Weekend Catchup: I Need A Vacation

Did I mention that last week was hellish? I might have.

The result of this was doing not much of anything all weekend, like at all.

Of course you know me better than that... "not much of anything" means cleaning my house, changing lightbulbs, 4 loads of laundry and shuttling The Kid to and fro, all before 2PM on Saturday.

Maybe I need valium.

Saturday afternoon was much more relaxed though, once I got home and applied my newly purchased specialty 5 DOLLAR LIGHT BULBS - they are the size of my pinky nail, which made that price a little shocking.

I finally finished watching Torchwood, all 8 billion hours of it, and it ended...

Well, let's just say I really hope there's a 4th season, because the end took a page from Joss Whedon's Killing Off People We Love book, but managed to ramp it to a whole new sobbing-even-though-it's-fiction level.

Oy.

My evening improved dramatically with the appearance of TR (fresh from a Burning Man BBQ which sounds wrong when you take it out of context), who came bearing chicken and cupcakes, and found a good movie on Netflix, Akira Kurosawa's Dreams. I hadn't ever seen it, but if *you* have, you'll understand why my dreams were pretty wild later! But they were good, which is what matters.

Nothing like a stressful work week to create a lot of bad dreams, and last week was absolutely rife with them, so it was a lovely change of pace.

After a nice sleepy Sunday morning, TR headed off for more Burning Man fun (I was going to truncate that to "BM fun" but again... context), and I took The Kid to Rollerpunks practice - her first in 3 weeks! She jumped right back in, I needn't have worried.

She really loves it. Something I was struggling with last week was the fear that with me starting school and such, that it might be too much to get her there very often, and I wondered if it might have to get sacrificed, but given the fact that she was able to just drop right back in after 2 weeks away, I think we'll be able to make it work...

I just have to stop projecting so much! This is just what I do when I don't know what I'm doing.

Facing the unknown always makes me a bit frantic, and the unknowns are piling up at the moment (how to do school successfully, The Kid starting high school, my busted disposal) so I'm on overdrive.

Don't know how much posting I'll do this week - I think the daily thing is, for now, falling to the side, but I'm trying to stay current anyway. It's important to me!

On deck this week... more work madness, the Eclipse premier (for The Kid, and since it's summer I agreed to take her and a friend to a midnight show because I'M INSANE), more doctorin', and hopefully some nice fireworks.

Can you believe it's already the 4th of July this weekend?!

F-Word Friday: Fried

That was the longest damn week in history.

I'm just saying.

Since I am now totally without brains, I'm officially designating this Jack Harkness Weekend in the Mimi house, but I don't want to leave you hanging too much, so I'll just leave this here.

As one blogger said... now she's just toying with my heart.

My sentiments exactly!

Happy weekend, and wish me some normalcy next week!

Thrilling Thursday: ZOMBIES

I have no brains left.

I have so little brains at the moment, in fact, that at first I typed "I have no brians" which is a big fat lie. I have several in fact, although none of them live here.

Wait, what?

Anyway.

It's been a VERY long week; The Kid is currently doing week 1 of her Girl Scout camp counselor action, which means I leave at 2:45 every day.

That would be all awesome and stuff, except that I also had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning, and one tomorrow too, and between all that I am SO BUSY I CAN'T SEE.

I need a vacation.

Yes, yes, technically I just had one but you know what I mean!

Here's a nice catchup for you!

Monday night...

Ales For Females! This week Robyn & I learned all about hops, although the one thing that sticks in my mind is that it's the only other plant in the family cannabinaceae other than the other one (you can probably guess). That explains a LOT!

Tuesday night...

Cheap Mexican and girl talk with Melissa. Poor Kiddo was exhausted and home eating mac n cheese.

Wednesday night...

Yet more Mexican, this time with Colorado Alternadad, only this time it came with an extra bonus...

A Southern Gentleman Waiter.

