The Story of Everest Will Be Told!

Tomorrow. Cripes. I'm pretty much packed, bringing too much luggage (apparently one doesn't have to pay for baggage on international flights). There's a Topshop 12 minutes away (by foot) from where I'm staying on the last day (all alone, mind you). What is it about the stuff of everyday life, like Boots and Tesco, that is so much more exciting to me? My friend makes fun of me, but hell, he always wants to go to Bass Pro and Walgreen's when he's here.

Yay! I ordered a Holga K200 (35 mm) a month ago to take on my trip. I was worried that it wouldn't arrive in time (silly China Post) but it arrived in all its plastic red glory. I can't wait to shoot with it and bore people with my photos of Welsh churchyards and bridges. Once I buy film and get the most beautiful dress in the world back from the tailor's, I am ready to go.

I'm not, however, looking forward to the 45 minute change planes doohickey in Minneapolis. That is very nervous-making. And the going through customs in a country I will only be in for 2 hours (but I do plan on having a beer at Schipol airport) (I have been instructed to do so).

Bean is out of town, so D and I are left to our own devices, which usually include eating weird things for dinner and then going downstairs so D can watch America's Funniest Ball Crushings and Dogs That Wear Pants. A commercial for Pro-Activ came on and he turned to me.

"Why would anyone want clear skin? I mean, then you can see the veins and everything."

It took me a good 3 minutes to stop laughing to answer him.


We went on vacation to MO - visited all the folks and family and watched my friend Kim get married and wept at the beauty of it all. I had bought some praying mantis egg cases to hatch in my little terrarium and I KNEW that they would hatch when I was gone. And they did. The container was crawling with inch long mantises when we came home and they were so adorable! I let them all go in the yard; in the vegetable garden, on the back deck flowers, in the front yard flower garden. I still see them from time to time on the back porch or the deck (one lives in the lavender pot and I just found his shed exoskeleton this evening). It killed me to not keep them in the house, but raising fruit flies to feed them grossed me out a bit. This is a baby mantis on a daisy on the deck.

Friday was probably the higest pinnacle of my geekdom (except this part, where I use the phrase "pinnacle of my geekdom", because that's got to count for something). Bean and I went to see Brian Posehn and the opener, Graham Elwood. I had heard of but not heard Graham and he killed with a bit about his family that only communicated by whistles, clicks and half words, and also his cunning use of the palm strike as well as his second degree yellow belt.

Brian Posehn slaughtered me. At one point, I was laughing so hard that I couldn't breathe and had stopped making sounds. Much of his material was new and he told a story about the last time he was in Omaha with Patton Oswalt. This story included the phrase "busted ass pussy." I'm trying to incorporate that phrase into my spoken conversation. He hung out after the show, and was utterly nice. If I could figure out how to upload the photo of us from my phone I would put it up. He looks like a hill giant about to eat me.

After that, we went to the comic book store! And bought comics! And there were kids outside smoking clove cigarettes! And then we went home and watched Battlestar Galactica! (If we had been able to have a babysitter long enough, we would have caught the midnight showing of Serenity, but alas, we didn't)

Nerd trifecta.

It is snowing. It is April. What the hell?

I accidentally ruined the surprise of my birthday present from Bean yesterday. A letter arrived from the Omaha Zoo addressed to both of us, so I opened it, thinking "Finally, we've been invited to the fancy dress ball at the zoo!" Instead, it was a letter confirming our gift of a donation to the new Butterfly Pavillion with a commemerative brick with MY NAME ON IT. He wasn't sure I'd like it since it isn't a...thing. I love it. I love that my name will be part of my favourite zoo. That was such a sweet and thoughtful thing to do. Whew, I'm old if I'm excited by a brick.

I haven't posted in months, maybe not at all this year, but gosh, yesterday was Raconteurs day! The new album dropped after a week's notice and holy crap, it is good. The first listen made me shriek - it, well, RAWKS. And not in an embarassing way. The harmonies, the fuzz bass, the fiddle, the horns, it's all a perfect mix of gloriousness.

I love them. Brendan Benson's voice is just gorgeous on "Many Shades of Black" and "The Switch and the Spurs." It's so clear and rich, like he's taken voice lessons.

