Happy Independence

Lois looking radioactive in one of those E-collars. It's pretty funny - she freezes and thinks she can't do things in it - going down the porch stairs took like 5 minutes!
I realized on Wednesday night, when I didn't meet a bunch of friends out at a bar after work (for good reasons - water was shut off unexpectedly and Lois needed feeding, walking and attention, plus I had to teach early Thursday morning), that I am becoming a sort of recluse. No one calls me, and if/when they do, I can rarely get together with people, so I don't go out, at all. Plus, due to the nature of my job/sucky workload and budget, I also never go out with people from work - they're constantly going out to lunch and going for martinis and drinks and what-have-you, but I'm never done with work, so I miss out on all the schmoozing.

The big thing is: I'm OK with all of this. For now. I'm not so cool with completely losing touch with friends from the past; that's no good - but I hope that I can take care of whatever introverted psychological and life-direction business I need to now, and that there will still be friends to call when the dust settles. But who knows? I feel like I'm in the middle of a big change.

My long weekend has begun well - last night I comforted Lois from all the fireworks noises while I watched two "easy" movies and untangled these 3 fine chain necklaces of my grandmothers - she somehow got them into a horrendous clump and it took me a total of about 20 hours (I started when I visited them on Father's Day weekend) and some jeweler's tools to get them apart and separately boxed to mail back to her. It was a funny thing to be obsessed by.

Next, I'm going swimming at the pool, doing a scheduled bike and run workout, picking up a foam roller (pictures to come), making strawberry shortcake, walking Lois, and cleaning a little before heading to friend R's barbecue tonight - alone (- but that's OK!).

Hot, hot, hot

Sebastian Koch and a Jack Russel Terrier

It's really warm out and I'm unusually energetic, so I will make the next few posts quickies while I get stuff done outside. I'm headed to my 2nd BBQ of the weekend later today (pics to come, don't worry - I know I'm far behind) and must spend quality time with the sun and my pooch.

Since I don't have any real-life crushes right now, I thought I'd tell you about my movie star crushes. I recently saw Black Book, so the actor who plays the Nazi you hate to love is at the tip-top of my list. I think I fell for him first in The Lives of Others.

How can you not love a guy who does a fashion spread for a men's mag with a dog in one pic and an old-school cruiser bike in another? Hot stuff!

Happy Memorial Day!

Pics, plaster parties, pooches

David and Sheila on the roof, looking blurry.

It's been a lovely, relaxing (read: lazy) weekend. Sheila, her friend/coworker David, and I went to a 60th birthday party for Cynthia Plaster Caster at the home of Derek Erdman (whom you might remember from an earlier post) and had a great time.

Cynthia (in hat; she looks wasted here but she wasn't) and Cat with the delicious psychedelic-frosted cock-shaped sugar cookies Cat made.

I didn't think I'd last more than an hour but we stayed til after 2 and I wasn't in bed sleeping til after 3 - I had to walk the pooches. I drank red wine. Not enough to get drunk—I *was* the designated driver after all—but I did talk to a cute guy and got a cigarette from him for David. That's the extent of my so-called "flirting abilities."


The sign Derek painted for Cynthia, and Julia talking in front. Note the Nancy Reagan with bad hair painting in the top corner. Hilarious.

Being at Derek's place again made me a) want to make more art and b) want to own more art, so I got out my checkbook and bought paintings from him for a ridiculously cheap amount. I didn't take them with me, but will have to go back and get them. I like his style a lot and like him, so it's a feel-good-all-over way to spend my last $50 until pay day. It just means I won't pay as much to my credit card. Oh well.

Here are the pooches on the porch.

Lois has been having a great time with Hedley here - it's sad that he's only got one more day with us!

Yesterday I hung out with my mom and the pooches, and we ate and talked and I did a load of laundry, and today I've done some cleaning and restoring the kitchen to its normal state - the surprise floor replacement thing really did me in, and my roommate hasn't helped at all unless you count putting all the kitchen stuff onto the living room floor and leaving it there all week...

I'm heading over for a swim, basically to avoid more cleaning. Thank goodness the pool is open today! Happy Memorial Day!