Tuesday, June 28, 2005

On Vacation: Day Forty-One

Even though it doesn't seem it, just the very fact that I'm not posting until early evening tells you that I've had a very busy day.

I'm getting good at the loafing.

Slept in, had to rush a little to get to my 9:00 a.m. pilates class. Spent some quality time with my nearly naked self in the tanning booth. Met up with someone from my women's group out by the lake to check out a garden that will be on our upcoming tour in early July. Took the long way home. Arrived to find a message from Rich - did I want to get a late lunch? Of course. Late lunch followed by stroll down main street and the trying on of a cute dress that I don't need but that's okay because it didn't fit anyway. Did some laundry. Have been picking up and putting down papers for hours now ... still not sure I've made any progress in that regard. Pulled out the laptop to create this post and realized it was a perfect time to call Dan. So I did.

And that brings you up to date on day forty-one of my vacation.

I Hate It When That Happens

So remember yesterday when I was excited about finding a $2 lottery ticket? Well, today I found a $10 coupon. That I should have had with me last week when I bought those new running shoes. Because I could have used it and saved $10. So now I just feel like I'm $8 in the hole.

Let's Give It A Whirl

Saw on the dashboard that now you can supposedly insert an image with ease. Let's see ... I'm going to try to insert a photo of me with the snarky journalist that my housemate Phil took. Good Golly Miss Molly - it works.

I'm not sure what we were laughing and talking about. Every time I sat down and tried to join the conversation that he was leading, I got bored. I mean, who cares if Tom Cruise is gay or not? So what if he was an extra in "War of the Worlds?" But he came and had a good time, and I might get my picture in the paper again so all's well that ends well, innit?

Monday, June 27, 2005

On Vacation: Day Forty

Maybe that's the way it was supposed to be.

I was disappointed that Larry didn't show up at the party, and concerned when he didn't answer my calls. I still haven't heard from him, but I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation and I'm not going to hold it against him or punish him in any way. After all, this is a man who was brave enough and bold enough to let me go to New Orleans with him after knowing him for just a few days.

Besides, if Larry had been at the party, I probably wouldn't have heard from Rich.

I actually met Rich at my February party, and I saw him and a couple of his friends when I was out at the lake on Friday and invited them to the party on Saturday. Rich was the only one who showed up. And then he called me yesterday and invited me to go boating with him and his friends. I said yes.

It was the best day ever.

I used to hang out on the lake when I was married, but after my husband and I separated he got the boat ... the house ... and the cat. I always follow that statement by saying that I miss the cat. But without realizing it, I missed the boat too. It was so hot, humid and sticky yesterday, and as Susan, Michelle and I were sitting on the porch, I said that it was a day when you just want to be out on the lake on a boat. And I wished out loud that that was what I could do.

I can't believe that my wishes keep coming true.

Good Thing I Checked

I'm cleaning out my bedroom in anticipation of my impending annual move, and I came across some lottery tickets. I was pretty sure I hadn't hit the jackpot, but thought I'd check the numbers anyway. Good thing I did - I had one ticket on which I'd picked the megaball which means it's worth $2.

Hey, it's better than a kick in the ass. Maybe I'll hang onto it and give it to Dan Tobin as a tip if I ever make it to LA.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

Red Hot!

this is an audio post - click to play


The theme of the party was "Red Hot!" and I asked my guests to wear red. Early in the evening I posed with a few of my girlfriends:



Okay - it is now 1:40 a.m. More photos later.

Friday, June 24, 2005

On Vacation: Day Thirty-Nine

Time for a man rant.

Okay, as much as I appreciate the fact that the UBND tried to help by mowing my lawn, I see clumps of grass out there today. Meaning I need to rake. Meaning he did not save me time. He cost me time. And it's not just him.

Phil sees me raking and says "Oh, I'm glad it's not just me." Meaning he left clumps when he mowed too. But he also commented that he thought there was a 20" blade on a 21" lawn mower. So if you know that, why don't you compensate by overlapping your rows, hmm?

