Grossly Unimaginative

Birthday pie

2010-12-15T21:37:00.001-05:00

Matt's birthday is tomorrow. The menu includes jambalaya and pecan pie - two favorites. It seemed prudent to make the pie tonight (which kind of blew the surprise), so it's baking in the oven at the moment. It takes an hour or so to cook and two hours to cool and set, and since it went in at about 9:00 it should be ready to eat just after midnight. Fair game, birthday-wise.

I suspect by dinnertime tomorrow it will be at least a quarter gone, but I'm hoping there's enough left to support two candles - one in the shape of a 4 and the other in the shape of a 0.

Happy birthday, honey. The whipped cream is in the fridge.

Grandma

2010-11-30T20:45:00.003-05:00

I am going to miss her. It's only been six hours since she left us and I miss her already. We were able to see her this weekend to say goodbye and tell her how much she's meant to us, and I'm very very grateful for that.

She was elegant and athletic. She skated and acted and golfed and bowled. She had a terrific rear end. She had a whole-body laugh and she almost always beat me at cribbage.

She scared the hell out of us with cackling witchy renditions of Fee-fi-fo-fum when we were kids, and let us drink whole milk from shot glasses. She let people be, but never seemed uninterested. She had a grace that made you want to slow down a little.

You could say two or three words that reminded her of a song and off she'd go. The woman's brain housed hundreds of songs and rhymes that only needed a tiny kickstart.

She was a remarkable woman who is going to be thoroughly missed.

Not to mention

2010-11-23T20:15:00.002-05:00

More holiday cheer ...

Matt has been working on getting us our sink back in the bathroom. It's been almost two years since I've brushed my teeth or washed my face over a working sink in that room and damn but am I excited. A sink! A real honest-to-God sink.
We have an appointment for an IUI tomorrow morning. We tried once in July but between timing, funds, and insurance-wrangling, we haven't since. This month the timing is perfect, we have the funds, and insurance is all straightened out. We're hoping this month will be it, but have the resources to try twice more if need be, and I think that should cover the odds. If it works, oh man. If it works, that would be wonderful.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bring it

2010-11-23T19:59:00.004-05:00

The Thanksgiving menu is magneted to the fridge and I think we're good to go.

The turkey is cooling its heels, the china is washed, serving spoons at the ready. It's been a long time since we hosted a holiday dinner (Christmas 2003 for Matt's side of the family) and I think I'm finally ready to do it again.

I'm kind of giddy about it, really. I picked up tablecloths a few weekends ago. My mom is bringing extra silverware. I borrowed a roaster to keep the oven free for yams and stuffing and whatnot. I sketched out a plan of attack, timing-wise, but I still don't think shit will hit the table piping hot in perfect order and I might mess up the giblets and that's totally okay.

There will be family. There will be snacks to fill the cracks and crevices while the potatoes are mashed and gravy made. There's Wii bowling. There's a movie on reserve. There's good bread and great friends and three cans of olives.

I think we're good.

Happy pre-Thanksgiving.

One of those days

2010-08-09T22:27:00.002-04:00

It was a good day, but for the love of God:

Realized at 2:30 p.m. that my fly had been down since I got dressed in the morning
Tried to cap my water bottle and knocked it flying across the desk, dousing the radio and pretty much all the paper laying around
Took a wrong turn on the way on the way home and turned a 5-minute errand into a 40-minute construction-laden sweatfest

I think that's it ...

Re-do

2010-08-04T16:30:00.006-04:00

Well, it would have been something if it had worked first time out, but we'll try again this month. Fingers crossed!

And they're off

2010-07-20T21:43:00.004-04:00

Swim, swimmers, swim!

There's a gorgeous egg up ahead, round in all the right places. Don't be shy, introduce yourselves!

Fingers crossed

2010-07-18T17:28:00.003-04:00

Around 1:00 tomorrow I expect to call a lab in Brighton and schedule an IUI for the following day. I'm very excited on a wordy, superficial-thinking level, but haven't given myself time or permission to actually sit down and let hope seep into my bones.

Hope shouldn't hurt, right?

Tonight I am going to pray. All out, please-let-us praying.

Weekend

2010-07-13T20:45:00.003-04:00

What a wonderful vacation. I'm glad to be home but so sorry it's over.

