november 14

absolutely randomness

Since I seem to be incapable of coherent thought today, probably due to PMS, I am sharing the randomness floating around in my head.

Also, someone pointed out to me that I should tell y'all that I sometimes send out emails to the notify list that talk about stuff I won't post here. It's not all pornographic or anything, and it's not even really gossipy, it's just different. I know who most of you are on the list and I'm more comfortable telling you all some things rather than putting it out there for anyone.

***

Yesterday was my birthday. I'm now officially 28. I am mostly ambivalent about this.

The day wasn't really any different from any other. Work was busy with several fires to put out. A* and I met for drinks and dinner at Mint, a swanky bar in a gentrifying part of North Portland. It was lovely with fabulous service. I had a blackberry and something-something in a martini glass, called Bella, and it was delicious. A* had their famous avocado daiquiri which sounds gross but believe me, it's fabulous. Sweet and creamy.

My sweetie, bless his heart, gave me a mini Cuisinart. He was nervous that it wasn't a special enough present, but he'd heard me grumbling about wanting one for months. Yes, he could have bought me fancy underwear or perfume but instead he listened to what I wanted and gave me that. My husband is the best.

Funny thing about the waiter, though: He addressed A* as "sir" with great frequency. He didn't call me anything. I'm sure he was worried that I would be offended by "ma'am" and thought since I was with a man and I'm not 12 that "miss" wouldn't be appropriate, either. What about "madam?" Too formal? What a dilemma that must be for him.

Birthday week will wrap up this Saturday when we head south a few hours to a hot springs resort in the mountains and spend the day naked in hot water. Or, my favorite, the outdoor sauna house built over a spring that's too hot to immerse your body. I. Can't. Wait.

***

Cat update: All is well. Meds were dosed, eyes cleared up, and sneezing has subsided. Over $300 were spent. No one is dying. Crises has passed. The vet remarked that that there was "no residual scarring" in her eyes. Since I didn't even know that was a possibility I was relieved that I'd taken her in and shelled out the cash. I'd hate for a cat to have impaired vision because I was a cheapskate.

***

Today on the bus I sat next to a clean but scruffy red-haired man named John. He introduced himself and we shook hands. He smelled like baby powder. He did his best to make polite conversation, even though I was reading about Afghanistan in Newsweek. I found out that John gets $800 a month in assistance and that his rent is only $200. He also works "on the side," as he put it, delivering horoscopes he creates with his computer. He gets $25 per and makes about $125 a week.

John was clearly intelligent, and had very fine manners, but there was something not right about him. I felt like a toad for not engaging him more in conversation. He didn't deserve my rejection.

***

What do you think about the notion that you should live every day like it's your last? I think that sounds bloody depressing. Who wants to think like that all day long? I think I should live every day like I would if I was going to live forever. I wonder, though, if I did know which was my last day, if I would think differently.

***

A* is going to NYC in a few weeks for business. I can get a cheap flight so if I can crash with some friends I'll go, too. Every time I've ever been to NYC I've been with friends who live there and we've always done lots of drinking and partying, but I've never seen the great landmarks, like the Statue of Liberty or the top of the Empire State Building or Rockefeller Center. If I go this month I'll go for two days and only see those things.

***

I can't believe how hot it is here. It's like 65 degrees. Unheard of for Oregon this time of year. And the heat in the office is still set at 80 degrees (although it is rarely above 70 in the office--bad insulation), and I can't get to the thermostat because it's located in our neighbor's lunchroom and they've locked the door. We're dying in here.

***

Damn. I want chocolate right now like you wouldn't believe.

***

West Wing tonight. It's all I'm looking forward to today.

***

The end.

- november 14