diary of a mad handyma'am

Time to get back on track. Time to begin assessing what needs to be done. My guilt propels me to at least begin thinking about it. But... today that's as far as it goes.

My girlfriend is gone running errands today and I took the day off. I'm going to visit my friend Gail who also took today off. It's been too long since we hung out. And, I miss hanging out with her because I consider her one of my best friends. So today... we be hangin'. Plus... we're going on a little junking < what I call rummaging > expedition.

So... what DID I drag home from the junking mission? Welllll... I did acquire a couple of new signs for the collection. AND a few old "Popular Mechanics" magazines from the late 30's early 40's.

That's right.... "HOME KINKS." Guess they were getting kinky around the house even waaaaaay back then.

And speaking of home kinks of the fix-it kind... that problem with the central air conditioning unit seemingly fixed itself! For 2 days it wasn't working unless it was manually overridden - when without warning, it began to function normally again. Huh. Go figure. Maybe the fix-it fairies really do come out at night. Nah. At some point, I would have seen them because, as you know, I'm often awake into the wee hours.

Another home kink from last month... that problem with weirdo noise coming from the lawnmower, that too disappeared. I chalked that up to an accumulation of damp grass clogging the underside of the mower deck. Probable cause: my impatience to wait until the dew had dried from the lawn. Coupled with grass that should have been mowed days earlier. Yes. I can be very impatient when it comes to certain things. Mowing the grass is one of them.

Kinks out in the yard: there are a number of pears that have fallen from the trees that need to be raked and shoveled into the composter. I will accomplish this late in the day after the bees head back to their hives. There is no sense in antagonizing busy yellow jackets if you don't have to. Surprising fact: I haven't been stung yet this season. Why tempt fate?

more from the yard and garden:
Morning glories are blooming against the fence walls inside the courtyard and spilling over the top of the fence. The trumpet vines are blowing the last of their orange trumpets and developing large green seed pods. The wildflower beds are still blooming, although the red poppies I love so much are pretty much history. Everything is green and leafy. The yard is beginning to resemble a lush, somewhat overgrown natural bird habitat. The birds often awaken me if I leave the window open near the bed. Not a bad way to wake up really. Plus, it sure beats any annoying alarm clock.

Melons are ripening at the rate of 1 to 2 a day. The haberneros are nearly gold and, the rest of the hot pepper assortment isn't far behind. We've been eating squash from the garden for a few weeks now and, after getting up and looking out the window, I can see that several more need to be picked later today. Birdhouse gourds are plentiful, too. Even if they aren't ready for harvest. We should end up with quite a few of them. As well as luffa sponges.

Other stuff: back to the junking experience
The prize of the day during the junking expedition with Gail was one of the signs I bought. A large Courvoisier sign no less! Appropriately beat to shit, too. Funny, but as a sign conscious woman... I've never seen this sign anywhere before.

In light of that... what will I desire to acquire next? Hmmmmm.... maybe a telephone booth? ;^) Ya never know what I'll drag home next. But yeah... I did see a couple of old wooden telephone booths that liked... and, I confess to sometimes thinking about them. Therein lies the danger. The sole reason I haven't dragged them home is because.... welllll, first: they were very expensive due to their condition and, second: because my mind wanders and I am thinking of acquiring a retro chrome dinette set first.

Once it gets into my head... and my mind is made up... I will settle for nothing less and... it's a good thing that I am not in any hurry. Because it's all a matter of finding "the one"... the right one. Trust me, I have plenty of patience once I reach this phase.

OFFICE STUFF:
...today was a very, very trying < I am to be nice about it > day at the office. My old computer system ended up crashing and I panicked because I have YEARS of data on it....

So..... after freaking out < much to the amusement of my co-workers> ... and going through the motions < blah, blah, blah >..... I did end up miraculously recovering all of the hard drive. Now as long as it stays stable enough for me to make the transfer of data later this week < and next > ... then I will breathe a huge sigh!!!

At the office... we have an important meeting coming up next Friday. BUT - before that... I have loads and loads < and loads > of materials to get ready for it. Sheesh! As long as everything works... I shouldn't have a problem accomplishing it < ha ha ha ha ha >.

