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| What's a girl to do? |
| 11.29.07 (10:07 am) [edit] |
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I think most folks that cross paths with my blog know that I utterly adore Hot Stud. He'd be the perfect man for me, if it weren't for that whole thing he has with monogamy. (and I'm unwilling to 'bend' on that issue.)
So I've deliberately squashed any sort of 'suggestions' he's made at being 'more than friends'. As incredibly sexy and appealing as I find him, I'd be barking up the heartbreak tree. Can't fit a square peg into a round hole, nor can you make a guy want to be monogamous. He asked me the other day why I went to N.O. - I told him that I wanted to get away. He said that I should have called him. (I got the impression that he thought I went to visit my friend down there for more intimate reasons if you catch my drift.) Then he went on to say that he had been wanting to spend some time with me (alluding to the less-clothed kind) but he knew I had been going through a lot with the cats dying, etc. I am not the casual fling type. It just doesn't do it for me. And adding to it someone that I have feelings for, well, that's just darn stupid to do. So, the million-dollar question is... what do I say to him? I don't want to make him feel weird - I don't think saying that I have feelings for you and I can't go down that road with you would not be good for me. But what other alternative do I have? I'm not going to 'hook up' with him. It's hard enough as it is to keep my feelings in check. |
| Joys of Kittens |
| 11.27.07 (6:02 pm) [edit] |
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Gotten a wifi signal on my laptop while sitting on sofa. Kittens are discovering the screen and trying to 'catch' the arrow and images moving on the screen.... Amusing. They dashed out the front door several times today while the plumbers were working on my water line. They still don't get "NO!" or their names. Not amusing. |
| Big Easy et Moi |
| 11.27.07 (5:43 pm) [edit] |
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I didn't want to advertise that I was out of town over Thanksgiving... however, I decided last minute to drive to New Orleans to visit friends. Had a good time. Was nice to get away. Had another friend checking in on the kittens. (I missed them!) Didn't really do much per-se. I had a long run every morning through some of the cemetaries. It was really peaceful. We walked around the French Quarter a lot (I have the blisters to prove it!) Window-shopping, people-watching, and lots of flack about me not drinking much. (I somehow ended up driving most of the time because one friend seemed to forget that my car was not a company-truck that could take potholes with no problem.) And I got more flack because I didn't eat like a hog all the time. I was a good girl for all meals and at dinner, I ate grilled fish, etc. No fried foods. I had some utterly delish chargrilled oysters with garlic and parm. cheese. YUM! Ate at Muriel's and several other non-touristy places. We did swing by Cafe du Monde for some coffee (I passed on the beignettes). I was wearing my new cream suede-like coat. Of course someone bumped into me and my coffee went spilling ALL over my coat. (Thankfully, it's machine-washable!) We went to the Aquarium and it wasn't too great except the last one with sharks and HUGE tarpons. I enjoyed that. Lighting in the place was bad and the windows were not cleaned so photos ended up being really 'smudgey' looking.
Left at 5am to get back to town. Traffic was no problem. However it rained the entire drive. Hot Stud was disappointed I didn't invite him. He wants to go and take pictures. I'd love to share pictures with me - however I hate my digital camera - it keeps turning on while in my purse and then when I'm ready to take a picture, I have no battery. GRRRRRRRRRR Santa, let's talk about a digital camera for me for Xmas. I've been a good girl, haven't I? |
| Irony |
| 11.20.07 (9:31 pm) [edit] |
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Irony... Got a note from the mother saying that the therapist said she wanted to have 'many visits with' her before 'having a session with both of us'. Surprising? Nope. She's not willing to move forward. As I have said to her for more than a year, the ball is in her court. |
| Silent but deadly |
| 11.20.07 (7:34 pm) [edit] |
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I wrote yesterday about how the kittens smell so good - like vanilla - since they fell into my vanilla bubble bath the other evening...
