I'm looking forward to a few days at Mom and Dad's house, relaxing and hanging out, maybe talking them into a fun day trip to Gold Country or something. Today marks the two week mark 'til my Epic Adventure With Maayan. I don't have a special post planned (laziness, really) but don't think I'm not excited. We're both playing it low-key right now, otherwise we'd drive ourselves bananas with excitement. I imagine that last week before she gets here will be pretty noisy, though.

And that's that. I'm getting sleepy, so I suppose I'd better finish packing, dry my hair (I hate going to bed with wet hair!) and sleep a bit so I can get up and make the drive to Lincoln. Wish me luck convincing Millie and Harley that it's no big deal to ride for an hour in their boxes. I imagine I'll spend some time tomorrow morning on my stomach, pleading with them to come out from under the bed. There will be a Swiffer Sweeper involved. Unless, that is, I can lock them out of the bedroom before they know what's going on. Easier said than done--they're pretty smart.

So good night, good morning, good whatever!

Random Pictures

I've been meaning to do more "Week in Pictures" posts, and I've just been too preoccupied with other stuff to remember to 1. take enough pictures of each week and 2. actually blog them. So tonight, I'm making a post of random recent pictures...what I've been up to.

Why yes, I *am* renewing my passport (which expired in 2008). Why? No particular reason, but I think change might be in the air this year and I want to be ready for all possibilities.

Harley: Huh?

Millie: Mom, I need to check my Facebook. Log off NOW!

Yes, I decorated for Valentine's Day. This is the inside of my front door, with vintage Peanuts cards and decorations.

Swimmy sometimes rides along in my purse. For someone who loves green so much, everything in my purse (wallet, coin purse, cell phone, camera, even my lipstick and Kleenex packet) is red. Even my two lanyards have red in them.

I took a cake to our Primo Primavera yesterday. Vanilla with vanilla frosting.

New running shoes--this excited me just as much as a new pair of Steve Maddens would, because now running isn't quite as painful as it was getting to be in my old, worn-out shoes. Plus, these ones aren't filthy like my last pair got to be...yet.

Aren't they spiffy? There's supposedly all kinds of science behind the support and arches and the New Balance N supposedly has some kind of "locking" thing--Gershom once explained it all to me when I bought my first pair and I half-listened to humor him. I don't understand how it works, I just know that it works. These shoes make running so much easier than any regular department store shoe I've ever used. Getting fitted at Fleet Feet = the best investment ever. P.S. I totally wiped down my counters before cooking on them.

So lately, I've been getting mail from someone thinking I'm a senior citizen. It makes me laugh.

One trip to Safeway just to get a new box of Tetley after using the last bag. I take my tea very seriously!

Nothing beats a cool sunny winter day with a hot pot of tea while relaxing on the sofa.

I sent five identical Half Moon Bay postcards out into the world--one to Sarah in England, one to Amanda in Holland, one to Maayan in New York, one to Lindsay in Michigan, and one to Aaron in Idaho.

Summer Day

My cell phone rang this morning, a little after 10:00. The screen said, "Summer Home," so I eagerly answered, always happy to talk to a friend.

I'll admit to getting a little bit of cabin fever, being unemployed. And it's more common than I'd like to admit for me to go whole days--more than two at a time, sometimes--wearing only workout gear or pajamas. So when Summer said, "I need to get out of the house today!!" I happily responded, "So do I!!"

We met in Pleasanton for lunch at Fresh Choice and a wander around the mall. I bought a darling tank top at JC Penney (even though we are nowhere near needing tank tops right now). I couldn't resist--it is red with white polka dots and it was $7.99. After a wander around the mall, we decided to see a movie, and ended up watching "True Grit." It was an excellent movie--well-written, well-acted (the girl who plays Maddie was marvelous!) and aside from having a rattlesnake scene (why do all Westerns have to have a rattlesnake scene? My poor nerves!), it was probably one of the best movies I've seen in the theaters in a while.

More importantly, I got out of the apartment for a day, had some time with a dear friend, and came back to Stockton this evening feeling refreshed and happy to settle into my cozy little home for the night. Tomorrow I'll clean cat cages and buy new running shoes, maybe run a few loads of laundry. Back to getting stuff done that needs to be done. But today was a Summer Day, and it was just what I needed.

Purge, Baby, Purge!

The last couple of days, I've been feeling the need to clean and purge. There's negative energy in my apartment, and my natural reaction, of course, is to oust it with Clorox and the Hoover. And a bag for Goodwill.

