Thanks for the fish

Left work at 4:15 because my boss wasn’t there and I got there at 7:30. My friend D isn’t at work so I was left with two rather annoying, unintelligent coworkers. I know I should be compassionate, but hell, sometimes stupid people piss me off. Or just get on my nerves.

It’s times like this that I realize that most people are good hearted people becuase they don’t want to hear me talk about how the rest of the world are idiots. I’ll assume my dear readers are just as good hearted so I won’t go into my normal diatribe about how two of my coworkers are the dumbest people I have ever wroked with. Lucky you!

So I got home and tackled day 1 of editing my novel! It was fun. Way funner than I thought. I like it! The possibilities are just limitless. I’ve got my characters and a general plot, but now I can think about making them richer and deeper. It’s a little sad, but I’m actually starting to like the fictional world I’ve created way more than the actual life I’m living. And I’m starting to like my heroine more than me. Do you think this is a problem? I say no, because all I’m doing is writing down the fictional better world that has been in my head all along. Which is perhaps one reason why I’ve never been particularly pleased with the real world. But shit, if it’s my “bliss” who can judge me. So maybe I was just meant to be a fiction writer. If I accept that the real world will never live up, then where’s the harm?

I made some lentil soup for lunch tomorrow. For dinner I had 2 martinis, a bag of popcorn, and a carton of yogurt with walnuts. I have my weigh in tomorrow and dont’ have particularly high hopes. Oh well.. and I have been smoking, and even drinking diet coke. So what habit am I working on now, you ask? Um…um… there must be one I’m tackling. I haven’t smoked pot in 10 years. Does that count? A habit conquered is a habit conquered.

I talked to my sister today and realized that I don’t talk to her much anymore. She was mad because me and my parents were speculating about how much money she and her husband made and my dad was stupid enough to tell her that. He also got the figures slightly wrong. I guess being over 70 will do that to you. They make more money than god so I don’t know why she has such a complex. But apparently she still wants to be known as “the poor one” despite the fact that they paid nearly a million dollars for their house (ok, more like $650K or so). hmm…. whatever.

My other sister worries me. She seems rather unstable. So strange for my family…

And me, I’m unhappy and discontent as usual and am waiting for life to do something drastic to me because I don’t have the guts to do it myself.

hmm hmm…boy is it good to be home, eating cheese curls for breakfast! Life is good.

We got back on Friday evening in good time. It was a quick trip, and was pretty nice, but I think in everyone’s mind it was sort of something to be gotten through rather than something to enjoy. So we all survived and I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be the last family Christmas for us. And that is ok. I love my family but all of us together at once isn’t necessarily the best idea. My sister has a 2 year old and another on the way, so she is busy and preoccupied and stressed out. And the rest of us are just kind of moody. But my English cousin and his girlfriend spent Christmas day with us and they were very interesting to talk to. And surprisingly the ride down and back with my parents was actually quite pleasant. Having said all that, I’m staying home next Christmas!

I’ve gained a little bit of weight. I really want to lose some, but obviously the taste of cheese curls won over teh possibility of being svelte by spring. I really need to get some self control. I did go to the gym yesterday though and in the new year, I really do plan to make some healthy changes. I haven’t had a cigarette in quite some time. I’m pretty serious about giving up diet coke. And I’m just going to stop buying crap like Ritz crackers and cheese curls that I will mindlessly eat entire boxes of in one sitting. I think I’ll start thinking of some new years resolutions too.

Back to work tomorrow. I feel like i”m in a pretty good place mentally. I guess time away does do you some good. It’s warm here today and I expect much of the snow to go away.My parents got me a bird feeder for Xmas and we filled it with premium seed (not the black oil sunflower like usual) and the birds are not diggin’ it. I suppose they are up at my in-laws getting the good stuff.

I’ve been reading a book called “The World Without Us,” that J got me for xmas. I’ve wanted it for a while but my new frugalilty has stopped me from buying it. It’s really interesting. It tells the story of what might happen if humans were to disappear tomorrow. how long would are houses last? What animals would trhive without us and which ones would go extict (rats, cockroaches, dogs). Interestingly, they said cats would probably survive. That made me smile.

Well…time for a shower and then I’m going to sit by the fire and read my book.

and I’ve finally gotten motivated enough to buy stamps. I planned my whole schedule around going to the post office since they are open a whole 2 hours on Saturday. Then, I braced myself for the long lines. Then I got there and realized I live in a one-horse town where I had to actually ring the bell for service. I was the only one in there. Another good reason I moved to the boondocks ( I do hate those xmas crowds).

