Vacation fever!
I am beyond ready for my vacation. Very hard to believe it's only six weeks away. I have purchased everything I think I need except some dramamine and gum for the plane. I have plenty of sunscreen, I have my flip-flop pool floatie and tons of cute summer clothes. Oh my goodness, after more than a year of planning I can't believe it's six weeks away.
I have a picture to post for today. Our house is one of the spattering of houses on the bluff between Great Cruz Bay and Chocolate Hole you can see in this picture. I can't figure out exactly which one it is, but I am very, very excited to have finally figured out where it is. While we would've loved the house right on the beach, this will be less noisy, and we're still close to everything.
Just to warn y'all, I am on a serious budget until I get back. I figured out today what I need to do financially so that everything's in order for the trip, and let's just say I won't be eating out very much and what I eat at home is not going to be gourmet. It'll be fine. Beans, rice and tuna fish are good for us. And it will totally be worth it.
7 1/2 weeks!
I bought shorts and tank tops yesterday.
(I left the linkage in case you want to see where I borrowed this picture from...)
Are we there yet?
I'm sooooooo ready to go. Pass the rum.
(
This is who gets the credit for this photo. But I'll warn you: Don't go look at her pictures unless you are prepared to beg me to stow away for my trip.)
Better...
I am doing better right now.
Mojitos, Chris singing all my favorite Keith Whitley songs and apologies help.
I am swamped at work, and next week will be much worse.
I'm seeing if I might be able to head north for a little 24-hour getaway in a week or so. That'd help too, I think...
Thought of the day...
I'm not in a good mood, but I don't want to talk about it. There are actually a few things I do want to talk about, but it's probably just better to not say anything because then maybe I won't piss anyone else off. And besides, it's hard to see the screen through the tears anyhow.
I don't know what the fuck I'm doing, where I'm going or how the fuck I'm going to get there.
And to think that a few days ago, I was actually in a good mood. I'm beginning to think some people are just doomed.
But I'm not getting into it. Maybe someday.
Anyhow, the thought of the day comes courtesy of my mother, who is the wisest person I know.
"Some people would bitch if you hung them with a new rope."
I'm sick of trying to please people for whom there is no pleasing. I'm sick of getting glimmers of hope only to have them kick my fucking legs out from under me.
However, I learned long ago that since I can't win anyhow, it's better to keep my mouth shut and pray to the sweet Lord above that it'll go away.
So, I'm going to go to bed. Right after I pray. I'm just worried that God's not a big fan of me right now either, all things considered.
I'll sort it all out eventually, I'm sure. And if not, we aren't really surprised when my life blows anyhow, are we?
Dude, where's my car?
Last night was a very interesting night in the Music City. Holly is getting ready to move to Philadelphia, and we had one last girls-night-out before she left. We went to $2 margarita night at Tequila's, where they gave me and Kay more fajitas for two than we could ever imagine. And I don't even think we ran out of tortillas. And if Margaritas and Senoritas Monday ever moves back to Monday, their pitchers are only 11 bucks. Que bueno! (I need to learn how to do Spanish punctuation on here.)
Holly wanted to go and have one last hurrah at
Lonnie's before she headed on to bigger and better things and left Nashville behind. So, we parked the car where we always park it downtown and headed a few blocks to Nashville's favorite karaoke bar, which, by the way, is a claim that all karaoke bars in Nashville make.
After merriment at Lonnie's that involved me singing a Wynonna song completely sober (Yes, it's a milestone), we headed over to Big Bang. Luckily, Keith met up with us for drinks, because the night was about to get ugly.
Here in Nashville, those of us who hang out downtown have been faced with two huge issues lately: The predatory tactics of towing companies and the fact that they are not particularly regulated and aggressive panhandlers. Allegedly someone, somewhere is working on holding tow operators accountable, and there is a new campaign to combat the panhandling.
