Fridge of doom
Well, I stuck to it. Childhood Best Friend has been emailed, and the refrigerator has been attacked. Seriously attacked. Scary, scary stuff. I won’t go into the gory details, but suffice it to say that it was bad. But it’s all better now! An afternoon well spent, indeed. Now I can finally go grocery shopping properly.
I told J I’d get a snack ready when he got home, but then he didn’t want one when he got here. I told him to go get the hummus anyway, and I would get the Ak-Mak crackers. He didn’t want any, so I asked him to just go get it for me, and he finally did. I waited patiently until I heard the, “WHOA!!!” coming from the kitchen. I giggled and ran in to greet him. The best part? He told me, “You know, this morning when I was getting milk, I wished to myself that you might magically decide to clean the fridge today. And you did!”
“J, you haven’t read my website in awhile, huh? I announced on Monday that I was going to clean it out this afternoon.”
“Well, it’s still cool that I thought it and you did it.”
And it was cool. You know what else was cool? How last night, in my dream, I was showing J this collection of songs on CDs, and one of them (the only one I identified) was a Gene Simmons song from his latest solo record. Today, when I got on J’s computer and opened Winamp, that record was on the playlist. He hasn’t listened to it in ages. I asked about it, thinking that either he tuned into my dream brainwaves (ha ha), or he was playing it while I was sleeping, and I dreamed it right before I woke up. The latter, of course, being the likely case.
He said that he listened to it yesterday morning, after I went to work. I love funny little coincidences.
Hooking the night away
It’s after 11, and I have things that need to get done. I need to go on a walk. I need to type up a post. I thought I would take 2 minutes to put the bottles on the bathroom counter back where they’re supposed to be. Instead of any of that, I’m crocheting a baby blanket for a 3-year old boy’s stuffed penguin.
You see, when I first made a hat for Baby Alex, the Cabbage Patch Preemie, I decided that I would also make him a matching blanket. I desperately needed practice, and making something for someone who wouldn’t notice if it sucked seemed like a good idea. I finished the blanket on Sunday night, and brought it to work on Monday. Wouldn’t you know, Baby Alex and Pablo the Penguin started fighting over who got to sleep with the blanket. And since they were both tired & ready for their naps, they were being extra cranky about it. Also, I’m told that it was Pablo’s birthday, so he felt extra entitled to it.
The obvious solution was to make a second blanket while practicing a new stitch. I flipped through my book and decided to go for treble crochet. I love this stitch. It is a multi-step stitch, but once you get it down, it’s fun to watch your hands start picking up speed. J likes to watch my hands too. It kinda amazes him. I like the way the blanket looks (I can’t wait to try it with variegated yarn!), and the way it drapes so softly. I think I may make a full-size blanket with this stitch for J’s side of the bed.
Wait, a blanket for J’s side of the bed? Only his side? Well, yes. We have a sheet and a comforter, and I do make the bed every morning, but he sleeps with the sheet and I sleep wrapped in the comforter. Going to sleep is interesting, with our bodies together and the edges of our respective covers joined at the top. I often have to put a flap of the comforter onto him, because he lets all the cold air in! On really cold nights, he will snuggle under it too, which is kind of nice (but also kind of annoying, because I’m used to having the entire king-sized thing to myself). I think a lightweight afghan might be perfect for him. I’ll definitely ask him before undertaking such a huge project. In the meantime, I’ll keep adding stitches to my repertoire one doll blanket at a time.
Still no anniversary plans
We just finished watching Harry & the Hendersons on DVD. I haven’t seen it in over 10 years, and I’ve silently begged for it to come out on DVD for years. I finally got it today, and it is every bit as great as I ever remembered. I loved this movie so much as a child, and I’m really glad to see that I still love it. Just wonderful.
J’s job interview went well, so now it’s time to wait. Fingers crossed!
Updates make the world go ’round
*Everyone cross your fingers for J, who has a very important job interview tomorrow afternoon! This could be huge.*
In other news, my weekly progress report is not so great. I weighed in at 284.6 today, which is up 2.4 lbs from last week. We’ve eaten out several times this week, and I’ve eaten crap & candy too much. The funny thing is that I didn’t even enjoy it while I was eating it, but I ate it anyway. Candy leaves a too-sweet aftertaste in my mouth now. Anyway, I realized that, even with that gain this week, I’m still down an amazing amount overall, so I’m not too upset (a small lie. i’m still upset). I’m quite determined to stick to my healthy, tastier foods this week.
