Brain Full: Random Photos

I've watched a lot of Doctor Who this weekend, and while it's been good and fun, my brain is a bit full. So look at the pictures!

Check out the green car I saw recently. Really that green!


Also, I kind of kinneared it, since it was behind me (I was stopped for a traffic light). I only had time for one shot; not bad!

House detail, noted while (again) stopped for a light.


Highway traffic was bad this week; I spent a lot of time on side roads, and thus a lot of time stopped at lights.

Pretty sunset sky.


And finally, let us take a lesson from the cats. When it is time to relax (and to a cat, when isn't it?), they do it right.


Enjoy the weekend, all. I am: I slept in, and will do so again tomorrow and the day after. I've done dishes, and vaccuumed, and put away my suitcase, but I've also watched all of Doctor Who, Season 4 (I did start last night). Whew! Now that's a day.

Almost there

Today feels like summer, which makes me so happy I could dance. For the first time this year, I got home and had to change into shorts and a tank top, because I was hot. Hot! Not cold!

So yeah, today wasn't great at work, but not as bad as yesterday. I think the root cause of my disgruntlement yesterday, odd as it may sound, was that the company had a cookout. Which means that five weeks after the layoffs, they spent I don't even want to know how much on a cheery cookout (chicken? burger? sausage? hot dog? steak tips?), and somehow it seemed a little ... tasteless, metaphorically speaking. It bothered me, and since the week after a vacation is always a little more fraught anyway, well, that was yesterday.

Today was okay, work-wise, and lovely weather-wise, and now I'm going to make some yummy bell-pepper salsa while watching Doctor Who. And tomorrow is Friday, and they're letting us go early (which I heard from someone else, since they announced it at the cookout, and hello you'd think they could shoot out an e-mail since I wasn't the only one to eat at my desk, and ... let it go; let it go), and it will be a Three! Day! Weekend! Ahh.

I'm Cranky

I'm going to eat fresh peas (woo-hoo!) and watch Doctor Who. Hopefully tomorrow I will be better.

This made me laugh, at least. Thanks for sharing it, Wendy!

Reasons Why

There are a bunch of reasons why I didn't make it to my stitch and bitch group tonight.

• Harold is far from being "over" my latest absence. Is he made of fur, or velcro? Furry velcro.
• I needed to pick up a few groceries, and return and pick up at the libraries.
• I had a dentist appointment at 6:40. Since we usually gather from 6ish to 8ish, that complicates making the meeting.
• I strained my left thumb a few days ago, so I'm not doing much crafting at the moment. Which reminds me, I want to tell you about what I finished last week. Soon, soon.
• I'm so, so tired. I hit the snooze button for almost an hour this morning, and while today wasn't a terrible day at work, it was the first day back after vacation, meaning it wasn't a lot of fun, either.
  

Reasons enough, do you think? I do. But I'll have to ask if anyone else thinks they'll be there next week: being Memorial Day, I don't know if everyone will have other plans.

I can just about taste that long weekend already. This afternoon around three, I commented to a coworker that it felt like today should have been over already.

He thought it should be Wednesday already. I guess I wasn't the only one having that day.

Home, and what's next

I'm home.

Harold is terribly relieved. He was so happy to see me last night, Miri got caught up in the moment and seemed pleased, too. And he woke me many, many times overnight to say, "You're home! Pet me!" (I didn't really mind.) Earlier today, he napped on my lap, for two hours. (I didn't mind that, either.) He's so, so happy to have me back.

Not that you can tell here, but just the same, look, I think I figured out (by mistake, of course) how to make a movie on my (not at all new) camera!



And lest Miri's fans complain, she gets a moment in the sun too. Pretty cat.



Mum and I had a good visit. We got some things done that she would have been able to do alone, but that were easier with two, and we did some sitting on the lanai and eating out for the good of our souls. We talked, and we were quiet, and it was good.

Now I'm home, and have to get back to everyday living. Since Dad died, I feel like I've been living closer to "barely functional" than usual. I mean, I'm never the best at getting everything done on my list, being one who's more likely to pick up a book than clean the kitchen, but these days, I look at the kitchen and wonder who the slob is, and oh wait. That would be me. It doesn't seem very important, but I do have to take care of myself. There's room for some escapism, always, but there's also getting to it. And speaking of which, I should go put some laundry in. And put something together for dinner, or at least check the freezer.

P.S. I suppose I should mention that I'm okay, given the end to the Bruins' season. I'm disappointed, sure, but they blew that series early on, really. Overall, it wasn't as climactic as a 7th game overtime loss sounds. I sure wanted them to win, but yeah. The roller-coaster ride is over until the Fall.

Admiring Miri from a distance

I took these pictures last weekend. I was on the bed with Harold, and Miri did her regular dash past me to the window, where she can keep her eye on me. Because she just can't trust me.

Here she is, looking casual.


Then looking at me.

And getting annoyed. Are you still here? Why?

And finally: If I turn away, are you still there? Why?

She'll get used to me. Someday.

Meanwhile, though Harold is missing me this week, Miri is enjoying the peace. So some good comes out of it.

Thursday night:

Game Seven! Go Bruins!

Also, go technology that allowed me to listen to game six tonight via the computer. Go, Bruins!

Lilac ... Saturday

Every Spring around now, the Arnold Arboretum holds Lilac Sunday, when the many, many lilacs are near peak, and it's apparently a big festival thing. I hope everyone there is having a lovely time today; the weather is decent, though very windy, here.