And also, on Monday Bean gifted me with tickets to see them in Kansas City for my birthday. And my best girl is actually off that day (and the day after). With her I have had my most fantastic concert going experiences (like the first time we met at a Dandy Warhols show and Sloan in Chicago) and I cannot think of any other person I would want to be with. Is it April 29th yet?

This is the first pop culturey thing I've felt so enthused about in ages. It feels...good.

While I was working out, I was planning this great journal entry in my head. Of course, as soon as I sat down to write it, it was gone like a mist.

Last week my MIL and her husband came up for a visit. Bean said, "As long as the conversation doesn't go to religion or politics, all will be fine." And why is it that people think that those are perfectly acceptable things to talk about when you know damn well that we don't agree with you and we certainly don't want to debate these things either? The husband cornered Bean with outrage that the governor of MO voted to continue to fund stem cell research. Bean, as you might know, has juvenile diabetes and that caused kidney failure a few years ago. He's all for stem cell research. (OOOhhhh, there's a big deer in my backyard that I can see from my computer desk!) Many of my relatives have died from cancer. I'm for it too. So he corners Bean, with his dander up, trying to make him feel the same vitriol that he does and Bean tries, several times, to defuse it. Finally, Bean says, "I'm not going to react the way that you're looking for here. If there's something that you can do, you should do it."

By all means, if you feel passionately enough about something like that, do what you must. Protest, or sign a petition, or write your congressman or run for office. But get the hell out of our faces. Outrage for the sake of it is pointless.

He got his dander up about a display at the Durham museum. It was about Terrorism in America and had I remembered it was there, we wouldn't have gone. Across the hall from it was a display of the Iowa/Nebraska miniatures guild's holiday houses. So I looked at those and came back into the terrorism exhibit and remarked to my MIL, "This isn't nearly as much fun as the dollhouse exhibit" and the husband said, "But this is real." And I said, "I didn't say it wasn't real. I said the other one was more fun." He's a dour, self important dick weasel and I am as nice to him as I can be because I really adore my MIL (who, in light of his assholism, seemed to agressively have fun). He also got all weird to Bean about "if anyone ever hurts my wife I'll cut their head off" and, well, it was weird. Bean had mentioned his dad, which may have set off the husband's tirade, but hell, that's his dad. You can't deny that they were married for many years (twice!).

I'm just glad he's gone. And there are enough other family members that I can avoid speaking to him at all at Thanksgiving. Maybe it will go away/maybe it will. I've been trying to process that weirdness for a week now. It was just so uncomfortable.

When my sister comes up, the last thing we discuss is politics. Or religion. We discuss stuff like if they bring up an albino squirrel to mate with the black squirrels here, will they be zebra striped when they are born? And, are we out of cheese?

We went to see Spamalot at the Orpheum Wednesday. That was fun. Bean didn't dig it as much as I did. I just wanted to know the words to the Lady of the Lake's songs so I could sing them in the car very loudly.

I've been writing this story since the summer. I would sit on the deck and write all Saturday and Sunday and whenever I got a chance. So I got to a certain point that I wanted to in the story and got stuck. Instead of rewriting, which will be later, I changed narrators. And the weird thing is, my handwriting (I'm writing the viking way, on paper and notebooks, which I haven't done in years) has changed. It's neater, more precise, more appropriate for the character. It's not conscious, but it's nifty.

The Christmas music station is playing Christmas music already. D and I are joyous, yelling "Yay! Christmas!" This weekend, I'm putting the lights up outside and I may actually decide to put the tree up. We're going to be in MO for a couple of days around Thanksgiving and since we put it up on the day after, well, I need lots of tree time.

1. I take my horoscope as a good omen. Sometimes. Like this one, for today, the day of my first President of PTO meeting.

"Long-awaited successes in writing, speaking, or some other art form could lead to an increase in your income and to some degree put you in the public eye. Recognition and acknowledgement for your accomplishments should increase your self-esteem."

That's got to be a good sign.

2. I recently bought a tiara. I've never been in the position to win one, but dammit, I wanted a tiara. It is very lovely and helps me think, much like a tinfoil hat would. It is also stylish for unloading groceries or at the dinner table. People are much nicer if you're wearing a tiara.

