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hey all! hope all of your fireworks were loud and sparkly last night!

I stayed home.

grilled up some hot dogs for gigglemom and myself (I'd had a txt from a friend of mine around 6pm saying there was a party etc over in belmar, but at that point, i was still in my pajamas and had already planned on chilling at home. I know, I know... I sound like a dork.)

Yes. pajamas still at 6pm.

I was up pretty late the night before.

actually was yammering on the phone for two hours till about 1:30am and then wound up staying up till 4:30am watching a little Comedy Central - a former client, Hard N' Phirm, was on CC at 2:30am... but then I also got a bee in my bonnet and cracked open the microsoft word and started writing a novel.

Yes. I know. I've mentioned wanting to write one many times on here. Just haven't.

Anyway. The reason I was in my PJs at 6pm last night (same ones on me as I type right now) was because I wound up going to bed at 4:30am, woke up at 9am, got my period, pounded some midol for the cramps, fed Beri, fed gigglemom and then at 12pm, after doing some work for my clients, my couch had my name on it till about 4pm.

Slacker, aren't I?

Eff it, it was a holiday...

I'll probably scrape the pajamas off of me and get out of the house for a little while.

heading to the UL (union landing) later this afternoon with jude and fran. should be a good time.

haven't gone there as much as I used to... although I was there about 3 weeks ago (Friday the 13th)

worked part of the day today.

the rest of this sloth-like weekend was spent watching Mad Men for the first time.

has anyone watched this show? I tune into things way late (thanks to OnDemand, I can watch all of the first season episodes) The same thing happened a couple of years ago with Rescue Me. I wound up renting the first two seasons on DVD and got hooked... now it's just 6 minute minisodes until early 2009.

I love that show, but, I really wish that things hadn't gotten effed up by the writer's strike. Now it's gone all "sopranos' schedule" wacky.

anyway... back to "Mad Men" (click here for the site) --- I am in love with this show now. It's got advertising (that's what the show's based upon. Ad Men... a.k.a. Mad Men --- Madison Avenue is where the Ad Agencies were clustered... thus inspiring the term "Mad Men") -- so, as I was saying, it's based upon advertising/ad agency, it's set in the early 60s (which I adore. I really do love the clothing from back then. When men wore fedoras and carried around handkerchiefs... okay, guys don't need to wear fedoras anymore, but, carrying a handkerchief just kills me in a good way. Just makes my heart go aflutter... Don't know why. Probably has something to do with the fact that my dad always had one on hand.)

I'm only on episode 8 of 14 right now, so, I don't want any spoilers!!! :}

The new season starts on July 28th.

I really need to back away from the teevee and the computer a little more and maybe go for a walk.

That said... it's slumbertime.

oh and one more thing....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHUMPY!!!!! (go say hey and HB to this fine Texas fella!!!)

went to the Union Landing with Jude & Fran. Had a good time --- just had some hoopie scoopies (or hors d'oeuvres for those who don't speak gigglenese.) and a few cocktails.

one of the things I love there is the thai crab wontons (little fried wontons filled with spinach & crab dip... and served with a sweet and spicy thai dipping sauce.)

basically just locals there this afternoon - which was a pleasure. not too crowded, but, not dead either.

the only thing was the weather has been blah the past couple of days... at least it didn't rain today though. just a lot of fog rolling in.

sitting down to watch Mad Men.

have a busy day tomorrow. It's gaffigan's birthday and attell is back in the states (he does the USO thing in Iraq & Afghanistan at least once a year... so he was there before the premiere of the Gong Show next week.) so i'll be swamped tomorrow till at least late afternoon (i've gotta start cranking out attell's new website redesign... trying to get that up and running before july 17 - when the gong show airs.)

so i had the hoopie scoopies and all, but, i think i might whip up a roast beast sammich... with provolone.

okay, i am focused on food as if i am still on the cruise... maybe i'll try to wake up in the morning (before 10am) and head to the boardwalk to get some fresh air and walk it.

that reminds me...

i am doing a pub crawl with fran and possibly jude (as well as about 15 or so others next saturday, the 12th.)

my first pub crawl. apparently there are 18 bars on the itinerary.

luckily i've reserved the couch at Fran's... or - quite possibly - a hospital bed at Jersey Shore.

anyone who lives nearby, give me a shout and i'll send you the itinerary - the more the merrier... we're traipsing through Belmar/S. Belmar, Neptune, Bradley Beach and Avon

there is the possibility that I may die from alcohol poisoning or a broken foot. keep your fingers crossed.

also, along those lines, i've got to register for the Parker House Fun Run on July 26th.

