The Saga Continues ...

Good Morning, Kittens.

 

Yesterday was not a good day.  Rather than getting the shit-ton of work I have to do by today, I spent most of the day fretting about what to do regarding D.  In the end (around dinner time), I sent a nicely worded text similar to what Tam suggested.  Then, I waited.  And waited.  And waited.

 

I knitted.  I ate chips and salsa.  I watched a DVD.

 

Then, I went to bed.

 

I did not sleep well.  Even with the NyQuil, I woke up several times coughing and hacking.  *ugh*

 

Around 3AM, I noticed I had a text from D.  He had sent it around midnight.  It read that he was sorry but he has had to work until 11PM the past two nights, that he's in a life crisis and needs a change, that he doesn't want to be negative, but he's not in a good space at the moment.

 

This morning, I replied, "OK. I know things will get better for you.  Hang in there! I like you a lot, so let me know when you feel like going out again."

 

Ball.  Meet D's court.

 

And, the Autumn of Aloneness begins ...

 

Have a great (rainy, if you're in the DC/Metro Area at least) day!

 

*smooches*

Stood Up Stand Down

Good Morning, Kittens.

 

Well, my fun dinner and movie date with D never happened last night.  Why not?  I have no idea.

 

We had made plans to meet last night over the weekend. On Monday evening, I called him to see if he still wanted to come over.  He was on the phone (I can tell this because Verizon phones have a slightly different ring if the person you are calling is on the phone.  Did you know that?  I didn't until someone pointed it out to me).  I left a message.  He never called back.

 

Tuesday around lunch, I texted him to see if he was still coming over.  The reply I got was along the lines of "Having a crappy day.  URGH."  I replied sorry to hear that.  As I was leaving work, I texted him to say I was stopping by Whole Foods on the way home and asked if he wanted anything.  No reply. 

 

No texts.  No call.  No nothing. I am wondering if "I'm having a crappy day" should be translated into "I'm going to be working late and I can't come over."  However, I shouldn't have to be the one to interpret that.

 

So, now, the waiting for any sort of text or call from him begins.  Or, I suppose, I could text some sort of message saying that I'm disappointed that he never let me know he wasn't coming over.  Disappointed?  Angry?  Upset?  Frustrated? 

 

I'm so confused over this whole dating him thing.  He talks about long-range things, like "when you meet my mother" or "I need to go to Seattle in the winter. You should come with me."  BUT, he doesn't do short-term planning.  He rarely initiates anything.  It's nearly impossible to reach him on the phone ... which is odd, because he'll pick up calls from his friends when we're out, saying things like "if I don't answer this call, I'll never hear the end of it" (which I guess I could interpret as his friends have learned how to manipulate him and I haven't). I'm left wondering where I stand.

 

On the plus side, I still made delicious curried chickpeas and ate Haagen-Dazs Dulce de Leche for dessert.  Nomz.

 

And, on that note, have a wonderful day.

*smooches*

 

 

Hanging in There

Good Morning, Kittens.

 

Not much going on here.  I am still sick-ish.  Coughing.  Hacking.  Sore throat.  So much fun.  I feel better than before, but night time is the worse.  I usually take some NyQuil before bed and that helps me sleep.  But, last night, after spending a couple of hours in the dusty clay-filled pottery studio, I couldn't stop coughing.  so, I took an additional hit of the NyQuil.  Bad.  Idea.  Someone slept through his alarm this morning and woke up at 7AM.  Considering I have to be at work at 7:45 and it takes about an hour to get to my office, this was not a good thing.

 

I made it in around 8:40.  Not too shabby.  I had good bus/train karma, which helped.

 

Pottery studio was good.  I trimmed 5 things - two cup-like things (which were too dry to attach handles) and three mugs.  Fun times.

 

Tonight, D is supposed to be coming over for dinner and a movie.  I don't know if he'll want to sleep over or not, especially with my coughyhackiness.  We'll see.  I'm making chana masala (curried chickpeas), using a recipe that I got from either Dykewife or Goblinbox.  I can't remember.  It looks easy and I have most of the ingredients on hand.  Plus, the chili sauce I made should be ready.  I think that might be tasty on it.  We'll see.

