Sunday Race

I didn't mean for today to be another race against my meds, but I had no choice. Today was Kathy's last day at my place before she went back to her 2.5 hour drive up to Jacksonville. Her boyfriend Jamie was leaving on vacation the same afternoon and had to be home for their pets. I wanted to maximize my time with her.

Kathy kept joking about my energy. While I let her sleep in later than I did, I was moving around my apartment in stealth mode. None of my doors squeak in my apartment thanks to some special household lubricant called WD-40. Squeaky doors are bad feng shui -- means that energy is stuck in that areas of your life.

I made us a big breakfast and she expressed her desire to go to the Asian store later to buy some Asian veggies which I happily agreed on. We spent about an hour meandering about busy Asians getting their groceries before picking up sandwich orders for us and Tawny/Jeff for lunch. Jeff wasn't able to make it because he was still doing some pesky work for my company on his computer. This poor guy worked all weekend!

When lunch was over, Kathy cleaned the inside and outside of my sliding glass panel doors. I was more concerned about the dirty green pollen that had accumulated this spring on the outside. She also cleaned the front of my entrance door. All this to improve my feng shui. I do live feng shui as much as I can. It can't hurt, right? It just helps me focus on my intentions for my life with the universe... Tawny went home during the cleaning of the doors to take her husband his sandwich. Kathy would make a brief stop to their place to say goodbye to Jeff since he didn't make it.

My day wasn't over yet when Kathy left after 1pm. I did four loads of laundry, filled up the dishwasher, straightened the kitchen and took out trash as well as update my blog. As the afternoon wore on, my after care meds really kicked in. The mental fog began to surround my vision while my body seemed confused at the disconnect. I only have one more day to take the meds tomorrow. I dare not skimp on them just to avoid the discomfort. Sigh.

I spoke to Angie at night to let her know of my chemo day and other weekend adventures. She in turn told me of her adventures of hosting her mother/my aunt when she arrived back from her weeks long trip from the Philippines. Apparently, my aunt had an ear infection and a small cough, but they still had a great visit. I, myself, won't be able to see her until next Saturday; I need to make sure she is not coughing some crazy viral thing from the Philippines. It is a chance I can't take with my immune system.

So my lovelies...overall this was a great chemo weekend!

Kisses,
Sarah Sprinkles
xo

Sunday Race

Reunion at Disney

Why did I ever agree to get my hair done at 9am? The salon was on the other side of town about 25 miles. I was miraculously 10 minutes early for Tania (tah-neeyah) who was surprised to see me. I have a lot of hair to darken which takes time. The warm red I have enjoyed was starting to annoy me and the cover-up of the old blonde hair at the bottom third was looking tired. It was time for a change to darken my tresses. I also felt that I needed to be taken more seriously. There is something about darker hair that exudes a perception of a higher IQ. (Don't argue with me - you know your AGOL is correct.)

My new hair color looks like a dark wine (almost black) indoors, but when the sun hits it I feel like a Japanese anime character. The sun illuminates the color into a brilliant wine. Dig it! It is a perfect foil for my geisha white skin - not to mention to goes well with my new wine lipgloss. Helloooooooooooooooooo Shallowville! After the hair came the trip to the nail salon. More Shallowville.

Truth be told, I could have waited for both appointments but I was meeting my old friend Trish from San Francisco in Orlando where she and her boyfriend were staying at a Disney resort to spend time with his family for a few days. It has been about 12 years since I have seen Trish in person and I wanted to put my best foot forward. She did the same thing the past few days, too.

The bad part was that their flight came in at 7:35pm at Orlando International. By the time they settle in it would be about 9pm. She made dinner reservations at 9:30pm. I tried to prepare for the lateness in things by taking an hour nap in the afternoon to make my drive easier. You may recall I suffer from night blindness which increases when I am tired.