Shockingly (unless you've met us and would in no way be surprised), we had a late start. With needing to stop at the store on the way home from work Thursday, packing bags, filling the cooler, and sitting and reading for a few minutes here and there, we left about two hours later than we'd anticipated. I don't know who I thought I was kidding with the We'll be on the road by 6:00 bullshit. We reached Marquette around 2:30 a.m. and conked out for the night.

As we got going the next morning, I realized we'd only visited my sister's new place once before, and might not remember all the intricacies of actually arriving at the front door. Cell service was nil, but I called at one of the gas stations along the way to nail down the particulars.

There's nothing like finally seeing someone you miss. Especially when she feeds you the way my sister feeds you. Well, not you. Me. Sorry about that - you're missing out on some good shit. Every single meal and snack had us shaking our heads in that damn, this is GOOD way. I cook reasonably well, but my sister and her husband go to town. Pasta with clam sauce, shrimp fajitas, breakfast cakes with fresh-picked raspberries and french toast with strawberries.

Alexis and Sean loaded up their canoe Saturday morning and we drove into Wisconsin to get on the Brule River. Apparently it's pretty popular on the weekends so they were out of canoes, but we found Lake Nebagamon on the way back and pulled in for a picnic lunch and shared turns on Lexi and Sean's canoe. After we'd each been around the lake some, we swam out and jumped and dived off a pontoon dock, then had a little Dairy Queen and bought some (legal, damn it) fireworks.

Throm it!
Bang drop it!

We sat around a fire that night and watched the sky light up with heat lightning. It got brighter and more constant and was getting pretty close when the breeze picked up and drops started falling. We gathered up our things and moved to the front porch for an hour or so where we could watch the storm move in and the trees dance across the street. From start to finish, it was a great day. No rush, singing with my sister, swimming, ice cream, good eats, star-watching and a storm. Can't be beat.

It was very difficult to get in the car Sunday night, and I teared up a little halfway down the block. It's just so far away, and although I know we're lucky to be able to see each other a couple times a year, I miss her.

Leaving Duluth when we did, we hit Marquette about 2:30 in the morning again and didn't check out of the hotel the next day until the last possible minute. Matt and I went to Presque Isle Park and intended to jump in the water, but it was overcast and cool and the plan was tabled. We did find a cove where Matt could skip stones while I dipped my feet in Lake Superior, and the next time we go I think we should make up a lunch and spend a little more time there.

The only problem with a long drive is that it's hard to pull over or make time for little things once you're actually on the road, cruising along with another seven hours ahead of you. The pottery shops, the shops with pasties and fudge and smoked fish, the areas along Highway 2 where you can pull over and swim for awhile in Lake Michigan - we tend to drive right by them, thinking Next time. Well, next time we're doing it. Stopping. Looking. Taking 20 minutes to sink our feet in the sand. The best parts of this weekend were the little things - conversation, star charts, swiss cheese and salami on pumpernickel rye, guitars and fire pits.

There's great satisfaction in making good time on the road, but it's the small things that make a vacation.

Vacation!

2010-07-08T10:28:00.002-04:00

I'm blazing through work trying to clear my desk and tie up loose ends so there is NO thought of anything but relaxation and fun for the next week and a half or so.

I am giddy.

GIDDY.

Nature at work

2010-06-11T19:38:00.004-04:00

I found a moth in the bathroom a few minutes ago and cupped some paper around it to take it outside.

"It's on its way, I think," I said to Matt on my way to the porch, "but I want it to die outside." Mainly because I don't want to step on it tomorrow morning when I get out of the shower, but it sounds good, huh?

I gave the paper a flip at the door and the moth flew away to rest on the outside of the nearest window.

There was just enough time to think My, it's lively! Maybe it's not on its last legs after all before a bird flew up and snatched it up.

I did mean to let it pass peacefully outside. I didn't realize I could have done a three, two, one countdown.

Nature is pretty fucking quick sometimes.

Like white on rice

2010-06-06T00:38:00.003-04:00

The rain was starting to come down heavier along the drive home tonight when the radio went "BEEEP, BEEEP, BEEEP ... take immediate cover." It's so comforting to hear one of those severe weather warnings when you're fifteen miles from home.

My first thought was for the tomatoes, trapped in pots this year. I'd planted them in the wrong type of containers (no drainage), and I pictured water buildup and drowning roots. Shit. Well, I'll tip them out when I get home, and stick them in the garage overnight. I'll drill holes at the bases tomorrow.

My second thought was for the boys, Pete in particular. He gets a little nervous during storms and on more than one occasion recently I've come home to a dog toy on the bathroom rug and pawprints in the tub. Don't ask me - he must have learned somewhere that it's a safe place.

