I've been...

...busy! Sure, I've been busy. Over the last week and a half I've spent so much time with my family and friends that I am just floating on happiness, not to mention the new "thing" that's coming in April. No, no, it's not a baby, a graduation or a cute little furry one (though the latter would be wonderful!). We'll talk about it in April :)

Thus, it's time to do some cleaning out & organizing. One never knows when life will demand a change, a move, a rapid change-of-plans. In any case, I washed & dried my new set of *beautiful* Chirp dishes and put them in the cabinet. To fully initiate them, I am planning a puzzle-themed dinner party with the Woo gang. Floppy socks not allowed. Nor are lifted pant legs, unless they are capris (man-pris allowed!). Hmm, so what will the menu include? This I am still trying to figure out; it must be vegetarian fare, possibly vegan, though I will have to quiz the attendees to find out for sure. Vegan is a little much for me, but when there are guests I will make accommodations.

Besides the initiation supper, the calendar seems to be filling rapidly. There is a minor medical procedure, a 99th birthday party, weekends at home with the family, the Irish Comedy Tour, and a trip to PA...and then April ;)

Happiness fights sadness.
Independence fights loneliness.
Forward newness fights tugging-back memories.
Relaxation fights git-er-done.
Salsa fights Tango.

It's time to live together in peace and balance...work yourselves out already!

What's that smell?

It now costs me $40 to fill my little gas tank, whereas a few months back it was only about $30-32. That totally stinks.

"Hi, my name is Todd"

I saw Mister "Hey, nice galoshes!" guy again tonight. I made it a point to buy a few things at TJs so that I could see how he reacted to seeing me again. Clearly it was necessary to pick up three bananas, an avocado, hummus & ID crisis chips (if you don't know what these are, head to TJs). I purposely went to his register so he could wait on me...how nice of me, eh? We exchanged the regular "How are you?"s, I asked him if he recognized me the other night, he confirmed and asked how I ended up at Nick's the other night. He was curious to find out that I am friends with JH (and TC too, I mentioned), which is why I was there. He continued on about how cool the poetry reading had been, I commented that I had not been there, and he followed by suggesting a weekly poetry read that happens Mon nights at Ralph's. All along I checked out his face, his beard - it's texture and varying colors, his teeth, his shaved head. I didn't bother mentioning that poetry really doesn't interest me. I merely said, "Cool, thanks. Have a good night," and off I went....

What you do to me...

I can't avoid the thought, "Did I do the right thing?" I am overcoming the loss of you...you pushed me away, I asked you back, we were back, I asked you for space...I liked it...you asked me back, I said no.

"You hold your head up to the sky. You say what kind of blue are you, are you?" (Erin McCarley) I am inside my head. I am watching from the outside. I am looking in the mirrors, hoping to see deep into my eyes.

"Go on, go on, go on the stars are watching...
You gotta take a bow and do it your way

You deserve a smile with no regret
Oh, look at you kicking off your shoes
Dancing for the world to see, you got the power to believe
Open up and sing and go be free and fly away"

It's you.

Hey there Mister "Hey, those are nice galoshes!" guy...you came into the bar tonight with a girl. Maybe she's your girlfriend or maybe she's your flavor of the month? Either way it goes, you were flirting with me at TJ's that day I had my boots on. You even danced around in a mocking manner when asking me if I dance in the rain in my polka-dotted galoshes. I pretended it didn't happen, then made some awkward laugh at your somewhat embarrassing jumping around by the avocados. Tonight I said, "Hi there!" with a perk in my voice as if you'd remember me. I just got my hair cut so maybe you didn't...or maybe you pretended not to know me because your girl might get jealous? I think you might have recognized me though.........I was wearing my galoshes again.