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.
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.
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.)
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.)
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)
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.
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
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.)
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)
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!?"
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.
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.
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 talking about sending GM home tomorrow... maybe.
i was hoping that she wouldn't come home for a few days, mainly because of the heat that's happening here today and - from what they say - for the weekend.
heat pretty much exacerbates COPD. yay. i may as well just bring her back to the ER on Saturday (joking.)
anyway, i am procrastinating by yapping on here.
back to schlepping around the house and getting some control over it.
(I'm toying with the idea of just throwing everything in here into the dumpster --- much like i did in feb. --- but there's that underlying voice that whispers in my head "She'll kill you if you throw everything out.")
so, word on the street (a.k.a. the 5th floor of the hospital) is that gigglemom MIGHT be coming home tomorrow.
there's a pretty good chance of that.
i just got home from visiting her and then i had to pick up the laundry and had a few checks to deposit (YAY!!!) so, i've been running and racing for most of the day (when not cleaning and fricking working.)
i am supposed to go out with kerry tomorrow night to our friend Terry's (a bunch of girls are supposed to be there to see Ker)
i'm hearing the sprinklers going off in the front and backyards.
weird because they went on at 8am and didn't stop until around 4pm... and now they're on again.
way to waste water, condo association! (although my birdbath is very full right now and earlier there were about six robins hanging out in it earlier. looked like some weird feathery hot tub gathering.)
just turned on the Greatest American Dog as i write this. The older fella's dog was just bitten by a snake or something and bleeding. They've got the mic on and you can hear her whimpering and all that. oh man, i know it's a tv show (albeit, reality) but, that sound just tears my heart in two.
(commercial break.)
ugh, there's a new show coming out this fall called The Ex List starring that freaky looking girl that was on Gray's Anatomy as the pregnant/amnesia/plastic surgery chick.
(dog show is back)
old feller is crying. dog's okay. had a bite on it's ear from a feral cat or ran through some wire. now has an ear bandage.
okay. good. poor whiny pup.
anyway... now that she's okay, i can focus on writing.
i've got other laundry that i've gotta sit here and organize/fold for a while. guess i'll do that and then hunker down to do a little work and then watch Gaffigan on My Boys at 9:30 on TBS and then Attell at 10pm (on Comedy Central)
ooo-oooooh that smell. can't you smell that smell?
July 19, 2008
ooo-oooooh that smell. can't you smell that smell?
sitting upstairs doing work at 2:15am...
my window is cracked open so i can get some fresh air.
as I breathe in, I smell a familiar scent.
NO!
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!!!???
I yell down in a hushed growl "Drop the frigging cigarette, woman!"
gigglemom's voice whispers up "What? I don't know what you're talking about"
I go down there and we have words.
She found a goddamned butt somewhere and was smoking it. (it was probably in one of her old ashtrays outside. i had forgotten to clean them out. dammit.)
I am fucking SO sick of this and fricking DONE with this.
D-O-N-E.
** she made it 13 hours since getting discharged from the hospital.
well, so far, i don't think that she's had a cigarette since the aforementioned incident.
i went out earlier and grabbed a couple of bacon and egg sammiches and picked up some new nic patches for GM... but i think that she's been chewing gum (plus i think the sprinklers hit whatever cigarette butts may have been on the patio table. hahahahahah! way to go Condo Association!!!)
so, i'm trying to keep cool indoors here. working on schedules for the clubs (broadway and the ny comedy club) -- i've gotta be in the right mindset to do them. there's a good deal of concentration needed, especially where the ticketing pages are concerned.
of course, i DID just "rent" a HORRIBLY GOD AWFUL movie on On Demand.
It had Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda, Louis CK, Virginia Madsen and a number of others in it. You would think that the cast would carry this movie.
They didn't. It was crap. Sadly, I paid $6.99 for it because it was one of those IFC On Demand movies. I really shouldn't purchase those because they are usually just bullhockey.
I wanted to like it. Really. Watched the whole thing... again, like the book, was hoping it'd get better.