Well, those adorable critters have a very stinky side. Velvet loves to sleep on my chest. And she loves to nuzzle me - it gets to be a little much - at first it is just chin rubbing, and then she starts nibbling on my nose. A little is enough - you know? So she's sleeping on my chest. Tux sleeps between my knees (just like Sassy did). Early morning, he scoots up beside me, leaning against my arm. Suddenly, this morning, Velvet got up and jumped off the bed. And then I smelled it - it was Tux. It was silent and very deadly. I have not smelled something so foul come out of a grown man before - much less a fluffy kitten that weighs less than 3 lbs. |
| Obligatory Thanksgiving Spiel |
| 11.20.07 (7:07 pm) [edit] |
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As we're approaching that time of year where we should reflect and give thanks, my perspective has certainly changed over the past couple of years. I feel that Thanksgiving is just like Valentine's Day - I think you should tell those people you're thankful for and love on a regular basis - rather than just once a year... I make a point of telling dear friends and business associates that have dual roles in my life how grateful I am of them regularly. Only exception is, my parents. Ironic, isn't it? I haven't heard back from the therapist that I saw to discuss my mother entering therapy - I don't know whether she showed up or not. Finding something that I'm grateful for about the father I've had barely any relationship with since I was 13, and no communication in 9 years is a challenge. I guess I'm thankful that due to him being my father, I learned to stand up for myself and appreciate things that I work for. So many things I'm thankful for when it comes to my mother. She's taught me resilience, strength, and the ability to mask my emotions (not sure if that's always a good thing or not...) And I'm thankful she's finally backed off and respecting some boundaries... And I'm thankful for my tblog friends - some have evolved into true friendships. Who woulda thunk? |
| Hmmm. Smells like Vanilla? |
| 11.19.07 (9:23 pm) [edit] |
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Yesterday, after watching the Falcons choke yet again, I headed out to finish binding up all the branches, wrapping them with twine, and dragging them across the yard to the huge pile for my garbage guys to deal with on Friday... I ended up with bruises and cuts all over me - I look like I was in a fight or something! I decided it was time for yet another bubble bath. Music going. Candles lit. Tub 1/2 full (we are in a drought so I did my part!) Bubbles doing their stuff. I ease in and let out a huge sigh. Kittens hop up and sit on the side - Velvet was nuzzling my head. (She is quite the nuzzler!) Meanwhile, Tux decides to walk the perimeter of the tub. I was watching him very carefully to make sure he didn't fall in. Then, he does a deliberate belly-flop INTO the tub. This was NOT as slip. Totally disrupted the relaxation of the moment. Had to wash him off. Dry him. Did I mention he smells like vanilla sugar? (My bubble bath!) |
| Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrr |
| 11.19.07 (6:17 pm) [edit] |
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At kitchen table, on laptop. Velvet the kitten is sleeping on my lap. Whiskers twitching. Legs and tail flicking. |
| Advice du Jour |
| 11.16.07 (2:46 pm) [edit] |
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When it is very windy, I highly recommend NOT wearing a wrap dress. Things can come unwarpped at the most inopportune times. Not that this has happened to me personally... |
| Hot Stud as Lumberjack |
| 11.15.07 (1:41 pm) [edit] |
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I decided that before the plumbing company comes out to replace my water line, that I'd have Hot Stud help me chop down a tree near the water line - it's a great excuse to be able to cut it down - otherwise the Nazi Homeowners Association would nix it. Hot Stud came over yesterday afternoon and broke out his chain saw. My job was to collect all the large branches and admire the view. I had no idea it would be SUCH a huge job. And all the nosy neighbors were coming by to raise a stink but I just let him sweet talk them. We're still not done - it got too dark to continue. I'm sure my wussy trash guys will have hissy fits about the piles of branches - but the county ordinance says they have to be under 3 feet and bound - and I have them all bound in twine. Last time they left the branches there for 3 weeks. Afterwards, I had a very long hot date with Mr. Bubble and a large glass of wine. Kittens were very intrigued by the bubble bath. I was afraid they'd fall in, but thankfully, I was the only one in the water. They are SO entranced with watching themselves in my floor-length mirror. And they knocked over a planter - have dirt everywhere.