Lightning. Heavier rain. Sheets spraying away from the tires at the highway's low points. This is lovely. Ah. Here's my exit. Whew, almost hom - HOLY CRIPES! A deluge of water all over the windshield.

Sure enough, both dogs seemed a little agitated when I got home, and I noticed the shower curtain was awry. Pete shouldered past me into the bathroom and jumped straight in the bathtub. Willy followed.

They have not left me alone since. They've been stepping on my heels, licking my face, and plopping down immediately behind my chair. If I leave the room, they follow. Willy's stomach hasn't stopped gurgling, and Pete won't stop panting.

We might need to look into some doggie Valium.

Operation Little One

2010-04-26T18:57:00.008-04:00

"You're 38 and regular, let's not drag this out. Two months of ovulation tests and I want to see you back here," the doctor said. Seniority seems to be working to our advantage.

I go back this Thursday for a dye test to make sure all the plumbing is clear, then we're under strict orders to have sex two days in a row once the ovulation predictor kit says Go For It. Oh (gnashing of teeth), what tribulation!

To establish there's normal ovulation happening, I will pee on a stick mid-month and hope for a positive result.

But I will NOT pee like this:

In fact, I don't know anyone who could. Where is that even coming from?

Assuming ovulation is normal and predictable, we're going to try some intrauterine insemination in just a few months, and I am hopeful. Oh man, am I hopeful.

I'd forgotten this part

2010-03-11T20:09:00.004-05:00

Behold the glory of Spring.

That's one trip outside. Eight paws hitting a soggy yard and neither dog wiping their feet.

We're going to dry out when?

I know, I know

2010-03-09T22:50:00.004-05:00

It's Michigan. A bit of sun for five days in a row does NOT mean Spring is here.

I know this. And yet ... five days of sun! Temperatures above freezing for days on end get me thinking about lunchtime walks, stepping outside without a jacket, and dare I say it? I do. I've been thinking of lounging in my friend's pool and working up a nice warm itchy sunburn come summertime. Preferably with a nice lemony drink or cold beer crammed into the float.

I like winter, I do. But I see the snow melting, the rose bush greening up, and it makes me thankful that I can get in the car and drive wherever I want without checking the weather forecast first.

Good news

2010-02-23T22:04:00.003-05:00

I am busting.

Matt's urologist just called and it sounds like last summer's surgery was a success and that artificial insemination is now a distinct possibility. I don't even know what to do with myself. For the last half hour I've been randomly clapping my hands and taking spoonfuls of Death by Chocolate in celebration. Plus hugging and kissing anyone who stands still long enough. Matt is smiling and high-fiving me in response and I just can't wait to call my doctor tomorrow to say, "SET THIS SHIT UP!"

Hopefully yours,

To Excited to Sit Still

Joy

2010-02-15T18:58:00.004-05:00

Pete is home!

Turns out he'd eaten a corncob recently (squirrels drop them in the back yard, and believe me, I'll be scanning the yard more frequently) and it got lodged at the start of his intestine. He has an incision running from his breastbone to his groin and more staples than I've had time to count, but he is home, he is healthy, and he is eating.

We took him to the MSU Veterinary Clinic on Saturday morning, and they took a detailed history and gave him a very thorough physical exam. I can't recommend them highly enough. At that point we were thinking it was ibuprofen toxicity (terrible misunderstanding with our regular vet) and at first the bloodwork and urinalysis bore that out. Everything indicated his kidneys were shot and he was in renal failure.

Then the vet called back. Corncob on the xray? His blood values had improved with the fluids they were giving him, and they'd improved again by the time the surgeon called back that evening to confirm, yes, corncob. There was a good chance that a lot of what the earlier bloodwork showed was due to dehydration, so we said please go ahead with the surgery.

And he came through very well. Corncob, out. No real damage to the intestine. Some aspiration pneumonia from vomiting while laying down, but he's on antibiotics for that and it's looking good.
Once recovered, he and I are going to have a very serious talk about one can and cannot eat from the back yard. Hint: NO CORNCOBS.

