Vacation part deux

So I'm back at work, or least the work interval in my 12-day vacation.

And... I don't have anything else to do right now here at Ye Olde Jobbe. Well, that's not true... I have one pro bono trifold brochure we're doing for a client, but I kicked that into proofing and am now in a holding pattern.

It was a great week off. I had a great time getting my inner Martha Stewart on and tackled an assload of projects. They weren't the projects I thought I'd be doing, but I know I'd better go where inspiration strikes. I mean, I went to the shed to get something, and it was so hard pulling something out of that abyss of junk that I snapped and yanked everything outside. I mean, when else in the coming months would I want to work inside a metal box, which is essentially what that thing is? And miracle of miracles, right when I started tossing stuff, H showed up to get something so I was able to haul his butt out there and help me cull out the crap. So... not what I intended, but I got a gross job out of the way.

Besides the shed, I cleaned out the laundry room, the closet and wardrobe in my soon-to-be-roommate's room, the carport and the deck. Finished mulching. Repotted some plants. Ran errands. Went to the dermatologist (where I had a potentially problematic mole cut off yet again) and took Sammy to the vet (still no luck catching Max — that boy has radar, and knew I was up to something immediately. Sigh.)

I didn't do much social, but what I did was great. Went to a nice dinner for a former co-worker's birthday, and invited a few friends back to the house for drinks.

Also took some reading-on-the-couch time, which is just the best. Did spend too much time on the internet: I should only care about Britney while wasting time at work, not when I could be out and about. Which, sorry, but I have to say: all those idiotic moms defending our dear Brit should see the whole series of pics: the unhemmed pants past her heels, the highball glass that she doesn't spill while dropping her child. I mean, if you trip and start to fall, wouldn't you drop the glass and grab the kid? It looks to me like she was more careful with the glass.

/rant over/

In more pop culture news. Alias is over. I'm sad, but not. I'm really bummed that yet another show has amnesia on most plot points (the X-Files-factor). Which, by the way? Those of you asking me why I don't watch Lost, well, that's your answer. I don't trust series with mythologies any more.

The series finale WAS satisfying if you think less and drink more. I do have to say, SpyDaddy's last (sob!) words were awesome: "You beat death, Arvin, but you couldn't beat me." And Sloan's fate was deliciously deserved. And Vaughn's reaction to baby Isabelle's little snore was the cutest damn thing ever. LOVE him.

Oooh, gotta go to some weird staff thing. Some nerve, interrupting my blog time.

VACATION!!!!!

Earlier in the week I asked my bosses for a week off as soon as we could swing it. Yesterday they came back and asked if I wanted to take the rest of this week off plus early next week (we are waiting to hear back on some projects, so that's why (long story) it's probably safer to be around at least two days next week). And since that next Monday is Memorial Day I'll be working two (ta-da!) days out of the next twelve. So… whoo!

So now I'm planning planning planning. What project should I tackle? Do I paint? I really feel like I should, I just don't want to. I hate painting. On the other hand, it's the perfect time. In any case, I'm going to pretend to work today, but mentally I'm figuring out my little working vacation.

I do have some fun stuff I want to do, and also some long-postponed tasks, such as dragging Sammy and Max to the vet. I've tried several times now to catch Max and take him in, but if you can't grab him the first time (which is hard enough) you don't get a second try. I guess that's the perils of adopting a six-month-old feral cat.

In other cat news, y'all remember the newborn kittens? I still haven't seen them, but I'm pretty sure they're under my house. Which bites. I am glad they're somewhere safe, but I don't know how I'm going to get my hands on them to get them used to humans and adoptable.

In even more cat news (shut up), I was driving to work this morning, and just down the street I stopped to let a kitty cross. Did a double take because this cat looked exactly (exactly!!) like Bea, just a bit darker. Markings, size... everything. I got out and talked to him/her, but he/she took off. I hate to sound like such a cat nerd, but I've so mystified about how Bea ended up on my woodpile alone that I'm happy for more clues. At least now I know that there's at least one other kitten that survived from Bea's litter, or at least I'm pretty damn sure.

I know the cat news isn't that exciting. It's just tricky writing stuff for my blog that I don't mind everyone knowing. :)

Ummm, so what the hell else have I done?

Had dinner with H last night. He came over to get the color printer and we decided to head down to the village and get a bite. It's getting easier to hang out, especially in neutral territory. It's hard for him to hang out at the house, which I get.

Anything else?

Thinking. Or as Data would say, "processsing."

Oh, hell, between cats and Star Trek references I'm really outing myself as a geek to anyone who didn't know it. On the other hand, who doesn't know it? :)

Damn, I got nothin'. I'm boring as hell.

I'll wind this up with the sage words of the Go-Go's:
(ahem)

Vacation
All I ever wanted
Vacation
Had to get away
Vacation
Meant to be spent alone

can never think of a title

So... it's finally slow at work. Yippee!

Actually, I didn't think today would be slow. It's kind of a happy surprise. Client loved what I sent him yesterday, so today's allowed-for round 'o changes wasn't necessary. It's not like the stuff's approved — client's taking the stuff to a meeting Monday — but at least I got nothin' else to do on that project until I hear back on Monday.