I registered last year and got my fleece, shirt and number the night before - then I didn't quite make it to the race... i'll have to go through my archives as to why, but, it was probably an alarm clock malfunction a.k.a. lazy ass disease.

speaking of Lazy Ass Disease... i'd better scrounge up some roast beef before I lose any energy to remove myself from this oh-so-comfy couch.

UPDATE 8:42pm: not lazy anymore. second wind. of course... only problem is there's nothing to do and I don't feel like working :}

UPDATE 9:02pm: the reason i didn't "run" the parker house thing last year was because I went to my cousin Matt's 30th birthday surprise party... i just registered for this year's 5 minutes ago.

I woke up a few minutes ago... i think i may have had a heart attack. pains on the left side of my chest.

then again, it may have just been the damn roast beef sammich i had for dinner... seeing as the 2 Tums I just took have caused the Myocardial Infarction to dissipate.

Tums. Saving lives... One Heart Attack at a time.

(thinking maybe a York Peppermint Patty flavoured Klondike Bar might help keep the aneurysms in the carotid arteries at bay.)

*stop talking about vomiting when on the phone with a swell fella*

sitting here. cranked out a bunch of work already this morning (have more to do - as always, but, my head's just not into it right now. too nice a day out... at least, the sun is shining for the first time in 4 days or so it seems.)

gigglemom is passed out on the recliner downstairs (maybe i should re-word that so it doesn't sound like she was out gallivanting and is recovering from a bender.)

she's been really tired lately. more than usual. i mean, it's nothing to be worried about - i'm chalking it up to the fact that it's been muggy out and that affects the COPD -- well, the weather and the cigarettes that she's still smokin' are probably a delightful combo.

so, i'll let her rest. (i'm sort of semi-worried only because right before she went into the hospital in february this year, she was abnormally tired and it just got worse. then she was in the hospital & rehab and seemed less tired. maybe she should go back into the rehab -- if only to kick the ta-backy.)

(she's probably reading this and will kill me.)

anyhoooooo... this was a nice 3 minute procrastination chunk. see, while i was writing i was uploading a video for tom papa.

so... without further ado... enjoy (he'll be on conan o'brien this friday night.)

TOM PAPA

I'm sitting here finishing off my Surf Taco Black Bean, Cheese & Ground Beef Burrito (with guac and sour cream) -- and watching Hell's Kitchen

my tummy hurts

*raising my fist*

damn you burritooooooooo. damn you!

(and i wanted the other person to win HK. not that i was that impressed by either.)

just saw my neighbours walking around the complex here pushing their new baby in the stroller. so cute. she's a week and 2 days. so she's, like, brand new.

of course i went out to say hey and dragged my giant brownie that i procured from Boston Market. I probably had brownie teeth. oh well.

is it me or am i constantly frigging talking about what the hell i have had to eat lately?

haven't been hungry all day, but, went out and grabbed a pot pie, mac & cheese and the healthy slab of chocolate ----- and an unsweetened iced tea, since a girl has to watch her figure. har har.

still working on work stuff for a little while. have "MyBoys" to watch at 9:30pm. Starting next Thursday, I'll be watching Gaffigan at 9:30pm on TBS and then have to switch over to Comedy Central at 10pm to watch my other guy, Dave Attell host the new Gong Show.

well, on wednesday I'd made plans with giggledad and my stepmom to visit them today at 11:30am. i was supposed to bring my laptop over there (they don't *gasp* have a computer) my stepmom wants to buy a SmartCar™ and the only way you can put a deposit down and reserve one is online.

