Road Trip...

Last night we shopped for road trip supplies. Our shopping list included red vines, gummy bears, beef jerky, trail mix...I felt like I was twelve when we got to the checkout. I half expected Mom to come around the corner and say, "Put those back! No. Get the smaller bag!" We got some responsible stuff, but mostly we'll be having whatever the hell we want on our way across the eastern half of the states.

I'm way excited! There's something about driving from where we are to somewhere hours away and coming home by a different route that makes the country feel small, accessible, and mine. And I wouldn't want to spend hour after hour in the car with anyone but Robb. He's never lost, always adventurous, and hey, as long as he's around, any place feels like home.

The only thing I'm really going to miss is the cat. But a week isn't too long. And he'll have a cat-sitter while we're gone. It's not like the apartment is going to be empty.

So tomorrow morning we're setting out for Virginia Beach. We plan to stop on the way and get a hotel room for the night. We'll get there Friday, see Harry Potter with some friends, hopefully have nice weather so we can go to the beach, and let our friends show us around their city. Then, on Sunday or Monday, depending on their work schedules, we're off to home. There's talk of stopping in Washington D.C., since I've never even SEEN our nation's capital. And all this without a working camera...

We'll probably just share Robb's camera. I'm taking my computer, so depending on internet connections, you might get a few posts while we're there. I'll be keeping a handwritten journal of our escapade, if nothing else. I'm sure you'll hear all about it. However it goes, I'm way excited! I've never been any further east than Eastern Ohio.

Alright. Now? Time to go to work for the eighth day in a row...

Out

Pampered...

Last night, at the suggestion of my coworkers, I decided to pamper myself to try and get rid of my three day headache.  I came home, ate chips, homemade guac, and pizza rolls for dinner (I know...terrible...but we're trying to clean out the fridge before vacation).  I poured myself a glass of wine, drew a hot bath, lit a candle, put some music on, and got in the tub.  It was lovely.  My coworkers had said they thought maybe it was a tension headache, and that a hot bath and a massage might help it go away.

Well, Robb was having dinner with family from out of town, so it was the perfect time to treat myself to a little something.  When he came home, I was still in the bath.  Some relaxing Guns n Roses was playing on the stereo (it was on shuffle...maybe not the best choice).  He came in and gave me a neck massage and a pice of apple coffee cake that his dad had sent him home with (speaking of...I think it's breakfast time).

*munch munch*

And...I got out of the bath after the cat started getting a little too curious about what was on the other side of the tub wall.  I didn't think a screaming ball of fur and claws would be that relaxing.  Did the headache go away?  No.  I mean...it's not there this morning, but it was last night.

Perhaps it packed its bags and left.  If not, well...I'm not taking it with on vacation.  Thursday morning can't come fast enough!

Out

Pride Pride Pride...

We went. We thought we saw all of the parade. We ate. We realized the parade wasn't over. We wandered. We left.

A friend of a friend got in a fistfight with a not-so-nice lesbian that was standing near us. Granted, he was drunk and obnoxious and antagonistic. He deserved to be headlocked and body punched repeatedly. He probably deserved to be led away by the police, which he was. And he probably deserved to be told off at dinner for being a perfect ass. Being. Not having. Read carefully, folks.

We tried to get there an hour early, but...we were thwarted, somehow. We got stuck in a time warp that had us crammed into a an el train with no room to jump to the left OR step to the right. And forget putting your hands on your hips. And then...crowds. Crowds. Crowds.

I still don't know what happened with the two hour cushion we built in to our travel. It's been three years since we've been subjected to the huge, crazy crowds. Usually we get a spot near the barricades an hour early and get to ignore the crowds. This year? we got stuck between a large black woman with her children and the tallest Asian man that God ever made. Not to mention the glitter-throwing kids behind us...there's still glitter in the carpet at home.

But honestly, Robb and I had a good time hanging out, meeting people, talking. Dan's a wonderful conversationalist and a great friend. I only wish he wasn't three hours (four with creative detouring) away. And now I have some new book and music recommendations to look into. What more could you ask for from a weekend? Sun, parade, laughs, music, books...what more is there?