 

And we're going to watch a Bollywood film a friend recommended to me a LONG time ago: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (which I think is "Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Sad").

 

Have a great day! *smooches*

Weekend Update: Diseased Edition

Good morning, kittens!

My weekend was chock full of fun and excitement. Friday night, I went to bed early. And Saturday, I didn't even leave the house. On Sunday, I left the house once (to go the grocery store). Mm. Hm. I am living the Crazy (sub)Urban Life!

I did accomplish a few things during my convalescence though ...

On Saturday, I made Garlicky Red Chili Sauce:



Here's the recipe I used (adapted from the New York Times):

2 habenero chili peppers
1 red bell pepper, roasted and roughly chopped
4 small cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Wearing rubber/latex gloves, roughly chop the chilies. Combine all ingredients in a small pot over medium-high heat. Once mixture is simmering, reduce heat to low, cover and continue to simmer until peppers are tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Do not inhale vapors; they will sting.

2. Transfer mixture to a blender and puree. Pour into a medium jar and allow to cool uncovered. Cover tightly and refrigerate for three days. Keep stored in refrigerator; sauce will last for several weeks or months.

It should be ready on Tuesday, when D comes over for dinner! I haven't seen him since last Sunday. *sad face*

Also on Saturday, I finished knitting a baby hat and these babies:



It only took about a year and a half. Huzzah! I've also started another baby hat. After that is finished I'm either going to start my seamless sweater or another pair of socks.

Saturday night, I made one of my favorite meals - baked sweet potato with sauteed spinach and goat cheese. Totes yumz! I had the leftovers for Sunday dinner too.

I could not sleep at all Saturday night. So coughy and gross. I finally found a thing of pseudo-TheraFlu. I drank it. It was disgusting. But, it did help me sleep. Yay.

I was planning to go to the pottery studio around noon, but decided I did not feel well enough to venture that far. Better to stay in and rest more ...

And I did. If you define "rest" to mean "clean the bathroom, do a load of laundry, and iron 6 shirts and a pair of pants."

Then, I took a nap. Mmm. Naps.

After my nap, I walked to the Giant to buy important cold remedies - juice, Puffs Plus w/ Lotion, and NyQuil. Yayz!

I spent the rest of the evening knitting and watching DVDs. So much fun.

Hope your weekend was better than mine!
*germy smooches*

Cough Hack Cough Hack

Good Morning, Kittens.

 

Nothing is going on.  I am still sick.  *ugh* 

 

I left work early yesterday.  And took a 2.5 hour nap.  And slept through a conference call I was supposed to attend.  Oops.

 

I went to bed early, but couldn't sleep because I was all congested and coughing.  Yuck.

 

I am so glad today is Friday (and an 8-hour day!).  Go Home Time is at 4pm.  Huzzah.

 

No real plans this weekend other than try to recover.  I have an invite to a housewarming in BF Virginia on Saturday, but I doubt I will be up to attending. 

 

And, of course, my sweet baboo, D, is out of town (again!) this weekend.  Sad, sick, lonely weekend in store for me.  *sniff*

 

On that note, have a fabulous Friday!

 

*smooches*

The Calla Lilies are in Bloom Again

Good Morning, Kittens.

And, so, the sickness is washing over me again. WTF? Why am I so germ-susceptible recently? Grrr. It maketh me sad, because I will probably be having to cancel my little movie/dinner night with D. *le sigh*

My wonderful neighbor, K-Factor, had to go out of town for work. Before leaving, she asked me if I could plant sit for her. Of course, I said yes. She said she'd leave them by my door. Tuesday morning, when I opened the door, there were two vases of beautiful flowers. "Plant sit?" I texted, "More like Flower enjoy!"

Work yesterday was not fun. I felt gross and sick all day (until I left at 3PM to come home and nap). The highlight of the day (besides having my new ID made) had to be this.

