November - Lightning Round!

A giant Gummi Bear! HEAVEN!










Geese are always funny. Always.
















Our first snow (that stuck) Nov 9!








Some crazy shit has happened in Life recently and I've not been moved to blog about it. So, Sis, here's the update (Sis is the only one I ever hear from, so if anyone else if reading, I beg you, PLEASE leave a comment! Don't be a lurker :->):

Last night, after a lousy day at work (c'mon, how lousy can it be at a bookstore? Frankly, not lousy at ALL, but there were three individuals who were Not Nice At All and that's very unusual. Sadly, they affected my whole day), Mr Handsome and I went to HopCat, a very cool beer-centric bar downtown. Outside the door, a panhandler said she and her friend were really hungry, could we spare 90 cents? (90 cents? What the hell??) So, I said, I won't give you money, but I'll feed you dinner, if you're truly hungry. Yes, thank you very much she replied and I had no option but to lead them inside the restaurant! We actually had a nice time chatting with them. Shannon wound up on the streets after a devastating divorce and Geoff has mental health and addiction issues. They live under the 131 overpass. They refuse to go to the Mission. Their hands were so cold, like steel. Cold and hard. We talked about good ol' rock 'n roll. Stones, Who, Beatles, Zep, even got Journey in there, much to Geoff's disgust. He's a drummer. Used to gig a lot. Sad, sad stories. They liked their steaks. And the waitress was very friendly and courteous and didn't wrinkle her nose at our "friends" or raise an eyebrow or anything (past an initial expression of wariness). I hope I tipped her enough.

Thanksgiving was at Mr. Handsome's brother's house. It was fine. I have a hard time chatting easily with his family, but they are who they are, I am who I am, we simply don't mesh easily and that's ok! It's just kinda boring. The food was delicious, though!



Our tree
















last week's big snow








The weekend before TXGVG we got our tree and decorated; it's very festive! I did the mantle and the windows that flank the fireplace, too. I've got little stuff in the bathrooms and the TV room (we call it the Nest) and the kitchen, and a rustic wreath on the front and back doors. All in all, it's a nice Christmassy house!

toddler Mr Handsome and his Fa Fa (Father's Father)















Santa Face















Dad playing baseball in Occupied Japan















Russian egg with nativity scene (egg creche? sounds like food...)

















the whole mantle. Hmmm, my stocking seems to have fallen down!


















the east window







Then it snowed and snowed. It's been pretty snowy so far. It's snowing right now, as I type, and it looks like a snow globe out there!















Last week or so, I met Cinnamon at The Sparrows coffee house. It's a great place! I feel like I'm in a cool little neighborhood when I'm there (and I AM! It IS a cool neighborhood!) and it's not one of those "hipper-than-thou" places, like that well-established one in Eastown, which shall go unnamed. Cinnamon is always great to talk to. She's really centered and has an aura of strength and calm. But she's cool and interesting, too! We've known each other since we were peon secretary-types at NBD Bank (which no longer exists). She's always been just who she is, not fake or pretentious or judgemental or confused at all. We had a good time just chatting and will do it again, soon!

Two weeks ago, I got in an emotional tornado with someone. It came out of nowhere and swept me to a place I'd never been before. I felt a bit like Dorothy from Kansas, but I don't have ruby slippers, so I don't know how to get this relationship back home. It's still freaking me out a bit.

Before that, the bookstore got broken into. This is how we figured it: Some guy, walking past, saw our iMac sitting so proudly on the counter and decided he should have it. He chucked a convenient rock through the double-paned front door so hard that it went through the foyer door glass, too! Man! He could have a job with the Cubs! Anyway, the alarm was wailing and Book Doc came busting through the door that connects to the apartment, yelling "What the #@$% are you doing?!?!" so he took what he could grab, the iMac and the iPod and jumped back through the door (window) and ran down the street. It took forEVER for the cops to show up, in Book Doc's opinion, and then they did a lot of standing around until they got a tip on their squawkers that the dude might have been found. They ALL ran out, leaving BD alone in the unsafe store! BD stayed there all night, in the store, in the cold, with no weapon but the phone. She should've CALLED! And she should NOT have confronted the dude! She could've been killed or worse! Anyway, we lost the iPod and computer, which is a true drag, as we had not backed anything up. So, we're entering inventory all over again, piece by piece, but the new computer doesn't like the old printer and they have frequent spats. Then we have to hand-write receipts for people. Not a big deal, in the larger scheme of things. But Book Doc still feels uneasy, of course. The doors are all repaired now and we saved the rock. It's the Back-Up Rock and it's wearing a Santa hat, right now!

I wish I were more motivated to make stuff. I'd like to make this table runner-thing and scarf and pillow! Beautiful!