In an ideal world, Hot Stud would have drawn the bath for me. But realistically-speaking, he had mud all over him and he was utterly covered in sweat and wood-chips. |
| Dry Spell |
| 11.13.07 (4:35 pm) [edit] |
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As you may have heard, we're having a bit of a 'dry spell' here in Atlanta. Today, our govenor, held a 'prayer rally' on the steps of the state capitol, to pray for rain. However, apparently, they didn't believe it'd work - or else they'd have umbrellas with them, wouldn't they? And what irritated me is that we had to have our noon news interrupted by a 'special report' to watch all these preachers pray for rain and have interviews with people saying that God will answer our prayers. All the politicians were putting on a show for the cameras. Of course, the meteorologists had already predicted rain for tomorrow... |
| Falling Out of Trees |
| 11.13.07 (3:05 pm) [edit] |
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After removing the pavement from my knees and hands and elbow, I decided to relax outside and let the kittens frolic in the back yard. Scene: blanket, bottle of H20, tunes, book, ice packs on knees, ankles and hands - me waiting for Aleve to kick in. Kittens chasing each other around. Cute. Then Velvet makes a running attack on peach tree. Ditto with Tux. By the time my slow-moving ass gets to the tree - they are at the top (2 story tree). I had to climb the tree (barefooted) to get their little furry asses down. I relax back on the blanket and Velvet does it three more times. Tux is getting the concept of NO! when it comes to the tree much better than Velvet. Hot Stud offered to put up some plastic collar around the trees 1/2 way up so they can't climb too far. Sounds like a good idea. I don't need to fall out of the tree too. |
| My Jogging & Simultaneous Interpretative Dancing Turns Bloody |
| 11.13.07 (2:47 pm) [edit] |
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Me... doing the morning jog. Grooving along. (Think about someone occasionally throwing in a few dance steps a la Ellen DeGeneres). I was in a zone totally digging Live's "I Alone". I'm not sure what happened but a squirrel ran out of a bush right in front of me, startled me and I ended up doing a nose-dive on the cement. Fortunately, no one else witnessed it but the squirrel. I picked my humbled ass off the pavement and hobbled home. Scraped knees (no skirts for me for a while), elbows and palms of my hands - plus I semi-twisted my ankle. I think I need to jog to less great tuneage - it can be dangerous to one's health. |
| Porn Shoot |
| 11.12.07 (4:28 pm) [edit] |
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Mr. Turkish photographer - who I haven't seen since Memorial Day - (I think...) Is suddenly all hot and heavy on the attention. His current 'thing' is that he wants to take photos of me. I somehow think that his idea of pictures and my idea of pictures involve different levels of dress. When he said that he'd had a fantasy about taking photos of me, I don't exactly think he's talking about a picture of me fully clothed. (This is the guy that was trying to take pictures up my skirt while we were at the fish tank.) Since the car accident in late Feb, I've put on about 12 lbs (hence the working out) and I don't really want to immortalize myself in film or digital images at the moment. Particularly with him. I can just envision it - he'd try to be subtle but he's so transparent. I wonder where his other girls are? |
| Think Like A Kitten |
| 11.12.07 (4:23 pm) [edit] |
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The kittens keep putting a particular toy mouse in their food bowl. Trying to think like a kitten... do they think it's hungry? Do they think it's food? Do they want to give me something back? I'm really having a challenge with ME trying to eat my own meal - they keep trying to sit on my shoulders and paw at the utensil and lick the bowl/plate. Of course, this could be solved if I didn't eat on the sofa... They are still mesmerized/trying to attack that kitten in the mirror. And they are the epitome of ADD. They'll be chasing something and they get distracted and go chasing something else. On the upside, the flea treatment seemed to work - although they are still scratching - used the flea comb all over them and inspected them and found no evidence of fleas or flea poop. Plus, this natural flea treatment has a lot of cinnamon in it - so it doubles as an air freshener when they run around. |
| Ever done this? |
| 11.12.07 (4:17 pm) [edit] |
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Ever have one of those days where you feel like you were really busy, but when you look back at what you've done, you haven't really accomplished squat? |
| 11.12.07 (4:09 pm) [edit] |
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Went for an hour-long run/walk (I think I walked more than I ran, so would that be a walk/run?) this morning. I am completely more productive working out with good music. Queen, Gloria Gaynor, ABBA, ABC, old Van Halen and Aerosmith... (I wanted to dance and skip while running but I figured I'd trip and end up hit by a truck or something equally embarrassing as always seems to happen with me.)