Rat in the trash! Rat in the trash!

It couldn't get out and kept jumping up. Ewwwwz.

ANYWAY, once home (after a stop to pick up cold-fighting fruits and veggies at Whole Foods), I saw the calla lilies and was reminded of this:



Ah ... Katherine Hepburn. Such a strange flower.

Have a great day! Send me some get better vibes.
*germy smooches*

Playing with Fire

Good morning, my sweet sweet kittens.

 

It would seem that I have been burned.  D was recovering from a cold this weekend.  I figured he was well enough that I wouldn't catch it.  He warned me.  I didn't listen.  What can I say?  I wanted a little lip action.

 

This morning, I woke up with a sore throat, swollen uvula, and groggy head stuffiness.  I immediately leapt into action - slicing ginger and lemons, boiling water, sprinking in chili powder, to make this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/5011088555/

 

Mmmm.  Ginger lemon tea.  Delicious.  Perhaps the effects are merely psychological, but drinking it does make me feel a bit better.  I am going to get lots of rest tonight (after a stop by the Whole Foods on the way home).  Drink juice.  Take vitamins.  Eat vegetables.  Get better.  That is my goal.

 

In other news, pottery class last night was quite good.  I was feeling a bit drained so I didn't want to throw any large pieces.  Instead, I made 3 small mugs and a (*ahem* cereal *cough*) bowl.  I am planning to go to the studio on Sunday so I can trim and make handles.  I really need to practice making handles.  I also need to make a couple of wedding gifts.  And Christmas presents.  Fun times.

 

And, there you have it.  Have a great day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Opera Edition

Good Morning, Kittens.

Sunday morning, I implemented Stage 1 of my new running plan. The Marine Corps Marathon 10K is rapidly approaching, and I am nowhere near ready. So, I decided that on the weekend, I would run/walk the 6 miles, gradually increasing the distance I was running. This time, I ran maybe 4 or 4.5 miles and walked the rest. It took me about an hour and 15 minutes. And my knees hurt. *ugh*

But, enough of that, I know you are dying to read all about my adventures at Opera in the Outfield and the viewing of the simulcast of Verdi's A Masked Ball. Well, it was sunny and warm. But there was a cool breeze. And several of my friends backed out of going. Fortunately, the important people showed up ...





After the opera, D and I went to Austin Grill in Penn Quarter for dinner. Then, I came home. So very tired. Sitting out in the sun all day is EXHAUSTING.

Have a great day! *smooches*

I Should Be Cleaning

Good Saturday Afternoon, my sweet, sweet kittens!

I should be cleaning right now, but I realized that I haven't blogged about my life. And that is *so* much more important that doing the housecleaning. Right?

Work has been a Basket Full of Insanity. I am trying to stay out of the swirling eddies of gossip, misinformation, and distrust. Head down. Eyes open. And get the job done. Which for me, right now, means planning for Energy Awareness Month (October) and gathering data for the end of the fiscal year reports. Fun. Times. Srsly. Next week, I have to be ubermotivated. Fingers crossed that it will happen.

I've got a pretty awesome weekend so far underway.

Yesterday, after work, I rushed home (if one defines "rush" as "the metro ride takes about an 45 minutes longer than usual because of a train with mechanical problems at Fort Totten Station and having to offload the train I was on at New York Avenue"), changed clothes, got my stuff together, and headed to Cheverly to hang out with D. Mmhm. We had a sleepover. Well, first we went out for dinner (Thai food. Yum). Then, we had a sleepover (if one defines "sleepover" as "not really getting much sleep"). He drove me home around 10 this morning. Tired, but happy.

I don't have any plans for today. I was supposed to go to this uberfunky hippy wedding on a farm out in Maryland. I have a ride there, but no ride back. Thus, I am not going. Instead, I will be cleaning. Around 2ish, Tomokito is heading down for cocktails. At some point, I hope to nap. And maybe go for a run. And tonight, I will blob on the sofa and knit.