Oh...this: It's not Katy Perry's "Firework" anymore.

"Baby you're a dinosaur,
Come on let me hear you roar..."

What a fun weekend!

Out

Meow...

*ahem*  Mrow.  Is this thing on?  

Oh, good.  Listen.  Mom stepped out for a minute...maybe he's bringing me food?  Hi.  I'm Marbles.  You might know me as the fat kitty in the chair.  I think that's what Mom calls me.  Mrow.  I'm a little hungry.  Does anyone have some food?  I don't want--wait...was that a wrapper crinkling?  Oh, no...just my tail brushing some junk off the bed.  Why do they put all their stuff on the best places to sit?  The food room table is always cluttered.  Behind the picture box thingy is full of cords, and whenever I get on the counter where all the delicious dishes are, they both yell at me.  Mom wakes up from a sound sleep if she hears me get up there.  It's how I get him out of bed some mornings when I can't find his glasses to chew on.  

What was I going to say?  Oh, right.  Food.  Does anyone have any food I could have?  As you can see, I'm wasting away to nothing.  A kitty needs his strength, and I'm almost too tired to yowl at the top of my lungs and race around the house today.  Mom doesn't appreciate my singing, especially when she's asleep.  But as long as I stay an arm's length away from him, then I can do whatever I want.  Then he calls me naughty kitty and sends Dad after me.  

And Dad...oh man...he flips me over and rubs my belly.  He puts me on his shoulders to ride around.  He pries my lips apart and looks at my "little teefers," whatever those are.  But he gives me cheese...so I let him.  I bite Mom when Mom does it, because he's always telling Dad to stop giving me food, since I'm so fat.  It's muscle, I swear!  I just wish it wasn't so hard to clean my belly and feet.  I lick and lick and lick, and then I'm all out of breath so I sigh.  Mom laughs at me.  Dad starts cooing and picks me up to rub my belly that I JUST CLEANED!

It's hard living with Mom and Dad...especially when I'm so hungry all the time.  Does anyone have any food?

How does Mom usually end these things?

Mee-Out

All Kinds of Crazy...

Robb and I were in Target, and he just stops in the aisle on the way to get milk and starts laughing.  Shaking.  And pointing.  "Come here!" he managed to squeak through his laughter.

I walked back to where he'd stopped.  "What the heck are you laughing at?"



Look.  Look again.  Is that not the most adorable, mischievous little coffee pot you've ever seen?



It makes me wonder if it was intentional.  Who wouldn't want a coffee pot that looks like some kind of high-ranking religious official penguin with a single shiny flipper?  Oh man...and this is part of the reason I love him so damn much.  He has this way of making every day and every mindless chore into an adventure.

His car is currently in the shop because his cousin backed into it.  So we have a rental.  This rental has some odd buttons on the dash, such as this one:



Yes.  Cat Folder.  I'm just glad we didn't bring Marbles with...

In other news, after sushi last night we decided we'd try mochi ice cream.  We got green tea and mango.



It wasn't terrible, but the fondant-like covering over the balls was a little off-putting.  It's been dubbed "squishy stuff."



Lyndsay and Ben seem to be fascinated by it.  It was kind of gross...like silly putty.  If we'd have had a newspaper, we'd have tried to transfer ink onto it.  Instead, we ate it. 

And that's all the news that's fit to print.

Out

The Longest Week...

Sunday night, Robb and I were talking on the way home from our Gay Christian Men's Group (that's the title...not so catchy. I kind of want to kick myself in the face every time I say it...), and he said to me, "It's gonna be a long week."

"Why?" I asked, probably arching an eyebrow.

"Avenue Q is on Friday!"

We're going to see the show this Friday! HOORAY! You may recall the "adult sesame street" videos I posted a while back...that's from the show. Amazing stuff! I'm so excited. But I didn't agree that the week would feel long. I figured it would race by like all my weeks.

Then I got the phone call that I start work on Monday! Now the week really is dragging...especially with the last Campus Ministries church service of the year tonight, summer volleyball starting tomorrow along with caramel cashew custard at Ollie's, and Mother's Day on Sunday (which I finally got a gift for at Goodwill).