Misery

2010-02-11T20:03:00.004-05:00

Updated: He seems more alert this morning and his eyes look clearer. He is tilting to the side a little and dragging one of his front feet, so there's something going on, but he looked better than he did. I woke up at 4:00 and googled nicotine poisoning (in case he'd eaten a cigarette butt out of the trash) and dog stroke, and neither of them fit his symptoms either. I hope the vet has an answer today and that Pete continues to improve. FAST.
**************

Petey is sick. He has vomited probably 20 times in the last day and a half, is lethargic, and hardly rolls his eyes if we walk through the room or kneel near his crate to see how he's doing. He won't accept treats, not even a lick of the ice cream the vet prescribed in addition to antibiotics. Pete has never turned up his nose to food.

He went to the vet this morning and will go back tomorrow if there isn't any improvement, but it's extremely hard to wait. I want someone to make him feel better NOW.

He is very thirsty. I let him out to do his business and he was nosedeep in a snowbank before his body was out the door. I gave him a minute and went to pick him up to bring him back inside before he ate/drank too much and he bolted away from me, licking at the snow as he ran. That's the fastest I've seen him move since yesterday. He's been lying immobile in his crate or on the rug for most of tonight.

Symptoms aren't those for dog flu or ibuprofen toxicity (vet has him on it for the arthritis) and I can't find anything to match how he's acting. The doctor said he didn't think there was an obstruction, but told us to limit his water and bring him back for an X-ray tomorrow if he's still ill.

I'm trying to give him his space, because no one wants someone stroking their snout or petting their arm if they feel nauseous. There's nothing he can tell me when I ask, "What's wrong, pumpkin? What can I do?" I have never seen him like this and it's worrying me.

Got my Valentine early

2010-02-06T12:44:00.003-05:00

Matt and I don't tend to do much in way of presents for each other, for whatever reason. Birthdays warrant a card and a kiss and maybe dinner out or making someone's favorite, and that's fine. Because while there are moments in marriage that make you want to tear your hair out, there are also moments that feel like a gift wrapped up and topped with a glittery bow.

Last night I fell asleep on the couch after watching fifteen minutes of movie, and I vaguely remember Matt trying to get me to come to bed when he was heading that way.

"I'm fine, I'm good," I said.

"You're going to have to let the dogs out when you wake up, then," he answered.

"Mm-hmm. I'm good. I'll be there. I'm good," I said.

"You sure?"

"Yes. Zzzz."

I woke up about 6:00 this morning cram-packed on the loveseat (feels less roomy when your knees have locked) and hobbled to the bedroom, remembering our conversation and thinking Glad I didn't tell him, "No! Stop that!" like last time when he tried to pull my blanket off to encourage me to get up.

I got into bed and laid on my side, and he scooted up to me in his sleep. Just as I was drifting off again, I heard him say, "Finally."

And that, my friends, is a gift.

Midwesterners on parade

2010-01-15T20:47:00.002-05:00

Phone call this afternoon -

Melissa: Blah blah blah, this is Melissa, may I help you?

Professor from a Wisconsin university: Hello! How's the weather there? We're pretty cold here, but nothing compared to you, I'm sure.

M: Oh, we've had some sun and a bit of a thaw lately, not so bad. You?

P: Oh, it's chilly all right, but been warming up recently. It's got me looking forward to Spring. Say, I'm calling because I know the application deadline is today and I am late in sending a letter of recommendation for so-and-so. She asked me some time ago and I'd meant to, but with one thing or another -

M: Oh, that's okay! You can email it to me at -

P: Well, I thought maybe I'd fax it on over and wondered whether you'd received it yet. I know you're probably swamped but ...

M: Looks like there's something in the fax right now. Would you mind holding while I check?

P: Oh, I'd be happy to!

. . .

M: Got it! I'll add it to so-and-so's application file. She's all set.

P: Super! Well, you have a great afternoon! Take care.

M: You too!

P: Thanks so much! Keep warm and have a great weekend!

M: Thank you, you too! Take care.

P: Bye!

M: Bye!

No more treats for you, Part II

2009-12-10T21:40:00.006-05:00

This is the second year we've had a Christmas tree since Pete and Willy have been with us. Pete had an issue with one particular ornament last year and would keep an eye glued to it whenever he laid on the nearby couch. Every so often he'd growl quietly, but mostly he just seemed to view it with a high level of quiet suspicion.

A few days ago, we heard the sharp bark that usually means Willy has something Petey wants. Matt investigated, and found the poor ornament on the right being manhandled. His fluffy little tail had been chewed off and the loop from the top of his head was missing. He was covered in dog hair and slobber. Perhaps not surprisingly, this was the ornament Pete had it out for last year.