Also, I figured that this would be a good time to show giggledad what i do for a living... he's never wanted a computer in the house and just said "you do something on the machine. that's all i need to know"

anyway... i had my alarm set for 8am to wake up (i was up till about 4am actually reading through my old diaries from when I was 14 thru 19... i'll get to those in a minute)

so giggledad rings me at 7:30am this morning and tells me that he and karen (stepmom) didn't get to bed till 4am and they need to rest today and so the lunch and computer thing are postponed.

so i'm concerned... it's not like they were out gallivanting till 4am. they don't drink.

so i ask what's wrong.

he says "well... we had a couple of big hamburgers around 6:30 last night and i think we just had too much beef and it kept us awake"

what are they? the princess and the pea? only this time the pea is the cheeseburger that's keeping them awake? *sheesh*

anyway, i told him that the burger kept him awake because he's not used to eating at all hours and should go on the training regiment that am on. McDonald's Quarter Pounders at any hour of the day. Keeps the tummy on it's toes.

so, i'm not going over there today. probably next week. although, i've gotta take gigglemom to the pulmonary doc on tuesday (thanks for the emails and the comments about her, she's still pretty damned tired. and this morning she was writing a list out of who she'll give little portions of her ashes to.. that was at 7:30am as well.

so on one hand i've got the guy who a cheeseburger caused insomnia and on the other i've got Breathy Magee who is coming to terms with reality... of course, she was writing out the list a few minutes after she'd gone out for a cigarette.

okay. anyhoooooo... 'nuff about the 'rents.

what i've concluded from reading my teenage diaries is that i pretty much had a crush on anything that moved back then. seriously, from what i gather, if some boy smiled at me, *BAM* i was in love.

Thankfully, I've become more selective in the past 20-25 years. Takes a little bit for me to become smitten (of course, when I do nowadays, i fall elbow over arse --- but that hadn't happened for a few years about anyone.....) ... whereas back in H.S. boys were like shiny objects and I was sporting puberty ADD and i didn't write this in my diary then, but, i'm pretty sure i threw my neck out more than once looking at guys and falling in like. ridiculous.

so, yeah, i was up way too late. whoever that girl was that wrote those diaries was annoying as bejeezuz. I'm amazed that gigglemom didn't take me out behind the shed and shoot me to end the constant blathering.

Here's an excerpt:

"[*Name Withheld to Protect the Innocent*] threw a cookie at me today at lunch!!! I think he smiled at me when he did so. *sigh* Isn't he the best!!?"

seriously? I'm getting wailed in the head with baked goods and I'm thinking that it's awesome. *shaking my head*

I remember that day, too. I remember having cookie crumbs in my hair and being all happy about it.

Man. Jackass (I am talking about myself.)

Well, since I'm not heading to giggledad's, I'm gonna go drop some laundry off at the fluff and fold fella and then mail a couple of things.

going to the pool for a few minutes. gonna see how cold the water is (i'm used to the water in the pool down in Naples at my Aunt's and also the water during my cruise/snorkeling. it'll probably be 60 degrees, compared to the 93 degree Naples pool water.

so i finished most of my work today (well, the stuff that I could. one of my guys is beginning his tour today and traveling so i can't work when he is in the air and all that... long story.)

anyway.

went to the pool for half an hour earlier. first time this summer at the condo pool. normally there are a thousand rugrats running and screaming around there and the "in" fashion accessory is a pair of Swimmies.

today, however, it was beautiful. I was the only one there (besides the lifeguard kid) and was just floating around the pool for 25 minutes... until 3 rugrats (who were actually well behaved) entered the vicinity.

then i had to go pick up my laundry and prior to that i went to the nail place and got a mani/pedi.

keep in mind, i had my bathing suit cover up on --- still had the tankini top on under the cover up, but had changed into underpants prior to heading over there.

anyway... got the pedi, then got the mani... after the manicure, i got up to go over to the nail dryers and when i did, i couldn't pull down my cover up because of wet nails --- lo and behold tons of Korean laughter ensued.