I have never had a clumping problem. I have a teeny, tiny yard. In fifteen minutes I can mow it twice (with overlapping rows) and I've never had to rake. Sure, it takes me longer than the five minutes that it takes men to do it, but ultimately it takes less time because I don't need to rake!

Men.

In case I had forgotten why I prefer being single ... now I remember.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

On Vacation: Day Thirty-Eight

So much to do. So little time.

I'm having a party on Saturday, and there's still much to be done:

1) mow the lawn (thanks to the UBND!)
2) set up the canopy
3) buy beer, water and soda at beverage store
4) pull out recipes and make shopping list for BJ's and grocery store
5) actually go to BJ's and grocery store
6) change sheets in guest room
7) hose off front porch
8) make more ice
9) finish moving mulch
10) hose off and put away tarp (thanks again to the UBND - and his lady friend)
11) hose off porch windows and sidewalk
12) wash/set out martini glasses
13) print out martini recipe on clear labels for postcards

Actually, as far as prep work goes, it's not too bad. And I do have two and a half days to do it. Of course, once I get the groceries, most of Saturday will be dedicated to food prep. And I plan on going to the Chamber mixer tonight. And tomorrow is the annual day at the lake. Eh, I'll manage.

It's supposed to get up to 94 degrees on Saturday, so I'm trying to make sure I have lots of non-alcoholic beverages on hand. I think I'll get some popsicles - will make for great candids ... me and all my girlfriends in our little red dresses sucking on cherry popsicles so our tongues will be bright red too ... your heart skipped a beat just imagining that didn't it?

Wait until I post the photos.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

On Vacation: Day Thirty-Seven

I'm starting to feel better. Throat not quite as scratchy; glands not as swollen. But my feet are killing me. Was wearing red pumps without stockings yesterday and developed a HUGE blister on one foot. Changed shoes for the party I went to in the evening, but they weren't much better. It was a long, full day.

Not quite sure what to do with myself today. I don't have any obligations or commitments. Wait - shoot. Cynthia will be stopping by around 11:30. She's into yet another business venture and she wants me to try some new skin-care/cosmetics line. Ugh. But other than that, the day is mine. I'd say I was going to get out there and do yard work, but it's unexpectedly overcast. Not a problem - plenty of picking up and cleaning to do here in the house.

I've just about run out of people to send postcards to, but I think I will drop one in the mail to Amanda today. She didn't ask for one, but since we did a package exchange last fall (the "National Potato Month" compilation is one of my favorites, Amanda!) I have her address. I only recently saw that she has paused her blogging activity. I imagine that one day it will happen to me too ... life will get in the way of my little online fantasy world.

But not until September.

11:49 a.m. I impress myself. Just looked up Amanda's address. On my iPod. I finally was able to download my Palm contacts into the iPod - once I downloaded and installed the PalmPod freeware. I had tried just exporting the vcards as per the iPod instructions, but I kept getting only the first record. After trolling through the iPodlounge, found a note saying "oh yeah - you need to edit out blank lines in order to download all your contacts." Couldn't figure out/didn't want to fart around with that, so I went to Palm instead. After a little searching there, found a note from this guy who created the PalmPod program (with the helpful note that I should first update my Palm software) and in short order - I had my contacts in my iPod. Sweet.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

On Vacation: Day Thirty-Six

It's going to be a long day.

Pilates at 9:00, exit interview at work at 11:00, informational interview at 3:00, shopping, and then a summer solstice party. So before I throw myself into it, let me introduce you to today's lucky postcard recipient, Meaghan.

I haven't been reading Meaghan long, or even often, but I like her. She's pure. From what I've seen, Meaghan blogs for herself. It doesn't matter how many posts she makes or how many comments she gets. She doesn't feel the need to reciprolink. She posts when she has something to say. And when that happens, it's usually sharp, witty and/or insightful. So, here's to you, Meaghan! Hope you enjoy the postcard.

Monday, June 20, 2005

On Vacation: Day Thirty-Five

Per doctor's orders, I'm blogging from the backyard.

