Lists

Things I have to do:

* Figure out why the automatic payment plan I set up with the IRS isn't working
* Find out where the new suitcase that Continental is supposed to be sending me ended up
* Get a cashier's check for our new place's first month's rent and security deposit
* Track down where exactly UPS delivered my replacement debit card
* Get my blackberry resynched with my work email
* Decide if the residual swelling from twisting my ankle three weeks ago is cause for finding a doctor
* Make appointment with my beloved gyno (seriously: LOVE HER)
* Buy: baby gift for a child that is approaching his first month's birthday, birthday gifts (late and upcoming)
* Make a stab at doing my job

Things I learned from reality TV shows:

* Always try things on (What Not to Wear)
* Memories don't go away if you get rid of crappy old souvenirs (Clean House)
* Never give up (The Amazing Race)
* I, actually, cannot dance (So You Think You Can Dance)

Lots of sittin'

I've had a fun week on the couch. My back occasionally decides to stage a work strike and opt not to cooperate, and Wednesday was a full work stoppage. I stayed home from work for two days and didn't even check my emails (which is when you know I'm sick). Wednesday I alternated between being camped out on the couch and taking uber-hot showers. That, and the dozens (only slight exaggerating) of ibuprofen that I took, helped me enough that I could make it to a therapeutic massage on Thursday, which seems to have sped up the healing process.

But ugh. Wednesday I toddled to the pharmacy - it's 1.5 blocks from my house, took me 45 minutes to get there and back - only to find out that they don't sell over-the-counter muscle relaxants. How did the older sister get them in "16 Candles" then? Anyways, I was desperate for a pain reliever and something to stop the muscles from seizing, so I fixed myself a few strong vodka and coke zero drinks. Let me tell you, drinking at home alone in front of daytime TV is not as much fun as you might anticipate. But it worked. And I should be in decent enough shape to get on another airplane tomorrow.

Yes, "another" airplane, as I just flew last weekend. I still had some frequent flyer miles and it was a friend in SA's baby shower, plus there was always the benefit of seeing The Texan and the pets. So off I went. I worked a few days when I was there but mostly just took it easy. When I left, they were on their 31st day of over-100 degree weather, which really inhibits one's interest in doing anything that involves leaving the air conditioning. Luckily, The Texan made my mom's lasagna my first day there so we had plenty of grub for the weekend.

It was great seeing The Texan again. And it was fun getting caught up with my SA friends. Seeing the pets, on the other hand.... The dog was his usual exuberant self. The cat, however, seems to be shifting his loyalty to The Texan. Not enough to wake him up at 4am; that honor he still reserves for me. But when he'd walk into a room, he'd go over to The Texan first and then me, the person who flew 1600 miles to see his ungrateful ass, second. This led to many iterations of the following scene:

Us, sitting par usual at opposite ends of our sectional, watching TV

Shrapnel walks into the room, jumps up next to The Texan, and sits about four inches from his face, staring intently at him.

The Texan: Okay, I'll pet you. pets the cat Fine, I petted you. Go away.

Me: Shrapnel, I'll pet you! Come here!

The Texan: I'm ignoring you, cat.

Me: Babycakes! Over here!

The Texan: eyes on the TV

Shrapnel: eyes on The Texan

Me: Sweetheart! Petting is to be had over here!

Shrapnel: rolls eyes, walks over to my end of the couch, but keeps an eye on The Texan in case he changes his mind.

Repeat ad nauseum.

Sigh. I guess, if I want to be mature about it, I would realize that the cat is nearly 18 years old and if he gets depressed, would spiral down pretty quickly, so it's a good thing that he's adapting fine to my absence. But when he's back here in DC, I'll win him back. With hugs! Cats love hugs. (Note to non-cat people: not really.) Hmm, I think I see where the problem is.

