cloudy mornings

I really wanted to like Grey by Jon Armstrong but it just didn't really come through. That's a lot of novel for something that felt more like a short story. Lately I've found myself very critical of anything that doesn't give me a reason or motivation to care about the characters. Anyhow, it is in the pile of books to be traded away.

I've never watched Lost. I might have seen an episode or two, but I never watched the show and I probably won't until years from now.

Maru just turned three! Happy Birthday Maru. I am about ten times older than you!

Yesterday a fellow LJ user posted a picture after cutting off a lot, lot of hair. It bolstered my flagging spirits. Sunday morning I showered in the cloudy morning light, wondering if shaving my head was really anything and besides wasn't my head going to look horrible? But I feel somewhat heartened. It will be a step, one little step towards a reclamation of this body that has felt wrong for a long time.

flowers and pear vodka

My unsolicited advice: if you are going to eavesdrop on your neighbors, do not make it obvious. I love to listen to people, anywhere and everywhere, but I have the sense not to be obvious about it. The ladies on their lunch break from a nearby office were painfully obvious in their interest in my conversation with brienze, which made me wish I had found some way to work "cock!" into the conversation just to mess with them. Your neighbors are interesting, but don't be a doofus about it. Anyhow, lunch was tasty and involved grilled eggrolls.

Afterwards we went to Red Barn, which is a nice local garden store. I purchased a tiny marigold plant and some pale blue ageratum to plant in one of the planters outside. Plants and growing things are not my specialty, but brienze reminded me I can just purchase some annuals because they aren't meant to last forever. For less than four dollars, it can be a pleasure even if they don't thrive. I really like marigolds, and the ageratum were such a soothing color. I can see them from my desk.

Red Barn used to be out on 620, but the expansion of the highway intersection eventually forced them off that piece of property due to skyrocketing rents. They now occupy a place that used to be a miniature golf course during my childhood. I have vague memories that the old house in the center of the property was reputed to be haunted but I have forgotten the story. I only thought of it on the way home. I drove the long way, to listen to the radio since they were playing White Zombie and Offspring and other songs I look back on with fondness.

I also needed to stop at the store for trash bags, and ginger ale. brienze gave me a lovely bottle of green pear vodka, and I would like to ginger pear cocktails. Mm pears. Thinking about cocktails caused me to forget to buy anything to make for dinner. Oops.

Of course after all that running around in the humid air, plating tiny plants and trying to untangle the hose, I jumped in the shower. Of course afterward I am barefoot in the kitchen when opening the fridge causes a glass jar of strawberry jam to fall out and shatter on the tile. Of course. I think I have tiny glass splinters in my feet, and I cut a finger. Cleaning up glass filled strawberry jam was not my idea of relaxing. In a little while I will have to do a second sweep and mop. Hopefully the cats won't step on any shards.