Mb just called and invitied me to T-day dinner. Apparently she and her other guests need some help consuming the 25 pound turkey she got. Plus the four boxes of stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, deviled aggs, relish tray, cheese, apple slices and PIES*.

I agree---a total of four people aren't going to make much of a dent on a bird that size. I can help them with that! She also said bring Tupperware, which I can certainly do. So I'll bake the ham a day or so later, it's not going anywhere.

She's estimating dinner around 4 PM, which doesn't disturb my parade and dog show watching plans. And since the other guests are her VERY Christian step-parents, I'm reasonably sure that drama will be at a minimum, unless I helpfully chime in with "So mote it be!" at the conclusion of grace.

I wouldn't do that---I want to make it through to the end for leftovers. Ulterior motive much, me? Maybe, just a smidge.

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* Also peas, but since I don't DO peas, I'm not going to be any help with that.

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There was a guy I'd met through the LARP---come to think of it, he was running the tabletop game where HWSNBN and I met---who first told me about a weekly discussion group that met at the local UU church. They were pagan-friendly, he said, and I'd given them a try. That was in early '99---I remember, because that year they had a Beltane event that I went to, and HWSNBN went with me, although he's not pagan. He claims to be Catholic, but although he may have gone there as a kid, honestly, if he's anything, I'd say agnostic---but that's neither here nor there.

What matters is, I'd started going to services there, and had gotten a key and permission for the Camarilla to use the main building on Saturday evenings. And one Saturday evening, who should show up but Mb and her hub. I hadn't seen her since their departure from my spare room, which we didn't mention. Instead, she told me about the medical billing service she was working for, and that they were hiring. I went down there, and so began the chapter of my life entitiled, "You people!" (As in, "You people sent me this bill in the mail. Why didn't you people send this to my insurance? You people don't know what you're doing, my insurance said you people coded it wrong or they would have paid it, they pay everything!"---and so on.)

I'd been there less than a month when 9/11 happened. One of the girls had a radio on in her cubicle, and she said, "A plane hit the World Trade Center!" Well, I know that the Empire State Building was once struck by a plane, so I wasn't completely freaked out. Then a little while later, she said another plane had crashed into the other tower, and I was sure that it was some morning DJ's warped take on "The War of the World" broadcast. It didn't really sink in, especially when the next plane hit the Pentagon and another one went down---it seemed so over the top, like a big budget James Cameron thriller. I kept waiting for a punchline.

I realized the phones had gone silent. No one was calling to bitch about their bill, which suggested that maybe it was because everyone was huddled around their TV watching the breaking news. Someone who lived nearby ran out and brought in her portable TV, and there was the undeniable footage of tragedy.

Being a native New Yorker, albeit transplanted to Southern soil and thriving, I was more than a little in shock. Peter had worked in the Towers before his early retirement. I'd called him there often, talked to his coworkers while they paged him to the phone, knew that he shared my letters with them---and I wonder what happened to those good people. And I'll never know.

For weeks, I felt guilty about enjoying myself. HWSNBN and I went to see "The Musketeer", which would have been an exciting movie, if I hadn't had the feeling that I was doing something wrong for enjoying myself. We went and saw---I don't recall the title, but it was the current Schwarzenegger flick---and for once, car chases and explosions made me cringe instead of cheer.

When Halloween rolled around, I didn't play fair when it came to the company costume contest. With all the flag-waving that was going on at the time, how could I *not* win as Lady Liberty? Green shift, crown, torch, book...I got a WalMart gift card out of it, and invested the proceeds in an opulent velvet vest. (Pun not resistable.) And as proof of my pack-rattery, I still have the crown lurking around somewhere....

Also that fall, some friends of ours got married. I needed something to wear to the wedding, and because I was somewhere in the neighborhood of 375, off-the-rack formalwear wasn't a viable option. GK to the rescue! She found some material on eBay, I bought a pattern (which she modified), and we collaborated on a full-length, 3/4 sleeve red dress...maybe not the best shade of red for me, but it fit well.

