Shoot. Just remembered to add this:

Last night, Deb had to work late because 2 guys were shampooing the carpets. So after I got home from Selmons, I emailed her to say 'hey, I'm home, call if you're bored' and about 20 minutes later, she did. Cool. So we're talking (the Aisenbergs are SO guilty!!) about stuff and then she puts the phone down because one of the cleaning guys asks her a question. I gathered he wanted to know where the nearest car wash was so he could dump the dirty water. Anyway, this is what I hear over the phone:

Deb: so you go out past the viaduct and you get a red light. Then you go straight and being the waterburger there's a gas station. They have one.

(she gives the directions twice)

Guy: Oh. Okay. Thanks. I think I'll find it. So. You wanna go out sometime?

Deb: I'm married.

(I'm cracking up.)

Guy: Oh.

Deb: And I have 2 kids.

Guy: So do I.

Deb: I'm married.

The guy leaves, Deb picks up the phone, I'm howling with the hilarity of the whole thing. Poor Deb's got to stay there with her Romeo until God only knows and THEN she gets to come back on Sunday! heh heh heh heh heh heh

Altogether now! Deb's a... heartbreaker... dreamtaker... lovemaker -don't you mess around with me!
posted by SPowers at 6:09 PM | Remember It!

Good news. Bad news. What do you want first?

Well, since I can't wait for a reply, I'll choose for you!

Bad news: my new PC is giving Sweet some fits and since his vacation week has ended, he took it into a local shop to get fixed up. They say it'll be 'about a week' before it's returned. *sigh*

Good news: Sweet's PC works perfectly and looks really cute on his new desk! I'll have to figure out how to get my email from his account - not really a problem - and then it'll be like I never left y'all's company. Course, all my stories are on the hard drive that the shop is trying to slave to my new hard drive (the 30 gig one - *squeak*) but I do have a disk of stories I brought from work that I might be able to work on in the meantime, assuming Sweet lets me have a chance at the PC.

I didn't blog about last week's step class, but damn... that shit is tough. Still, I kept in there and I went back this week and I did what I could when I could and as fast as I could and I think I had a good workout. *huzzah* At least, I felt horrible while doing it, but I felt great when it was all done and not just because I had stopped moving and I could go home.

Today was THE DAY. The Largo Renaissance Festival started today!! It runs for six weekends total with different themes each weekend. This weekend it was 'wine.' They had grape stomping, wine tasting - stuff like that. Next weekend (since it's St. Patrick's Day) the theme is Highland Fling. (Just go with it.) Basically, it'll be lots of men in kilts, some Highland Games (Press-A-Wench, Tote-A-Bloke, you get the idea) and a LOT of men in tartans. That's the main thrill, for me.

We took along the digital camera and got some shots of the people, some of the demonstrations, a little boy with BRIGHT red hair (he was adorable!), the same hot babe with the pierced nipples who pulls the 'carousel,' and a few familiar faces and a lot more food & merchandise stalls. There were only 2 tarot readers, one palmist, but 2 henna-ists (none the years before). There was a blacksmith (who was actually a black smith (get it?) - we bought an iron quarter note from him) and a glass-blower, but no tapestry-weavers. Children could ride the ponies, the elephant or one of the two camels. We didn't see any jousting this time - just the human combat chess match. When Sweet's done with the movie we took, I'll have him select some stills to share with y'all, if you're interested. There were some interesting... and shall I say 'familiar' faces. There was one fight that could have been performed by Mart (with slightly less curly hair) and Anne (my Anne). She even threw a hissy fit!! There was one guy fighting who had red hair, but he was a little chunky. The little boy was enough for me in the Jim-regard.

Up next for me is some leftovers (from Lee Roy Selmon's - excellent food!), some satellite TV, a bath (I'm covered in dust), more story and then bed.

Yup. I had a good day. But then, most of my days are good. Life's just working out that way for me right now.
posted by SPowers at 6:01 PM | Remember It!

How did my birthday celebration go? Pretty damned well, if I do say so myself. Had lunch with Bossman and Bosswoman at the Black Opal. Phil Smithers is the owner there. (He's Mike's friend & a fellow sailor and yes, I do enjoy calling him 'Mr. Smithers.') It's a beautiful restaurant on the pier. And I mean ON the pier. The St. Pete Pier, near BayWalk. It was such a pretty day, too. And the food was excellent! (The bathrooms were neat, too. The ladies room had a hair dryer and the men's had 'tasteful' nudes on the walls. Yes, I peeked.)