Tomorrow is Opera on the Outfield! D and I will be hanging out with ShallowGal and her posse, as well as SCGB and his beau (I think they are coming), SCGB's former roommate, the German, Maura (his wife), and (hopefully) a friend we met at the German and Maura's wedding, Dr. Emily. I can't wait. It should be so much fun. Free opera! Beer! The ShallowPosse! OMG.

And, that will be my fun-filled and exciting weekend. Hope yours will be equally as AWESOME!

*smooches*

PS. and *extra-special smooches* to Lora for pointing out that yesterday was my Half Birthday. 40 1/2. Joy. I'm sure I don't look a day over 40 1/4.

Life-Size Jellybean Children

Hello, Kittens.

Sorry I have been in absentia for, like, what? two days? Workz is hard and bizzy. I have no timez to blog there. It sucks. I suppose I need to reorganize my daily routine so that I can do the blogging at teh home. We shall see ...

Anyway, Philadelphia was phun. And, really, all you need to know about the trip (other than it was BOOZY GOOD TIMEZ) is this:

LIFE-SIZE JELLYBEAN CHILDREN*

'nuff said.

My date on Tuesday (with D, aka Last Man Standing) was canceled. He was (and still is) sick. We are going to go out at the end of the week. Plus, we will be hanging with the ShallowPosse on Sunday evening's Opera on the Outfield. YAYz!

I hope the ShallowPosse approves of the date (because I am really liking him ... even though we hardly go out b/c of our schedules and we haven't even had teh buttsecks yet**. Still, when we go out, I am happy. And, being happy is a good thing, no?).

ANYWAY, busy day tomorrow, too. And I must go check the laundry. And figure out what I'm going to eat for dinner.

Have a fab evening. *smooches*

*and butterflies.
**I KNOW!!! What if it's bad? Or he's like ... um ... "disadvantaged in that area". Then, all that liking of him will be totes wasted. sigh.

Someone Went to Philly ...

... and all you're getting is a link to some lousy pictures.

 

Good Morning, Kittens.

 

I had all sorts of good intentions about writing a post detailing Every Last Second of my fantastic day in the beautiful City of Brothers and Love.  However, as we all know, the Road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and after staying up too late last night and getting up too late this morning, and being a total bum, all I can give you is the link to the 12 pictures I took whilst in Philly: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/sets/72157624829060105/

 

Enjoy!

 

Trust me.  We had a blast.  (Three words: life-size jellybean children). And, if I get home at a reasonable hour (what?  I have a date), I promise to provide a much more detailed and entertaining narrative regarding my fun-filled trip.

 

In the meantime, Bossy, Lora, and Bossy's Friend Martha:  You are three totally bitchin' bloggerz!  I had so much funz.  

 

*smooches*

12 of 12: It's Hard to Take Interesting Pictures When You Don't Leave the Sofa All Day

Good evening, Kittens!

I woke up this morning to this:



and this:



Rainy and cool. Sweet. A perfect day to do nothing but sit on the sofa and get rid of the last vestiges of germyickiness.

So I made the Breakfast of Champions ...



Later, I ventured out into the rain to check on the habenero peppers. I picked 4 ...



This would be one of the views from my sofa ...



I watched movies and knitted ...



Isabella helped ...



And I did the dishes ...



I ventured back outside to pick some lemon verbena ...



Two cups lemon verbena + 1/2 cup sugar + food processor =



[(1 tbsp lemon verbena/sugar paste + 1 cup water) + bourbon]/rocks =



More knitting. Dinner (of leftover pizza). Several movies. And, then, I put my pottery stuff in a bag and left it by K-Factor's door ...



I'm off to Philadelphia tomorrow for the day. I *may* be back in time for pottery class, and K-Factor said she could take my stuff to class in case I can make it. yay!

And that was my day. Bed time soon! *smooches*

Oh, Look. Friday Already.

Good morning, Kittens.

How's it going? Ready for the weekend? I am trying to remember the last time I blogged. I think it was on my Sick Day (Wednesday?).

