ugh-er

So, Saturday, I left work REALLY early, came home and slept for over 6 hours. Went to bed early and slept hard for over 9 hours. This is very unlike me. I obviously am fighting something.
Sunday, I wanted to help Bro move back into his house. The Nephew was going to be there, along with the Almost Nephews. I went and helped with one round, but had to leave. I feel like a putz. The rest of the day, I napped and dozed and rested. It's hard work trying to feel better! Bubba helped me; he was being my very own personal hot water bottle kitty. I'd show you a picture, but I couldn't go get my camera, 'cause I'd disturb him and you KNOW you must NEVER disturb the kitty!
Mr Handsome planned on making a romantic and delicious dinner for Valentine's Day (he really is a treasure), but I'm afraid I wasn't much fun or very alluring. What with wanting to barf and all.... We just lazed around in front of the tube and watched the Olympics. Exciting and romantic times here at the homestead.

Hopefully, today will be MUCH better! I hope the bookstore will be busy and that I'll find some cheer and some energy in being out and about! Right now, it's dawn and I need to get to work. Have a great day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love any holiday that supports love and candy!

And I love this man:

ugh

Here at Homebody Central, the females of the house are feeling lousy. Cleo and I are both very chilly and our stomachs hurt. ugh. Maybe it's nap time.
(picture credit (I just realized I suck at doing this) http://hookedonhouses.net/2009/03/22/gone-with-the-wind-tara-twelve-oaks-aunt-pittypats-house/)

not a Snowpocalypse, after all

Well, all the frenzied exclamations about the HUGE snowstorm we were supposed to get came to naught, at least here in the Valley of the Grand. Other places got hit much, much harder, but here, it's just really pretty. We got about 6 inches, maybe 8, and now the sun is as bright as Miami in May; everything is so shiny, it hurts to look outside!

Yesterday, I had to shovel twice, at the store. The last time, as I finished up, I decided to take some pictures, even though it was very gray and heavy outside. As I took pics of the street, a scooter zipped into frame! Isn't it great?!?

I AM going to go outside, though. I've got the day off and I'm going Thrifting! First time in AGES. I've been on a bit of a craft kick recently and need more stuff. Ok, not really. I don't actually "need" more stuff, but I've got plans, man! PLANS! I'm going to make dog and cat toys, and some glasses bags, and some tee shirt tote bags.
I made this one from an old tee of mine during Super Bowl (before we switched over to the final episode of "Emma" which was FUN!). It's got an old placemat for a bottom. I just couldn't bear to get rid of this tee shirt. This was MY team!
I also made the potholders below. I still need to add a little alligator to the pink one. So, I need to find some green poly-fleece at the thrifts. Wish me luck!

amazing video!

Over 700 machine-knit pieces were created to make this video for the Tricot Machine band's song, "Les Peaux de Lievres" . I am in awe.



I wish I could stay home and knit today, only because the news has been crowing about this storm that's coming. It's been snowing for a while now and there's probaby 2" out there, no big deal, but I've been suckered into thinking we all need to hunker down and ride it out. I plan on going to listen to Dr. Sherwin Nuland tonight; I hope it doesn't get cancelled!

lovely.

A lovely man, reading. What a great way to start the day!

One of my first crushes was Easy Reader, on the Electric Company. Can you blame me? He is c-o-o-l.

Now, the reason we (ok, I) am especially enjoying looking at handsome fellows reading is because we're going to get dumped on again. Now they're saying 6-12 inches will fall. It's been a light winter, really, and not too cold (for those of us who have nice, warm homes, anyway), and I'm grateful. At the same time, I'm tired of being cold, of wearing at least two layers, of gray skies. February is my least favorite month because of all that. Thank goodness it's short and the Mud of March will come!

Good morning!

7:23 a.m.

Dawn.

Nice and warm in bed, dreaming I'm at a huge party or event or something festive like that, with people I really like and who really like me. Good dream! Lots of rich colors and a rock n roll soundtrack.

Then....

Four 100# spears jab my belly and chest! I hear a "humph hrrrrhmph" and feel air wafting on my face. I'm being attacked! By a five-pound, 19 years-old feline. It's breakfast time. She can put an amazing amount of psi into each of those tiny paws when she wants to. She's got her nose rightnexttomine, gazing intently into my face, waiting for my eyes to open. Then the screaming starts (hers, not mine). I wish I could get it recorded for you. It's truly horrible. It sounds like she's being tortured or has a limb stuck in a trap. She's loud, I mean eardrum crushing loud. And she expresses the most heart-rending despair! GEEZ!

I wait an hour, hoping she'll give up or that Mr. Handsome will get up and feed the kitties, letting me sleep in.

It's good to have hope, even when you know it's hopeless. He believes it's my own fault that Cleo does this, so I should be the one to suffer the consequences. He believes it's not his problem and certainly not his responsibility. He believes it's my own fault that I can never sleep in and he shouldn't have to get up early to feed them. I see his point, but I suspect he believes I deserve to be punished by the early morning harangue. He and I have very different beliefs.

