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Momentary Thought
George W. can't fault our efforts to stimulate the economy. We'll single-handedly pull this country out of recession! That is, if we're officially *in* a recession at the moment.
High/Low
High: Got a bonus at work today!
Low: Feelin' a little poopy.
Current Obsession
Sleep.
Grin Source
My pretty house with all its fun things. And talking to my sister about all the stuff we're going to do when she and the kids come out.
Singing
I... feel so alive!
For the very first time.
I can't deny it...
P.O.D.
A Year Ago
More or less
I aspire to be the Queen of White Trash.
Storyteller
Bio
Dramatis Personnae
Who I Read
Recipes
This morning when I woke up, I still felt vaguely "ick". I got up and weighed myself, and learned that I'd gained two pounds over the weekend. So, I did what any woman in my position would do. I hollered "Fuck you!" at the scale.
Heh. That should make Calvin's mom grin. She just told me this weekend that she'd noticed I stopped swearing as much on my website. She wanted to make sure that the fact that she reads does not stifle my writing. Well, that's proof positive, isn't it? Or proof negative. Proof of my non-stifledness. Whatever.
I put on some warm workout clothes and went for a walk. Its been so long since I've maintained a workout regime that I need to start small again. This after I'd worked myself up to running for two miles straight without stopping (a major feat with my Limp Lungs). Dammit. It was still dark outside, as the sun doesn't rise until nearly 7:00 this time of year. I froze my ears off, but the walk did serve to invigorate me. I think I've been burning the candles at both ends too much lately - partying, drinking, not eating right, and getting my sleep schedule all screwed up.
So! No time like the present to reset myself. Special K for breakfast, salad for lunch (which I'm consuming as I type, since Calvin called to say he was being pulled away on another project and can't meet for lunch. Poop.), and a "sensible dinner". Water, and more water, and more water. I've gone waaay off track with the whole snacking/going out to eat/drinking like a fish thing. No wonder my body is sending me messages, I've been abusing the hell out of it.
I'll shoot for running and doing floor exercises (abs, stretching, etc.) during the week, and go to AcronymCo's gym on Saturdays and Sundays to get the weight training in.
I have until the end of March to lose 12-15 pounds. That's when I get measured for my dress for AB's wedding. Gulp! (As an aside, the only other wedding I've been in, besides my own, was my sister's as a "junior bridesmaid". I'm all verklempt about being in AB's wedding. It's going to be a Major Hoot.)
My poor, patient readers are so sick of my body improvement schemes, I'm sure.
********************
The party started on Friday night, when Calvin and I met AB, Mark, and our mutual friend Annie (she's going to kill me for referring to her as "Annie", but she's an AB too and that name's already taken) at Club Rio for some dancing. What a BLAST. It's been forever since I've gone dancing, and I was all sassed out with a capital SASS. Mini skirt with black tights, and a white collared button-up shirt, untucked, with one of Calvin's black ties. I was going to go with my Ass Kicking Boots(tm), but opted for sensible shoes so I wouldn't fall on my Ass on the dance floor.
We (meaning AB, Annie and I) danced. And drank. And danced. And drank some more. And went out on the patio to cool off. And went back inside. And drank some more. And danced some more. The guys watched us from the sidelines and waggled their eyebrows at our combined Sassiness. I got a couple of compliments on the tie (and a couple of bitchy looks from some chicks in the bathroom, whatever that was about). AB was fond of grabbing onto it while we were dancing, which caused the eyebrow-waggling.
We wrapped it up there at about 10:30, and said our goodbyes to Annie, who had to turn in early because she was singing at a gig the next night (And ain't I a cool cat for having a friend that "sings at gigs"?) AB, Mark, Calvin and I proceeded to a topless bar. Yes, you read that right. A Topless Bar. And it's more fun than you might think. For one, the girls are very nice at the place we went, and not sleazy at all. For another, Mark and Calvin are very laid back about it and don't get all hot and bothered just because they see nekkid boobies. For a third, AB and I are Cool Chicks who want to be included in such stuff with their significant others, rather than be left at home to wonder what the heck goes on "in one of *those* places".
It's not something we do very often, because it tends to get pricey. But I've done it a handful of times and had fun each time.
After we left there, AB and Mark came over to our place for an hour or so to shoot pool and throw darts and just hang out. We watched as AB wilted before our very eyes, so Mark took her home shortly before 2:00 in the morning.
The next morning we planned to meet AB and Mark at the Home and Garden show taking place in Phoenix. We left them a message to call us on our cell phone, then went to Calvin's mom's restaurant for breakfast. Or, well, by the time we got there, it was lunch. After consuming some excellent burgers, we drove up to the Fair Grounds where the home show was being held, but the line just to get into the parking lot was a good mile long. We decided to abandon that idea, and try again the next day.
So we were left searching for something to do. Having experienced the hair-moving (literally, it vibrated his flat top) sound system in Club Rio the night before, Calvin decided he wanted to go to Audio Express "just to see how much it would cost to put a new stereo in the truck."
Readers: "Uh oh..." Laura: "You ain't whistling Dixie, my friends."
An hour later we left the place in the truck, to go to the house, to pick up the motorcycle, to drive *back* to Audio Express (me in the truck, Calvin on the motor) and drop the truck off to have the new stereo installed. The saleskid (a young 'un) was so excited about his commission that he corralled enough help (at 5:00 on a Saturday) to ensure that we'd have our sound system completed by Sunday evening.
Which it was. And so now we can propel the truck on the vibrations caused by the bass alone. Think of the money we'll save on gas! You'll have to ask Calvin about the specifics - all I know is that the system thumps, and the new deck is really cool. It changes colors. And folds down to allow access to the CD player hidden behind it. It's neato.
Sunday morning AB and Mark picked us up, and we went out for breakfast before heading over to the Home and Garden Show. We were hoping it would be less crowded than it was the day before, but, well, it wasn't. AB commented "Isn't it nice to let someone else do the driving?" as Calvin and I lounged in the back seat. Indeed, it was nice.
The H+G show was wall-to-wall people. We wound our way through acres and acres of booths touting such things as Wonder Rubber Brooms, blown glass flowers and vases, home improvement loan companies, furniture vendors, Wonder Pressure Cookers, household appliances, and a myriad of other such things.
But Calvin and I were oblivious to all the other stuff - we were on a mission:
Hot tubs.
Long time readers will recall that there are currently two things residing in our back yard. 1) Rocks. 2) Dog poop. I've also mentioned that it has been our intention to someday put a "water feature" in our yard, and landscape around it.
"Someday" became "Sunday". In approximately one month, we will be the proud owners of a hot tub, nestled in its very own gazebo. I don't have exact pictures of the models we got (you'll be regaled with digital pictures soon enough, when it's installed), but they're approximately like these:
This is the gazebo we're getting, except that the bar and bar stools will be replaced with a deck that will extend for another 8 feet.
And, scarfed (or as Marie would say, "yoinked" - and isn't she tickled when I use that word) from the Phoenix Spas website for your viewing pleasure, this is the spa (hot tub?) we're getting. The darn thing has a built in TV, VCR, and CD player, with surround-sound speakers. Because, you know, we simply can't do without all of our entertainment options, even 20 feet away from the living room.
I'm sure you'll all breathe a collective sigh of relief when I inform you that we're officially DONE spending money for a good six months or so. *Then* we'll tackle the landscaping. So our back yard will have three things in it now: 1) Rocks. 2) Dog Poop. 3) Ass-soaking device.