A Musical Post

Happy Birthday Amazing Man!!

Mr. Hobbes Regrets He Cannot Come To Tea

Did you Like the Pears? It's A Count Down. It's me forcing my own hand. I WANT to write the pear story. And I seem to keep NOT writing it. What is UP with that? So I took pictures instead. But I will write it. Was it Hugh Prather that said something like "Writing is easy, you just get a pen and paper and then stare at it until drops of blood form on your forehead." He didn't have a blog, I guess. It's much easier to type.

Captainwow is back from Costa Rica and taking off again for Northern Michigan. Pictures to follow.

And I'm avoiding packing and laundry for the weekend. Meaning, that I'm messing around with the cat. Whom, incidentally, is feeling much better today. He's had a bad reaction to some antibiotics for a UTI and had quite a pukefest last night. Once on the couch, once on the living room carpet.... All over the hallway and my office and the futon in my office... ya. Gross. Anyway he's feeling so much better today and I'm very relieved. You know how on South Park that one kid says "KENNAAY!!" "KEENNNAAYYY!" (I think that's how it goes, I only saw the show once maybe I got the wrong name) Ya... that's what I've been doing to the poor cat. "KITTAAYY!!! KIIITTAAAAYY!!!!" It's my insane way of showing how happy I am that he's got some energy today and seems more himself. I should stop though, and get going on more productive things.

Annoyed Kitty.

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3.... 

I just LOVE these colors. And I like the photo too.  

Metaphorically Speaking, Of Course

Yesterday I managed to get through a Thing without slamming doors and erecting barricades and hauling out the bricks and mortar to reinforce ancient, crumbly walls.
Instead, I sat in the sand holding a brick and told myself I didn't need to do anything with it. I refrained from placing it in a wall or throwing it at anyone.
This is progress.

Also, (and this is NOT a metaphor) another Thing: I forgot to deliver Meals on Wheels yesterday. I felt about 1 centimeter high.
Not very many Things will push my "failure" button. But that Thing did.
And my Failure Button was probably sticking waaay out there because I had just gotten slammed in the chest with the other Thing. So there I was, lying flat on my back in the sand with my brick, pouting a little, and trying hard not to follow old patterns.

Today's a new day though, and it's a groovy one.

Pears

I took this picture this weekend.... I have a pear story to tell you but for now, this is just for you to look at and enjoy the shiny pears.

And The Angels Rejoice In Heaven

Some of you know the Beerhorsts - I know you'll be as excited as I am that they have their very own blog now!! Yes, indeedy! Go check it out! Click here ------->studiobeerhorst and welcome them to the Blogosphere!

Closing Ceremonies

So I was at the house in Lansing yesterday to get a few last things and wrap things up so the house can go to its new owners when my friend who was helping me flushed the toilet and splash splash drip drip went water all over the basement floor!

So TODAY Mr. Lopez the Plumber was there fixing that baby right up. No more leaky throne. Poor guy left his lights on though, and had to jump his car to get it started...

I also got a chance to talk to Richard who was a terrific neighbor when I lived there. He is retired and used to snowblow my driveway and sidewalk whenever it needed it, he checked in on me now and then and was generally friendly and nice to have for a neighbor. He was out trimming his rosebush today while Mr. Lopez was working in my bathroom so I went over and had a chance to express my thanks to him.

The neighbor on the other side... In her case it was great that she was looking out for me and it wasn't great that she was looking out for me.
I'll just leave it at that.

All that to lead up to the headline that my very first little White House (had a Red Telephone in the basement) is sold, and the Closing Ceremony will take place tomorrow afternoon!

And here's a funny thing too: The realtor told me that I needed to bring my drivers license to the Closing Ceremony and she said to make sure I call to get my final readings from the utility companies. My brain interpreted that as "Bring a copy of your final readings to the closing." I proceeded to call the utility company and asked for my final reading so that I could take it to my closing. Yes, indeed I did do that, and yes indeed they surely did laugh at me. But In A Nice Way, that did not make me feel like a Complete And Total Dork.
The nice lady laughed and nicely informed me that it probably wasn't what my realtor meant.

So Grace Abounds
Thank you Mr. Lopez for fixing my toiletto so quickly and for being so nice even though clearly you had a crapola day. (literally)
Thank you Richard for being such a great naybor.
Thank you Jo for being you. The wisest thing I ever did hear you say was "Everyone should get to go through AA because everyone needs to get their shit together, You know?" Amen, Jo.
And thank you Nice Lady at the Board of Water and Light for Not Making Me Feel Stupid.

There's Salad On My Keyboard

And I just put about 8 items from my attic out by the curb at my house with a sign that said FREE.

By the time I pulled out of my driveway half of them were gone.

Bye Bye Old Stuff!

Why oh WHY don't I think of these things sooner?

Happy Birthday

Captainwow the blog is 1 year old. It all started with Real Live Preacher's encouragement and help and inspiration. Thanks, man!
The first blog I read ever ever was TallSkinnyKiwi.

All I Want Is a Proper Cup of Coffee

Some Rules we read in the indie coffee shop Just Pat and I visited last night:

"Drunk is ok - obnoxious is not. You will be banned."
"Did you buy a drink? No? THEN STAY THE HELL OUT OF OUR BATHROOMS!"
"Do not put trash in this thing here. I hate you all."
"Trash goes in this thing here."
"NO BUMS. BUMS are ANNOYING."
And my favorite: "NO SLEAZIN ON THE LADIES."