Saturday

I'm fascinated by the Snowpocalypse in the Mid-Atlantic, particularly in D.C. It's so very strange to see the monuments covered in snow!

I just finished reading "The Piano Teacher," about the English in Hong Kong just before, during and after WWII. That's a super-simplified summary. It gave me nightmares. There's no joy in the book. It's gripping, fascinating, and I cared enough about the characters and story to stay up waaaaaaay past bedtime to finish it; then I had nightmares about brutality and prison camps. ugh. Why are depressing books so popular?!? If you liked "The Poisonwood Bible," you'll like "The Piano Teacher." ugh.

The sun is out this morning! YAY! Yesterday was very gray and heavy. Today is sparkly! I hope my workday goes quickly.

HEY!!! I was just looking at one of my FAVE blogs, Starlet Showcase, and C. Parker has visited here and gave me a shout-out on Jan 31! Thanks, C.!

(Later....)
I love the Internet.
see more Celeb Look-A-Likes

Lightning Round

Well, golly, lots of stuff going on, I just haven't written about it! I'll try to fill you in in a jiffy with a LIGHTNING ROUND!

The young woman who teaches the exercise class I'm taking looks JUST like Maggie Gyllenhaal. Spitting image, really. She (the teach) has no sense of rhythm, which both cracks me up (she's an aerobics instructor, for goodness sake!) and annoys me (she's an aerobics instructer, sheesh!). She doesn't keep count either on beat with the music she chooses or in a consistent beat. It certainly makes me focus more on what I'm doing!

Mr Handsome and I went to a wine tasing event a couple of nights ago. I learned a bit about white wines (balancing the tart or acidic with the sweet) and aromas. I love learning about wine! It was ok. The other people there were rather serious. I was just there for fun and learning. We did meet a couple, Nancy and Andy, who were very cute. They've been married for over 30 years and Andy isn't really into wine. He was just there to be with her. SWEET! He looked JUST like DeNiro. I kept staring at him! He had the squint, the facial ticks, the nose, just everything! hee hee! I had wine with DeNiro!


This morning, I got up at dawn to go have breakfast with Cinnamon. I've mentioned her before, but I don't think I've ever given our history. We were peons together in Retail Administration for a big bank. Sometimes, we were treated like team partners; other times, like office furniture. She's an inspiring woman, very calm, determined, elegant. Yet, has a sense of adventure and the ridiculous. Complicated. I like her!

So, anyway, it was worth getting up so early. I always enjoy talking with her and we've decided to take a motorcycle safety/driving class together this Spring and had lots to talk about. I'm excited and nervous and REALLY looking forward to it. We met at this little café that I've been meaning to check out, called Red Jet Café. It's in an old library (which was a bank before that), so you KNOW I'm predisposed to liking it! The food (Greek Omelet and coffee) was delicious! Too ginormous, though; I had to take half of it home and the waitress was worried I didn't like it. SWEET! She wanted to make sure I enjoyed myself! I love that. Anyhoo, hanging with Cinnamon was a great way to start the day! Look at her beautiful hair. I need to get a decent flat iron.

Well! I'm gonna go try to get warm, and do some more READING!

laundry

I like to joke that I can read so many books because I neglect household chores. Actually, it's not a joke. I REALLY need to do laundry (and organize the bedroom, geez, what a sty). Today, I'm wearing a sweater that someone gave me years ago. I hardly ever wear it because it's not at all flattering, but I keep it because it was A) a gift, and B) reeeeeeaaaalllly expensive (Peruvian Connection: most of their stuff is absolutely gorgeous. The sweater I'm wearing is dull, boxy, and matronly. Also, too small. Good lord, how ungrateful do I sound?!? It WAS a sweet though, getting me a high-quality, mega-pricey sweater. I just wish I liked it, so I'd wear it, y'know? I am grateful for the thought, though).

NEWS ALERT! There's a squirrel RIGHT outside my window! He's very hungry. He's chewing on the tree bark. awww..... But he's so close I could touch him (if the window were open, but, of course, it's not, because it's 21F degrees out).

...back to our regularly scheduled musings...
I'm also wearing jeans that I pulled out of the laundry pile. I know, "ew." But the jeans I was going to wear, I couldn't get past my hips! How am I getting FATTER?!?!? I swear I wore the now-too-tight jeans last month! I'm hoping I'll get my act together to walk to work today. It's only a 30 minute walk. I don't know why I don't do it every work day. Other than, there's this weird feeling I have about not wanting to be looked at. I don't want people looking at me as they drive by, or as they look out their window. I want to be invisible, drift through their neighborhoods like fog. Ironically, I enjoy looking at people as they walk or jog by my window. huh. Anyway, being looked at makes me so uncomfortable. I get really nervous, anxious. Stupid. This unpleasant feeling is why I very often never leave the house, not even to check the mail, on my days off. Thank god for a job: It gets me out of the house.

So, it's super cold, I'm wearing an ugly, unflattering, too-tight outfit, but hopefully, I'll shrink soon. I'm trying to remember that I AM making an effort. It might not be as gung-ho an effort as some would make, but it is a beginning. I'm tired of beating myself up for being fat and ugly. It's boring.