It seems like the end of a chapter in my life...a short chapter, but a chapter nonetheless. I was unemployed, going to church on Wednesday nights, and not having anything to do on Thursday nights...and waiting anxiously for this show. Now, after Sunday, I'll be starting a new chapter...one of ties and shirts, of money and sales goals, of Thursday nights in the sand and Wednesday nights at home...

This, too, shall pass.

Out

Can't Sleep...Clowns Will Eat Me...

So, I'm awake. I have been awake since six o'clock-ish, when the boy got up to go to work. The second I woke up, my brain started compiling a to-do list for the day, a what-if list for the month, and a what-the-hell-am-I-gonna-wear list for my upcoming job.

Today I need to go to the dry cleaner. I've got a single shirt that needs a wash. I'll probably take some sweaters in, too, just so I don't look like a stupid person going in with ONE shirt.

I need to go shopping. I own two ties. One is black. One is white. There isn't a heck of a lot you can wear a white tie with. Well, maybe that's not true...but there isn't a heck of a lot I will wear a white tie with. Also, every tie I seem to buy ends up being too long. I tie it perfectly, and the extra tie that hangs out behind the actual tie always hangs down past the tip. Damn my short torso! So...I'm a little apprehensive about that. Can you shorten a tie? I just want to snip it off...because there's NOTHING else to do with it. Any solutions?

It's long sleeves, a collar, and a tie every day from here on out. No casual Saturdays. And now I work two Sundays a month. I've never had to regularly wear a tie. I don't mind it. I just have more tie issues than most people. Do ties come in different sizes? I don't even know...

Maybe the boy will take me to the Gap where I can buy a sweet white dress shirt. I don't have one of those. And I wouldn't mind getting some slim khakis. The ones I own make me look like a middle schooler on picture day...

And this is what keeps me awake in the morning...but I should get used to it.

I HAVE A JOB!!!

Out

A Lovely Walk...With...Photos?

So, the boy and I decided to take a walk last night after dinner. It was nice. We strolled the neighborhood, chatting, laughing, and looking at each other fondly. It was not unlike a Valtrex commercial.

I stopped to take a photo. It took. I stopped to take a second photo. BEEP BEEP BEEP!

What?

Flick camera on and then off again.

BEEP BEEP BEEP! CARD NOT INITIALIZED!

Umm...who says? It just took a photo. It was fine thirty seconds ago!

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

I wanted to hurl it against the pavement and skip home singing.

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

I took it apart, took out the battery, took out the memory card, flicked it on, pressed buttons, everything...nothing.

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Seriously...I wanted to scream. There were 204 photos on the card, and now it said there were ZERO. All of a sudden my camera got Alzheimer's and forgot that it knew my memory card, that they'd shared vacations and dinners and bike rides together. All gone.

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

So I put it in my pocket and grumped home. When I got there, I jammed it on my charger after rebooting MY computer, which had gotten stuck trying to go into sleep mode (it's newest charming trick). While I waited, I tried my other memory card.

Everything was fine. It remembered. It welcomed.

So I put the other one back in for fun.

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Ugh. Really? At this point I wondered what was lost...when was the last time I uploaded? Weeks ago? Two? Three?

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Finally my computer was back, so I jammed the camera on the charger again and told it to transfer photos. It transferred all 204 of them off the card. Then, I took it off the charger and turned it on.

Boop Boop Beep. Everything's fine.

WTF, camera?!

Let's hope it doesn't have a repeat performance tomorrow. Robb is home from work for an eye appointment and then we're going into the city to meet a friend for lunch.

Right now? It's off to finish the last 6 pages of Script Frenzy!

Out

Texting Your Dad...

So...yesterday I said life wasn't that interesting lately. Well, maybe I should stop saying that. I think it invites drama.

I got a text yesterday. Here's the conversation, basically:

Stranger: Hey, I got your number from a friend and I think you're really hot. Are you gay?

