i’ve got late-summer fever or something. i’m completely boy-crazy and it’s not helping that my pickings are very slim, so i find myself lusting after all the most very wrong boys i know. gah. i really hope it passes quickly.
in other news, there’s little other news. i need to finish putting shelves back together tonight. i got halfway through sanding spindles while watching dr. t & the women last night. (note: don’t watch dr. t & the women. well, i mean, you can if you want to. it started out really promising, but petered out at the end. no, that’s wrong. it got plain fucked up at the end.) then i can finally unpack the last of the boxes. i can’t wait until there are no more boxes.
oh, i bought myself a dvd burner last night. whee! now i can archive all my photos onto one disk instead of seven and make kickass dvds of tv shows you can only see in the states. mm, i heart bittorrent.
this also marks the official end of my summer of spending. it’s back to pauperism now. no more lavish spending on clothes, shoes, travel, hardware or home furnishings. i’m to make do with what i’ve got. maybe, if i’m lucky, someone will buy me a craptastic little stereo system that plays mp3s at xmas or something. that’s pretty much the only other thing i really covet right now, i think.
oh, one more thing. go vote for my photo to be on a jones soda label, please. i’ll love you forever if you give me a “10”!
shelves got painted. laundry got washed. groceries got bought. pizza got ate. cards got played. nap got slept. gold got won. movie got watched. sky got cloudy. temperature got bearable. ground got wet. software got installed. space got reclaimed. time got lost.
“What? Why are you staring at me?” She looked at him and looked away. The heat of his gaze drew her to him again. Windblown curls gently framed sapphire eyes as his full red lips worked their way to a hesitant reply.
“I’m sorry. Um,” he wrung his hands around his theater program, “I couldn’t help wondering if you were Lee Richardsen.” His eyes darted from her eyes to her mouth to her feet as he spoke.
He looked familiar to Lee, but as is often the case with such meetings she just could not place his face nor that resonant voice.
“I am sorry to bother you, but I couldn’t just pretend you weren’t there. I’m Michael. Michael Christopher. I was a clerk in the same accounting office as you. I guess it was close to four years ago now. I’m sure you don’t remember me, but I just had to say hello.” He gave Lee a little grin and moved to leave. A taxi was just pulling up to the curb as Lee stopped his departure.
“Michael!” He turned around, startled, at the sound of her voice. “Don’t go yet. Um, it’s still quite early and I thought maybe we could go get a cup of tea or cappuccino and catch up on the last few years.” What was she saying? The words sprang from her lips totally bypassing her brain and landing Lee in a situation she wasn’t sure she wanted to be in. But Michael Christopher seemed
to be a decent sort of a guy and he was attractive. Why not?
“Wow. Sure, I’d really like that. Do you have a car or should we grab this cab?” The driver looked like a trapped cat, whiskers twitching, eyes narrowed, waiting for them to make up their minds.
“Actually, The Coffee Shoppe is just a couple of blocks away, why don’t we walk? I could use the exercise after sitting in there for the last three hours,” she gestured over her shoulder with her program towards the concert hall. The taxi driver sped away from the curb like an Indi 500 driver as Michael nodded his assent to Lee’s suggestion. As they went on towards the cafe she asked him,
“What did you think of ‘Les Miserables’?”
“I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but I was near tears. The story is tragic yet uplifting. And the music! My God! Andrew Lloyd Webber is a genius if ever there was one.” Oh, that’s great, Michael! Sound like an idiot in front of this incredible woman, just the way to start off the evening.
“That’s exactly the way I feel too. At one point I nearly fell over the balcony ledge for being so drawn into the … experience. This is the third time I’ve been to see it and every time it gets me.” Lee smiled, “It’s nice to finally meet someone else who feels the same way.”
They each sunk briefly into their respective thoughts for the moment, Michael sneaking glances at Lee’s bright golden hair as it blew behind her, much like the trail of Haley’s Comet. At the same time Lee could hardly keep her eyes from Michael’s full lips. There was something in the way he took his bottom lip between his teeth and worried it as he concentrated. It reminded her of a school-boy anticipating punishment for something he had done wrong. It was very endearing and it made Lee wonder how she could not have noticed this handsome man when they worked together. She remembered him, of course, but he had no special place in her memories. He was just another nameless drone who was working his way through college in that accounting office.
But then you had to know how Lee herself had been back then. Driven, goal-oriented, single-minded, cold. Those were the adjectives that sprung from people’s mouths when they spoke of Lee Richardsen. She didn’t think of herself that way, she was just striving towards success in a very competitive world that doesn’t take woman professionals as seriously as they do men. But that was then, now Lee was walking down a cool city street towards a hot cup of Earl Grey tea with a man she knew she was going to get to know better.