Then I did something I haven’t done in many months. I went to Target and bought pretty much whatever my heart desired, though I did control myself and not buy a bunch of turtleneck sweaters that were super cute (and pretty cheap). But I bought a game called Partini. We’re going against both our personalities and our good sense and are having a New Years party with about 10 people. We’re not party people and we’re definitely not party throwing people, but I suppose you need to do these things sometimes just to remind yourself why you don’t. : ) So now we have a board game and our friend F is bringing over the video games. And no, you’re not mistaken, we’re all in our mid 30s. Isn’t life in America grand?

I bought the cats some toys, some boxes for these glittered pear ornaments I made (i know! I’m impressed too), these little ornaments that you can put photos in that I’m using as name tags on the pear gifts. I got more creative this year with the idea that I’d do more stuff home made and spend less, but I don’t really think I spent less. Oh well. Then I stocked up on cat food, cat litter,etc. to make sure the boys have enough for when we’re away next week.

Feeling a little ambivalent about Xmas. For some reason, it seems like it’s already past. Like I already did it. I keep seeing Xmas tree sellers out there and keep thinking to myself “why would anyone be buying a tree now that xmas is already past?). It’s been a long run-up, I guess. Maybe because we bought our tree early and frankly, I’m a little over it. I’m a scrooge and so is J. He said “I’m looking forward to those post xmas winter months where it’s cold and dreary and you have nothing to look forward to.” And I agreed with him. I’m grumpy too.

However… I have enjoyed doing some homemade gifts and I am looking forward to seeing my family. I guess I’m just tired and a little stressed out about the trip. We’re driving and my dad will be with us. He’s a little prone to depression and he’s also very tall, which means he’ll be uncomfortable. He can also get mean sometimes, so I try to keep him as happy as possible. I hope it goes ok.

Anyway… we got a big shed delivered yesterday and then it snowed several inches, so J is out there in the snow trying to get it situated. We have these 2 piles of lumber that we’ve been moving around for about 4 years. We somehow always move them to a spot that we soon realize is in the way. It’s getting old so I’ve decided to take charge of teh house instead and leave J on his own. The guilt is killing me but I’m working through it.

blah blah blobbedy blah. I need to fold laundry.

winds to a close. I could totally use another week though. It’s been nice to stay home and sleep in my own bed each night, and I feel pretty relaxed and stuff, but I guess there is something to be said for leaving home for a vacation. But we didn’t spend too much moneyand we had a good time, so I’ll call it a success. : )

My sister, her husband, and my 17 month old nephew were here for the last few days - so needless to say, I’m exhausted. My nephew is really cute, and for the most part sweet, but boy is it tiring being around a toddler. You have to chase them around constantly to make sure they don’t kill themselves. He’s an active, squirmy little guy too who seemed to need constant entertainment or he started fussing. I suppose that’s normal. : ) He liked playing the piano though (I think he has some talent), 

Oh boy, ok so my mom just called and she fell down the stairs in their new house… these aren’t small stairs either and there was no rail up since it’s basically under construction. Apparently she’s black & blue and broke her clavicle. : ( And she’s 60 something years old. This is so mom though… my dad finds her at the bottom of the stairs in a heap and tries to get her up and she says “I’m just going to lay her for a minute. Why don’t you go make me a cup of tea?” tee hee… But she says she is ok…going to see an orthopedic surgeon about her broken bone tomorrow. Oy veh.

We went up to visit them and see their new house 2 days ago with my sister. It’s in the mountains of Western Maine with a view to die for. The house itself is gorgeous except for the fact that the guys whol ived there before still haven’t cleaned out all of their crap. And the majority of the drywall, floors, and ceilings are not in. It’s a lot of work but they do like a challenge. And it has oodles of potential. And best for me, it’s only an hour or two away and very close to some great ski resorts! (not that I ski). Also close to some big lakes where I can go kayaking.

Other than that, we’ve just been trying to keep our guests entertained. I did give up my 30 day sobriety challenge 2 days early, but not out of weakness (seriously). I honestly felt like after 28 days I had proved my point. Had white wine Friday night and felt fine. It wasn’t as great as I remembered. Red wine last night and felt like utter shit all night and still a bit this morning. Soooo over red wine. I think I’ve learned that I can live without it now. But we’ll see.

Back to work tomorrow and none too happy about it. I need to see how much vacation I have left and plan some mroe long weekends during the summer.

