I Am Numero Uno, Anne Howard

I peed in the American River, as evidenced to the left. I am very proud of myself and Brian, for helping me out when needed, and for rescuing me from the ants who were eating my flesh. Anne Howard, I beat you now!

Brian and Mark visited prostitutes in Amsterdam. They had a lot of fun and brought home souvenirs. Brought me clog magnets.

This shot was taken really close to where I peed. We will always hold this place special, in our hearts.

Sacramento is very pretty this time of year. The leaves are changing on the trees, and the river, while super super low, is super pretty as well. Their house is great--kitchen was made for midgets, I swear some insane architect has the drawers so damned low I have to bend down, and the stove is electric, but they're going to renovate with a different, smarter architect who realizes not all Americans are 4 feet tall. The backyard is incredible--reflects Mark's subtly masculine taste. So does the house, for that matter. One item of Brian's I covet is this:

I hope he'll leave this for me when he dies. Or, maybe I can print out this picture and paste it where the original stood. ;-)

Two pieces of my father's artwork are displayed here, the eggplant one and the rabbit one. Forgot I gave them to him. They look good here.

Today Is Kim's Birthday!!!

I absolutely love Kim Cohan. Alas, this is not he to the left, it is Monte, Brian's kitty. Monte was adopted by Dawn several years ago, just before she died. When we were dealing with the horrific situation, Brian had said he would adopt the kitty, and I had asked Elaine (her mother) if that would be okay. It was, and here she is. I don't remember what wacky name Dawn gave the kitten (Brian, do you remember?) but as long as she and Brian and Mark are happy, who the hell cares.

I never EVER want to EVER relive that time. Hear me, EVER???!!!!

But, it's Kim Cohan's birthday, and I love him, as stated above. Funny, my roommate's name is Kim as well, but she's a girl who drinks too much and needs to shape up very quickly.

Guess who made the best dinner in the whole world last night? April. Yes, she did! And there was nothing more fun than watching her make her christmas labels (really dull time there) and then watching Gossip Girl. I have to say I thought the story was incredibly stupid except that there are so many awesome NY touches, plus it gave me the opportunity to tell Ape that I grew up that way, and the sucker believed me! For those of you normal people, this show is about the really rich Park Avenue type New Yorkers, those who went to masked balls and private schools, not those who grew up like me, in the streets. On the curb. In the saloons. In public schools. Under the sixth floor of apartment 5T on Eighth Street. Okay, enough, it's very much not like me. As I said, though, I love the obscure New York comments.

Got lots of work done at the shop today. Need to try and finish the ms and get my act together for SACRAMENTO tomorrow!!! Yippee!!! Brian and Monte and Mark, here I come!!!!!!!!!

Bean Burritos...

Nutburger in Moscow noted I haven't written in my blog in a while and she's absolutely right. I am so sorry little one.

Here's all the news that's fit to print coming right up after this word from our sponser...
Actually, no words from our sponsor, I'm just a little drunk! It's hard to write drunk, believe me. Why am I buzzed at this early hour on a Monday afternoon? Because I can be!!!

Been busy, really busy, and trying to get it all in before I visit Brian (little boy above, but he's all grown up now) and then...then off to INDIANA October 30. Then November 5 I start my job. All newsy and good stuff.

So, you ask what I've been doing. I'll tell. The bakery had a booth at the Monterey Music Summit and baked cookies and brownies Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the festival. It was kind of a bust especially Saturday. Don't know the final take for Sunday.

Remember the photo shoot we did for More magazine a hundred years ago? Well...Tina and I were just re-interviewed and apparently they're going to put us in an issue soon. Yeah, right. I won't hold my breath on that one.

Mike (Nutburger's fiance) moved in to the garage yesterday with his dogs Dewey and Blue. Mango's not the happiest cat, and I'm not the happiest owner of a front yard that has dog poop and stuff, but I like Mike a lot. We went to Sean's house for dinner last night and hung out with Travis (I LOVE THAT BOY SO MUCH!!!) and Michelle (Sean's mama, who's cooler than cukes) and had a nice time. Travis is the sweetest kid I've ever had the pleasure to hang out with, and he's funnier than shit. Really. Not that shit is very funny, but...you know...I adore him. They're a nice family and I'm very glad to know them.

Michelle and I hung out today and went to thrift stores and I got a lot of books. She confessed to me she was naked in her house as much as possible since the boys were both at work and school, and how happy she was being naked. I am not one to run around naked, unless there's a cute guy in the bed with me. It's probably the NYC thing.

Came home to find Deanna's manuscript (she's a friend of Mindy who wants me to critique her novel) and started reading it. It's not bad at all, and there are some very funny quips. Who knows...

