I'm in a funk right now. (I am also trying to type from behind a cat, whose father wasn't a glassmaker, that's for sure.) I don't know what's wrong. I am just down, and I can feel the anger in the background. I am upset that my house isn't more ready, but I am having trouble doing what I need to do to get it ready. I'm frustrated that I have to go to Charlotte yet again on Sunday, and worried that they'll try and make me stay longer than a day, which I really cannot do next week- I can't skip the riding lesson right before a show.

I'm also frustrated that I have stuff every day of the week. I feel very overwhelmed, which makes me shut down and do nothing, which leads to more to do, which leads to more overwhelmed.

Vicious cycle, that.

I made a point of sweeping last night (Jasper: And vacuuming! For the love of God, vacuuming! Why?). I also changed my sheets. I am feeling much better now. I don't know which is the best way to look at it- I feel better because I accomplished some things on my list, or I feel better because I cleaned.

1. Open a door, any door, and say "Get in the house."
2. Cluck at things to make them go faster.
3. Cluck at people to get their attention.
4. Eliminate potential home decor items because they might be perceived as a cat toy.
5. Sleep perched on the edge of my bed.
6. Occasionally get the urge to head-butt someone as a way of saying "thanks", or "hi", or "good morning."

Here are two pictures of the far wall in my bedroom.

It is very, very empty. I'm thinking I should add maybe a storage bench? Some examples are here, although I don't think either of them would be what I went with.

Also on that page are possible replacements for the Picasso poster, which is going because a.) he's not one of my favorites and b.) I think it's too muted for the room. (My landlady left it, and I am free to replace it.) I like the door pictures- the Spain one is my favorite. Thoughts?

Also, guess where I am going tonight? Charlotte! Again! But this time I have a cool rental car (well, it's cooler than my car anyway).

And Orion would like me to tell you that he wants to go out.

So, my rental car? Had a V-6. (It was a Hyundai Sonata. Nice car. Does not come as a wagon, or I would be all over it.) It's bad to give me a V-6.

I stayed at a new hotel this time (Residence Inn, Southpark. It's by the big mall! Where the bookstore has an awesome cafe!) I called TRgirl to verify cell reception. Cell reception, check! Clean bathroom, check! Fully-functional tiny kitchen, check! (Seriously, it's like a little timeshare.)

Today? Site visit, meeting, drive home.

In 2.5 hours. See? V-6 bad.

In the old place, Jasper would occasionally lose Orion and me when we went upstairs. (I think his hearing is going.) He'd pace about the living room, plaintively crying for us. I'd yell down to him, and he'd come running up the stairs, happy to have found us. I thought moving to a one-story house would solve this.

Well, I thought that until Monday night/Tuesday morning, when I was awakened at 3AM by his, "Where is everyone?" cry. (Orion was on the bed with me.) I yelled, "We're in here," and he came running into the bedroom (clicking, because he needs his nails trimmed), and said "Mwror?" I said, "Yes," and he ran out of the room.

On a somewhat related note, the following conversation can be heard several times a day:

Orion: Out?
WG: No.
Orion: Out!
WG: No!
Orion: OUT!
WG: Shut up!

I just got back from a date with a guy. During the date, he said, "Should we wrap this up?" He also spent the entire time playing with his right ear. And then he said, "So, what'd you think?" (I think I'm sorry I skipped book club.)

When he got home, he wrote me the following e-mail:

From: Boring, slightly odd date
To: Watergirl
Date received: August 10, 2006
Subject: Thank you

Warmest regards,
Boring, slightly odd date

I'm sorry, did he just ask me to be his emergency back-up plan?

That doesn't even warrant a response.

Admin at work: You got a package. The UPS guy has apologized for the box.
Watergirl: Wait, you have to see this. I paid off my car, so I bought a purse. (Aside: was on sale!)
Admin: You paid off your car?
WG: Yep.
Admin: You paid off your car and all you bought was a purse? Girl, you need some shoes too!

I had a show on Sunday. It did not go well, in my opinion. My scores were better, but I didn't feel like I had improved any. I was very frustrated with Bruno and myself and the wall we've hit.

