urban survival

Tonight I was at the checkout counter at a local pharmacy when the women who was in line before me buying a coke in a classic glass bottle came back into the store and asked if there was a bottle opener to open her soda. The clerk said no, and the woman asked if she could return the soda since she couldn't get it open.

The next moment I whipped my rebike bottle opener off the carbiner on my beltloop and said she could use mine.

Florida trip re-cap

Made my annual trek to Florida last week for Fest 11 and managed to avoid the FestAids for the first time in five years. That was because I didn't fest, but opted instead to stay at my sister's house in Tampa. I admit that I have been suuuuper depressed and was nnot interested in going on a four-day bender in Gainesville. I also am kind of sick of seeing bands. I couldn't even fathom being in loud, dark, smokey bars all night and all day for the whole weekend. Plus, I was pretty turned off by the long line for registration last year, the fact that the hotels jack up the prices ($298/night for a two star hotel is highway robbery), and long lines at the venues/not even guaranteed entry because the bands I wanted to see were at the smaller capacity venues.

So, I stayed in Tampa and I am totally comfortable with that decision. I had a great time with my sister and for the first time in a long time, I actually felt rested when I returned home. Usually I need a vacation from my vacation.

Highlights:

Taaaaaaaco Bus (of course!)
Balybos for Mediterranean food
Frankenweenie (teared up a little at the end)
sweet costume party (I dressed like a wicked witch!)
baking cookies! (bats, tombstones, ghosts, and skulls)
guest gym pass
waterfront/marina to see boats and drink pumpkin beer! oh, and veg pizza!

Lowlights:

The hurricane (even though on on the Atlantic side) was creating huge surf and blowing sand, and we couldn't go out of the boat. But I did make friends with a dolphin dressed like a pirate with booty at Clearwater!

Hike at Salt Lick

Went hiking at Salt Lick today. Excellent weather and excellent fall foliage.  The usual loop took about 80 minutes.  I didn't spend too much time at the scenic overlook because there were two other people there and they were annoying me.  Also saw a hippy couple with their dog, which was one a leash, but aggressive.  Overall, though, an enjoyable outing.  When I got back to my car, I fished me keys out of my backpack and the ignition key was not on the loop!  I could hear my heart pounding in my ears!  I looked around on the ground near my car and didn't see it.  I did have my cell phone, but decided to retrace my steps before I called some one to come pick me.  I remembered that I initially had my keys on the carbiner on my beltloop, but then no longer than ten minutes into the hike I put the keys in my backpack because I was very aware out them jingling in the quiet woods.  I set off down the trail, hoping that I would be able to find them, but for whatever reason, I turned around and looked at my car once more, and there was the ingintion key.....in the lock of the driver's side door!  What relief!  Weird, though that it came off the loop when I was locking my door and didn't notice leaving it in the lock?

Here's some highlight photos.  All the rest are in my photobucket: http://s69.beta.photobucket.com/user/stl_susan/library/Hiking/Salt%20Lick?

sweet tooth

Whoever is operating the camera behind home plate tonight, sports producer, please keep those close ups of pitcher Tim L coming! Cutie pie is a cutie pie!

Cue "I get lost/in your eyes..."

Red-blooded office girl is red-blooded!

mid-morning snack

Goodness Gracious Me! Top three cutest patient was in the office today for a tissue graft. Hazel eyes, scruffy facial hair, glasses, slight build, and full sleeves (although tats on a dude are not necessarily something in which I'm automatically interested). It was just a whole over-all vibe.

Usually my patients are senior citizens, so this early-thirties cutie-pie was a real treat!

That being said, I had to tell him that the less chew tobacco he uses during the healing, the quicker he will heal and the better the result. Effing gross!

Plus, dude has a kid (but not a wedding band).

Plus plus, I alread have a sweet dude.

Plus plus plus, red-blooded office girls.

chi-weekend recap

Took the Amtrak up to Chi on Saturday morning. Slept nearly the whole way. The improvements to the rails have made the ride very smooth and quiet. Its not FAST, yet.

