The Girls They Love to See You Shoot

Here is a picture of a pretty orange flower.

Hey, guess what? I slept for about 7,452 hours and I'm feeling much better. That's the good news. The bad news is that I have to go to work tomorrow. I love staying home so much. Of course, I missed the Michael Cunningham reading tonight, but I saw him read last time he was here a few years ago, so I'm not completely broken up about it.

I felt a lot better this evening and got some cleaning done and loaded a bunch more CD's into my computer. Let me tell you just a few of the artists, so that you can see just how all over the place my musical tastes are: old Bob Marley and the Wailers stuff (mostly from the album Kaya), Dire Straits, Cat Stevens, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley's Sun Sessions album, Jackie Wilson, Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" and then a bunch of crap from my Rhino Records, Super Hits of the 70's CD's - everything from the Bay City Rollers, Ace, Hot Chocolate and The Muhammad Ali song, "Black Superman"

I think I'm going to do one of those "letting you follow my train of thought" posts again. That way, when you're done reading, you'll be so glad you're you and you can just get up and away from your computer, but I'm stuck here in my head. I've also put up some pretty flowery type photos tonight to ease your pain.

Here are some whispy plants kind of by the Circle Jerker's and TLB's old house.

You know how I keep writing about mix CD's? Well, it got me thinking. I've received my share of mix CD's from boys, as probably most women have. My friend K. says that guys either make girls mixes of songs they hope the girl will think are cool or else they give them mixes of music the girl will like. I dated a guy a few years back who made me tons of mixes. Most of them were of songs he thought were cool. The one time he made me a mix of songs he knew I'd like was after we broke-up, I started dating someone else and then broke-up with that guy, and he wanted to get back with me. It took him that long.

That got me thinking about most of my relationships with men. (I know, here I go again) I'm not going to generalize about all men, because I know plenty who aren't like this and I'm sure there are also many women who do it as well. But I tend to date guys who don't work at all during the relationship, but then when I finally break up with them, they all the sudden say they'll change and work twice as hard trying to get me back, as I ever asked them to while we were dating. Then they pine for years after. I don't get it.

Here are some end of the season daisies next to a bunch of coleus.

I would love it if a guy told me the things that bothered him about me in a realtionship. Sure, I might be defensive at first, (I'm fun that way) but then I could either realize I was being a pain in the ass and work on not being like that, or else tell him that it's something I can't change. Like if he was all, "Churlita, it bugs me that you live in your own little world and don't ever notice when I get a haircut, or that I moved an item on the counter from here to there, or that there even is a counter there. What I really want is a woman who will organize everything and make my life easier."

I could say, "Yeah, sorry. I'm just not that kind of a girl. On the plus side, I won't nag you about shit either." And then he could decide whether that was something he could live with or not."

I've never had a guy do that before. Usually, I just drive them crazy and they pick at me until I reach a saturation point and leave or they drive me crazy and I tell them what's not working for me and they may try for a while but ultimately go back to their ways that drive me crazy and that whole process I talked about above starts all over again.

Here is a cart full of flowers.

My friend G. and I were talking about some guys we knew who were like that. It would make sense if they didn't want to be in the relationship, but then they got so upset after it was over and then when it was way too late, decided to make an effort. It always reminds me of the Flannery O'Connor Story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find". You know, when the Misfit kills the grandmother, and says, "She would of been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life." I've noticed that pattern with Mr. B. and we're not even dating. I guess I'm tired of dating (or not dating) guys who need a gun to their heads...And that's why I'm taking a break from it for a bit, until I can find a guy who will make me a mix CD of songs he thinks I'll like, instead of trying to show me how cool he is, and no guns are required.

There, didn't I warn you about how scary my brain was?

As Now Can't Reveal the Mystery of Tomorrow

Here is some stencil type graffiti I found on my lunch a week or so ago. Most of it was on the wall in the alley off of the Ped Mall on the side where Rocky Roccoco's used to be when I was in college.

Well, kids. I stayed home because I was sick and snotty and gross. Hot, huh? I didn't think so. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. I don't think my co-workers want me to come in and infect them and have to listen to me whine and then find me passed-out at my desk.

Anyway, I'm going to wienie out of a real blog post and just put up the list of songs I put on the 70's'ish soul CD I made for my friend K. this weekend. From around 1969 until 1971 or 72 I think, I lived in a very urban area of Phoenix. Hanging out around the Boys Club and at some of my friend's houses, I heard a lot of the soul and R and B stuff of the time and loved it. Of course, I was still in Arizona and was also exposed to tons of country and singer songwriter stuff of the time, in other words, I come by my bizarre musical tastes honestly.