Regardless... I will accomplish it because it is rather imperative. Hopefully, I won't end up having to spend the damn night here! < hmmm... that's never happened yet >

Anyway.... other stuff: my Mom called me this morning at work. Seems hubby Dave is off on a previously planned golf outing so she called me and wanted to know if I'd like to hang out with her this Saturday. Hmmm. Since things happen for a reason... I'd have to say that this event is no coincidence. None at all.

WHY? Well... actually there is something that I have decided I wanted to talk to her about but haven't yet. In fact, I thought about writing about it here but... I decided against it because I didn't want her to find out like that. It's important and necessary that she hears this from me and in my presence. She does know that I am writing again.... yet I don't know if she has been here and read anything I've written. I would have to say that she hasn't yet. Because if she did, most likely, she would have commented on something.... < like how all over the map I was in August... ;^) >

Soooooo.... sorry if I am leaving you in the dark here - but... I can't tell you until after I talk to her.

I didn't go to the office today. I didn't feel good when I woke up and... again... I didn't get enough sleep. In fact, I was so tired today that when the alarm went off I shut it off and proceeded to have a dream that I called into work! At 9 o'clock the phone woke me up. It was the secretary from the office.... ;^)

Of course, even when I don't feel well I push myself to accomplish something. So, while Cass has left to run errands, I head out to the courtyard and begin gathering wood scraps to throw in the wheelbarrow for the bonfire pit.

Then I notice it.Huh? Welllll... let me tell you.... last Friday Cass brought home this big fern in a pot that her Dad gave her. SOMEONE stole it!! And to make me feel even creepier... I had been home at the time! In fact, both of us were here.

Last night while talking with a friend on the phone, I watered all of the plants in the courtyard. I specifically remember watering that one. Number one - because it is relatively new, and, number two - because I ran out of water in the watering can and had to get more in order to water it.

Hmmmmmm. Ya know, I do like my signs and I have quite a few of them in the courtyard. YET... I do not have one that says, "Want a fern? Then... take a fern!"

I mean, if your going to steal something and risk getting caught and you are brave enough to be so close to my house anyway... why not take something of real value? Why that?

I've never had anything like this happen here since I've been living here. Unfortunately, I didn't have the motion detector floodlights on last evening. You can bet that's changing from this point on.

I know it's just a plant... but, I'm feeling itchy about this incident. I never in a millions years would have thought I'd have to get a shotgun and sit in the dark waiting for a plant thief... and I wouldn't actually do that anyway but... YOU KNOW! I feel kind of invaded and creepy about whoever has been creeping around.

Maybe it's time for me to get a big German Shepherd < or something like it >. The old dog I have now has been sleeping in the house on the floor. Even if he was outside, he doesn't bark much unless there is food involved. He's pretty useless as a guard dog.

The only person who ever crept around my place when I was < and wasn't > here, AND who ADMITTED to doing it, was none other than L. But... unless I find out that she was in town, I certainly don't suspect her. If I find out that she WAS in town... well then... that's a whole different story. Because there were several times in the past that she HAD been creeping around and she OFTEN left me little signs that she had been here < although I thought it WAS very weird that she did that I thought it was even weirder that she admitted it >.

Ok... ummmmm... here I go again... trying to find the words. The words to relay the story behind the talk I felt I had to have with my Mom. Maybe then you'll understand why I felt it wouldn't be right to talk about it here before I told her face to face.

I am searching... searching for words. Words to describe my feelings. Words to portray my thoughts. Words to paint an impression. Words to pull this away from me. Words to throw it out.

Some feelings are so difficult to describe because they have to be experienced. In the cramping depths of your soul they cry out. The experience itself is profound and intense. The anguish and grief experienced allows for pushing it back down into the cracks. Trying not to think about it yet falling back into the black hole of thought. An awkward awareness while you try to distance yourself from it.

Yes. It is true. I have sometimes envied the simple-minded soul. Being a thinker brings up the intensity level. Being a thinker makes you question everything. And, coupled with a good dose of introspection, it often makes you question yourself.