Was met with rainy conditions; glad I left the bike at home and opted instead for the umbrella.

+
Sultan's for falafal and lentil soup
Nap at Roy's house
Ghetto theater for SevenPsychos
Delicious veg dinner at Native Food with Chris and Neha.
Nap at Roy's house
Delilah's with friends, where there was a large selection of pumpkin beers.

Brunch at Handlebar with Bookmate.
Nap at Roy's house
Dinner at Randoli with a large group
Wrath of Khan at Music Box
GingerMan for nightcap (more pumpkin beer!)

Shakes and key lime pie at Chicago Diner
Nap/movies at Roy's house
Good ride back home.

-
I drove myself to the Amtrak station on Saturday and was going to just leave my car in the lot, but the overnight lot did not have an attendant on duty (and no one to open the gate to allow cars inside). However, cars couldn't even get into the lot even if there was an attendant because the postal trucks from the main post office sorting center were parked in the street and blocking the entrance to the lot!!

So I parked on the Amtrak lot, which overnight parking is not allowed, so I bought six hours of time from the meter and called my dad about coming to pick up my car. So he had to leave work to come get it, then I needed to be picked up late late on Monday night!

Also, this is funny to me:
So Roy's roommate is a flight attendant and said I could sleep in her bedwhile she was out of town. So when we came home from the bar on Saturday, I cleaned up and crawled into bed. I felt something hard against my shin way down at the foot of the bed. I rolled the sheets back to find a huge pink vibrator!!

I immediately thought, "What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?"

I could toss it into a dresser drawer, but I don't know which drawer the girl would usually keep it. I could always leave a note, "oh, by the way, I found your vibe and I washed it off and ticked it in the left side of your sock drawer."

I could have tossed it to the dog and let that work its way out.

I ended up shoving it in between the wall and the mattress and covering it with several pillows.

The girl was back home on Monday, and Roy told me she asked if I slept in her bed because she left her vibe out and was super embarrassed. I hadn't told Roy I found it, so he wasn't lying when he told her he didn't know that I had found it. Then I told him I did.

But, we're all adults, here! (Sorta.)

Homecoming?

I am going to head up to Chicago on the Amtrak this weekend to visit some friends and just get away. I'm still kinda depressed, but not as much as I was last week.

I went on a pretty significant binge this week. I bought all new clothes for fall/winter, including two coats and a jacket. I also bought some mascara! I am going to be STYLIN'. I need some shoes, though. And my nails painted. I don't know what has come over me that I am putting more stock into my appearance lately. Actually, I know it's Bryan. I like him and I want to look good and feel good about myself when we're together or when we go out. I'm also (still) terrified of another Giuseppe outcome.

Yesterday was a long day. Thursdays are already long, but then we had to work through lunch, and then we had CPR recertification after, and that lasted until 730pm. I didn't have dinner, but I did have a bitchin' migraine. I swung by the mall to see my mom at work on the way home. Then I went to the store and bought a pumpkin and a knife. Bryan said I could come over, and I was excited for us to carve the pumpkin. But he was busy working on his solo exhibition. There were two other friends at the apartment and everyone was having great conversation. It was realy nice. I stayed until midnight even though my head was pounding. My eyes were watering on the drive home from the glare of the lights on the road, but I made it.

I just want so badly to lay next to Bryan on his bed and rest my head on his chest. I think about the day we hung out briefly before I left for Germany. I was super sick, and he had a hockey game, but we hung out for like 45 minutes. And we just laid next to each other on the bed, my head on his chest and he rubbed my back and combed my hair with his fingers. It was so nice.

I am incredibly anxious about the buying a home. I am going to take a break from it for a few months. My skin is all broken out I'm so stressed about it. And its not worth the mental anguish.