Had a meeting with my new friend Natalie, who happens to be a physician. She could see how utterly exhausted I was, and she insisted that I go outside and enjoy the sunlight this afternoon. How could I say no?

I am totally wiped out. I seem to have caught some type of summer cold virus. The glands they are a-swollen and it hurts to swallow. I didn't get much sleep last night and I'm dragging. I still have mulch to be moved, but you know what? It will be there tomorrow. Or the next day.

Of course, try as I might, I can't seem to catch a nap. It's too hot to actually fall asleep in the sun. I guess I'll have to wait for yoga to catch some zzzz's. And hope that I can get a good night's sleep tonight, because I've got a full day tomorrow. Pilates class followed by exit interview at work followed by an hour or two of paperwork in the office followed by an informational interview followed by some shopping followed by a Summer Soltice party. Long, full day.

About the only thing I did accomplish today was dropping a postcard in the mail to Dan Tobin. I don't remember how I found most of the blogs I link to, but I remember finding Dan through Brian. Of course, what really intrigued me about Dan was his other blog. Being the mistress of the other blog myself, I was enthralled and captivated by the Master of Movement. And we both started our other blogs in May 2004, so I feel a sort of special kinship with Dan because of that.

I only have one complaint - while I like the fact that Dan's posts are short, so I can read them quickly, there's so damn many of them that ultimately they add up to a long post, so really, what's the difference?

Just a thought in my sleep deprived, sun baked (I see we have that in common too!), semi-employed stupor.

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Ruminations

All in all, today wasn't a bad day. I was feeling a little low yesterday - after all the excitement and activity in my life the last few weeks, suddenly I was alone and had no one to play with! And I've got swollen glands and a scratchy throat, so that didn't help.

But overall, you know what? Life is good. Had a quick visit from my friend Lynn earlier today. She's trying to take care of her mother who has just been diagnosed with dementia. And trying to stay on top of her full-time job. And planning for her son's wedding in early August. She's got a lot going on.

And here I am, just puttering in the yard - that's my biggest worry right now. Yes, life is good. More tomorrow - and the sending of the postcards continues. Dan's on deck.

Friday, June 17, 2005

On Vacation: Day Thirty-Four

It's a little late in the day, but I'm back and ready to blog.

Spent the last few days at a conference in Cooperstown, NY - home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Farmer's Museum, and the Fenimore Art Museum. A totally cute little town.

I was enjoying my last hurrah as treasurer of a state-wide organization - perhaps a little too much. I overindulged in vodka cranberry tonics and made the mistake of mixing them with white wine. And chasing it down with brie and pretzels. Oh yeah. I got trashed. Again.

My friend Michelle was with me, and she has decided that I'm lactose intolerant. At least, that's what she told everyone who wondered where I was yesterday. I spent the day in bed, rising occasionally to hurl bile from the bottom of my stomach. I threw up for the last time around 4:30 p.m. Michelle came to my rescue with a banana. When I was able to keep that down for more than an hour, I managed to go down for the cocktail reception - at which I did NOT consume any cocktails. I skipped dinner - didn't want to risk a sudden dash for the ladies room.

After a good night's sleep, I was feeling much better today. Managed a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. I'm going to try to get my life back on track tomorrow by going to the gym.

Glad you all had a chance to meet Susan. Like I said, not sure how often she'll be stopping by, but you can be sure that she'll leave pithy comments when she does.

I got two more takers on the postcard offer - for all you Johnny Come Latelys, here's the deal. I buy postcards wherever I go and I never actually send them. The thought is that I will put them in a scrapbook to document my travels. But I haven't cracked open a scrapbook in a decade. So I'm sending these postcards to my blogger friends.

Interestingly enough, when I toured the art museum earlier today, there was a display there noting that postcards originated in Europe but that by 1905 they had been popularized here in the United States. So, in a sense, it's the 100th anniversary of the postcard. Totally fitting that I am celebrating in this way! Celebrate with me -send your snail mail address to kennafearing [at] gmail [dot] com and I'll send you a postcard - I actually picked up a dozen more today!