All that Yes Ma'aming and No Ma'aming and Right Away Ma'aming had me feeling a bit spoiled, but I think that's ok! I rarely like getting "ma'am"ed and this was a definite exception.

After picking up The Kid today, I managed to get my butt to Front Range to meet with an advisor.

We decided it's probably best I don't kill myself right off, and so I'm going to go with 2 classes and not 4. I was on the fence until I found out that I have quite a bit of financial aid to work with and won't really incur much expense! What little I will have to pay out will be covered by some very cheap government student loans.

Lookit me, bein' a college student!

Well...

I'm taking a couple of classes anyway. I have a hard time thinking of a couple of classes as really working very hard, but it's the best I can do, and it's something, right? Baby steps.

Finally, right this minute I'm sitting, exhausted, ignoring my sandwich and watching Giant Squid vs. Megalodon (starring Debbie - excuse me, Deborah - Gibson and Lorenzo Lamas!) on Netflix. It's all I have left.

Happy Thursday!!

Weekend Catchup: Hella Hot

I don't do well in heat.

This is not news to those who know me, but it still seems to surprise me every time!

Sometimes it's okay, like if I'm in the shade, or a pool, but just out and about? Not so much.

I AM WUSS... hear me kvetch.

Thursday night, I should just briefly mention, we watched a movie called An Education. It was lovely to look at, had a great soundtrack and excellent costuming and lovely filming, and featured Peter Sarsgaard doing what he does best - being a bit of a bastard.

He's so cute though - even more so when he's
not photoshopped into looking like Ewan McGregor.
Not that I don't love Ewan!
Anyway.

Friday night we went out for sushi at Sushi Garden, which features an all-you-can-eat-for-twenty-bucks special. This is fun, of course, and a great way to try a few different things, assuming you remember that each item you choose is by the ROLL and not the PIECE. My stepdad ended up with a massive amount of California rolls, much to our amusement. Live and learn!

I had a particularly good pick, the Tootsie Roll, which was some kind of something sushi-like (it all kind of melds together after awhile, doesn't it?), but with the added bonus of being rolled up in tempura flakes and drizzled with some kind of soy sauce or other.

I admit I'm still a bit mystified by the presence of sushi in the desert, but it's the modern age after all. Thank goodness for freezer trucks!

Saturday my mom was able to get off work (yay!) so we spent some time running hither and yon.

After the best omelette ever and a brief stop to check on the Horse Formerly Known As Legend (who is fine and dandy - it's a long story), we browsed at Fire Ranch Glassworks for awhile, then it was on to Claire's Cafe (a client of my mom) for a sandwich that was so full of avocado I had to give up trying to be neat about it. Mom and The Kid each had a turkey sandwich on sourdough with bacon and so on - good stuff!

After lunch and a little browsing, we headed for the The Mini Time Machine, a museum of nothing but miniatures. We didn't have as much time as we would have liked (who closes at 4 on a Saturday?!), but we had time enough to check out most of what they had to offer.

Their current feature is a fantasy-themed room, with Christmas villages behind glass on the wall and under foot, a huge sculpted tree complete with a fairy flying around inside, and a Halloween house that I was particularly enjoying. The miniatures are fun, nothing as elaborate as the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute, but definitely made with care and passion.

After a quick dinner, we headed out to a local park for some musical theatre...

And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

I kid, I kid - they were very cute, and obviously thrilled to be doing what they were doing, and in all honestly the female members had fantastic voices. It was a treat to hear them sing "Because I Knew You" from Wicked, which is my mom's new favorite show.

Sunday we had a morning flight, so we were out of the house by 8AM having successfully remembered everything (I think). After a quick stop for coffee, it was off to the airport and up and out!

It was a long, short trip.

TR picked us up and we had a quick lunch at Ted's (mmmm, Ted's), where I grossed him and The Kid out in equal measures by eating the pickles they brought like they were going out of style.

We managed to spend a little time with Colorado Alternadad for awhile in the evening (it being Father's Day and all) and...