Generally speaking, in everything I do or decide to do, there is an originating thought behind the process. A thought in which I can best explain as my consciousness. Although, like most people... < damn... I must be human! > there are things I have done that make me wonder why in the hell I did that in the first place. I mean, what could I have been thinking? Yet... I feel fortunate that these incidences are far and few between.

Now about that talk with my Mom... like I alluded to above, I had been keeping something from her. Something that I thought I could keep from her forever. To be honest, I thought I could live with it and she'd never have to know. I wanted to protect her. And, in trying to protect her, it ended up hurting me. I thought I could take it.

I have the slug from the bullet that blew may father's brains out of his head. I picked it up from the floor where he died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the forehead. I picked it up from a pool of coagulated blood mixed with pieces of his skull and his brains. I kept the slug that tore through his skull and killed him. And, I kept it from my Mother for exactly 3 years and 8 months to the day that he committed suicide.

Why did I do this? I cannot answer that any other way except to say that at first, it made me feel closer to him after he was gone. While this may not make any sense to me today, then it did.

There you have it. I told her yesterday while we were eating lunch. Guess what? I am so happy to rid myself of this! I cannot describe the joy I am feeling. My burden was lifted by sharing it with her.

>>>> I interrupt this entry to address my Mother <<<< Thank you Mom. Thank you so much for being you. Thank you for giving me life. Thank you. I respect you so much. I am so honored to be your daughter. I love you for you. You are everything I've ever wished I could be. You have integrity, honesty and you exude class. I am very proud of you. You are a magnificent example of a woman and a Mom.

After having said that... Yep. Yesterday was a fine day. We talked. We cried a little. We shared. We understood more about ourselves and each other in the process. We talked some more. We laughed. We hugged.

Hmmmmm.... that shopping thing. Or, I should clarify: the junking thing. That's right... we were junking. My favorite shopping experience. Especially fun with Mom because she LOVES getting a bargain even though Dave can afford to buy her anything she would ever want... it is the experience of junking that puts the thrill into the hunt.

Once again... what did I do? OK... you might have me pegged by now... you might think I dragged some eccentric thing home with me, huh?

I dragged home what others may call an interior design eyesore... and I'm laughing my ass off about it...

Big Brother blares in the background. The TV is louder than I’d like. I sit here despite it. While Cass was watching this show, < her shameful addiction ;^) > she’s now talking to a friend out in the wing. And... here I sit at the keyboard, battering mercilessly. Trying to think.

This weekend I’ll be back to the handyma’am activities. Cutting wood, routering and polyurethaning for finish carpentry. The end result of which will provide trim for the entire house. Not that I expect to finish this feat over the weekend - but, I hope to put a good size dent in the wood stack before going back to the office next Tuesday. As for the trim, I expect to be installing it in during the fall and winter season. Right now I’m laying the groundwork. Preparing for some long overdue finishing touches.

Then... I start thinking... < it always happens this way >...maybe I should repaint the living room before the trim goes up. I should. I really should because I’ll be ticked off at myself if I don’t. Spring and Summer will come along and I’d be mighty pissed at myself for being impatient and wanting instant results. It’s no fun painting around a bunch of trim. Especially new trim. All the masking necessary is a ton of extra work and tedious, too.

OK. The living room must be painted first. Shit. Then kitchen has to be painted, too. I won’t be able to avoid masking in there because of the cupboards.

Now I’m starting to wonder if the trim will be up before Christmas. I wonder if it’ll even get started. OK... I hope the trim in the wing is done by then. All of it. Baseboards, doors and windows. Along with putting up the vertical blind for the 8 foot slider.

Then I start thinking of Christmas. I wonder if my Mom has already started her Christmas shopping. She probably has if you go by a historical behavior chart. Yeah. She probably has. WOW. It’s September and I am sitting here thinking about Christmas. Haven’t done that in a while. Oh, I used to before I moved here. It’s a fact that my life was much more organized before buying this house. Some things have to give when you are living within a remodeling zone. That was one of them - complete organization. Come November: automatic panic.

The house and the mess of construction taught me tolerance. I could have never tolerated some of these scenarios previously. I no longer care if the salt and pepper shakers are sitting in the kitchen exactly the way I like them, or, even where I like them. Before I lived here everything had its place and that was where you’d find it. I knew where everything was. Today, if I know the general whereabouts of any given item not touched within the last 2 months, I consider myself lucky. Even luckier if I can find it. Damn lucky if I find it in 10 minutes or less.