Well, we finally got a scorcher of a day..and as fate would have it, it was the day my niece graduated high school…outside. It was one of those hours long ceremonies with the sun beating down on us. I coudl feel the sweat rolling down my back and my skin baking on contact. But of course it was worth it and I’m not too much worse for wear. A bit of a sunburn on my shoulders and knee,and maybe some slight dehydration. Sort of strange to see the next generation going out into the world, yet sort of inspiring (I accidentally typed “expiring!”) too. The kids who spoke seemed very bright and they almost give me faith in the future of the world. And of course my neice is a sweet girl. She’s just so friendly and open and happy. I’ve probably hugged her (or she has hugged me) more times than I’ve ever hugged anyone. So… I sort of got # 96 on my list done (hug someone without doing “the pat”). You all know what “the pat” is, right? It’s that thing that non huggers do when they get hugged. They try to keep as much personal space as possible during the hug and then awkwardly pat the other person’s back to signal the end of the hug. : ) Well, I didn’t do the pat, but I’m still not too happy with my hug. So I think it still needs work - I’ll leave it on the list.

I’m working on a few other numbers too. I’ve flossed my teeth 4 days in a row (3 more to go) - #78….there’s no rule that says I have to start with the hard ones. Oh, and no drinks for 2 days (28 days to go) for #48 (there’s a hard one…a frozen margarita sure would’ve been good today).

I have not been focusing on my book, so not too confident that I’ll be done in a month. : ( I always do this… I just lose faith in my idea before I even start. So tonight I will work at least a little bit on it. My piano recital is tomorrow and I’m just plain not ready for it. Oh well. I’ll stumble through it nonetheless.

Gardening… we finally got the veggies planted yesterday. 6 beefsteak tomatoes, 6 mamma mia tomatoes (good for making paste suppposedly), 2 dusky something eggplants, 3 butternut squash, 2 buttercup squash, 6 slicing cucumbers, buttercrunch lettuce, and some sweet corn planted from seed. We put up a fence this year to deter the deer. Last year was the first problem we’ve had with deer, and they can surely jump over our 4 feet high fence, but there’s plenty of gardens in the neighborhood so maybe they’ll decide to munch on someone else’s this year.

Also got my weed garden weeded, with J’s help. He’s been a huge huge huge help in teh garden this year. I’m trying to get the place lookign nice for when my sister and brother in law come in July. They have a really nice house and stuff and I don’t want them to think I live in hillbillyville. : ) It’s actually coming together quite nicely. The peony I bought at the local plant sale is doing nice, even though it’s sort of broken at the stem. I also planted some herbs in pots this morning…basil, stevia (supposed to be 30 times sweeter than sugar), rosemary, plus some cherry tomatoes. Also bought some gorgeous huge fuschias in hanging basket for the front door. I love them!

Monday night.

1) Man, am I tired. My flight from VA got in at midnight, so I was home by 1 am and in bed. I am so glad to be home. PLease just remind me (again) that there is no place like home. So comfy and lovely, with good company and a warm bed, and boy do I love where I live. You couldn’t pay me to move (well, maybe you could… but that will be a later random thought).

My trip was nice, but it was cold and rainy in Virginia. I was really tired the whole time, perhaps because I was hanging out with a 1 year old boy for most of the time. My nephew is wicked cute! He really is. He toddles around and points at things and says “da!” to everything. My sister is concerned he’s slow, but I think he’s just being smart. As soon as he starts talking they’ll be able to reason with him (and who the hell wants that?). Went to a place called Aladdin for a falafel wrap with my friend A and she broke teh news that she is pregnant. So that means I am virtually the only one left from my long term friends who hasn’t had a baby. She said she could have waited another 10 years, since she really likes her life, but you know…that whole biological clock BS. I guess you have to shit or get off the pot eventually. I got off the pot!

I didn’t mean to but I went on about my conspiracy theories and came off like a crackpot. It really wasn’t intentionally but you know, the red wine was a-flowin’. Then I called my sister and her husband sell outs for being rich bastards and not buying a hybrid car (they bought a ford escape - non hybrid). whoopsie. I know… I’m obnoxious! It’s not like I don’t know it. Oh well… they are family, so theoretically they have to forgive me.

My sister also called me a pessimist since I’m very unhappy with the state of the world. I’m especially pissed off about health care. If I didn’t love Maine so much, I would seriously think about moving to England where I could at least get free health care. It’s total BS and you know it. I pay for health insurance and NOTHING IS EVER COVERED! But, as I said to J tonight, there’s no point getting upset about health insurance or the phone company because they’re both going to f*ck you over and there’s nothing you can do about it. And the high blood pressure that you get from being pissed off just makes you sicker and then you end up paying more. Now tell me that’s not a conspiracy. Or at least a whopping big paradox..