Did I tell you I also had to drive to the other side of Tampa for a Korean dinner at Kim's for 5:30pm? I made it on time and ate some homemade delicacies including seasoned sesame leaves which was a pleasant surprise. My excuses were made to the dinner party a little after 7pm. I still had to stop at the store to get Trisha some much needed underwear her boyfriend forgot to pack. She called me while I was at the salon earlier in the day for the favor. I also bought a 4-pack of Starbuck's doubleshot espresso and drank one on the way to Orlando. Damn my car really zooms at 80mph or was that the caffeine?

Trish's boyfriend met me in the lobby and led us back to their room where a teary-eyed Trish greeted me. It would seem that time stopped on our faces since the last time we saw each other. Funny how our faces haven't really aged. The moment was surreal.

We honored our dinner reservations with a decadent meal. My Korean feast was still settling in my stomach so I had a small appetizer to go with the extra large margarita I was drinking. We had planned on me staying over, but it didn't work out. Several texts to Tawny back and forth had her worried about my late drive home. I was thankful she took my doggie out twice and asked her to leave my key under the mat. My drive home began after midnight and got home safely thanks to a long conversation on the way home with Angie in LA and another can of doubleshot espresso.

I have mixed feelings about my reunion with Trish. While our faces have not aged, our personalities have and trying to reconnect in a matter of a few hours was not enough to re-establish things. Still we made do and she very much wants me to visit her in San Francisco. We'll see. I was safely home at 2am.

Coffee injections should be invented, legalized and sold commercially. Just saying.
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Reunion at Disney

Fortune Cookie Simplicity

Sprinkles says (5:14 PM):

so two fortune cookies..one from last night (chinese joint) and today at pf chang's kept talking about simplicity in some form...from your gut...what do you think it is saying?

Cousin Angie says (5:16 PM):

i think it means the cheap ass bastards shop from the same fortune cookie store

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Fortune Cookie Simplicity

Filipino Babysitting

Today I was babysitting Sharon. Yes, she is older than me by two years. Don't get so technical. Ha! Sharon is like a Filipino sister to me (other than Angie). She lived in the Philippines until high school was over. When I mention certain things, she knows exactly what I am referring to and that comforts me somehow.

Picked up Sharon at the Cadillac dealership where her vehicle was scheduled for maintenance and a window tint. I drove us to Cracker Barrel near my place so she could have her lunch of Chicken and Rice and I could finally have breakfast at 11:30am. We were so famished and struggled to contain our shoveling of food into our mouths.

Sharon began her marathon training today; the six miles she ran earlier this morning resulted in her body craving real food. Me? I had been saving my appetite for the big dig, if you will. We shopped around in the country store after. I pressed everything that would animate and make noise while she went behind me to shut them off or hold the ones that were falling off their perch on the shelf until their animation cycle ended. Yes, I am a brat.

We watched Something New with Simon Baker at my place. She hadn't seen it before and we both love Simon Baker. I stopped it at a logical point so we could pick up her car and then return to my place to resume the movie. What I like about re-watching movies you haven't seen in a while is that you get to be surprised again.

We ordered Chinese and picked it up. We ate while we watched the riveting film Closer with Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Clive Owen and Julia Roberts...Ten minutes after she left for home, I found her still at the gasoline station filling up her car; she had gotten sidetracked talking to her husband first. We laughed as she saw me pulling up to the next pump. Silly girls.

PS Today was my cousin Angie's birthday. I left her a rather loud squawking rendition of Happy Birthday on her cellphone while I drove home from dropping Sharon off at the dealership.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANGELITA!!


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Filipino Babysitting

Connections

Yesterday was a dud but the evening got better. I was able to talk to Angie who had a long weekend at Comicon in San Diego. She had shared her pictures earlier today of the celebrities she was able to see and her friends enjoying the venue. Lucky duck!

A call labeled "unknown" came through while Angie and I reconnected. Instinct made me answer it and while I put my cousin on hold. A tentative voice asked if it was Sarah and I said yes. The female voice introduced herself as my new Canadian friend Romy. Wow!