Then it was home where we CRASHED.

Have you ever been so tired your hair was dragging? Yeah.

Last but not least, you may have noticed my lack of comment regarding oil spills and BP executives. This is because I'm pissed off to such a degree that I become nauseous every time I see any footage of anyone or anything involved with it, in particular the head of BP who is about the biggest jackass I have ever seen ever.

Even worse than Dane Cook, and that is REALLY saying something.

Nope

So because he's had to be inconvenienced and forced to answer for his company's actions, Tony Hayward said "I would like my life back".

I realize he's not personally responsible, but with the title comes the work.

I'm sure the Brown Pelicans would like their lives back too.

/soap box/

I hope you had a lovely weekend!

F-Word Friday: Back On Track, or Finally Posting Again

Okay! Back to regular posting, which means posting more than once a week. Lucky you.

Well, it's Friday morning, rather early, and I managed to find an unsecured wireless connection in my mom's neighborhood. I feel a little bad, but I'm not a hacker and have no motives other than getting online for awhile, and I have to lay on the bed in the guest room with my head on the window sill to use it or the signal goes dead, so there ya go. Karma has been served!

So I didn't get into Tucson until about 9:30 Wednesday night, which was rough on me but also my poor mother, who's used to being asleep by 8:30 or so! (Thanks mom.) I've been away too long it seems, because only one of her dogs was happy to see me, and it wasn't my Max. I was strangely upset by this, though it's silly to be. Buster (the boxer) was deeply disturbed by my presence, though he always is so no shock there. Greta was her usual sweet self - toss (well, roll) her ball for her, and she'll be your buddy!

Buster eventually warmed up a bit, though I'm still a bit wary of going into the hallway at night. None of them would ever hurt a fly, of course, but there's nothing quite as startling (and humiliating - nothing like waking the whole house up because you need to pee at 1AM) as a very large dog barking deeply directly at YOU!

Veeeeery early Thursday morning, I was up and eating cereal with my mom. I figured since I was already up I'd walk her to work and see her new digs! It's a pretty fast walk, and truly Tucson's weather is gorgeous at that hour. It's just later that it heats up to...

Well the news folks said it hit 105, but the car thought it was 117 in the sun.

BRUTAL.

The morning, though, was truly lovely. Though it is a desert environment, Tucson is full of color and life - it just hides out in the hotter hours. First thing in the morning, however, I saw deep red flowers, delicately green mesquite and my favorite purple Prickly Pear cactus, not to mention tiny green lizards, birds everywhere and, of course, saguaros in every other yard.

Not sure what they are, besides hardy

Much purpler in real life

I ran for coffee next door to her office while my mom was getting her day started, a cute place called Rock N Java (they feature live music, thus the clever name). The nice lady who runs it in the morning, Heather, made me an iced coffee the way she likes it, and it's my new favorite. I'll be sorry to not be able to get it until next time I'm out here!

I hadn't had much caffeine (besides iced tea at J Alexanders last Sunday) in awhile, so I was extremely perky by the time I walked back to the house to get The Kid up and moving.

We both got dressed, and then it was off to the Pima Air Museum! I first went there a couple of years ago on a whim, since it wasn't far from my mom's work at the time (the acursed JB Steel, who can suck it).

I was amazed by their collection, but I only saw a fraction at the time! We saw a whole lot more this round.

Since it's cooler earlier in the day, one of the volunteers (a group of ex-Air Force fellas with a ridiculous amount of knowledge between them) suggested the tram tour that takes you around most of the 80 acres or so (!) of land to see almost all of what is outside. There's another tour that goes to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance Regeneration Group (the "Boneyard") on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base next door, but we didn't make that one since it didn't leave until 2. It was really hot and we knew we wouldn't make it until then. In the fall or winter I could definitely see spending a day or two really getting into the exhibits and walking around the property, but mid-June?

Not so much.