Michelle actually had a good idea - I'm having a party next Saturday, and I'm going to jot the recipe for my special martini on the postcards and hand them out as a party favor. So hopefully the postcards will be gone by the end of the month. I hope so.

Okay - enough for now. We'll see how the weekend goes and whether or not I have anything interesting to post. If not, look for an update on Day Thirty-Five.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

On Vacation: Day Thirty-Two

Happy Birthday, Susan!

As a very special birthday gift, I have finally given my dearest friend and most faithful sidekick, Susan, access to this blog. It's up to her to decide what to do with it - whether to read regularly, comment or not. There's really nothing here that she doesn't know about (and many things that she does know about do not appear here - let's keep it that way, hmm?) and since I've slowly been coming out of the closet by showing The Face, I figured "what the hell?"

And in other news ... I just found a May 24 reimbursement check for $315.90 in my bag as I was packing. Methinks I should deposit that puppy, along with Phil's rent check. Might help when my credit card bill arrives ... I've been buying plane tickets, expensive dinners, jewelry ... it's not going to be cheap.

Off to C-town for a conference; no blogging for the next few days.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

On Vacation: Day Thirty-One

A somewhat productive day.

Went to the gym for my pilates class and 12 minutes of tanning. Did some laundry. Went to the office to run some reports that I need for my conference tomorrow. Came home and met the carpenter so he could repair my bathroom ceiling. Went out to run some errands. Sent in the payment for my speeding ticket (which, by the way, I was able to have reduced to a non-moving violation - yeah!) and mailed a long overdue package to John.

I also mailed a postcard to Ed. If you've been enjoying my vacation stories, then you'll love his travelogue, Tales from the South Pacific. In case you haven't been to Ed's site before, he often comments on pop-culture. Whenever I missed an episode of American Idol, I would just pop over to Ed's site for his commentary and review.

I don't know how much longer I can beg and cajole you for your addresses here ... I may just have to start sending these postcards to my actual family and friends!

8:30 p.m. This just in ... no wonder I couldn't connect with Audioblogger last week. They changed the freakin' number and didn't tell me. Hop on over to AAPATT for some fresh Kenna!

Monday, June 13, 2005

On Vacation: Day Thirty

Wow. A whole solid month.

Got a rock solid ten hours of sleep last night. Had a meeting and made a few phone calls this morning. Was just getting ready to go out and run a few errands and maybe grab some lunch at Taco Bell when Phil called. He was at Taco Bell. Did I want anything for lunch?

I live a charmed life.

Had lunch and then went to a local establishment where I knew I could find a carpenter. I have a small hole in my downstairs bathroom ceiling that needs to be fixed. Found my carpenter and brought him back to the house. He'll be there at 2:00 tomorrow to make things right.

Came into the office and have been putzing around here ever since. At least it's air conditioned. It's been hot, sticky and muggy every day. Getting ready to go to yoga, but first ...

... Brian.

You know I know where you live. You didn't ask for a postcard, but you are going to get one. I suppose the fact that you added me to your Flickr contact list should tell me that you haven't forgotten about me completely.

What can I say about The Hair? Poet, photographer, man of mystery. Not sure how I stumbled into your lair, but you've had me ensnared ever since. You are prolific in your posts, and consistent in your content. And humble. Why did you not scream and shout about your birthday? I let the world know that my birthday was on May 9 (by the way, still waiting for the package ...) and my friends even created a separate birthday blog for me.

So, if for no other reason than the fact that I missed your birthday, today's postcard is for you. And if he sends me his address, tomorrow I shall send a postcard to Ed.

That's all I have time for - off to yoga, also known as my late afternoon nap.

Friday, June 10, 2005

On Vacation: Day Twenty-Nine

It just keeps getting better.

But before I launch into stories and show you a few photos, I must first take care of today's postcard. Dan, this one is for you. I think I found you on the "Next Blog" button and boy, am I glad I did. I just loved the title of your blog, the fact that you are a writer, and you are cute as a button to boot! We've been on the same wavelength since day one. How cool is that? I'm so sorry I missed your call on Wednesday - I'm still confused by that time zone thing. My phone said the call was received at 6:22 p.m. and I looked at the clock in the room and it was 6:25 p.m. and so I thought I had just missed you. Of course, you had called an hour earlier - my phone is set to Eastern time, and I was in the Central time zone with you so ... anyway. Can't wait for the day when we're not only in the same time zone but in the same town!

