Canasta night did NOT go as planned. I got over to J's, and she was all, "Oh, I forgot you guys were coming over. TRT is going to be here in a little while."

TRT is one of my least favorite people on the planet, at least of the people I've personally met. J thinks the sun shines out her arsehole, but I don't like her and never will. I'm civil, because I *am* fond of J (although not so much at the moment), but shit like this---!

Mind you, TRT called maybe five minutes later, and did J say, "My bad, I forgot, I made plans for tonight with Fluffy and Mb."? No. She didn't.

Mb got there a few minutes after I did, and TRT showed up a few minutes after that, along with her significant other and yappy little dog and generally crashed the party.

J didn't say anything, because hey, it's not my place. They took over the kitchen and made meatloaf, which they didn't offer to Mb and I, although J got a big plateful.

We played one short hand, then J cried off. Mb and I both left, pissed.

I haven't had dinner---we didn't break into the munchies we'd brought---and I'm hungry and evil-tempered. And I got caught by every single fucking traffic light on the way home. Grrr!

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Got home from Mb's this afternoon and found A SNAKE in the middle of my kitchen floor. Yellow, about a foot and a half long. I used a sponge mop to pin it down, and picked it up with a pair of tongs (which I'll never be able to use for food serving again!) and flung it out the front door. What next, a bear in the bathtub?!

We're having canasta tonight, as J is busy tomorrow and Mb has something going on Saturday. Mb has contributed cheese and crackers, I've got a beef summer sausage, and I'm going to run by Publix for a beverage.

Had several odd dreams last night, THREE of which were about shopping. First I was trying on dresses, one midnight blue, one deep violet. Then there was one where I tried on a pair of apple green Kate Spade shoes---which I know damned well they don't make in size 12!---and finally, trying on beaded necklaces in a thrift store with GK and a gal from church. You can tell I'm frustrated about my finances when I'm shopping in my sleep!

More when I can....

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Yesterday was a blast. The weather looked threatening, so I boogied over to the Island early, despite J's injunctions not to show up before 7PM.

Publix has wifi. I sat in the foyer and fiddle-futzed around on my phone for a while. Went in and snagged a few things while phone was loading My Horse updates. Have been craving Lebanon Bologna for weeks, and was finally able to indulge in that and a loaf on onion rye. (Which was what I had for breakfast, yum!)

Back out in the lobby, because it was still only 6:30, when I checked out, and who should stroll in but Mb. I told her I didn't recognize her without the Akita! And as she was going in, who should come through the out door but J! I was highly amused by the convergence.

Mb made her all-day spaghetti sauce, and J procured cake and ice cream. It was nommy.

Although it's early (cos technically, my b-day is tomorrow), I got pressies! Mb got me some lime-scented soap that smells good enough to eat, on a great little soapdish. J granted me a free month of phone service. And GK's box, which I'd had her send to J's for security reasons, had arrived and brought much squee.

Best ensemble: A black pencil skirt, size 26, that fits divinely, paired with a fantastic print jacket. Mb and J both gasped and said how professional the combo looked. Myself, I think the jacket is a trifle boxy, but I have scads of things I can wear under it; it has colors that my wardrobe already features. The skirt is a smidge long, but I'm still staggered that I can fit into ANY pencil skirt, much less one that's a size 26. It's not THAT long. I'd shorten it a couple inches, but *I* think it comes off as conservative rather than frumpy.

Likewike the black skirt with a splashy dot print in red-pink-orange is versatile and fun---I have all of the above in tops. There's a pair of microfiber black pants of a style I've had before and worn to death. Can't go wrong with that. A cute little necklace made from buttons is a fun accessory that I'll probably layer with a similar necklace I have in black.

The less than amazing items are a sundress with an elasticized bodice---it's totally a mailbox dress, as in, good to schlep around the house in, but I wouldn't wear it past the mailbox. There's an awesome NWT croc belt, too tight, but in 15-20 pounds, it won't be. And finally, a khaki skirt, which I DO like, but Mb and J both gave it thumbs-down. It's pleated, you see, which might not be so bad, but it's slightly loose at the waist so it rides low, which does my hips no favors. (Still, it's khaki, which I've wanted for ages. I wound up wearing it for the rest of the evening with the top I started the evening in, and it's quite comfortable.)