I've always had a fascination with WWII history. I'm guessing it started with early viewings of South Pacific and period movies and stars my mom loved (Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and the like), but later there was Empire of the Sun, Hope and Glory, and of course a deep fascination with aircraft - and the WWII planes were no doubt the prettiest. There's something so lush about their wide lines, riveted hulls, big props and straightforward machinery. There were computers after a fashion, but nothing so hands-off as we have now. Not that there isn't highly evolved skill required to fly today's planes, of course, but there seemed to be more of a partnership between man and machine then. They named their planes, gave them tattoos even!

The planes then weren't just tools, they were deeply loved, and that love lingers on in how they are still revered, restored and cared for.

Of course I've romanticized it. It's all about that first scene in South Pacific, and one of the best in Empire of the Sun.

Walking around the museums indoor exhibits, I was particularly fascinated by their newly restored P51 Mustang, and the B29 bomber taking up vast amounts of space in Hangar 4 (the Pacific Theatre display - shocking that I would aim there). That one ended up being The Kid's & my favorite, since one of the volunteers saw us drooling all over it (it really is glorious) and came over to give us a visual tour of the guts of the Sentimental Journey, as this one was dubbed.

So gorgeous!

Back home, we rested a little while, then got suited up and headed for the pool. It was the hottest point of the day, but we knew the cold water would feel fantastic! Of course the bonus of such a dry climate is that science works... when water evaporates from your skin that quickly, getting out of the pool means the sun and heat feel *good* rather than like punishment.

For a minute anyway.

I did sunblock the bejesus out of myself, I'll have you know, yet I still managed to get a bit pink around the edges.

And this is only June! I can't imagine August here. My mother is either very adaptable or totally bonkers. Probably both.

(Love you mom!)

The Kid and I headed back after a couple of hours and then it was Hungry Howie's for dinner than off to bed for us! It had been a long day.

Today's Friday, and on tap today is probably a little more time in the pool, and miniatures museum which promises to be amazing, plus sushi for dinner! Yum.

Happy Friday!

It's Aliiiiiiive!

OMG you guys I bet you thought I was dead or something huh!

Well I'm happy to report that not only am I *not* dead, I am currently 10,000 feet in the air and climbing. (Well I was on Wednesday at about 5:30 anyway.)

Have you ever flown over the mountains? It's amazing. I was telling TR (who drove me to the airport, big thanks to him!) that every time I do this, I look down on these peaks and valleys and wonder if I'm seeing something nobody else will notice, or land that has never known human footfalls.

I look for this kind of stuff flying over the desert too, but then I'm looking for alien spacecraft and secret military bases.

You know how it is.

Anyway sorry for the lack of posting... it was a long week for only 2 days.

The past weekend was supposed to have included U2, but since Bono hurt himself and the tour was postponed it was cleverly decided that a few U2 concert videos wold do well as a replacement. No need to sacrifice the night entirely!

After we left I was feeling a little peckish yet (despite the delicious guacamole at Chris & Robyn's), so we stopped for drive-thru Mexican food.

This made me nervous, but I can't quite put my finger on why. All trepidation abated, however, after the first bite of what is possibly the best burrito I have ever had ever! Fresh pico (home-made - you can always tell), grilled flank steak seasoned just perfectly... it was total bliss.

It was blissfully chilly when we got back to TR's, but rather than close windows (thus squandering what was probably the last cool weather we'll see for a few months), I borrowed some sweats and enjoyed the cool breezes.

Right up until the fire alarms. AWESOME.

Actually I only heard a little, I was pretty bushed (and super cozy under an awesome fuzzy blue blanket) but apparently they squaked for a good hour or so, until the fire department finally showed up. Turns out it was a dead battery in one, which made all 4 on the second floor go off. The building manager, who clearly hadn't been changing the batteries as required, got a nice phone call at 3AM from the fire chief.

I love justice!