There is this one particular panhandler who stops us every single time that we go out. Every single time. She is annoying, and she won't take no for an answer. Even when we try to ignore her, she follows us down the street, often several blocks, asking us for money. I'm not a bitch, and I do feel bad for homeless people, but I'm not giving them money. I give my money to the rescue mission, and if they'd like my money they can go get it there.
So, last night as we're walking back to our cars (Keith was parked about a half-block up from us), here comes the panhandler. She always tries to find the new person in the group and asks what time it is as her conversation starter. It seems like an innocent question until she follows you for three blocks and actually stands at your car and keeps talking until you drive off. I told the new person in our group not to talk to her.
About the same time that Kay looks up and realizes my car is no longer in its parking space. Because we always park there and have never gotten a ticket, even when parking there when there was a police officer on the corner, at first I assumed my car had been stolen. I freaked out a little, because regardless this was going to be expensive, and I had $85 in my bank account until Tuesday.
The homeless lady is still blabbing on and begging us for money. I turned to her and told her that I didn't have time or patience to deal with her bullshit this evening and she finally walked away.
I called the city's vehicle impound lot and got directions and off we went. Of course, my car was not actually at the lot, but eventually I found it. I don't think there's a more efficient governmental body than Metro Davidson County. Model of excellence, it is.
My favorite part of this whole process was that the Metro employee told me that the cost of my infraction would be included in my tow bill, and when I got to the independent towing operator he charged me what Metro said that he would.
And then he handed me a ticket.
Luckily I had the sense to ask if it had been paid, because otherwise I would've assumed it had been, since the jackass I had previously talked to told me it was.
It wasn't. And it was only $10, but that's not the point. It's the principle of the whole thing. If it's supposed to be included and then ends up being an additional charge, that's not fair.
So, $90 later I got my car back. (Did you catch the part where I mentioned I had $85 until pay day?). Keith ended up taking Kay and Holly home, and I went home and crawled into bed pondering why exactly I had such a shitty day. It was just one of those "Just when you think it can't get any worse ... " days.
On the plus side, we met some really cool tourists at the tow place who were trying to get back their rental car. And when I was telling someone about my awful day, he offered to pay for the massage I had scheduled today, because I needed it and I am officially broke.
So, maybe it wasn't the shittiest day ever. But it's TOTALLY making my top-ten list.
And I think I'm going to write a letter to everyone on Metro Council about this panhandling situation. I'm so over it, and I hate to even go downtown anymore. And I NEVER carry cash. Thank god the tow place took Visa so I didn't have to go to an ATM in the ghetto in the middle of the night.
Parallel
Remember
way back when I told you about how my legs didn't work when I was little? And how when I was in kindergarten my mom always knew when we were having gym because the teacher would call and say "Mrs. Richards, every time your daughter runs, she falls flat on her face."
And my mom would say, "I know, but just let her get up and keep trying."
My mom has always encouraged me to get up and keep trying. We don't quit. I just wasn't acceptable in our world. Really, it still isn't.
Here I am 31 years old, and I'd like to get up and keep trying. Yes, I know I might fall again. In fact, I'm almost positive that it will happen. But I don't want to quit. And while it may not look like everything's under control, it is. I promise.
And if it's not, then I'll pull myself up, dust myself off and start running again. But eventually, I'll get to the finish line. It'd probably help if those on the sidelines could cheer me on a little...
Song of the day:
"Back in this Cigarette" by Jason Aldean.
So, I'm back.
It's been over a week since I posted. I'm sorry to be MIA lately.
Life has been busy, but things are very good.
I leave for my vacation two months from tomorrow. I'm very excited. I practiced for it this weekend lying on a raft in Ashley's pool with a perpetual margarita.
The boy and I had a bit of drama, but as far as I know things are going really well. I do, however, half-expect my cell phone company to call and tell me they were joking about free nights and weekends.
Trying to get serious with the diet again, although I did just have two pieces of candy. Oops. But no fast food today. That's good, right?
I'll come up with something else new to tell you soon enough. Life's pretty boring right now.