Yep.

They saw Seoul, They saw France,
They saw my frickin' underpants.

whatever. the lady there pulled my cover up down (it was all women in there anyway, not like it mattered)

and now i'm home.

TV ALERT::: TONIGHT watch Tom Papa on Late Night with Conan O'Brien at 12:35am/11:35c on NBC

so the pub crawl is today. i am quite tired this morning... but more happy than tired. I saw ReunionBoy™ last night (second time this week. we saw each other on Tuesday as well.) ReunionBoy™ doesn't really do him justice. Although I could abbreviate it to RB™

Part of me wants to name him The Boy™ -- what? would I shorten it to TB™ ? That just sounds like tuberculosis then.

In any event, I saw him last night... and am a dork and all smiley this morning. I went out for pork roll sammiches this morning and waved at random strangers in their yards. While that's nice and all, I've turned into a happy, cheerful freak. THANKS... thanks a lot TB™

(yes. I think I'm going for the tuberculosis acronym. lovely.)

anywhoooooooooooo...

as I said. Pub Crawl.

If anyone is in the vicinity of Belmar, Avon, Neptune, feel free to look for me at one of the following places at the time next to it. Or you might find me on the street passed out between said bars.

HERE'S THE ITINERARY... if you're around, stop by (I'm starting at the 3rd stop... Sunsets)

Kelly's
arrive 12:00 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 12:15 PM

Jack's Rib House
arrive 12:21 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 12:36 PM

Sunsets
12:36 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 12:51 PM

Jack's Tavern
1:12 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 1:27 PM

Boathouse
1:36 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 1:51 PM

Bar Anticipation
1:57 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 2:12 PM

Paul's Tavern
2:18 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 2:33 PM

McCann's
2:33 PM | stay 305 minutes | leave 3:03 PM

Paddy McDonald's
3:12 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 3:27 PM

PK's Shamrock Pub
3:27 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 3:42 PM

Connolly Station
4:03 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 4:18 PM

507 Main
4:21 PM | stay 20 minutes | leave 4:41 PM

Klein's Tiki Bar
4:41 PM | stay 15 minutes | leave 4:56 PM

Columns
5:38 PM | stay 20 minutes | leave 5:58 PM

Norwood Inn
6:16 PM | stay 20 minutes | leave 6:36 PM

Headliner
6:54 PM | stay 20 minutes | leave 7:14 PM

got home from the pub crawl this morning at about 8:30am (i'd woken up at 7am --- yeah. i know. what the eff is up with me waking up at the crack of dawn when i SHOULD'VE been crying into a pillow and vomiting into a box near a bed!? well, there was none of that!)

i WAS tipsy as hell, but, nothing crazy.

the crawl was fun. the only parts that i am somewhat regretting are:

A) text messaging TB™ way too much during the evening... with messages that were made up of about 98% consonants (and not consonants that were strung together to make sense.)

B) not wearing socks with my sneakers. i thought i would be fine. i wasn't. apparently when you have to walk a billion miles between bars, the alcohol wears off and you tend to feel the horror that is happening to your feet.

C) after the last bar, i took my sneakers off and walked BAREFOOT back to my friend Fran's house which is 1.5 miles away. Crossing over highways and byways --- let's just say the pedicure i got on friday afternoon is shot to hell now. pretty pretty.

oh and i forgot my camera. of which, i am not regretting that.

i did do a shot of something called a Chocolate Cake.

equal parts Frangelica and Vodka.

first you suck on a lemon wedge with sugar on it. then you do the frangelica/vodka shot.

sounds disgusting. it tasted EXACTLY like chocolate cake.

pretty much stuck with coors lights throughout the day. except for the lemon drop shot at Bar A, the Chocolate Cake Shot at Paddy McDonald's and then at PK Shamrock's this guy derek had ordered us more chocolate cake shots, but, told the girl that they were made with Amaretto and Vodka.