I hoped that I wasn't riding him today. It wouldn't have been a good experience for either of us, and it wouldn't have helped us get past the wall.

I got to the barn and saw that I was riding him. I talked it over with Heather, and we decided that I should

First of all, that was much harder than I thought it would be. But it also showed me that he can do it, I just have to ask the right way. Which for him means I have to be a little more forceful.

What I planned to do today:

1. walk with 2.0
   
2. wash floors
   
3. laundry
   

What I did do today:

1. walk with 2.0
   
2. drink a beer with 2.0
   
3. have dinner and a bottle of wine with 2.0, The Cap'n, and Boo (well, no wine for Boo. Not for a lack of effort on his part, though.)
   

Change is good!

Bud: I mix up German and Spanish.
Bud: Yo tengo crank.
Bud: That's my sperman.
Bud: Heh! I wrote Sperman.
Bud: It's a bird! It's a plane!
Watergirl: It's Sperman!
Bud: His superpower is punctuality.
Bud: But everyone else calls it coming too early.

I signed up for this over at Janet's.

Rules: Leave me a comment; I'll send you a cd without the playlist. (Note that you will have to give me your address for this to happen. I promise not to stalk you; I do not have the time.) You listen to the cd and post on your blog what the songs are and who they're done by. If you don't know, tell me a bit about the song, and who, if anyone, you suspect it might be. Then you will continue the CD Chain by making your own CD without a playlist and sending it to your commenters!

My review:

1. Surfin' USA by the Beach Boys. When I stared this CD at work today, this made me smile.
   
2. In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry. Woo! 2 songs I know!
   
3. Summer Afternoon by Jimmy Buffett Phoebs and I love Jimmy Buffett! I have not seen him in concert since the week I broke my leg.
   
4. Kodachrome by Paul Simon Janet loves to take a photograph!
   
5. Summertime from Porgy and Bess Gershwin!
   
6. Summer in the City by (I think) The Lovin' Spoonful I adore this song. I dance around the house when it comes on the radio. Needless to say, I played it a few times before moving on.
   
7. Summertime Blues Not sure who this version is by- not Alan Jackson, not Eddie Cochran.
   
8. I have never heard this song in my life. It is sung in a falsetto.
   
9. Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts I once had a friend who called me "Jasmine". Also, Mom loves Seals and Crofts.
   
10. Dancing Days by Led Zeppelin I knew there would be a Zepplin song! This is a good one (my favorite: Fool in the Rain)
    

Who's playing?

On Friday, I met some friends for dinner and a movie. We planned dinner early, figuring we'd have to wait for a table. We didn't, so we were quite early for the movie. We bought tickets and walked down to Barnes and Noble. I bought the latest book club book. I couldn't remember the name of the book, so the clerk helped me find it.

Clerk: Oh dear. This is our last copy, and it's damaged.
WG: Damaged?
Clerk: Yes. This page is bent. I can call around to other stores in the area and see if they have it, or I can just give you a 10% discount.
WG: A discount will be fine!

We then saw Little Miss Sunshine. You must see it. It was one of the most thoroughly enjoyable movies I've seen in a while.

Saturday, I worked at the Food Bank in the morning and went to Lazy Daze (an arts fair down the street from my house). Went home, took a nap, got ready for a date. (Through no effort on my part, the shortest dating moratorium in the history of the world has ended.) Dinner, then we met up with friends to see this band.

This morning, 2.0 called. "We're making cupcakes and I don't have enough muffin tins. Can I borrow one?" (I heard her mother in the background, complaining about the muffin tin shortage.) She came up, borrowed a muffin tin, crisis averted.

Why the urgent muffin tin need? The Boo turned one today, and they were having a party. With my new favorite drink, summer cocktail! (That was for the adults. The babies and the dog, try as they might, did not get any.) Not only did the Boo get chocolate cupcake all over him, but also all over my skirt. Not a lot of people who could get away with that.

Mom: So, what's new with you?
WG: Eh, not too much. Seeing someone new.
Mom: Do you think you could see him for a while?
WG: I think so.
Mom: That will give you something fun to do!