So, here's where I thought, "If he's met my friend, the friend would know I was gay. There aren't any friends who don't know I'm gay. If he has a head, he'd know I was gay. So...who has a photo of me that doesn't know I'm gay?

Me: Umm...yes. Who is asking? And which friend?
Stranger: I knew it! Wanna get Chinese sometime?
Me: I don't even know you!
Stranger: Well, think about it. I think you know who this is.

And I did. The Chinese gave it away. It was an old customer of mine who always looked at me funny when he was in the drive. I thought he was gay, and then I found out he was married. So...I wasn't sure what to think. So I said:

Me: I thought you were married.
Stranger: No, that's my twin brother. We pull that trick on everyone.
Me: You must think I'm some kind of idiot! I'd rather you were straight with me than lied.
Stranger: Fine, I think you're hot and I want to give you head. Is that better?
Me: Well, at least it's more honest.
Stranger: So?
Me: I am happily partnered and have been for 4 years. But thanks...

I was bummed, honestly. My boss said she gave him my number because he told her was going to offer me a job. He didn't specify that it was a BLOW job. Hm...so it was settled. He was a creeper. And married--with children my age. And not going to offer me a job.

Stranger: Sorry. I'll leave you alone.

And that's basically where we left it. And then I didn't sleep last night because my brain wouldn't shut up about the whole situation. And it kept rendering all my memories and thoughts in tiny cubes that dropped in like sand...and it wouldn't let me SLEEP! So I'm really, really tired today. And I thought it was over.

Today, however, I get a text from him offering me a job. A REAL job. It's not what I was making, but it's a job. It's 20-30 hours a week, plus selling incentives and on-the-job perks (not sex!). He says I have "that look" with my hair and clothes and the way I carry myself, that I could sell the product to girls and interested guys without a problem. Waitwaitwait...I get offered a job because I look gay?

So...now I don't know what to think. Is he still trying to get in my pants? Is he realizing he can't have me and trying to keep me nearer for a change TO have me? Is he honestly trying to help me out, now that he knows I'm unemployed and poor?

See, this is how my life works. It's never simple. It's never a job I am SURE about. It's always this morally gray area that I'm forced to trudge through for every friggin good thing that comes into my life! What the hell?

So...yeah. This is my life.

Out

Sweet Dreams Are Made of These...

Last night I had a dream about the Water Guy. He lived in a tiny attic apartment with a filthy mattress and a water cooler. He told me his name was Nick Emmling and that his cell number was (813) 547-2540. Things got naughty. I think my body and mind are telling me I need to get laid.

Remember when I got fired? Let's just say I remember that more clearly than the last time I had sex.

We've been busy...and sort of low in the self esteem department. I wasn't feeling sexy or anything after losing my job, and he was injured. And while I'd be happy to have it any time, any where, our routine is a weekend morning type of thing. Maybe we can shake that up, since we're always busy on the weekends...

Blah. This is depressing.

Enough TMI.

I had a great idea for my blog today, and now I cannot remember what it was.

We took shelter last night in the bathroom for a few minutes because the storm outside was so bad. The wind was so strong at one point that it sounded like we were in a car going down the road with all the windows open. Scary stuff! So, when Robb says we should take shelter, I'm taken back to all those storms from my childhood where we sat in the basement with flashlights and prayed to God our house didn't end up on the news. And you know what? It's still standing. Although one time it was so windy that it blew a shingle off our roof that flew off and punctured the radiator of a friend's car as he drove past our house one day. No lie! How strange is that?

Script Frenzy is in full swing. I'm at 14 pages. I have no idea where I'm SUPPOSED to be, since I can't find a freaking calendar for this event ANYWHERE! But I'm getting there.

In other news, Friday we're having a party at my friend Katie's house for our joint birthday (which is on Sunday). Come on over! Call me for directions.

I'll stop rambling now. You might get a good post soon, but life's been pretty dull. Just a lot of searching for jobs and applying and not getting any response. I told God last night that I gave up my job for Lent, and now it's past Easter so I want it back! I'm still waiting on his people to contact my people...

Out

Texting Your Mom...