3. I really miss the Waxwings. I pulled out Low to the Ground yesterday and it is such a wonderfully perfect album. And look at this! My imaginary boyfriend, Brendan Benson!


4. I've been writing a lot lately and even longhand in a notebook. Like a viking.

5. Erm. I dunno. But This American Life is about to start and I can't think of anything. Perhaps I only have four things this time.

I got all of my housework-y sort of stuff done yesterday so that today I could go in search of a pair of jeans that stays up on my hips and the new Martha Stewart Halloween magazine. Bean asked me if I could just wash his and D's shirts for their corporate walkathon thing on Saturday. Of course I would, and I'd throw in the rest of the laundry needing doing as well. So I've worked out, taken a shower and go to get the laundry out of the dryer. Guess what was in the dryer along with the clothes? An exploded freaking black ball point pen.

I've scrubbed the interior of the dryer with Goof Off and now I'm pretty sure that I've given myself brain damage. I put Harpo and Matthew (The dog and cat) on the deck and am drying some towels in the amazingly stinky dryer. I don't think the ink is still coming off, which is a bonus.

Saturday I went to see Louis CK. By myself. The babysitter canceled with 2 hours notice ("Well you weren't home!") and though I scrambled mightily for those 2 hours, Bean stayed home with D and I went to Lincoln by myself. And it was awesome. Except for when I got lost a little bit. But I found my way back to the highway and everything was A-OK. And at the Rococo theater the seating was at 4 top tables, so I shared a table with a completely lovely couple named Mary and Nick. They were adorable and sweet and it was only slightly awkward.

And Louis was great.

Bean caved the other night and said rather begrudingly, "Fine. I'll go see Louis CK with you. Order the tickets." So I did, and they're awfully good: Orchestra Row C. So now I can pee my pants from laughing in public. I understand why he is sort of wigged by Louie; he can be, well, shockingly honest.

But yay! I get to see Louie CK!

My father in law has finally left my house. He's been here nearly a week, and while company is good for about 3 days, possibly 4, I am just relieved. He's fine, pretty inoffensive, but he smokes, and he does it a lot. He doesn't do it in the house (because I would throw fucking down) but it still clings to his clothes, his hair, etc, and leaves that stale smell in my house. And he has a dog that he treats like a child. I have claw marks on my legs from where she jumped up to beg from me. And he's killed too many of his brain cells with the pots so it is hard for him to get dressed before, oh 6 pm, if at all. Last night my husband's boss was coming over for dinner, and while I know him and have socialized with him, I still wanted it to be a great experience, with good food, and a comfortable atmosphere where, let's say, no one is in a bathrobe and shorts. So when they were on the way I mentioned this and, yes, he actually got dressed.

And don't get me started on the red wine stain on my cream coloured carpet in the guest room that I wasn't even told about. Jackass.

I know of only 3 people that I can stand in my house for longer than 3 days and they are my best friend Tonya, my oldest friend Nick and my sister. They all, you know, do stuff around the house (Nick has at various times: given the dog a long bath and held him until he dried, put up an under the counter stereo in the kitchen, taken my dog and son for a walk, bundled up boxes to take to recycling, made dinner, bought wine for everyone I know, etc. He's a great guest, but I get snippy with him after about a week. I'm a recluse. A weird, eccentric recluse).

Last week, Bean called me from work in the morning, and said that the car was acting weird, it wouldn't accelerate onto the freeway from the on ramp, and he was going to take it to the shop. He called when D was at swim class and said that he had good news and bad news. The bad news is that the car threw a rod and it would cost $4500 to get a new motor put in our 1998 Camry (the one that we got demoused and new brakes on to the tune of $2000 a couple of months ago). The good news is that...well, there are cars at the dealership just down the street. We had been talking about getting a new car for about a year, and had talked ourselves down many times, but our hands were forced. So we ended up with a used 2007 Camry. It's gorgeous. Sunroof, amazing stereo that turns down when you're at a stoplight, sidecurtain airbags, and the shape of it is really neat. So now both of our vehicles are of this century, and he has a car that looks good for him to drive to work (have to keep up that corporate image, you know).