The most recent victim fell tonight. Poor Miss Bianca. The same tone to the bark sent me to the dining room, where I found both dogs crowded up to each other and pawing over something on the floor between them. Seeing what they had, I lifted her to safety and brushed the dog hair from her cloak.

Although I haven't witnessed the removal of any ornament from the tree, I can almost guarantee it's Willy who's pulling them off. Pete probably joins in once they're a safe distance from the pokey branches.

We don't decorate with only Old Time McDonald's Ornaments of Cartoons Past, by the way. They just seem to be the ones the boys are bold enough to chew. Though I've seen Willy nosing a jingly silver wreath lately ...

Try again

2009-12-05T12:47:00.002-05:00

I got some beets from someone at work and I think I've already messed up cooking them. I skinned them before googling "how to prepare fresh beets" and apparently you're supposed to do that after they've been cooked. Oops.

I will miss your bright eyes and your smile

2009-12-01T20:57:00.002-05:00

From this valley they say you are going
I will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile
For they say you are taking the sunshine
That has brightened my life for awhile

Come and sit by my side if you love me
Do not hasten to bid me adieu
Just remember the Red River Valley
And the one who has loved you so true

I visited my folks one weekend about six months before Dad died, and he and I watched Prairie Home Companion while we had lunch. A blushy smile crossed his face when Meryl Streep appeared and it made me grin inside because he was always a bit transparent when he thought someone was pretty. There's love and death and faith in that movie and I may have been primed for some heavy feeling because of it, but I looked over at him toward the end of the movie and was simply crushed by the knowledge that our days together, our conversations, our sharing life was nearing an end.

And then they started singing. From this valley they say you are going, I will miss your bright eyes and your smile ... and I cleared my throat and tried to hide my tears. I doubt I was successful in that, and that's quite all right. I'd prefer he knew.

My sister and I sang that song to him when he was in the hospital the week before he came home to hospice. He was floating in some other world at the time, but we sang the words we knew and hummed the lines we didn't, and it felt good. I hope he heard and I hope he liked it.

It's been 13 months since his death and we all seem to be having a little trouble lately. I should reword that, really. It's not trouble, it's feeling things we didn't feel as strongly last holiday season because it was simply too fresh. Lately I want nothing more than to hear him say, "Oh hello, Missy! You look pretty today," and it just kills me.

I miss him.

I'm blushing

2009-11-30T17:51:00.005-05:00

I've been reading a lot of the {W}rite of Passage posts today, and thought it might jumpstart my lazy ass into writing a bit more and writing a bit better. The only drawback is the first subject we're to write about: An Embarrassing Moment.

See, I bury that shit. I take a shower, wash the clothes I was wearing, make white noise when my mind drifts that way, and over the years have dumped loads of soil on the glow of embarrassment and tamped it down. Hard.

So to look for it? I find myself walking a mental tightrope now, skating over the surface of the truly humiliating (God no, that's too much) and the superficial happens-to-everyone embarrassments.

How about a nice middle of the road memory?

You know when you're old enough to drive but still 12 years old inside? When you like a boy and you and your friend maybe cruise past his house for that giddy little kick? I knew it was a stupid silly smitten thing to do, but we still did it. I wanted to see the living room light on and picture him watching Saturday Night Live, maybe beep the horn and have him wonder whether someone out there was thinking of him.

I remember driving past that house two or three times one night and on the final pass, my friend stopped her car in the middle of the street and laid on the horn.

I threw myself facedown on the seat and punched her in the leg to make her MOVE MOVE MOVE. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw the porch light come on and his younger brother hustle out to the car. He was used to girls honking as they drove by, and seemed a little surprised we weren't there for him. My friend asked if his brother was home, and the rest is lost to white noise.

I have no recollection of what was said, if I spoke with the guy I was interested in, if we peeled out, nothing. But we did end up dating for a few good years, and if a little embarrassment on my part was enough to let him know I wouldn't be averse to going out on a date, so be it.

Winter prep

2009-11-14T22:00:00.005-05:00

Although I'm not quite ready for weather that requires preheating the car, swaddling myself in scarves, and leaving the warmth of the bed every morning, at least the yard is prepared. I raked and bagged the last of the leaves and clipped the faded peonies and hostas. I left some leaves around the roses to insulate them a little (did I read that or just get lazy and think it sounded good? are you supposed to mulch roses for the winter?) and am waiting for the final buds to develop just a bit more before cutting them and letting them bloom inside. I promised one to the neighbor girl, so I hope they continue to grow for just a bit longer.