Came home, played with kittens in the back yard for a few hours. They were so cute chasing each other, and birds and bugs and leaves. I wore those little suckers out - they have been out cold snoozing for over two hours now. They are curled up like Yin and Yang. Hot Stud offered to do the plumbing work for me - replacing the piping from my water main to my house. I thanked him but I don't want to let that go to a non-licensed professional. He said he'd do it for half the price but the county won't reimburse me for my water bills for the past 6 months if a professional doesn't do it. Sweet of him to offer (he needs the $) Have some other things he can do for $ instead. (Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm referring to cutting down some trees... It's a shame it's cooled off - would be nice to admire his handiwork shirtless...) Money isn't exactly free-flowing at the moment since my former employer has not paid me more than $5,000 in expenses he owes me... I want to help Hot Stud out but I can only do so much. The Turkish Photographer emailed me today, wanting to know if I'd like to go camping in the mountains. Told him I can't deal with cold. He offered to 'keep me warm'. (riiiiight) Told him I'd be happy to go for a day-hike if it wasn't too chilly. I think that put a fork in it. He amuses me - I've made it clear he ain't getting any but he keeps trying... (Snaps to him for persistence, but he should move on.) |
| I flushed! |
| 11.09.07 (5:35 pm) [edit] |
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I'm in the bathroom at the coffee shop. Peeing. The woman in the stall next to me is talking like crazy on her cell phone. I waited a moment or two for her to finish (the call) so I could flush. And then I flushed. And she said to the person on the phone that 'some bitch couldn't wait until she was done'. Last time I checked, it was a bathroom and not a phone booth. Was I wrong? |
| Kitti-bituary |
| 11.09.07 (5:23 pm) [edit] |
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I finally mailed a note to my mother advising her that Lulu was gone. It's been almost 2 weeks... I can already predict the response that I'll get from her. She'll have a very distant response saying something along the lines that Lulu was a great cat and companion and offered lots of love and she'll be missed. The response I got when Sassy died - it could have been the same if I had said my car had been totaled. She's just totally unable to make any sort of genuine emotional connection... |
| Retail Therapy |
| 11.09.07 (3:40 pm) [edit] |
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(bowing) I love shopping sometimes. Particularly when I get a deal. I found the cutest off-white suede-esque jacket that is so soft - and machine washable! Ridiculous price. And another blazer and a navy leather purse (I won't name drop) and a cute pair of jeans (won't name drop again) For $97. |
| Drumroll please.... |
| 11.09.07 (2:40 pm) [edit] |
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I believe I've decided on names for the felines. I wish I could share some of the really cute pictures I took of them this morning, however, I cannot find the cable to connect my camera to my laptop. (Not that I can figure out how to import pics into tblog anyway...) The boy, aka "Tux" discovered birds this morning. We were all playing in the front room waiting for the plumber to come. I have a bay window with a bird bath immediately in front of it. There were several birds this morning taking their baths for the weekend. I first held up the female (I believe we'll be calling her "Velvet") to look at the birds. She was totally uninterested. However, I picked up "Tux" and he honed in on the birds. You could see he 'got' it - the ears went straight up and he was locked in on them. He got on the ledge and was staring up looking out for others (one of the really cute pictures that I can't share with you...) I was laying on my tummy on the carpet and "Velvet" crawled up the leg of my jeans. And then "Tux" got interested and was trying to pounce on the outside of my jeans. It was amusing. They make me laugh. But their kitten farts are silent but deadly... So what do you think of "Velvet" and "Tux" for their names? |
| No Offense, But Your Work Is Crap |
| 11.08.07 (1:35 pm) [edit] |
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I needed to get some new business cards for my consulting business. I do a lot of professional networking and had referred a graphic designer to a number of contacts of mine. Their needs were pretty basic. He said he'd do my cards for a discount. So we met two weeks ago. He didn't really ask anything about what I wanted. I paid 1/2 up front and waited for the proofs. Two weeks later, I sent him a "what's up" email. He apologized, claiming he was in germany and lost my proofs. (huh?) That was a week ago. I am out of business cards and I have two events next week that I have to have cards for. So I sent him another email yesterday. Today, I got 5 'proofs'. They all sucked. Seriously bad. I couldn't tell which was my name, my slogan, or the company name. And they were really dark. And the font sucked. In fact, those 'design your own cards' were much much better. I tried looking at each one to see if there was any sort of starting point - that there was anything I liked that I could say "change this" and "I like this about that one". But I can't. Tried to find something positive to say - so I started off my email to him saying that he spelled my name correctly. That was about as good as I could do. I'm going to order my own cards with one of those design-your-own cards. Told him that the combination of the delay and the lack of anything really good - going to ask for a refund. I tried to be delicate but it's hard when the level of delivery with creative services is ca-ca. |
| Comcast SUCKS |
| 11.08.07 (1:02 pm) [edit] |