We slept in Sunday, but got up in time for a lovely lunch at J Alexanders (it was definitely a day for chicken tenders and sourdough), then headed to Dillards to do a little shopping. TR got the coolest Hawaiian shirt, and I got a pair of swim shorts to go with my bathing suit. I also picked up an awesome new pajama set courtesy of TR that are about the softest things I've ever worn! I attempted to get some shirts too, but of course everything in the larger sizes was hideous. There was one cute dress, but the hem was weird, and for 70 bucks it better be perfect all around!

Just as well, looking at the design I realized I could totally make one, and fast.

Being the crafty sort can make shopping difficult.

I headed home after our shopping and did a little sewing (and of course watched some Torchwood because I'm obsessive). I am midway through making some very cute plaid bibs for a friend of TR's who's having their first baby. They are so cute! And tiny! And not done yet! That's okay, she's not due until July. Pictures when they're complete, I promise!

Monday... well, Monday was a bear. I got into work at 8AM and left...

At 9PM.

Thirteen hour days are for suckers.

Truthfully my goal was to get as much done as possible so I could take the day off Wednesday, and I was successful so there's that! But man was I tired.

Tuesday morning I had another appointment with the Workers Comp doctor, and though I was finally able to get the meds he had prescribed, I decided not to take them. Prednisone is bad shit, guys. It can cause everything from simple dizziness to DEEP PSYCHOSIS. I swear, it was really in the warnings! Plus it specifically notes The Pill and hypothyroid treatment as two things to be careful of when taking that particular dosage, so ya know.

No.

I'll hang on to it, though, just in case it gets really bad. I'll send The Kid off to her grampas for a week and sequester myself away from all the pointy things.

After getting lots more work done Tuesday, and doing online check-in (I love the modern world), i headed for TRs. I wanted to just sleep in Wednesday, relax and enjoy the day before heading to the airport, and the best way to do that seemed to be to just stay put in Denver for the night.

We had a nice evening, had pizza from Fat Sully's which was fantastic, as was the dessert of Nutella-filled pizza dough. SO good.

This morning (Wednesday) we had a nice lazy sleep-in, getting up long enough to have breakfast at Snooze, only to head back home and back to sleep.<

It was a fabulous lazy vacationy morning... just what I wanted.

And so now I'm on a plane to Vegas! It's a bit bumpy at the moment, nothing too awful but it's hot down there in the desert. We're flying over the Grand Canyon right now... I think. Whatever it is, it's gorgeous.

I love to fly.

The rest of the week will be nothing but relaxing, despite it being 104 every day which is just brutal. There will be pools, and even better the Pima Air Musieum, which I got to tour once before but only briefly. I'm really looking forward to seeing all the WWII aircraft they've got on display... there's rumour of a Mustang, so I'll be on the lookout.

I'm not sure what else we'll be doing, but that's kind of the best part of vacation, isn't it... just putzing around.<

Happy Wednesday!

F-Word Friday: Is This Thing On? Oh Um... Frenetic!

Hi kids!

Miss me?

It's been a hell of a week, let me tell you. Oh nothing along the lines of oil spills and crippling unemployment, sure, but it has been a long and (clearly) time consuming one!

Let's see if I can remember... I'll set the wayback machine for Tuesday, when I posted last.

Tuesday was fun - a day of alternately whining about my stupid arm and scanning invoices.

Woohoo! Hold on to something, I don't want your excited freakout to cause you injury!

I ended up leaving early, actually, it was just too tough to sit at the desk anymore.

The one good thing that came out of it, however, was the realization that the cause of this injury is my job - at least I have a place to start in my attempt to remedy the situation and keep it from reoccurring if at all possible. The scanner is behind and to my right, and I have to reach behind and to the right a LOT to do the job, and the answer seems to be to move the scanner so that it's in front instead.

It also means I'm *just* ridiculous enough to be able to hurt myself with a scanner.

My life

Wednesday was extra SUPER DUPER fun... I got to take my sore arm to the dentist!

