Margaret St

We bought the cottage today! WOW! It's in pretty crappy shape, it's going to be a real fixer-upper, but it's got "good bones" and it is cute! We need a nickname for it! Here's a tour, walking around the outside of the house:

View as you drive up (the cars in the driveway belong to the house across the street - they were having a party)
driveway-side of house

The Blonde calls her cottage, which is, literally, just around the corner, the Ghetto Shack, and something else derogatory (something with the word "trash" in it I think), then once she fixed it up, she called it the Sugar Shack, or the Lodge, depending on the season. and decorated it accordingly! She's got style, that one. Her house is so darn cute. And very comfy. Cozy. It's really nice and chic!

Front door
Ours has lots of trees right around the house and is a mecca for mosquitoes. I'll be doing some research (hello, Google!) to find out how best to reduce the damn little nippers from our environs! One skeeter bite lasts two weeks on my tender skin. I think the garden/yard has real possibilites for cuteness.

side corner of house
Ours needs a lot of work. It's smelly. And dirty. And lacking heat, light fixtures of any kind, appliances, and it needs a roof and the trees desperately need attention. I'm nervous about it all, since I don't like change, but this is a good thing! We'll fix it up and maybe rent it out, or not. We're considering moving there, actually. It's really small, though. No basement or attic. And I love love love this house we live in now, just LOVE it, so..... Ok, those thoughts stress me out. I'm just going to think good thoughts. It really is a cute house and I've got lots of ideas for decorating it already!


Backyard from the side street (with Mr Handsome's cute car)

It's really tiny. Just about as big as the first floor of our current house. If we ever do move out there, I hope we wouldn't get on each other's nerves (more than we do now). The Blonde's house, which is about the same size, feels big enough when we're in there, but I think that feeling is enhanced by her decorating accumen. She really does have style!

Must go sleep now, but wanted to get this in.

Backdoor

I married Donald Trump

Ooooooh! Mr Handsome bought the cottage today! He made an offer and it was accepted! Now, we just wait for paperwork to go through. He's like The Donald, buying up property! It needs a lot of work: new wiring throughout, new roof (and ceiling) over mudroom, heat (! there's no heat!), other stuff I can't think of right now. But the price was irresistable. So. We're going to fix it up and maybe sell this place or maybe rent it out, I'm not sure what he's thinking, actually. Heck, if it turns out to be a problem, we can always sell the cottage, the land is worth more than what we paid! It was a repo - I feel bad, in a karmic sense, that we're benefiting from someone else's misfortune.

In other news, our DSL modem went toes-up, so we're on dial up now. Geez o peets, is it slow. So, I won't be downloading (uploading?) any pics until next week when we get a new modem. I want to put pictures of Lima in here and of course, pictures of the cottage! Wheeeee!!!!! A cottage! It's extra-extra funny 'cause I was JUST telling Museum Girl that Svend and I have NEVER wanted a vacation home because then you're tethered to it like a criminal on a chain gang. Yet, here we are, vacation home-owners. HA!

Catching up

Yesterday, the yoga studio had a free yoga class offered, so of COURSE I went, thrifty woman that I am! I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to participate properly, due to the damn fibromyalgia, but I did really well! And it was fun! And I'm super sore today, but not immobile, like I have been in the past when I've done exercise. Additionally, I had lots of dog walks yesterday, so I might have just overdone it in general, but I STILL don't feel incapacitated with pain. SUCH a relief. Thank god for pharmeceuticals. I'm going to sign Mr Handsome and myself up for a yoga class!
I'm caring for Samba this week and he's doing very well after have had surgery to remove an aggressive cancer in his nose. They had to take his upper mandible and jowls, so he looks very odd. Actually, it looks horrible, but he's still the same loving, lovable, wonderful, best-dog-in-the-WHOLE-world Samba. I am so glad he looks like he does, because it means he had life-saving surgery. I just love that dog as if he were my own.
Tonight, it feels like Seattle, but warm, outside. It's really damp and misty/drizzley. Everything is so fragrant and lush and luminously green. Really gorgeous. And Mr Handsome wants to buy a little cottage in Spring Lake! Wow! Exciting!