Romy ended up calling me again later after I finished my conversation with Angie. Listening to Romy talk gave me the sense that she was happy and I liked that very much. She speaks as fast as I do which is good. Have you ever spoken to someone who doesn't match your tone and speed in either direction? Yeah, that can be annoying. I was thrilled not to have that issue and I was able to enjoy my surprise phone call...

Tawny also shared pics of her New York vacation last week. Looks like they had a lot of fun -- very much deserved, too! I may need her help in planning a group baby shower for Ant's wife Rebecca. Ant didn't update me on a decision; I'm glad I asked for an update tonight as we walked out of my building. He sat in my cube talking and joking with my friend Sharon and me.

Instant messaged with my friend Rob a little this afternoon. He's been keeping himself busy by working out to get back to his previous level of fitness before his accident and by painting his young daughter's bedroom. A new job may be on the horizon. I'm crossing my fingers for that to happen. He needs to be kept busy with activities or he gets restless.

The main event of today was a group lunch with my department. My director who had been let go earlier this month drove up to see us and to help celebrate the temp's birthday early. What piece of info you didn't receive earlier in my day was that my cohort had sent me a text message before I arrived at work with a description of the outfit the temp was wearing specifically today. Let's just say it was breathtaking... stunning... and eye-popping. Wherever she went, she received attention which I guess was the whole point. Someone needed to explain the difference between positive and negative to her. Couple the look with some conversation laced with pathetically crass personal information and we had a winner! Bridget and I found our own conversation that made us and the rest of the group laugh. I can't share more because I've spent too many lines on this already.

I had some leftover ginger soup for dinner. While eating, I could hear my next door neighbor doing some last minute painting and cleaning of her now vacant apartment. She's the third person I've seen live there. I wonder who Cabal and I will get as new neighbors?


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Connections

The Sprinkles Life

Ideas for my upcoming creative vacation have been swirling in my head, only allowing a third of my brain to pay attention to my day job. I am no where near ready to quit the day job so I'd better find a way to tie the strings down on these thought balloons...

I noted that it was quiet on the instant messaging front with everyone too busy for even a moment to themselves thanks to conference calls. Tawny was also getting ready for her road trip to Iowa/Wisconsin/Michigan with her sister. (I am keeping my non-constructive and not-so-sweet commentary to myself, but I am noting that I am keeping my non-constructive and not-so-sweet commentary to myself.) I will have bags of chocolate ready and waiting for Tawny's return...

On the other hand, my cousin Angie is like the real sister I never had, which is odd because she has always been in my life in some form or another. She is my best friend in the whole universe, the true wind beneath my wings. I don't think she quite realizes the profound effect she has had on my life. The first time I recognized her hand in my journey was when she handed me a Harlequin book at age 11 to read so that my comprehension would get better. Her method was revolutionary but it got me read voraciously from that point on. I'm sure I mentioned somewhere that she was the one to introduce me to this site to get me blogging. Truth be told, I think it is her lazy way of being able to read my diary. I am such a gullible sucker. Here I am sharing my diary with the world. Of course, you don't get everything...almost.

The thing about Angie is that she always gives me gems (real and figurative). I am currently wearing two rings from her and one link bracelet with a dangling heart charm. While I love those pieces of jewelry and wear them everyday, it is all those figurative gems that I treasure the most. The most recent was her commentary on the male from Tuesday. She said that he wants the sprinkles life but then he backs away...he is a moth. It took me a couple of minutes until I reread what she had written: the sprinkles life.

I breathe deeply and let out a sigh. When I think of those three words, I feel and see so many things. What would it mean to truly have The Sprinkles Life? It would mean living with prisms of color everywhere (nothing gloomy!), spirited laughter, an incredible loving family of my own, loving extended family and friends, working in front of and with the public, constant growing creativity...and living the love that comes in doing and having them all. I'm lucky already because I have some of those I mentioned. It is a work in progress. I invite you to stick around for all of that or at the very least some more gems.


