Wanderlust

By Thursday afternoon I was dreaming of getting away from it all. But then reality set in.

I realized that starting Thursday night, I was responsible for two fish,

two dogs,


and three cats for the holiday weekend.



No, the first cat is not Natasha. He's my neighbor's cat. He's even more camera shy than she is.

So much for getting away. I contented myself with making a list of places. Then I realized that everywhere on the list consisted of day trips. So I made a new list of weekend trips. Maybe once I start doing some of these, I can start making a list of places that will take more than a weekend. I figure for now, I should start small though.

And so since I could not get away, I did the next best thing and headed to the roof. (Please ignore the singing. I'm just trying to drown out the voices of the guys from work telling me that it is not good for the roof to walk upon it constantly. La-la-la. Whatever.)

My neighbor started an herb garden last year but it appears that she gave up on that idea. Now we're left with a few pots of this.

And since y'all enjoyed the 'hood photos, I leave you with these. I had not been on the roof since they finished the new building. Unfortunately this building blocks most of our western views. Grrrr.


I hope to start on the lists the coming weekend. The best I'll be able to do is a day trip though. Actually, it may be this way for a bit more time. I have a family obligation Saturday evening. It's my aunt's birthday and so we're having the party that she would have wanted.

Baybeeee!!!

Every other Friday, I go to get my 'do done. This is because I wear my hair pressed instead of chemically relaxed. A few years ago I came to the realization that my hair can only handle one chemical at a time. Kind of like the rest of me. And there was no way in hell I was going to give up my Clairol. When my hair gets longer, I just may give up on the pressing as well. Every now and then my hairdresser says, "You have such a nice wave pattern in your hair. We could do things with that." But my natural hair right now is a bit too short.

Oh yeah. I was going somewhere with this. Let me introduce you to the most recent member of my hairdresser's family. He was a Mother's Day gift to her. And one of the cutest things I have ever seen. He is a Maltese/Yorkie mix. Currently he is somewhere between 1-1/2 and 2 pounds. He probably will never weigh more than five pounds. But he has loads of spunk and heart. And perhaps a little slow on the uptake.

Whenever he was in trouble, he would come running to me. Just so that I could sell him out. Because I'm like that. You or me? Well you've got to go in a heartbeat. I won't even blink an eye thinking about it. I used to try to explain this phenomena to my students. They would say, "My friends have my back." You think? Just wait until you're in some serious trouble. "What? You mean if I talk first, I can skate on this? Let me tell you what happened..." It's all about self-preservation.

Then again perhaps my new friend will not come running to me the next time I'm in the shop. Maybe he will have learned that all so important lesson. Only trust folks as far as you can throw them.

Cue the spaghetti guitar

The Good ...

I'm feeling a lot better after the weekend. The dogs didn't bark that much. I got to read some cool books. Yes, I am back to reading young adult stuff again. I've run out of unread grown-up stuff at home. And I haven't finished reading everything in the various series yet. I started off with the first book in each series. Then I continued with the Charlie Bone stuff when I went to check on Boris & Natasha on Sunday. That reminds me. I probably should re-read The Golden Compass soon. And I checked out a couple of movies as well.

And it's always fun to check out what other folks have hanging on their fridges. I absolutely adore this postcard.


The caption reads, "Here he is! He destroyed my environment, squandered my savings, started a war ... and, ate my porridge."

Oh, and I had something I haven't had in years...


Canned soup.

The Bad ...

Hmmm. Can't really think of anything here right now. Well, except for the old stuff. Still no job but I still have some prospects out there.

And The Ugly

The worst part of the weekend? Bug bites. Painful ones on my right hand. One is on the joint of my thumb. The other is on the tip of my pinkie. So not pleasant.

And that reminds me. I should see about adding some Clint Eastwood to my DVD collection one of these days. Before my dad and my uncles consider disowning me. That and The Godfather Trilogy and maybe some George Carlin.

A change of scenery

I think that watching Dumb and Dumber may have been the best thing for me. Already after two nights, I am feeling more like my old self. Maybe it's the lack of cable TV. Maybe it's the tea and cookies. While going through cupboards before leaving home, I discovered an unopened package of Pepperidge Farm cookies. Veronas to be exact.

And fortunately it has cooled down some, but not too much. It's still warm enough that I can sit in the backyard sipping on juice or tea, reading, and smoking cigs. All this while the dogs frolic and occasionally stop by to lick my toes.

The phone interview went OK. I should hear back by the middle of next week. One of my goals this weekend is to get more resumes out. Because I need to be working in the next couple of weeks. Oh, why didn't I take that other job last March? Oh well. Hindsight as they say.