Mb and I went hunting for something for her to wear, which we found at a plus-size consignment store down around Indian Harbor Beach. It was a snazzy black and silver number that needed a few stickes to mend...a seam or strap or something, I forget. But she took my word for it that it was an easy fix and got it, and it was an easy fix---I may not be quite up there with GK as far as tailoring goes, but basic things like seams and buttons, yeah, no problem.

As usual, I got completely fraught about the wedding. Maybe it's because the first wedding I encounted was Peter's and since it was a family event and my mother stressed about it, I thought that was what everybody did, but anyway---I'd like a wedding of my own someday. I don't necessarily want to get married, I just want a wedding.

But NOT to HWSNBN.


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While I was working at the directory assistance job, I noticed a couple who also worked there. They were hard to miss---he was about 6'7" and she was maybe 5'2"---a real study in contrasts. I never approached them, just noticed them---then I ran into them at a LARP. And that's how I met Mb.

By this point, I was in...two or three tabletop groups and was getting used to LARPing with the Camarilla bunch, since the comic store twerps I'd started out with were high schoolers and...enough said.

That December, Mb, her guy and I went to a Depeche Mode concert in Orlando. We got along well, and when it turned out that they were going to have to find a new place to live, I invited them to move in with me. This ended up being less than successful, but as has so often happened, it led to other things.


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I'm on my Melbourne stay-cation with Mb and her SO. I've brought my 'puter*, so I ought to be able to update as usual, barring unforeseen circumstances.

The A/C is actually cold enough that I've had to put on a jacket, and I foresee the need for sleeping under a blanket (not sheet, blanket). It's divine!

Spent the day running around...SO's dad is in hospital, where they visited him (Hence the house-sitting, it needs housekeeping on the scale Mb excels at). I don't know him personally, have had enough medical scenarios in the last year that I had ZERO desire to go in, so I sat in the car in the parking lot. I was in the shade, and because I'm acclimated to no A/C, I didn't even break a sweat.

After the driest July on record, it poured Sunday afternoon, which may have given us ever-so-slightly less brutal temps. Also, I had the foresight to bring a fresh spiral pad with me---on sale for some absurdly low price at WalMart in time for back-to-school. I spent a half-hour or so---didn't check my pocket-watch---focused on pursuing an idea across the pages. (foreverhermit, I think you'll like it.)

Mb and I cruised Salvation Army and Goodwill, which is how I happened to have a jacket with me in August. No major purchases; we came back to base camp and rounded up SO to go for dinner---the Chinese buffet, of course.

We got back and I went and took a nap, as I'd gotten slightly less than four hours sleep the night before---which is why I'm the only one up at this hour, though not for very much longer.

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* Huzzah to the portability of laptops, and a rousing THANK YOU, SBJB!

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So, last Friday, at the eleventh hour, Mb and I visited the sand sculpture festival out at the Radisson. There were a lot of magnificent works, and below the cut are the best of the pix I got. I'm surprised by how well they turned out, considering there was a lot of glare and in many cases, I was shooting blind. I am still trying to conquer the reflex to hold the camera up to my face, although with the display, that isn't necessary anymore.

My own particular favorite, toward the end, was the fabulously detailed Jules Verne tribute--I've posted the front and back. Puff the Magic Dragon was another great one, and so was photography, and Shakespeare and---well, just about all of them, as you can see. (Although this is by no means all of the sculptures that were there.) Enjoy!

( If you're on dial-up, this is your cue to click and go brew a pot of tea.... )

(Aren't you glad I know how to use a LJ cut?!)

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Had a grand day out with Mb...she swung by 11ish, first place we hit was Target on the Island. She was looking for sneakers, I saw some shoes I liked, but it was womenswear where I got into trouble. A whole $5 worth---found the most adorable microfiber jersey zebra print skirt! Just the right length---to a smidge below the knee---nice and drapey. I think I know what I'll be wearing this Sunday! I just need to make some decisions about what to pair with it.