And Monday when I took D to daycamp at the Durham, I wandered around the Old Market for a while, until it was time to pick him up. I bought CD's (the new Patton Oswalt nearly killed me), bought a tiny Hotei, had a beer at the Upstream and got my hair cut. I hadn't found the person I wanted to do my hair since I'd moved here, but I think I might've found her now. I got my eyebrows waxed and they were red STILL 8 hours later. Now I have a zitty rash above them. But they're shaped fantastically!

I have not felt the tug of obsession for anything like I currently feel since Mr. Show. And coincidentally, it's for a comedy show on HBO. Oh the non-ironies.

So yeah. Flight of the Conchords is my new favourite thing in such a big way that every time that I see that there is a rerun on, I watch it again. And it holds up to repeated viewings because it is absolutely stinking brilliant, with little in-jokes and visual stuff that you couldn't possibly catch on the first or second viewing. And they're hiliarious, and endearing and their songs are amazingly good, so good that Bean (no fan of music, really) said, "If they wrote serious songs, they'd be really famous."







And the Bowie Song:



And this one too, which is awesome.




I love love love them. If it weren't for them, I'd probably cancel HBO.

Also? I love YouTube.

In other news, the weather has been so amazing lately. Last night we went on a hike at Hitchcock (or Mosquito Canyon, as I like to call it. I have mosquito bites through my shirt!) and today after D's swimming lesson we went to the zoo. In the summer, I really only want to do the buildings, like the Lied Jungle or the Kingdoms of the Night or the aquarium, but today was so nice we went to the side of the zoo we never go to, where the sea lions roam and the elephants push enormous balls of what looks like poop. And we rode the train. And we watched monkeys try to figure a way to get on the bridge across Monkey Island to steal some dude's popcorn. Monkeys are funny.

Saturday we went to see the Violent Femmes, who were surprisingly good. We double dated with my pal Amy and her husband and everyone got along famously, so that bodes well for hanging out again with them. They have a daughter who is in D's class and Amy is genuinely one of the nicest people I've ever met. I have no idea what she sees in me.

If my child calls from upstairs (whilst I am downstairs) "You're the best mom ever" I had best go investigate post haste. It usually includes some sort of gooey mess that needs industrial strength solvents to clean up.

Where The Change Is is on the CD player right now. Sigh. Those were good days.

And also, the new Joel Plaskett makes me so damn happy to hear. It's really brilliant. He's so consistently good and never disappoints me.

I sincerely miss those days of being really passionate about music like I was back in the days of loving Sloan and the Flashing Lights and the Salteens. I am currently still freaking smitten with Brendan Benson (not entirely by the 1st album, but he's a fantastic songwriter and Lapalco cannot be removed from the upstairs CD player lest I have to just SING the songs). And I get that fanaticism feeling that I had for Sloan with him, but it's not all encompassing and filling up my days entirely. Which I suppose is healthier. Maybe I'm just old.

But D has decided that we must go see the White Stripes in Lincoln. I'm not sure where he thinks the $100 to go see them is going to come from. He insists that I will win tickets and I will take him, but his father pointed out that it's not really a place for a 7 year old boy. But he really digs the new CD (and I do too, but sadly, not obsessively).

I've been on vacation, all the way to Florida and then about a week later back to MO. Florida was great. MO was a pain in the ass, and I had a delightful time with my pal Amy and a delightful time shopping, but I'd rather not go back anytime soon. My family there is so dysfunctional. I'm glad to be here.

But I did buy a crapload of Bitten clothes and now have cute stripey shirts in 3 colours. And that is good. And hair products that smell like heaven, if heaven is an oatmeal cookie, which I think it might be.

A quick round of Things I Like/Things I Don’t Like, shall we?