Conspiracy theory: Women are kept in their place by thinking about men and their appearance constantly (the two are really tied together.) I know I talk about this a lot, but when a man looks ugly (and they DO have bad days too) I seriously doubt that they let it ruin their day. All the time we spend (not to mention the money) on our appearances. Having said that… my pores are huge. I just bought some Neutrogena Pore refining toner and cream. I’ll let you know how it works.

Another random thought: I think I’ve figured out the purpose of marriage. It’s because it’s too distracting being single….always looking around, etc. IT allows you to think about other things, and not only that but then people don’t ask you about your love life (because you obviously don’t have one once you get married). When you’re single, people constantly ask about your love life. How annoying. And then you have to be defensive about not really caring about it, when nobody believes that. Of course, I haven’t been single for 10 years, but I sort of remember what it’s like. So there’s another blessing for being married. If there was a bit of sex involved, it wouldn’t be so bad.

Yes, and it goes downhill from there.. now I’m going to talk about my new diet, and then I might talk about shoes! So at this conference I went to, they said that you could figure out your ideal weight by taking the number of inches above five feet that you are (8 for me) times 5 (40) plus 100 = 140. That’s 15 pounds less than I am right now, but oh… you know… everyone tells me I’m big boned and they compliment me (i think) by saying “you don’t look like you weigh that much!” Whatever. And I say to myself… you’re healthy, you look good, why worry. But I would imagine, it’s better not to have rolls of fat… just a theory. Anyway, I just feel like doing it, so now I’m cutting calories to 1500 and have vowed to exercise most days.

The same talk at the conference said that sleep was mucho importante, as is being happy. And they even mentioned Martin Seligman and his whole Positive Psychology thing. Then, coincidentally (synchronicitally) my sister gave me back my Authentic Happiness book this trip, so now I’m rereading it. I poopooed all that for a while when I was in my Jungian phase, but I’m back in a practical phase and I wanna be happy goddamnit!

So you didn’t belive me when I said i had 101 random thoughts… Oh! I finished Wicked. I think I might be dense because I never understand books or movies… I enjoy them, I enjoy the writing (or the acting) but I don’t really know what it was about. Somethinga bout the nature of evil and the environment shaping what you become and it all depends on the point of view….?? I dunno, but I liked it nonetheless.

still need to plant my callas…finger slowly healing (103 random thoughts)

that is not a song. I was just reading my own blog for kicks… gosh I’m funny. I do like how blog.com rearranged the tags so the things I tag often are big. It shows at a glance what I like to talk about: books, food, garden, dreams, music, nature, piano, travel, vacation, work, and writing. That about sums it up, huh? I need to start tagging better. Shocked “martinis” didnt’ make the cut. : )

Anyhoo… we were going to go for a walk around Back Cove but the parking was horrible. Eventually I got fed up with the fact that I was driving around looking for parking so I could go for a damn walk. The ironies of city life. So I was pulling out to drive home and just go for a walk in the country and drove right by our gym, so what the hell. I’m paying $20 a month (I know.. cheap, right??) so we just went there. I did the stair climber. It’s like actual stairs, not the kind where you just step step step. I like it because it’s pretty low impact and you don’t huff and puff, but you sure sweat like crazy. God was I red and wet by the end. But I felt good.

I went to the eye doctor yesterday. Apparently my Giant Papilar Conjunctivitis (I don’t know how to spell that) is 60% better. So hopefully two more weeks in these coke bottles and I can go back to contacts. I just feel ugly and homely with glasses. I like wearing them sometimes but everyday is too much. My designer, high-def glasses are still not in, so it’s the same boring pair every day. My eyes are really the only good feature on my face, so it’s a shame to hide them (she says modestly). I’ve been eating less.. substituting ice cream for lunch on many days of the week. I guess I just need less food in the summer. The weather has been gorgeous. Bought a new pair of shoes today because my sandals broke at work.