Ask anyone who has ever done this and they will explain a certain type of hell one must experience to endure it. It’s a damn mess. A damn mess that’ll remodel you as well.

The slacker is back. And for your information, this is the one place that I have been slacking... so, cut me some will ya?

In the event you were speculating, my writing has dropped off for a several reasons this week. One being I have been having phone line problems again at home. Phone line distress which will allegedly be fixed today. The second being I need to get a new modem for the computer... the one I have has been acting up... and, it may have been messed up from a lightning storm earlier this week. The third is that I have been having some trouble with the graphics on this page < which I promise to fix as soon as the system dysfunction at home is under control > . The fourth is that I have been putting in 10 hour plus days at the office - coupled with an internal office transition: that being - my personal space has been relocated within the building. I now have some very cool new office space, and I have it all to myself... 3 desks, 6 file cabinets, a TV, a radio, a commercial coffee maker and two computer systems, one of which is a brand new screamer that is unequivocally demolishing my attitude about the home system.

Yes. It’s true. The new computer at the office has me practically salivating for a new one. Last night I was trying to think of what I could hock in order to procure one. Now if I slipped into my “be patient” mode I’d save my money and get one in the spring. Instead, my mind has been riddled with creative financing options...

... to fund a computer that is much more of a want than a need - AND, one that is commensurate to the price of used car... here I am try to perform magic. You know, that trick of mentally modifying a want into a need. Presently, I sit at the “must-have” juncture ignoring reality. My blinders are on giving me tunnel vision.

The transformation begins. “I want it” is undergoing a metamorphosis. Altering any previous practical thought I had into the “I want it therefore I need it...” scenario.

But wait... I’m coming back to financial reality. So, tonight I’m going to go and buy a new modem.
Meanwhile... I send this upload from the screamer, downright dazed by its performance.

Sista went out of town for the weekend.It's now 3:10 in the afternoon. I'm making salsa in the kitchen and polyurethaning boards for the trim outside. The phone rang and, by sheer luck, I happened to be in the house. It was the alarm company calling in regard to sista's place. They had an alarm signal go off on the back door to the house. The woman said she already called the police to check on it. I told her that she was out of town but that I didn't have a key... still, in the event something IS wrong, have the police call me in case I have to go there and secure the residence.

I swear it's always one thing or another. Yet, I hope this is a false alarm. I don't want to start worrying... and I don't want her worrying either. Guess I'll be dragging the phone around with me. Waiting. Hoping I don't get a bad news call.

I didn't get the dreaded phone call. Nothing bad happened. Of course, I didn't find that out for sure until after sis got home today. It was her friend that set off the alarm yesterday. She went there to take care of the dog and forgot about the alarm.

Site news:
The server that this site is on, has undergone a merger. If you are experiencing difficulties in accessing this site, it is not the cause of you or your computer. For me it has been frustrating, since I've had problems signing in to upload and not being able to connect to update. Hopefully, this annoyance won't last long. Meanwhile... please stand by.

Handyma'am news:
The trim is coming along. Boards are being cut... sanded... routered... polyurethaned and stacked. The weather has been cooperative. But, it's a bitch ripping 12 foot 1x6's on the table saw by yourself. I don't have one of those adjustable ball bearing things that can act as a table extension. Always looked at ‘em when I've been at the lumberyard. Always thought about getting one but never did. Could have used it today.

Hmmmmm... I also could have waited until Cass got home from work. But NOOOOOO. I do it myself, by myself and then..... I bitch about it later. Like now. It makes little sense. Except if you're looking at the definition of impatience. Today my picture would have been near the definition of the word. I wanted it done and I wanted it done now. I have little room to bitch about it so I'll just shut-up now... ;^)

Moving along outside:
The grass needs to be cut. Weeds need to be whacked. Branches need to be trimmed. I need to start thinking about what I might want to dig up and move around the yard this fall. I need to change the oil in the lawnmower. The garage needs cleaning. Windows need to be washed. The garden and flower beds wail for attention.