Okay, here's the list and if it doesn't make you want to grow out your fro and buy a Dashiki, than I guess I didn't do my job:

Here is a stencil of George W. with old gum stuck on him and a smiley face drawn in chalk on his shoulder.

1.) "That Lady" (part 1 and 2) - The Isley Brothers. As far as I'm concerned, the Isley Brothers are perfect and that's why I put two of their songs on here.

2.) "Spanish Harlem" - Aretha Franklin. I love "Chain of Fools" too, but it's so overplayed lately.

3.) "Hello Stranger" - Barbara Lewis. Most people know this song, but can't remember which one it is. It's the one with the hook that goes, "...It seems like a mighty long time..." Coadster turned me on to this song and I'm so glad she did.

4.) "Fingertips Pt 2" - Stevie Wonder. This was one of his early big hits. I love it and Stevie is the only other artist who is on here twice.

5.) "Them Changes" - Buddy Miles. I need more of his stuff in my collection. He does an amazing cover of Neil Young's "Down by the River".

6.) "Oh Girl" - The Chi-Lites.

7.) "Superfly" - Curtis Mayfield. If I remember correctly, FMDM has a Blacksploitation soundtrack CD that I may have to try and borrow...Fair warning, FMDM.

Here is some kind of bumble bee looking creature and some letters I can't read underneath.

8.) "September" - Earth Wind and Fire. I can't remember if I've told you guys that I have theme songs for each of my girls or not, but I do. I actually have theme songs for most people I know. Anyway, Coadster's is Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" and Stinky's is "September", because it's her birth month and it was my favorite song in 8th grade. I sang them to the girls all the time when they were babies and they both love their songs to this day. Thank god my girls are as dorky as I am.

9.) "Ooh Child" - The Five Stairsteps.

10.) "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" - Gil Scott Heron. Whatever happened to Gil Scott Heron, anyway?

11.) "It's Your Thing" - The Isley Brothers. I really wish they wouldn't use some of my favorite songs in Burger King ads. I don't want to have to picture that creepy King guy whenever I listen to them.

12.) "the Girl Can't Help It" - Little Richard.

13.) "Got to Give it Up" pt 1 - Marvin Gaye. There are some disco songs I can't stand and some I really love. Guess which one this is?

Here is a tall dark stencil guy with a three pronged yellow penis and is that a bucket for a head?

14.) "Fire" - The Ohio Players. When I was younger there was this rumor going around that a girl got killed in the studio when this song was being recorded and you can hear her scream in the background. I think it was later disproved as an urban legend. *Thanks to DMarks for the correction. The song was actually, "Love Rollercoaster". Oops. It seems I may have killed more brain cells in my lifetime than I thought*.

15.) "A Change is Gonna Come" - Sam Cooke. When I first worked at the Mill, there were a lot of older hippie types leftover from the 60's. One of them was a waitress named Cindy. She was the biggest Zappa and Captain Beefheart fan I've ever met and she had thousands of albums. Once she let me come over and pick out five albums that she would tape for me. It was overwhelming, but one of the albums I chose was Sam Cooke's Greatest Hits and it was awesome.

16.) "Respect Yourself" - The Staple Singers.

17.) "As" - Stevie Wonder. This is one of the best corny love songs ever in the world. It makes up for 500 "I Just Called to Say I Love You's".

18.) "Early in the Morning" - The Gap Band. I was a little worried this might be too cheesy for K., but she assured me she not only loved The Gap Band, but this was one of her favorite songs of theirs. I knew we were friends for a reason.

19.) "Jimmy Mack" - Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.

20.) "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Sylvester. Yes, more disco. Deal with it.

Okay. I have to go take some cold medicine and sleep even more. Later for you.

You Tell Me What You Want and I'll Tell You What You Get

I think I'm finally getting slammed by that cold. I've been putting it off forever and kinda, sorta almost getting it, but it looks like I've finally succumbed to it. So, this will be a mostly photo post. I figure the fewer words I use, the less chance I have of saying something stupid or making any more typos than I normally do.

I decided to take you on another lunch date with me. I like to go on an adventure for a half hour during my break, so I feel like I'm doing more in the day than just allowing my soul to be sucked through the beige cubicle walls.

Today I walked out of my building and heard drums and singing. I tend to follow the music whenever possible, and I found The American Indian Student Association members whooping it up behind my building.

