Home

I am back from London. Had a great time, despite 1) being sick and 2) Delta losing my suitcase for four days.

M and I had a fabulous time together and she is the best hostess one could hope for. We went all over town. We got caught up with each other's lives. It was good to just spend time with each other and know that we're still really good friends.

I am tired, though, as travelling internationally is a damn endurance race. I have no idea how people can do that regularly for work. But maybe the UK to US route is just especially crazy right now, but no matter... the procedures for getting back in the country are retarded. By the time I got to Hartsfield yesterday I had been travelling for fifteen hours. It shouldn't then take over two hours to get out of the airport. That's just mean. You gotta go through immigration. No biggie. But then you have to wait thirty minutes for your suitcase to come off the baggage claim to take it through customs just to check it back in. Go through security again (after going through security twice already that day), take the train to baggage claim and wait another thirty minutes for your bag again. Arrgggh.

Anyway, I was so happy to see my kitties last night. And it was nice to be home.

Bored

I'm writing mainly because I'm bored as shit. I've done everything I need to here at work.

I'm suddenly fighting a cold, which, what? Where the hell did this come from? Fine one day and all sniffy and sneezy the next? Sucktastic! I can only hope it's gone before my trip. I've slammed some Zicam, which I hope heads it off.

I'm retardedly stressed about going on my trip. Like, really hung up on not taking too big a bag. Or the should-I-take-my-laptop? decision. I'm such a dork. I'm also worried about not being in the mood to figure out what I want to do when I'm there. Like, why am I not working up itineraries? (Note that I'm worried about not wanting to do something) I think it's because this trip isn't about sightseeing, it's about seeing M. I miss her! Plus, if I have a ton of things I want to do it will be a chore and not fun, plus it'd be a disappointment if I didn't do them. Right now I have a short list of four things to go see, which I think is plenty. Whatever. I think I'll get more revved up once I'm on my way and am past my planning phobia. But, seriously... I am old before my time.

This weekend was exhausting. I was just worn out. Was out late Friday — I can always rationalize staying out later than I should even knowing I'll pay for it later. And pay I did: I got four hours sleep and drove three and a half hours (in the rain) to find out my sister had moved my nephew's birthday party to that day instead of Sunday. So I spent all afternoon and evening with all my nephews and thought I was going to die by the end of it. I love them dearly, but, damn, they're exhausting. Anyway, I had had all good intention to call J and meet up with him, but I totally wussed out and crashed. (Sorry, darlin'. I suck.)

Sunday I headed back to my sister's house to set up for the shower. Had the shower, which was a bit of a disappointment — it just wasn't as fun as I'd hoped. Then my grandma fainted and fell down, scaring the fuck out of us and precipitating a trip to the hospital. I helped my sister clean up and stayed with the straggling guests before heading over to the hospital ourselves. I wanted to wait to see what the doctor said about Nanny before leaving, but I finally gave up around 8:45 and left. My poor mom stayed with Nanny all night and then went to work. She's a badass.

Nanny, by the way, is doing fine. They released her from the hospital today.

Whoo! It's after 5:00 now. Long-ass day. Can't wait to go home. Later.

they killed the meerkats!

Arrrrggggh!

That's SO sad.

And what shitty parents: "The girl had to work to get her hand inside the enclosure. Zoo officials said she must have crawled over a driftwood barrier, climbed up more than 3 feet of artificial rock and reached over 4 feet of Plexiglas to get her arm into the exhibit."

First of all, if I had a kid, they wouldn't be climbing over any fucking enclosures at the zoo. Secondly, let's say my kid managed somehow to do such a thing without me seeing, say, on a school trip or something... well, my 9-year-old child should bloody well know better. My kid would SO be getting the rabies shots to teach some fucking personal responsibiltiy. I cannot BELIEVE the parents had the meerkat family put down. They had the meerkat BABIES put to sleep.

Okay, I know I'm a little nuts on the meerkat thing. I'm slightly, well, obsessed with them. And it predates the Lion King (which, apparently, is the only thing people know about meerkats and I couldn't even tell the damn character was supposed to BE a meerkat) and Meerkat Manor, OKAY? But... how could you kill this?



People suck.

(ETA: total inadvertent juxtaposition with the Plate o' Meat.)

hangovers and BBQs

I had a nice weekend. It would have been better had I not had so much to drink Saturday that I was utterly miserable on Sunday. But, hey... Saturday was fun. Sunday, actually, was fun, too.

Saturday went out with W (might as well start using the boy's initial: W makes me think Dubya, though, but I'll have to get over that) and hung out with some of my friends, then we all met up with some of his friends. Everyone seems to get along well, which is great. Anyway, after that we left the bar and went over to his friend's apartment. None of my friends went, and they were totally miserable on Sunday so that should tell you how wrecked I was with my added socializing. We were up until at least 6 or so. I'm totally too old for this.

Anyway.

Then we had a BBQ yesterday. Same friends, mostly. All of us who hung out Saturday were rather subdued from our hangovers, but we had fun. I didn't drink yesterday, which actually might have helped... but I just couldn't. Bleh. Not even the large hunks of meat helped. And, y'all, these are the leftovers:



I'm looking forward to my trips coming up, but quite aware of not being around four out of the next five weekends. I'm tired thinking about it. This coming weekend my sisters and I are throwing a shower for my future SIL. I'm looking forward to it — it will be nice to see my extended family and get to know some of my SIL's family before the wedding — I just wish there wasn't a drive involved.

Yes, I'm just that lazy.

Sad news

Back at my old job, people could bring their dogs to work. It was really great to have the dogs there, even if sometimes it got a little loud. Whatever. Point is, I loved the dogs. Anyway, got an email this morning from a friend at the old job that one of the dogs got hit by a car last night and killed. Her owner broke her arm while trying to save her dog. I don't have any details of what happened, but it hasn't stopped me thinking about it.

It really crushed me, this news. The dog's owner and I aren't tight, but I'm devastated for her. I can't even imagine how she feels right now. She had a great relationship with her dog and took her everywhere.

Her dog was a cutie. I really liked her. I'm not wild about little dogs — and this one was a Pom, so... little — but I always thought she was a big dog in a little dog's body. She'd always do her funny little hop onto the couch whenever anyone would meet in the lounge. Sometimes she'd even come up to me in my cube and want to sit in my lap while I worked. So sad about her. So sad.

Rest in peace, puppy dog.