Got skunked by J both games. Just wasn't quite getting the cards I needed, and she went out both times. *sigh* Still, it was fun. Those two always are.

Happy shout-out to pwcorgigirl and thru_the_blinds for their sweet birthday greetings, also kukkurkurat---great to hear from you, hon. Hope your job interview goes great! Early birthday kudos to birthday twin ruric---have a wonderful b-day and a terrific year. Best wishes on the new job, and let's hope it's contagious!

Have a lovely weekend, y'all!




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So, I'm at the C's. Ah, the coolth! I actually slept under a sheet last night for the first time in months---after taking a lovely warm shower. (At home, I've been taking cold---or at least tepid---showers since mid-April)

I brought my lilac pj's with me, but the buttons kept popping on the top. I think I'll have to sew them shut...cute, tho'!

The C's are in the process of remodeling their kitchen. The old one was nice enough---compared to mine---but the new one is palatial: Magnificent stone tiles of grey/tan, fabulous birch cabinets from Ikea, recessed lighting from multiple sources and all new stainless steel appliances. I'm smitten with envy!

There's canasta at J's this evening, which I'm looking forward to, and continued climate-control til tomorrow evening. Bliss!

Only downside: It's raining fish, so I can't take advantage of the flat driveway to clean out my car.

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Mb invited me for Chinese food on Tuesday. We discovered when we got to Melbourne that her favorite Chinese Buffet has closed. Oh dear...we ended up at Cici's Pizza, which is AYCE. Mediocre pizza, but the price is right. Also, I discovered they have free wifi for the win.

Wednesday, J and I had a dog. It's a myth that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. You certainly can---IF you know how to go about it. However, teaching an old owner? Forget about it. This one was boohooing about not wanting to be "mean" to the dog. *eyeroll and gnashing of teeth* Having rules and letting the dog know what they are is NOTNOTNOT being mean. So we doubt we'll hear back from this one. It's the dog I feel sorry for.

Got confirmation about house-sitting next weekend, oh yay! I said YES quite smartly. I know they're having work done on the house, but I'll deal with that. I need the money AND the change of scene and air, glorious air! I'm also looking forward to a nice, flat driveway so I can clean out my car, which is a hot mess, literally. I'm also hoping I can scrape together a few nickels and see The Expendables 2, which is my kind of movie.

More running around with J on Thursday, including her comping me lunch at Five Guys Burgers, which was fabulous. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I had beef. They were really sweet. When I said that the fries weren't very fresh, the counterperson immediately made us a fresh batch. Mmmm! I'd go there a couple times a month, if I could afford it.

Friday, I was kinda fatiqued from all the running around of previous days. I did some laundry, not much else.

Yesterday was canasta at J's, and it was a hoot. The first hand we played, I was getting skunked. J, her BFF and I were playing cut-throat, which is every player for herself. We got down to the bottom of the deck, and BFF got the last card in the pile. In the variation we play, the next player, which was me, can take another turn if they're able to pick up the pack of discards. I lamented that unless BFF discarted something I could use, I was screwed. BFF waved around the cards she had left; the highed value card she had was an 8. "They make lovely discards," I said breezily...and she promptly discarded it. I pounced. BFF couldn't believe it. J was laughing her ass off. I just smiled and completed a wild-card canasta from the pack. It was an awesome moment. I didn't win, but it put me in second place.

The second hand, the deck was getting low, not more than two or three turns left, and I just wasn't getting the cards I needed to complete sequences. I sorted things and realized I could go out if I didn't draw anything too unfortunate on my next turn. Sure enough, I got cards that would work with what I had, and proceeded to go out. There was some fussin' and cussin' for sure! I won that hand neatly.

When I got home, around 1AM, an odd thing happened. I walked into my living room, and it felt a little cleaner than I expected. Nothing had been moved, the elves hadn't magically come in and tidied up for me, it just seemed less dingy, more welcoming. I have a long way to go, but I could tell that there's been progress.