I also thought I'd take a little different walking route than the last time you and I lunched together. Lucky for all of us I did, because I found this guy out on the Pentacrest or rePentacrest as some used to like to call it.

Here are some students listening to why they deserve hell and putting their book learnin' to use by trying to philosphically prove that a judgmental god cannot exist...Or at least one of them was, anyway.

This guy turned out to be the laziest fire and brimstone preacher I've ever seen. He would yell and point and judge, all while sitting on his pious ass.

Instead of going downtown, I wandered behind the Old Capitol for some peace and quiet. Apparently, I was done having an adventure for the day. Here is a guy enjoying what could be the last warm day of the year.

Here is the top of the Old Capitol. It was only a few short years ago, when I stood outside of my office and watched it burn. I also made some snide comments about how long it took the firemen to go two blocks to fight it. I remember one of the temps laughing at me and saying, "Wow. I've never met anyone who actually heckled firefighters before." Yeah, well. I'm special that way.

There were some nice red leaves looking West from the veranda.

And, finally, on my way back I looked down the street to see what kind of progress they were making on cleaning up the flood. The road is still closed, as you can tell from the orange plastic fencing. I wonder how long it will take for them to fix everything they can still fix?

Baby I've Been Here Before

Stinky picked out the photos she wanted me to put up on today's post. She chose all the "pretty ones" I took during the week. Lately, I've just been walking around on my lunch break and taking photos of anything I see that I like. This one is of the warning system they put up overnight and the older lamp post underneath it by Gilmore Hall.

So, remember all those plans I had for the weekend? Well, they all pretty much went out the window. I had an on and off migraine from Thursday night until this afternoon sometime. I took my meds and they got rid of the worst of the pain, but I was so weak and tired for most of the weekend. It was a big drag because this very well could have been the last really nice weekend we'll have until Spring sometime.

This here is Jefferson Street now that the leaves are changing.

It wasn't horrible, I just felt like I wasted some nice weather. What did I do? Well, let me tell you.

On Friday night, I watched movies. It was all I was up for. I gave the girls money to get food either during or after the football game and I can't remember if I ate anything much myself.

I watched a Jodie Foster movie called The Brave One. it was better than I thought it would be, but I'd like to see Jodie Foster do something other than be angry and paranoid in every single movie she's in. Plus, I've lived in some scary neighborhoods in my life, but I've never been the target of as much violent crime as her character was, every single day.

Stinky had her sleepover and the girls were all so exhausted that they fell asleep around midnight. Perfect.

These are the flowers on the Pentacrest. They just took the Summer flowers away a couple of weeks ago and replaced them with these Mums.

On Saturday, I was in just enough pain that I figured I might as well get my car looked at. I didn't want to do it when everything was going well and ruin a perfectly good day. It's been all funky since our trip, leaking something, but running just fine. I don't have any money to fix it, but if it was leaking that much oil, I figured, I should get it changed and get more in there. So, I took it to Jiffy Lube. They said that a sealant was messed-up and it was a common problem for Subaru's. He said the oil wasn't leaking on the manifold. He said it would only cost a few bucks for the sealant, but the labor to put it on and clean up the oil would be at least a couple hundred dollars. I asked him if it was dangerous or if it would hurt the car to drive it like that. He said no. Since I don't have an extra couple hundred dollars and I didn't find any more money when I went running this weekend, I'm just going to let it go and get my oil changed more often.

Here is photo of a guy in a tree with his laptop. As you know, this is my favorite tree and Stinky thought the boy looked hot.

Saturday was a mix CD day for me. My friend Rachie sent me one in the mail. It was great. I make them for people all the time, but I think the last time anyone made one for me was FMDM on our first date. The one Rachie made me was nice and mellow - what I call Sunday morning music. There was some Pinback and Okkervil River and David Bazan, and a bunch of other great bands. It was perfect for drinking tea and reading the paper this morning.

I also made a mix CD for my friend K. I'll probably post if for you guys tomorrow night. So, on Saturday evening I stopped by K.'s house and dropped it off, along with some cherry tomatoes and jalapenos and stayed for an hour and chatted with her. I got home and was still pretty migrainey, so I watched a movie called Notes on a Scandal. It was really uncomfortable and good. Judy Densch was amazing in it. She really is one hell of a dame.

Here is a pic of a lamp post all by itself with the changing trees in the background.

Today I really wanted to go take photos, but I was still zonked out by my migraine until the afternoon. I finally started feeling better and ran my six mile route, but I still had so much practical shit I still had to get done, that I couldn't go play and take pictures. Drat. Foiled again.