Anyway... right now, as I'm doing the schedules, I'm watching "Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm" (a mockumentary about Curb your Enthusiasm)
tomorrow morning i've gotta pick Cathy up from the train station in point pleasant and we're going to check out the house that she and her family is renting in a couple of weeks... i'm also going to try to show her stuff around point.
i drove through there today and one of the effing parking lots was charging $25 for the day. which is RIDICULOUS.
my aunt is having the family over for dinner tomorrow night and i have to be there at 5pm.
i'm still trying to finish the frigging schedule (there are a few architecture issues within the ticketing that i am trying to figure out how to make things link smoothly --- basically because one of the shows is a different price, and i need to have it linked to a different paypal... BUT, i also have to have the different $$ show hooked up on the other full listing of the same shows and that doesn't fly with paypal... it's just a small thing, but, the heat is causing me to overthink and yet not think at the same time.)
anyway... plus gigglemom and i are fighting about tomorrow.
another cigarette. this time she lit it up right in front of me. the thing is, i was talking to my neighbour and i heard the click of the lighter, i smelled the waft of smoke... and it took about 30 seconds to register that she was doing this.
brazen as hell.
the thing is, i have no frigging idea where the hell she's getting the smokes.
it's like she's a tobacco magician and pulling them out of her ear or something. it's ridiculous.
I think she should have her own Vegas Magic Show... or better yet, have it down in North Carolina and headline at the Philip Morris Tobacco Plantations.
because gigglemom is pissed off at me and going through her own bullshit she's come at me with a delightful question (i'll get to that in a moment.)
see, i've been a little stressed for, oh, say the past week and a half... i don't know why... i mean, i've only been worried about HER and then taking her to the hospital....
then attempting to work to pay the mortgage and OTHER bills, not to mention visit her in the hospital, and then come home to work some more, and also try to clean the house on top of things.
i took a ride in the car today to clear my head and to get the hell out of the house.
she said she's "worried about" me.
then this evening, we've been fighting like jackholes about tomorrow... we've been fighting about the cigarettes, we've been fighting about anything and everything.
so then, about 2 minutes ago, out of the blue (no, that's not it... it wasn't out of the blue... she HAD been on her computer and said how it wasn't running properly, so i called out to the kitchen "go to the start menu and there's spy sweeper in there. click it and run it." --- then a minute later she hobbles into the living room all exasperated and says snottily "whatever. i can't find it" --- so i ask "why didn't you let me know when you were out there, i could've walked you through it?" then she starts hollering at me about why does she need to tell me and blah blah blah farking blah.)
insanity.
anyway... here's the kicker. she then blurts out:
"Have you been smoking pot? Because you are acting like you are on something"
Are you fucking kidding me? Not for nothing, but, no. I don't do that. I think the last time I partook in that kind of thing was in '99 - and for her to think that I am acting like I am "on something" is in-fucking-sulting.
How dare she?
She's saying I was "making mountains out of molehills" because i was stressing about how to juggle Cathy coming down and also getting to my Aunt's dinner on time tomorrow. Sorry, but, yeah I was stressing about that because I haven't seen Cathy in 2 years and I also wanted to see my family tomorrow night, but, Cathy's coming down and I wanted to spend a good chunk of the day hanging with her, but didn't know how to go about saying "yeah, i know you just spent 2 hours on the train coming down here, but we've only got 5 hours to hang out before I need to ship you back on the train." --- which would be rude.
plus the fact that I usually need to help get gigglemom dressed and get her clothes ironed and help her get ready, as well as get her oxygen hooked up (portable) --- not to mention, drop cathy off, go get dessert from the bakery (which we were put in charge of dessert) and then pick g-mom up, head back over to Aunt Toni's all by 5pm.
I haven't been able to reach Cathy --- i called and left a message on her cell asking if she could take the earlier train in order to hang out for an extra hour. So I don't know what the skinny on that'll be.
and here I am being accused of being FUCKING HIGH ON WEED.
seriously, this is ridiculous.
oh and now i have to cook dinner... without arsenic.
before i trek outta here for the day (i've gotta get showered and then head over to get the brownies to take to aunt toni's before picking cathy up)
anyway... i know i've railed on gigglemom for the past week pretty good.
i've been angry about the smoking and - more than not - have been scared of her dying.
so... that said, i want you to know that when i get scared (and/or riled up) i tend to sass. and i've sassed her on here.
now, here's the skinny, she's a good egg... albeit a smoky one.
so, i really shouldn't be writing in a way that makes it seem like i hate her - i'm just frustrated and frightened. got it?
also, there's no way i'm able to get a home health aide... nor will i ever be shoving her into a nursing home (although, i do enjoy channeling Bea Arthur and saying "Shady Pines, Ma! Shady Pines!")
