Sunday night....sigh....

What a great weekend doing absolutely nearly nothing....

Did I say nothing???

• Scrubbed out tub/shower.
• Scrubbed bathroom floor.
• Did laundry.
• Baked bread (YUM).
• Unpacked and washed the box of glasses that has sat in my kitchen for a year.
• Tossed said box along with a ton of other recycling.
• Watched 3 netflix movies that have been gathering dust: The Illusionist (WOW, great!), Lady in/of the Water (good), and The Davinci Code (eh -- what were Ron and Tom thinking?).
• Library trip, reading an interesting book about 1763 being a pivotal year in not just American, but also World history (the year that Treaty of Paris ended the "French and Indian" wars).
• I've become so consumed by family history research that I'm forcing myself to NOT do any today/this week (though I made some big discoveries yesterday). It's just become the obsession that replaced my work obsession.
• I'm playing videogames right now, instead!
  
• Cleaned out fridge.
• Whole Foods trip ($150, thank you very much -- had to get my favorite shampoo and conditioners, about $25 each for $75...).
• Online window shopping for flat panel TV (Rich, I'll need your help once I finally buy one!).

AND, most important of all....

Major snuggling with the sweetest (and most tired) kittie I know, little Miss Molly (who supervised all cleaning activity today, usually from the top of my shoulder).

I took several photos of my little snuggler, but they didn't arrive in my email box!!! (darned camera phone) It's so very very rare for Molly to want to cuddle, I had to document the occasion. Adoring eyes. Chainsaw purrrr. Nose up for kisses. Now I have no proof. I'm sure she's chortling somewhere deep within, IF she could work up the energy. Poor dear, she worked so hard today (yeah, right).

Last week was horrible at work, so here's hoping that this week is better! And that the Groundhog doesn't see his shadow -- I'm ready to start working in the back yard.

GORGEOUS

What a gorgeous day it is today!!!

Already swept spiders, leaves, other winter detritus out of the front walkway and entry. Raked and threw out several bags of leaves. Took me 45 minutes to wash a week's worth of dishes. I have a chicken roasting right now with tarragon and fennel seeds (the smell is completely outrageous -- can't WAIT for dinner!). The girls are completely and thoroughly mesmerized at the back door by all of the birds outside (finally! I've had filled bird feeders just waiting for them!). They periodically run over to give me a peck and say, "did you see them? did you see them?", then it's back to their sentry duty. After all, we must be protected from little song birds. I jest not -- ever see a little movie called "The Birds?"

Now I'm just kicking back and watching Nigella Feasts after snarfing down a great lunch (vegetable beef soup, whole wheat flat bread with some pepper jack cheese). Next is laundry and bathroom. Fun!

I also want to try to get a walk in before it gets chilly again. Have to take advantage of the sun while it lasts.

GREAT progress on my family history. We've (my cousin and I) found some distant cousins from one of my lines who are also family researchers, so we've been sharing info like mad. I'm focusing this weekend on one of my lines in the colonies (Virginia, North Carolina), so am also reading up on pre-Revolutionary history.

Finally watched Munich -- great intense movie. Finally watched The Producers -- hated it (I'm just not a huge fan of musicals). Watched My Super Ex Girlfriend -- it was OK -- sort of clever premise, but it could have been much better.

Finished listening to Peter and the Shadow Thieves this week -- LOVED it. These are really very clever and enjoyable stories, with likable characters and "page turner" plots. I have many books to choose from now in my audiobook library, but chose the next Lemony Snicket book, The Grim Grotto. Two more to go after this one and I'll be done with the series!

Great news! Christopher Moore has a new book out -- must watch for it on audiobook.

Work is really incredibly busy right now -- I have three openings, with another about to be posted. Long days, not getting home as early as I'd hoped, which is why I had a week's worth of dishes to wash today! I need to get organized today so that I have meals ready for each day of the week, outfits pressed, etc. -- the more I can simplify and streamline, the less stressed I'll feel during the week. It's not going to be better this week -- I have to fill these four openings, which takes time....

Oh, yeah, and I had lunch with a nice guy this week. Life is looking a little brighter every day now that I actually have a life.