Do You Realize - That You Have the Most Beautiful Face

The Saturday Scavenger Hunt Word was chosen by Laura B. at My Boring Life blog. Her word was face. I'm recycling this photo of me and Coadster for it. it is from when Coadster was a baby and all you could see on her face were her cheeks. Poor Coadster inherited my big cheeks, which I inherited from my mom. She was such a skinny little baby, but if she was bundled up, people thought she was chubby because of her prominent cheeks.

I used to hate my cheeks, when I was younger, because they made me look like I was 12 when I was 18. Now, though? Like most other things about me, I've grown to accept them and even like them. I'm sure when I get older and people start describing me as looking, "Angela Lansbury jowly," I might go back to resenting them, but for now, I got 'em, they're mine, I might as well like them.

Once when I was walking through the downstairs of Gabes, a drunk guy was standing in front of me and staring at my chest. Like many drunk people, he spoke before he thought and said, "Wow. You have really big..." And then caught himself. He looked up at my face and finished, "...Cheeks."

"Nice catch," I said.

"I know. I wasn't sure how I was going to get out of that one without getting slapped. Thank god, you have big cheeks."

I'm pretty thankful I have them too. Although, I don't know how Coadster feels about hers...How do all of you feel about the most prominent feature on your face?

Got a Short Little Span of Attention and Wo My Nights are So Long

I'm posting photos of fallen leaves. Here is a photo of a leaf that landed on the cobblestone on Brown Street.

Tonight you all get a quickie. It's been a long rollercoastery week and I'm beat. I don't have many plans for the weekend yet. Tomorrow, Stinky is having a couple of girls stay the night after the football game. Coadster has a friend who usually stays over at least one night of the weekend, so she may be here as well.

Here are some leaves that went down on the sidewalk on Bloomington Street.

The weather is supposed to be amazing, so I'm definitely running as much as possible. If I can find a big block of time, I'd like to ride my bike toward Kalona and take bucolic photos of barns with quilts painted on them and if I'm lucky, I may even try to steal the souls of a few Amish people riding around in buggies. Of course, this is all dependent on that big imaginary block of time I think I'm going to find somewhere. In other words, I doubt any souls will be robbed this weekend. A girl can dream though, can't she?

This leaf had a softer landing on the grass in a yard on Rochester Street.

I'm sure there will also be some painting and drawing and movie watching and beer drinking and cooking of food. Basically, it will just be another weekend. I love my mellow time.

As usual, I'm interested to know how people with actual lives plan to spend the next couple of days. Help me live vicariously through you in the comments, please.

There's No Time for Her to be Afraid

Here is some more low art for you. I found all this stuff on Saturday when I was driving home from the mall. I went back the next day and shot a bunch of pics. I just remember three years ago when I photographed the girls in front of a really cool graffiti face that was cleaned up in less than a week. I wasn't about to take any chances.

Today was a particularly long day. Yesterday I had my annual and then today I had to go get my mammogram. If you'll recall, last year I had a bad one of those. So, they made me come back every six months to monitor the badness. What was at first a possible tumor, became a calcification. The rename didn't do a lot to assuage my fears. I didn't sleep all that well last night. Luckily, my appointment was first thing this morning, so I could get it over with. After they took a million different views, and a doctor studied them, he called me into a room and said that the calcification had suddenly started to dissolve. Hmmm. I mean, it's great news, but it seems kind of odd. Anyway, what it means for me, is that I can sleep a lot easier tonight - which is good, because I'm exhausted. Oh yeah, don't forget it's breast cancer awareness month. Timely, isn't it?

I much prefer graffiti pictures to words, unless it says something really prophetic.

Oh, did I mention that I'm all randomy again tonight? Or did I not need to, because I already said how tired I was? Anyway, while I was walking to my doctor's appointment in the rain yesterday, some stupid asshole sped up and drove really fast into a puddle in the curb and splashed filthy street water all over me and laughed as he drove away. It reminded me of reading The Grapes of Wrath in high school and my lit teacher talking about the turtle scene at the beginning of the novel. I can still hear her saying, "There are some people who will swerve to miss you, and others will swerve in order to hit you." Ain't it the truth.

Look. How festive - spray paint balloons on a retaining wall.

Right after my appointment, I had to go to a meeting to learn the new computer system they're loading next Monday. Because I was late, the only seat was by one of my bosses and my favorite IT guy. Man, I thought I had ADD, but these guys were even worse than me. The IT guy can not still still for two seconds and he sings songs to every sentence anyone says just like I do too. When the speaker was talking about rolling all the changes in on Monday, he started singing, "Monday, Monday" and when he kept making the same mistake, he went right into, "Oops, I Did it Again". It was just another example of how adorable it is when I do all those dumb things, and how annoying it is when everyone else does them.