Oh… I just have to share a few funny stories. Ok, we all know I’m boy/man crazy. I love men, and when I’m near a cute one, I turn into a complete clutz. At work, I always seem to lose my shoe when a cute guy is around (am I wearing shoes that are too big??). So while I was in California (forgive me if I’ve already told this story), I was at the hotel killing time before I had to go to the airport since I thought (rightly so) that the hotel woudl be more comfortable.. so I got a Heineken and a slice of pizza at the little cafe and this adorable young guy was flirting with me (ok some might say he was just friendly but I got all flustered) so I grab my beer and my pizza and sit down at a table and promptly spill my beer all over the table. doh! So suave. So cool I am a maneater. I do this shit all the time. Will I ever grow out of it?

Well, time for a shower. Then I need to start getting ready for my next trip. Taking Friday off and heading to Virginia for teh weekend. Will see my sisters, my nephew, my sister’s new condo, my friend A… My poor sister U, she just put her cat to sleep maybe 3 weeks ago, then this weekend they had to put their golden retriever down. : ( How sad. It sucks… She’s under a lot of stress and has a baby and a job and a husband who doesn’t seem to do too much.

One more story and I’m going. My mother called last night and I wasn’t really in the mood to talk. Now I love my mom but she’s very anti-kid and she’s said things to me like “The third child was a mistake” (I’m the third child by the way) and “If I could’ve put my kids back (in the womb?) I would have.” Ok, mom, I get the point. And those are direct quotes. I mean, whatever, I don’t care, but it does seem a bit hurtful but I just let it go. So she says to me last night “Just because I say those things doesn’t mean I didn’t love you” blah balh balh… somehow apologizing for it just made me more pissed off. But now I feel bad and mother’s day is coming up and I need to get her something. And NO I don’t blame my parents for all or any of my problems… just telling a story. : )

Well, Christmas is over. I thought it went absolutely perfectly. We drove down, which took about 10 hours and it was fine. We stayed at a hotel in Old Town Alexandria, which is a fun place. Had dinner with my family Saturday night. Spent all Sunday visiting my friends and eating and touring grocery stores (J works for a grocery store and likes to check out the competition – which oddly enough I find fun too. I always say I could live in either a Whole Foods store or a Borders and be perfectly happy… now if they could just combine the two). Monday we went to the zoo and I saw the black footed ferret. She was so cute. Then we went to lunch and then met my parents at the National Gallery of Art (we lost the rest of the family since they couldn’t find parking – which ended up probably for the best). Saw the JMW Turner exhibit, which was neat,, and the Edward Hopper exhibit, which was phenomenal. Loved it! Saw Nighthawks and Chop Suey and they were just so cool. Then we had dinner at my sister’s apartment. Then Christmas day and dinner and the ride home and no fights, no meltdowns, family dynamics totally under control! It was perfect.

 

And so it’s time to set some new goals for the year. My 2007 goals went pretty well.

 

1. I’m going to continue on my quest of conquering fears and not letting the fact that I’m intimidated stop me from doing anything. For example, at my hotel I was intimidated by the waffle maker and so just had stale pancakes. Regret! I will NOT do that anymore.
   
2. I want to continue being honest, kind, and sincere in my personal interactions. It’s hard (impossible?) to do all three at once, but it’s worth a shot!
   
3. I won’t let negativity affect me or people in general to affect my mood.
   
4. I will stop dwelling on the past, stopping dreaming about the future, and live in the present
   
5. I will catch up on my reading.  Think I can do one book every 2 weeks? I just bought 3 new ones last night and got several from xmas too.
   
6. I will work diligently on my book. Goal: 600 words per day.
   
7. I will have an awesome vacation in Maine , learning how to use the kayak I’m going to buy and exploring!
   
8. I will consume less plastic.
   
9. I will learn how to give awesome massages.
   
10. I will continue to be smoke-free, I will drink moderately, I will exercise regularly and I will eat oodles and oodles of fruits and veggies.
    
11. I will become a world-class pioneer woman and have stacks upon stacks of canned, dried,  and frozen food – just because I want to!
    
12. I will forward my career by joining a writing group, making important connections, and trying my hand at freelance magazine writing.
    
13. I will become great a long, hard piano piece. And I’ll also write songs and poems.
    
14. I might learn French!
    
15. I will build a patio in my back yard.
    
16. I will study the stars!
    
17. And I might even go to Ireland . Or maybe Prague . Perhaps Vienna .
    

 

Yowza! That sounds fun!

it’s 4:39 and pitch dark outside. sigh… It’s been raining and storming for 2 days and nights. And I don’t feel well. I had a flu shot on tuesday and now I feel like I’m getting the flu. hmm… for some odd reason I thought the flu shot was supposed to NOT give you the flu. I guess I’m confused.