• I like soft water. I had to change the shower curtain liner today for the first time since we moved almost a year ago. It wasn’t dirty, it was torn. When we had hard water, I had to change it monthly. And I am slightly lazy.
• I like the Archiver’s scrapbook store in Omaha. And I can get there without much thought. What I like best is the wall of stuff that is $2 and under, like stickers and buttons and nifty stuff. I am thinking of going there this afternoon, but I actually have things at home I should do.
• I like my new DVR/VCR combo. I don’t like that the DVD player we got in June of 2006 already crapped out, however. But this Sony one is awesome, and I can copy my VHS of Carny (which is in sad shape and not out on DVD) and my VHS of the Forbidden Zone and the VHS of the Duran Duran video album onto DVDs and I am a happy girl. And all of the home movies that we have on video I can put on DVD. And all of the Something Weird shorts that run on our cable on demand thingie.
• I don’t like hooking up new electronics. It took us a couple of hours to hook up the DVR, but it is clearly a case of too many cooks. Once I had a moment to step back and actually think about it, I got it hooked up easily. We both get testy under new electronics stresses.
• I like spring. I like the daffodils that are blooming and that I can dig my hands in the soil again.
• I like that I get to see bunnies in the yard almost every day.
• I like that I got in on the Sampler for April, which is my birthday month. I have been trying to get a Sampler for a couple of years now, so I am tres excited.
• I don’t like that I missed Sondre Lerche yesterday in Omaha because I am still rather hazy on where things are and am too much of a weenie to go to shows by myself over there. I should have gone.
• I like dropping D off at school and knowing that he will be there for a few hours and come home with something interesting to tell me that he has learned. I also like parent/teacher conferences where they tell me how smart he is.
• I like that we are going to go on vacation this year. I’ve booked the plane tickets and after the taxes come back I will get the park passes/hotel set up. Hint: There is a mouse involved. D doesn’t know where we are going, and we’re not telling him until later. He’s just excited enough to go on a plane.
• I like that I have been in my house long enough to start rearranging things.
• I love my house. I love that the windows don’t have to be propped open by sticks. I love that it is cozy in the winter and the basement is cool in the summer. I love central heating and air. I love that our last house was crummy enough that this one is a freaking palace.
• I love when my cat Matthew puts his paws on my back when I’m about to go to sleep. Matthew has slept on my pillow for as long as I can remember, nestled between the Bean and me. There were a few days after we moved that he did not come upstairs, but he’s back to his routines now.
• I love this little grocery store that opened near my house. The produce is lovely and the meat is cut to order. Only they’re not open on Sundays. Seeing as how I barely leave the house on Sundays, I suppose that’s okay.
• I love my library. It is utterly gorgeous, and they have a great selection, unlike my library in Ozark, which was staffed by old ladies who really liked their mystery novels. That was about all they ordered. In the recent weeks I’ve read the new biographies of Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. I’ve read Gimp, and found the Top 10 graphic novels. I’ve read Joss Whedon’s Fray. I’ve become obsessed with Elizabeth Taylor.
• I love the Buffy Season 8 comic books.
• I love that my comic book store is catty corner down 84th street from Mangelsen’s and that I have to go there when I’ve finished.
• I love bullet points.

We got woken up at 5 am with thundersnow. They had said a storm was coming and that the rush hour was going to be crummy. Schools are canceled everywhere. Bean's boss called him and said not to worry about coming in, which is good because getting up the driveway was nearly impossible even in 4 wheel drive. Plus, the highway he takes into work is closed.

I think we've got at least a foot of blowing snow, maybe more. Bean shoveled the walk at 9 am and now it is up mid shin. He's out shoveling again, but the snow is still going. And the wind gusts are fierce. And we still have a blizzard warning. We didn't have those in MO.

So we've stayed in and marveled at the snow. I've baked bread and made sugar cookies and taken a nap and worked out and talked on the phone to my friend Nick and read more of my Katharine Hepburn biography. There has been Xbox 360 played and my dear boy brought me a big comforter and his own pillow to nap with.

The Omaha schools are closed for tomorrow and I sort of hope that the Council Bluffs schools are as well. I'm not itching to get out and drive even after the roads have been cleared. I'm better at driving in it than I used to be, but given the choice, I'll just stay home, thanks.

The malls are closed, for heavens' sake!

Oh, but also? Bean got a huge raise. Like more than I'd made at most of my jobs in my working days. This is good. I get to keep my cable. And maybe get a new car at some point that no mouse has made a nest in the motor of. My car smells like a barnyard when I turn on the vents. So you know he'll be getting out tomorrow. He's got incentive.