My to-do list got me to accomplish some things. I not only cleaned my closet floor, but I organized the clothes hanging up too. I, um, may have hung all of my t-shirts in order according to color/brightness. Probably in a reverse-spectrum kind of order.
I also attacked & conquered my coupon piles. Oh yes, I was proud. I finally defeated the mighty coupons! Until Sunday, when my mother gave me a big bag full of more coupons. Thanks, Mom!
We did walk every day this week, but not always before 9 p.m. Still, a vast improvement.
Here’s this week’s list, with leftover stuff from last week, plus a little extra:
- Figure out our anniversary plans. Seriously, guys? It’s Friday. What the hell am I going to do? (T)
- Confirm my ovulation. I’m pretty sure, but I need to wait two more days to be certain. (W)
- Email my best friend. Jesus, why do I not just get this done? I love her! I want to talk to her! But I just never take the time to sit down and type out a letter. So, so sad. (Th morning)
- Clean my refrigerator. I’m scared. It’s…been awhile. But I desperately need the shelf space for all my fresh produce and staples. Must be brave. (Th day)
- Relax. Take a night off, just for me. Well, I still need to walk, but I really need to just slow things down for just a little bit. Maybe post a photo from my phone for the day. Maybe something. I need to get this done, but at the same time, I fully expect to carry this item over onto next week’s list. (Th night)
I put in my estimated day that I want these things to be done. We’ll see how that works out.
First real crochet project
First real crochet project
Originally uploaded by somefatchick
My first attempt at a hat. I had to make up the last bit of the pattern when I realized I was making it for a cabbage patch preemie.
Changes, changes
I’ve been working on my CSS again. Last night I stayed up until 1 a.m. checking my code with the CSS validator, then changing a bit, uploading the new file, checking it again, then repeating until I got my 22 errors down to 19, then 8, then 4. This morning, I got them down to ZERO! I have a fully functional CSS file.
Of course, the RSS couldn’t possibly be so easy. I’ve been messing with that all day, but I still can’t get the button in the address bar to work. I do, however, have a validated feed. I just can’t make it link properly. Arg. It’s always something. I think I may have to break down and ask for help in a forum. The horror!
Major hitch
As you know, I walk most night by myself. Never truly alone, because I walk with my intimidating dog, but still. Alone. I’ve loved walking with J, but I’ve been mostly okay with walking by myself when he can’t/won’t. Bored, but okay. Until today.
Last night we met a new neighbor. Here’s how it happened.
Tonight, J was playing guitar and recording some music. He couldn’t commit to a definite walking time, and I didn’t feel like waiting and seeing. I was nervous about going out by myself. I was afraid I would run into Steve, and I really, really didn’t want to. It’s not that he did anything that made me nervous or scared, it was just something about him bothered me in the end, and I didn’t want to run into him alone.
I had already realized that he met me in front of my own house. He saw me go in. He knows exactly where I live. He knows what I drive. He knows what my husband drives, and what time he gets home. He knows my dog’s name, and where I usually walk her. I suddenly got overwhelmed by the amount of information that this stranger had about me.
Finally, at about 9 o’clock, J told me that I could wait, or I could just take a quick walk around the building. I figured that was best, as it really minimized my chances of running into anyone, let alone him. So we bundled up and set off. I stopped at the mailbox to roll up the cuffs of my extra-long jeans. I learned that it’s extremely hard to balance on one foot while holding a dog that needs to pee. I fixed my pants and we started back on our way.
The second we rounded the corner, I saw him.
I don’t know if he saw me, but I pretended not to see him. I’m sure he could have heard my dog’s choking/pulling noise as she tried to go see J.R., but I pretended like I had no idea why she was doing that, and kept on walking. My eyes were scanning with more intensity than ever as I tried to figure out the best way to get home. I could cut between the buildings, but if he went that way too, I would be alone with him in the dark backyard. Better to stay on the well-lit streets. Am I going to run into him right after this corner? Right after this one? What if he’s waiting for me right by my front door? Who is this guy, and why is he out when I’m out, and why is he on the corner by my house when he lives at the front of the complex? What does he want from me?!