“So, Michael,” Lee started, “what are you doing now? I mean, are you still in accounting or have you moved on to something different?”
“For the last year I’ve been writing the Great Canadian Novel. My parents died almost two years ago in a plane crash and they left me a sizable estate so that I didn’t have to worry about money. I then came to the decision that I was going to try to make something good come out of their death and finally started writing seriously after just tinkering with the idea through high-school and university. English and Creative Writing were usually the only courses I ever got ‘A’s’ in.”
“A writer? I didn’t think you creative types had any kind of skill at mathematics or paperwork,” she chuckled. “How did you cut it as a bookkeeper?”
“I was terrible!” Michael responded, laughing. “I basically sluffed my way through that year. I was determined to make it through university on my own, but my uncle was a partner in the firm and he kept me on long enough for me to get my debts to a manageable level. I’m sure he went to bat for me against his
partners quite a few times because of my mistakes. But if you were to ask him he’d say I was one of the best employees they’d ever had.” Grinning, “You see, I’m his only nephew and he and my aunt never had children, so I was the beneficiary for all that pent up fatherly pride and devotion. Actually, I don’t know what I would have done without him after my parents died.”
first of all, this is a shout-out to all the people who are participating in this weekend’s weekend to end breast cancer. breast cancer has touched the lives of many people i know and i’m so glad there are people like jen out there who are willing and able to go out there and make a difference. i’ll soak my feet in sympathy and support!
i’m officially ready to start shelf-painting. i finished the sanding last night, finally, so the only thing standing in my way is sloth. boy, do i have a lot of that. honestly, and don’t laugh, i’m paranoid of the oil paint i bought. i’ve never used it and i don’t want to fuck anything up. yeah, yeah. i know i felt the same way when i polyurethaned my kitchen table and that turned out okay. i know, i shouldn’t worry. i’m a smart, capable girl with a lot of common sense, if not patience. that doesn’t mean i can’t be scared i’ll screw up, is it? *sigh* it’s so exhausting being me, some days.
<royal we>
have we mentioned how much we love how our floors look post mop & glo? well, we do. they’re absolutely lovely.
</royal we>
yesterday, after dropping off my old adsl modem at the phone company store at the mall, i left with a (very cool) new phone number. i mentioned looking into getting caller id or smart ring for the intercom, and smart ring was totally the best way to go. not only was it cheaper, when the phone rings i know by the kind of ring it is if it’s the door or not, i don’t have to go running for the caller id box to check the number.
the only problem is that in the eight hours since getting it activated, i’ve already had six wrong number calls. one was even from revenue canada looking for some woman. heh. i knew i forgot something. always ask how long it has been since your new number has been in service! heck, i’ve had my other number for almost eight years and i still get a couple calls a year for paul dean, the previous owner.
it’s been a black couple of days in hessieland. i’m feeling really fat, stupid, lazy and unloveable. this mood has not done anything much other than encourage me to eat an entire bag of tostitos, but it’s rather annoying. i realize that i shouldn’t feel that way because, while i am fat and lazy (don’t argue, it’s totally true), i’m not stupid and there are at least half a dozen people out in the world who love me very much. i need to seriously recommit to weight watchers, finding time for exercise and getting off my ass and finishing getting the apartment in order. i really want to invite people over, but i won’t until the boxes are gone, gone, gone. i guess this paragraph is a kick-myself-in-the-ass kind of deal. if it doesn’t work, feel free to kick me, too.
is it better to tell you about how i watched the majestic, ate half a bag of chips with salsa and then proceeded to sweat myself to near death while washing the rest of my floors last night or just not post anything at all when it’s plainly obvious that i have nothing at all to contribute?
i totally forgot that yesterday was my fourth blogging anniversary. where has the time gone? unfortunately, because i’ve used two different comment systems, three different software packages and six different webhosts i can’t give you cool statistics about how many posts, words, characters and comments have been subjected to the internet in that time. alas, you’re stuck with one solitary paragraph with a link back to where it all began.
how could i have failed to mention that in the sixteen nights have i have slept in my new, old bed i have not once woken up to find my hands, arms, feet, legs or any combination thereof completely numb from lack of circulation. for six years i assumed i was sleeping in strange positions which caused my waking to useless limbs and painful pins and needles, but no! it wasn’t me! it was the dastardly futon! ahh, the joy of beds! i can’t even imagine what my sleeping life will be like when i upgrade to a newer, bigger, luxuriouser bed. the mind it does reel at the mere thought.
here’s that list i mentioned:
– clean bookshelves and vanity with tsp then lightly sand
– paint three bookshelves (oil paint)
– paint bathroom vanity (latex enamel)
– replace knobs on vanity
– remove old towel rack brackets (patch holes?)