So Dan gets today's postcard. And it may be the last one I send unless you folks start sending me your address. Frilly? r? Amanda? Deb? Brian? Can't believe my regulars have deserted me on this one. Was it something I said? And what about you, Zulu? Ed? Dan Tobin? SJ? Good grief, do I have to pray to Blog Jesus?

So. My trip. With Larry. A guy I met on June 1. Flew to New Orleans on June 6 to spend a few days with him while he was at a conference. Could have been a disaster. Instead, was an amazing adventure. No, I don't think Larry is the love of my life. He's just a great guy who shares many of the same perspectives I do. Someone who is divorced and 40 and not ready to settle down again. Someone with whom I immediately felt comfortable - and he felt the same way too. Here are a few photos:



I'm too tired to create hyperlinks for these - if you want to see larger views then go to my flickr page. The reason I'm tired is that my trip back did not go as smoothly as my trip down. You know how everything seems to be falling into place for me? Well, I was wondering when things would start going wrong, and it was at 4:30 yesterday afternoon. My connecting flight from Dulles was cancelled. I stood in line for two and a half hours to get rebooked on a later flight - to Boston. Yes, Boston. Not Hartford, from whence I'd flown. I met up with a businessman who was renting a car to drive back to Hartford.

The flight to Boston was delayed. Left DC at midnight, got into Boston at 1:30 a.m. I slept a little on the flight, but not enough. Was able to sleep some on the drive to Hartford, but not much. When we got to the Hartford airport at 4:30 a.m. I decided to just take a nap. Pulled into a hotel parking lot and slept for an hour before attempting the remainder of my 2 1/2 hour drive back home. Got in around 8:30 this morning and thought I could go to sleep. Guess again. And I'm supposed to get in the car and drive 4 hours to visit my family for the weekend. Luckily, I have a co-pilot and unbeknownst to her, she'll be doing all the driving this afternoon!

So I thought my luck had run out. But it didn't. Because I got a call from my local radio station this morning. I won a weekend getaway to Montreal. I kid you not.

Who wants to come with?

Thursday, June 09, 2005

On Vacation: Day Twenty-Eight

I'm so bummed - I have to return to upstate New York today. I've been having such a great time here in New Orleans! I promise lots of photos when I return.

I already dropped Sue's postcard in the mail. Let's see ... I've sent postcards to Louisiana, England, Massachusetts, Kentucky, New York, California and now ... Iowa. I've never been to Iowa, but my friend Mary grew up there, and that's where Sue lives. Sue reads my blog pretty regularly, and I really like her a lot. Mostly because she put me in the "faithful reads and talented authors" category - right up there with Wil Wheaton and Dooce and Tequila Mockingbird. Woo-hoo! And I haven't even let Sue read my society columns yet.

Well - gotta catch the shuttle to the airport. I'd give you a hint about who is going to receive tomorrow's postcard, but I haven't been able to check my email, so it's going to be a surprise.

Thanks again to Jenica for faithfully publishing these posts in my absence.

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

On Vacation: Day Twenty-Seven

What day is it? Wednesday? Where am I? Oh yeah - New Orleans. Man is it hot!

Not much time, so this will be a quick post. Today I'm mailing a postcard to Maria. Not quite sure how Maria and I connected. I almost think I got lucky on that "next blog" button. One of the things I really like blogging is learning more about other places. Maria lives in Tijuana (right?) and she helped me when I couldn't figure out how to get a gravatar. I really love it when bloggers help each other out. I haven't been that good about keeping up with reading other blogs faithfully since I went on vacation (I wasn't kidding about the fact that I did most of my blogging On Company Time) and Maria really does deserve a promotion. I started her out in "The Fitting Room" but she really deserves to be in "My Seasonal Closet."