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The Sprinkles Life

Important Cupcake Ingredient

My cousin Angie sent me this last week and I didn't know quite what I was reading at first. I thought she was asking ME the question, but rather it was an excerpt from an article...

You said that you sometimes bake cupcakes, but have had trouble with getting the frosting right. Which recipe(s) do you usually use? What's been your best cupcake baking experience?

Everyone at work goes nuts when I made Lickety Split Strawberry Cupcakes. It’s a tacky
Pillsbury Bake Off recipe, but they love them. You add sour cream and eggs to a box of that pink, strawberry-flavored cake mix. You fill the cupcakes up part way, drop a teaspoon of strawberry jam on top of that, and then cover that with a dollop of the cake batter. Although the recipe doesn’t call for icing, I think they benefit greatly from a good slathering of cream cheese frosting. I also top them with red sprinkles, because cupcakes should always have sprinkles.

...When I read the last line, I laughed out loud for a long time. Sometimes she can really really make me laugh. I haven't made cupcakes in a while and my unused cupcake tree (see above sample pic from Amazon) holds almost two dozen delicious cups for display and enjoyment. First though - we must have Sprinkles.
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Important Cupcake Ingredient

A Hustling Ho Ho Ho

(Yes, I am still coughing, but not as bad as previous nights. Thank God.)

My alarm got me up at 5am and it was a slow start beginning with taking Cabal out. Wrapped the girls' presents and was ready when Myrna picked me up a little after 7am. On the way, she presented me with her mother's Christmas gift to me which she had sent from Ohio - a metal crystal encrusted dragonfly pin! As soon as I finished ooh'ing and aah'ing over it, Myrna made me open her mother-in-law's gift to me which was a jade and jade colored-crystal bead necklace with matching earrings she picked up from the gem show. These women were so kind to think of me. Both gifts were very pretty and very unexpected.

Kristey drove up as we arrived ourselves. We were seated immediately and ordered breakfast. Kristey regaled us with her Steamboat Springs ski trip. One of their companions displaying horrible horrible manners and behavior mortifying the rest of the skiers. Do people actually behave that bad? Yes. She finished the story with a funny ending so all was not lost on the long weekend.

We exchanged gifts with me receiving way more than I bargained for. Among the items I received was another dragonfly pin from Myrna which had a Mama Dragonfly and a Baby Dragonfly. Kristey got me a sage blue heart pin from a local Steamboat Springs ceramic artist. I received more stuff but I feel that is really bordering now on bragging if I tell you the rest. I am so blessed.

Pretty dragonflies to keep me company.


Handmade heart pin with friendship poem.


Myrna dropped me off at my aunt's house and stayed for a visit and reacquaint herself with my family. Angie drove us to a few stores around town so we could finish...We didn't. Tomorrow is the absolute last day to shop. It is not quite making me bite my fingernails. I won't -- they are expensive. Ha! We ate a late lunch/early dinner before she Angie came for a short visit. We were grooming my Pretty Boy Dog and taking videos of him just being too cute so she could show her brother later.

Instead of diving into the gift wrapping like I should have, I decided to decompress and veg a bit. It was Sunday after all! Being on the go all weekend without any time to just be would not be good. I had been feeling queasy from lack of sleep mid afternoon. I updated my blog and recounted the things I bought so I wouldn't miss anyone in case I needed to get more gifts after work tomorrow. It will be just a few hours at work! Okay, that is ONE redeeming quality about Christmas: time off.
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A Hustling Ho Ho Ho

Early Birds

An alarm ringing at 3:15am is a rude awakening. This is bad, but I slept in my holiday outfit from the night before. It was nice, but not glamorous and wears well. Redid my hair and took the dog out before feeding him half his breakfast. I was going to be gone for a bit.