One of the coffee drinks was called an Osama Bin Latte. Another was an Irish Car Bomb. This is not a politically correct place of business. There were many other expressive quotes taped up on the wall that I won't quote here.

There's something appealing to me about a place of business that skips all the politically correct stuff and says "Don't give us any of your shit. If you don't like us, fine. Go away."
(it also says a bit about the location and clientele...... But that's not the point)

I found an interesting article about the place. Check it out.

The JR is coming for a visit tomorrow! I can't wait!
I'm getting my hair cut today. I'm going to look just like Charlize Theron. Really!
You'll see.

Some Like It In A Pot Nine Years Old

The other night I was going through some old pictures from the attic and found the prints from a roll of film I accidentally loaded into the camera twice. So I've got pictures of my cat posing moodily in front of Poas Volcano, and another one of both of the cats relaxing by a beautiful waterfall in the rainforest of Costa Rica. I also found an old picture of Just Pat taken on the day our Korean friend almost left her crutch outside the car. When we started to drive off she yelled My CROTCH! MY CROTCH!! We had a discussion very soon after about the difference between the letter U nd the letter O.

In other news, this morning I had my 9th annual review at work.
9 years and now I'm headed out the door. I will be done the end of October, and on to something else.
Who knows what exactly, it's just time for a shorter drive, says me.

And now, it's time to wax nauseatingly sentimental about it all.

9 years ago I had bigger glasses and bigger hair. But I was smaller then.
I had bigger ideas and bigger opinions but my worldview was smaller then.
I had a bigger watch and a bigger set of issues but my car was smaller.
I had a bigger set of friends but my heart was smaller.
My dreams were bigger but my 401(k) was smaller.
My "theology" was bigger but my God was also smaller.

During this 9 years a lot of life happened. I went from a musician to a receptionist to an office manager without totally losing the musician part of myself. I learned to keep my cool better. I learned that my workplace is not necessarily my community or my surrogate family. I found out I can't do life without letting people in though, and I need rich healthy friendships and connections in order to survive and stay on a good course. I learned that people can suprise you with goodness. And they can also suprise you with badness. I learned that we all are complex and there are no easy answers in life or in working with people.
My dad passed away, my great grandmother and my grandmother, and my brother too. Mom mom had cancer and beat it, and I had 2 surgeries. I had my very first Migraine somewhere along in there and amassed a significant coffee cup collection over time. I bought a house, I turned 30, watched the millenium change, and thought Jesus would return in the year 2000.
ahem.... hey, no laughing!
There was "The Flood" when a sprinkler main broke in our office building and flooded us out. There were Happy Hours and there was the time I sang to everyone in the building on the intercom because I forgot my headset was still on.
I wore high heels, then loafers then clogs then birkenstocks then flip flops to work because our dress code got more casual as time went on. There was the beanie baby craze that tore through and 9/11. I was in the hospital and woke up from surgery to scenes of the twin towers burning. I thought it was WWIII. The tech stock bubble popped. My friends got married, had kids, and I got married eventually too. (yaay!)
The last nine years have shown me a lot professionally and personally. I'm ready to take on whatever's next. Heck, with two months left I'm sure I can manage to add to this list with some inspirational and acutely embarassing stunt or two. More news at 11.

Our Little Captainwow is Growing Up!

Babies almost always cry when I hold them. I'm talking nearly 100% of the time if someone hands me a baby he or she will not giggle and coo and fall in love with me. He or she will cry. I have a serious complex about this. I warn people but they don't believe me. If I talk about it with most people I get strange looks or ridiculous comments like "Oh just have one of your own and you'll be fine." Ya, that will fix everything. I'll get right on that.

I also get really sweaty and nervous and hot when someone hands me a baby, which they usually do at the most awkward moments and without asking... When this happens I try to act all cool and collected but it's definitely NOT COOL that I'm feeling. I don't have a clue and I know that it must be painfully obvious that I'm clueless so the poor thing is absorbing all my nervous HEAT and anxious vibes, and it's just hardly ever a good scene.

Today, I picked up a baby who was already crying. Yes, we had a great cry in progress and I did the heretofore unthinkable and picked her up anyway. It seemed the thing to do since everyone was busy and her sister had just, with all the joy and enthusiasm of a very small child, rocked the crap out of her little bouncy seat, disconcerting Baby greatly. Once I picked her up, she stopped crying and I was so relieved that I actually did something right with a baby for a change....but soon she continued to cry. She was looking around all cool and calm and then looked back at me and immediately started in again like "Oh I forgot, it's YOU holding me. WAAAAHHH!!" And then she'd look around and forget herself and stop crying again. Then she'd look back at me and let loose once more.

But This Time was different because this time I didn't Freak Out about it. And this time I realized that I wouldn't be judged for the baby crying. These friends already know I'm clueless and it isn't a glaring reflection of my enormous incompetence if I can't get a baby to stop crying. She didn't cry because I'm Bad with Babies or not naturally nurturing or a freak of nature, she was just crying and sometimes babies do that.

How about that.