It was a necessary thing, and thanks to the kindness of one of the practice's doctors I didn't have to pay a dime, but it still sucked ass a bit. I have stubborn nerves, and even after 4 face-numbing shots of novocaine I could still feel about 50% of the drilling on the right side.

NOT FUN. But at least he was quick!

Wednesday night, as you can imagine, was full of a lot of me laying on the couch wishing for soup and generally feeling sorry for myself, drowning my sorrows in Captain Jack Harkness.

Obsessed? What do you mean exactly?

I finally gave up on the pity party though, in favor of some egg drop soup from my favorite local Chinese joint. It helped immensely!

Thursday I woke up and decided that it was going to be a better day. Do you ever find yourself needing to do that? Just suck it up and say "I can either be a crabby bitch or slap a smile on and hope for the best"? I was 75% successful.

I kept busy, but there was more scanning so by the end of the day - you guessed it. I had TR & Trivia to look forward to, though, so I slammed so more Ibuprofen and got on with it.

I got to drive through an absolutely glorious storm (I took a picture but I swear I was stuck in traffic at the time), had some delicious breadsticks and a glass of wine, and though we came in 4th or so, it was a fine showing.

High: Reiki from one of our tablemates. I slept better that night than I had in a week.

Low: 4 Non Blondes singing. Loudly. I hate that frickin' song, you know the one. I mean I HATE IT. I hate very few things in life, but for whatever reason that song is right up there.

Chris & I plugged our ears, but while I suffered in silence it drove him right over the edge after about 3 minutes.

Think Ralphie in A Christmas Story when the bully finally pushes him too far. I think it's the only time I've ever laughed while that song was playing, but I'm sorry it was at the expense of his sanity.

And bonus! I got my new phone! I love you, Verizon.

I keep wanting to call it a Truckin' Convoy

It's simple, but sturdy (good thing, due to my helmet-needing ways), has a great camera, CNet likes it, and it has a low radiation level. (I don't want to cook my brain too quickly.)

Friday was a better morning than I'd had all week, thanks to a large supply of Advil liquigels (thanks TR, you take such good care of me) and that reiki - I'm convinced!

Sure enough though, about halfway through the workday, it all started going downhill again. Shooting burning pain, etc. I finally mentioned the scanner thing to my boss and lo a light was shined into my life...

It qualifies for Workers Comp.

So I left early again, and headed to the doctor. An exam was had, x-rays were taken, and although I wasn't able to actually get the prescription he gave me for steroids for various reasons (just as well - I'm not sure I want them), I felt like I had taken steps.

Sometimes, just taking action can be enough to start you on the road to recovery.

Friday night I just kind of hit my limit for the week. It was gloomy, it was rainy, and while normally I like that sort of weather, after a weeks worth of ick I just couldn't deal. I didn't want to be alone, and thankfully Melissa was available so we had some cheap Mexican and watched a few bad movies.

The best one...

Oh. My. God. Sex, blood and drag queens. WIN!!! Melissa & I loved it!

This weekend is a mystery... not sure what I'm going to do! The Kid is still in Tucson, and I'll definitely be down in Arvada tonight for a U2 Is Missing party and hopefully a little live music, but beyond that, who knows?

This weekend I'm living the life of the unfettered, but slightly crippled.

Anything can happen!

Happy Weekend!

Weekend Catchup: Pinchy

Another long weekend, which is lovely of course except when you have mysterious pains in your neck.

Not the figurative kind either; mysterious pains in the neck of the amorphous kind would be much preferable!

Instead I have what appears to be a pinched nerve bundle under my scapula or similar.

Translation:
OW OW OW !@#$ WHAT THE HELL

I'm trying not to complain of course, because I hate to be a pain, which means I'm overextending myself like a moron.

ANYWAY.

The weekend really was lovely and fun!

Friday night The Kid and I had a lovely evening in. Movies were watched, dinner enjoyed, laundry completed (I liked that part anyway).