I keep scrolling up to the pics on top. That's April and Brian (when he was younger). It kills me they're not still together. It's all your fault, Bean Burrito.

Love and kisses to all.

fighting the good fight

what i love doing to april is driving past her store and commenting on her attire. i love her.

hi ape!

does sorbet have dairy in it? was going to break my no dairy regime and have lemon gelato, but they were out. instead i had mango sorbet and my stomach is bloated and i'm not happy. i also have to have dinner at carol and ed's tonight in less than 15 minutes and i feel like a big gas tank. no, there's no dairy in sorbet.i guess i just ate too much. great.

TODAY IS A GREAT DAY

Got the job at Hampton Brown, starting hourly for three months then will be salaried (if we like each other). Yippee!

Got home and found a refund from the NYCMTA for a screwed up situation with a metro card. Double yeah!

Life is changing fast.

Made reservations to go to Indiana to hang with Gary and his friends. So, starting job next week, gone for Indiana the following week, then back.

i LOVE my new phone

It's also a videorecorder!!!! hope I can post the two best that were made when I was just at Ken and Jeanette and Tommy and Nate and Brandy and Tigger and Hobbs and Blue and Samantha's house. Four homo sapiens, two canines, three felines...and the snake, the reptile. Don't think he has a name. We won the good fight with the LBAM--David and HOPE got the TRO!!! I am so proud! A few of us are going to Sacramento tomorrow to speak with some legislator campies...don't remember what they're called, the real legislators are in their respective districts but we won a battle. The irony of this whole shebang is I'll be in Sacramento but Brian JUST left today for Amsterdam. Thanks. I saw Michelle and Travis at the farmer's market and that made me so very happy. I am going to have to get up super early tomorrow morning for our outing.

Hanging out at Ken and Jeanette's and had the best time ever. I love hanging out there. The clan makes me very very happy.



I tried loading one of the videos I took out there but it didn't load!!! I am sad. I will try again tomorrow. I have to say, though, I am very happy. Oh well, turns out the stupid connection ended. Forgot i went to Palapas yesterday and had a mango margarita. Thought a LOT about Brucie and need to call him soon. The drink didn't taste as good as I remembered but I had a nice time sitting there, reading, trying to remember if I had a birthday party there when I worked at Dominican and I think I did. That was a trippy place to work.

Still no connection so I'm going to cut and paste this thing so my precious work doesn't get lost.


Video sucks. If you're dying to see it and it sucks on your end as well, I'll email it to you, zipped and autographed, of course.

Kim is in

Kim has moved in and I have a good feeling about her. She came home smelling of campfire and it reminded me how much I love fire, and the smell of smoke, and the smell of cheesy bavarians...oh well, can't go there again.

Blanche ran out this morning and freaked us both out. She's wearing her collar again and it's not the cutest thing in the world, am looking for Emily and Lucy's old collars to help with my collar vainness. Oh, and I'm thinking of killing her.

Went for the short run/walk this morning after meeting Dilworth to get him the Sentinel. Saw dolphins while I was in my car at Seaside Beach, putting on my sneakers, and the moment was nearly marred by two women trying to get me to take the watchtower. Then they started in with "people think this happened by chance," meaning the sheer beauty of it all, and I saved the day by saying, "let's just enjoy this." Religious fanatics scare me.

Time for a cat. Guess who!

Rotten brat.

Freaking a bit about HB, haven't heard anything. I got cocky about that interview!

"You can't always get what you want."

Peas, please, and we're not getting sprayed tonight because of the weather.

Salami and things...

My new roommate moved in today and first off, she and her boyfriend are at it. Great. Told Mike we'd better work on that.

Been a busy weekend--Holly moved out and I saw her new place. LOVE the bathroom! Her apartment is tiny but the bathroom makes up for it.

Friday had an excellent interview at HB and am hoping HOPING to hear from them. Someone said today was Columbus day so ...

Food situation changing rapidly. Got acupuncture Saturday to help me avoid prednisone and Gina Renee told me to stop dairy and gluten. Damn. This is my second day and I'm starving. No more quick fixes for me. Ate apples and bananas and a brown rice concoction but all I want is a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich. Oh well. I'm actually feeling better, more energized and all that good stuff.

Took a long walk along the water today and saw thousands of dead moths. That's not good. Told a few people about it and someone's going to collect the dead moths for science. I'm too much of a city girl to pick up dead things like that.

Check out this article in the connection, page 21.

Going to leave town the night they spray. I hate this so very much. Good things will happen at some point, right?

