Confessions of a One-Track Mind

Argh, drama. Way too much drama, and no internet to dump it on*. It's been hell. but My god, I've missed youse guys. I'm back, and that's a funny story in itself. Let me see if I can catch you all up with everything.

Spent time at Mb's the week before last, got home and cable/net was disconected. I, being obsessive and resourceful, managed to get my converter box hooked up to my portable TV in time for Person of Interest. I get two channels: CBS and Retro. Route 66 reruns, anyone?

BrightHouse was even nice enough to send someone out to pick up the box, remote and modem...I know it'll be a long time til I can afford it again, but it saves me a drive out to the nearest cable office---which, with the cost of gas, is a Good Thing.

Right now, what gas I *do* have is being hoarded for jury duty, a week from Monday. I'm looking forward to it, and hoping that I'm needed for multiple days, just for the stipend. I haven't had a full tank of gas in months; at the moment, I have a couple gallons, and I'm wondering nervously if I have enough cans to make a recycling run worthwhile.

In the midst of my turmoil and strife, I got a belated birthday gift from Estonia: kukkurkurat sent me a fabulous handbag. It's a soft blue-grey silk brocade, woven with shimmery pastel dragonflies. Definitely not an everyday bag! Am trying to decide what to wear with it to church...possibly the dark grey silk top GK sent me, although it's probably still to warm for that.

Speaking of GK, she's been a busy bee: she's moved across town from where they were, gotten a new part-time job, *and* she's putting together another CARE package; she found a couple tops while she was out and about. (I'd told her that I've discovered that a lot of mine are too big, so I need replacements. She's sending two.)

God bless Mb for helping me stay caffeinated; I know, I've tried to decaffeinate, but after a couple days, I'm so wretched I want to die. No joke, I spent the first half of the week with a thundering headache, moving in slow-mo, wondering how long it would take for my body to be found if I took a Cutco steak knife to my wrists.

Mb rescued me Tuesday evening and took me up to her place. Gave me two 2-liters of diet Coke and the remote so I could watch Sons of Anarchy. What an amazing episode. ( Holy shit! )

I actually did some serious cooking last week, because that was what circumstances called for. Last Sunday, I did a turkey sausage and rice mingle that fed me for three days; the third day I raided my pantry for a can of chili beans and called it red beans and rice. For Wednesday and Thursday, I took the ground beef I got from the food bank and made stroganoff. Nothing fancy, but filling.

Yesterday, my food stamp benefits were loaded for the month. I was out the door bright and early, because I was out of bread and some vital condiments. Came home, and as I was getting out of my car, was approached by the gal from next door asking when I was going to cut my yard. (Last done 4/25. The back yard is literally up to the window sills.) Told her it's not that I like it like that; I just flat-out don't have money to hire anyone. Was open about how incredibly tight things are, basically I'm hocking heirlooms to keep the lights on...a little while later, her friend came over and whacked my front yard down to size. Huge difference! The back would still feed a brontosaurus for a week, but at least now it doesn't look like the abandoned houses on the block.

I went over to thank them profusely, and mentioned that BrightHouse has cut off everything, and she then proceded to give me the passwoord to her wireless. So I'm online, in my office, and after everything I've said and thought about the neighbors from Hell, I'm willing to admit I might be wrong. Yes, their six kids and IDEK how many dogs are freakin' loud, but she's a nice, helpful person. If there *is* anything hinky going on, I don't care (as long as it stays over there!).

I've got laundry going---I'm going to put it in the dryer when I'm finished with this---and I'm contemplating a lebanon bologna sandwich when I've done that.

Tomorrow after church, I plan to shop at Save-a-Lot, where I don't usually go. But I got a flyer advertizing some great 10 for $10 deals, and who knows, maybe they've overhauled the place and it's less squicky. (It's in the oldest shopping center around here, and last few times I was in there, it smelled...off.)

J is away on vacation for a couple weeks...I just hope everything goes okay. Her car is a little younger than mine, but not by much.


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* Actually, it's only my drama secondhand, so I'm not at liberty to dump it, but geez. I've never before been in the position of loathing the person one of my friends was seeing---in the case of GK's other half, it took exposure to him as a husband---but I really want to punch this individual in the face. Repeatedly.

