Pool party!

Sunday was a fun-filled day in the sun and my skin proves it. R&T recently bought a pool – shallow enough for the visiting three year old to stand in but big enough to fit seven adults and a teenager comfortably having a water gun fight. To celebrate the purchase, they had a holiday-style cookout. Burgers and hot dogs cooked on the grill, potato salad and coleslaw recipes competed for side dish space, ice cream packed the freezer and beer filled coolers. Couples and kids showed up to play in swimsuits and the day lasted forever.

The Bald One and I determined that we now need to designate a beach/pool bag. While we knew what we needed for the pool, we don’t seem to have it in a central location. As we were walking out, the cooler of beer & jug of iced tea in the car, both of us started to remember the stupid little things you realize you don’t have usually as your feet hit the sand. Where did we leave the sunscreen from last season? Oh – should we grab saline solution for your contacts? My hat is by the door, can you grab it since you’re right there? Finally, we had our bag of clothes/towels/gear and off we went.

We arrived to chaos. There were people everywhere – an unusual event for R&T, as somehow everyone ends up in different places and is either late or nonexistent at most of their last-minute-ish shindigs. We had a few water gun fights, hilarious moments watching the 3yo on the slip’n’slide and general cavorting in the sun. The burgers were a highly fought-over dish, where the Bald One stole more than his fair share claiming he wouldn’t be around for the second round because of work…then managed to eat two more later that night after his return. The coleslaw, I’m told, was the usual expected excellence and the potato salad I know was fabulous. Red velvet cupcakes were out to celebrate a birthday, but nobody was targeted for bad singing.

Later, after many of the folks packed up and went home, the remaining die-hards took naps or relaxed in a shady spot. I finished off another book and enjoyed just being able to sit in the sun for a bit. After naptime, we all jumped back in the pool, enjoying the ability to be submerged up to one’s neck and having a conversation. As the skies grew dark and the temperature dropped with the impending storm, we moved inside for another round of food and hilarious television. The hour being rather late, we finally headed home twelve hours after we left.

Despite my sunburnt shoulders arguing with me, I’d class it as a satisfactory day.

 

Houseguest & the History Channel

Nikolai moved to the Carolinas and is bunking with the Bald One and I until his apartment was found and ready for him to call his. This means that when I get home, my television is set to one of two things - the Wii or the History Channel. Neither bothers me, just amuses me. He does get home way before the Bald One and I make it out of the Park, so he has the run of the entertainment.

Between Nikolai and the Bald One, there have been almost all the tracks in Mario Kart and almost all of the pieces of the LEGO Indiana Jones have been opened up for fun. The crazy-fun part of having Nikolai around is we’re getting a bit of an edjumacashun. He flips on the History Channel any time things can’t be found to entertain him. We’ve learned about subs, boats, all manner of weaponry and the most amusing episode - the making of Wonder Bread. (Side note: Americans eat a lot of white bread.)

I won’t say that this hasn’t been interesting. I’ve been amused at finding what can be found on television, as the Bald One and I are usually too busy to watch anything but our usual shows and get caught up on our Netflix list. I don’t think I even knew we got the History Channel until Nikolai came to stay. It’s also nice to know that our Wii is a great source of entertainment, as the two boys will often double team the games and clear levels in the blink of an eye.

I’ve also discovered that our guest room isn’t that bad. I wouldn’t say it would be more than a week’s stay for normal people, but the futon is apparently comfortable to sleep on, and the room isn’t unbearable. Once the cat-tortured love seat has been removed, the place will be fairly cat free. Nikolai is even allergic and is doing remarkably well between the allergen reduced bedroom and the Dyson-vacuumed household.

But I’ll be happy come Fourth of July has come and gone. I’ll have another Eno under my belt, my house back to just two humans and two days to vacation.

 

Posting live from the new toy!

I won’t tell if you won’t…I’m using the Bald One’s iMac to post.

I wanted to see if I could do some very basic navigation on his toy without him being around to either complain that I was playing with his toy or be whined at about using it at all. So he’s at work and I wanted to quick check my reader that I didn’t get through before my battery on my laptop died this morning and to do a little post.

His toy is very cool, so far. He’s in love with it and playing on a computer. He’s excited about plugging in his guitars and recording riffs that he has bouncing in his head. And I’m excited for him finally getting this creative outlet out somewhere. The other exciting feature is that it has necessitated a cleanup in his office that has made the place very clean and shiny and bright and I actually feel comfortable being in here for more than sixty seconds.

Okay, I just discovered Safari has tabbed browsing. *love*

Why I’m really upstairs on this gorgeous day is I’m waiting for my yard to finish drying out and the sun to dip low enough I won’t bake when I’m working outside. Instead, I’m getting the Purple Room ready for my allergic friends to be able to crash in there. This means dusting the shelves on tippy top, moving the bookcase and desk around a bit so they’re in better positions to have the new (to us) couch that is being delivered in that room. The couch is actually a futon of full size bed proportions and should happily sleep the ex-Bostonian until he finds local digs to match his new local to us job. After that, the room will still remain an allergen free zone so that our lovely friends can occasionally crash there when the need arises. And it will be pretty. I think.