We fight like banshees, but, we always smooth it over... I love her dearly, so, don't get the wrong idea when I'm posting quips about "arsenic".
Anyway, that said, i've gotta get ready to head out and about.
So, yesterday, when out and about with Cathy, we'd gone to Target. After buying some knick-knacky items, we found ourselves in the candy aisle.
I spotted the Lindt Chocolates. Now, not for nothing, yeah, I can sit down and devour a bucket of chocolate, no problem --- although, i find that I am more a savoury girl than a sweet one. Give me some chips, dips, cheeses, pepperoni, crackers or whathaveyou and i'm a happy chick.
anyway, that said, i'm not one to shy from the cocoa bean.
i am, however, one to have a little trepidation when it comes to spicy stuff. i'll eat it and i will love it, but, then i wind up blogging about what colour the paint is on my bathroom wall for 2 hours.
anyway.
where was i? oh yes, staring at the Lindt items.
There it was. I've always heard that it's a delightful combination. I've watched the Top Chef. I've watched the Iron Chef. I've not had the conversation about this particular combo with a certain Chef that I know (TB™)
BUT... i've heard about things like Hot Chocolate infused with Chili (pepper. not infused with spiced ground meat and sauce... althoooooooooough... no, no, that would be disgusting.)
In the Lindt aisle, there was a Lindt Excellent Chili Infused Chocolate Bar.
The packaging was wonderful. Sturdy, easy to open, I wound up slowly opening it like Charlie did with his golden ticket bar. Slowly, just taking it all in.
I broke off a square... bit into it... tasted like chocolate. Decent, creamy, slightly bitter, dark chocolate.
I swallowed the piece... and then it happened.
Just a warm tingling sensation - not unpleasant - climbing up my throat. I could still taste the chocolate, but, the spice of the chili just enhanced it. It was brilliant.
So far, I've only had 2 squares of the Chili Chocolate. I think that it needs to be savoured and not just wolfed down.
have i had any run-ins with gigglemom since Sunday? nope. all's quiet on the giggle front. the visiting nurse came over yesterday (she will do so a couple of times --- it's standard. happened back in march when GM returned.)
yesterday, around 2:30pm i actually was in the middle of working and fell asleep... till 5:58pm
probably has something to do with the fact that I was sitting here with my laptop, laying down on my couch whilst tap-tap-tapping on the machine. i was up way late the night before...
i suppose today i'll get my arse up off the couch and walk upstairs to work.
i can connect to my PC upstairs from my laptop on my couch because i have Go-To-My-PC... which, technically, i think that site and service was created for those who trek around for work and they figured "well, people can go to a client and instead of going through the hassle of possibly not having all the materials and blah blah blah, they can just connect from any pc in whatever office and access their own"
i, on the other hand, have chosen to use it as a very lazy/sloth-like designer. sitting on the couch connecting from my laptop about 15 feet below my PC.
no wonder i've gained 60 pounds in the past 5 years.
speaking of which... i've got it in my head to go to the gym today. only in my head (see aforementioned "sloth/couch" theme)
i DO have the Parker House Fun Run this Saturday... or in my case the Parker House Fun Walk. I've gotta pick up my Shirt & Sweatshirt this friday night between 6 and 8pm... and then saturday it's at 9:47am
unfortunately, i do not think i will beat my blistering pace that i set in the Manasquan Mid-Winter 2 Mile Fun Run --- that was 33:50 for 2 miles... yep. and the stunning thing about THAT was I did not come in last.
last year i signed up for the PH race, picked up my goods the night before and then went to my cousin Matt's 30th birthday surprise party instead.
This year I don't have a legitimate excuse to bail on the race... you know, other than the "ummmmmm... I may drop dead of a heartattack" excuse.
