Confessions of a One-Track Mind

Today, as you may recall, was the long-awaiting Day of Reckoning for Clutter. Well, it was supposed to be.

CapeGypsy reneged. Per her email, her back went out.

Red came and stayed for about two hours, citing a sick dog. I passed along a chiffon scarf, an eyeglass case and a crystal she admired*.

Kat came and helped sort the beads on the coffee table for an hour and a half. She went home with the remaining seven cans of an 8-pack of Dr Pepper, as I don't care for the stuff and got it for her consumption.

We three got a surprising amount done in that length of time: There are several big bags of trash at the curb, my sofa is cleared off, the runner on the coffee table is visible and there's a goodly width of bare terrazzo extending from the door to the dining room. (That, coupled with the results already achieved in the dining room, is a real improvement.)

Oh, for one more hour of assistance!

Still, I have a couple of boxes of stuff I can haul over to Goodwill, and if I keep at it, maybe a couple boxes a week, it might actually be navigable by the time GK gets here.

It also motivated me to toss some scary leftovers, the kitchen trash and pitch the litter bags from both bathrooms. I swept after they left...the area rug will need to be vacuumed once the coffee table is cleared enough to move three feet west. There's actually room to do that now!

This evening is CUUPs. We're going to be making fetishes for protection (and yes, there has been some smirking going on every time the topic has been announced during services). I need to rummage out a few things: Fimo, stamps, tools---I'm really looking forward to it, as it's been ages since we last did "crafty crafts".

AND I have tomorrow and Wednesday off legitimately! *swoon*

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* Was amused to be lectured on the proper cleansing of crystals. Clearly, she has no idea how deeply I'm into New Age rocks.

Work today? Was EVIL. Got a buttload of calls for partners I seldom get and ZERO for Trendicrap, which is an extreme rarity. Got hung up on by numerous people I didn't want to talk to anyway, a bunch of nasty, snotty, demanding asshats who wanted to rail at length about reship policy, lies FedEx told them, why can't they find this thing that was on the website yesterday---"Because it sold out?!"---and so on. The ONLY thing that kept me from saying fuck this noise and walking out about 8 PM was the thought of not getting paid for Xmas. Other than that? Fuck 'em all. But! It's over. Granted, we're going to be doing mop-up for the next month, but it has PEAKED.

Red and I met and exchanged gifts before I went in---we're still on for next month, but she also presented me with a dichroic glass pendant she made. VERY shiny. I gave her a LeSnobbi wallet (in violet, her favorite color) and a USB drive. (She doesn't have internet access at home, so this way she can transport data to the library, or wherever.)

I DID get an hour of undertime, and hustled home to find my Body Shop package waiting for me. OMG, that pink grapefruit body butter smells awesome! Tomorrow? I am totally having a spa day. I'm going to wash my hair, exfoliate thoroughly, give myself a mani-pedi and once the polish has dried, butter myself...hmm, that sounds like there may be a personal battery-operated device involved. Either way, it's all good.

At work, the usual: a few people I wanted to smack for their sense of entitlement, a lot more that I helped as fully as possible, and a general sense that the post office is being run by people with zero background in geography. (Did they lose EVERYTHING we shipped out on 12/1?!) Next week, somebody in management---I'm thinking She-Boss---has come up with theme ideas. For instance, we're all supposed to wear red and white on Tuesday. What did I do with those red pants with white polka dots...? And I know I have a leopard-print Santa hat somewhere! *evil grin*

Meanwhile, Red has fulfilled one of my Christmas wishes---she asked what I'd like, and I said help with my living room. We've scheduled MLK Day, since we both have off, and I'm jubilant. My prayer is that we can get it cleared out enough that I can a) move out the chairs that I want to give to the CUUPs room, b) get my decrepit sofa to the curb and maybe even c) donate the "oak" entertainment unit to whichever thrift store will come and get it---but I'm not holding my breath. Hell, if we can get to the dining room and clear IT enough that I can walk in and out of the kitchen, I'll be happy.

That gives me something to look forward to after the holidays---like my GC Luxury day---and meanwhile, I'm anticipating not one, not two, but three! three! packages coming my way. GK says she's sent some books, kukkurkurat has mentioned a trans-Atlantic parcel, and pwcorgigirl is giving the gift of Fiestaware. All of which has me squeeing at the prospect of an exceptionally bountiful Christmas. I'll have Things to Unwrap, which I love. I'm one of those annoying people who weighs the box, examines the dimensions and shakes it gently. Left to my own devices--IE, without people screaming at me to "Open it! Open it!"---I'll go at it one strip of tape at a time, peeling the wrapping off oh-so-slowly, carefully removing the packing material...I like to savour my treats!

And tomorrow, thank the deity of your choice, is my Friday!

It started with a can run. I've been putting off hauling a load to recycling, but since I was going to be running around and had nothing but loose change in my wallet, it was time. I had 18 pounds of cans, and earned $8.10. Woohoo, big bucks!

Got home and while waiting for GK, discovered that my package with the fabulous 44-cent fragrance had arrived. (Retail cost, $48. I had a coupon for 50% off plus free shipping, thereby reducing the price to $24. Sales tax was $1.44. I had a $25 gift card. Cost to me: 44 cents. Go, me!) I smell fantastic!

