Hell's Angels on Vespas

OK, OK, so it's been like more than a year since I posted. Really, really sad.

Yesterday I was able to finally connect with "Scooting Around Sarasota" or whatever silly name they've decided to call themselves... Kim calls us Hell's Angels on Vespas. We met at the Panera at University Parkway and rode a nice, easy loop hither and yon to Linger Lodge -- a place I will never take Sarah, since there are stuffed RATTLESNAKES mounted all over the place. Yikes. OK meal, great scenery right on the Braden River. Thre were 12 scooters, almost all Vespas, two with sidecars... how cool is that?

Most of my energy in the last 10 days has been taken up with Elderly Ailing Dog Syndrome, in which Siskabibble became very ill, refused food, moved into vomiting, and wound up spending a few quality days at the vet's office having IV fluids and so forth. On Thursday it looked like the end was near, but a moderate degree of recovery has occurred and although we are taking it day by day, she seems to be improving a little each day. She's at least eating.

Dang. In attempting to update my 101 list, two-thirds of it disappeared. I hope I have a hard copy someplace.

Happy birthday, America, plus 1 day

We had a nice Fourth of July. I think this was the first year since we left Wichita that we have hosted a 4th party; it's really way way way way too hot here since the lanai and pool are on the west side of the house. Still, we went ahead yesterday and ended up with about 15 people -- the Frys, Vince and Betsie, C's friend Andrew and his mom, Mary and Bonnie and the neighbors Steve, Laurie and Amber, and Amber's friend Tawny. (Really, people should not be named that.) Burgers and hot dogs on the grill, black beans, a very interesting cole slaw with red cabbage, apples, cranberries and walnuts (!). Key lime pie. Yum. It was fun although too hot to be outside. Christina overcompensated trying to make new girl on the block Amber feel welcome -- she was actually 14 with a vengeance, sullen and really outright rude. Christina worked pretty hard to convice her that Booker will be a good experience for her but mostly she wants to head back north. Ah well. I would not be 14 again for all the money in the world.
Still, it was a better day overall than the weekend, when I was seriously low. I'm bummed that Kim is not coming back from Hawaii, not going to Winfield. Wah. Bummed that I am the worst financial manaager in the world. Bummed that I have to borrow huge sums of money to finance the rest of C's tuition.
Today was better tho; while shuffling papers before the party I stuck a bunch of ignored things in my bag to attend to today, including reimbursement for trips to Dr. Pro, various insurance things I've let slide etc etc. AND the whole pile is gone from the desk, altho not actually filed... most of it is filed. Also have started on a small pile of discards from the closet. I can't believe I have so many clothes and "mothing to wear." Right now it's mostly "nothing that fits." Boo.

First day of summer

I appear to be not very good at blogging. Probably it's because I spend too many hours writing and therefore don't want to spend more hours writing.... more.
However, it is the first day of summer and therefore comment-worthy, in that... really, how can you tell it's summer in Florida? It's just as hot and steamy as spring is. Not exactly -- we actually had a long and pleasant springtime. It's only been the last month or so (since I got back from Sarah's graduation in California) that it has turned godawful. But you know summer is here when it rains in the afternoon, which it did yesterday at 4:55 p.m., right before I wanted to go home. Instead I waited it out for half an hour. It looked OK, a little rumbly. I went outside, elected not to put my rainpants on, started the scooter, rode under the building and when I came out the other side (a distance of 50 yards) it had started to rain again! I was soaked in a block. Ah well. More troublesome was the thunderstorm aspect. I did not see any lightning but had my back to the storm as I rode home and was pretty much petrified the whole way. I've never actually hear of a scooterist being struck by lightning, but still worrisome. Anyway, the rain quit about halfway home, although the thunder did not, and I was mostly dried off by the time I got home. New city shorts all wet, however.
Today (I hope) will be the Green Hornet's first foray into modeling! A local photographer, Don Guy, approached me about using the scooter in a photo shoot. It's been delayed and rained out several times, but we will try again this evening at Siesta Beach. If I can figure out how to link to the scooter's own myspace page, you can go there. Right now the only photo in its "portfolio" is one Marjorie North gtook of me when I first got the scooter. We will hope for more! Christina's digital camera should come in handy.
Well, must go to a meeting. Boo.