What else is on the agenda today? Oh, gotta head over to my Lady Business Doctor and pick up another Loestrin24Fe sample. See, I have my appointment on August 5th and am going to run out of ABVs before that and rather than move my appointment up, they're giving me more samples - which is awesome since those things are $60 a pop. My doctor is awesome (last year he gave me 6 months worth of samples... and then for the past 2 months i've been living off of more samples -- see, i needed an appointment back in the beginning of June and they didn't have any openings, so, they gave me 2 months worth of samples... which i didn't think were going to tide me over till aug. 5th, and i was right. anyway... gotta go there today and pick up these puppies... otherwise i won't know what day it is since i use them as a calendar.)
so, basically today is work, work, work, ABV pick up, work, work, dinner date, sleep.
oh, yes, dinner with TB™ tonight... (insert Cheshire Cat grin)
i've gotta go get laundry done, too.
tomorrow, i've gotta pick up my cousin kerry and then drive her to the Atlantic City airport. Gotta head over to my aunt toni's in the morning at 8:30am and Ker's flight is at 12:50pm. she's gotta drop her rental car off at Enterprise and then we're heading down to AC.
on the way home, i'm going to try not to veer off and steal Trump's shirt off his back. I can't promise that Phooka won't automatically head over there though.
Fine, okay, whatever, you can tell that I am procrastinating about starting work can't you?
blog, ask GM if she wants anything from Dunkin Donuts, get in fight with GM because she wants me to buy smokes instead, go to Dunkin Donuts, come home, growlfest with gigglemom, leave, drop off laundry, get ABVs, go to wawa pick up smokes to shut her up, and now work, work, work, pick up laundry, dinner date, sleep
starting from the time my rear passenger's side tire blew out on Phooka.
what? how could that be fantastic? okay, technically, the tire going haywire on me wasn't the best thing. i was on my way to see TB™ and all of a sudden i heard (with the top down) a "flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap-flap" noise that just didn't sound right.
i pulled into the parking lot of a funeral home. called TB™ to let him know that i would be running late. he asked where i was so he could come help me change the tire and then pick me up to go eat.
so as i waited, i emptied out the boot of my car and there was another car that pulled in (it was not TB™) and then 2 seconds after that guy, TB™ showed up. The unknown guy - who wound up being named Kevin.. or Al - asked if that was my help and i said yes.
as it turned out though, kevin/al was an auto body fella and stayed to help.
so i had 2 knights in shining armour - one of which had plumber's crack and the other awesome knight was putting the muscle into the lugnut removal (TB™)
anyway, the tire was changed to the donut and TB™ followed me home and we dropped Phooka off and headed to dinner.
(I called MINI today and i have an appointment at 12:15pm tomorrow over in Princeton to get a couple of new tires.)
So, we got the tire schmutz off of ourselves and then headed over to Belmar to eat at Vivas.
it was fantastic.
we started off with Tapas. Had Albondigas (which are Spanish style meatballs in a cilantro-garlic-chipolte reduction, topped with goat cheese... SO good.) and a Tuna Vinagrette (which was very good. not my favourite, but I enjoyed it very very much) and then we had Scallops... oh my goodness! Bread crumb crusted, pan seared dry sea scallops over garlic toast topped with a sun-dried tomato-garlic rosemary demi-glaze. gorgeous.
For my entree, i had the Willie Willie Chicken - which I loved and devoured (probably not as lady-like as I should've!) what is the Willie Willie Chicken? Chicken breast stuffed with manchego cheese & spinach, served with mashed sweet potato finished with a smoked bacon blue cheese cream sauce. brilliant!
TB™ had, I want to say (and I may be wrong), the Asopao de Mariscos (Fresh seafood combination in a cilantro green sauce) which was lovely.
Then we finished off the feast with Tres Leches Cake (I LOVED THIS DESSERT!!!) and a Chocolate Bomb, which was grand and rich, but my heart was with the Tres Leches.
It was just a fabulous meal... of course, the company I was with enhanced the dinner tremendously. Just -- to me -- a perfect date all around... even with Phooka pulling up lame in the beginning.
ugh. so, i've gotta get up at some ungodly hour, help clean the house (oh. wait. did i say help? i meant "clean the house".) and then hightail it over to the princeton MINI dealership (oh how i wish they would open a dealership close by... my aunt told gigglemom that my uncle told her that there was a MINI dealer down the street from where i got my flat last night. i'll have to check, but, i am pretty sure that they probably drove past the mazda dealer that has a few used MINIs out there in front.)
anyway, have to head over there tomorrow, without going over 50 mph on frigging 195 and Route 1 (for those not in the know... major highways with mega-speeders)
so we'll be gimping along --- it's probably gonna be raining as well, so that'll be great. I won't even be able to put the top down --- which will stink because the dead tire is in the backseat stinking the place up with it's burnt rubber smell. Oh, didn't I tell you, I drove on the blown out tire/rim for about a quarter mile. SMRT.