Just like the olden days

I have a work-ish happy hour tonight* and afterwards I'm supposed to meet up with a friend for drinks. Possibly food, too, as a liquid dinner never really turns out for the best. Anyways, this friend who I'm supposed to meet has left her cell phone at home, so we had to pre-arrange a meeting time AND place. ???? What is up with that? Reminds me of how plans used to be (relatively) concrete, where you knew a) who you were meeting up with, b) when, c) where, and d) what time. Not necessarily e) why, but that's okay. Now it's all free and easy, I'll call you when I know more what's going on, etc. And don't even get me started on twittering and the like of your whereabouts. If I want your company, I will let you personally know. After I finish yelling at the kids to get offa my lawn so's I can watch my stories.

* That means it's with former colleagues, so I guess technically it counts as networking, but I doubt we'll do anything more than pass around unsubstantiated rumors about our previous place of employ.

Being damned with faint praise

23 and I spent yesterday window-shopping up and down 14th Street. After having covered most of the U Street corridor, we decided that a nice cold beer would be perfect. So we go to Nellie's and cozy up to the bar. The bartender, per usual, asked for our IDs. He looked at them, then at us, and gasped, "You guys look good for your age!" Backpedalling, he tried again: "I mean, you don't look anywhere near as old as you are!" Um, thanks?

The new meeting-place

Move over, Starbucks: I had the best business meeting yesterday at Hello Cupcake. I had the death by chocolate cupcake, whose divine chocolate-ness put me in such a daze that I left my wallet on the table when I headed back to my office. If it weren't for the kindness of one of their employees who chased me down the street with it, I'd be ID-less for my trip to Texas this weekend. Not good.

I am so looking forward to tomorrow. I fly out to SA to see The Texan, Shrapnel, and Che for the first time in six weeks. That's the longest I've ever been separated from any of them. We're going to drive down to Corpus to spend the 4th on the beach. Of course, we're getting up at the crack of dawn to try and avoid the worst of the heat (SA has been undergoing temperatures over 100 degrees for the past week; all of South Texas is one big tinder-box). We're trying to hold off on planning too much for the weekend, as I'm only there for a few days. And he'll be out to DC to visit me in August. Still, very excited!!!!

I have become *that* person

On Monday, as part of my campaign to stop pissing away $10/day on lunch, I brought a can of Indian food (some sort of lentil mixture I believe) for lunch. I waited until my neighboring colleague had stepped out before I heated it up in the microwave. I shouldn't have bothered. That stench stuck around all afternoon.

Yesterday, I went to warm up my maple and brown sugar oatmeal in the microwave. Guess what scent wafted out to greet me? I love me some Indian food, but not with my maple and brown sugar oatmeal. I figured that that last usage would get it out of the microwave's system and we could all go on with our lives.

Not so much. I made oatmeal today and was faced with yet more curry smells. That's just not something you want mixed in with your breakfast food. Or at least I really don't want my poor office-mate to have to deal with that one-two punch first thing in the morning. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can nuke a container of baking soda. That smell IS going away, one way or the other.

Let the hippie-fying begin

I bought my first fabric grocery bag at Whole Foods today. I kind of hate myself because of all the places to buy one of those from, Whole Foods is a about as holier-than-thou as you can get. However, let's face it, I did buy stuff there (chili and whole wheat naan bread, not the best combination for lunch, for the record), and I did need a bag.

I even did my full-on grocery shopping at Yes Natural Foods last week. Overall, it worked out okay. There was, however, the one incident where I went to bake a non-chicken chicken patty from the box of four that I'd bought from them and found that someone had opened up the box, taken a patty out, and taped the box together before putting it back on the shelf where it lay in wait for an unsuspecting shopper who just wanted a goddamn easy dinner, is that too much to ask? Mother Gaia doesn't condone stealing, Yes shoppers!

And I'm back in DC. Huzzah! Except for the part where my husband and pets are still wrapping things up in Texas. That, I'm not too thrilled with, but they'll be here soon.