Saturday morning I got up early and got the house cleaned so I'd be all motivated to take my placement tests at Front Range. I'd sort of been putting it off based on the website's assertion that I should plan on about 3 hours all told, and it was only Saturday that I finally had a whole morning to dedicate to the process, and...

Okay this is going to sound really arrogant. Prepare thyself.
That was the easiest thing I've done in a month.

20 math questions, 20 sentence structure questions, and a 600-word essay. I was done in an hour and 15, and only that long because I don't remember how to consolidate fractions in algebraic sentences.

They gave me my results right away and it was recommended that I:

• Take Algebra I (not surprising - I took Algebra probably 18 years ago)
• Take the CLEP (I thought this meant Cumulative Life Experience Placement, but apparently it's College Level Examination Program) test to get rid of whatever English credits might be basic requirements, since my scores were ridiculous.
  

I'm not sure I'll do that, because I don't know if those CLEP credits are transferable, but it's good to know that if I do have to take those basic English courses, they'll be a breeze.

Told you... I am arrogance itself. Someone should slap me.

Or remind me of my Algebra score.

So, having completed this task early, I ran a few errands then went back home to relax out of the heat.

Saturday night, of course, was the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls bout, wherein they absolutely slaughtered the Charm City girls, 214-77 which is just ridiculous! I agreed with TR that I felt bad for the Charm City team (they didn't quite know what hit em').

Looking over the DNN (Derby News Network) listings, I see this kind of point difference isn't all that unusual, so I feel a little better for them, but still...

OUCH!

RMRG is holding steady at #3 nationally out of the top 25, right behind Washington's Oly Rollers and New York's Gotham Girls.

AND NOW YOU KNOW.

Sunday morning I made a big breakfast (thanks to help from TR, my right arm being mildly useless) and we relaxed in the A/C awhile before heading back to Denver for Rollerpunks practice, and can I just tell you, The Kid got to be a jammer! Not only that, she quickly made herself LEAD jammer, and got to call off the jam and everything.

I know this might sound like Greek to you, but trust me, I was very proud of her.

After dropping TR at home, The Kid and I made our way back home (after a quick visit with some family in from out of town) and packed her up for her trip to Tucson Monday afternoon.

It's a bit of a hike out to the airport and back, so I just decided to take the whole day off, and after seeing her on her way (without incident - although we were mildly worried because I started talking about B1 bombers and The Kid smartly said "should you be talking about that in here?"), I headed to TR's to "help" put his A/C unit in the window, which means I was decorative.

We also folded up an enormous 50-star American flag (easier said than done), and hung up the 48-star gem he found online recently. It's beautifully aged, hand-made (you can just tell), and you can feel the history coming from it. It's really unfortunate that a lot of these giant flags you can purchase here and there online are actually casket flags. They graced the last ceremonies of men and women who died in service, and it's really rotten that their families didn't see any point in keeping the symbol.

I wish they embroidered the names and relevant dates on those flags - there could be a museum donation option instead of having thousands of these flags being sold on eBay (callously displayed on the floor, which is just adding insult to injury) or moldering in basements.

Despite my sore arm, it was a lovely evening! We had dinner at Racine's which was absolutely delicious - the best I've had there yet - and then I got to listen to some live music among friends, which put me to sleep, not because it was dull but because it was so completely soul-soothing that it was nothing if not a lullaby.

I hope I didn't snore...

This week should be pretty tame. I have an all-day dentist appointment Wednesday, which sounds more awful than it is since I get a break (during which I'll be going to a new-student advisor orientation in advance of seeing an advisor myself), and I plan on getting some sewing done and catching up on Torchwood (I love that show - thank you Netflix).

Oh Captain Jack, you naughty thing you

Happy Monday!

F-Word Friday: Fast and Furious

It's Friday already?!

These short weeks mess me up.

Posting has been difficult this week obviously; it's been unbelievably busy at work, which means by the time I get home I'm beyond beat.

So you get TWO update posts this week! See how everyone wins?