I’ve been a total bitch all week. I just can’t control it. I’ve snapped at my coworkers. People I normally like are driving me up the freaking wall with their denseness. aRRRGGHH. My parents left this morning. It was getting a little ugly. I had a little too much to drink (my mom loves that!) and went on and on about how they weren’t serious about getting a house up here. They love it when J gives them a hard time, but god forbid I say anything. ACtually you’d think I didn’t even exist. ahh family. Next week is my sister. She’s fun though. We’ll have a good time. And I only have to work 3 days.

The thing that annoys me about my coworkers is that they are such rule followers. I like thinking of new ideas and trying to be logical about thinigs. I swear the only thing that comes out of their mouth is “I think what K (our boss) wanted was this… ” We have brains kids. And we’re allowed to use them! Yes! It’s true. Frustrating. Work is suddenly just the most frustrating thing in the world, and I can’t imagine that it suddenly became that way. I’ve just suddenly noticed. But then I found out the range for the other job, and the low point is not much higher than I’m making and I know they are going to low ball me. I fully intend to negotiate (as I have my doubts anyway so who cares if I don’t get it). The perfect bargainign position.

I have to go to a baby shower tomorrow… about 2 hours away from my house. : ( I like the girl, I do. But I’d really rather not do this. But I guess that’s what friends do… suffer for each other. Plus I doubt I’ll know anyone else there. Oh well…whatever.. suck it up!

Piano recital on monday and I’m not prepared and don’t really care. Did I really used to get stressed about these things?

Ok… I found out where my fear of life comes from. My mother. When I lived in DC and was learning how to drive, I developed this fear of the beltway, which is the highway that circles DC. It is kind of scary. People drive like idiots and way too fast, in whatever lane they want to (actually I didn’t even realize there were actual rules about lanes until I moved to Maine - seriously). But eventually I realized that my mother put that fear into me. She’s scared of everything. And yet she loves taking the greyhound bus by herself all over the country. Complicated woman. Very very very complicated! (read: “crazy”) .

OH well… I haven’t written in my book in 3 days so i better put some words in.

go to work tomorrow. This weekend has been awesome. The weather is perfect and I feel like I’m vacation. Just at home. I’ve been productive, gotten lots of sleep (Yeah, 6 am is going to be harsh and unforgiving tomorrow)… sigh… is summer really over? I’m even packing away my summer clothes. Half of which never fit me anyway.

My poor dad.. the whole time he was here he was complaining that he wasn’t feeling well, then went to the ER, etc. etc. I still thought he was just..you know… old. Turns out he has an advanced form of Lyme disease. Sorry dad! I wonder if they have T-shirts that say “Just because I’m a hypochondriac doesn’t mean I’m not sick”. Ha! Wait, let me check..  No.. darn. Maybe he wouldn’t appreciate that anyway. : ) lol… I kill me. No, but really, I feel bad for him. 3 weeks of antibiotics. ugh. 

I got this cool mindmapping software called mindapp. J has looked into all of them and he says this is the best one. It’s only $30 and I just downloaded the free trial for now. i’m mapping out what my book is going to be about. I thought it would help brainstorm, but I have a hard time committing silly ideas to type. I think it’s better for me to scribble on paper and then just throw it away. But it has been useful in getting all the thigns I’ve decided on on paper. Like my characters and their motivations, possible settings. And it made me realize that I have a lot more planned than I had thought. Still need a pesky plot though. grrr… They’re a dime a dozen right? Someone throw me a bone.

I finished Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist in a single sitting last night. What a lovely book. It was the perfect example in a story form of all the stuff I’ve been reading about and yammering about. Loved it! Very inspiring. The premise is bascially to follow your dreams, listen to your heart, listen to the omens, and you’ll reach your destiny. All the people you meet are helping you and all your hardships are helping you along… blah blah blah. Good stuff! I’d like to sort of carry that theme into my book, but more veiled and vague. It’s always more fun that way.

I dyed my hair brown again. I can’t decide whether to do lighter highlights. I kind of like it as is. It’s a little Elvira, but what the hell. If I’m going to be a Wiccan, it would only be fitting. Btw, did you see the story about the Wicca teacher who just won the powerball? How’s that for synchronicity? Omen? hmm…

Worked in the garden all day yesterday, finally getting the weeds (ok, a fraction of the weeds) up. Looks good. Yawn… nap time? I got up at 10 this morning (and yesterday morning and the morning before that). I’m just so not cut out for the 8 to 5 life. I gotta finish planning my california vacation… only 3 weeks! I need to go for a jog..kind of hot though.