We got woken up at 5 am with thundersnow. They had said a storm was coming and that the rush hour was going to be crummy. Schools are canceled everywhere. Bean's boss called him and said not to worry about coming in, which is good because getting up the driveway was nearly impossible even in 4 wheel drive. Plus, the highway he takes into work is closed.

I think we've got at least a foot of blowing snow, maybe more. Bean shoveled the walk at 9 am and now it is up mid shin. He's out shoveling again, but the snow is still going. And the wind gusts are fierce. And we still have a blizzard warning. We didn't have those in MO.

So we've stayed in and marveled at the snow. I've baked bread and made sugar cookies and taken a nap and worked out and talked on the phone to my friend Nick and read more of my Katharine Hepburn biography. There has been Xbox 360 played and my dear boy brought me a big comforter and his own pillow to nap with.

The Omaha schools are closed for tomorrow and I sort of hope that the Council Bluffs schools are as well. I'm not itching to get out and drive even after the roads have been cleared. I'm better at driving in it than I used to be, but given the choice, I'll just stay home, thanks.

The malls are closed, for heavens' sake!

The hubby has been out of town since Wednesday and will return on Monday. He is currently working for his company, who are corporate sponsors of the big golf tournament at Pebble Beach. He called me yesterday to let me hear the ocean via his cellphone, whilst it was 12 degrees here and snowing. Forgive me if I'm bitter.

Though I will say, it's nice living in a place with actual winter. It's not been above freezing in the past month, I think, and we still have snow on the ground from weeks and weeks ago. It makes spring ever so alluring and my dreams of planting things even dreamier. Back in MO, it's been 40 to 50 degrees apparently. We missed out on their big ice storm, however, which is good. The thought of having either mine or my honey's relatives staying with us for a prolonged time because of lack of power gives me the shudders.

So the little sprout and I are on our own. We have eaten terrible food, like chili cheese dog fries and pizza, and watched Star Wars movies and god knows what we'll do tomorrow, but it will involve making a Valentine's box for school. I've done some scrapbooking, which is fun for me if everything is all over the floor for ages and I'm watching something horrible on TV. Cops is my weakness.

I keep volunteering for more PTO stuff. I like the whole 'cash from trash' idea and have signed the school up for the Campbell's program. Now I'm doing Box Tops, Best Choice UPC's and soup labels. It keeps me from volunteering to be the boss of the whole damn thing. I like speaking to groups, because I think of myself as a frustrated stand up comedian, but the whole responsibility thing kind of blows.

Why didn't anyone tell me how awesome Battlestar Galactica is? Granted, it's no Firefly, but nothing is.

We went to see the Lion King at the Orpheum. Damn. It was possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen, save the room full of motor oil at the Saatchi. Since Bean had to go to CA, we sold our previous tickets on Ebay and bought new ones with the Xmas bonus and were 7 rows from the stage. God, it was amazing. And that the cast was full of pretty men with no shirts did not hurt one whit. There was a moment with a stage full of 6 half dressed hyenas that made me think I might need to get up there and slip dollars under their masks. But it was seriously cool.

I have mere moments before going to pick up monkey boy at school, and cannot reach my sister on the phone, so I may as well blather here.

Thanksgiving was swell. We left here about 3 pm on Wednesday and stayed at Bean's grandma's house. I brought my little dog because I have somehow become that person. Dinner was fantastically fun at Dad's. I gave him his Xmas gift early (I'm too cheap to ship stuff) which was some genealogy software. I have spoken to him nearly every day since and he says the same thing. "I'm working on our family tree stuff. I really like this program." He'd been collecting family tree data for several months before this and it feels so good to have given him something that he really enjoys. Besides, I got it at an amazing price on Ebay, which I think helps him enjoy it more. The man loves a bargain. He's not big on full price.

We came back home that Friday. We didn't go to Bean's family thing. He was protesting because it wasn't held on Thursday. I didn't mind. I always want to go home.