Today was church. The speaker was someone who's new, and she gave an interesting talk about the erosion of civil rights. Hospitality was plentiful; there was a Buddist retreat at the church this week, and there were plentiful leftovers. Enough that we all ate, and most of us got more to take home. I have a bag of salad greens, a bag of cooked brown rice, two onions, some grape tomatoes and two hard-boiled eggs. Woohoo, I'm set for the week!

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Last night, I was at J's. We played canasta til 2AM, which is extraordinary. Usually she starts making sleepy noises at 11.

Then, after the last hand, when her buddy had gone home, we sat around talking for another hour. I didn't get in til after 3, and then I was too tired to sleep. Was up til 6AM.

Slept til almost 1 PM. Lay around for a bit thinking about what I wanted to get done today, and eventually went into the office and started working in here. The good thing about working in here, apart from the best ceiling fan in the house, is being able to sit in my desk chair and bend over to stuff things into garbage bags. Mush less dizzying than standing in this heat!

Got a full 30-gallon bag up before being summoned by the phone/Mb. (We're going to the food bank in the morning, yay.) It's been a few years since I've seen this much floor around my desk, and oh, the things I found.

* A $10 gift card for Adidas, which I *knew* I had and was looking for when I last had money. Was going to get some *good* socks to wear while walking. Ah, well, hopefully by the time the weather cools down, I'll be gainfully employed.

* My copy of Formula 51. Yay, now I can inflict it on J! Although really, 2 hours of Samuel L. Jackson in a kilt isn't exactly torture. And besides, she fancies Robert Carlyle.

* A bunch of box tops with Coke reward codes---this is the only way I can afford to subscribe to 'zines, I get 'em with reward points. Also snagged a nice little soft-sided cooler, and one year when I had A LOT of points, I gave everybody magazines for Christmas.

* An empty bottle of Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay (coconut) rum. WTF, self? That must've been down there for years, because I can't even remember the last time I bought a bottle of rum.

* My big binder clip. The thing I love best about my desk, an old oak teacher's desk, is the slide-out tray that's perfect for my mouse. However, during the summer, it needs something on it to absorb perspiration from my arm: Dishtowel + clamp.

Anyway, I pitched a lot of stuff, went and schmoozed on the phone, ate, watched TV, came back and am working on the bookcase behind my desk, whick has had things jammed in it every which way. I'd eventually like to get it winnowed down to reference books all in one place, which would be fabulous. *deep breath* Baby steps....

According to USPS tracking, my Nook is in Orlando! At that rate, it should be here tomorrow or Tuesday!!!

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I had a very nice time at J's. There was canasta. And fried chicken, potato salad and beans. And more canasta. And brainstorming for some themed playlists.

Another nice extra was the view of the city fireworks visible above the trees from her backyard.

Not so great: Her couch, which has *killed* my lower back. (I did not get much sleep.) Or the little fucker who's out in the street shooting off firecrackers. I'm going to turn the classical music channel on and tr to get more sleep....

I'm down to the last bunch of dishes soaking in the sink, go me. Then I can get started oon the counters....

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I love Mb, really I do. *And* her glorious a/c. I've even fallen for one of her tiny little adorable kittens, me, the NOT-a-cat-person. However, she has this bizarre notion that LJ made her former computer catch fire, so I am forbidden from accessing it on her current computer. (I'd use mine, but her wireless is fubar and she doesn't care about fixing it.) I've missed youse guys.

Tried Burger King's new bacon sundae, OMG, much nommynomnom! Salty-sweet fans, rejoice! Mb, who turned me on to salted caramel, says it would be better with more caramel and less hot fudge, which I agree would also be good. Either way, much yumminess!

Had canasta night at J's with Mb and J's BFF. Good times! Plus, J has wireless, so I got to catch up with some LJ, update my apps, the usual. OTOH, J has only extreme basic cable, while Mb has the full-on digital package. But they both have AIR.

GK will be here Thursday, woohoo. Friday is the memorial service for Bryan and the reunion. I need to go through my clothes and figure out what I want tailoring help with. Am probably going to drop out of the ovrnight trip to Savannah for money reasons. As much as I'd like to get away with GK, I don't have money for restaurant eating unless it's very fast food.