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Mb collected me at oh-dark-thirty last Monday morning. We went to the food bank (and were out by 8:45, so you KNOW we got there early!). From there, we went back to her place, where I stayed until Saturday afternoon.

I'm greeter at church in a few hours, so I won't be up very much longer, but I wanted to catch you all up a little.

For instance, when I checked my mailbox, there was a package from dine, with an excellent vintage tablecloth. Incentive to unfuck the dining table, I hope.... Thanks, hon!

I spent some of BigRed's GC from WalMart...got a new hairbrush and some hair tint. The dark blonde tint is absurdly subtle, but it covers my grey and is less washed-out looking than my natural color, so it was worth the $3.

( TV chatter, cut for the spoiler-phobic: )

I still haven't got the new microwave squared away. It's on my to-do list. Haven't talked to J since the great canasta-meatloaf debacle. Need to find the sticker for my tag and stick it on, lest I get in trouble.

Okay, I need to get my ass to bed....

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I went over to Mb's Wednesday afternoon and just got back. Am amazed I still have 'net, all the most so because BrightHouse left a pay-or-die tag on my door while I was gone, so I'm taking the opportunity to post while I can.

Sold some jewelery for enough to cover the car tag, although I am somewhat miffed. A charm bracelet I had high hopes for---confirmation present from my rich Aunt Ruth*---turned out to be silver-plated. Frackin worthless!

Had a good time with Mb, although I killed my left little toe on the side of a door frame, and am a mass of mosquito bites from the knees down on both legs. I hope I can find that Benedryl lotion!

We watched the Sons of Anarchyseason premiere together, and are in agreement that it's going to be a helluva ride!

J called me needing something printed. Told her where I was, and Mb oblieged her, although she says it'll cost J---she wants a landslide victory at canasta. (Yeah, good luck with that, I couldn't even win for my birthday!)

Thankfully, I made sure to wash all the dishes in the sink before I left, so fixing dinner won't be a chore. Talk atcha later, I hope....

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* No, really: Rich. She was the only one in the family who was well-heeled: House near a golf course, Franciscanware Dessert Rose china with completer pieces, tons of Hummels, and layers of hand-knotted rugs everywhere in the house. A few European vacations that I know of, and probably other stuff that didn't register on me as a child. Silver-plate? How tacky!

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Shows, you are BOTH breaking my heart. I started this after SoA broke my heart with 4.08 (Spoilers ahead.). Pecked the first half into my iPod and managed to synch it to my computer before the iPod went MIA. Then SPN broke my heart with 7.10...for a while, I wasn't sure I'd finish this, but if I do "retire" from SPN fandom, this is as good an epitaph as I can imagine.

( Two old war buddies reconnect; Piney has a problem, Bobby's got a solution. )



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Sons of Anarchy, you tore my heart out and stomped that sucker flat. ( Spoilers under the cut. )

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I don't know what I did to my shoulder---slept on it wrong, I guess---but it hurt badly enough this afternoon that I could hardly move. Finally managed to pop my arm, which helped, took plenty of anti-inflamatories, and hopefully it won't get worse/recur tomorrow.

I can't afford this shit! (Not to mention I'm worried I'll get in trouble for it, attendance-wise.)

They were running S1 eps of House on Oxy tonight, so I got to see my favorite ep, Cursed, again. Yay, Rowan Chase! (I've loved Patrick Bauchau for ages!) Also caught a CSI: Miami ep with Richard Speight Jr, aka, Trickster from SPN or Deputy Bill from Jericho. Speaking of Jericho alums, the other deputy is in a commerical for WaMu bank, and the chick who was Heather showed up in Sons of Anarchy (which I am loving!).

Pimping without spoilers: Sons of Anarchy is quite cool. The cast is solid: Ron Perlman actually gets to act without prosthetics, Katey Segal, whom I never liked before (I hated Married With Children), is perfect here as a motorcycle mama grandma who combines maternal nurturing with savage maternal protectiveness. Her son (nobody I know, but he's good in the part) has just become a father---he's tender-hearted compared to the rest of the gang. Other cast includes the guy who was Jim Gordon's corrupt partner in Batman Begins, our sweet young thing from Jericho, Bill Lucking (who I've had a thing for since roughly 1975), and Mitch Pileggi. It's on FX, so yeah, there's violence and bad language, but so far, it's all been well executed, no pun intended, and I've set my DVR for it.

Off to bed now.... *yawn*