This afternoon I went through a box of pictures, figuring it's okay to get rid of the washed-out ones, the ones of someone's backside, etc. I kept the most special pictures and put them in some little photobooks I have. Some I'm going to scan and then get rid of, figuring the memories will always be available on my hard drive (which reminds me, I really need to buy a back-up hard drive to keep stuff on. I went through a few boxes in my 2nd bedroom and purged a few items.

Tomorrow, I will attack this place with disinfectant and dust rags. The last time I did a "Big Deep Clean" was when the Peanuts Gang left in July, so I'm overdue. I clean--I just haven't done the picky little things like dusting the baseboards and pulling furniture out to vacuum.

When that is done, I'm sure the positive energy will take over and I'll be able to relax this weekend in the forecasted rainy weather. : )

In other awesome news: I started tutoring today! One of my fellow sopranos in Chorale teaches fifth grade at a nearby school, so I helped out in her classroom. It was very rewarding, and great to be working with kids again. I love teaching! I'll be going 2-3 days a week for a few hours to help her kids. She's got struggling readers, and a lot of her kids are struggling with their multiplication. It will look good on my resume, and I can go to job interviews and tell people that I did more in my year of unemployment than just sit around reading the Keane forum, playing Pet Society and Farm Town on Facebook, and blogging. : )

On Saturday I've been asked to help with Adoption Day for AFC. The usual ladies are not available and Marian needs extra hands on deck, as PetCo will be having their Halloween Pet Parade (dogs in costumes--cute, but scary for foster cats). She wants someone there to help keep the cats calm, and help remind people to keep their dogs away from the cages. Not all cats are dog people. Some do okay, but some haven't been exposed to dogs, and they get frightened. There's going to be a lot of activity that afternoon. I'm happy to help.

So there's a lot going on. I'm heading into a busy few weeks, what with Chorale performing the Mozart soon, Mom's craft faire coming up, and my normal activities. Staying busy keeps me from going insane, so bring it on.

Wazzup?

It's been a slow week, as far as blogging goes. I haven't felt particularly inspired to post. The Monday Music and Wordless Wednesday posts were scheduled weeks ago. It's been a funny week--I've been at Mom and Dad's, mostly, waiting on the wire harness to arrive at the Mazda dealership so that I could get Rosie fixed up. I dropped her off tonight and will pick her up sometime tomorrow.

Aside from Tuesday night in Stockton (I have no desire to miss Chorale rehearsals--our new conductor is fabulous and the Mozart is so much fun to sing), I've been here in Lincoln, hanging out.

Today I had a little shopping spree at Kohl's. Mom and Dad bought a bunch of stuff there recently and were given $80 worth of "Kohl's Cash." Their friends gave them another $10 Kohl's Cash to give to me, so I had $90 to spend, and a serious need for fall/winter clothing. Since losing 60 pounds, I've gotten rid of a lot of clothes, so my closet has been set for summer with plenty of tank tops and t-shirts and ONE cardigan.

So today I bought a few sweaters and long-sleeved shirts, a couple of new bras (another ongoing need as the weight comes off and the chest and back tighten up), and one pair of ADORABLE high-heeled Mary Jane shoes.

In OMG EXCITING! news, I managed to find an inexpensive ticket to a concert in San Francisco next month. Two guys from Keane, Tim and Jesse, have a little side project going on right now, called Mt. Desolation. They're touring the US with the oh-so-excellent Mumford and Sons. A friend in Keane obsession, Annie, is flying out from New York to see them--she works for an airline, lucky thing--and she's never really seen San Francisco. So I'm going to show her around and then go to the concert with her. It should be great fun and I'm looking forward to showing off that lovely city, meeting a new friend, and seeing a great show. A trifecta of awesomeness!

In other great news, we suddenly find ourselves in Fall. God, I love Fall. I love the chilly evenings, sleeping with my window cracked open and the covers pulled up to my chin.

Now, if I could get my butt back to running longer distances (I have a hard time sticking to program at Mom and Dad's house because there are so many hills here--running uphill sucks), I'd be set.

Mom and Dad are going on a three-week trip to Asia (big ole cruise from China to Japan to Korea to Vietnam to...) next week, so I'll be babysitting Bella and Duchess. Four cats, 750 square feet. Crazy Cat Lady. Yes, there will be pictures, and you can count on the girls to write whiny blog posts to Mom from time to time. They're not seasoned travellers like Millie and Harley, but they're sweet and they do pretty well at my place.

And that's it. I've been watching back episodes of Grey's Anatomy in anticipation of tonight's season premiere, and making cards this week. I find I actually enjoy the quiet.