Then we headed up to her place to snag her SO, who took us out to lunch. Have now tried the Chinese buffet at Fiske and Barton that sbjb and ang5fam both recommended. I'm giving the place the benefit of the doubt: It was around 2 PM by then, and a lot of the selections had probably been sitting there for a while. And there wasn't much of a veg selection, not even the ever-popular sauteed green beans. New Century on M.I. is still my favorite, but again, free lunch, free is good.

From there, we went to Viera, namely Super Target! Where they had a much larger and more tempting variety of shoes and a slightly larger selection of womenswear. For a mere $8, I got a black microfiber jersey wrap dress. (Yes, you are seeing a theme here.) It's a good basic dress, flatters my figure, and the fact is, none of the other black dresses I own can say that.

(Wait a minute, Fluffy---how many black dresses do you own? *counts on fingers* Before today, four. #1, sleeveless cotton jersey from LB, at least 15 years old, not a whole lot of shape to it and it's faded to that un-black shade of black, IYWIM. I don't wear it past the mailbox these days. #2 short sleeved faux turtleneck, don't remember the source, but I've had it for about 10 years...it was lost in the garage for about half that time, is in okay shape but that freaking neckline makes it hot and itchy so even after I rediscovered it, I've hardly ever worn it. #3 black cotton gauze from Goodwill a couple years ago, short sleeves, tiered and full-skirted, makes me look like a supermassive black hole, so I don't wear it much. Occasionally when I'm feeling fat and don't want to have anything clinging to me. And #4, a long black velvet halter dress, bought from LB in 1999; it was going to be my Millennium Eve dress, except I could barely get into it---well, that and we ended up staying home on NYE---I'm 30 pounds lighter these days, and while I can get into it, sitting down is NOT an option. Hmm, maybe I can sell it online: Prom season is starting up soon....)

I stayed in the car at the next stop, Super WalMart, and made the acquaintance of Froggy, a darling little black and white Boston Terrier. My Aunt Ruth and Uncle Tom had a BT named Butch when I was growing up, although in those days, I don't think "butch" had quite the same connotation it does today.

Finally back to Mb's, where she loaded me down with a bunch of frozen stuff. I took a padded cooler and a milk crate with me and came back with those full, *plus* another grocery bag of frozen stuff and a grocery bag of pantry shelf mixes and munchies. I haz Fig Newtons!

She brought me home, and I gave her a plaque that I got from Kat's---cute kitties being playful with a cylinder of bathroom tissue. It's headed: LET'S POTTY! and captioned "Let the good times roll!" Mb loved it, and I'm glad to know someone Kat knew and liked will enjoy it.

Watched "Justified", which I love like pie, and now I'm thinking reluctant but necessary thoughts about doing dishes so I can actually cook some of my largesse.
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Chipping away at it...have been focusing on my bedroom, because I really want to have one space that doesn't get on my nerves. It's quite a bit better than it was, and I'm finding a lot of things that have been MIA.

Yesterday, I did indeed take the day off, including an afternoon/evening nap that had me up til an late-even-for-me 4AM...since it was technically no longer Sunday, I worked on the space under my bedside table. (The tabletop was done last week so I could park some stackable wicker drawers on it.) And looking around, I realized that on a scale from "condemned" to "ready for a visit from Martha Stewart", it's not horrible. Not wonderful---there are still several cartons of books stacked in a corner and the closet is less than accessible---but compared to 6-8 months ago, it *is* better.

Happily, I hit the *other* mother lode of shiny...finding Dad's Gulf pins the other day was one load off my mind---today I ran across MY shiny. Rings, pins, bracelets, earrings, etc., mostly silver and some sentimental costume stuff, that I've been collecting since 9th grade. At some point during one of the hurricanes, I'd bagged it all up in ziplock baggies for portability, and it never got sorted out or put back into a designated "jewelry box".

