Winter prep

Although I'm not quite ready for weather that requires preheating the car, swaddling myself in scarves, and leaving the warmth of the bed every morning, at least the yard is prepared. I raked and bagged the last of the leaves and clipped the faded peonies and hostas. I left some leaves around the roses to insulate them a little (did I read that or just get lazy and think it sounded good? are you supposed to mulch roses for the winter?) and am waiting for the final buds to develop just a bit more before cutting them and letting them bloom inside. I promised one to the neighbor girl, so I hope they continue to grow for just a bit longer.

Over the summer she asked to come over and check out my flowers a number of times, and it was pretty neat to discuss where they were in their cycle, why this one produced pods when it was done blooming and that one produced berry-looking things, why the one peony made buds that didn't flower, and what each plant is named. She came over twice today, once before the great clipping and once afterward, and helped me figure out where to move the dianthus next Spring.

Willy snuck out two bones to chew on the back porch while I worked, and it was a hard job getting the boys inside when I was done. They must know these warm sunny days are in short supply, and I think they wanted to make the most of it. I ended up leaving the back doors open for an hour so they could come and go as they pleased.

I'll be ready for winter when it hits (love the snow and sweaters and crock pots and gloves), but in the meantime I'm savoring days like today.

Tonight

• I witnessed Matt's pimp walk. It's jaunty but perhaps best saved for special occasions.
  
  
• Saw a movie that wasn't very good, but the company I saw it with? Stellar. Times two.
  
  
• Took my hair down immediately upon our return and the curls looked much nicer than they did when I'd banished them to a ponytail a few hours earlier.
  
  
• Will be going to bed before midnight with a clear head, full heart, and a book in hand.

A good day

It's been a good day.

A day of reflecting and reading and interesting dreams. A day of showering late, eating big, and loving the people in my life. A day of peace and prettiness and inhaling autumn air.

I couldn't ask for much more.

Music

It's rare that I deliberately listen to music. Strange, because I do appreciate it, but ever since 1992 or so it's just not something I seek out. However, on those nights I pull it up, put on a CD or pop in a tape, I get totally immersed. I never hear the lyrics. The shape of lyrics, the beat, the changes, that I hear.

Snuggly

I broke out the Snuggie tonight.

I was watching a movie and thinking about going upstairs to grab a blanket when I realized I had everything I needed right there in the room. Sure, it was tucked in a bag to forestall teasing from non-Snuggie lovers, but it is blue, fleecy, and dammit it was there for me on the first night I considered closing the windows.

It lived up to its name.

Solid at the line

Bowling season has started again, and while in past years I've done wonderfully the first few weeks and watched my average dip lower and lower with each consecutive match, this year I decided to start out crappy and go up.

Matt suggested part of my trouble tonight was hopping at the release (not recommended, as you may hop left or right and yank or push the ball instead of letting it go smoothly at the line) and I was reminded of some advice he laid on me a few years back:

Get solid at the line, honey. Like you're sitting on the toilet.

Don't ask me. Why not just a chair? But I'll tell you this: that is advice you can't help but remember.

Found in Drafts

I was very close to publishing a post about how rubber bands have become all shoddy lately and stretch to ridiculous lengths within one day and have basically become one-use, but then realized no one needs to read about my ponytail holders and why I'm disappointed in the manufacturer all of a sudden.

But if someone were interested, please tell me why I have rubber bands from five years ago springing back like they were fresh from the pack while these new ones suck.

Also, the dance-off scene in Starsky and Hutch? Pretty fucking sweet.

To any who may be concerned: totally sober, just in a very strange mood and I happened to catch the dance-off scene in Starsky and Hutch earlier tonight. Awesome moves.

Cacaphony of coughing

Oh, we are sick here.

Coughing, sneezing, aching joints and the chills - we got it going on. Matt came down with the plague a few days ago and tried to give me pursed-lip kisses to protect my fragile immune system, but what's mine is his and what's his is mine, so please just kiss me properly and hand over that nasal sting and heavy chest.

He's feeling better today and since I'm running about a day behind him, I expect to feel some improvement tomorrow. In the meantime I have rediscovered my love for Theraflu with Mucinex chasers, made a huge pot of soup, and scheduled a steamy shower and Snuggie wrap for this afternoon.

If you have a magic cure, please leave details in the comments.

No more treats for you!

These f***ing dogs. Matt brought home a couple of Big John's subs after bowling tonight, and I had three bites of mine before wrapping it up and protecting it with a remote, then going out to switch the cars in the driveway. I came back not one minute later to find two dogs standing over an empty wrapper and a well licked floor.

They're getting braver or brazen or both.

I wonder how they liked the hot sauce?

Tabula rasa

Ahhh, that feels good.

It's been coming on for some time, this wanting to wipe the slate and start fresh. I was the sort of kid who tore out diary pages almost as quickly as they were written, so it's pretty amazing most posts survived for as long as they did.

Now this place feels like a brand new notebook. Fall season, first day of class.