puncture wound

8.27.2008

I have this martian, er cat, named Cali, who sleeps on my pillow every night. Some nights she fits real snug around my head like a hat, with her front paws and back paws forming a virtual chin strap. This is especially lovely in the winter as she keeps me warm and cozy. Some nights she just opts for a pillow-share and we mutually agree to not get so cozy. This is especially nice during the summer because we can still be hang out like the girlfriends (boss/servant) that we are without the body heat factor. And on some nights, when she's feeling especially needy or bossy, she chooses to sleep on my head; not wrapped around like a hat but actually on top of my head. Did I mention she's a martian?

So last night was a pillow-share kind of night, or at least that's how it began. But then I woke up around 1:00 with a sharp pain just below my left
eye. I attempted to roll over and sit up, but I didn't get too far because I soon realized that something was attached to my face, no, something was inside my face. I lifted my arm to feel around for clues and there it was -- Cali's paw, and more specifically, Cali's single claw that we have affectionately nicknamed her "high heel" because of the way it click-clacks against the floors when she walks. Even when she's not walking, her "high heel" always tends to jut out and display itself:



So there I was, lying in bed with a cat on my head and a claw submerged in my face (just like the picture above except imagine my face instead of the pillow). Oh the joys of having pets... can't wait till we have kids ;) As soon as I realized the reality of the situation, I removed her claw and went into the bathroom to assess the damage: she had punctured the skin and I now have a tiny little wound directly under my left eyeball.

Who knew this sassy little fluff-ball would be capable of committing a facial puncture wound? I'm gonna have to rethink these sleeping arrangements -- oh wait, she's the boss, I'm merely the staff. Maybe that was her way of telling me that I'll be sleeping on the couch from now on ;)



peeved

8.25.2008

Pet peeves are a funny thing, aren't they? The word "pet" seems to imply a small or minor annoyance, yet my pet peeves tend to frustrate the "H-E-double hockey sticks" out of me.

One such peeve is when people know exactly what they want but choose to communicate the want in a way that is steeped in ambiguity and confusion. It drives me nuts to be within earshot of a conversation where I can hear both parties complicating very simple messages and ultimately never really understanding each other. I want to jump in the middle and mediate the conversation.

For instance, I bear witness to this same ridiculous conversation every month, when I take "Harry" to the store. "Harry" likes to get 2 half-pound packages of the leanest ground meat possible, and he knows that the leanest meat he can get for this request is 85% lean. Rather than simply asking the butcher for 2 half-pound packages of 85% lean, this is what he says:

Butcher: Hi what can I get'cha?

"Harry": Yeah I'm lookin for... uh... what's your leanest ground meat, ya know, for like burgers and stuff?

Butcher: 97% lean

"Harry": I need to get 2 half-pound packages of that.

Butcher: Can't do it

"Harry": Oh c'mon, what do ya mean you can't do it, someone did it for me last month.

Butcher: No, we can't open and repackage the 97%; it comes already packaged and priced.

At this point "Harry" starts to fuss and make a scene, at which the butcher gets pissed off and defensive. "Harry" talks in circles and just repeats the request, and the butcher repeats the denial, but in a louder and more frustrated tone. The first time I witnessed this troubled exchange, I knew I had to intervene, so I jumped in:

Me: "Ok so we can't break up the 97%, what is the leanest meat that we can break up?

Butcher: 85%.

Me: Great, we'll take 2 half pound packages of 85%. Is that cool "Harry"?

"Harry": perfect.

And this happens every single time, without fail, except I've learned to intervene the moment the butcher asks "Harry" what he would like. But even so, it still drives me nuts to know that "Harry", left to his own devices, would continue to ask what the leanest meat was rather than what the leanest meat was that could be opened and repackaged to his specifications... nuts I tell ya, NUTS!

Just a little more clarity in conversations can save people so much time and aggravation, especially me ;)

August 24, 2002

8.24.2008

I remember waking up to a rainstorm that morning and thinking, "crap".
I remember getting yelled at by the innkeeper for the amazing candlelit party we had the night before.

I remember losing my keys and feeling frantic.
I remember how the sun came out just in time for our outdoor ceremony.
I remember how the sky opened up just after our ceremony and flooded our reception.
I remember the speakers crackling and popping during our incredibly long first dance.
I remember that a plastic deer wound up on th
e dance floor.
I remember pulling 72 bobby pins out of my hair later that night.

But mostly, I remember the incredible amount of joy I felt in my heart to be marrying my best friend; a joy that continues to grow as the years pass by.

Happy Anniversary to my beloved Jay-bo!

Stew & Mody forevermore ~




In my shoes

8.23.2008

Hello friends, welcome to my new blog!

The other night, I was tossing & turning and just couldn't find my way to sleep. I missed my window of tiredness and stayed up too late, so that by the time I went to bed, my mind was wide-awake and in GO mode. I was making to-do lists, planning future vacations, picking future baby names (no, I'm not preggers), thinking about how to create world peace, and thinking about my blog. Actually, I wasn't really thinking about my blog, it was more like a singular thought that flashed in my consciousness somewhere between vacation-planning and baby names.

What flashed in my mind was simply this: "time for a new blog, In my shoes", complete with a visual of what it would look like. Yep, that was it. I woke up Wednesday morning (after a 2.5 hour nap) and started putting the vision to reality. I could only go so far because of the generic templates on this site, but Jay-bird was able to design it as I envisioned it.

Voila! Here it is!

I have missed blogging very much and I'm excited for this fresh new space to continue what I started 2 1/2 years ago: a written expression of the experiences, thoughts, feelings and ramblings of a 28 year-old me; a written expression of life in my shoes. And so the story goes on, except now I'm 31 and I have more shoes ;)

Stay awhile... walk with me.