– measure for closet shelf
– price mdf/plywood for closet shelf
– clean oven & pans/racks left by previous tenant
– measure for curtains and install brackets
– hem & hang living room curtains
– clean scuffs on living room floor
– polish wood floors
– organize linens
– measure for bedroom curtains (blackout)
– get dad to: hang bamboo blinds, mount towel rack, mirror and safety strap
– clean bathroom
– clean windows
– get door mat and hallway runner
– get venetian blind dusting squeegie thingie
– unpack books, cds, dvds, videos
– organize storage closet
– investigate getting caller id or smart ring (to know when it’s the door buzzer instead of a telemarketer calling)
ugh. i’m exhausted already.
what rules: finding out that someone you had a crush on had a crush on you, too.
what sucks: finding that out two years and a significant other too late to do anything about it.
jodi chromey rules. that is all.
have i mentioned that i’m on vacation?
last night i learned why it is that you’re not supposed to wait for six years to clean your oven. boys and girls, don’t put it off. go clean your oven right now. you don’t want to see what happens if you wait. believe me, the greasy sludge is disgusting and reminiscent of that star trek episode when tasha yar dies. just imagine if i had used my oven a lot instead of infrequently! *shudder*
this is my last day at work until next month (heh, i love saying that). that gives me two whole days to get more stuff done at the new place and do the rest of my trip shopping before i head out saturday morning. yay! plane ride!
it finally cooled off enough yesterday for me to get a whole night of uninterrupted sleep. i went to bed at 11:11 and didn’t open my eyes until 5:01 (when i had to get up to pee). i’m getting used to this having a big, soft bed to sleep in and, let me tell you, it is all good. now i just need a cute boy to tie to the headboard. yum.
things to buy for trip:
– canadian snacks
– more american money
– gum
– reading material
– flying snacks
– love actually dvd
– nude bra
– pants
– suitcase (optional)
– other things i’m sure i’ve forgotten
things to do at old apartment:
– get phone cord out from under transition board
– clean shower
– clean oven
– clean fridge
– vacuum
– dust walls
– clean baseboards
– clean cupboards/drawers
– let carpet cleaner guy in
– other things i’m sure i’ve forgotten
things to do at new apartment:
– buy food
– line bathroom drawers/cupboard
– get/install curtains & bamboo shades
– get online
– unpack books
– assemble old shelves
– buy ikea tv stand and shelves
– get hooks for bathroom door
– get shoe rack for hall closet
– other things i’m sure i’ve forgotten
that was the longest, hottest and most exhausting two days of rest i’ve ever had in my entire life.
my legs look like a dalmation’s what with all the little bruises on them. i sweated enough to water my african violet for a month. the boys lost a part to my futon, so it’s kind of gerry-rigged for the moment. i’ve gotten all the kitchen stuff into the kitchen and the computer hooked up (but not online ’til the cable guy comes tonight), but the rest of the place is boxland and will probably stay that way until after i get back from holidays.
sleeping in a bed in a bedroom was interesting, though. i didn’t sleep well for lots of reasons: my body was really sore, i wasn’t used to the bed, it was beastly hot, i’m not used to all the noises in the new place and my mind was just going a mile-a-minute thinkingthinkingthinking. needless to say i’m bloody exhaused today.
the plan for this week: clean the old apartment, finish getting the new place liveable, buy stuff for trip, pack, hand over keys to old landlord, sleep. quite possibly in that order.
okay, the trays are almost empty and i can breathe a little bit easier. i swear, everything in my life is happening RIGHT NOW and i’m fairly sure i’m going to spontaneously combust any second.
i had a really good time last night at the morrissey with a bunch of relative and not–so–relative strangers (yeah, i know i forgot some people, but i ran out of words to cleverly link). as usual, i had to really talk myself into going (i don’t know why i’m so reluctant to go out. once i get there, i almost always have a good time.). the traffic on the bridge was nuts, but i found less-than-$6 parking just a block from the joint, so all was well. i even wore my new minnesota pants for the occasion. yeah, i know, special.
i could say stuff about meeting these blogically-inclined folks, but others have all done a better job and, really, who cares what my opinion is? let’s just say that they’re a very good-looking, lively bunch i’d like to spend time with again and i’m pretty sure i took a brand new crush away with me. ahh, crush!
the moving begins in earnest tomorrow. note the above-mentioned combusting. i’ve been instructed by the brain-melting jeremy that i’m to make a time-lapse photo essay of the move. we’ll see how many trips up and down the Very Steep Stairs it takes for me to say “fuck it” to taking periodic photos.
you know what? i can’t fucking wait to go away. i don’t care how much fear mongering there is going on about flying around north america right now (not to mention only having four days evenings to unpack enough to find the stuff i’ll have to pack to take with me). i’m really looking forward to a week with my biggest responsibility being so adorable they don’t want me to go home.
