Neon Hell - Part 1

I wrote the following blog post about 1 1/2 weeks ago but didn't post it for no known reason, and while I COULD update it to make it more currently correct, I have no intention of doing so. I will write an updated post later.

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Where in the world has Sewmouse been?

Home, mostly. Buried under a pile of laundry and the inside of a closet. Not in that order.

I've decided to clean out my dont-wear, don't like, don't fit, don't need clothes and feed them to the charity box. This has necessitated my going into my tiny walk-in closet and tossing out stuff I wont/cant wear. This has made a heap in the middle of the bedroom floor, which then becomes a huge laundry pile, as even though these clothes have been hanging in the closet for eons, I feel that it would be rude to give them to the charity box in their current condition, as they are a bit musty and dusty.

In between, I have been sleeping too much. Or maybe it's not too much, because even though it is too much, it seems to be having a beneficent effect on my levels of energy and ambition. I guess being asleep too much but more active when awake is better than being a semi-comotose slug with normal sleep patterns.

I've also found a new addiction - this silly little online version of Civilization or Age of Empires - called "EVONY". It is online and multiplayer. Rather primitive, but addictive too. It's not WoW, but it's a nice little distraction.

It has been raining cats and dogs and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri around here the last few days. The humidity is oppressive, even though the temperature is not. It's like living in a tepid-mist vaporizer. The dehumidifier gets full too fast for it to do any real abatement. Yesterday morning while waiting for D from work to pick me up (more on this later), I started the washer, the dryer and the dishwasher all at the same time. It was like a sauna in the kitchen. I ended up going outside to wait for D in the rain rather than stay in the house. I fully expected the cats to be all fluffed out like cartoon cats when I got home. They weren't. They were sitting on the sofa looking at me like "WTF do you think YOU are doing here?"

So anyhow - I had to have D pick me up because he took me home the night before. The morning before, the Little Blue Neon decided it didn't want to go to work. Unfortunately, the Little Blue Neon does not have this option on weekdays when I have the outside CPA scheduled to come in and still need a couple of hours of uninterrupted time to finish getting things together for him.

Oh well. Called the tow truck, had them drag tLBN to the repair shop near work, and they drove me to work. EXPENSIVE TAXI!!

However, they've had tLBN now for 3 days, and even though they know that there IS a problem, because it screws up for them - it is the dread "Intermittent" problem, and it will not screw up when the repair guy has his tools with him. /facepalm

The CPA and I came up with an answer. We think tLBN has a crush on the courtesy van from the repairs shop. As the CPA put it - "That's why it only gets TURNED ON when it is at the shop".

I do so desperately hope they can find out what is wrong with it today so I can run errands and stuff over the weekend without fearing that I'll get stuck somewhere with a nonfunctional Neon. (Nonfunctional Neon at the Dysfunctional Dennys perhaps? *giggle*)

I also have discovered something about me. I cannot write when people TELL me to write to them. I get all blocked and can't think of dickall to say. Just sayin'.

The Death of a Dream (not emo) or "Mindi's Great Adventure - NOT"

I had a thought the other day. My cats were born, have grown up and lived their entire lives indoors. The only times they've been outside they've been in a carton or a crate. (Carton to bring them home, official "cat-carryall" crate since.)

So I thought - Hey! The back yard is fenced, Mindi is Fat, I bet she would enjoy sitting in the sunshine on the back patio while I have my coffee in the morning on the weekend! I had these sweet mental images of Fat Kitty laying in the sun - swiping at the leaves of the now-defunct daffodils, watching the birds...

So. Yesterday morning I pulled out the lawn furniture from the garage, cleaned off the winter dust and made a nice cup of coffee, then brought Mindi outside.

She cried. Oh dear LORDY how she cried. At least 4 other cats in the neighborhood took up the caterwauling - it was Drama Queen Central in my back garden. You would have thought I'd pulled her skin off. Then she hid under my chair. Which was ok, but I kept telling her it was ok, and she didn't need to be such a chickenshit.

So she started to do a little exploring, and decided to hide between the fence and the air conditioner. Which would have been ok, but she got herself stuck UNDER the fence, 1/2 in my yard and 1/2 in the neighbor's yard, where Ike the Dog lives.