I am having a text conversation with my mom right now. It's sort of odd. She's not really "tech savvy." But it's nice when I have a quick question, because most times I don't call her unless I have an hour or so to talk, because a ten second conversation sprials out of control into an hours-long chatfest. It never fails.

And next? Maybe I'll text your mom.

Yesterday I took an hour-long bike ride. I got a little sun and a lot of exercise. I saw the Water Guy! And I was looking cute in my blue, orange, brown, and khaki plaid shorts and my brown tank top. Hell yes! So, I came home and then unexpectedly went to help my friend Jenni move. Let's just say that by 9:00 I wanted to be in bed. I was so exhausted!

Robb was tired, too. And so we came home and had a stupid fight. And then I stayed up and read for an hour while he showered and went to bed. And after I finished James Baldwin's Another Country, I wasn't mad anymore. I just wanted to love my boyfriend and sleep in the same bed. So I went to bed at 11:00 and couldn't fall asleep because the damn blinds kept sucking against the window in the breeze and waking me up every time I dozed off. And I had a lot on my mind. And my arm was hurting from when I sliced it open yesterday. So I had a pretty horrific night of sleep.

This morning I wanted to sleep in, but I was worried the mailman would come and I'd miss him and miss my package. Oh, and the damn cat was knocking everything off the headboard and meowing and walking on my face and biting me...he won't let me sleep past 9:00, ever!

Blah. So I'm exhausted. And today? I have to make two chocolate chip cheesecakes, go pay the electric bill that's overdue, go pay rent, and then we're going to color Easter eggs with friends...and sleeping over...and going out tomorrow and Sunday, too. I'm going to be so exhausted by the end of this weekend.

Anywho...I'm not sorry I'm bitching today. It's one of THOSE days. Maybe I'll take a nap...

Out

Weekend...What?

So...Friday I did this puzzle of my favorite city:



God, you can really see my OCD nature.  My phone is lined up exactly with the edge of the puzzle.  The coaster is lined up perfectly with that, and the box is lined up with the edge of the puzzle, too.  Oh, man...I'm bad about that...

...and then Robb and I went out with friends to Boystown, where we hit up Roscoe's, our favorite bar up there.  It's really the only one I've been in where I've felt completely comfortable.  I'm not really a bar kind of guy, honestly, so I was dreading going just a little bit.  But oh my gosh, we had a great time, despite some awkwardness.

See, I ran into my ex there.  Steve.  We broke up over 4 years ago after dating for 2 months.  It was mostly because he didn't pay me enough attention and also because he lived in the city and I was moving back to E-town with my folks.  So...not worth the drive, really.  But yeah...we were sitting in one of the lounges chatting with our friends Jim and Mike and Randle, and this guy walks in and turns away to go out on the dance floor.  I turned to Robb and I said, "Er...I think that might have been my ex."

So I texted him, because we're not on bad terms, and sure enough, it was him.  He hasn't changed a bit.  We chatted, caught up, he met Robb, showed everyone a photo of his giant...well...anyhow...he had it on his cell phone.  Awkward.  But it was nice to see him.  He's still as socially awkward as when I met him.

Right around that time, one of Robb's co-workers showed up with his date who looked really familiar.  Still not sure why.  But it was nice finally meeting this person who I've heard so much about.  Hopefully we'll get to hang out with them again soon.  They're good people.

Oh, and this guy who worked there, who I thought was really cute with his red hair and stubble (I'm a sucker for red hair), came up to me a few times to collect our empty glasses, and he says to me once, "I like your glasses.  Are they Prada?"  I told him, "No.  Actually they're Randy Jackson."  He made this really hilarious face, like, eww.  And he says, "Oh, well they look like Prada."  Umm...thanks!  Hooray for compliments from strange and cute boys...

Anywho, that was Friday night.  Saturday was the collage party for Script Frenzy.

We met at the Library, Ho:



It's pretty much that ghetto. 

But the writing center is gorgeously painted!



So, we baked for 4 hours in the heat, but we made a lot of progress!  I've got an idea now, that I'm sure I'll talk about later.  I came home and Robb and I got custard, and then I came home and took a nap, since I'd been out until 3 AM the night before.  I missed hanging out with my friend Paul.  Whoops.  I slept until 8 PM, then grogged about, watched Airplane, and went to bed.