So I'm glad to get out of town. I'll get sad again if I end up just sitting around at home all weekend by myself, which is likely to happen since I've been so unmotivated to go out and meet up with people. I did get out of the house this morning, though. Went to the gym for 90 minutes, and it was nice.

Booker wants to meet me at Union Station when I get in and then we can go get lunch. My plan is to bring my pedal bike on the train, but rain is in the forecast, so I'm now unsure about that. He is going on a scavenger hunt at night and then is busy on Sunday, so tomorrow lunch is the only time to hang. And that is actually perfect, because Roy will probably be asleep since he works until 7am.

Then on Saturday night, I want to go see BOTD.

This video is helping me get amped! I love the piano track.

broads cover your nickels

Buying bras is super frustrating. Whenever I see the 38D hanging on the little hanger, I think, "There's no way my boobs are that big." Then I'm standing under horrific florescent lights in the fitting room, staring at my fat tits bulging out the top and sides of the cups.

"Le sigh..."

Patterns

So bike trip didn't happen. Guess I didn't want it badly enough.

I spent my free week near KCMO with my (newly widowed) grandmother, my aunt, and their ornery new puppy. I am a motherfucking dog whisperer.

The house is still very unclean, and I was having difficulty pin-pointing if the allergy symptoms I experienced were from the house or from all the extremely high pollen counts. Probably both.

I was a little frustrated with grandma in that the first day, we went through the closet in the yellow room and she was ready to part with a number of items and we had them in a pile. Some I was going to bring back to STL (to donate), some we were going to donate/sell in KCMO. Then the next day, she went through the pile and took a number of the items/boxes back. And it was all junk!! And all we did was move junk from one location in the house to the basement, which there is no more room down there anymore. I ended up coming back here with five boxes of candles/holders, a box of LPS, a few books, five pieces of clothing, and a sweet vintage bike. Everything is going to be sold/donated except for the bike. It is SUPER HEAVY, and I might decide to sell it anyway since it weighs so much. I need to fix it first. It needs new tubes, and the front break lines need tweaking.

We went to eat at Justus Drugstore on Wednesday night. It was excellent. Everything is cooked to order using local-grown ingredients. I didn't get any cocktails, but Patty had a Sangria.

Thursday was pretty low-key. Then Friday...it was a miracle! Grandma decided that she was ready to get rid of some items, and we took two car loads of clothes, shoes, and books to a thrift store!

I called Bryan on Wednesday evening; he was out and about on Delmar. We spoke for nearly 40 minutes, and it was so nice! I'm really glad that he picked up and that we had a chance to talk. I haven't felt very close to him for several weeks, and I actually cried in the car on the way home from his opening at the Chess Hall of Fame last week because I felt like a fool being there. I want to think that its because he is busy with his art show stuff, but I think that he is over me. I'm not surprised if it's already ran its course; this is usually about the time I get the ol' "You're the sweetest girl, but...." And I feel like a fucking idiot! I know I need to take the hint, but I want to hear it spoken out loud.

I've felt pretty bummed out all day; more than usual. I admit that I've been stressed, depressed and thinking terrible things. I agreed to play kickball on a league, and it was canceled today. I was not notified that the games had been canceled, and I was was pretty frustrated when I got to the park and no one was there. What a waste of driving 45 miles! I kinda don't want to play anymore.

Andrew called me tonight. He was in a horrific car accident a few weeks ago and had to have surgery to reconstruct his pelvis and femur. He is now at home, but is pretty helpless. He was in pain and called me to get his mind off of it. His mom and aunt are helping him out at home and they monitor his medication so he doesn't get hooked on it. He had another 90 minutes before he could take another and the previous dose was wearing off. My heart went out to him, and it was nice to talk. He can't walk/leave the house. But when he is more mobile, I told him I will come pick him up and we'll go get food or see a movie. After speaking to Andrew, I didn't feel as sorry for myself/sad as I have felt all week. I also looked up the spring '13 schedule for school. I need just one more class, and registration opens in three weeks.