Things Are So Boring…

…I'm posting a photo of my cheese drawer. But it is a thing of beauty, is it not? Two kinds of brie, including d'Affinois, which is akin to ambrosia. Slices, bricks, sticks. Something soft from Vella that our friend Sean brought over for lunch on Sunday (I neglected to check the name before I threw away the wrapper, unfortunately). Goat cheddar. Yes, it's time to focus on the small things, that's about all my brain can handle. Work is still kickin' my butt, but I am determined, determined! to remain creative and energized. I've been felting nearly manically, and actually, for the first time in a long time, happy with the results--I'm really enjoying my felted slippers. And dang they are warm! I'm now working on a beret, but it's on #3 needles, so it's not going to be ready for NY. But I will take my felted cloche, which I wore to work today, and I suspect that my new 'do is more becoming for chapeaux.

felted slipper
Originally uploaded by suzipaw

In other news: Had a nice day on Sunday when aforementioned friend and Mom and Don came over for lunch. Impending company meant we had to finally clean the house, which was looong overdue. Finished and greatly enjoyed The Namesake, which was also very inspiring, style-wise. I'm avoiding starting a new book, but I know I'll need to soon. Still diligently working on my hair curling chops, which sucked up a half an hour of my morning. I was evaluated at work today by my boss, which went fine; I have my own evaluations to dispense on Friday, so wish me luck. I'm really looking forward to my trip to NY. Brain fart of the week--I was up a little early one morning to put together lunches for me and M, looked up at the clock and realized I was going to be late to gym class…hustled into the car, rushed into class and it was only then that it hit me that I was actually a half hour early! All's well that ends well, I had a nice chat with the teacher and worked up a sweat on the stationary bike while she was setting up equipment for the class I usually take and it ended up being much better for my schedule, so I think I'll come early more often. Sent my snipped hair off to Locks of Love. Had not one but two good writers group meeting last week. Stopped off at the clothing consignment store to check on how my latest items freed from my closet were selling, and though they weren't out on the floor yet, found out that I was owed four bucks from the last batch, which I promptly put towards a pair of adorable but unreasonably high-heeled shoes. Spent much of the last few weeks grateful for all the rain but also wishing it would hurry up and get blue already. Not that I see the sky much all day, but it's the thought that counts, right?

9:30, my witching hour, approacheth. Til next month…

New York Schedule

Hey East Coasters, I'll be in Manhattan February 4-14. Mostly working, but will be free that Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon. Would love to see you all as much as possible during that time to just hang out and/or do stuff--MoMA, Cooper Hewitt at the top of my list. Suggestions welcome.

Mr Bean's Holiday

It may be G-rated, but low expectations and high production values made this movie a very enjoyable end to my work week.

Another Sunday Closes

A Shorter 'Do
Originally uploaded by suzipaw

It's early, but M and I are already ensconced in bed, laptops topping respective laps. We spent much of the late afternoon at a divish bar near the crossroads of our "tweaker town" (where the streetwalkers and crack addicts wander in quantity), watching the Giants beat the Packers. I was gently rooting for another win for Brett, but it was just good football all around and the Giants certainly deserved to win.

It's been a quiet weekend. I've been trying to get used to having an actual hairdo, which has been a bit trying, but I think once I get the hang of the curling iron it will be better. I may try to schedule a little tutorial with my stylist. The haircut was a pleasant experience overall, though it took *hours*--another stylist dropped by and the two gals talked shop, as in beauty shop, which for me was a peek into a different world. I felt distinctly lacking in lacquer in their presence and old to boot, but I did get a bit of a chuckle at their parting conversation where they discussed, sans irony, the one stylist's desire to color her hair a more natural color. What was wrong with her actual natural color? I wondered. She couldn't have been older than 22 or 23. My stylist also spent an inordinate amount of time adjusting and measuring the braids before snipping them off, the spirit of which I did appreciate. And because there had been so much talking, I felt comfortable asking her all kinds of stupid questions about styling technique, which I had never been able to do in prior haircut situations. And she really took her time cutting and styling my hair, and though in some ways it felt ridiculous and vain, as I left the shop with my hair bouncing, I also felt a little sassier. Maybe I really did want to believe the other stylist's assertion that shorter hair looks younger. Anyway, we'll see how I adjust to the new look. I did get a bit let down when I ran into a co-worker at Trader Joe's and he didn't even notice! It did balance M's reaction, I suppose--he was upset, but is bearing up well.

I made good progress on my slippers yesterday, did a little bit of work, started the rose pruning process, gave myself the gift of a classy new computer travel bag when shopping for gym togs at Ross, and since M was gone all afternoon at a Bar review meeting, took myself to see Sweeney Todd. Now there's a move with a whole lotta gore. I enjoyed it though. (Another movie I really enjoyed recenty was La Vie en Rose, btw. Like The Glass Castle, a story that made any childhood woes I had very insignificant.)

Tomorrow, M and I are going to go to his school--he'll study, I'll work. I downloaded some software updates today and didn't let it finish properly, so for a while there I couldn't get into Word or my work email, and I was feeling the onslaught of another small meltdown--I would be really, truly in bad shape at work on Tuesday if I don't chip away at things tomorrow. But then I did another download, we went to watch the game, and when I came back everything was fine. So goody, I get to work on a holiday! But I remind myself that I have a job that pays the bills and lets me interact with people I truly enjoy. I'm still keeping the lush tomato bush of my new year's horoscope in my mind's eye--the idea of thriving and producing beautiful, juicy fruit is helping me find a balance. And with that, I think I'll start a new book, The Namesake.

Buh-bye!

Hair Today
Originally uploaded by suzipaw

Welcome to the Blogosphere, Hotliners!