Sunday morning we went to church:



And after lunch at home, we took a walk, where we ran into THIS:



Yes.  That's a raccoon on a leash.  It was so cool!  The guy said he got it at a breeder's in Indiana (where "they'll breed anything, those crazy fuckers.")  His name was Miko, and apparently he's a chick magnet.  Well, he certainly attracted the gays, too.  Or maybe the guy who it belonged to had something to do with that...



Oh, yes.  He was pretty, with sweet blue eyes and a good smile.  And a raccoon!  A RACCOON, Y'ALL!  I pet a raccoon.  How strange.

So, altogether a strange and wonderful weekend.  I hope yours was even half as good!

Out

Gar Gar Gar...

If you read my other blog, you'd be treated to my rant about change and redesigning my blog and growing a beard...but it doesn't really apply, here. So...if you'd like to see all of that, look here (click me).

Instead, you get the rest.

The boy is at a funeral today. He looked really good before he left. Funerals are hard, because on one hand, I want to be there for him. On the other hand, I never knew the person and a lot of his extended family doesn't know he's gay. So...it's awkward for both of us if I'm there. I asked him if he wanted me to come with.

I guess I'm staying home again.

But I've got an appointment with career services at 2 this afternoon, so...I won't be sitting home doing nothing ALL day.

I still haven't heard from the unemployment office. Do they just...call? Or something? I dunno. This not having an income thing is really a drag, and I got paid today! I think I've got one more paycheck coming for the two days I worked this week. And then? Nada.

Ugh. Anyone want to loan me their job?

Out

Anger Management...

Yesterday, at one point, I was screaming at my printer at the top of my lungs and smashing my fists on the desktop like some kind of giant baby throwing a tantrum. No, really.

My day went like this:

Me: I would love it if my camera worked again magically.
Camera: Okay! Done.
World: Oh, no...we can't have that.
Crap: We're on it!

And the floodgates opened.

Before I left for work my packages from Amazon showed up. I waited all day to get home and play the game I bought for my Wii. I was short $19.01 at work. I got home and popped said game into my Wii and it wouldn't read the disk. I tried and tried, to no avail, getting angrier all the time. That's what I do when inanimate objects malfunction...it's my rage trigger.

So I tried another game, and it worked perfectly. It was definitely the disk.

I called Robb to vent, and our conversation was sort of like this:

Me: I need to vent or I'll die.
Him: My phone's about to die; I'll call you later when I can plug it in. I'll call you later.
Me: Don't bother. I'll be at church...or lying in a heap because my head exploded. Bye.

Out of sheer hope, I cleaned the disk and tried again. No luck. So I threw it back into the box and got on Amazon. Their return policies are wonderful. I chose to print my own prepaid shipping label. I hit print after installing our printer driver on the new computer, and it started. Here's how it went down:

World: Ready, printer?
Printer: Ready! Ready crap?
Crap: Ready!

Out of ink. Paper jam. Flashing light that wouldn't go off no matter what I did. Print job that wouldn't cancel.

My printer was in dangerous territory, because NOTHING makes me angrier faster than printer malfunctions. I wish I were kidding, but I've been known to beat the shit out of a printer that won't stop being an idiot. I once punched a printer in the face and it spit out a handful of gears, and from then on it worked perfectly. It was so odd...

I have anger issues. I've always been a person with a terrible temper, but I've mostly gotten it under control over the years. It only comes out once in a while (mostly when printers are involved).

So...I did what any sane, logical, rational, calm person would do. I screamed," CANCEL THE FUCKING PRINT JOB!!!" at the top of my lungs and slammed my fists down on the desk top, scaring the cat out of the room.

I'm sure there were other choice words, but I was in a fugue at that point. I raised my fists at the printer, and then I put them down, unplugged it, emailed myself the link to the shipping label, and said I'd do it tomorrow at work.

I think that's progress. Don't you?

Out

I Have the BEST BOYFRIEND EVER!!!