Reading

I love to read, it's probably my favorite thing in the world. I get quite anxious when I don't have something lined up to read, a read-in-waiting, as it were. Right now, I've got _The Queen's Handmaiden_ waiting for me upstairs. I haven't quite started it yet. It've been in a real fantasy phase recently. Actually, more horror than fantasy, come to think of it. I'd love to find another book like Orson Scott Card's _Enchanted_. Oh, I just love that book. I think I need to own it.

Today was good. I played on the computer for a long time, after sleeping in quite late. Then, I walked Gretchen and Sisko. Sisko is healing very well, his recuperation from the ACL repair is going strong! Gretchie was very well-behaved today. No eating of faces. YAY! I'm going to miss them when I start my new job.

Aspen and Eloise are back from "camp" and I'm soooooooo glad to see them! Aspen has cancer, though. I'm just going to focus on her getting better, I can't bear to think of her gone. I can't bear it. We had a very nice walk today and I'll see them tomorrow, too. And Marbles, their kitty companion. He generally hangs out (i.e. hides) in the basement but is so affectionate and responsive - I just want to steal him away and give him lots of love!

What am I going to do without all my furry friends??? I hate change. It makes me very nervous and scared. I think that's why I don't travel all that well. I like to know what's coming up. Life has already given me enough adventure and not enough stability. I'm still storing up the stability.

Happy!

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

see more dog pictures
(thanks to icanhascheezburger.com and ihasahotdog.com for happy pictures!)

I got the bookstore job! YAY!

Pizza

I had a really long interview at the Credit Union today. I was merely applying for a Part-Time Teller position, but the HR person saw I had HR experience and wanted to talk to me about a opening in HR as her assistant! Threw me for a loop, really, since my experience is over ten years ago.... Anyway, I rocked that interview, too! I have to decide which job I want more: bookstore = part time, no vacation, get to wear my clothes, surrounded by books, beautiful atmosphere, small (tiny, really) company, interesting work; credit union = part time, extra pay in lieu of health benes, paid vacation, regular hours, uniform, potentially boring duties, medium company but just we two in HR.
I dunno. Regular hours, paid vacation, stability, ready and steady. Versus potentially fun, beautiful, and let's face it - cool. huh. I really don't know which to choose, if I'm given a choice.

I forgot to send a thank you note to bookstore lady. I sent one via email this morning. I hope that wasn't tacky. I'll send a proper one to credit union lady. Tomorrow. I'm just exhausted now! I think I'll read and wait for the pizza to arrive from Gino's!

Random and Rose's

This is very funny! Read about it here http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/06/best-meme-evah.html I just bought the tee on zazzle.com! It has a Dalek on it, I couldn't resist!


In other news, Mr Handsome loved his b-day gift, a new camera! It's "plum" colored and the dude who helped me at the store looked at me from under his eyebrows when I asked him, "Do you think this color is too girly for a guy?" He just looked at me. Like he was thinking, 'wow, I don't know how to answer this lady. I mean, yes, obviously, I do, or I'd answer no, but I don't want her to NOT buy it. geez, why couldn't she just talk about how great it is that the Wings won the cup?' hee hee. Anyway, Mr H doesn't care about the color. He is quite secure in his masculinity, thenkyewveddymuch!

I got to walk Gretchen and Sisko today (actually, for the rest of the month)! I just let Sisko patrol the yard, no big walk and certainly no running. Poor dude. He's a big boy, a Bernese Mtn Dog, I think, but he's gotta heal from his ACL repair (2nd one!). Gretchie was pretty good on her walk - she HAD to yell doggie obscenities at the huskies, of course. They yelled back. But then, these two little girls with a HUGE black German Shepherd kept stalking me and Gretch! They really wanted the dogs to get to know each other and I could NOT convince them to back off (Gretch will eat all their faces). We took an alternate route; the girls followed, with pooch in tow. GEEZ! They were like a DISEASE! We finally shook them off, though. Gretch was so stressed out. Poor baby. but she behaved herself very well. I love her!