Hoo boy

I have a tattoo! Too bad I'm not skilled enough to scan in the artwork and display it, but anyway, after months, months, months of thinking/talking/debating about it, I took the plunge.
Actually I have to thank Kim and Emily at work for doing all the legwork, so to speak. A few months ago I was sitting outside reading at work and they came out and were sitting across from me and talking about, obviously, their desire to get tattoos. They then found this guy, Scott, at Oddity Tattoos on Siesta Key, www.odditytattoos.com, did all the talking and advance looking. In the meantime I was trying to find a design I liked -- I wanted something abstract, not realistic. I looked at a lot of astrological symbols for Capricorn, liked some, not others -- too often they looked like the numbers 76, which I didn't like, or the letters VS, ditto. Finally I found some I liked, and worked in Aquarius as well, since I was born on the cusp between Capricorn and Aquarius. Plus Steve is an Aquarius, so I liked having the two combined.
Anyway, long story short, a couple of weeks ago I was "ready"and called Scott ... who is booked three weeks in advance. I made the appointment for yesterday, then fretted still over both the design and the potential pain.
So off I went, little drawing in hand. Got there, waited for Scott who was not there. Had to walk down to B of A to get cash, since surprise, tattoo parlors do not take plastic. But Scott needed that time to make the stencil of the design and get set up. I can't imagine how many latex gloves he goes through -- I think he put on at least four pairs in the process of setting up. At last I sat down, nervous, and he applied the stencil to my ankle and got to work. It did not hurt as much as I had feared -- my fear based on watching Kim get hers on her shoulder blade a few years ago when she was visiting -- she had to use Lamaze breathing! -- and from Michele at work, who described it as feeling like a cheese grater on your skin -- OUCH!!! But actually it felt more like a buzzing pen being pushed pretty hard against my skin. Slightly irritating, not very painful. It took about half an hour for him to outline the Capricorn, in a very delicate, scrolly kind of style, and then do the Aquarius waves below in black and filled in with blue. Than slapped Saran wrap over it as a bandage! It was a little bloody and oozy when I got home, not too bad. I washed it, put the ointment on it and a bandage overnight so I wouldn't knock the ointment off. Today it is somewhat sore, not bad. It seems like it ought to scab over more -- maybe it will? It's not like an open scrape.
Anyway, I am proud of myself for doing this because I wanted to be able to conquer a bit of fear of it and a bit of feeling like it was not something I would ever actually do. I like where I have it, above and on the inside of my ankle. I'm interested in how it looks in a week -- it still seems to be shedding ink.

Today I am FIFTY

Unbelievable.

I have avoided thus far all decoration of my desk with black crepe paper, balloons and tombstones. Thank god. I did score a very yummy Snickers cake courtesy my co-workers, and a funny card.

I also thus far have avoided any gifts, except for Grandma's annual check which arrived yesterday. Steve says his gift is my plane ticket to the party in Tucson. Guess those diamond earrings will be on me. Which is fine. Turning 50 means giving myself what I deserve! Prolly they will not be real diamonds. I will check out the lab-made ones, but if I can't find them in white, will look at other alternatives. Half-carat sparklers on the ears. White gold setting. If a pair does not turn up in a little box

I don't much feel 50. Well, right now I do because it's almost 5 o'clock and I was at a show ("Wicked") in Tampa until midnight last night. So I'm tired. And get to go straight from work to St. Boniface vestry meeting. Woo-HOO!

Mark, the nice guy who works the front desk at the Y, said "WOW!" to me as I left the locker room this morning. No, I was not naked. I was wearing long jeans, high-heeled boots and a sweater over a brown lace-trimmed cami. I thought I looked pretty cute, too!

Anyway, serious party is not until Jan. 28 in Tucson. I expect family only. None of my friends, sadly. Kim has moved to Hawaii. Cece has not been heard from in two years. Melissa... maybe.

Happy New Year!!!!

Resolved for 2006:

Act like a grownup about money. Keep checkbook balanced. Pay bills. Do not buy stuff I do not need (which leaves a pretty short list!). Pay down credit card balance RELIGIOUSLY. And pray about it. I have come to the amazing conclusion that I might actually get some help from On High if I ask for it. Not as in, send me money. As in, help me to behave in a fiscally responsible manner.

And... off to a good start, I have balanced my hideous checkbook, put in a nice clean check register for 2006. Paid off two credit card balances with the money I took out of AG Edwards and will still put $1250 toward the evil Capital One account when the bill comes around. I hope it's not in my pile o bills. BUT!!!! I am also industriously engaged in the paperwork filing effort today and hope to get THAT current ASAP. As in, TODAY.