Yes. I'm aware of all these things. I plan to continue ignoring them while I work on the trim again come Monday... even though I might cut the grass later in the day... it depends. It depends on whether I feel like doing it or not.

Lately, I've been allowing my lattitude to run full rein. The power to decide is mine. Still... nothing is set in stone. That's what I like about living my life. I don't know a damn thing really... and - despite my intentions, I may decide to do something else. That's what I like about having a life. I'm in control of what I do... yet subject to a vast array of self admitted whims.

The best laid plans are only plans. If the plans are laying around somewhere... they are doing nothing. They are tantamount to talk. I'd really rather be doing something other than talk about what I'm going to do. And, I'd rather do something other than to write it down... not that I don't plan things out. The big things you have to. Others reside in mental notes... if I start writing down everything I need to do yet... I might begin to feel overwhelmed. All these little things add up. After overwhelmed comes negative stuff. Who wants that? I don't. I know I have a ton of stuff to do. If I made a list I could have accomplished 10 of those things in the time it would take to write it. Maybe 1 in the time it took to write this.

I'd probably like sailing in uncharted territory without an anchor. Silly me. Today anyway.

Worked like a dog today. Like your dog maybe... not my lazy old dog. Anyway the result after 12 hours of working is that I'm tired, hungry and full of sawdust. Not that I'm complaining because I'm not. After working all day I expect to feel this way. If I don't... I must not be hitting it hard enough.

I'm using Minwax water based polyurethane on the trim. I can't say enough about these water based polyurethanes. The clean up is easy and they dry fast enough to put several coats on in a day. The big plus is that they are not flammable and don't have that horrid stench associated with the old formulas. If you have never used these water based polyurethanes... I suggest that you try them.

Brother stuff:
My brother and his two kids came over on Saturday. He comes into town every other weekend to have visitation with his kids. Makes a near 3 hour commute and they all stay with Mom and Dave.

He's been busy with building an addition and doing interior work on an old house that he lives in with his girlfriend. We exchanged bitches and, enough laughter to offset it - because people in the know - they know.

For some reason we got talking about insomnia. He has it, too. Very much like me. We came to the conclusion that there might be a genetic component to it. While Mom seems to be able to sleep, our Dad had a disturbed sleep pattern at times... it may be that it was Dad's DNA that quite possibly tainted us for life. So... thanks a lot Dad. We would have rather that you left us something else... like money for instance. Money for all of our projects since we are generally awake and often working.

Other brother news:
Cass and I are taking a vacation next month. Renting a car and taking a long drive to see my brother and his family who live some 600 miles away. I'll find out then if he has the insomnia gene.

This brother has also been working on his house. That's nearly to be expected of him though since he is a building contractor who has his own business. What wasn't expected is that the addition he is building on his residence will add another 2,000 square feet to the house!

First it was Ellen and Anne... now today I read that, after 12 years, Melissa and Julie are splitting up, too.

Now... guess what? Cass and I have also decided to end our relationship. After nearly 10 months we’ve decided that being together did not mean forever.

It’s true. AND... you might find it odd that we still love each other. You might find it odd that we respect each other. You might even find it odd that we didn’t have a big fight that resulted in this conclusion.

Timing. But, my fierce independence is a definitive factor, as well as her admitted codependence. Being with someone like me is not going to help her grow. She doesn’t feel as if she is my equal in a relationship. She feels like I don’t need her. She feels like she has nothing to give me. The independent personality I possess is threatening. Perceived inequality is in the way. I don't want to stifle or threaten anyone, especially her.

I feel VERY sad about this today. Last night we talked about this in a public restaurant. I was OK about it.

Wednesday afternoon Cass called me at the office. Emotions had made her physically sick. I left early and went home. She needed me there and I wanted to be there for her.

Admittedly, relationships can be very hard. We both have our individual issues as well as the common issues within the relationship. Over the past few months, we've each been concentrating on ourselves rather than our friendship/relationship. In doing that, each of us have been guilty of shutting off, becoming single-minded and assuming that the other person, "doesn't get it." It's easy to see why any person in that situation can develop an instant attitude that the other person "doesn't care" because things were being ignored. Neither of us confronted the resulting anger or the real issues. We each plead guilty to breaking down what was always the most important issue in our relationship - that being: communication.