Going to Rose's for dinner with the Lima, the Bean Counter. I hope she lets me put pictures of her on this! I LOOOOOOOVE pictures!
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{ UPDATED JUL 3 }
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YAY! Lima, the Bean Counter, says, "SURE, put my picture in there, but let me wear my sunglasses!" So, in pics where no glasses are evident, I've inserted a black bar, a la "G1amour Fa$hion Don'ts," but rest assured: Lima is VERY stylish!

~~~UPDATED again JUL 9 ~~~~ Lima says she doesn't want to be a Fashion Don't, so I got rid of the black bars

Ok, so here she is, on the phone, unknowingly (?) flipping me the avian.















There was a synchronized swimming exhibition to entertain us while we dined.







I got a bit enthusiastic in tasting the wine. Seriously, I hadn't had a sip yet, very embarrassing. Swirly, swirly, swirly in the glass to aerate it and then - DISASTER!
Spilled it all down my front, then swabbed it down with soda water. Yes, folks, I was wearing a wet t-shirt on Rose's deck. Yee-ha!



And here's Lima after her, ahem, "Lemonade" disappeared!

It was great to get together and I had a wonderful, smiley time with Lima! We had an exemplary server, too! She was friendlier than other servers I've had there, very natural, just seemed like a genuinely nice person! And she was witty and funny, too! No pics, though!

There was a sailboat race going on while we were there. So pretty!

Fun Weekend!

I joined my friend, MuseumGirl at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck. We had such a good time! We kinda felt like those ladies in the '50's and '60's who stayed at resorts during the week and waited for their husbands to join them on the weekend, because we were staying at a very cute place called The Pines Motorlodge. It's pretty retro, in a good (not over-done) way. We were there a day ahead of the guys and had a great time, just us, loads of chatting! Before they got there, we hung out on the patio and had some drinks. Ok, _I_ had a glass of wine and MuseumGirl had water.

Anyway, we saw "Kabluey" which stars Lisa Kudrow, amongst others, and it's very good! We were laughing out loud at places! Go to imdb.com to learn more about any of the movies I talk about - it's a great site!
We also saw "Bonneville," which I'd originally been intrigued about by a preview on the DVD for "Juno." I very much enjoyed "Bonneville" too. It's about 3 middle-aged ladies who are on a quest, but it's not "Thelma and Louise" revisited; it's much gentler, sweeter and more realistic.
"Bart Got a Room" is hilarious and I want the soundtrack. Loved it! And "Summerhood" was really cute, too. I did NOT like "Goliath" which was sold as a comedy. Not funny at ALL. Pathetic, boring, and needed better editing. But all the others were really good! Including the documentary "Sync or Swim." I'm definitely going to watch the Summer Olympics Synchronized Swimming event!

Ok, prepare for some whining: The cold I caught in Seattle has gotten much worse. And KEEPS getting worse. My throat is so swollen and hurts like it's been branded. And my whole body is all achy. SUCKS! But I think I did well on my interview for a bookstore job today! YAY! And Mr. Handsome and I got a new bed today, so here's hoping there's better sleeping ahead for us!

I might add more pics later - who knows?

bounce bounce

I've put the mini tramp in the living room. Every time I walk through, I bounce on it a few times and then go along on my way. It is FUN! I had it right in the middle of the room, then I realized that all my tchotchkes were bouncing, too, so I moved it close to the wall (better support, I figured). It worked! Things that are meant to be stable bounce much less!

I had a phone interview for a bookstore job today and I think it went really well! My friend, MuseumGirl, gave me some questions to ask and that was a big help in making me seem less flaky than I really am. And that's what interviewing is all about, my friends: Fooling people into wanting you. Kinda like the bar scene (as I recall it). Pet sitting will be fini on July 1, so I have to get something else quick. I also applied for a part-time bank teller job (not NEARLY as interesting). And I'm proud of myself for being proactive. Small actions, true, but action nonetheless!