Needless to say, I was a heavy-breathing wreck by the time we got home. I don’t think I can walk alone at night anymore. I just can’t handle it. The thing is, he didn’t seem like a bad guy; he just irritated me. Somehow I translated his irksomeness and wealth of knowledge about me into a full-on, serious fear. I’ve always had anxiety problems. I don’t talk about them because I’m afraid too (ha ha!), but I had to get this all out. Usually I can make sense out of things if I write them down. I don’t know, though. I always thought that walking with my dog would protect me from the bad guys. But what if, just maybe, the bad guys would bring along a dog of their own to lure me closer? Even if Steve isn’t the bad guy, someone else could be. They could use that ploy that I just thought of. And as ridiculous as it sounds, I know that it will constantly be playing in my head every single night that I try to walk alone.
And that, my friends, is a very serious problem.
New neighbor
I’m actually posting this as a backstory for another post, mostly because it was getting much too long!
I pulled at about 5:15, and noticed a man (“Steve”) with a black dog (“J.R.”) standing on my street. I tend to try to avoid people of all sorts, so I took a minute or so to gather my stuff together. He was involved with his dog, and wasn’t going anywhere, so I finally sucked it up and got out of the car. His precious 4-month old dog, J.R. wanted to meet me, so we started talking. That Damn Dog’s barking could be heard from the street, so I sort of nodded my head at the house (condo) and said that that noise was my dog. He told me to bring her out. She loves other dogs, so I ran in to put my stuff down and grab her.
By the time I got back outside, J had pulled into his spot. He got out of the car laughing at the similarities in the two dogs. The three of us stood outside talking/playing for quite some time. That Damn Dog started getting out of control, so I suggested we walk her down the street so she could relieve herself. So we all walked down the street together, then encountered another friendly dog around the corner. Steve needed to go to the bathroom, so I offered to hold J.R.’s leash while he ran home, so that the pups could keep playing. After he came back, the other dog & lady left, and J said that it was his turn to go to the bathroom. Steve asked if we usually walked her around the whole complex, and I said that I did. I asked J if he wanted to cook dinner (which confused the hell out of Steve, let me tell you), and then said that I would go for my walk now with Steve & J.R. so I wouldn’t have to go back out later.
I’m the type of person who’s not going to criticize anyone (at least to their face) for raising their dogs/children in a way that isn’t right to me. Steve is not that kind of person. He’s subtle, but I picked up on it earlier. Now, I usually walk in the dark, so I walk by the back bumpers of cars that are parked. It’s well lit, and I don’t feel anxious about being stuck between the cars and the building. It just makes me feel more comfortable. Well, I was walking like that last night, and Steve asked, “You walk her on the street? I only walk J.R. on the sidewalk. I don’t want him thinking he can go into the street. There are lots of cars around here, and you never know what’s going to happen.”
Okay, first? My dog, my walking, my rules. Second? There are hardly ever any cars. The streets are essentially long driveways. People drive slowly to their own parking spots. Third? As a naturally paranoid person, and especially as a woman walking alone, I am very aware of everything that’s going on all around me at all times. Excessively so. My eyes and ears rarely stop scanning while I walk. Fourth? What the hell are you going to do when you live somewhere with no sidewalks? I want my dog to walk obediently in all conditions. Yes, including the street. Did I mention, not your business?
So, being myself, I just murmured, “Mmh,” and kept walking down the street. We rounded another corner, and I guess J.R. was trying to get off the sidewalk, so Steve says, “No, J.R., you have to stay on the sidewalk. You can’t go on the street.”
Okay, I’m irked. How soon can I go home? Can I secretly text J to ask him to call me, saying that dinner is ready? I don’t want to be around this Steve person anymore. So we get to the end of the street, where he starts to take a shortcut behind a building to get to the street on the other side. I turn, like always, to walk down the three streets that it takes to get to the place where he is going to cut across to. “I thought you said you walked around the whole complex,” he said.
“I do, I just go down and around,” I told him.
“Oh. Okay. Well, we’re going to walk all the way around. It was nice meeting you. I go running at 5 every morning. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” And off he went. I saw him a couple more times on that walk, but did not try to catch up.
Current loves
Here’s a few things I’m loving this week:
- Crocheting
- The Flavor Point Diet
- Walking with my husband
- Dunder Mifflin Infinity
- Apples
- Exciting possible opportunities
Lonely walk of loneliness
How quickly I’ve come to rely on J for walking companionship. Together, we’ve been walking at around 8 p.m. for at least a half an hour. Tonight, he didn’t walk with me. I didn’t get the motivation to get my ass out of the house until well after 11, and I only walked for about 10 minutes. It certainly didn’t help that I had forgotten to grab poop bags and was desperate to get back before the dog decided to try anything funny.