I have to get a giant bag and empty the boot of my car again. after TB™ changed the tire, we wound up throwing all of my stuff back in the boot. So, I have to clear that out again since they'll be dealing with that area of Phooka.
I'm going to see if they can check out the front driver's side tire as well since that's the one i would've bet money on as the one that would blow. it's been losing air over the past month or so and i keep having to fill it.
i'm going to be driving for an hour or so on a frigging donut. i have a book to read, since i don't think that i can sit there with my laptop clicking away.
if they say it's time for the car to be serviced, i'll be there for 2 hours. if not, i should be on my way home a lot sooner. yay.
what else? have My Boys with Gaffigan on TBS tonight at 9:30pm and then The Gong Show with Dave Attell on Comedy Central at 10pm
I have to hunker down and get this redesign for Attell done and sent over to him. He'd wanted me to hold off until the Gong Show had premiered. Right now, we've got his daveattell.com site redirecting to his myspace... which isn't the best thing in the world to do, but, it was a temporary solution since there were some backend issues that were messing with his main site.
i am hankerin' for a sausage and cheese sammich. gotta go get dressed, grab some vittles and then gear up to drive like a little old lady to get to Princeton.
so, i wound up having to get 2 tires and also had $110 service (oil change/filters/fluids/etc.)
but the tires were about $175 each.
*sigh*
he's perfect now, but, still, that's a huge effing chunk of cash that i really didn't want to part with at this time.
so, since Phooka went through the ordeal of having a blown tire and a leaky tire, not to mention having strange men rummaging around his innards, i wound up getting him a set of checkerboard valve stem caps.
my back/hip is screwy again. i had a bit of a twinge yesterday, but, i woke up this morning and the ol' back is acting like a jerk.
it might have something to do with it knowing that I am supposed to get up early tomorrow and head over to the Parker House for the 2 mile run --- sometimes my back just seems to know when to take a hiatus on feeling fine.
or it might have something to do with me sleeping on the couch. i've gotta get back upstairs and sleep there.
or i just need to eat 5 Doan's back pills for breakfast.
okay, so, if you think you have an "embarrassing" name, you might want to think again...
that is, unless you are the 9-year old girl in New Zealand named "Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii", then you probably don't have a good reason to whine
unless you are the twins named "Benson" and "Hedges".
or the others named "Fish" and "Chips" (of course, i am not totally sure if that's just one name or 2 names for a set of twins)
and dagnabit... i was going to name my firstborn "Number 16 Bus Shelter" -- I guess I have to find a different favourite moniker for a rugrat.
maybe "Sparky McFarland Does the Jig in Tipperary"? I always did want to name a child something nice and Irish.
What the hell am I talking about? CLICK HERE for the article.
so, it's 1am... i've gotta get up at 7am (okay, well, technically the alarm will be set for 7, but i'll hit the snooze till 7:45)
the fun run is tomorrow. i'm hoping to finish the 2 miles in 33:30
we'll see. (that would be walking... and possibly breaking into a trot here and there. again... i'm not what one would consider a "strong" runner. i'm going to be likkered up on excedrin back and body pills and so i most likely will not be imbibing afterward... maybe.)
of course, if i don't pass out soon, i'll be sleeping through the race. it starts at 9:47am, but, i'm planning on getting there at 8:45ish... because parking is going to be a bear.
okay. it's about ten of 1pm right now. i'm home from the parker house --- it was packed. i had a few beverages and 4 mini cheeseburgers to offset the alcohol that i'd been tipping back since 10:30 (not that much since it was sweaty elbow to sweaty elbow in there.)
jude did the race in 22 minutes. freak (and i mean that in the nicest way possible.)
i was walking with fran.
i actually walked the 2 miles (in what i am sure was 139 degrees with 99.9% humidity) and came in with my best time ever in a 2 miler.