I particularly like the old-fashioned boom box. Oh, 1984, I miss you so. Where the hell did I put my breaking board?

Tonight was supper club night. We went to a Chinese restaurant in Coralville. At first, I thought about laming out, because I was so tired and hung-over from all that unnecessary stress, but then I made myself go anyway. I'm so glad I did. Our little group is so awesome. Everyone is so funny and nice and full of witty repartee. It was exactly what I needed.

Here are some E's painted under the Hope signs. That reminds me, I need to go vote early for Obama at the library this week.

After eight days in a row and about 50 miles, I finally took yesterday off from running. I cleaned my kitchen and did a few loads of laundry instead, which was not half as much fun and didn't include any kind of endorphin rush whatsoever. Seriously, why even do it then, right?

This is the messy blue paint leftover from the graffiti. It seems a little excessive, doesn't it?

I got a Facebook profile recently. Earlier in the Summer when I was trying to find my old California friends, some people suggested looking them up on Facebook.They all had really common names and I didn't know where they lived anymore, so it was almost impossible. I use my real name on Facebook, which isn't all that common and I figure, if any of my friends are looking for me, I won't be that hard to find. Facebook seems a lot less creepy than Myspace. I've only had one friend request from a guy I didn't know and didn't have any friends in common. I told my daughters that I would understand if they didn't want to be my friend on it. Coadster added me right away, but Stinky didn't want to. I put up a bunch of really cute baby pictures of the girls and then tagged Coadster in all of them. After Stinky saw that, she said, "See? That's exactly why I didn't want to be your friend." What? What?!

Finally, here is a whole box full of graffiti. Somebody must really like elephants.

I think I'm going to make Thanksgiving dinner a month early this Sunday. The girls and I have all been craving it. I'll just have to get creative with the leftovers and make some turkey soup or maybe some turkey enchiladas and then some turkey cheese cake served up with some turkey ice cream. Mmmm.

You Talk About Just Every Band, but the Names You Drop Are Second Hand

So, the squirrels around town have been acting a little squirrely lately. I'm sure they're getting all ready for Winter, but it's not like there aren't tons of black walnuts all over town for them. For a while there, I thought I might need to wear a helmet when I ran to keep from getting knocked out by all the black walnuts falling from the trees.

Tonight I'm doing a meme from Chance at The Sapient Sutler blog. Here's how it works.

Turn on your iTunes or equivalent.

Put it on shuffle.

Write something (a sentence, a paragraph, a story, a word,) about the first 5 songs that come up.

I started photographing this one squirrel that was hanging out in my friend J.'s front yard. She seemed just as interested in me.

1.) "A Million Miles Away" by the Plimsouls. I can't hear this song without thinking about the movie Valley Girl. It's from my high school years. Sure, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is my all time favorite teen movie from when I was in high school, but Valley Girl is right up there. Even if Nicholas Cage's teeth weren't fixed yet.

She also seemed to love the camera. She would climb a little, then pose a lot. Then climb a bit more, then pose again.

2.) "Middle of the Road" by The Pretenders. I guess we're still going with the middle eighties theme. The strongest memory I have of this song, was back in 1984 at my friend Craig Wyricks' college graduation party. They cranked this song through speakers facing out the windows and we danced to it in the middle of the road...Or South Linn Street. At least until the cops came and told us to quiet down.

3.) "Rich" by the Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's. This song and this band always reminds me of Coadster. She was so into them a few years ago and listened to them in the way only junior high kids can stand - over and over and over and over. She didn't quite ruin them for me, but I still can't listen to them all that often.

I think this is it's best angle right here. Sure, she's got that walnut in her mouth, but she can still pull off the full frontal.

4.) "Come as You Are" by Nirvana. This song reminds me of my friend April. She worked with me at Great Midwestern when this song was big. She used to think the lyrics were "...Oh yes, I smell and I don't have a job..." And I can't hear them any other way now. I bet Kurt Cobain wishes he had written them that way too.

5.) "Fox on the Run", by Sweet. Hell, I can't remember if I've ever admitted to you all how much I love the band, Sweet, but I do. "Love is Like Oxygen" is probably my favorite Sweet song, but this one is a close second. It was the soundtrack of every skating or make-out party I went to in junior high. When I was 19 and just starting to work at a restaurant in Iowa City called The Mill, the other cook recited the lyrics to me out of the blue, like he was starting a conversation, "I don't want to know your name. Cuz you don't look the same. The way you did before." I played it off and tried to act all serious while responding, "Okay. You think you got a pretty face, but the rest of you is out of place. You looked alright before." He was my best friend for years after that.