One thing that I always worry about when it comes to that is, if it's all too well-organized, what if I got burgled? They'd be able to find it! Of course, the fact that *I* can't always find it is something of a drawback....

Also heard from Mb---we both took extended Sunday naps and didn't hook up yesterday, but tomorrow she has a pleasant activity scheduled for us---she's going to kidnap me, take me up to her place, and I'm going to benefit from her winnowing out surplus in her freezer and pantry. Which means I need to spend some time going through my own freezer and seeing what's beyond the pale. I think there are a few pot pies in there from 2007....
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Earlier in the week, I sent missybrat a communique about a free movie (HOOT) showing in the park downtown last night. When she called me last night, though, to ask what time I wanted to meet up with her, I was less than enthusiastic. Too much time spent doing laundry, and a violent aversion to Luke Wilson---I've seen too fucking many ATT commercials, period.

She came over, let me snivel for a while, then took me up to Titusville for a really good dinner buffet that I've never been to before. Usually I'm all about the salmon, but their teriyaki pork chops were divine. Also discovered that I like fried green tomatoes. Mb was bemused that a born-Yankee gal like me enjoyed such a Southern delicacy, but I reminded her that I *detest* sweet potatoes, which balances it out.

Originally, we were going to go to Home Depot (me still doggedly trying to get the wood for the rack), but I opted for dinner first, since I envisioned wood poking out of her window, and I didn't want it to disappear while we were in the restaurant. After three trips to the buffet and dessert, we were dismayed to realize it was 9 PM---however, since Home Depot was a parking lot away from where we were, we cruised over there anyway, and were delighted to discover they're open til 10 on Friday.

I now have the necessary 2x4s to complete the rack--BC is bringing over the other materials tomorrow morning---and it gets better! While I was wandering through the store, I spent some time on the plumbing aisle. But let me digress....

Owing, perhaps, to too much fiber in my diet, my hall toilet got clogged the other day, and plunging did not solve the problem. The last time I was in a similar situation, the plumber charged me $100 for less than 15 minutes work. (I don't have $100, period.) I called over to the MI Home Depot, asking if they rent toilet snakes, was told no, but they sell a $39 thing-a-ma-thing that does the same thing. (I don't have $39, at least not until next weekend.) Found a "Household Toilet Auger" (per the packaging), which cost $8 and solved the problem neatly. Doncha just love it when the so-called experts don't know wtf they're talking about?!

After Home Depot, we detoured to Mb's, where she corrupted me with a yummy cup of chai tea and let me sit there loving on her SO's akita. (Jazzy---a beautiful, muscular bitch with the most dense fur I've ever felt.) Both J and Cesar Millan stress that affection should only be given when the dog is in a calm, submissive state. I wouldn't swear to submissive, but Jazzy is always calm, so I didn't worry about it.

Got home around 11 and found my second wind---or it might have been the chai---and watched marathon eps of "The Dog Whisperer" while I worked on my room. Specifically, I worked on my cedar chest, which has been a total nightmare for months. Or longer---I found stuff there dated 2007. Got it down to bare wood, at least temporarily. Also took care of the landslide that avalanched off of said chest---I'm damn pleased to report thet the only things currently occupying the space between chest and bed is a pair of fuzzy slippers. What's more, they match. I spent the cold snap in January in mismatched slippers because I couldn't find the second one. Maybe when I tackle the floor in front of the closet, I'll run across the mate to the other pair....

Was up til nearly 4 AM, but not tripping over things on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night is totally worth it!
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Tomorrow evening is the Full Moon Ball. Red is going to be there---yay! I don't get to see her nearly often enough. My costume is ready, I just have to tackle my roots this evening and take my hair to a Malfoy blondeness.