Over the summer she asked to come over and check out my flowers a number of times, and it was pretty neat to discuss where they were in their cycle, why this one produced pods when it was done blooming and that one produced berry-looking things, why the one peony made buds that didn't flower, and what each plant is named. She came over twice today, once before the great clipping and once afterward, and helped me figure out where to move the dianthus next Spring.

Willy snuck out two bones to chew on the back porch while I worked, and it was a hard job getting the boys inside when I was done. They must know these warm sunny days are in short supply, and I think they wanted to make the most of it. I ended up leaving the back doors open for an hour so they could come and go as they pleased.

I'll be ready for winter when it hits (love the snow and sweaters and crock pots and gloves), but in the meantime I'm savoring days like today.

Tonight

2009-11-13T23:23:00.008-05:00

I witnessed Matt's pimp walk. It's jaunty but perhaps best saved for special occasions.
Saw a movie that wasn't very good, but the company I saw it with? Stellar. Times two.
Took my hair down immediately upon our return and the curls looked much nicer than they did when I'd banished them to a ponytail a few hours earlier.
Will be going to bed before midnight with a clear head, full heart, and a book in hand.

A good day

2009-11-02T22:45:00.003-05:00

It's been a good day.

A day of reflecting and reading and interesting dreams. A day of showering late, eating big, and loving the people in my life. A day of peace and prettiness and inhaling autumn air.

I couldn't ask for much more.

Snuggly

2009-09-29T21:23:00.000-04:00

I broke out the Snuggie tonight.

I was watching a movie and thinking about going upstairs to grab a blanket when I realized I had everything I needed right there in the room. Sure, it was tucked in a bag to forestall teasing from non-Snuggie lovers, but it is blue, fleecy, and dammit it was there for me on the first night I considered closing the windows.

It lived up to its name.

Solid at the line

2009-09-26T22:28:00.000-04:00

Bowling season has started again, and while in past years I've done wonderfully the first few weeks and watched my average dip lower and lower with each consecutive match, this year I decided to start out crappy and go up.

Matt suggested part of my trouble tonight was hopping at the release (not recommended, as you may hop left or right and yank or push the ball instead of letting it go smoothly at the line) and I was reminded of some advice he laid on me a few years back:

Get solid at the line, honey. Like you're sitting on the toilet.

Don't ask me. Why not just a chair? But I'll tell you this: that is advice you can't help but remember.

Found in Drafts

2009-09-26T22:14:00.000-04:00

I was very close to publishing a post about how rubber bands have become all shoddy lately and stretch to ridiculous lengths within one day and have basically become one-use, but then realized no one needs to read about my ponytail holders and why I'm disappointed in the manufacturer all of a sudden.

But if someone were interested, please tell me why I have rubber bands from five years ago springing back like they were fresh from the pack while these new ones suck.

Also, the dance-off scene in Starsky and Hutch? Pretty fucking sweet.

To any who may be concerned: totally sober, just in a very strange mood and I happened to catch the dance-off scene in Starsky and Hutch earlier tonight. Awesome moves.

Cacaphony of coughing

2009-09-20T14:04:00.003-04:00

Oh, we are sick here.

Coughing, sneezing, aching joints and the chills - we got it going on. Matt came down with the plague a few days ago and tried to give me pursed-lip kisses to protect my fragile immune system, but what's mine is his and what's his is mine, so please just kiss me properly and hand over that nasal sting and heavy chest.

He's feeling better today and since I'm running about a day behind him, I expect to feel some improvement tomorrow. In the meantime I have rediscovered my love for Theraflu with Mucinex chasers, made a huge pot of soup, and scheduled a steamy shower and Snuggie wrap for this afternoon.

If you have a magic cure, please leave details in the comments.

No more treats for you!

2009-09-08T21:31:00.002-04:00

These f***ing dogs. Matt brought home a couple of Big John's subs after bowling tonight, and I had three bites of mine before wrapping it up and protecting it with a remote, then going out to switch the cars in the driveway. I came back not one minute later to find two dogs standing over an empty wrapper and a well licked floor.

They're getting braver or brazen or both.

I wonder how they liked the hot sauce?

Tabula rasa

2009-09-08T15:24:00.003-04:00

Ahhh, that feels good.

It's been coming on for some time, this wanting to wipe the slate and start fresh. I was the sort of kid who tore out diary pages almost as quickly as they were written, so it's pretty amazing most posts survived for as long as they did.

Now this place feels like a brand new notebook. Fall season, first day of class.