Seriously. He had flowers delivered to me at work for Valentines Day. It's the single sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me! I have been smiling all day long.

Now I just have to figure out how to get them home...

Out

ICE STORM!!!

So...apparently on the only day I have to (HAVE TO!!!) travel, we're getting ice.  A quarter of an inch of it.  And rain.  Three inches of it.  And cold.  That means flooding and ice.  Woot.  Christmas Eve I'll get to skate to my mom's house and hope I don't die, and Christmas night I'll get to swim back home and hope I don't drown.

I'm dreaming of a mild Christmas...

Speaking of that particular holiday:



I probably won't be back before then, so Merry Christmas, all.  I certainly hope your travels are safe and your moments are merry.  Consider this your Christmas card.

From all of us at Viewtiful_Justin, merry Christmas and best wishes for a great 2010! 

With holiday love,
Viewtiful_Justin
Viewtiful_Robb
Viewtiful_Marbles

Ho ho Out

And Tomorrow...

Every night the same dance,
removing things from pockets--
Burt's Bees and Kleenex--
belt clinking, pants off,
setting aside the same undershirt
for tomorrow
while you put it all away in
the basket, rumpled.
Then underpants.
We meet in the hallway, honest.
And forget it all in the shower's steam
as we rinse today from our skin
in favor of sleep
And tomorrow.

-----

Out

Woodwind Hootenanery...

I had a dream last night that the bank got robbed. At clarinet-point.

I have to stop eating Tim Tams before bed.

In other news, we put up our Christmas tree! The cat seems not to care one bit. That's great news, considering we both have a history of cats that like to dive into or out of the tree, knocking it over and casuing damage to walls, floor, tree, and ornaments. But Marble seems content to sleep on a blanket on the couch and lick himself. Fair enough.

I'm sure I'll post photos of said tree once I take some worth sharing. Horribly lackluster, my photo taking skills as of late. Boo on that.

My Christmas shopping as half done. Robb is shopped for, as is my mom. Thank God for Amazon.

Oh, and if you're wondering what to get the blogger that seems to have everything? He doesn't have squat and this is what he would like: [click here].

Oh the weather outside is frightful, and the heater is so delightful,
And since work is fivem inutes from home,
Let it snow,
Let it snow,
Let it snow.

Out

Aftermath...

You'd be surprised how dead the bank is the day after Thanksgiving. I figured it would be so busy with people cashing checks and taking out money for sales. Instead, it's just slow.

Thanksgiving with the boy and my family was wonderful, and if I weren't at work, I'd have a smile plastered on my face from pie and wine and homemeade chocolate chip cheesecake (I made it--first time ever. It was soooo easy; have I mentioned this already?) and cranberry stuffing. Oh man. Good food and good times. Playing New Super Mario Bros Wii with Robb and my sister made for a fun, curse-filled evening.

And now I am fat on chocolate cream pie and turkey. Or...I will be once I get to go home for lunch. Damn late employees slowing me down from taking my lunch. BAH!

But even that can't keep the smile off my face.

Out

Three Thousand, Nine Hundred Ninety-Three...

Yes. That is how many words I need to write before it's all done. And really, it's more like 3,991 because the last two could be "The End." Although, really...that's tacky.

I think the story is going to go one longer than those last four thousand-ish words. They've still got to break the last four disciples out of their prison island and get out of Hell right proper.

That's...going to take some doing in 4,000 words.

Anywho...I am going to kick back and take it easy for the holidays. I work the day before and the day after (which is a drag, since they promised me one or the other off--goes to show you what a promise from your boss is worth). But on Thanksgiving I'll finally get to spend a holiday with the boy. We never get to spend them together, because he's usually off with his family or working at the ski hill...which is open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Blah.

But I get to spend Thanksgiving with him at my mom's house. And that means more to me than anything else. It even makes me smile despite the fact that we might get snow that day.

What else am I thankful for?

My health,
New Super Mario Bros Wii (which is the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on),
My Marbles Kitty,
The Boy,
and being so close to finishing this novel I can taste it!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I certainly hope yours is festive.

Out