yes. 30:43.
not too shabby for someone who has been having a threesome with her couch and teevee.
fran says that it's "really" more like 30 minute flat since we started the race at the back of the pack. that's fine too. but, i am happy with the 30:43.
i was trying to beat the number on my chest which was #3037. so the last 40 feet i jogged it... yet, i couldn't shave off those 6 seconds.
i blame the lack of aerodynamics on my girls. i'm gonna have to check tomorrow as to how bruised i am, because i am pretty sure they hit my chin and my tummy.
they were not built for running. they DID, however, come in very handy when i needed to bring 5 beers back to my group and i could only carry 2 beers in my hands...
yes. i am the proud owner of a D-Cup Holder.
what else? oh, i ran into this one fella that i'd met in jersey city around st. pat's. (the fisher price toy tester)... (i DID have to ask if it was him... because he had an irish face, which is a dime a dozen around there. then he was all "i can't believe how sweaty i am" --- which, that's always grand to point out... thanks, buddy. although, to be fair, EVERYONE in the place was disgusting and drenched. i tried not to touch anyone... very slimy walking through the PH)
jude's supposed to give me a jingle later to see if i want to head over to a bbq in sea girt later.
i'm gonna take a bit of a nap in the meantime.
** even though i had 4 mini cheeseburgers and a handful of Miller Lites, I still managed to lose 2 pounds since this morning... gee, think i'm gonna be dehydrated???
30:43
BY THE WAY... Hello Murph!!! (Jude mentioned that you read the site... cool cool. feel free to shoot me an email.)
i'm sitting here sneezing (right now, the count is at 8.... no.. 9 --- i feel #10 coming on.)
usually after i eat a ton of food, i wind up sneezing. happens with gigglemom... i think a doctor had told her once that it was when your diaphragm is being pressed on or something. god only knows.
ANYWAY. the sneezing and gluttony is not the point of this entry.
got a call from jude earlier. she didn't know if she was heading to the bbq... i'd already planned on doing din-din with gigglemom anyway (surf taco... i just finished the sneeze-inducing beef, black bean and cheese burrito... and a quesadilla... with a bucket of fresh guac.)
then she said she miiiiiight got the bbq and then to the parker house (i so don't want to go there on a saturday night. it was bad enough this morning packed with sweating Bennys.)
but she then mentioned St. Stephen's... and about 20 minutes before that, i'd received an email from my friend Ray about going to St. Stephen's.
it says that the fire was contained in the women's locker room... started in the sauna (the sauna is an electric one, not one with the rocks or whatever and sometimes there are boobs in there who pour water on the fake electric rocks and cause things to eff up. this is what i am guessing happened. i could be wrong... but...)
maybe i'll just go to the Brick Reservoir and walk around it.
seriously though, what are the odds that the one time that i actually have a hankerin' to go the the gym, the damned thing catches on fire?!
went out with friends last night - as i said in one of the previous posts, I'd gone to St. Stephen's in SLH - had a good time. Was good to see everyone.
The band was really swell. Paddy & The Pale Boys. There was a fella roaming around like a wandering minstrel playing, what I can only describe as an Electric Lute. Then he switched it up and was flitting around playing the fiddle.
(I've wanted to learn the fiddle for years now. haven't gotten around to annoying the neighbours with that yet.)
He actually has FiddleBoy buttons printed up... of course, I goofed around and said "Hello, FiddleBoy, I'm GiggleChick"
(Jude thinks that I should get buttons printed up that say "GiggleChick. Part-time web designer. Full-Time Freak"... based on what the waiter last year in Boston said to me.)
(me and FiddleBoy)
now random shots from the eve...
me and Jude:
me and fran:
amanda and ray:
Fran, FiddleBoy, Amanda, Ray and Jude:
all in all, had a great time... it was good to see folks i hadn't seen in a while.
there must be a bowling tourney up there in Heaven right now because there's been continuous thunder for the past 15 minutes.
rolling thunder.
actually, the angels might be on a rollercoaster whooping it up because it was not the normal *CRASH* of thunder, it was basically **grumblegrumblegrumblegrumblegrumble** and sounded like a coaster going around.
pretty keen.
still happening. i love thunder & lightning...
except for when I start remembering Poltergeist and then it creeps me out.
i saw this advert for the first time this morning. i thought it was sweet and quite funny. very simple. loved it. great casting. he's perfect!
of course, sort of sticking along those same lines (but not really) there's THIS oldie but goodie that still cracks me up. probably more effective an ad than what it's advertising.
busy day here at the ol' giggle homestead. cranking out the work and just scarfed down a quarter pounder with cheese. nothing like some fiiiiiiine low-cal home cooking, huh?
woke up at the crack of 10 and worked on & finished stuff for 4 clients (just got a few other requests via email for some work to be done tonight.)