Luckily, the Faux Chocolate Cake shot with the amaretto wasn't too bad, but, it didn't taste anything like cake.

i had a hot dog and fries and nachos at McCann's and then later ate a Lobster Roll, Fries and 2 orders of Mac & Cheese Bites at the Norwood Inn.

So, while I was killing my liver i was still trying to treat my body okay by feeding it and soaking up the alcohol.

Crashed at Fran's --- because there was no way I was driving at all. We were smart, responsible crawlers.

... and now I am home.

When I arrived home, I found gigglemom pretty much in a stupor on the patio with a cigarette hanging from her fingers ready to burn them.

She is really not doing well.

I got her to bed again, but, I think around 11am I am going to get her washed and dressed and assess things... I say assess. I am pretty much set on calling the ambulance and getting her to the hospital. But, I know that she wants to have me clean her up before going anywhere. Yes. I know. That sounds like a ridiculous statement. Normally, one would just say "eff it, i'm calling the ambulance" --- but, I'm giving her a couple more hours... she wants to see how she feels.

I know already that she's not going to have some sort of miraculous recovery all of a sudden between 9am and 11am though. She's been getting progressively worse over the past 2 weeks. I know I've yapped about it on here.

While it's easy for people to say "get her to the doctor" or "call the ambulance" --- yes. it's easy to say that. But, gigglemom is a 68 year old woman who, even though in a weakened state, still can growl and who still has a mind of her own. I have to still show some respect to her that way, I mean, I can't just undermine her and take away any dignity by not consulting her (of course, you know that if she was non-responsive, i would call 911 in a heartbeat, but, right now, she's still coherent. when I said in a "stupor" i meant that she is really tired and falling asleep sitting up and kinda groggy.)

She was exactly like this back in January/February...

of course, luckily, it hasn't gotten to the point of the REALLY HORRIBLE days in February.

• Horrible Day 1
• not as bad, but, similar to today's "wait and see" stuff
• yeah, we're going through the same thing today
• Luckily, there's been no actual poop issues --- YET.... I want to get her into the hospital before that happens. It's not a matter of IF, but, a matter of WHEN. --- and I don't want to have to become the assistant nurse this time we're at the hospital. LIKE IN THIS POST FROM FEB.

Okay, I've gotta go get stuff ready to get her cleaned up and shampoo her hair.

Thank GOD that I am not hungover... otherwise I might've just taken her outside and hosed her down.

(and it's lovely that I started this post with the pub crawl and eased into the dying mother stuff. nice, eh? classy.)

well, she's going to have me wash and dress her and then she says she'll "see if she wants to go to the hospital"

i know - it's ridiculous. i should just call the ambulance, but, she still has that lovely stubborn/belligerence thing going on.

i'm pretty sure that we'll be heading there at some point. I just wish that she wanted to go earlier in the day. Not trying to sound like a jerk, but, the later in the day, the more swamped the ER gets (that's one reason why I won't be driving her, she needs to have the ambulance pick her up so she gets in there right away... what with her oxygen/breathing stuff right now.)

anyway, i've gotta go get her ready. wish us luck. I am hoping they admit her for a few days. Because the low energy / really low O2 thing is part of the COPD/Emphysema stuff. yay.

okay. gotta go hose 'er down. will keep you posted

well, THAT was a horror show.

*complete with gagging*

okay, they just loaded her into the ambulance, we're on our way.

will give an update later

seriously. she's been admitted to l'hospital.

breathing treatments and all that good stuff. it's the COPD and emphysema that's gotten worse.

anyway, was there for 6 hours or so.

will yap more tomorrow.

**she's going to kill me when she sees this **

okay... not gas, wind, gas... but blood gases.

i got a phone call at 730am --- now, usually when someone calls me at 7:30am, it's my dad being a goofball trying to wake me up (in fact he did so last friday)

so, i, being of tired mind and body, answer the phone in my most silly chipper, seinfeld-y stomach voice...

"Heeeeeeeell--oooooooooooo!"

and it's my mother's doctor on the other end.