Our communication dropped off slowly. Neither of us realized it initially. It was a slow process of erosion. After days, weeks and months... we both got to the point where we no longer felt connected. Breaking up seemed like the right thing to do.

In talking to Cass, I realize the part I played in all of this. Now, I also have a better understanding about her feelings and what she was going through. Granted, there's always the stuff you don't want to hear because you don't want to admit it... or deal with it - but, in talking about it, we bridged the gap.

So here we are. Breaking up one day and reaching a deeper understanding along with a wake-up call the next. Where will it go from here? Neither of us are sure about that. While promises and guarantees would be nice, they are totally unrealistic.

We've come to the not-so-startling conclusion that we ARE very important to each other. Our friendship is important. And, communication is the primary importance. So, we've committed to that. Not only do we love each other... but - we like each other, too. That's something that is worth everything.

Cass wants to become more like me in the way of being an independent person, rather than one that is codependent. She sees independence as a strength and codependence as a weakness.

Independence can be a weakness though, too. As for me... I need to work on integrating my independence into one which allows for inclusion - rather than seclusion and/or separation. I now understand why she often felt shut-out, I'm surprised that I didn't see it myself, but I didn't. My single-mindedness blocked much of it out.

Yep. As you know, relationships can be difficult. People don't always meet our expectations and we don't meet theirs. We have to compromise. We have to talk. We have to listen. We have to recognize that people aren't perfect - including ourselves. And, that people can't always read our minds and recognize our needs. But, somewhere in all of this - we have to come to an understanding.

So... life goes on. There are good days and bad days we'll always remember. But, there are many more in-between days that are easily forgotten. There is no nirvana or end of the rainbow pot ‘o gold. You have been given a life to have a life. It's important to think about what you're going to do with it - as well as who you share your time with. It's that time thing again. As I'm sure I've said it before - we've only got so much time here. We don't know exactly how much time is left. If we did, we might live differently. In fact, I think most of us would.

While I have often thought that many people are simply put on the planet to amuse me < and many do >... that isn't anyone's sole purpose. Besides... there are those that are put here to annoy me as well... ;^)

The importance of life, is to put meaning into your life. Your purpose here is to find whatever that means to you.

Back to the handyma'am WORK update:
In the midst of everything... some trim has been installed in the wing. 2 doors have been trimmed, 4 windows and a small part of the baseboards along the floor. I even hung a few new blinds. It's beginning to look finished... and I'm smiling about that.

The 8 foot slider piece of header trim was uncharacteristically cut too short by none other than MOI. And let me tell you... I was a little more than irritated about that carpentry faux pas. Not to mention a broken nail. I even irritated myself more because I went as far as nailing it up < to see if I could possibly live with it >AND what do you think was the first thing Cass noticed when she arrived home from work? Welllllll..... THAT'S RIGHT! Instead of adding 1 ½ inches to my measurement, I cut that sucker off flush... time for a redo. A redo that consists of planing a 12 foot 1x6 and covering it with 4-5 coats of polyurethane. Only this time, I'm cutting the length before polyurethaning it.

Whether you're on the brink of splitting up with your girlfriend or botching a cut on a trim board, you'd better evaluate your actions by measuring twice and cutting once...

OK.I'll buy that. Minus of course, waaaaaaay too much make up, "just so" hair, and the revealing wardrobe. What can I say... except these are the days of my life and this transmission isn't coming from another world. And Look! There are no commercial interruptions... no hawking of household cleaning products < including detergents >, no political ads, and... absolutely no mention of Miracle Whip.

But otherwise, YES... it is exactly the same.

It's Sunday morning. Cass left for work an hour ago and I crawled out of bed right before she departed. Hey! I thought the weekends were supposed to be for sleeping in? Hmmmm... well guess again.

I have returned from a walk outside in the morning fog. You can always tell when there is heavy fog around here because, when you look out the patio door, the outhouse seems to be hovering on a cloud. There's something mysterious about it.

