Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Monday ... oh. Wait a minute.

Tuesday isn't it? Larry's dispatcher told him there was nothing going, so he made an appointment at the Ogden Clinic to take care of his dripping, rotten sinuses. Two types of antibiotics. Then we swung by the Ice Sheet to vote. I'd lost my Utah handbook, so had to read up on the amendments quickly. Mostly yes and one most assuredly NO. I'm glad we went, now I don't have to hustle a ride on the 4th, and Larry won't miss out. This is do time people!

Pondering, pondering. Dr. Horrible is seeping into my life. Hmmm.

A fellow twitterer is following me on twitter, an applicant for the Evil League of Evil, Fury of Solace. Nice name and he can sing. So, am I evil enough? Hmmm. Maggiemayday is an alias from the George "Don't get mad get even" Hayduke days. Crappy writing or not, I am on paper as a freelance payback artiste. Mayday, not as in the lovely first of May, but of Mayday! Mayday! You are going down in flames! So that's kinda evil. Not rule the world evil, just personal vendetta evil.

And then there's "Anti M". That sounds nice and evil, but it is a burner playa name, and some people actually use without irony as my given name in RL. How can it be an evil alias then? Nope. Anti M is the kindly yet snarky Matron of The Home for Wayward Art. I do encourage throwing Really Bad Art to the flames, but I try to find Lost and Found and generally trashy art new homes. That's not very evil at all. And I am Auntie M to my nieces and nephews. However, I do like the concept of Evil Art influencing unsuspecting victims. "Just hang that nice picture of the hypno poppies in your foyer, dear."

There's Death's Shadow, where death goes I am at his heels, an assassin. But that's evil for a paycheck, not evil for evil's sake. Skilled ot not, that's almost Henchmen's Union territory. And the alter ego of an alter ego, so that's too far removed, and cheesy to boot.

Am I badass enough for the H.U.? Hmm, nope, neither badass nor subserviant enough. I have done the sidekick thing when I was younger, being the quieter of the Yanqi Kids duo. I always was the Mastermind of that little crowd; I would come up with hilarious acts of teenage terror and my friends would carry them through, led by my best buddy Doobie. Seems like I always was somewhere else when things fell down and they got their tails in a sling. So that was evil in a modest way. Mastermind is good. I can direct henchmen.

Is there then a middle management position for evil? A sort of den mother/housekeeper of evil? The Evil Clearinghouse, the evil think tank matron, the evil braniac homemaker? I envision a large clattering ring of keys on my waist, with which I can kill with a single "clank"! And a plate of tempting cyanide cookies and arsenic warm milk. Auntie Evil. Death in a charming roly-poly grandmotherly package. "Eat your veggies, dear, or you'll never rule the world."

Evil Mrs. Santa, who boffs the elves and makes venison jerky in the off season. Killer toys, hmmm? I have the outfit for that!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

DeCompression 08









Marvelous party! The venue was great, the Jellyfish warehouse. There was a good entrance way for ticket sales; a large area for dancing and the bar, an upstairs balcony for art and relaxation, plus a fenced and gated outdoor area with a fire pit and sofas and the portos. Very nice! The decor was fabulous, the set-up crew did an amazing job. And the band ROCKED. I've completely forgotten their name, but will look it up.

I went as a MOOP Princess. MOOP, as we know, is matter out of place, i.e. trash. I wore a hoop skirt embellished with trash bag ruffles, baby wipe fluerrettes, shredded wings with a mardi gras bead/plastic cup cascade. Dead glowsticks and zip-ties embellished the bodice, dead ciggie butts sparkled on the tiara, and the earrings were made of condoms. My picture was taked a lot, I hope someone gets a better one than what was one my camera. The skirt slipped right before my picture was taken with my camera. the first row of ruffles is supposed to be up against the bottom of the bodice. Ah well, wardrobe malfunction of the un-sexy kind. arry wore a silky monk's robe I made for him.

I danced, had some mai-tais, chatted a lot. So many beautiful people. I was sad we had to leave early. Larry is working today.

We took the Buckys, of course, and a new installation called Bodies of Light. That's the Victoria's Secret clear manneqin torsos on VS panty tables painted black. The torsos are filled with LED lights, some strands, some color-phasing snowflakes. We knew it would look good, but once it was set up, it looked amazing. I couldn't get a decent picture of it, but I do want it to be displayed sometime again. As usual, I didn't get enough pictures. I never do. I wish I'd gotten a decent shot of Dean's wood sculptures, he is very talented. Hot Jesus was supposed to go in the raffle, but I was leery because there were a number of non-burners and I wanted the Very Special piece to go to burners who would love him. So I withdrew him from the raffle and sent him to a new home. I painted a Vortex Poppy, I very much liked it. I can hardly wait to see who got the painting. I hope they like it!

Sigh, Time to unpack the trailer.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Farewell, Yakkums






My hamster Yakkums died yesterday, or perhaps late Monday. I didn't see him all day Tuesday, but he's nocturnal so I wasn't worried. When I went to check on him before bed, I thought it was odd he hadn't taken the pistachios Larry had put in the cage on Monday afternoon. Yak loves them, and stashes food immediately. He wasn't in tower saucer, so I reached in his bed nest in the bottom of the cage. He was all curled up, like he was sleeping, so cute, but stiff and cold. Wah! And his fur was all soft, it really did look like he was sleeping. Larry won't be home for a few days, so I had to put Yak in a box in the freezer. He'll be buried out back, near Keeper. Wah! I know, just a little hamster, they don't live long, but it still made me cry. He was two years old or so.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Mundane World

Paying bills, catching up on blogs and community sites. Sewing Decompression costumes, I hope. Larry went to the dentist, he's in pain from that tooth which was just crowned. Poor guy. So that makes another day without work. This does not combine well with paying bills. Ick. Oide is clawing my leg. I need to change the catbox and take out the trash. Yuck. Chores.