Who were all these people driving on the interstate at 4am?! Good grief. Arrived in Brandon with my eyes barely open. With both my aunt and uncle awake and my cousin Gary on a club chair waiting to go to the airport, it seemed everything was normal at 4:20am. For some reason when I sat on a stool watching my aunt work in her kitchen, I experienced a tremendous chest pain. I got up and walked, stretched my torso and just forced myself to concentrate on my breathing. The pain went away. Odd.

My uncle drove three of us to a busy airport. I was jonesing for some serious coffee. Where were my buckets of coffee? Angie arrived on time, but her luggage didn't. That happened to her last year, too. I begged for a Venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks. We all had some coffee and sat down just talking and me telling dirty jokes. What I loved was that I was able to tell them to my uncle, too. Maybe he was too asleep to censor me? Ha!

My aunt and uncle's ginormous Christmas tree: This is about a 7.5-ft tall tree and at least 4-ft wide. My aunt looks like an elf next to it. I will take a picture of her next to it next time. Hee.


I love watching the lights dance and blink around the tree. Oooh...pretty!


When we got back, Nan was awake and joined us in the sun room to enjoy a traditional breakfast my aunt made called "molly cakes" (essentially fried dough) which we slathered with butter and sugar free syrup. The sausages were good, too. AND THE COFFEE!

The humor and zingers were in full swing. I had accidentally put too much Splenda in my coffee which my uncle noticed and asked me if I was trying to get sweeter. I said yes and he replied, You'd better pour some more. OMG. Angie had gotten up to go inside the house and she yelled something to Gary. Impishly, Gary replied in a loud and horrible rendition of what was supposed to resemble Chinese. Nan was startled and said he had scared her. Gary quick as lightning added, You should see me with an ax. OMFG. We were howling with laughter at 7:30am and had to remember the neighbors were still sleeping in on a Sunday. The sun room is enclosed, but the windows were open to let the cool breeze leftover from the passing storms. My face and sides hurt. I was just glad I didn't choke on any food. Aside from their loving nature, this is the best part of my family: the smartass humor.

Left the gang before around 11am so I could get some sleep. I would miss the visit from my cousin Dave's family which was fine with me. The kids would outsmart me in a heartbeat as tired as I was. They can smell weakness and would take advantage of the fact they are incredibly cute. Little ghouls.

Talked to Tawny on the way home. Her daughter missed a flight from Detroit to Tampa and had some issues getting another flight. She ended up making a flight to Orlando instead. Tawny and Jeff picked up their middle child after midnight. Tawny was happy. Now she won't be able to contain her happiness and will run amok talking about Christmas. Yuk! Expressed my embarrassment to her in what would be construed as the walk of shame from my neighbors. They didn't see me get home late and leave a few hours later in the same clothes, but would see me arriving near noon in the same clothes. Oh, well...

How did I know I was overtired when I got home? I trolled the Internet researching some nutrition supplement and replying to e-mails before finally taking a hot shower and try to catch a nap. I was in sleeping bliss when my phone rang. It was Trish from San Francisco sitting at her favorite deli. We caught up and cackled. The usual. It's been a few hours and I am about to do a two-mile walk. I had an assignment after all.
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Early Birds

Fun at Sandy & Mark's Party

Woken up from a deep sleep by a call from an agitated Angie letting me know that she missed her flight from L.A. due to traffic and that I didn't have to go to "mom and dad's". It was 1:10am and I had finally gotten to sleep 30 minutes before. I was able to mentally register the message and reset my alarm from 3:15am to 6:30am.

Ended up calling my aunt and uncle's house mid morning trying to find out more, but they didn't have any more information at that time. Soon after Lisa called me while she ran her errands to catch up on stuff. She was very happy in her new home.

