of my own design

there is a fish
in my mouth
it swims with my teeth and sleeps under my tongue.
it is blue and red and made
of glitter and string.

there is a worm
in your mouth, there is a worm.

attempts at poetry. it's a gorgeous night, i'm going out on my fire escape for a while. <3

flaaaaaaaaan

today has been a truly momentous occasion! while in my local giant, i discovered that they sell FLAN in SNACKPACKS.

did you read correctly? FLAN SNACKPACKS. INDIVIDUAL SERVINGS OF FLAN.

i am the happiest fish in this sea that is baltimore.

in geek news, my D&D group took down a pit fiend last night. the highest of all our levels is an 11. WOOOO we only have to get rid of three more and a red dragon. walk in the park. :\

lalalalala flan in a cup!

taxes and junk

i love living in the city, but it means my taxes are hiiiigh. not only that, but work hasn't been taking enough out of my paycheck, so i owed $1231 for my federal and state taxes together this year. not the most pleased dutiful taxpayer, here.

but, when i went to the post office today, they had postal workers stationed around the building grounds with letter boxes so you could just run up and drop your mail in. the man who collected mine as i drove past just had the biggest smile on his face, like he was genuinely pleased to be standing out in the hot sun all day, collecting envelopes from disgruntled people. he grinned and i grinned, and it made me feel v. positive about the whole situation.

yes, i had to fork over a lot of money, but i'm sanguine. maybe i'll see that money again one day when i'm old and rheumy. if obama gets elected so my social security will be safe. it means there might be less potholes on the street for driving my jetta on. kids may get to have free lunch. the school down the street might get a new playground.

it means i can call the police and know that someone will come and help me.

so, i'm happy to pay my taxes, and i'm happy knowing my city's postal workers are enthusiastic about their jobs.

i'm just happy.

five am.

i went to bed at six last night. perhaps i shouldn't have taken my nyquil right after i got home from work...

so then i woke up first at three, dozed for a while, tossed and turned, and finally at four-thirty, i got up and took lester outside. the air is gorgeous and soft and just the slightest bit on the chilly side. i came back upstairs and hopped into a looooong hot shower, and now i am dripping gently and catching up on my blogroll.

it's friday, which means jeans, and tomorrow i am brunching with jamaila and don, and then going up to delaware. WHERE I AM POSSIBLY RETRIEVING MY JETTA WOT WOT WOT. SO excited about that car, you have no idea. i can drive a stick-shift! ME. woooo!

who wants to go joy-riding in my spanking new[ish] v6? it'll be a short ride, because i am not made of gasoline, but joyous all the same!

also, am seeing apocalyptica in may with michael and possibly jeff. fun! haven't broken out my apo CDs in a while, and i feel i should do so to get properly in the mood. WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?

lalala fridaycakes.

okay, so i might have been melodramatic...

a good solid day of bed rest and medicinal popsicles, and i am feeling much better now, thanks. i did NOT start the antibiotics, which i am glad of, because that means i would have had to finish the entire course even though they were unnecessary, and if i hadn't, i'd be adding to the rest of the anti-biotic resistant ARSEHOLES out there.

to avoid a rant, just read this: do not use antibacterial hand-wash, lotion, or waterless sanitizer [unless its' alcohol-based]. IT DUN DO ANY GOOD.

lalala, you can tell i am feeling better when i get indignant. <3

i hart nyquil.

uuuugghhh

it gets worse and worse. i went to the doctor this afternoon, and came out with a prescription for antibiotics, which she told me to take only if i develop a fever.

then i went home and passed out for several hours. afterward, i was totally loopy and crazy. i went to the grocery store to get my prescription and some medicinal popsicles and various crunchy delicious things.

now i've got a fever and i am PATHETIC. i am loaded to the gills with nyquil. i was reading the box, and i realized i possibly shouldn't have taken any since it's only been four hours since my last dose of adderoll. then i decided i didn't care, and i can't wait to pass out again. not going into work tomorrow. staying home and hacking in bed.