So once I get back and have some free time (!) consider it done. And then we'll work on how we can rendezvous in San Diego when I make my trip down the west coast later this summer. But please, whatever you do, don't make me drink tequila!

I'll be heading back tomorrow, but not before I drop Sue's postcard in the mail. Catch you later!

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

On Vacation: Day Twenty-Six

Hello, everyone - greetings from New Orleans! Wow - I'm actually on vacation. Not sure what I'm going to do today. My companion is attending a conference, so he's in meetings all day. I can feel free to roam about the city ... let's see, which mailbox shall I use to send this lovely postcard to Jenica?

Despite the appearance of this post, I want to confess that I did not take my laptop with me to New Orleans. Instead, I prepared drafts in advance and I've asked Jenica to post for me each day. As I mentioned last week, John Strain was one of the first blogs I found when I started this thing about a year and a half ago. Jenica was the second. I was amazed at how prolific she was - so many posts on so many different topics. And she's smart - like blow me away smart. Like John, I was impressed with the fact that Jenica used her real name. And she lives and works in a tiny college town not too far away from me, and I felt like we had a lot in common. If I'd ever had a little sister, I would want it to be someone like Jenica.

So when it came time to entrust these important blog posts to someone, I thought of her. Thanks so much - Jenica. I owe you one. Hey - want to come to my party on June 25? Your Evite has already been sent. I hope you come - I know that I would enjoy meeting you and Drew.

That's all for today - be sure to tune in tomorrow when I tell you all about Maria.

Monday, June 06, 2005

On Vacation: Day Twenty-Five

I worked hard over the weekend and the mulch tally is up to 56 - I loaded and unloaded 56 freakin' wheelbarrows full of mulch. I gotta tell you though - the yard is looking great. I'd take photos and post them, but I've got to pack and get on the road. Did I tell you that I'm flying to New Orleans today?

Before I leave, though, I'll be sure to mail today's postcard to Barrie. I remember becoming aware of Barrie last summer, probably via Brian or Amanda (neither of whom, by the way, has requested a postcard - was it something I said?). Barrie was running this blog contest and I nominated runswithscissors as best blog, and he won! Barrie has a crush on The Voice (and really, can you blame her?) and I happen to think she's cute as a button too. I know that Barrie struggles with what to say on her blog sometimes, and she worries about what others think. Here's my unsolicited advice - Barrie, it's your blog. Say what you want to say. Don't worry whether or not others agree or disagree. We all write for different reasons. Just say what you have to say.

Well, I'm off ... and I'm taking three postcards with me. Jenica will be the featured blogger tomorrow, which is totally appropriate because she's blog sitting for me while I'm gone. I've already told her to expect a New Orleans postmark.

And as for the rest of you ... I still have a crapload of postcards. In fact, I found more:



Email me your address, and I'll send you one of these fine postcards. Even if you think I already have your address, send it to me anyway. Believe me, you don't want to miss out on one of these special limited edition postcards!

Saturday, June 04, 2005

Reunions

Apparently it's reunion weekend here in my little part of the world.

The college where I used to work is having reunion this weekend, so I went up to campus to crash the luncheon (Barbara invited me to when she was here for breakfast yesterday). I ran into some alumni I remembered from my years there, and you know, it was a really nice feeling to have them stop me to say hello. Almost makes me wish I'd never left that institution. Almost.

Then I drove over to the high school where some (natch) high school friends were playing in a lacrosse tournament. Keep in mind - I didn't go to school around here; they were in town for this weekend tournament. I'll be heading home next weekend and will see them again for the 22nd annual Wiffleball Tournament. It really is pretty incredible - they have been having a wiffleball tournament in their back yard for 22 years.

So it's a scorcher out there today - 85 degrees. That's okay, it's just good practice for the weather in that distant city I'll be headed to on Monday. I suppose I can let the cat out of the bag ... I'm going to New Orleans! I've always wanted to go and when I met Larry (keep in mind this is a new Larry - not either one of the two Larrys I've mentioned previously) and he told me that he was going there for a conference next week, I simply said "Can I come with you?" He was a little stunned, because after all, we literally had just met for the first time on Wednesday, but he was already under my spell and he couldn't say no to me.