She would NOT come out. not even for a can of tuna. No Noms were good enough for her to leave her tidy little cave. I would have left her there until she felt safe again, but ... Ike the Dog lives there, and she was 1/2 in HIS yard. I couldn't take the chance.

Ike the Dog's owner (you will note, I know the DOG's name, but not the guy or his wife's names... *rolling eyes at myself*) locks his back gate, so I could not do an end-around and yank her out from his side, so I leaned over my AC unit and tugged and pulled and pushed and tugged and swore and pulled and pushed and re-positioned and pushed and shoved and pulled and tugged and... KITTY. Picked her fat arse up and tossed her into the kitchen, closed the door and sat down in the sun and drank my coffee and realized that the buccolic dream of spending a morning in the sun on the patio with the kitty was just never going to happen.

[emo moment] *sigh* [/emo]

Quick Update

The drain cleaner stuff is called "Insta-Flo".

It was gorgeous this morning - I had my coffee outside and the cool breeze, fresh air and sunshine was utterly PERFECT.

I think I am going to try taking Mindi the Fat Kitty outside in the back and see if she likes it. I don't think she can get under the fence and get away from me - and she might like to sniff stuff and sit in the sun.

Back to work.

The Weekend of Memorial - and Noms.

So this last weekend was Memorial Day weekend. The day we remember stuff. I think it's like remember the troops stuff. Mostly it is about mattress sales and the First Official BBQ of the Year - and now you can wear white shoes for a few months without being technically a dweeb.

This was also "unclog the bathtub drain" weekend. Saturday morning's shower was marred by the fact that by the time I was done, the bath had filled up so far the water was over my ankles. This is NOT GOOD©. So, I went to Ace Hardware, and talked to the Helpful Hardware Man. Actually, he was like the Helpful Hardware Teenage Boy - but still, in the finest tradition of Radio Shack, he did his gosh-darndest to help out the poor, clueless old lady (me) and get her out of the store as fast as possible. In the Ace Hardware, I suspect they want to go back to shining up table saws and testing the Sawzall's. At Radio Shack, (AKA Pocket-Protector World) I'm much more convinced that they want to get back to their D&D game in the back room. Geeks.

Anyhow - so I went to Ace, talked to the kid, and ended up with NO DRAINO. Instead he sold me this small bottle of stuff that you can't even get on your hands without it burning you - that you pour into hot water running into the tub, and then let it work for a while and then flush it out with more hot water and VOILA! No clog.

Or so said the kid.

So I went home and used it. Sunday morning was the Big Test Day - started up the shower and if I hadn't washed my feets, only the BOTTOMS would have gotten wet, because the drain worked THAT WELL!!!. I do not, however, remember the name of the stuff and it's at home and I'm not so I'll edit it in when I know. Or not, if I forget.

So flushed with my success, I made the Chicken/Lime/Cucumber salad that I'd been drooling over in the cookbook. It was ok. I think I will cut down the amount of sourcreme/mayo mixture and increase the amount of ginger. It seemed a bit too "creamy" for my tastes. It has cilantro in it. Steven Colbert says NOBODY wants to eat cilantro. Heh. Fine. More for me.

Had BBQ Monday, now my back is complaining, I'm not sure the 2 are actually related, but it gets everything caught up to current.

Tonight I shall vacuum. Bleh.

No Helicopters Were Harmed In The Making Of This Post

I never did find out anything more about the noises that woke me up the other day. Perhaps it wasn't a broken helicopter at all, but my neighbor with his window open and snoring REALLY REALLY loud. *sigh*

Which doesnt' explain the yellow police tape, but maybe someone was doing a Tony Orlando and Dawn tribute show in the middle of the expressway. It could happen.

Some good things.

A guy I've been fighting with over the phone at work sent an e-mail yesterday to my boss - admitting he was WRONG. I love being right. I really, REALLY do.

Managed to get 4 bags full of clutter out of the house this week. Made enough of a dent in the mess for me to feel pretty good about it. SOOOOO much more to do, but my back limits the amount I can get done at any one time.

I will say, however, that this is the longest sustained "positive energy and resolve" mental period I've had in years and years. If this is what I can expect from menopause, and if I can get my back to cooperate, I may someday have my dream living area makeover completed. I am determined to start with new bedroom draperies. I'm tired of the deep burgundy curtains and the dark floral swags. I think I want to go with something pastel turquoise and seafoam green. Lighter. Cooler. More user-friendly.

