tickets

We got tickets to the Tabernacle show, but just barely, and lousy seats. After having to log in and go through the entire purchase process TWICE for good floor level seats, Ticketmaster.com would not process my order from the PC or the Mac. So now I have the secret to share:

1. all tickets on the website must be purchased for will-call delivery only. You don't have the actually delivery options they list, like USPS or UPS,etc.

2. they charge $9.00 for a parking pass, but having to pick up the tickets and pass at will-call makes the pass useless.

3. there is no place to choose United States as your country of origin. We had to choose the outlying islands as your location.

tied in knots

The good news:
We got the new toilet installed. yeah!
And now we have the old gray toilet sitting on our patio, probably becoming a mosquito nursery until we figure out how to get rid of it. I think I'm going to put biocide pellets in it tomorrow.
Went to see the new Pirates movie tonight. Great fun. I needed some escape.
Tom Waits tickets go on sale at 10:00 AM!


The bad news:
It's been a very rough week for me. Now I'm having a glass of red wine trying to encourage sleep to come and my gut to unknot. There's more trouble in my condo with water and nasty downstairs neighbors and useless management companies.... the usual. That and my job desintegrating into nothing as they seem to be letting the business die off - I've only been working half days lately. And my car needs new struts. The back end is bottoming out, so there's another big expense coming at me.

tiny screams of dying brain cells

I can't believe how soft my hair is after putting conditioner on it last night.

It's another slow day at work again. I can feel brain cells dying while I'm trying to stay awake. At the same time, I'd rather be employed in a boring job than no job at all.

What I really want is a job closer to home that actually stimulates/challenges me a bit or at least keeps me busy. Preferably one with health insurance, paid vacation time, and 401k.

It's quiet and too slow at work today. I keep nodding off.

finally, it rained.

and then we found a renewed leak in the roof over the kitchen - above the cabinets.

I had to empty every object out of the cabinets and countertop below, dry it, put it aside, and stuff towels into the cabinets when we came home last night. This morning, I pulled out the towels and made sure everything was reasonably clean and dry. I still haven't put things where they were before. I'll probably box it all until the roof is cleared of branches, which might have caused the water to pool and an old leak to reform, and the next rain proves whether it's okay to put things back or not.

Last night was fun - the first of this year's Halloween parade gatherings to begin the process for this year's parade. More giant puppets will be involved, I think. Maybe we'll have an actual float on a trailor again this year. Those questions are still up in the air but the theme is decided now. It's going to be great fun.

Wedding of the century

My cousin Dan and Joy had their wedding yesterday. Huge event with family and friends.

Kinda funny. The officiant was a very articulate, highly educated minister who spoke with a great deal of charm. Just when I thought we might not get the usual fire and brimstone sermon on the mount that is typical of Southern Baptist weddings, he included a very serious bit of warning having to do with marriage being a covenant with God rather than a legal contract - that included how it would be better to be drawn and quartered than to break one's vows.

Great reception with the caterer presenting a spread that included lots of seafood - sushi, sashimi, oysters on the halfshell, and the obligatory shrimp coctail. Of course, there were many more options but that was where I was centered. While others enjoyed the whole tenderloin roast and chicken, I was feasting on fruits of the sea. Later followed by a very good glass of Sterling Cab. The event ended with fireworks over the lake at the country club. I would love to see a photo of what I saw then - Dan and Joy in silhouette taking in the fireworks, held in eachothers arms. One thing I had not seen before was a table with a man hand-rolling cigars for guests. Even my brother was puffing on a wedding cigar, watching the fireworks. Almost like a Bergman film.

I got to see and speak with relatives and friends from near and far. So many people that we unfortunately only see at weddings and funerals and the occassional christening. I prefer seeing everyone at weddings, when there are no inhibitions or sorrow and everyone is, by nature of the event, positive and future-minded. When we were ready to leave, my mother wasn't waiting for me near the door as I expected her to be. I found her dancing with my cousin Heather's husband in front of the band, which is huge because this was the first time she'd been able to dance in years - all thanks to her new bionic knees. There was a great moment when Joy's brother got out in the center of the floor dancing just like Michael Jackson to Billie Jean - legend has it that he learned that trick when he was around 14 years old and has done it by request ever since. It was great fun watching that and then he pulled this sister, the bride, onto the floor to dance with him. Too funny.