*hesitant pause* "hello? Erin? this is Doctor *name withheld at the moment*"

so i was all eddie haskell and "hello doctor! how are you?" and feeling like an arse.

anyway... so, as it turns out, --- wait, let me back up to say that this doctor called me once before, during february, but at a reasonable hour and basically to return my call about sending gigglemom to rehab.

anyway... as i was saying, she called me (first time without prodding that a doc has done that) --- she said her ABGs were - let's see, what was the exact quote?

"Your mothers ABGs are very, very, VERY abnormal. I have never seen ABGs this abnormal in quite some time. She is basically filled with Carbon Dioxide."

**Giggle Glossary**

ABGs are Arterial Blood Gases. CLICK HERE for more.

hey!!! guess what Carbon Dioxide is found in!!!!?

WOO HOO!!! If you said "Cigarettes", you're a winner! (Here's a list of the delightful combo of death.)

Okay... so THAT wasn't all the good doctor had to say.

First I asked how long they may keep her. She didn't know. They're still running some tests and she called GM's pulmonary group, so they'll be coming in to tackle her to the ground and slap a nicotine patch on her mouth.

But she DID say:

"Basically her lungs are at 'end stage'."

and

"This is end stage with exacerbated COPD"

now, dearest friends and readers, i hope i do not come across as sounding cold and callous... it's not intended to be as such... but, i've been ready for this for a while. there's a difference between being "ready" and "looking forward to". I've only been "ready"

I mean, come on, she's been effing smoking her heart out...

wait... and her lungs.

the doc also said:

"The lungs are supposed to expand like a nice elastic balloon. Very easily. Your mother's lungs are like iron and do not expand at all. They are very tight"

When/If gigglemom comes home, that's it. I don't give a flying fark if she beats the hell out of me with her pink floral cane, she's not getting any effing cigarettes.

She is DONE.
I am DONE.

That's it.

So after hearing this news, I just called my dad's and my stepmom answered (she's a woman of 60 years who was a smoker and has had half her lung removed. she no longer smokes. my dad does.)

so she and i were talking and commiserating about the frigging crapola addiction to these things and she said "I'm going to put your father on... tell him about what the doctor said. he needs to stop this too"

Because, Dad has COPD as well... we found this out last summer before his hip surgery.

It's a horrible addiction.

I understand that it's harder to quit smoking than it is to quit heroin (I've tried to shoot gigglemom up with The Horse, but, was sick of going into Asbury Park to get the goods.... *** that. was. a. joke. whattaya want at frigging 7:45am after hearing that gigglemom is effing end stage? It's not gonna be HBO Special Material.***

anyway... as I was saying, I've been prepared to hear this for a while... hell, i thought that she was gonna be gone with the wind back in February.

So, the doctor said that she is putting gigglemom on "major steroids".

FANTASTIC. so... gigglemom - when she is released - will be sans cigarettes, going through withdrawals, and now having MAJOR 'Roid Rage

I am more afraid of THAT than death (if you don't mind me saying. seriously, even though the woman can barely shuffle hither and tither, she's pretty quick at the draw... and even though she has a teeny amount of oxygen still left in her solid oak lungs, she can bellow like a fishmonger.)

Anyway... I'll be heading over there around noon. Gotta do some work, then supposed to see TB™ tonight (hey, visiting hours are over at 8 for GM, and I still need to live my life, right? I've -- and gigglemom -- have gone through this many times throughout the years. Not to sound nonchalant, but, having her in the hospital is old hat. I'll be there throughout the day... probably at noon, probably go again around dinner time.)

that said, i've written a book... i've gotta clean the GiggleChateau... (nothing giggly about this hovel at the moment... yeah. it got worse after GM returned in March. at least I can try to make some headway in here while she's recuperating.)

fini.

so, i was on the horn with my aunt toni who just told me that YEARS ago, the doctor had told my mom (and this is about 20 years ago) quote:

"you probably won't live to see your daughter get married"

now, i'm thinking that either he was talking about gigglemom's health deteriorating...