Not much has happened since then. I am recovering. It was a weird sickness. Not a cold, more like a general feeling of ickiness and chest congestion with a possible fever (I don't know, because I don't own a thermometer). I am still overdosing on the Vitamin C to keep any other germy bastards away. Hopefully, by the end of the weekend I will be fully recovered. *fingers crossed*

Here's what I did on my sick day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/4972302218/ I turned the heel on my second sock. OMG. I am almost finished with my first pair of socks ever! YAYz!

Work has been INSANE recently. Nothing I can really talk about here, but lots and lots of Capital D Drama. Srsly. It's almost headache-inducing.

After work today, I'm meeting Nic and Maura and SCGB in Dupont to give N&M their wedding present. It's supercute. I'll post pictures of it later.

No real plans for the rest of the weekend. The last remaining alphabet boy, D, is out of town. *sigh* I need to mow the yard at some point.

And I go on a run or two. I am off on Monday. yay! Pottery class starts Monday evening; however, I will miss it because I decided to take a day trip to Philly where I will be hanging out with some
Beautiful Blogger Buddies. suh-WEET!

Have a fabulous Friday! *smooches*

Feed a Cold to Starve a Fever

Good Morning, Kittens.

I am home sick. Bleah. So far I have undertaken the following Get Better Home Remedies:

1. Mega-dosing with Vitamin C.
2. Homemade vegetable soup (nom!).
3. Swallowed a clove of raw garlic with lots of water (last night and this morning).
4. Ginger lemon tea with chili powder and honey (last night and this morning).
5. Early Go to Bed Time and Naps. Lots of Naps.

What are your best cold-fighting home remedies?

Have a great day!
*germy smooches*

Weekend Update: Labor Day Edition

Good Afternoon, Kittens.

Sorry for the delayed posting. Work was insane busy this morning. Too. Many. Meetings. And, I have somehow caught some sort of germykillercoldvirusfromhell (which is why you are looking at a photo of soup). Mmm. Soup.

Anywayz .... my weekend was long and full of boozy good times. In fact, I can barely remember what I did at the beginning of the weekend.

Except, of course, that my Thursday night date with D went very very well and we had lots of fun. (In fact, I was supposed to go to his house after work today, but *ugh* the sickness I haz it.)

So, Friday, I did manage to make to to the pottery studio. I glazed my five mugs. I doubt they will be fired anytime soon though. Oh, well. Later that evening, Tomokito came down and we made cocktails using the habenero-infused tequila. Spicy!

Saturday, I canceled my "date" with C. No desire to battle the crazy public transportation situation. I knat a bit. I went for a run. I spent most of my iTunes gift card, buying 2 albums (Mad Men, Season 1 soundtrack and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert soundtrack) and 2 singles (ke$ha "Take It Off" and Jason Derulo "Ridin' Solo"). SCGB came down for cocktails around 5. And I met my friend, Carolyn, at Adega at 8. BOOZY.

Sunday, I ironed. *w00t!*

I also bought two more songs on iTunes: "Gloria" by Laura Brannigan and "Love is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar.

Eric from Baltimore came down around 3:30. SCGB joined us. We had pre-game cocktails while waiting for Tomokito to get ready and Robert to arrive in his Land Yacht to drive us into DC for Sunday Early Evening Margaritas with Steveandbobby and Jerry. We drank many many margaritas.

Monday? Surprisingly not too hungover. Yay. I went for a run. Yay! And around 3PM, headed up to K-Factor's for a little neighborly Labor Day gathering - beer, food, fun. Awesome.

And, today was Back to Work. I did leave early, because I was feeling sick. I took an hour nap when I got home. Hopefully, I can get to bed early and sleep away the germz.

Have a great evening!
*smooches*

Congratulations!

Good afternoon, Kittens!

And, we have a winner in the Labor Day Vase Giveaway ...


Congratulations, EmCityChris! Please email me your address (environyATgmailDOTcom) so I can send you your cute little blue vase.

Thanks to everyone for participating and don't give up hope! There will be a lot more pottery giveaways in the coming months.

Have a Happy Labor Day!