Grabbing my coffee and taking a walk through the yard revealed that summer is heading due south. Although the color green remains prevalent, some leaves on the trees are beginning to change color, and, some have already demonstrated gravity. It seems rather early for this event. Although that may seem true every year.

So... I'm walking through the moisture drenched trails with a steaming cup, inspecting the remarkable growth of another summer. My shoes are already saturated as I listen to the geese flying overhead. As I stride, I flush out two fat rabbits. One which sits like a statue on the trail 10 feet before me. I stop. "Hello rabbit... so what's on your agenda for today?" Of course, the rabbit doesn't answer... but, I notice that the sound of my voice didn't scare it off either. Slowly I walk a few more paces toward it. I'm closing in at about 5 feet away... when I lean down and say, "what? You aren't afraid of me?" Much to my surprise, the rabbit turns toward me. Then, like a bolt out of the blue, the other rabbit comes zipping out of the bushes near the one I'm talking to and they both ran off, thus putting an end to the early morning rabbit encounter.

I don't feel like doing anything today, at least not in the way of construction. That makes it two days in a row - an event so rare that it should be considered a national holiday.

Or maybe I feel like this because my socks are wet.

I thought about writing today. This is as far as it got. A short note to say... sorry but I'm not writing. Don't worry - it's not that I'm mad at you or anybody else. It's not that I won't be writing again soon. I will, even if you never write back.

Ugh. I'm stuck in the loop.

What? Huh? Why no “Sista updates?”
In the event you were wondering it’s because NOTHING new has happened yet. Soooooooo... now you know that this is not attributed to my slacking... it is associated to the system itself... as you might see, once in a while something happens that I don't have to take the blame for....

Sunday afternoon I have a meeting with another friend that I’ve got some computer contract work with. I’ve got 5 big projects with her that need to be finished by the end of the year... so, we’ll be pouring over the details. And... since it’s been a while since we’ve been in the same room, it’s a safe bet that we’ll be catching up on unrelated non-work things as well...

NOW WHY IN THE HELL WOULD I BE TAKING ON MORE WORK?
OK... I'll tell ya. I have a couple of reasons. 1. the money 2. the money < reason enough ? >

Wow. Look at how social I can be! Rather amazing considering my standard weekend pattern. I figured I’d be working on the trim at home... but this will be a nice change of pace. The trim won’t be going anywhere. And... if I want, I still have all day Monday to work on it. If I don't want to... HA! ...there is nothing anyone can do about it.

VACATION
WooooooooHoooooooooo.... Cass and I are only weeks away from taking a vacation!!!

and... guess what???
I already have ANOTHER vacation planned!!! Can you believe it? I am going away solo for a 8-10 days in February. The dead of winter around here and I’m gonna make an escape... one that will take me out of my element a few thousand miles away...

Hmmmmm. I wondered what your day might have been like. And... while I still don't know what you did today, here's mine:

Put in 10 hours at the office. Morning espresso. Mid-morning espresso. Afternoon Coke. Productive day. Sped to work. Did my time. Sped home. No tickets. Loud music. Crawled out of the car. Opened the door to house. Changed into jeans. Fleeting conversation with Cass < who wondered why I appeared so hurried >. Then, into the barn to find the tool bin. Gathered tools and packed ‘em up. Flooring job tomorrow. Gail stopped in briefly. Talked to her at the bar in the wing. Headed back out to the barn after she left. Grabbed the pruning tools. Headed for the ditch in the front yard. Cut down all of the saplings growing in there. Threw ‘em in a pile for the fire pit. Get ‘em later. Trimmed and arranged trumpet vines growing along the ditch. The side toward the front of the house. Picked squash. Gave to Cass to put in the oven. Searched for Sawzall. Couldn't find Sawzall. Wondered where Sawzall was. Still don't know. Haven't looked that hard yet. Pulled weeds. Searched for chisel. Found it. Threw it in the bin. I'll find the Sawzall in the morning. Ate salad. Ate squash. Cass went to the gym. I headed for the trails in the backyard. Pruning tools again. Trimmed along the trails. Yanked burrs from the top of my head. Don't know how they got there. Put pruning tools away. Almost dark. Went in the house.

.... guess I gotta go.

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