More family is blogging, woo!, on The Jalapeño HotLine.

The Unicorn in the Backseat

So I'm not sure if taking melatonin is making me dream so much more vividly that I remember my dreams, or if it just helps me remember them, but this one of the dreams I had last night:

I'm in my car, some sort of small SUV, not the Monster Mobile, in a parking lot and I realize that my unicorn is missing--the two skivvy looking guys in the car next to me are trying to abscond with it! But they're bumbling, and the unicorn is just sort of milling about in the space between our vehicles. So I fling open the backseat door and the unicorn jumps in, but its horn is so long that it doesn't fit and we can't close the door to make a quick getaway and the guys are trying to stop us as the dream ends. But even though the unicorn is white and small and shaggy and not at all accessorized like the unicorns I imagined myself to be in first grade--black, sleek, winged and jeweled--it's still my unicorn in my backseat.

It's Sunday Morning

It was beautiful yesterday--after what has seemed like weeks of gray, we had blue skies and warm sunshine. I met the writers group gals at our usual spot for a brief but good writing session (I worked--but I interviewed a really good candidate Friday evening, so I'm hoping hoping hoping the weekends of working will be short-lived), then came home to M, who wasn't able to study much yesterday. Grades from last semester were due in mailboxes, so he came home early to check. And he did very well. It's just midterm grades, so they don't count as much as the finals will, but still, very encouraging. We took the dog for a walk up the hill to the water tower, admiring a fair amount of both buck and coyote scat on the road, and on the way back down, we saw two coyotes! My first sighting ever. We hear them occasionally at night, which gets Rex very worked up. We celebrated M's birthday last night. We drove up to Healdsburg, had a drink and watched some of the Patriot's game at a bar and then went to our favorite restaurant, the Charcuterie. We didn't have reservations so had to sit at the counter again, but I actually like that best. The food was very good though a bit too much cheese on my vegetable crepes and after the baked brie appetizer, woo--I'm feeling a bit of a "fat hangover" today. My flight of wines was delicious (Thumbprint Cellars, the pinot was particularly tasty), and it was nice just feeling like we were treating ourselves a bit.

Today is quiet, studying for M, errands, chores, more work, knitting, and reading--I'm getting to the climax of the last Harry Potter book and it's hard to put down. I'm also going to roast up the last of the plump pecans from the Axtells of Chico--boy they had a good crop this year.

Big Day for a Little Dog

I hope this audio post works--click on the title to go to an audio file that you can listen to or download. Our phones at work capture messages digitally, so I also get mine sent to my email, which is really handy! This is a message M left me last night. This incident meant a bath for the dog, but I'm sure he thought it was a small price to pay.

Happy Birthday

...to two of my favorite people.

Here's What I Did Tonight

The Pointy Pals dared me to write something tonight at our meeting, and so here it is:

Like singing, the rain comes

And out come the frogs, singing along, madly, furiously
Like ants that can carry 20 times their own body weight
The frogs sing out far beyond the range of
The coloratura, the foamy haired rock star, the siren
Far outside of their pebble size the frogs belt it out
Invisible to me as I squat and squint for them at the roots
Anchoring the brown-gold ghosts of tall grasses now
Soaked to the core by the mellifluous alluvium engine

They laugh at me, the frogs, haha, hear us roar!
We are the lions of the drenched and puddled plains
The hyenas circling to strike after all others have fled to shelter
Our song is the tiger that has lain in wait lo this long dry season
And the rain, our prey, has set our voices free to run!

But then they sense me too close
And like rain drizzling to a halt, the frogsong ends
Sans crescendo or vamp
While the rain sings on
One half of the round waiting waiting
For the other half to join in again


When I took Rex for a walk yesterday, the frogs were glorious. I wish I had had a tape recorder, or whatever newfangled digital recording device the kids are using these days.

*****

It was a pretty good day at work today, just wanted you to know.

It's a New, New, New, New Year

So, I was three days back at work this week, and then Sunday afternoon came, and it happened: I had a meltdown. Just a small one, just a few wimpy sobs in the shower. I'm really not liking work right now. But the crying helped, actually, and I was able to regain a little perspective, which I needed. I'm not dreading the office as much as I have been lately. I'm just going to have to suck it up and work weekends and find a way not to have it consume my brain 24/7. Maybe it's time to call the counseling hotline--work pays for it, after all...

So I took a little action to de-stressing end, inspired by my horoscope this week. Rob wrote:

Your main assignment in 2008 is to become highly skilled at feeling good…here's the beginning of a regimen you could follow: (1) Be constantly taking notes about what experiences give you delight and what situations make you feel at home in the world. (2) Always be scheming to provide yourself with those experiences and situations…

So I signed up for a continuing ed class at the local junior college, learning how to make fused glass--jewelry, bowls, and the like. It's five Saturdays in the spring, and I'm already feeling a bit more creative and delighted. The week before, Rob likened Virgos to a creosote bush--they feel they stronger by getting by with less. Which is kinda true, but he pointed out that it makes it hard for people to give us gifts, and suggested that we Virgos might be more like a nice tomato bush in the future, implying that bounty will be coming my way. So that's going to be my visualization, a lush and sprawling tomato vine, with lots of juicy fruit. Might also help to remind me to keep up one of my resolutions, the one about drinking more water.

M's birthday is Wednesday, as is my brother's, and we made plans to go out to one of our favorite restaurants. That made me feel better too.

*****

I've started a pair of slippers for myself (purple), and am contemplating what kind of decoration to add. Will it be pompoms? Bows? Felted flowers? A combination of all of the above? Well, I've got a couple of days to think about it.

Simpsons - The full Spider Pig Song

Gotta love Danny Elfman