(did, however, go and get a pedicure. sparkly red tootsies.)
think the gigglemom and i are gonna watch "Definitely, Maybe" tonight.... maybe... definitely.
didn't watch the movie. was actually working on a different project from about 8pm till about 5 minutes ago. still need to finish it tomorrow at some point. personally, i think it's turned out pretty good. hopefully.
did watch Weeds at 10pm though - I dig that show... it's gotten a touch silly though, but, i still like it a lot.
Anyone see the Mad Men premiere last night??? SUCH a great show. so stylized and fantastic. Great writing. I just love it, love it, love it.
So anyway... as I said, still have to finish the latest project tomorrow. We'll see how it turns out - if it's given the thumbs up or down.
a friend of mine is sick and so i whipped up a vat of Chicken Dumpling Soup to bring over.
of course, it was packed perfectly when i left the house. rubbermaid container that i'd checked 3 times. also, brought over a loaf of rye bread and a 6-pack of OJ, a couple of sticks of butter. (also a dvd)
all packed with care into my carry on bag i last used to fly home with.
anyhoooooo... as i pulled into the parking lot of Sick Ward M, i laughed to myself at the surprise Irish Penicillin that i was about to deliver.
As I got out of Phooka, I lifted up the carry-on bag as gently and level as i could...
it was then that i gasped at what i saw.
Chicken Soup all over the front seat of my car. Are you EFFING kidding me!?
I mean, I've heard of Chicken Soup for the Soul, but, Chicken Soup for the MINI is unacceptable.
Feck.
So there I was... knocking on the door and leaking soup all over the place.
The one riddled with disease let me in (I am not afraid of catching the illness because I have half a vat of soup here at home... just in case)
Anyway, I hightailed it to the kitchen --- removed the stupid Rubbermaid container... about an inch or more of broth had spilled out. My heart sunk. Like, seriously, I was really ticked about the lid lifting up.
Worse yet, the rye bread was soaked with soup.
The OJ containers were soaked with soup.
The butter.... okay, well, that was in a different container, so, that was fine. Just soupy on the outside.
and the DVD case ---- I lifted the damned thing and soup came pouring out of it --- luckily I was doing this over the sink.
Speaking of the sink... I was able to pour the rest of the broth out of my carry on bag. Seriously, there was at least a cup of broth on the bottom of the bag.
So much for being smooth and just swooping in like Florence Nightengale... I wound up swooping in like Lucille Ball and wreaking soupy havoc.
i still cannot see myself voting for Obama this fall.
(Not for nothing, but, the DNC Convention isn't until late August... there's still talk of superdelegates switching to Hillary.)
Miss Giggle had a steam boat
The steamboat had a bell,
Miss Giggle went to heaven and the
Steamboat went to...
Hello operator
Please give me number nine
And if you disconnect me
I will chop off your...
Behind the 'fridgerator
There was a piece of glass
Miss Giggle walked upon it
And she cut her big fat...
TOE.
yes, that was all to tell you that i thiiiiiiink i have glass in my index toe on My Left Foot (insert Daniel Day Lewis saying something profound like "OWWWWW!")
i can't find the glass. there wasn't any blood. maybe it's a phantom injury, but, i don't think so. it huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurts. waaaah.
and it was near the sliding glass door leading to the patio -- not "behind the 'fridgerator".
okay. maybe i should just pour chicken soup on it.
anyway... the visiting nurse and the social worker are coming here to see gigglemom at around 11ish... no, i won't shove my foot in the nurse's face saying "take a gander at this!!!"
BUT... i've heard about things like Hot Chocolate infused with Chili (pepper. not infused with spiced ground meat and sauce... althoooooooooough... no, no, that would be disgusting.)