And now I wish my cousins a perfect honeymoon with no sunburn or other maladies to occur. The worrier in me immediately sees peril in two very blonde individuals on a beach.

caliente

Did nothing today but have a good meal of food stuffs already in the fridge (new potatoes, salad, veggie riblets) followed by a cosmopolitan mixed by Monster. Now I'm just doing laundry and waiting for the new episode of No Reservations to air later tonight.

Diem Good Eats

I had the best scallops ever last night at Diem as the dinner special. Huge. Fresh. Sweet. Cooked - seared perfectly without being over-done. So incredibly tender, on a bed of artichoke hearts, fresh baby green beans and risoto.

watching Some Like It Hot tonight

Tony Curtis is the proto-William Shatner.

Mother's Day

We ate at Blue Ridge Grill for Mother's Day - My mother, Monster, and Moi.

The service is still extraordinary but the food has kinda lost it. It's overpriced for what you get and not as good as it used to be. Mother's fried oysters were not quite done - raw on the inside and not yet crisp on the outside. My tuna was lost in a sauce that was so strong all I could taste was sugar and licorice.

Last time we'll be there unless it's just for desert and the wait staff or the Grey Goose martinis.

new spring coat

Gorilla at the car wash on Piedmont Avenue has a new suit.

recurring loops

recurring loops happen. Thoughts you can't get out of your head, worries that won't leave you alone.

I've found that recently, what seems to help is stepping out of the normal habits with a mental and physical activity. For me, that has been as simple as working in the garden and yard for a while at the end of each day. Somehow that clears things out all the way down to the dream level in me. I don't know if something like that would work for anyone else, but maybe it would. After doing the same things in the same places redundantly, even my dreams can become frustrating loops. I actually dream better after gardening.

Pretty good day

Yesterday was not as busy as I would like but a couple of jobs came in near the end that made the last hour pass at an acceptable level. I balance the lulls with busy work clearing out old files and stripping film to go into recycle bins.

When I got home, Monster was clean-shaven and grinning. All of the dead wood in the side yard had been moved and stackeed neatly against the side of the house. The misplaced hosta had been transplanted to a better place on one side of the house and the rhododendron had been tranplanted to the other side in a better, roomier space. New pinestraw was spread evenly across all of the area he had worked in.

I told him it looked great and he said "You like it when I bust my ass."
Yes. I do like it when he works around the house an actually finishes a job that he starts.
He looked a lot better too after shaving.

The only complaint (I can't help it - there's always one) was that he dug up the one purple flower I'd saved from the front. When I asked what he was planning to do with it, he started singing "Seasons in the Sun". I've never seen anyone who hates flowers as much as he does. I am planning to rescue it next time he's not home - after it stops raining. I'll either try potting it or planting it in back next to the patio.

Estrogen

Five of us had met for a polite southern ladies tea at the Faded Rose. I think it is the most feminine place I've seen in recent years in that traditional, southern, rather mature style. The weather didn't cooperate with me earlier. There was a downpour just minutes earlier but the clouds parted just as everyone made it there. Lots of tea. Several pots of various infusions were consumed. Scones/biscuits served with preserves, lemon curd and clotted cream.

Mrs. Cloun, being the supporting friend that she is, helped me look for the elusive perfect dress to wear to my cousin's wedding in June. I'm hard to please this week. Everything seemed like it was the wrong color, too casual for an evening wedding, or too matronly - too many gathers, too fluffy, etc. etc. But I think I have a lot better idea now for what I might wear. I could wear my black suit, but this would be my one good excuse this year to buy myself something wonderful and feminine, despite the fact that I'm not a girlie skirt-wearing type. I would love something simple, classic, slender in jewel colors like red or purple. Or polka dots - there are so many nice black & white polka dot dresses that were either too flimsy at the top, too low in the back or too fluffy and bunched up (whatever that's called).

I will continue the search another day.