I Don't Need Permission, Make My Own Decisions

Zadar Cow from Hell crew. If you watched MTV back in 1988, you might recognize Randy of the Redwoods way to the right of this pic.

I like movies that tell you what happens to the characters at the end. You know, like so-and-so caught a flesh-eating bacteria and died in extreme pain ten years later or, that one guy married a scary hag and sang "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" to himself every night just to get to sleep for the rest of his life. Well, at the end of one of the movies I watched, they said one of the guys got out of prison around 20 years later. I wondered if he would go try to see his wife, then I thought, she'd be pretty old. Then I figured, she'd probably be younger than I am and I don't feel like I'm "pretty old". (whatever that means) So, then I started thinking about what I was doing 20 years ago and if someone came up to me then and showed me a movie of what I'd be like at 43, would I be happy or sad at the outcome?

I think that I'd be okay with most of it. At 23, I'd be surprised that I actually had kids now, (as would many of my friends) and I think I'd be disappointed that I was still single in my advanced age. I'm sure I'd be totally shocked that I actually had health, dental and life insurance, almost like a real grown-up. Now, when I look back as a 43 year old, how do I judge my 23 year old self?

Here is a photo of me and an actress who was in Zadar Cow from Hell with my ex-husband. If you recognize her, that means you probably saw Howard the Duck. She was in that. It's okay, I won't tell anyone. We were in the bathroom at the old College Street Club. It's now The Union bar. Oh, and check out my scrawny little arms.

In 1988, I broke-up with my first real boyfriend and started dating my future ex-husband. I lived in a house full of MFA actors. That Summer, they were shooting two films in the area. One was called Field of Dreams. One of my roommates was Kevin Costner's stand-in and another did a lot of work on the set for the film. I still like to watch the movie and see what items I can find that ended up in our house after the shoot. I know it's super annoying, because I'm basically playing I Spy. "Hey, there's our old VCR and that scale in the Dr's office? That's the one my old roommate used to weigh all his weed on."

The other movie was called Zadar Cow from Hell. Never heard of it? Yeah, well no one else really has either. It was supposed to be a vehicle for a comedy troop called Duck's Breath Mystery Theater - which spawned such characters as Dr. Science and Randy of the Redwoods. My future ex-husband actually had a speaking role in it. It totally bombed and my future ex-husband blew me off a lot during the filming and all the partying surrounding it. Of course, I put up with all of that and moved to L.A. with him at the end of the Summer when he was going to try to get discovered...Again.

L.A. was horrible. We couch surfed the whole time we were there and I worked at the junior's department of a department store called The Broadway at The Glendale Galleria. I sold clothes to Punky Brewster and to the cast of a brilliant film (cough, cough) by the name of Pink Cadillac with Clint Eastwood and Bernadette Peters. They also pumped in Debbie Gibson and Bobby Brown on about a thirty minute loop of the popular songs of that Fall. Can you imagine a more ridiculous, and uncomfortable environment for me to subject myself to? No? Me either.

Of course, all my future ex-husband's acting leads fell through and we ended up hitching a ride back to Iowa with my sister who was moving back from Arizona about that same time.

So, as a 43 year old, I would tell the 23 year old me to run and not look back. I guess I had to make those mistakes to learn everything the hard way - apparently, the only way I learned back then. On the other hand, if I had run away from my future ex-husband, I wouldn't have my two Stinky girls right now, and as far as I'm concerned, they're worth any ridiculous situation and however many years of bullshit I subjected myself to. Have I dated an actor since then? Um, hell no.

As If Everybody Here Would Know What I Was Talking About

Here is a photo of Stinky and her friend before the Quince. As you can see, we have about three nice dresses that we all interchange. Stinky wore the dress I bought for the wedding I went to in June. Thank god we're all the same size and build.

As it turned out, this was a very restful weekend for me. On Saturday, I ran my eight mile route and found a 20 dollar bill on the sidewalk. There was no one around, so I figured I should take it. I hoped someone rich lost it, just like I hope a poor person finds any money I've lost. I bought a couple of lotto tickets with it and some ice cream for me and Stinky and saved the rest. How would you spend a found $20?