Weekend's looking good. I'm going to dinner tonight at H's. We haven't hung out in a while actually, and I haven't been to his apartment in a very long while and I really miss my kitty, so we're hanging out and he's feeding me. Before I go to H's I'm going to stop by the BPs for a drink. Tomorrow I'm going to Lakewood (big antique thingy held once a month) with G. I can't spend much (any?) money, so I'll have to be careful, but otherwise I'm totally psyched.

And, finally, I'll top off the weekend with copious amounts of yard work. Whoo! (That was a serious Whoo!, not a sarcastic one, which… I know me liking yard work continually surprises me and everyone I know, but whatever) Still have that last big chunk in the front to weed, and I need to mow the back yard. So this should be a nice weekend, hopefully not as painful as last weekend's cavalcade! of hangovers! I am not 24 anymore, and I shouldn't act it, and, apparently, I can't even fake it.

However... I do have a sore throat and am a bit draggy, so I'm really hoping I don't spend the weekend sick. I plan to baby myself a wee bit. At the very least, I am going to be super careful with the drinking, not only because I'm fighting off something germy, but also because I seriously don't want to make a habit of getting as fucked up as I did last weekend.

Anyway, there's only four of us in the office today, which I hope doesn't hamper me sneaking the fuck out a little early. It is too beautiful outside to be sitting in my office looking busy.

Okay, here's some stuff I liked this week:

FedEx planes flying into Memphis around a thunderstorm: totally look like ants!

For Gerry

This is actually something from a couple of months ago, but it's very cool. Panoramic view of NYC. Might not want to click if on a super slow connection (warning for my poor brother on dial-up).

And if you watched Texas Ranch House (which I did... and dude, don't EVEN get me started on the Cooke family) you should read the show thread on TWoP, a site which I've totally been pushing on all y'all for, like, forever. Several of the ranch hands are posting, most importantly Jared, a cowboy on the show and a designer IRL. Think about that: a cowboy and a designer and he plays guitar. What's not to love?

yard bitch

Hey everybody!

Here I am! I'm alive!

Seriously busy, but alive. Sorry haven't updated.

I'm waiting now for the last changes for this big project that has eaten my life for the last 2 weeks. Make the changes, make the pdf, do all the links, send it to the client and that's bloody it (hope to god, anyway).

So it's Cinco de Mayo, a day on which I traditionally avoid bars as people are stupid. (Well, all the time, but even more so on Cinco de Mayo. Plus, it's a Mexican holiday white people celebrate by eating and drinking out so that actual Mexicans have to make the food and can't actually celebrate their own damn holiday.) I will be out tonight, though: tonight we celebrate my friend's graduation, a day not diminished by it being a long-ass time in coming. Rather, we celebrate 'cause it's an awesome achievement. YAY GP!

And my friend J is visiting tonight. So, all in all, I plan to be happy and drink, dammit.

All I've done for the last two weeks is to work on this damn project at work, and in my wealth (snert) of free time I've been working my ass off in the yard. Happily, that's partially literal: my ass is shrinking! I am visibly (to me anyway) getting more fit. And as I've learned today, fit is the new rich.

I had $175 in gift cards from Home Depot (birthday and washing machine/dryer rebate) burning a hole in my wallet. So Wednesday I got to Home Depot and bought $168.71 worth of plants, to which I say damn. I had one of those flat things loaded up, but I didn't think I was getting up to $168.71 worth. Damn, plants are expensive.

Anyway, they are mostly (I can't even write that word without thinking Cartman: "mostly") in the ground. Got some for the back yard which aren't yet planted. But on Wednesday I planted… (counting mentally) 20. And the front weed plot is starting to look like a garden. A sparse neonatal garden, but a garden. Let's summarize my proud acheivements from the last three weeks:

Weeded and feeded front yard
Mowed and edged front yard
Mowed back yard.
Weeded about a 20' x 15' plot in front (by hand, bitches!)
Put down tarps to kill rest of the weeds in the plot, so about 20' x 10' to go
Mulched 20' x 10' plot in front (so far 17 bags of mulch)
Weeded the border grasses in the front
Weeded 9' x 9' plot in back for tomatoes
Planted 22 tomato plants (got a little carried away)
Mulched tomato plot (about 9 bags)
Planted basil (plants and seeds), cilantro, and sage in herb garden
Weeded and mulched herb garden
Planted more ferns and hostas in shade garden
Weeded and partially mulched shade garden
Deadheaded geraniums and roses a couple of times
Planted 20 plants in front
Removed ugly ladder hanging in carport (H: functionality), replaced with hanging baskets (S: aesthetics over functionality!)

Are you not impressed? I fucking am. I am seriously proud of myself. I did things that I thought I couldn't do by myself. And I've liked doing it (mostly). It's been quiet and contemplative work. And it's been nice to be quiet. I think that the last month or so has been a healing time. I'm not quite ready to get my whoo-hoo! on, but I'm getting there.

My house is a disaster area, though. Filthy! I'll... get to it. (I'm not saying I haven't gotten overwhelmed a few times)

Okay, gotta run. Should eat so when the asshole research company finally gets us their damn changes I'll be ready to go. (They haven't hit ANY of their deadlines yet, which is what caused me to work all this past weekend: we had to cram three (if not more) weeks of work into one. Don't like them.)

xoxo
s