…but i’m too tired to do anything else:
did i talk to you last night?
i’m such a good, unselfish, dependable person that even though i have no time, no money and very little inclination for anything other than curling up and crying myself to sleep, i’m keeping my word to my friend and attending the drinky-drink tonight against all my better judgement telling me that i should be doing something more constructive with my time like, say, packing.
i won’t be there long, so if you’re looking for me, get there early. i even promise i won’t be snarly… unless i have to pay more than $6 for parking.
was there actually a weekend or did i just imagine it? goodness knows that it went by fast enough. i suppose that’s what i get for going out every day of it, huh? yeah, i know. me! going out friday night, saturday afternoon/night and all day sunday. surely this is the seventh sign of the apocalypse. duck, the fire and brimstone are nigh.
highlights (because i’m way too tired to attempt to be interesting with words today): beer, “debate”, high school memories, hot dogs, 35 strangers in a surrey backyard, beer, new recipe success, bug bites, ikea, lunch, shopping, shoes, pants, sheet scamming failure, open house, playstation transfer, traffic, white cranberry-peach juice, birthday presents, laughter.
i had to do some serious crash cleaning when i got home last night. my place was a nightmare and i probably would have gone postal on the first human i encountered if i hadn’t. at least the joint now has a semblance of order in which i can really start the packing in earnest. karen’s going to help me move boxes on saturday then m&m&d will help me move the big stuff on sunday.
wow, i can’t believe it’s happening this weekend. *freak*
my final exam is tonight. i’m woefully underprepared, but that’s nothing new. my hope is that the work i need to put into our assignment and finishing reading the text should get me back up to speed. having two weeks between the last lecture and the last class was absolutely stupid. stupid, i say!
i’m pleased that i’m getting some sushi for lunch, though. mm, sushi. although, those plans seem to be taking a nose-dive as the other person with a car won’t have a car and i can’t take everyone in mine. bah.
so, tonight is school. tomorrow night i guess i’ll have to go and finish cleaning the new place and lining the shelves. saturday i have to make something for the barbeque/birthday party m&m&d&i are going to. sunday, i guess i’ll start moving boxes and maybe go do some of my pre-trip shopping. i still have to phone the electric company about switching my account and get my ass packing.
AAAHHHH! STRESS!!
can’t i just go to sleep and wake up all cleaned, moved and on my way to the airport?
update: i totally forgot that the ikea sale ends this weekend, so i guess i’m going to ikea on sunday. *sigh* i don’t have time for all this! *freakout*
every once in a while, the wind blows from just the right direction to make my blinds bang against the window frame in the exact way that Drives. Me. Insane.
last night was one of those nights.
upstairs neighbour guy must have been having the same problem because i heard him creaking the floor at around three or four, just after a particularily bad bout of banging.
the result of all this (not only because of highly interrupted sleep, but also because i stayed up too late watching the amazing race. my bad.) is that i’m a complete fucking zombie this morning. ugh. at least, thanks to my dermatological endeavours last night, my skin feels really soft.
hey, don’t look at me like that. you gotta find your silver linings where you can.
i forgot to mention that i’m now old. thirty-two. 32. 0010 0000 (that’s binary for the geeks out there. represent!). holy crap, when the fuck did i get old? i still feel like i’m in highschool most of the time, except with way more credit and wrinkles.
for my birthday, i ate cake and watched movies. i spent the beautiful weekend in sleepy parksville with the maternal unit and the cat who hates me. i bought t-shirts and the Best Underwear Ever for my upcoming american vacation. i visited home depot for the first time in my life and got ideas for decorating/functionalizing (that’s a new word, spread it around.) the new apartment. julie, the fabulous, sent me a copy of the eleventh hour from my wishlist (thank you so much!). it arrived just as i was waiting outside for my ride to the ferry on friday morning. the festivities officially end today after my co-workers take me and my birthday-buddy out for lunch and then present yet more cake for us to eat.
i’m so glad birthdays only come once a year. i can totally wait that long for any more cake.