Shopped the grocery store quickly for ingredients to make my much anticipated rum cake. It is baked in a bundt shape and the rum sauce drenched on top is made with a generous helping each of butter, granulated sugar, water and rum. Most of the alcohol does get cooked off, but one whiff will let you know it has rum in it. Some recipes call for straight rum being poured over the cake (yuk!), but my recipe has a buttered taste.

I've had the recipe since 1992 from a guy named Rick whom I worked with at Saks Fifth Avenue in Chicago. After it has had time to absorb the extra liquid on the plate, a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar is added. I tend to add more during Christmas for a heavy snow effect. Since it will be served at someone else's home, I pre-sliced the cake before the powdered sugar step which makes serving a snap.

Picked up Kathy and headed for Sandy and Mark's Annual Christmas party. (They live just a few miles from my aunt and uncle.) We've been going for about nine years. I took a lot of pics than I ever have at their party to show the things Kathy and I always search for when we visit at Christmas. It brings comfort somehow. They always go all out. The whole house is decorated down to the last details of having their comforter on their bed have a Christmas theme and swapping their everyday dishes with Christmas ones during the season.

Out poolside bar with Sandy and Kathy


My own handmade ornaments she received from my ornament exchange parties from previous years were hung on their second tree outside by the bar:

Felt fabric Santa underwear that contained bracelets with jingle bells for the gals to wear.


One of the many designs of origami boxes I've made.


Their indoor tree with and without a flash!


Every year their piano is decorated this way. The giant Santa on the left sings and dances.


Sandy wraps all of her art and photos, too!


Kathy enjoying the rum cake I baked.


Our hosts: Sandy and Mark, the nicest people you will ever meet!


Clearly Mark and Kathy are not believing the story Sandy is telling.


A very exhausted Perkins rests from running around dozens of guests.


I enjoyed myself at the party and felt my Christmas freakishness only a few times. By the time I dropped Kathy home and I got back to my own home, it was 11:35pm. Only have a few hours to sleep and drive to my aunt and uncle's to accompany my uncle to the airport. Buckets of coffee will be in my future.
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Fun at Sandy & Mark's Party

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANGIE!

Happy 41st Birthday, Angelita!

My cousin, my savior, my best friend and my real sister. Thank you for helping me make it through these last 25 years...Without you, there wouldn't be me in any form. You know that.

I love you more than rice and chocolate!
(most of the time)

Hugs,
Fishie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANGIE!

Oh, Shih Tzu!

Don't recall how the rest of the afternoon went exactly. All I remember is that I was busy while trying to fight a mysterious fatigue. Coffee did not help much. My suspicions fall to an energy vampire. I'd say who, but wouldn't want to conjure her up. Ha!

Was able to IM briefly with Angie. She was tired from attending Comicon (world's largest comic book convention) in San Diego this weekend, but had fun with two of her pals. She saw actor Clive Owen (yum!) among many other celebrities.

This yearly event is becoming the place for celebrities and fans to connect especially in the science fiction film and TV genre, according to my movie critic friend who was thinking of attending this year...Angie vows to pay an extra $150 per night to stay at the hotel next to the convention center for 2008 to avoid trolley/bus rides. Time and convenience -- worth it if you can swing it!

Spoke to Jill on the way home. She was feeling better about her new job and doing generally well. Jill wished for having a girlie girl lunch with several of us so we'll have to plan that soon.

Met Myrna for dinner at Cracker Barrel. I had a jones for cornbread and she was game. She informed me that her husband bought her another puppy. This time a female Shih Tzu to accompany Teddy, their male Yorkie.

I suggested she name the new puppy Tara, as in Tara and Teddy, but Myrna said she wanted to name her Sarah Belle. She apparently has the oriental features reminiscent of you know who. I died laughing. She and her husband have been calling me Sarah Belle at times. Her husband was not keen on that in case it offended me, but I love it and told her to go for it!

Back home to my own puppy who was waiting for his play date. I was home earlier to walk and feed him, but scooted out for my own dinner. Cabal would not stand for another doggie in the apartment even if it was a female. No way! He has a gravy train he's guarding and keeping all to himself.