So this past weekend was Bean's Xmas party at work. We got a new babysitter (a sweet 12 year old girl) and I really liked her. Dinner at Kona that night, and then Saturday we went to his work to have D's photo taken with Santa. On the way back we went to Mangelsen's, which is THE BEST STORE IN THE WORLD. Seriously. I have been fantasizing about this store since we left there. It's got party stuff, and Halloween stuff, and holiday goodies and a HUGE scrapbooking section and a whole wing of craft stuff. I've got chills just thinking about it. After the holidays, I'm spending Christmas money there. All of it.

I just got back from driving around Omaha by myself. This is a big thing for me. I've never done it except to bring stuff to Bean. But I went to ShopKo (big toy sale) and then World Market (mmmmm marzipan) and then...I guess I headed back to Council Bluffs. But I didn't get lost and I didn't freak out and I am nearly done with the Christmas stuff. The pets are done, D is nearly done and Bean is, I think, done. I've got a couple of things to make (something for each of them). And Thursday when Bean is out of town, I am making a cocktail that involves egg nog and watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and wrapping presents. I have no wrapping mojo without Jimmy Stewart.

We're getting ready to leave for Colorado for the wedding and I'm watching the weather channel. Guess where there are winter storm watches? Yep. Right where we're going through. I'm so not keen on driving in crappy weather and granted, they are used to getting snow off the roads, so it should be okay, but crappity crap. Bean's on his way to pick up the rental car and when he returns, I have to follow him back to the rental place to get the truck, then go get Harpo to take him to the kennel. And all told, I think I'd rather stay here and go see the Violent Femmes at Harrah's tomorrow night. I guess I'd better go find D's snowboots.

I picked Harpo up from the vet’s this morning. He’s had his bollocks removed and I feel so terrible for him. He wants to get on the sofa, but it’s too high. He needs carried up and down the stairs. So I’ve carried him up for food and then down for a pee and he’s back to where he was, lying under my chair, waiting.

My sister and her friend left this am. They went to a show here at a casino and I didn’t go (couldn’t make myself spend $35 on a guy I didn’t much care to see) so I didn’t hang with her as much as I would’ve liked. The normal stuff of life – picking the boy up from school, picking the dog up from the vet- seemed to preclude that. Still, she made it up here, and twice now, so good on her. Only 2 members of Bean’s family have come here and so he thinks they suck. Beside, my sister bought us pressies when she won on video poker, so hurrah.

I’m spending much time in the car. Today, for example, I have to go to D’s school to attempt to meet with his teacher regarding the horrible day he had yesterday (making noises, talking, not following directions) and to see the secretary about getting addresses for his birthday party, which I just scheduled. After that, if he’s not been a hooligan at school, we’ll go to the park for a bit, then home for a quick bite, and then to soccer practice (Tuesdays and Thursdays). We have to leave soccer early to get to open house. Friday we have nothing planned, but Saturday is swimming lessons and Sunday is Bean’s corporate cup thing at 7 am (which I think I’ll respectfully decline).

Next Friday we’re leaving early early to go to Colorado for Andrew’s wedding. Bean’s taken an extra day off so we don’t have to haul ass back on Sunday and then I’ll really get to go to Doc Holliday’s grave. Yay! We tried to go many years ago when we were headed to Tombstone, but the snow was so bad that we avoided that part of CO altogether. I really want to go to the vapor caves, but I somehow think it won’t happen. But hell, we’re boarding the dog and renting a car, so this is all terribly exciting.

I’ve been working out 5 days a week for two months now. I fit into a dress I’ve not been able to fit into for 3 years. I also feel like an ass kicking bitca and am ridiculously flexible for someone of my advanced age. I had read this article in Allure saying that the great beauties of the world looked their best at 36 (Sophia Lauren, Audrey Hepburn). As I am aspiring to be a great beauty I decided that it was time to get off the couch and actually do it. That said, I’ve not worked out today. I took a nap instead. I actually feel guilty about it (but only slightly) but the week’s not over. But the thing is, I like working out. I like feeling this way and I hadn’t done it seriously in, oh, 3 years.

And looking good at the wedding won’t hurt either.

I just finished reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I can’t stop thinking about it. When I was reading it waiting to pick the boy up I found myself crying and didn’t even realize it. It is an amazing book. I wish I hadn’t read it so I can read it again for the first time.