Got to leave work early, so I got early to the gym for my workout. I think I need to up my weights again, even though I'm not looking forward to it on some of the exercises. But if I want to improve, I will. Doing the same thing all the time is no way to challenge yourself and no way to grow.

Got home early, too. Well, at my 'usual' time - just before 6 pm. Sweet's new PC desk had arrived (yeah!), he was able to get the horn in his car fixed, he got my registration taken care of (and a new license plate, although I wanted 'SUNSHINE STATE' and not the name of the county - I had a choice*), he got shaving lotion & garbage bags at Publix (where shopping is a pleasure) and the CUTEST little birthday cake at Kash & Karry (because Publix didn't have a small enough cake already prepared). This cake is maybe 5 inches long by 2.5 inches wide - we cut it into 4 pieces - and Sweet had taken some of my pink decorating gel from the pantry and written 'Happy B-Day Shana' on it himself. It was SO cute! He spent the night putting his new desk together. It will take some getting used to, since it sits right behind my right elbow, but I think I can manage it. Today he's going to figure out why my new PC hates me. As soon as I touch it... wingo! it faults on me. I think it's a Communist Plot.

*Question. What do the license plates in your state say? County name? State slogan? Some other slogan? Do you get a choice?
posted by SPowers at 10:07 AM | Remember It!

Just so y'all know... last night I spent in a bubble-bath-fueled blissfest. I got high on Cotton Blossom while reading one of the mags Moms gave me (thanks again!). When I got out and dried off, Soul Mate called and we chatted about what the Universe might possibly be trying to tell her. All the while, Sweet was working on my birthday present. (One of them, anyway.)

Sweet bought me a new PC!! Yup!! He's putting it together himself. I'll have a 30 gig hard drive and a 750-something processor. (I remember the numbers, just not sure what they mean.) He's trying to slave my old drive to my new one, so I'll end up with a 38 gig hard drive. Not that I filled up the 8 gigs. Still, it's nice to have it there. He got the whole thing for cheaper than he paid for his 20 gig - which is the one I'm using right now to tell y'all what's been going on. So - if you sent me email since yesterday at 6 pm EST, I haven't got it and probably won't until I get home tonight from the gym and after I eat dinner, which is when I'll have time to go check for it. Also, he has some really strange stuff saved as 'favorites,' which means none of the stuff saved on my PC, so I don't have any of my bookmarks. *sigh*

Sweet also cleaned the bedroom and rearranged some of the furniture. It'll take me a while to get used to it, but so far I haven't stubbed any unwary toes, so I'm happy about that. Today he's promised to get my registration figured out (somehow, I lost that renewal-by-mail form) and my new license plate, and get his car's horn fixed (it's been broken ever since that accident in November).

Last thing - when I woke up? The song that was playing? The most goddess-awful folk-feminist song I've ever heard. Well, the chorus part of it. Over and over and over again... there's something about the women... there's something about the women... there's something about the women in my life... Over and over and over again. I'm rubbing my eyes hoping the song will kick into another verse so I can get this monotonous 'crooning' out of my head when Sweet rolls over and groans, "What the Hell is this?" meaning the song, of course. I just started to laugh and he smiled.

And isn't that the best way to wake up on the first morning of your Jesus Year? With laughter? Because you just know that, 33 years ago, when my Blessed Mom, May Her Ashes Drift Peacefully in the Eternal Waters, was busy pushing me out, she wasn't laughing. My brothers, as my Dad was driving them around and around the parking lot of the hospital trying to find a parking space so they could go in to visit me & Blessed Mom, were bitching up a storm about having to go drive around a stupid parking lot in the rain just to see Mom's new baby girl. A few days later, as I was being taken home, I got the first big laugh of my life.

"What's her name, Mom?" my brothers asked. Or so the story goes.

"Shana." Mom gives a radiant smile to my Dad, who's driving.

"Shana!" my brothers shriek. "What kind of stupid name is that!?"

"It's not stupid," quoth my Mom. "It's a pretty name."

**Note: 'Shana' is Yiddish for 'pretty,' but my Mom didn't know that at the time. She got the name from Shana Alexander, who wrote for LIFE Magazine. She liked Ms. Alexander's writing style and the things she had to say. Because Ms. Alexander was on 60 Minutes (in the Point/ Counterpoint section), I never thought my name was all that unusual. Until I got into school and she started writing true crime-type stuff and the kids I was with didn't have parents who set them on the floor to play while the rest of the family (pretty much) watched 60 Minutes. And you know that scene in Airplane!? I get that a lot, too. "SHA-naaah! They bought their tickets! They knew what they were getting into! I say: Let 'em crash!"