The rest of the day, I spent shuttling kids around town and then finally it was the evening. I didn't hear from anyone, so I decided to stay home and watch movies for a second night in a row. It was an excellent decision, by the way. I watched Ironman and loved it. Robert Downey Jr. was H-O-T, and he's old, so I don't have to feel creepy saying so.

I slept almost eleven hours both nights of the weekend. I'm still trying to fight this stupid cold. I don't quite have it, but I've been waking up with the sore throat and I'm sneezing a lot. I figured I'd battle it by being well rested and eating well. I'll let you know how that works for me.

I ran all seven days this week. I clocked over forty miles. I know that I'm not supposed to do that, but I'm feeling that urgency. You know the one. Where it's Fall and the weather is amazing and I know it won't last, so I have to milk it for all of it's warmth and sunshine and bright, bright colors. I walked around today taking dorky photos in the afternoon. I realized I wasn't the only thing feeling that urgency.

It's that time of year when Mother Nature is bringing out the big guns. It's like the end of the fireworks display where the whole wad is being shot.

Summer's flowers are still blooming, and fading around the edges, but trying to compete...

...With Fall's own dramatic reds. Sure, they know it's all futile. In less than a month, they'll lie dormant and we'll be subject to the starkness of Winter. I suppose you can't blame us all for fighting it, can you?

Do This, Don't Do That, Can't You Read the Signs

This Saturday Scavenger Hunt word was chosen by the Alien. His word was dull. I wasn't sure how to photograph that, so I chose signs. Most signs tend to be boring. Don't do this, come see that, here's where this is, there's where you should be going, blah, blah blah. So, here are some photos of some dull signs or posters.

The top one was leftover from a flood benefit this Summer.


This one is another no skateboarding sign around my office. Of course, this one was made less dull by the giant penis that was drawn onto the skateboarding figure. I've been looking at skateboarders a little differently lately...

I went home on Friday and both the girls were getting ready to leave for the football game in Cedar Rapids. I got them on their way and went running. I was still pretty exhausted and feeling like I might be getting a cold, so I only ran a four mile route.

Here is a sign from a building on campus.

I had a date with my couch for the rest of the evening. I ate leftover fajitas and watched American Gangster. I know I'm probably the last person on the planet to see it, but I really liked it.

Lastly, this is the lettering on a bus.

The girls got home around 10'ish. Stinky went with another friend to her new boyfriend's house to meet his parents and play Rockband. Coadster stayed with me, since I think I was actually glued to my couch at that point. We ate chocolate and popcorn and I had exactly two beers and we got under a gigantic comforter and watched a girl movie.

Some might think of that as a very dull Friday night, but it was just what I needed.

But I Don't Care, I Care, I Really Don't Care

Here is a blurry photo of a guy walking out of an alley while smoking a ciggie.

So, my goal tonight is to get to bed as early as possible. I'm exhausted. Tonight was nice and mellow. I ran six miles, made dinner, got Coadster to her jazz choir rehearsal and spent some time talking to Stinky.

This weekend looks like it could be so much more mellow than last. Thank god. The girls will both be busy. Coadster is doing some volunteering for the animal shelter at some point, and going to the high school football game in a neighboring town with some friends on Friday night. She thinks she's talked me into volunteering for another thing on Sunday, but I told her we'd see.

On Saturday Coadster is going to Homecoming at the other high school in town and Stinky is going to a friend's Quinceanera.

Here is a picture of the biology building East. Right?

Me? Right now I don't have a lot of plans. Of course, I'm always open to going out if people call me or text me, but right now, I have no real plans. I'm going to run as much as possible. The weather has been amazing. It's cooled down enough for me to go back into hibernation mode, so that means I'm also planning on making soup and hummus and maybe chili and cornbread, and watching movies and I'm on another loading CD's into my computer mood. Today I uploaded a bizarre mix of Queen, Pavement, East Indian dance music and some surf guitar by The Ventures. Nothing makes me happier than the "Hawaii Five-O Theme Song."

How about all y'all? Will you be out dranking, or home watching movies and listening to a bizarre mix of music?

I Go Where the Music, Where the Music Fits My Soul

Here is a photo from my senior yearbook. It was the first year we had a girls' cross country team and the only reason we got one, was because the girls' gymnastics team got canceled after they all got caught drinking on the bus on the way home from a meet.

My Excuse:

We stand in the dining room and watch as the two-tone brown Suburban crawls up the hill of our block and a half long driveway. We're waiting until it's gone. As if she can somehow see what we're doing in the house from the car. None of us doubt her powers.