I found the local "progressive" talk radio station here. It has shows from Air America, as well as some local programming. While I do NOT agree with absolutely everything they say, I don't feel as if they want to tar and feather and deport anyone who disagrees (although they may poke some pointy sticks at them), and much of their "agenda" are things with which I agree, having had MORE than enough Faux Noise thrown at me over the years, this feels just lovely.

I know that last sentance is a grammatical mess - and I don't give a rat's ass.

Not so good things:

The Fat Kitty, Mindi, has gouged my arm in at least 8 places. I am a wonderland of cat-scratch scars. No wonder the nurse at my Dr.'s office keeps asking me if I am afraid of anyone I'm living with.

"Yes, I'm terrified of my cat..."

Right. Might be good for a laugh.

I broke yet another of my pretty blue and white Corelle dishes. You can't buy them retail anymore - unless you go to one of the used-china shopping sites online, and they want a FORTUNE for just one piece. I could buy a whole NEW set of Corelle for what they want for just one cup and saucer. As my 30-year-old dishware is slowly getting destroyed, I'm thinking that perhaps along with the new curtains I'll have to get some new dishware.

Maybe I'll count it as a "reward" for myself if I ever get the bottom level of the house completely "decluttered". It's actually a "reward" that I'd consider giving some thought (and effort!) toward achieving.

Maybe periwinkle and seafoam, instead of pale turquoise....

I feel a quilt pattern coming on... AEGH!!!

Helicopter Update

No news on the news.

Which is a good thing, one supposes.

However!! On my way home from work last nite, driving down the HIDEOUSLY mis-named Elgin-O'Hare Expressway which goes to neither Elgin, nor O'Hare, there was an ominously Helicopter-sized area with Yellow Police Tape fluttering all around it in the median (tape wound around 4 of 6 light standards).

No rubble, however.

Which is a good thing, one again supposes.

You would have THOUGHT that if a helicopter had to land in the median and there were police and yellow tape that they would have put it on the news, though...

Stay tuned for more updates and further developments as they become available.

Don't I sound Newsy?? *giggle*

Many things

So first thing this morning I am awakened by a rather scarey sound - a helicopter flying low enough for me to hear the flub-flub-flub of the rotors - but then a coughing engine sound - then silence - then flub-flub-flub again, cough, silence... 5 or 6 times.

I kept waiting for the CRASH with fear - I really did NOT want a helicopter to crash in my yard. (911 - Hello, police? There is a helicopter in my front yard. I think you might want to come investigate...)It then stopped. No idea what it was all about. Traffic was a mess this morning, but no mention of wayward helicopters on the radio or internet news, so hopefully it was just noises and no problem.

Heh - that phone call would have probably woken up the dispatcher like the time I called because an SUV had overturned and crashed into a tree outside my parents' house in the middle of the night.

On my way to work there is a place that sells/rents/somethinglikethat heavy earth-moving equipment. Bulldozers and skiploaders and backhoes and fronthoes and stuff like that. BIG flashing mobile sign there this morning "RED TAG SALE".

Like.. HUH???

They have red-tag sales for earthmovers??? Since when??? WHO BUYS THEM??? "Yes, Jane, I brought home a surprise for you - a BULLDOZER!! Happy Mother's Day!!"

Supposed to get up to 70F today. This will be nice. I opened up the window a bit to give Lime Tree a little more light and air. He's doing very well, starting to fluff out a bit and not be quite so stringy looking.

Cats are still doing well. Mindi is having a bit more trouble with what I suspect is arthritis - but she keeps on plugging on, so we take it day by day. Should probably get her back to the vet again soon, perhaps as soon as money gets a little less strained.

Was an article in one of the "ladies magazines" - the ones with 20 diets in screaming letters on the front cover - and 20,000 recipies for cakes and pies and cookies inside - about diet benefits of lentils. I have not, to my knowledge, ever eaten a lentil. The pictures of them in the recipies in the magazine looked a lot like rabbit turds. I'm kind of leery of eating anything that looks like rabbit poo.