Tomorrow afternoon, I have lunch scheduled with missybrat---someone else I don't get to see as often as I like. (Last month, yes, this month, NO.) The chinese buffet beckons. (And no, it isn't the Turquoise Dragon.)

I need to do laundry and dishes---my back and shoulders have been giving me hell this week---not only have I not walked, I haven't done much of anything---and it doesn't help that the weather has been unseasonably hot: We've had multiple days of record highs; upper 80s today and projected for tomorrow as well.

My brain is playing with ideas for my Crossover Exchange fic; no trouble there. However, I'm very disappointed about Yuletide; NONE of my first four choices* made the list, and it's not because any of them are common fandoms. I've actually found more stuff on the list that I'd want to write than request. There were a couple that made me go 'oooh!' and one where I outright squee'd and bounced up and down. I predict NYR fics, if nothing else!

TV-wise, I'm very disappointed with CSI: Miami this season. The departing regular is one big reason, and complete absense of Kyle Harmon is another. That's made up for in part by my thorough squee at Sylar's storylines in Heroes. I'm also enjoying Trauma---Rabbit!---although apparently it's already up for the aex. Criminal Minds is keeping my attention---I'm wondering how the shake-ups in leadership are going to affect the team. Eastwick is pure awesome...as for Supernatural...it's had some good moments, but hasn't really hit its stride, IMO. Call me shallow, but I'm *tired* of the damn Apocalypse and I miss the monsters of the week.

The other new show (in additon to Trauma and Eastwick) that has me perked up is USA's White Collar---the pretty boy who plays the clever criminal who's working with the FBI is, well, pretty. (At one point, when he wore his hair slicked back, I was reminded of Christian Bale.) What makes me oh-so-very-happy, though, is the FBI guy he's partnered with: Tim DeKay, whom I've adored ever since I saw him in a ep of the original series Cupid (the one with Jeremy Piven). *His* boss is the guy who was Gray Anderson in Jericho. And if Diahann Carroll reprises her role regularly, I shall be very happy. (I remember her from Julia, when I was quite young---and what a to-do there was about what a ground-breaking series that was for its time. I even got the "Julia edition" Barbie for Christmas, although ironically---since the character was a nurse---one of her knees hyperextended on Christmas night. DC was beautiful then, and she still is. She's aged elegantly.) All in all, it's a series worth watching---or setting a timer for if you're otherwise occupied on a Friday night.

I have a sticky note on the side of my monitor which says "Leverage Meets the A-Team". Seriously, wouldn't it be way too much fun to have Murdock and Parker trying to out-crazy each other?!

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Secondhand Lions, Clan Destine, The Little Lady Agency and DeVour. Obscure enough for you?

Right now I am sated and happy. Certainly the happiest I've been today. I tossed and turned last night, got up, went and deposited unemployment check, brief trip to Aldi's and paid FPL bill on the way home, and spent the afternoon being tormented by something I ate. (I'm betting it was the chicken salad I made out of some leftover rotisserie chicken last night.)

I felt crappy enough, no pun intended, that I begged off of dinner at missybrat's. Lamb shanks were on the menu. I was bereft.

However, Mb loves me. She couriered a plate to me with two lamb shanks and some green beans cooked with chunks of bacon. Not chips, CHUNKS. Real bacon, nom nom. I added some Uncle Ben's rice pilaf and as I said, I'm fat and happy. The more so because she also included a brownie for dessert---not just a random square---she loves me, she gave me a corner.

Oh, and a 12-pack of diet Dr Pepper, thereby preventing my spontaneous decaffination for another day or two.

So far, autumn is very nice! Last night, during Hoarders, I tore into my room and managed to excavate the far side of my bed. I love-love-love that show. A&E, Mondays. Awesome. Even better than Clean House for making me feel comparatively sane. I may fail at housework, but I'm still nowhere NEAR the EPIC!FAIL they broadcast. Seriously.

( Me, being a little Snarky McSnarkpanties )

Umm, lamb....