I must say, seeing (and smelling!) the lilacs yesterday was good enough for me. My friends and I had a wonderful time, comparison sniffing, color checking, and generally getting tipsy on lilac odors. I wish I could share that lovely smell with you! Different colors, different shapes, different varieties all over.

But alas, all I can share is some of the 200+ photos I took yesterday. (Seriously.) There are a few of non-lilac flowers (and a couple of my friends' cat), but it's mostly lilacs, so that's where we'll go today. Ready?

If you don't care about lilacs one way or another, you are excused. Before you go, let me tell you, I leave for Florida tomorrow, so I don't know when I'll post next, but I hope you come back. Have a good week. You may go.

Lilac lovers, still there? Dive in!






































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Happy Mother's Day, Mum. Love you. See you tomorrow.

Another disappointing hockey game

I really thought that the Bruins would be motivated last night, that they would come out strong and show Carolina the team they've been most of the season. Instead, they seem to have felt that playing well for part of the second period would be enough, and of course it was not. Give credit to the Hurricanes, they played well and didn't quit. But the Bruins didn't make it very hard for them for most of the game (hint, Bruins: the game is 60 minutes long).

I couldn't even watch all of the third period. I always, always watch it all, but I couldn't stand it. I couldn't leave the room, since Harold had me pinned, so I flipped channels, checking back to make sure I didn't miss a miraculous resurgence. (I didn't.)

The next game is Sunday night. If Carolina wins, they move on to the next round. If the Bruins pull themselves together, there will be a game Tuesday night.

If this is the way they're going to play, it will be over tomorrow.

I did finish a knitty thing yesterday, which was nice. Details when I get its photograph. I'm already working on the next knitty thing, which I will photo in progress at the same time. (I know, tease, tease.)

It sure is Short Attention Span Theater around here lately. My thoughts go bouncing from one thing to another, not settling. And off I go now, to get some things done before going off to frolic with friends. Have a good day!

Friday (trip minus 3)

Did you see me driving home tonight? I was the one with the windows and sunroof open to the 80-degree weather and the sunshine that were such an unexpected surprise today, belting out "Hey Ya" with OutKast, then crooning "Take me to the river" when that came up next.

The rest of the work week was much better than Tuesday; still busy, but not so obnoxious; and anyway, it's over, it's Friday night.

I have hopes that the Bruins will play well tonight, since although this isn't an elimination game it's all but. They'd better, anyway.

Tomorrow I'm going to walk around Arnold Arboretum with friends and sniff (and photograph) the lilacs. I love lilacs--and my friends.

So although I get sad at random things (thinking of how hard Father's Day will be; hearing a co-worker being short on the phone with her father, and wanting to shake her), life isn't all bad. For tonight, that's enough.

Good evening, or good morning

I don't usually post at this hour because I am usually fast asleep, but I went to bed way, way early Thursday night. Actually, I just went "to lie down for a little while" to try to get my headache to go away*, and mm-hmm, woke up at 1:11 AM.

*Which seems to have worked, for the moment anyway. Knock wood.

Not in a "I'm all wide awake and ready to face the day" way, but in a "I'm hungry and want to take my contact lenses out" way. Because my contact lenses, though they are marketed as continuous-wear models, kind of bond to my eyeballs if I sleep in them. I take them out every night, except in cases like these. So they are now out, and my eyeballs are sighing in relief, and I'm going to eat a little something and go back to sleep.

The cats are slightly freaked by my schedule change. They didn't mind my going to bed early, though I had to call Harold a few times before he believed I meant it and came to snuggle, but this business of lights on in the middle of the night? Somehow, though they can't read a clock, they know I shouldn't be wandering around turning lights on at this hour. Cats can be very hidebound.

Perhaps I will manage more coherency tomorrow night (technically, tonight: Friday). Though with Game 4 coming, who knows.

That...

...was a very disappointing hockey game.

Tuesday (trip minus 6)

Today was quite a rotten day at work, following on the difficulties of yesterday afternoon in spades. This afternoon wasn't quite as bad as the morning; the fires stopped breaking out anew, leaving me to deal with the ones I had. Still, a difficult day, and then errands on the way home in the cold and the rain.

This is what made me feel better.


Eleventy-thousand or so purry kisses, and I was able to move on.

Though if the sun was out tomorrow, that would help too.

Plus, the Bruins could win tomorrow night.

(Am I asking too much?)

Monday again (trip minus 7)

I went to my stitch and bitch group tonight. It was nice to be hanging out, knitting, but I haven't gone the last three weeks (just back from trip; Bruins game; just back from trip), and it was weird to think that the last time I went to SnB, Dad wasn't even in the hospital yet (he went in on Tuesday), and now he's gone.

I saw these tulips last week, and found it amusing that Nature trumps planning. About 50% dark purple, 25% light purple, 25% white ... and just two sheepish red ones.


So much for imposing order on flowers.

Go, Bruins

The Bruins won Game 1 on Friday night*. Game 2 is tonight. It's being shown on Versus, but NESN did a pregame show and is doing a post-game, which I think is classy.

*They play so few Fridays that my mother assumed they played last night, and when she saw the "Washington takes game 1" headline on Boston.com, she called to sympathize. Once we cleared that up, all was well again. Washington, Pittsburgh, doesn't bother me right now. Focused on Carolina.

I don't love having it on Versus, partly for Jack Edwards' sake (the other night, he sounded rather upset about not calling Game 2), but it is awfully nice to hear the announcers talking sweet about my Bruins.

Go, Bruins!