As soon as it's gone, we all get a little giddy. She only went to the store, so we don't have much time to breathe and relax. I do my impersonation of her. I'm really good at it. "Tuh-REES-ah!" I screech at my cousin in a nasally, exaggerated Chicago accent. "Take off your glasses so I can slap your face." I don't voice what's missing in that statement - "...At least your glasses are worth something..." We laugh nervously and talk shit about her behind her back. It's all we have and we won't have it for very long. She'll be home soon.

She is confusing. Usually, she is harsh and mean and alternates spitting out insults and orders. I have developed skills in order to function within all the crazy. I practice lying, (I'm an expert) and being invisible. I know that whatever I do will never be good enough. I try to do everything very well. Things are cleaned as quickly and with as much detail as possible, I cook all the crappy food she likes to her satisfaction, and I try to make sure my cousin isn't too defiant. The goal isn't to get her approval, (that will never happen) it's to keep her out of my face. I blend in, I don't establish eye contact, I am charmingly self-deprecating. I don't need to give her any reason to knock me down any more than she already does. All of these things I do to survive in this world, will fuck me up later on, when I'm an adult and I try to function in a healthy environment. It will take me years to shed those behaviors.

Other times, she can be fun and nice even. It's almost worse than if she were consistently mean. Because then I have to feel guilty about hating her and wishing a horrible debilitating accident on her. I am incapable of carrying a grudge and I start to open up, to even trust her for a minute. An hour later she'll get bad again, just as quickly. "You lazy, rotten, lousy, stinkin' , ungrateful..." And I will have to sit there and take it and feel like an asshole for letting my guard down.

There are things that I have. Things that are mine that she can't get to. Those things are my albums, and books and running and writing. I write everything down. I have to. It's the only way I can keep it straight. She will never admit what she's like. Never. Not even to herself. Not even when she's old and it doesn't matter anymore. Not even when all is forgiven...Mostly. So, I document it for myself. So I know that it happened and I'm not making it up and as a reminder to myself the next time she is nice to me, not to trust it. It won't last.

One of my cousins gives the signal. She's on her way back down the hill. We're all in a tizzy, trying to turn off the TV and put away any food we were sneaking and tidying everything as much as possible and then all retreating to our rooms. We have no idea how she'll be and no one wants to draw attention to themselves. Just in case. I go to my room and find my hidden notebook to write this down too.

What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?

We're here and we're random - every single one of my personalities.

1.) Okay, remember how I said it was Homecoming weekend here in town? Well, there's usually all kinds of fun drunken incidents that occur on that weekend. I'm going to take some quotes off of the KCRG website so you can learn about my favorite one from this year. 'Kay? Here it is:

An Iowa City man who thought a police officer just "needed a hug" faces several charges including assault on a peace officer and public intoxication...

...According to police records, Schreder ran up to the officer and stuck out his arms. The officer told him to "get away," but Schreder didn't take the hint and embraced the officer.

How great is that? In and of itself, it's wonderful, but this being Iowa City, there's bound to be a protest - of sorts anyway. Today on my lunch break there were some college kids standing around on the Pentacrest giving out free hugs. You bet your ass, I made sure I got one. I asked the boys to hug each other so I could take a picture, (with my camera phone, since I left my real camera at home) and they said they would, if I would let them take a picture of them hugging me. What is all this conditional photographing about? I suppose it's better than in San Francisco, when they wanted a dollar. At least a photo is free. Anwyway, below is where I was in the picture, but I cheated by hiding behind the "free hug" sign. Sue me, I was wearing braids and I looked like crap.

Later, one of my coworkers told me it would've been funny if I had pulled out a fake badge and pretended to be an undercover cop and started to arrest them.

2.) Now, onto my next random topic. So, on Monday I went to my friend's house to watch The Steelers on Monday Night Football. The whole time I was there, the team just kept sucking harder and harder. Finally, I told the people I was watching the game with, that I figured I should leave, because if stopped watching, they might start winning. Then my friend James told me to fake call them, because that worked so well last year. I got out my phone, made my imaginary phone call, stopped watching the game and went home. Guess what? That's right. The Steelers won. Maybe that really is my super power.

3.) The girls said there was a guy who showed up to the Homecoming dance in a gorilla suit. I don't think I need to add anything else to this. The awesomness of it, stands on its own.

4.) Sunday night I told you about the guy who stopped me to tell me that he sees me walking every morning and in his head has always thought of me as his pretend "going to work" friend. Well, I've actually seen him the last two days on my way to work. He honks and waves and I wave back. So, now I suppose he's my pretend "going to work" friend too.