First up...

WTF WEDNESDAY

Or, as these folks might prefer it, WTF Wensday.

The Spelling Society, a group out of the U.K., feels that the English language is too complex, too outdated, and that it should be modernized. Or "modernised" if you're from there.

They like to protest at spelling bees with signs that say "Enuf is enuf. Enough is too much."

I'm of two minds on this.

On the one hand, yes English is hard to learn.

There are bits of verse out there that illustrate this fact, like...

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, lough and through.

Etc. etc. It's a weird, involved language. Point taken.

But you have to admit... it's interesting!

Don't you feel a sense of accomplishment when you can look back over your work and see you've used "your" and "you're" correctly? Or "yore" for that matter? That you've aced the whole "there, they're, their" thing?

I do! But I'm a nerd, so...

Their day may have come, though... one of The Kid's teachers actually told her spelling doesn't matter as long as she gets the answers right. Call me old fashioned, but...

No.

And of course there's the dreaded spellcheck. I use it now and again, certainly, but I don't rely on it even a little bit.

Also falling under WTF Wednesday... Macy's. As with Old Navy, they have now decided that we large people only get to order our clothes online, and aren't allowed to shop in their stores. Are they afraid we'll ruin their reps? Or maybe they're concerned we'll roll around like a bunch of Weebles and ruin all their carefully crafted displays.

Who knows.

Point is, I went in to look for a pair of capris to cover my large, non-corporate-friendly butt, and when I couldn't locate the Women's section was informed by the tiny 18-year-old sales girl that they "only carry normal sizes".

I'm surprised I wasn't more offended... actually I just laughed. What else can you do? I'll stick with being "abnormal", thanks... at least I know my curves are appreciated.

(Yardsticks. They're important.)

THRILLING THURSDAY

I did manage to find time for Trivia Wednesday night, and we took first place!

I didn't get to enjoy our win, though, as I was busy discussing the gift certificate from our *last* win with the manager.

It seems they've changed their policies, and the Trivia winnings aren't for use on Trivia night. Instead you have to bring them back and use them at a different time.

Whaaaa?

According to the managing partner (to whom I was directed to voice my complaint), this is so that their expenses to run GWD - the host's tab (she had two beers), the fee to run it (I can't imagine it's thousands of dollars) and the gift certificates (which they "don't have to do" according to him) - can be offset by further income and butts in seats.

This makes no sense to me, and it feels very unwelcoming. We go in there, we spend money regardless. As I told him, what makes more sense - that I use my $25 winnings for a couple of beers and appetizers, or that I come back on Ladies Night for $2 beers and really maximize the potential of those Trivia Bucks?!

He was unm0ved.

That's fine, though. There's no restriction on the gift certificates regarding hoarding. I'll just keep going back, not ordering anything at *all* when I do, winning as much as possible, and in a few months it's Party of 10. $25 a week adds up fast. (My but we are overconfident.)

Vindictive?

Maybe.

FINALLY FRIDAY

So yeah, it's been a long week. My alternate at work is on vacation, which means I'm doing both our jobs.

Naturally, this means that many many emergencies and weird situations have cropped up to be handled.

This weekends should be lovely though! Tomorrow morning I'm finally going to go do that testing for Front Range Community College (time hasn't been cooperating), and in the evening we're joining TR for a Rocky Mountain Rollergirls bout against Maryland's Charm City Roller Girls.

Sunday of course is Rollerpunks practice. The new skates are helping truckloads.

It's also another 3-day weekend for me... The Kid is leaving for Tucson mid-day Monday, and it's a bit of hike to the airport, so I'm just taking the day off. It'll give us a chance to sleep in and have breakfast before she takes off on her adventures! This also means lots of laundry Sunday night, and hopefully I'll be able to shoehorn in another visit with her Great-Gramma, who's currenty visiting.

And people wonder why I'm exhausted!

Sheesh.

Happy Friday, and have a wonderful weekend!