-- or --

he just didn't like the looks of me and thought that I wasn't what one would consider "marriage material"

-----

*ba-dum-DUN!*

thank you, i'll be here all week. try the veal and tip your waitress.

sitting here watching "Emeril Green" that I taped last night. The Jambalaya Jones episode... because my former stalker was the guy that Emeril was teaching how to cook on there.

anyway, just spoke to gigglemom, will head over there in a little while. shes doing okay -- well, except for the fact that the nurse forgot to hook her CPAP (sleep apnea) machine up to the OXYGEN during the night and her pulse ox level was at 61 (normal person is around 100. someone with COPD is around 85-94...)

61*

anyway they got that straightened out.

i hung out with TB™ last night - watched gaffigan's Beyond the Pale, and TB™ was skeptical about liking it at first, but, he says now that after watching it, jim has a new fan. good.

i am digging TB™ - (again, not "tuberculosis") - not only is he just swellegant and cute (yes. i said that. maybe i should have a more mature word, but, i like "cute" - whatever, all i know is that he is aesthetically pleasing. how's that?) and the most important part is he makes me laugh. i really haven't laughed, like really honestly guffawed, in quite a long time and he makes me chortle. which is the best. basically, if someone can make me laugh, i'm done for.

(so much for me being cool as a cucumber on here. aren't i supposed to act all aloof and like i couldn't care less? yeah. not gonna happen. of course, i'm restraining myself on the damned blog right now.)

after sounding like a giddy 12-year old girl in my last post i thought i'd calm down the hormones a bit and post about work.

(first, i am sitting here watching the All-Star game right now. They just did the line up and the Hall of Famers. I always get a little chill when they rattle off the names... and it was extra special to me this year because of it being the last one held in Yankee Stadium as we know it. I think it was even more special because the BOOOOOOOOOs seemed just a tad louder and deeper when they introduced Red Sux players. I heart that.)

Anyway, sitting here doing some work.

• Dave Attell's hosting the new Gong Show this Thursday (on Comedy Central at 10pm9c)

• Jim Gaffigan started his new tour this week

• Tom Papa is performing his one man show "Only Human" at the Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival (SEE GLOWING REVIEW!!)

so it's a busy week.

tomorrow i have to head to Atlantic City in the late afternoon to pick my cousin Kerry up from the AC airport (she's up here for a week.)

that said... think i'm gonna order up some penne tortellini a la vodka and tuck into that as i work for another hour.

just walked Beri around the complex and was basically "hello-ing" everyone... they're probably shaking their heads saying "she's usually such a quiet, non-morning person... why the hell's she saying hi to me now? what's wrong with her!?"

what's wrong with me? nada. just happy.

yeah, i know. weird.

okay, not so much an eagle as my cousin Kerry landed this evening at atlantic city airport.

i know we just saw each other like 2 weeks or so ago, but, it's still heart-warming to see her and give her a big ol' hug. see, as an only child, she's basically a sister to me (as close as i'll ever get to one, anyway.)

i'd picked her up after trekking to see gigglemom at the hosp today. made it down there in good time and just as i pulled up to the curb at the pick up area of the ACA, phooka turned 29,000 miles... they grow up so fast.

then we headed back home (she's staying at aunt toni's. not here in the biohazard.)

but we were hungry and wound up going to Pete & Elda's for pizza. (it's verrrrrry thin-crusted pizza)

we ordered one XXL sausage one and an XXL plain one.

normally we polish both off and walk out of the place with t-shirts. this time we couldn't finish. i was 4 slices away from getting the shirt (kerry bailed on the 2nd pizza after half a slice.)

anyway, she's in town now so, i'll be getting together with her on friday and probably a couple of other times before i drive her back to AC on wednesday.

this sunday, my friend cathy is coming down from the city and checking out the house she and her brothers and sisters are renting in the beginning of august. so, i'll probably show her point boardwalk and grab something to eat (her rental is in point.)

that said... i've got some more work to do and then am passing out.

actually, hey, has anyone read "The Dogs of Babel"??

i was up way too late just trying to finish it. to get done with it so i could move on to something else.

stellar review, erin.

here's the brief synopsis.