Oh, the Biting Dog almost bit me in front of her owner today. As usual, I'd done nothing untoward, in fact, I was merely rubbing her belly, as she'd (Biting Dog) asked me to. Owner says, "I don't know why she does that; she did it to me the other day." Well, doy-uh, get the dog some training and then be consistent. cheesh. It's not rocket science. It's a willful dog. Anyway. It was after her walk in the 90F 57% humidity weather with the sun beating us like 4th grade bullies. Maybe the dog was just tired. Still. Not acceptable. I won't miss that dog.

In happier pet news, I get to see Princess Eliza, an absolutely gorgeous and glossy black cat soon! She's very shy and I always feel very honored when she lets me pet her.

gotta go get a cold beverage now. gotta go through the living room to get to the kitchen. ... bounce... bounce...

I owe...

What a good day today was! For breakfast, I had half a yogurt, which was, indeed, inadequate. Of course, a cup of coffee is assumed. That's my drug, after all. But it was a good day, got lots done. Yesterday, too. Little stuff, nothing big, but that's what life, for me, is... little moments.


I'm not allowed, at this time, to publish pictures of the people with whom I spent my evening. This is per the request of The Blonde. And I agree. She's right. People should have the say about whether or no their images are out there in the toally accessible web world. I, however, have no qualms about putting up a pic of my outfit, which I think is CUTE! I have a darling mid-sized, box-leather limon-colored "apt 9" handbag to go with it (can't believe I didn't get a picture)! I think maybe I need a necklace, but I have a problem with necklaces. I always think they make me look even more matronly.

ANYhoo, I had SUCH a nice evening! I met The Blonde and Mr. Mark at a new place downtown. I had dinner, though we were just meeting for drinks. Here's the (kinda) awkward part, though probably it's not awkward. We'd agreed to meet for drinks and Mr. Mark said he'd buy a round. I intended on paying for my own dinner, but when bill-time came, he paid for EVERYTHING! That's really not fair to him. I feel bad! I should've paid up first, 'cause, thing is, I know how generous Mr. Mark is. So! I'll pick up his dinner next time we all get together, he says "when you get a job!" Which makes me laugh! 'Cause I HOPE it'll be SOON!

The restaurant, which, as I said, is BRAND NEW, has menus with stains conveniently already printed on them. No need for us patrons to add to them with our own sweaty glasses. What a stupid idea. I kept trying to clean the damn thing off. It just seemed... dirty. Hmmm, maybe I'm a little OCD or at least anal retentive. This is a pic of two menus side by side for comparison. Yup. Printed stains. eww.

The Blonde is such a darling and sweet chica. I wish like hell she weren't so hard on herself.... Difficult to communicate that. And I'm ashamed that I picked up on Mr Mark's teasing of her and teased her, too. Not nice. She was in a "snarly" mood (her phrase - I'm stealing it!) so wasn't feeling the love. HEY! This is supposed to be a "what I had for breakfast" blog! So, no serious crap. But I DO wish she'd see how fun and funny and everything she is.

Ok, anyway, the rest of the day, I picked up food for Cleo, who has allergies, so she needs special food, which means I had to go to the Dreaded Clinic. Always awkward. ick. But, whatever. I'm getting over it. Like a sickness. Then, I went and picked up a Thigh Master (Hi to Suzanne Sommers!) I read about on Craig's List. Then I went back home to take Mr Handsome to the airport, destined for the Land of Hockey (wah!!! I miss him!!!). After that, I went to the Library, which beats Disney as the Happiest Place on Earth, as far as I'm concerned! Goodwill was my next stop. MOTHERLOAD! I got some new-to-me tops and a couple of work-appropriate bottoms and a MINI TRAMPOLINE!!! I've been bouncing around on it a lot. It's FUN!

And, to top it all off, the african violet is blooming to beat the band and so is the phaelenopsis orchid. Lovely.