And hey! It's Saturday. I think we all deserve a quiz or two this week. This first one is brought to you courtesy of my new obsession with my toes.

You are Flat Sandals

Casual yet flirty You look great in a simple top and jeans Your look is approachable and cute!

What Kind of Sandal Are You?

And this one? Well, I just couldn't resist it.

You Are a Carousel

You are young at heart and a truly playful person. No one would ever accuse you of taking life too seriously. You are definitely in things for the fun. You find joy easily, and you are often building up anticipation for your next adventure. In relationships, you tend to want to be babied and taken care of. And while you may be a bit high maintenance, you are incredibly loyal. Your life is simple and satisfying. Each day you treat yourself to something you enjoy. You have a lot of emotional attachments, and experiences are extra vivid to you. You tend to be nostalgic and sentimental. The past is important to you. Comfortable around all living things, you have a special connection to animals and children. At your best, you are whimsical, free spirited, and creative. Even if your schemes seem a bit strange, they usually work out wonderfully. At your worst, you are spoiled, demanding, and impossible to satisfy. You've been known to act like a brat if you aren't getting your way!

What Carnival Ride Are You?

Now I think I know what the issue has been over this past week -- everyone else's need for seriousness. So now I'm going to spend the rest of the weekend trying to remember who I really am. I was just thinking that if it was raining, I'd go outside and jump in some puddles. But it isn't. Perhaps a run through the sprinklers...

Have a safe and fun holiday!

What I miss

It seems like this is going to become a Memorial Day tradition for me -- taking care of Dumb and Dumber. The good news is that they seem to have mellowed in the last year and so there was a lot less barking. Well, that's what I thought up until Sunday. Then on Sunday they seemed bent on making up for all that missed barking. At least this time there were no visits from the scary neighbor. In another year, the dogs will be in another home.

My friend's mother passed away right before Memorial Day last year. As an only child, she sold her mother's home in Marin County and used the money to buy another home in Berkeley. The new home is closer to where I live. In fact I could walk there if so inclined. The new home also needs a great deal of work -- something like six to eight months. But they figured this all out. Her husband, who is a fantastic carpenter, quit his job months ago so that he could work on whatever home they purchased. When they move, they will rent out the old house.

My main concern is if the yard at the new house will be as great as the one they have now. I know it will be eventually but by next Memorial Day. They've lived in this house for about fifteen years and enjoy gardening. There is an abundance of flowers. In the summer there are vegetables. Oh, and I spied some strawberries early Sunday morning. This is what I miss. Having a yard. Getting up on a Sunday morning and sitting at the table in the yard, sipping on my tea.

I came to this realization Saturday evening. My friends had offered to stock whatever I wanted but I told them that wouldn't be necessary. I took a container of the jambalaya out of the freezer and brought it over. But what to drink? And then I spied all of the ripe lemons on the tree. There is nothing like fresh lemonade. I believe their tree is a Eureka. Now it would have truly been an experience if it had been a Meyers like the tree at my aunt's house. But fresh lemons are fresh lemons. And the lemonade was wonderful. So wonderful that I managed to drink the whole pitcher Saturday evening. Which of course meant another trip into the yard on Sunday so that I could make another batch.

If it wasn't so out of my price range, I think I would try to rent the house from them when they move. But then I remember all of the things that I'd miss at my current place. Like being able to walk to so many wonderful places. I guess you can't have it both ways.

In a funk

It seems that I probably managed to alienate most of the folks in my life by the time I went to bed Friday night. (OK. Probably just Queenie and Dumbest. Oh, and it seems that somewhere along the way I goofed on Dumbest's age. He's two years younger than I previously thought.) I'm talented like that.

This meant that the majority of my contact this weekend was of the animal form. Oh, and loads of DVDs. To-date I have made it through at least ten movies. They started off light and funny and eventually became very dark. I don't think those last few helped much. Even if they were rather good. Oh, and there was some reading. I found a copy of Reading Lolita in Tehran on the shelf so I started reading it.

I toyed with the idea of heading out on Saturday night and again on Sunday night. I just can't seem to motivate and to get out of this funk. I think I've been on a downward spiral since about February or so and it's just all starting to catch up with me. By Sunday, part of me wanted to cry but I just couldn't get the tears all the way out. Probably just as well that I stayed in. Because when I go out in this kind of mood, I'm just one evil bitch. No, really. I will sit around looking for the smallest of slights just so that I can have the pleasure of ripping you a new one.

I keep thinking that once the school year is over I can start to pull myself out of this mood. Thank goodness there are only three weeks left.

Getting ready for duty

Back in April, I bought this item in blue when I was at Ikea with my mom. The cats did not seem to take to it. Most mornings I awoke to find it collapsed on the floor. Now apparently Natasha has claimed it as her own. Last night as she was exiting, I discovered why. I found a pen and one of my lighters hidden in the tent. I will have to be more vigilant with my belongings now I see.