Okay, so GK shows up, she's rented a Chevy HHR---I've been admiring those, and it was a really sweet ride---and we head over to the New Century Buffet for lunch with Red. It was great. We talked even more than we ate, and we all ate a lot! Sadly, they didn't have duck OR salmon on the lunch buffet, but there was gingerbread on the dessert bar, which helped make up for it.

We then proceded to the A+ Thrift Store, where the three of us perused. I exercised great restraint. I saw a vintage tablecloth I coveted, but talked myself out of it. Ended up with two books and a small picture frame.

From there, we headed down to the Melbourne Goodwill, by way of 7-11. That went well. GK picked up the tab for several articles that flattered me: 2 tops, 2 skirts, 2 dresses, a pair of shoes and a TV. (I was very excited because it's a 12" flat screen, however, I got it home and it doesn't freaking work. Grrr!) Red also made a number of fun finds, and she and I were warbling along to the oldies background music. Cupid, draw back your bow, and let your arrow go, stright to my lover's heart, for me, nobody but me---!

Red departed for home after that, and GK and I headed back to Cocoa. One of the projects she's working on during her stay is to replace the fluorescent bulbs that have burned out in her mom's kitchen---she bypassed Home Depot in favor of the thrift store, but I suggested that WalMart might have them, AND it would give me a chance to pick up some bathroom tissue. So we did WalMart.

She dropped me off with the spoils of our campaign, AND a top that she'd acquired for me at the MI Goodwill yesterday AND my Christmas present. Yes, she *is* preternaturally organized. In case I forget in the next six weeks, it's on top of the entertainment unit in the living room.

That's RIGHT, readers. A scant six weeks until the mercilessly commercialized holiday of quasi-religious significance. If you need to order anything online DO IT NOW.

Anyway, I tested the "new" set, which doesn't work and will be traveling back to Goodwill with me on Tuesday. The old set is plugged back in, and I just got through watching CSI: Miami and Blood Ties and reading one of my new acquisitions, The Final Confession of Mabel Stark, which so far is excellent.

I hurt all over, but it's been a pretty good day. And I have a lunch date to look forward to tomorrow as well!

Yesterday's lunch at Olive Garden with Red was divine. (Well, except for the service.) It's so great to have someone around who knew me when. GK and I go way back, but Red predates her by several years, and she remembers my dad and my brother (and dogs Lady and Patsy) and various dearly departed relatives. It's comforting to have someone I can reminiscence about them all with.

We can also carry on rousing conversations such as "Vengeance Unlimited?! I remember that show! OMG, Michael Madsen is so gorgeous!" There was also mutual enthusiasm expressed for Kindred: the Embraced---and btw, yes it WAS Jeff Kober on last night's ep of The Cleaner, go me!

I was the delighted recipient of a bag of Ghiradelli dark chocolate pieces, an IOU for Iron Man (coming out September 30th), and a musical card that plays the theme from Star Wars---did I mention that we sat through it together 2 dozen times in the theater? It was our Saturday afternoon activity for months---we'd catch two shows back-to-back, and we had call-backs and snide comments and in-jokes galore. *nostalgic smirk*

Then I got to go to work, with enough leftover pasta for dinner, yum! Nobody too deranged called in---this is good!---I drove PJ's car, which has A/C and a functioning speedometer. Got back here to watch The Cleaner, slept solidly for six hours, and got with Kat for lunch. Steak'n'Shake = chocolate cokes, yum!

If I could just figure out how this fucking satellite TV works*---how the HELL do you bring the DVD player into the loop?!---life would be fabulous.

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* Dish Network, if any of y'all have any suggestions.

Today did not quite go as planned. GK and I never made it to Catherine's, although we did get me measured. Ended up at the bowling alley around 2 in the afternoon, me hanging out and not bowling, because I have almost zero cash.

I've said before: one of the things I most admire about GK is her fabulous organizational skill. Including, keeping track of people. She had several other friends invited to this get-together: an ex-neighbor and several gals we were in school with. One of them was sitting out the bowl-o-rama at a table with Kat and me, and she happened to mention that Red, someone I've known even longer than I've known GK, is living and working in the area and they're in touch. She pulled out her cell phone and called her, told Red I was there, and Red said, quote, "I'll be there in ten minutes! Don't let her leave!"

Now, it was nice seeing missybrat last weekend, don't get me wrong. We've known each other for almost ten years, and I love her like the baby sister I never had. But I know where she works now, I could've gotten ahold of her if I'd needed to. But Red? I've known her since she walked up to me in the Cocoa High cafeteria in 1976 and asked to sign my cast. After graduation, she couldn't find a job, and ended up joining the army. When she got out, she settled in Washington State, and to the best of my knowledge (until 2:30 this afternoon) was still there.

There was a lot of squeeing, flailing and hugging going on. The crowd of us was pretty rowdy, both at the bowling alley and the Chinese buffet. I'm so delighted to see Red again---this is someone who knew a lot of my family who've passed. This is someone who remembers sleepovers and sitting through the original Star Wars (A New Hope) 24 times. In the theater. Every Saturday for months.

I've got to make an effort---despite my fucked-up schedule---to hang out with Red often now that I know where she is. *cackles happily*

This is so great!

Oh, and btw, socialhermit, GK snapped a pic of me in The Shades, which I will upload as soon as she sends it to me.

I hope your weekend was as cool as mine has been!