Ah, memories. Y'all might not be interested, but since I can't reminisce with the one person who shared that experience with me, I'm putting my thoughts out here. Deal with it.

Confidential to Patricia: I know you wanted to do it, but I'm glad you didn't all the same. You know what? I think you were pretty happy about it, too. I love you and think of you every day of my life. You're still the best. Thanks.
posted by SPowers at 7:06 AM | Remember It!

I am having a kick-ass-dare-I-say-it-amazing week! What with the unexpected package arriving Monday, the semi-expected (but no less appreciated) package arriving yesterday, the extremely unexpected and extremely hilarious email attachment I got this morning, lunch out at the Black Opal tomorrow with Bossman and Bosswoman, a present that requires assembly (??) that Sweet is putting together for me tomorrow, PLUS the Publix cake, PLUS being blissfully alone in my office all day Friday while Bossman and Bosswoman go sailing, PLUS the Renfest on Saturday.... this is SUCH a killer week!! I'm loving life and I hope you are, too.

Beth, your latest kicked so much ass I'm having trouble sitting down. My favorites in my favorite situation. What more could any girl hope for as she embarks on her Jesus Year? I must find a way to repay you, if only for the sake of balance in the multiverse!!
posted by SPowers at 2:42 PM | Remember It!

I have better friends than I deserve. But then, y'all probably already knew that.

Saturday, Sweet and I went out for lunch to the Castaway. It's a 'fancy' restaurant just off the Causeway on the way to Clearwater. All the tables have a kick-ass view of the bay. We had lunch and watched the sandpipers & gulls down below as they waded in the water. Well, the sandpipers waded. The gulls would stand farther back and squawk at each other, then open their wings and - just like in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - lift into the air, hover, and then dive-bomb hapless whatevers in the shallow waves. The wind was picking up - we got our cold front Sunday morning around 6 am instead of midnight, but oh well - and the water was choppy, but the sky was absolutely beautifully clear. We watched the birds as we ate our delicious lunch and then! We saw a flamingo! A real, honest-to-goodness, not in a zoo or park, pink flamingo! It was beautiful. It flew in, waded in the deeper water (showing off for the short sandpipers, I think), and strut. It actually strut! I swear! Then some idiot tourists came running toward it on the beach and it flew away. Idiots. What do you think will happen when you run at a bird? It'll run toward you, thinking you're just as fascinating? Not hardly.

Sweet had taken the digital camcorder and got a good shot of the flamingo before it flew away. Then, outside, he took some pictures of me and I made a short speech, just in case he ever puts together enough footage to make a 'video' that I can burn onto a CD and send to my friends. Won't that be special? Aren't y'all just dying to be on that list?

Oh - and Chris? Don't worry. Your most recent kindness has guaranteed you will NOT be receiving any boring home movies of the Powers Household! You are safe, m'dear! The rest of you, however... should be thinking of changing your addresses... heh heh heh!
posted by SPowers at 9:22 PM | Remember It!

Karen: First things first. I love those graphics! I would have used them myself, but they're not 'me' at all. They're too upbeat and... strong, I guess is the word. The green I've got is quiet and unassuming. It blends into the walls. The burnished suns are impossible to ignore and pretty enough that not being able to ignore them is a good thing. They're strong but not overpowering. They kick. They're cool. They're a Good Choice.

About your FIL. Ugh. Ugh ugh. It does sound like this guy is suffering mentally. It's probably something chemical, as you suggest (with the bipolar), but it doesn't seem as if he's predisposed to take medication to keep himself 'normal,' if he won't even regulate his diabetes. I feel for your MIL - I really do. It's scary to live with someone for so many years and then realize they're just not who you thought they were at all. It's good she has you & Ron to rely on and help her out. It's going to be tough. Even if FIL doesn't show for his appointment and MIL goes ahead with her divorce plans, it's not going to be easy to let things be where FIL is concerned. You're in for some tough times, but if you're open, honest and loving with your family, Karen, and willing to be there through some sticky times, I think you'll all get through it and be stronger for it.

Like your graphics say: "Here comes the sun." It's dark right now... but it won't be dark for always. I promise.
posted by SPowers at 8:21 PM | Remember It!

Tina asks: can boys that age even achieve an erection? I think they can. I thought I'd read somewhere that boy babies - even a few months old - can get erections (usually as a result of snuggling or whatever) and it's all just a normal physical reaction to feeling loved. It isn't until a boy hits puberty that he can actually ejaculate, as I recall. (I also seem to remember reading some book that described the importance of being a 'comer' and the male-bonding/ one-upmanship of circle jerks.) (But that's a tale for another day.)
posted by SPowers at 8:05 PM | Remember It!