No more goofing off - dust is calling my name…

 

T13: Reasons I’m Working for the Weekend

It’s been one long spring and I’m ready for summer. The past ten weeks have been one of the longest shows I’ve worked on since I left college. We started a week early and this production company likes to run for four weeks instead of the usual three. No biggie, but at this point we’re all looking at each other thinking “done.” Luckily, this one ends on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I’ll have two glorious days where I have no commitments that I don’t make myself. So here’s a list of why I’m counting the minutes to the weekend.

13 Reasons I’m Working for the Weekend

1. Three Day Weekend! Three whole days where I don’t have to go to my little cubicle and listen to other people have conversations I’m not supposed to hear right outside my wall.
2. Closing night Always a great time to reach that point in a show, where you can all look at each other and say “we made it!” This one culminates with a party at Spice Street.
3. Spice Street on a Saturday Throughout this show, we’ve tried to have a drink over at Spice Street and routinely been blocked out by some chickie in some scantily clad yet oh-so-stylish outfit saying “it’s a private party” Once was the annual Latino thing, another time was a white party, and still another was just some odd event where we got no explanation. It’s nice to be on the guest list this time and tell them off.
4. Brunch The world stopped turning and the Bald One and Five Diamond (T) have Sunday and Monday off. This means we’re getting the long awaited brunch. Hopefully with cheese biscuits.
5. 5 hours of BBC I acquired the 5 hour version of Pride and Prejudice recently. Part of brunch is going to involve curling up with the hubby and our friends and watching this epic.
6. Gardening! With both of us off, we might actually finish mulching our front flower beds. Will wonders never cease?!?
7. Lazy Monday The other benefit of having both days off with the Bald One, we can be lazy and sleep in on Monday until the indecent hour of 10am.
8. new iPhone (maybe) Mercury went into retrograde and took out my cell phone. This means I lost connection with the world. Today (well, Thursday is almost weekend…) I go to the Genius Bar and if they can’t fix it, I get a new one. Woohoo!
9. new tattoo? I’m hoping to go visit the tattoo parlor and get the one that has been in my head for a while put on my body. It’s going to be a garland of gerber daisies around my ankle.
10. Ez Clean House Having had a “professional” come do the place last weekend means I should be able to rock through cleaning the house this weekend.
11. No more quiet office Things supposedly start to get interesting here after Memorial Day. Growing season kicks in and people start doing things fun.
12. Cheese Biscuits Have I mentioned these enough???
13. Sleep I miss it so. I’m looking forward to spending quality time with my bed.

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Race for the Cure

Originally uploaded by Rae Z

I think it is only appropriate that I have spotted a turtle twice now on my walks at lunch. I’m doing the walks with a coworker to get us both ready for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. (If you are interested in sponsoring me, click here.) I’m doing this as part of my coworker’s “team” and in memory of my childhood neighbor.

I think the turtle is going to become our mascot. We’re a little slow - definately not the “race” portion of the race for the cure. And this is a disease that we’ll beat slowly but surely. Because slow & steady wins the race.

 

Weekends are for social insanity

Last weekend, amid opening Clean House, we had a full schedule. Kicking off the weekend early on Thursday was Opening Night which – for the first time ever – was attended by the Bald One. He seemed to enjoy the show and meeting the people I’ve been spending way too much time with and we escaped to our home at a decent hour.

Friday, the actual start to the weekend, had me enjoying a fabulous apple martini at Spice Street after the show with some of the cast, the director and our house manager. When I left at a decent hour, I was cajoled into driving fifteen minutes past my house to R&T’s new digs. After about an hour of checking out the nifty place, sitting on their deck enjoying the weather, the week caught up with me. We all migrated in to play Mario Kart and I started to fight sleep in the comfy leather recliner. I eventually give up, the boys run off to play loud music and I’m prodded awake around 4am to go sleep in a real bed.

Saturday – blissful bed as long as I want – followed by an attempt to clean and do useful things before running off to my show. The big deal this time around was that following the show, I was meeting the gang at our favorite little downtown bar for the Class of 1985 Prom. Complete with costumes and more AquaNet than I thought still existed. I can’t think of a song that they played that we weren’t singing word for word. What a deranged bunch we are.

Sunday was quieter, as suits the day of rest. Our matinee audience was refreshingly unexpected. After the show, we closed up shop for the next three days and I went off to a small house party in the opposite direction of my home. The party was a good mix of theater and civilians from all walks celebrating the Rites of Spring and the Fifth of May. After enjoying some excellent imported cheese in quesadilla form, I headed back home for a lazy evening with my husband.

You would think I’d learn to take a weekend of down time? Nah, why live that way…it’s too quiet.

 

The best laid plans…

…should never be made while one party is intoxicated.