I awoke yesterday morning with the best of plans once more. I was going to do something I hadn't done in some time -- go to the movies. I narrowed down my choices to Fay Grim and Waitress. Waitress won out since Fay Grim will be on DVD on Tuesday. (And I'm really excited about it now that I know it's the sequel to Henry Fool, one of the many movies I own.) The big problem is that Waitress is not playing at one of the three theaters near my home. I was going to have to drive. And I goofed on the start time of the movie. By the time I was ready to go, it was fifteen minutes to show time. So I decided to put it off. Maybe next weekend.

And speaking of next weekend, I have signed up for duty once more. Yep, next weekend I will be watching Dumb and Dumber once more. There have been additions to the house in the form of fish. So last night I went by to receive my directions. This was after a stop at Michael's to buy the various art supplies I would need this week in order to get ready for open house.

Have I mentioned how I wish it was Friday already? Well, I do. Even if it means a weekend filled with Dumb and Dumber. Because for the first time in weeks, the boy should be in town for the weekend. And I'll be getting paid for watching the critters.

Family Update

I just realized that I haven't updated y'all on the latest in the family illnesses.

My stepmother had a scan a little over a week ago. The tumors appear to be shrinking. So now she has time to recover from all the radiation and chemo. The other night my dad was cooking pork chops for dinner. (My stepmother is a mighty fine cook as long as she sticks to Creole cuisine. Other stuff? It's best to eat at the house when my dad is cooking. After he retired from those folks I am forced to send money each month and opened his own consulting company, he suddenly discovered the joy of cooking. If my dad had a blog, it would be pure food porn. Either stuff he made or places he's dined.) Anywho, back to the story. So my stepmother said that while he was cooking, for the first time in a long time she did not feel like fleeing the room. Instead the smell of the food cooking made her hungry. She scheduled for some more scans in four and six weeks. If everything's still shrinking, then they're not going to do anything.

I finally asked my aunt pointblank about her scan from a couple of weeks ago. I knew that they had changed her chemo. Instead of going once every three weeks, she now goes once a week for three weeks and then has a week off. It seems that in her latest scan they discovered that the tumor was growing instead of shrinking. The doctors are hoping that the more aggressive chemo will lead to shrinking. If so, they will then operate around July or so. We were talking about how she still owes me dinner for my fortieth. At the time, we put it off because she was in the middle of chemo. We that treatment stopped, the new school year had started and I was busy beyond belief. By the time I had some free time in my schedule, the cancer was back. We also talked about how her sixtieth fell in the middle of all the cancer madness. For her fiftieth she threw this kick-ass party. Now she wants to throw a 30s/Speakeasy themed party. (Hmmm. I do believe that I toyed with that idea for my fortieth.) We talked about how cool it would be for the women to come as their favorite diva of the era -- Ella, Lena, Lady Day. We both love the clothing of that era. And of course the men would have to wear hats.

Loquita has been staying with my mom over the last couple of weeks. (Loquita would be the Mexican street dog she gave back.) Her friend was heading to his ranch and my mom has issues with Loquita mixing with the other dogs that have been allowed to roam free on the property. Have I ever mentioned to y'all that my mom can be a snob at times? So now every time I talk to my mom, I get to hear tales of how "the dog must go." (As much as I like to complain about my mom, I have been talking to her quite often. Near daily. Because I'm kind of stressed about the job situation. And my mom is one of the few people whom I actually trust when I'm stressed out.) This from the woman who mixes scrambled eggs with the kibble. Because Loquita won't eat it otherwise.

I have yet to call my cousin back. I've got to suck it up and do it tomorrow. The sooner she knows my answer, the better.

And now I am going to stop rambling. I left for work at 7:30 this morning and got in around 9:15 in the evening. The kids had a dance performance across the Bay. (I was within inches of Gavin at one point. Didn't anyone warn him how dangerous that could be? And then a couple of my girls said, "We had our picture taken with the mayor." Ummmm. Where was I?) And some of the parents couldn't come. So Queenie, another teacher and I took the kids to their performance after school and then drove them home. On the drive from the BART station, I got to hear repeated pleas of, "Ms. Empress, please stop at the store. I'm thirsty." This would be within a few blocks of the student's home. My reply? "It is almost 9 o'clock. Don't you have anything to drink at your house? And more importantly, isn't it almost your bed time?" If I had questions about my cousin's son, they were answered this evening in the walk from the Herbst Theater to the Civic Center BART station and then the ensuing ride on the train. I mean there were three adults and five children. I was tired. Mindless TV calls to me.