I'm flying down on Monday, getting in late, and will be there all day on Tuesday and Wednesday. Of course I've already emailed John and asked him for his list of must-sees and things to do. Larry will be busy in sessions all day, but we'll have time in the evening to go out and explore.

Is it impulsive? Yes. A little dangerous? Absolutely. Completely exciting? You bet!

Don't worry - I'll still stay on schedule with the sending of the postcards, and you'll know I wasn't making it up when you see that New Orleans postmark. I'll also keep up with the posting here even though I'm not taking my laptop with me. I've engaged a top-notch consultant to assist me during my absence. I'll introduce you to her on Tuesday (which also just so happens to be her day for the receipt of a postcard).

Have I told you lately how good life is?

Friday, June 03, 2005

On Vacation: Day Twenty-Four

Having moved another 11 wheelbarrows full of mulch yesterday, I decided to give myself the day off. No gym. No yard work. Instead, I strolled to the pastry shop and got several sticky buns and scones and hosted my friend Barbara for a late breakfast. And now I'm getting ready to walk downtown to meet my friends Lorrie and Laurie (I'm not making this up!) for lunch. Life in a small town. I love it.

But the main thing I wanted to tell you is that I mailed a postcard to Nita today. Nita is one rocking chick. I love the potty mouth on that woman. Even though we've never met (who knows, that might change someday soon!) I know that Nita and I have a lot in common. We're roughly the same age. We're smart, sassy and sexy. We don't take shit from anyone, dammit. About the only difference I can see is that Nita is a dog person. Me, not so much. I would rather curl up with a kitty-cat, thank you very much. (Which is why Jenica and Frilly are two of my favs - but you'll hear more about them later.)

Of course, my absolute favorite animal lover is Barrie. You'll get yours on Monday, dear. Okay - off to meet the girls. Ah, the life of leisure!

Thursday, June 02, 2005

On Vacation: Day Twenty-Three

How did I ever find time to work?

Up early, to the gym and then the tanning booth. Took Trucklet to the car wash because she was covered in pollen and tree sap. Then to the post office, again, because I needed a special stamp to mail today's postcard to Bushra. I have to admit, I don't read Bushra's blog on a regular basis (that's why she's in My Seasonal Closet). But I'm impressed that she has her own domain name and that she hosts her own blog. I also love her photos. Add in the fact that she's a member of Team Brian and well ... the girl is just too cool.

Bushra - today it's all about you, girlfriend. Enjoy it, because tomorrow, it's all about Nita.

Moved another 9 loads of mulch today. I'm up to 33 loads. And it looks like there's still another 33 loads in the pile. Help! I had to come in for a late lunch and to cool off. It's finally warm and sunny and nealy 80 degrees today. So I really shouldn't have been out there working in the middle of the day, but since when do I do the logical thing?

Now don't lecture me, but I'm about to do something wild and crazy. I'm going to get on a plane and go to a distant city with a man that I met yesterday. We've been corresponding for several weeks and we met for the first time last night. He had mentioned that he was going to this city for a conference, and it's a city I've never been to, and I really want to go, so I just asked if I could tag along and he said yes and I came home and booked my ticket and I fly out on Monday.

Don't tell my mom, 'k?

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

On Vacation: Day Twenty-Two

Thanks to those of you who have requested postcards. The distribution begins today, and the very first person to receive a postcard from me will be .... (drumroll, please) ..... John Strain!

It's appropriate in many ways. John was one of the first people I discovered when I started blogging about a year and half ago. He was very good natured when I made a post in response to seeing his right breast. I respect and admire the fact that he is who he is - John Strain. He posts openly and honestly about life in general, and his life in particular. On more than one occasion, his posts have given me pause. And that's a good thing.

So here's a shout out to John!

If you want a postcard from me, just email me your name and address and I'll add you to the list. I'm still cleaning and I found another shitload of postcards, so there's plenty to go around!

On deck for tomorrow - Bushra.