man's wife dies. he doesn't know if it was a suicide or an accident. only witness was their dog. he tries to teach it to talk. he goes a tad nutty.

there are "talking dogs" in this book.
kidnappings.
weird societies.
masks.
death.
a love story.
depression.
insanity.

i was given this book a couple of years ago, and i've picked it up and put it down numerous times. FINALLY plowed through it (it's not like reading takes me a long time. there've been times when i've read 4 books in one week. okay, that was usually when i was commuting on the train for 5 hours a day, but still...)

it's not like i struggled with it. it's just that the content of the book was leaning toward being pretty dark.

i need to find a fluffy happy-go-lucky book to cleanse the palate --- to basically act like a literary sorbet.

i just felt annoyed by the book throughout most of it.

yes, i know, i could've stopped reading it, but, there's always that thought of "it might get better"

don't get me wrong, it was beautifully written, but, on the depressing side. i'm all for mopey books and all, but, it just got a little out of hand.

i remember back in the summer of 1999, i was reading "She's Come Undone"

I really wound up in a funk over that book... which i read in 26 hours.

good book, but really, when i was reading it it felt like i was being swallowed by a musty old afghan (blanket. not a person from Afghanistan)

and i couldn't shake the feeling for a good week or two after. boy, i was pleasant to be around.

that was similar - yet different - to when i was a Freshman in college.

I sat there one friday night and watched "Sid & Nancy", "Blue Velvet", "A Clockwork Orange" and "Eraserhead"

not the lightest fare.

in a funk for a week. my artwork was very dark that week and one of my professors noticed and asked if everything was okay. which, in hindsight, was pretty keen of him and good to know they weren't just teaching in a fog. they kept an eye on us. I had a certain style to my art back then (when i drew by hand... which i need to get back to doing, actually.) and it was not a dark, brooding style... until that week.

so, i prescribed myself some John Hughes movies and snapped out of it.

Anyway... back to the book.

I don't really "highly" recommend it, but, there are some interesting parts.

sitting here working. big day. The new Gong Show is premiering tonight on Comedy Central so I am trying to get the word out for Attell.

It's airing at 10pm/9c (but also reairing at midnight for those out and about at 10)

so i am working on that and then have to hunker down on some other projects.

then i've gotta head to the hospital to see gigglemom and kerry wanted to go, so i figured that i would go with and then maybe get some lunch/late lunch... maybe dinner depending on whatever time we head out. of course, not 12 slices of pizza, but, like, "normal" food... actually, i think i am still full from being a complete (but not a totally successful) glutton last night.

i really wanted to get another "I finished an XXL pizza by myself" t-shirt so that I'd have one to wear to weight watchers when i return (i wore my other one there last year when i rejoined.)

it's pretty bad when you start winning your wardrobe for things you've eaten.

that said...

back to pushing the gong show...

well, kerry is at the hospital right now --- visiting gigglemom. i was out getting a salad for lunch.

yes. i wrote "salad" -- it's not code for "triple cheeseburger".

went to Saladworks (which skeeves me out 98% of the time. okay, since i've been to this saladworks 3 times, i guess the percentages are slightly off. but, something about it there just bothers me - the one in Brick. It just is so dark in there.)

For those with an interest, the salad consisted of:

Lettuce (iceberg. wasn't in the mood for mixed greens.)
cucumbers
feta cheese
black olives
chicken
more cucumbers
light balsamic vinagrette

i'd forgotten that i like sunflower seeds on my salad - yes. it's been a long time since i've tucked into a salad.

anyway. ate that when i got home. on the way home though ker had called me to say she was going over to see GM - but i wasn't ready to head there, so, she's hanging there at the moment.

i'll probably get there later. I've gotta pick my laundry up at 7pm, so i'll try to go to the H at 6.

in the meantime, i've done a lot of work and instead of digesting my bucket of health, i am now attempting to clean this place.

it's a little more shoddy than before GM went into the hospital last feb... yes. i do believe that's the truth. and here i am trying to get the gumption and the courage to deal with it TODAY... because the doctors are talki