*smooches*

A Little Labor Day Giveaway

Good Evening, Kittens.

As we head into the long holiday weekend, how about a little pottery giveaway?

I went to the studio to finally glaze the 5 mugs I made at the end of the Summer Session. As I was looking over the shelves to find my unglazed mugs and two glazed pieces, I found this cute little three-legged hand-built vase (pictured) that I had completely forgotten about (awwww. Poor Little Forgotten Vase).

It's about 6.5 inches tall and glazed in Lisa's Favorite Blue. I have always wondered who Lisa is ... she has great taste in blues.

In the middle of the vase, I used the dragonfly stamp I made last summer. The dragonfly kinda cracks me up as it flies and tumbles around the middle of the vase.

So, the burning question is: Who wants the vase? Leave a comment and on Monday, I will choose a winner. Yay!

We haven't had a pottery giveaway in quite some time (stay tuned for more though, b/c ... 5 mugs? they gotsta go at some point). Good luck and have a fabulous and boozy weekend!

*smooches*

Thursday is Friday! Up is Down!

Good Afternoon, Kittens.

When I walked into the office this morning (*almost* on time), I had
an email waiting for me that was, all, "OMG! Meeting at the Anacostia
Naval Station at 9AM! Let's leave at 8:45!" and, thus, I did not get
to write my Early Morning Post.

Yesterday, after leaving work a smidge early, I did laundry. And,
then, I had a cocktail with SCGB. And, then, I ate leftover pizza and
went to bed.

See how exciting my days are?

Fortunately, today is my Friday! AND, it's a 4-day weekend for me.
Hu to the ZZAH!

Tonight, I am meeting D for dinner at 7:30. AND, since I don't have
to work tomorrow, perhaps, there will be a little somethingsomething
afterwards. Yay! Have I mentioned that I am kind of liking D?
Hmmmmm...

Friday, I am going to the pottery studio to pick up some finished
pieces and, maybe, glaze a few mugs. No plans for the evening (yet).

Saturday, I also have no plans ... except in the evening, when I might
venture forth into Virginia for a secksdate with C. However, if a
little somethingsomething does happen with D (and it is goooooood),
then I may cancel the C Plan (because, if I haven't mentioned, I am
kind of liking D and secksing it up with other people might feel a
little weird).

Sunday, a group of friends are gathering at Lauriol Plaza for Sunday
Early Evening Margaritas! YAY! Eric from Baltimore is coming down!
Hurrah!

And, on Monday, I will be recovering from the SEEM ... and K-Factor
mentioned that she might want to host a game/pizza afternoon
celebration.

Fun times. And a merry, merry weekend.

Have a fabulous (and safe) holiday!

*smooches*

What is Today Again?

Good Morning, Kittens.

 

Only Wednesday?  Gah.  On the plus side, tomorrow is my Friday.  Oh, Hellz to the Yeah for the 4-Day Weekend of Fun!

 

So, let's see ... what have I been up to?  Hm.  Monday, I was Exhausted.  Going to bed at midnight and getting up around 5:30?  That is a bad idea.  srsly.  Don't do it.  Unless you are a young'un.  I -obviously- am not.

 

A texted Monday morning asking what I was doing for lunch.  He had the day off.  so we met at his place and had hot hot buttsecks.

 

Haha.  I'm kidding.

 

Not really.

 

OK.  I'm kidding about the meeting at his place and having teh secks.  We actually met at Matchbox in Eastern Market and had teh lunch.  As I have stated before, I am getting the feeling that he is starting to want more than a casual "friendship."  Weird.

 

Anyway, after lunch, I went back to work.  I went home.  I putzed around the house and went to bed around 9PM.

 

Tuesday was more of the same.  Work.  Home.  I went for a run.  I ordered a pizza (spinach, tomato, feta = yum).  A came over.  I was going to talk to him about our status; however, I didn't.  And we went to bed for some fun.

 

Today, I am doing laundry.  That's about all the excitement I think I can handle.

 

Have a great day!  *smooches*