*phlegm*

bring out your dead

oh god oh god i have the plague. minus buboes and, you know, death. BUT IT FEELS JUST AS BAD. and i'm here at work, because i couldn't justify staying home as i do not have a fever.

wtf, lungs?

i think i probably should have worn a more substantial coat yesterday, what with all my runnings around. last night i went to bed with a bit of a tickle in my chest, and this morning i woke hacking and groaning. now i'm drinking some detox yogi tea. i would have grabbed my Temple of Health tea, but i was rushing this morning, and forgot. also, it's loose, and i'd have had to grab a basket or even my cast-iron teapot. WHICH, by the way, is exactly the teapot that Inara has in Firefly. it's just the wee version, for one/two cups.

i blame this affliction of the respiratory system entirely on jamaila.

*pathetic look*

pearls!

if anyone out there is secretly planning to propose to me sometime soon, the chances of me saying yes are greatly improved if you use this ring.

just sayin'.

i'm not even that picky, when [if?] i get married someday i don't even need a ring, but i want that one, and i think it's sweet and darling.

lalalala

dog day.

jeff from across the street called me just as i was leaving work, asking if i wanted to go to the dog park at wyman. he was taking his roommates dog, misty, and lord knows lester needs to get out more.

so we went! it is a delightful park! we ran into an old roommate of his, who's got a FANTASTIC german shepherd rescue called Shadow. there was a hilarious little corgie zooming around who looked exactly like a bullet on her little short leggies. and there was the biggest german shepherd i have EVER SEEN. came up to mid thigh on me, and was just solid and huge. sweetest temperament, too. he knew how to play with the little ones really well, and was sweet to lester.

lester was less than impressed, but i think it did him some good on the whole, so we'll be going back for sure.

then, later, i walked down to the grocery store with michael and his jack russell terrier, finrod. finrod is a special boy, alright. he's SUPER happy to meet you, and he just LOVES you so much can he PLEASE eat yer face omg omg omg omg.

i came home and lester looked at me suspiciously before deigning to lick my foot. he's zonked out now, curled up inside a pair of my jeans.

i love dogs.

random thoughts for a cloudy monday...

people keep leaving umbrellas at my desk today. i can understand one being forgotten, but then there was a second and now a third. the second one is still wrapped in plastic, even.

i may have to make-off with the plastic-wrapped one, it's a jumbo wind-proof, and i like a big, imposing umbrella.

my friend Nina has herself a few vintage/antique umbrellas and uses them. i think that's neat; why collect something that is made to be used and then put it on a shelf? my favorite one of hers is a sharp navy and white polka-dot number with a graceful curve at the tip.

i don't even think it's raining at the moment, but i suppose one should always be ready. the only time i ever remember to carry an umbrella is if i am going to a job interview. don't ask me why, i think it is because a friend once told me i should look like i am well-prepared for such occasions. the rest of the time, i deal with the soggy hair and damp shoes. adds to my allure.

i want to be playing chess right now. weirdly. i just don't want to be working. i want to be napping. or reading. or dozing and reading. ooh, dozing, reading, and drinking a cup of tea. mmmmmmmmmmm, delicious lazy cloudy day activities. except i can't, because i am at work, and i've got to deal with all the douche-bag people that come in here.

and yet, i'm also a lot more apathetic than i used to be. i suppose.

lalala, new car-cakes. i'll be bringing the jetta down here after one more trip to delaware [the 'rents] to practice. i don't know why, but learning stick was really hard to do. i developed some kind of mental block against it, and i couldn't figure out how to get moving from a stand-still. it took the motivation of a sweet ride to break the barrier, and now i'll be able to cruise around town in my 2000 Volkswagen v6 jetta. although, there won't be much cruising, as gas is ridiculous. i foresee much shuttling to work in my future.

am reading a new science fiction series by Kage Baker. The Company. I just finished In the Garden of Iden, and it tore my heart neatly out and danced around on it for a while. achingly beautiful writing. the descriptions were delicious, and the character development perfect. Mendoza's transformation from jaded naivete to bliss to heartbroken back to jaded is astounding in its perfect reality and believability.