I discovered to my absolute horror that I inadvertantly paid FPL via a bank account that was closed last year. So while I was off at Mb's, blithely thinking everything was taken care of, it's not, and now they've tacked on yet another fee and I still have to pay it. I am SO fucked. *headdesk*

Time to dust off the resume again. I've got a few leads. Knock wood one of them will have me.

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Spent last evening at J's. Was introduced to Whipped Cream vodka (by Pinnacle), which is like a high-test root beer float when mixed with A&W. (Don't knock it til you've tried it!) Also meat-lover's pizza. Followed by a hand of canasta, followed by me going OH SHIT when I realized my dishes were still in the carton in my trunk.

I brought them in, soaked them for a short while, then got busy scouring while J took a shower. I ended up pitching a few things---plastic tumblers that weren't worth scrubbing, cheap flatware that was eaten by rust---I refuse to be one of those people who ha to save everything. Any of the items I tossed wasn't worth my time and soap.

Fulled up my tank while I was out---$3.31 a gallon, w00t!---and dropped off my library books.

Go, me!

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Friday was My Day Out With the Girls, namely Mb and 'Bunny. Started with breakfast at Denny's. I had the Grand Slam of double bacon, an English muffin and hash browns. They didn't even ask for my ID, which was great, but they were the exception: Ruby Tuesday, Tropical Smoothie nad Steak 'n' Shake ALL demanded some mythical coupon that I'd've had to sign up for online---which the birthday site I'd toured didn't mention THAT.

We toured a pawnshop, where Ifound season 2 of Jericho, Barnes and Noble (good for a blank sketchbook marked way, way down), Bath and Body Works---which is NOT the same as Bed, Bath and Beyond, and does not honor their coupons. Tried some lotion but didn't buy anything.

Checked my mailbox at home, nothing interesting. From there, we went to Viera, where 'Bunny picked up the tab for lunch at S'n'S...their Cherry Limeade is quite tasty, and I've never gone wrong with a butter pecan shake. Mb had the caramel-apple shake and raved about it. I tried a spoonful and yeah, it's good. So was the portobello-swiss burger I had with cheese fries.

World Market was next on the trek; I snagged the last roll of violet mints, a dark chocolate bar with crystalized ginger (not enough ginger, IMO) and some iced tea-flavored hard candies.

While all this was going on, my car was in the shop. It was 4pm when we left World Market---I called the garage and found that my car was ready and the shop wasn't open on Saturday. We back-tracked to "Bunny's and dropped off Mb while 'Bunny took me to the garage so I could get my car and take it back to the C's and park it. It workedd out, because Mb knew where J lives but 'Bunny didn't.

One thing I noticed after driving AI's car for a couple of days: I could really use a brake job!

We played the first hand of canasta as a throw-away, "doesn't really count" hand, because Bunny and J's BFF don't know how to play our version of canasta. My team won handily, and I got surprised by a lovely little pink and white cake. The good kind, from Publix---WalMart tends to have a heavy hand with the nasty, vividly colored dyes.

Mb and Bunny bth bailed after the first hand; J promised to take me home, and we had a three-way game of cut-throat (No partners, every player for herself.). Woohoo, I won.

Saturday, I was slothful. Went over to J's in the evening for one-on-one cut-throat, wherein I got skunked, 2 hands to one.

Sunday, church. We had a moving service wherein we lit candles in memory of 9/11. (I will always wonder what happened to the people my brother worked with before his retirement.) I haven't watched any of the TV coverage, just quietly said prayers for all the victims, dead and alive.

I went to the library on the way back to the C's...paid my fines---*did* find the two missing books in my car, under some mail on my front seat. (I've been tearing the house apart for a week, looking for them!)

Mb has signed me up for a 30-day weight-loss challenge---when I agreed to it, I was NOT expecting anything so formal!---which starts tomorrow. Since I was planning to start making changes tomorrow anyway, I'm trying to convince myself that it's all good.

Food bank in the morning, early....

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