It's about time to do some wardrobe upgrades. Many of my shirts and sweaters have gone past their "use by" date - stained, worn, ripped, etc. I hate buying clothes. But I guess I'll have to bite the bullet some. 2 of my favorite sweaters and about 3 or 4 of my usual work shirts need replacing.

Ok - back to work.

The world smells good

So I'm driving to work this morning and every few miles I get a whiff of a wonderful smell - freshly mown grass. It smells so fresh, so GREEN, so ALIVE. (Even though the part that is cut off now is in fact... dead.)

Yesterday there was a male cardinal strutting around on the picnic table outside the office window as if he owned the damn place. *smile* I think it is Spring.

Singing the Pumpkin Toy Song

Mrraaoooooowwww
Mrrrgarglewooooooowwwwwww

Kili has a toy. It is a pumpkin toy. The pumpkin toy is, naturally, orange and it is also about 3" diameter, with black arms and legs and the most gruesome expression on its little pumpkin face.

Kili brings the pumpkin toy upstairs and sits it right in the walkway path by the stairs. I kick it down. She brings it up. It's like playing "fetch" with a dog, but only on HER terms, when SHE wants to play. Cat Fetch, if you will.

Usually I sleep with a fan running in my bedroom. Even in the dead of winter. Why? Well, I live rather close to the end of an expressway, and the noise from the traffic keeps me awake sometimes (not to mention the noise from the neighbors), and the fan acts as "white noise" and covers up the others.

Last nite I decided to try and go without the fan - partly to see if I had become accustomed to the noises (after 17 years...) but also partly because the birds wake me up in the morning and it is kind of pleasant.

3 am. 3 fucking am. Kili decides it is time to play Pumpkin Toy. She brings it upstairs. Apparently my lack of enthusiasm for the game (I'm SLEEPING, you stupid cat!) requires that she let me know the pumpkin toy is upstairs and ready to be kicked...

Merooooowwwwwwww

I ignore it. I roll over. I put the pillow on my head.


Mrraaoooooowwww
Mrrrgarglewooooooowwwwwww
Mrraaoooooowwww
Mrrrgarglewooooooowwwwwww
Merooooowwwwwwww
Mrraaoooooowwww
Mrrrgarglewooooooowwwwwww
Mrraaoooooowwww
Mrrrgarglewooooooowwwwwww
Merooooowwwwwwww
MRRRGARGLEWOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!

I turn on the fan.
*sigh*

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

I finally understand the Tale of Two Cities - from a different perspective. Sorta.

Actually, I understand the entire French Revolution in a much more up-close and personal way, and it is all thanks to Mr. Geithner, Mr. Bernake and the miscreants at AIG and the other banks.

I see all around me folks being evicted, forclosed homes being sold at auction – sometimes for pennies of what they were worth. Not all of these homes are McMansions, some of them are very, very modest dwellings where people lost their jobs, or had some medical tragedy that just destroyed their delicate financial balancing act.

And then I hear that someone who FUCKED UP – and destroyed the financial system in general and the savings of many of these folks who are being evicted in particular – are getting MILLIONS of dollars as a bonus.

A BONUS – a REWARD.

Think about this – this isn’t their usual Salary. This isn’t money they depend on to pay their bills and feed the dog – this is a BONUS – EXTRA money. Presumably their regular pay would be considerably larger – as a BONUS is usually just a fraction of the amount of one’s annual salary. No wonder these assholes can’t figure out why people are angry at them. They not only don’t “get” it – they cannot possibly FATHOM a life without their every slightest whim being immediately catered.

The amount of just ONE guy’s bonus would probably pay off the ENTIRE mortgages for 20 or more of the houses in the area around my subdivision that are empty due to foreclosure. And now the government wants to calm us down about this – they don’t want a “mob” mentality.

I’m sorry, but I disagree. We NEED a mob mentality. We need Madame DeFarge and the knitting ladies, and Madame Guillotine – OFF WITH THEIR HEADS. Grab pitchforks and torches. It seems that every few generations it is necessary for the MANY to remind the privileged FEW that they only get to beat us SO much before we take it back – and do so in rather painful ways.

The Marie Antoinette’s and Barbara Bush’s need to both be treated equally. The time for “peasant revolt” is NOW.

Viva Le Revolution!!!!