Oh, Shih Tzu!

Rain Brings Potluck

Bit of a switcharoo in weather today. It rained in the morning instead of the afternoon. Boy that felt just marvy! A girl who rode with me in the garage elevator commented in disgust on the humidity, "Great! My trousers are sticking to me. It's not worth putting on make-up this morning". My swift reply? "I don't know about that." AGOL Rule #2: It is always worth putting make-up on if not to finish dressing properly.

Work kept me steadily busy all day in between conversations with Bridget. She is so funny with her non-sugarcoated views on things and right now her live-in boyfriend is in the dog house. He asked her to get an outside activity as in a hobby of sorts. She chose roller derby and she practices two nights a week and some Saturday mornings. Now he's jealous of the time she spends at her new activity. Jeez.

While Tawny was in Iowa visiting her parents, she used a portion of the time to scan childhood pictures. Today she showed me the results in a PowerPoint presentation. Here's one of her with her famous curls. All her mom had to do was twist the hair, no curlers!



Tried calling Myrna on the way home to see if she wanted to have dinner with me. Her phone was busy. It turned out that she was trying to call me to ask the same thing. We met later across the road for a country-style dinner and some laughs using overexaggerated stories as we caught up on things.

I walked in the door ready to make up my time away from Cabal when my cousin Angie called. She was making her way home around Los Angeles.

In our relationship, it is usually me who comes up with odd and surprising tidbits. Unprepared, she sprung this question on me, "Did you know you can buy a scope that lets you see inside your own ear?" A whhaaaaat? The more she explained, this time bringing the Japanese into it, the deeper in laughter I sunk. Then she started to laugh because I was laughing.

Through her research, she found out that in Japan, they have salons where people can get their ears cleaned with an earspoon. What kind of wax build-up do these peeps get? This is what amazed my silly cousin: earscope tv. The page includes a youtube video demo of this Japanese tool for in-home use so you don't have to go to the salon. The best part is you can use it in your other orifices...or someone else's!

Rain Brings Potluck

Serving Bittersweet

Gratefully, a light at the end of the tunnel arrived today in the manner of a newly hired buyer named Bridget. She is to start working with me full-time which will take a load of pressure off of me and our department. The only catch for her is that she has six days to catch on before I leave on my vacation.

She has proved to be a quick learner and has had some experience with our accounting application. The only challenge is that we've been interrupted by Scouser (yes, he's from Liverpool) sniffing around already at fresh meat. Bridget is petite, endowed and blonde. The very thing that drives me crazy about Scouser is the very thing I find charming. He's a good friend so I had to nicely beg him to rein it in. I just didn't have the luxury of time in talking him up. It was Bridget's first day after all.

By day's end, I was talked out. I filled a cart with my cube contents so I could move things with ease in the morning. Makes me realize how colorful my cube is when now it is just a dull gray.

I felt remarkably happy. I decided to groom Cabal which involved brushing and trimming his long hairs. Sheltie's shed a lot and have long hair which can be matted if not properly seen to regularly. In the middle of trimming the hair behind his right ear, I accidentally cut Cabal. He showed no outward signs of discomfort. I only noticed when I went to trim some more. I had cut through skin so I immediately retrieved special pet first aid meds to clean the area.

Immense guilt set in and thoughts about being a bad mother to my pretty boy dog. I could only attribute the accident to exhaustion. An exhaustion that has lasted a year if one were to really chronicle my job. The only constant in my department has been me and it has taken its toll. My impending UK trip and not being already prepared with items to take and being nervous at meeting Yummy properly took its toll, too.

My cousin Angie in California found herself consoling me for an hour and a half over the phone. I had to call her back at some point because I couldn't breathe from working myself up so much. She helped me sort it out and realize the more important things happening in my life. I took a nighttime formula decongestant for some breathing relief and much needed sleep.

Serving Bittersweet