As mentioned yesterday, we were theoretically going to have Scotch and Diamond over for brunch today with waffles, cheese biscuits and more food than really should be expected. Ever. Plots were made for noon-ish. We bought needed supplies, finished tidying up the place and got dressed like humans and gave them a buzz about twenty minutes ago because we hadn’t heard from them.

They were on the other side of town, scoring brunch.

*sigh*

Now I’m hungry and want cheese biscuits. Damnitall.

 

Time for bed kids

It’s been fun, but I need a nap.

I found out today that I get a raise. This makes me happy - I wasn’t actually expecting it, since I knew I didn’t qualify for the bonus this year with me not starting there until November. It’s a nice bonus and the fact that I’m rated as “good” is also nice to know. I’ll take my sudden extra money and throw it at something, I’m sure. With my commute, it’ll probably go to my automobile fuel. Sigh.

Rehearsals are going swimmingly, which is quite fabulous. We have a good sketch out there of the first half of the show with the second half being on the schedule for Wednesday. That means we’ll have a bit of an idea of where we’re going after the first week. I’m excited. And I found out today that we’ll have layered scrim - which just makes me squeal with joy. I enjoy some of the most random things. Why do we have a layered scrim, you ask? there’s these windows on the set - which means you have to have one image out them at one point and a different image out them at another. And there’s lighting tricks that will get to happen between the scrim and the window and stuff. I can’t wait to see how that fits together.

I had a “baroo?” moment earlier today though at my day job. I’m chatting with one of my coworkers. She thinks I’m the cat’s meow because I learn quickly, adapt well and can do really random things like fix her printer. She has mentioned, repeatedly, that she thinks I’ll be perfect at her job in a few years and seems to be training me for that eventuality. I mentioned to her that I needed to grab something yummy for lunch because I was having salad for dinner. She asked how my carnivore husband was convinced to fix rabbit food, to which I replied I was going to be at the theater with the most excellent salad bar being in the same building. “You’re still doing that?” she asked.  I resisted the urge to remind her that theater is actually what I want to do and that I look at this as just a way to support my habit and I would walk out in a heartbeat if someone would offer me a decent wage at theater type stuff. Instead, I just looked at her like she had misplaced her brain and went on with my day.

My good news from the weekend? my dear Bostonian is penciled in for a visit next week. He’s not here for me, but for the possibility of being here soon, permanently. While he’s around, I hope to have a drink with him and catch up a bit.

But now, I’m spent. Time for bed.

 

no, not really

Thanks to Ms. Elanova, I had my laugh for the evening. Anybody who knows me should know that this is not remotely tru, or rather, I hsould say…not remotely accurate for how or when I start my day. As I left work this evening, I stopped by my boss’ office and asked if he was going to the meeting in the morning. It starts at 8am. I don’t do 8am too well, so he’s taking the projector to the room so that it isn’t there overnight for people to play with.

My alarm goes off during the week around 6am. I hit the snooze repeatedly so that it goes off again between 6:25 and 6:35. If I’m feeling like it, I stretch and think about the day and what I need to do. More often than not, the snooze goes off again until 7am or so. Then I drag myself around a bit and go about the business of starting my day. Between 8 & 8:30 I’m hitting the morning traffic in order to get to work by 9am.

But weekends…weekends I enjoy my mornings. I get up in the quiet, read the paper and enjoy my coffee. So I like mornings…when they start at a reasonable time.

 

Special Delivery

GerbersPeeking

Originally uploaded by Rae Z

This morning the Bald One and I were politely bickering at our kitchen table over the comics section of the paper - he won, I consoled myself with flipping through the latest Land’s End while I waited. Muffins were baking and we were plotting our day. That’s when the doorbell rang.

About this time of year I participate in a single Secret Santa drawing. It takes place on a message board that grew out of iVillage’s Living Together board. We get together once a year in different cities and have a good time talking on a daily basis online. We’ve seen weddings and divorce, babies and heartbreak. I love having this group as a part of my life.

The doorbell was a special delivery of flowers from my Secret Santa. Infuriatingly, the card just said that…no great reveal of who I have to thank - so I called the person who might know and had plotted with my husband to keep me home this morning. Turns out, she was the evil genius behind these red & white beauties being delivered to me.

What you might not know is I love flowers. One of the thrills behind having a yard (despite the tons of work) is that I can have flowers growing around me and can bring them in at any time. The Bald One rarely gets me flowers because they die and they’re often helped to an early death by the cats. So I don’t receive very many flowers, despite how fantastic they might make me feel. The other reason these are fabulous is they’re the same type of flowers from my wedding, just in Christmasy glory. And that was the special request behind them. So thanks again to my most-fabulous best friend…

[A word about the photo: you may have noticed the glowing eye right above the ribbon. That belongs to Gabriel, our mafia lord of a cat. He was rather perturbed that I got up to take a photo of this vase of edible delights instead of staying at the computer with him wrapped in my arms and helping me type. So he had to check them out and see why they were worth disturbing his comfort.]