OK, break over (Nigella's nearly over and Molly's getting cranky, looking for things to attack -- time for attention to cat). Hope everyone's enjoying a nice balmy breeze today.

ahhhh lupus

bone numbing fatigue
deep deep aching
bright red rash on cheeks
joints that feel sprained
throw in a little chest pain, inability to think very clearly, and you've got....the ole lupus

well, I've got it, but there you go

just to make life more fun, I also have a little cold or sinus infection (can you get those from emails or IM's, Kris? Guess not.).

I gave up and am back in bed. My eyes are so sore and red that I look like I have double pink eye. And feel like it too! If Fiona would move (she's laid claim to my chest and arm), I might be able to get some motrin in. With her fur so much in face, the eyes could be allergic reactions. I also have the heater on, so can't blame the cold (those who know me know that's not a good sign -- I don't think I've run the heater all day in more than 15 years).

Hope everyone is feeling better than me!

Project day ... a success!

So I used a livehacker link last night that a friend emailed to me for digitizing your old cassette tapes. Got everything set up, finally (took quite some time to just find my old walkman!), plugged it all in...nothing. Retried about 20 times. Nothing.

OK, I thought, I must just have the wrong cable. I'll get a new one tomorrow.

Did that today. Plugged it all in. Nothing. ARGH. So, when all fails, refer to the directions or manual (I'm using audacity's free sound editor). Ah ha. One must select ("press") record in the sound editing software.

DOP.

I'm digitizing my first tape right now!

Hee hee hee.

I can finally digitize all of my old (bootleg) Dead tapes. And "comedy" tapes that my brothers made when they were little. I can't wait to share tapes of my brother Tom, who died ~17 years ago, with my brother Steve and my parents. Wish I'd been able to figure this out before Christmas, but they won't mind at all.

What will be even greater, though, will be doing the same for Mom's reel-to-reel tapes she inherited from her parents -- tons of bluegrass, and I think recordings of the family playing (remember, I'm the only person in my family with zero musical talent).

I'll post a pic of my new fireplace screen once I have it up and a fire crackling. I'm first enjoying watching squirrels and birds with the girls and huddling up under a blankie (it's cold out there!).

Smelly day

Great sale at Bath and Body Works! Lots of good smells! The whole house smells great!

I started getting glimmerings today about being ready to go back to work. Guess two weeks is the magic # -- takes that long to be ready to go back! I'm not 100% there, but I'm also not seriously considering quitting, at least not at this very second.

Separation anxiety for the girls today -- left the house for half the day to shop/do errands. They've had 100% of my attention and presence since last Thursday! I was pinned down on the couch for a couple of hours this early evening. Now just crawled into bed and am pinned down by Molly, who's laying across a leg under the comforter, one set of claws placed around my ankle. They getcha one way or the other. I'll do another day trip tomorrow.

Not much else to say today. Looking forward to a hopefully early night, hopefully without hearing coyotes or other things that go bump in the night!

Happy New Year!!!

2007 -- how weird it that??? Great day at home with, you got it, the girls. Did some yard work, more house work, roasted a turkey, and my bread should be ready in 30 minutes or so (yum!!!). After a week of sleeping in like mad, I'm retraining myself in preparation for work in a week (boo hoo!), so was up before 9:30 (sounds decadent, doesn't it?). I'm shooting for 9 tomorrow, and 30 minutes earlier each day after.

The girls are finally settling down for naps (they've been running around like mad all day). Molly's happy in front of a fire. Fiona's happy curled up across my neck (ack). I just sat down to a Dr. 90210 marathon -- one of those "train wreck" shows that I occasionally indulge in. I'm just astonished at folks' priorities, but maybe if I had too much money and too much time on my hands (what would that be like???), I'd think my problems would be solved with a little majory elective surgery.

Off my soap box now....

Tomorrow will be a day to hit the stores/etc. again (I haven't left my house in a few days!). On the search for lamps, shelves and maybe, if I'm lucky, a super duper on sale sofa. I can at least start the search for it! And a fireplace screen! And pick up my new reading glasses (sad, but I'd love to read all of the great books I was lucky enough to be given for Christmas!).

No resolutions, other than to continue my quest to reduce stress and learn to handle stress better.

Happy 2007 to all!

(NOTE: Found Tony Bourdain marathon on the travel channel -- 90210's been appropriately dumped for his snarky humor, interesting food tastes (at least he didn't like the Icelandic sheep testicles...much), and acidic comments. Love him!)