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In May, Comcast screwed me over. Their contractor disabled my virus software and my PC ended up with major viruses and I lost EVERYTHING. Then another contractor dug under my driveway to install a new line - and cracked my driveway. I called Comcast customer service and filed a complaint. Was told repeatedly someone would get back with me. Never happened. So I went the route of contacting the corporate offices. They claimed they filed a claim with their insurance and I'd be contacted. So I waited again. Never heard anything. So I asked the Comcast corp offices person to give me the number and info for the claim. The insurance claims person said the policy didn't cover computers, so they denied the claim in full. This was about August. Meanwhile, at the time, I thought it was unrelated, my water bill went from approximately $20/every two months for years to over $125 a month! I checked my toilets and other fixtures to see what was leaking... Nada. Called my county water department 4x requesting someone come out and see if there was a leak otherwise between September and mid-October. No one ever got back with me and I was distracted with the Lulu situation. Back to Comcast. She said they filed a different claim and someone would be contacting me. Waited again. October 1, I got a letter from Liberty Mutual. Phone tag with the guy. I'd gotten one estimate for the driveway - almost $4000 to replace the sections of my driveway. He said he'd have someone contact me about coming out to investigate. Didn't hear anything from the guy that was supposed to investigate. Kept calling him and the Comcast Corp Office. Voice mail and apologies but that don't fix my driveway. When Hot Stud was over helping me bury Sassy, he discovered a puddle in my front yard. (If you recall, we in Atlanta are having a bit of a drought, so standing water is sort of unusual.) Turns out the puddle is directly in line with my cable line that Comcast dug. Told Liberty Mutual guy about the leaks - he said that'd be included in the claim. Two weeks ago, I got a check in the mail from Liberty Mutual for $1200 for driveway patching. I called the Liberty Mutual dude repeatedly - telling him the estimates for the driveway were more than 3x that amount and it had nothing to do with my water leaks. They kept promising me daily that the guy would be calling me to set up a time. Today, he FINALLY came out. Took 2 pictures and said to send him the estimates. So now, I'm going to be dealing with plumbers to tell me how much it's going to cost to fix my waterline. And this doesn't even address my PC. I think I should get free cable for life after all this crap. Let me tell you how much I love Comcast. And Liberty Mutual sucks too. |
| Tanked |
| 11.08.07 (12:47 pm) [edit] |
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Yesterday, I went back to the fish tank for the first time in two months for the annual volunteer appreciation event. I had forgotten all about it and sent out a broadcast email to some friends to see who wanted to go along. I only went for the raffle - because they give away some really cool (and crappy) stuff. (you're not going to believe this) Not to mention, everyone at the fish tank was like "where have you been?" (I stopped volunteering in mid-September because I wasn't getting credit for time volunteered - when I brought it up, the head of volunteers was pretty pissy with me.) |
| Little Lions |
| 11.07.07 (5:21 pm) [edit] |
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Kitties former owners just advised me of their birthday. They said they were 8 or 9 weeks old. Actually, they are almost 12 weeks old! They were born just a few days away from my birthday. How fitting - my felines are Leos. LOL |
| Creepy Kittens |
| 11.07.07 (1:04 pm) [edit] |
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This is sort of creepy... On Monday, I took still unnamed kittens outside for the first time. It was a sunny day and I had just finished a long run. Set out a large blanket, my mp3 player, a book and some bottled water. Went inside to bring out the felines. I set them down on the concrete landing of my porch for them to explore the yard (1/3 an acre fenced in). Boy kitten went straight to the spot Sassy is buried under the peach tree and laid down beside her marker. Girl kitten went straight to Lulu's grave and laid down. They each stayed in those spots for a good minute. Then they swapped places. I stood there, dumbfounded. And then they'd go off exploring for a few minutes, but then they'd go right back to those spots. Boy kitten prefers the Sassy grave and girl kitten prefers the Lulu grave. (Boy kitten tends to be more outgoing and curious - like Sassy and Girl kitten is more reserved and cuddly like Lulu.) I wondered if they might smell anything, but Hot Stud used 4 garbage bags and a box and dug the hole at least 2 feet deep. And we've had a decent rain which would have washed most, if not all of the scent. (And wouldn't they try digging if they smelled something?) Finally, they both collapsed on the blanket with me and slept in the sun for a good hour. How cute and touching but creepy is that? |
| Name My Pussies |
| 11.06.07 (12:43 pm) [edit] |
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I have two new kittens. I can't decide on their names. They are brother/sister. The male is black with white markings. The female is all black with a sort of tortoise-shell appearance. I was originally going to name them Scout and Gem from To Kill a Mockingbird. But in the book (and movie) Scout is the more rambunctious one. I could name the male Scout and change the female's name to "Gem" instead of Jem. Or I could name them Scarlett and Rhett. Or Tux (because he looks like he's wearing a tux) and Tiara. Or Donnie and Marie. Or Sonny and Cher. Or Marilyn and Monroe. Or Eleanor and Roosevelt. Thoughts? |
| Strung Along |
| 11.01.07 (1:18 pm) [edit] |
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I've "kitten-proofed" ; the house. Got kitten food. New litter box. New collars. Went back on Craig's List and sent inquiries to a couple of other people that are looking for people to adopt their kittens. |
by Redonthehead