Crazy Dream

This pic reminds me I have to finish my NY stories. However, of more immediate importance, I had a weird dream. I was in a place with a lot of people and I got a picture on my phone from Jody. Remember him, the freak I had one date with that didn't stop calling me for a hundred years? Anyhoo, it was a picture of ME with a friend of mine while we were working on my computer; the image was of our faces looking at the computer, as though the computer took a picture of us. Scary. Like he planted a camera on my computer to stalk me.

I'd been spending a lot time online what with jobhunting, LBAM stuff, etc., and I had just finished a great book called Cage's Bend by Carter Coleman. It is about a family dealing with a son's death and another son's bipolar disorder. Paranoia was throughout the book and it probably seeped into my life. Great. Reminds me of when I was having a lot of nightmares and a friend of mine told me to stop reading murder mysteries before I went to bed. Guess what! Stopped the nightmares.

Going to CAB for a meeting, quick run first, then the interview later!

Met Janet at Universal Staffing yesterday and like her a lot. Looks like HB can (almost) meet my salary requirements. Whoo! Now I just need to see if I like it there and if they offer me the job.

Greetings from Monterey County

this is the first picture I took with my new digital camera!!!!! yes, I've joined the happy masses. this pic is where I run/walk in the morning, behind costco. I LOVE this spot.

today was a great fucking day. so far. woke up early, a lady came by and picked up Dawn Ziegler's tack box (still miss her terribly), ran, met Carolyn for lunch, saw buncha girls from CTB who I adore (cherry, shirley, rachel, and an unpregnant patel). Then we went to this cute store and I got Holly a housewarming present, after about 6 hours of my not being sure which card to buy. One really did say "greetings from Monterey County" and Carolyn and I couldn't stop laughing.

Then to Layers for a cupcake (my frosting much better) and coffee (acme MUCH better) and then to Abrego's print shop for information for Carolyn's STUFF. That only took about 8 hours and I have to say my stop at the cute store was more exciting for all.

Then, at long last, we parted.

Good news on the job front. Have an interview at Hampton-Brown Friday. My resume got to them through Universal Staffing (janet, my new love) and a lot of CTB people work there. Well, once it got to HR apparently the HR person asked if anyone knew me. Yes. And, the kicker is he said wonderful things about me, good work ethic and shit :-), and I didn't even work with him at CTB, I worked with his wife! Who are you, my mystery man?

Then to celebrate my high, I got the digital camera. While snapping pics behind costco these two young guys came running up to me, asking if I was taking pictures of the dolphin. I was so busy taking pictures with my new camera I didn't even see the dolphins. Attempted to, didn't work, but here are the boys I met:

there really are about 5 dolphins behind them.

what a great day.

Now, here's Mr. Mango! Note the garbage bag near the broken hot-tub.

Dumb and dumber

Molly is officially dumber than Lucy ever was! As Holly said, she was hit with the stupid stick, Holly was just imitating a tiger in the living room...wait that's pretty stupid, but what's even stupider is Molly really thought there was something else in the room other than Holly doing the tiger imitation.

Fur was pouffy and she was really freaking out. love her.

ROOMMMMAAAATTTTEEEEEEEEE!

I think found my roommate. Her name is Kim. Bratty Blanchie likes her a lot, and I feel really comfortable around her. Good feeling. Hope HOPE my bad streak of making poor decisions is ending NOW.

Blanche's Adventures

Look what a brat she is! Look how innocent Molly is next to her! Saturday, little Miss Blanche decided to run out of the house. Monique Clinique came over and we were lounging in the backyard and I came into the house to do something, and noticed the front door WIDE OPEN. Found Molly sleeping under the bed, all bleary-eyed. Blanche is nowhere to be found, inside the house.

So, Monique and I are looking outside. Monique spotted her next door, at Connie and Kennedy's. Monique observed her spraying the tree (go, blanche) and I'm standing out there like an idiot with two of her toys (b's, not m's) and her shaker container of treats. No go. She's avoiding me like the plague. Finally, Monique realizes that Blanche wanted to run back into the house but she was afraid of Monique, who was blocking her otsensibly to grab her. Monique opened the door and the little brat ran back into the house so fast, streaks of lightning followed.

So, got them both collars and nametags (including Mango). Guess what! It's Monday morning and the freaking brat already lost hers. I'm straightening the house because a girl (her name MAY be tina thompson? how weird would that be!) is coming over to see the house and it needs to look like humans live here. I may find her collar then.

Speaking of roommates, Mr. Tom thinks it'll be a good idea if he moves in. I have some seriously strong doubts, what with my hating him and all, but...Brian and Gary already told me what they thought.

Spent a lot of time with Monique this weekend. Her middle name begins with a "C" and I don't know what it is. I came up with some ideas, here's a new one: cephelapod?

Cousin Michael sent me a cute pic of me outside McSorley's, will post tomorrow.