I have a nasty sinus headache, second day in a row. Yesterday I went to the Burn Community meeting, planning decompression. I felt awful, but the weather was nice and I was able to volunteer our coffeemaker for behind the bar. Sally needed me to come sit with my brother while she went to the commissary with dad, but with this level of pain, I can't see well. Noises and sound bother me. I don't know if I can actually sew or not. My teeth ache and my face is puffy. Sitting with my brother wouldn't work out well. Desi volunteered for the afternoon shift while Sally is at work.

Larry got out the humidifier; I dug out my nasal steamer. Divya says she's coming down with a cold and wants to stay over here. As usual, I have my doubts. About everything. Last thing I need is a cold, but my brother needs it less.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Random Thoughts

Larry did not go to work today; the company had nothing for him to do. If this keeps up, he will have to go back over the road. I don't want that, but his pay is down 20~25%. Sure, they pay him for the days he does not work, but it is not the same. He helped me with my costume and he went to give blood, so that was ... not the same as having a full week's pay. Oh, we're alright, the mortgage, insurances, car payment, utilities and food are covered. Not to worry. All the extras have to go. I'm worried that I overspent this past year, on Wyndham and diamonds. I still feel good about the car for the kids. They needed it so badly. So, no eating out, no fabric, arts and crafts, no shoes or clothes, no eBay, no impulse buys. I know I can do it, easily enough, I simply have to get tight-fisted once more and shovel money into savings.

Dad was reminiscing. He told of a retired woman who used to work at Hangar 18. That's Area 51. She told him she'd seen "the bodies." Greyish-green skin, huge eyes, long fingers, about four feet tall. Wow. Dad has never, ever spoken of it; I was sure he didn't believe in aliens. I believe this woman told him these things, but I do not know if she was lying. Dad says when she told him she was 72, and disclosure agreement be damned at her age. Wow.

I spoke to my brother. He sounds better and I am glad he's home. He's not a bubble boy, just half-bubbled. Conversations with him are strange though; he's still ... loopy. Turns out that the steroids give him bouts of "steroid psychosis." That's tough and a lot of bouncing back to do. The stuff from his garage was not stolen after all, but someone did swipe his red garden gazing ball. Probably the kids at the school across the street. Dang kids!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Happy Halloween?


Too darn early for this crap!

I will update my roadtrip to San Francisco in the big rig later today or tomorrow.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Sunday Drive

















Even though it has been stormy this weekend, I asked Larry to drive me up Ogden Canyon. I just needed to get out. Yesterday he cleaned house for me; we went and got hair cuts, then we went to the mall. he bought me an incredibly lavish bracelet. I just wanted to relax today. We drove up the canyon, through Ogden Valley and over Monte Cristo (9,000 feet) all the way to Woodruff. That's an old farming community which has nothing open on Sunday whatsoever. There's a skiff of snow up in the mountains; although the snow gates will close in a few weeks. There's five feet of snow in the winter up there or more. We saw beaver dams and cows in the road, and hunters in blaze orange. Archery elk season now. On the way down the valley it began to rain; by the time we were home it was hailing. Fire in the fireplace!

Photos: Larry in his kilt, hanging decorations, the drive, cows in the road, snow and ice.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Blink

My brother didn't come home after all. He is still not making enough red blood cells, and the docs are watching some of the complications closely. One hopes this gives the SIL time to finish her cleaning. One hopes. She's not asked for more help. That's neither here nor there on her progress though.

She called me the other day while I was running errands and wanted to borrow money until payday so she could mail packages. Selling chunks of my brother's marble collection, no doubt. Well, it is an investment for times of need. So I said sure, I'd lend her money ... but the problem was it was after four in the afternoon and she needed it so she could mail the packages before five-thirty. WTF, woman? I wasn't at home, I was out with Desi trying to get the bug running so they'd have reliable transportation. I wasn't even in Ogden! No way I could get to the ATM and then to her in time.

So this is my complaint: I will help, I love to help, MyLarry really loves to help. Even my friends and burners love to help. But you have to ask us in time, give us a head's up, an opportunity to reaarrange plans. The SIL does this, and I suspect she has no clue: if we can't bend over backwards when she needs it she doesn't ask again. All in the timing. Just freakin' ask in advance, and by advance I mean other than last minute. Honestly! Poor planning on her part is not a crisis on our part. Grrrr. I know, there are times it can't be helped, but it shouldn't be Standard Operating Procedure.

Let's see. Got the teeth cleaned. Let Larry go to Rita's bakery unsupervised. Now I have a pack of local flour tortillas and a pack of 90 corn tortillas. 90. We ate the bolillos and pan de dulche already. Found a decent used car for the kids, to heck with financing, I trashed the money market and paid cash. Now they have their own car and I'm not so tense about the insurance and our vehicles. Now I have to make a car reservation in Malaga, pay the AmEx and the Citicard. And get the kids passports too. Screw retirement, I'm spending it all now. Might as well, the banks and the government are doing a fine job of screwing the pooch.

Point of clarification: I do not have kids. The kids are friends in their 20s. Larry has a kid who never calls. The ex raised him to hate his father, so there you are. Guess who's in the will and who is not?