overheard conversations

I was in the hospital laboratory today to get some blood drawn... no biggie - just one of those Day 21 tests to see what is happening to me hormonally during that time in my cycle. Gotta love being a girl.

Anyway - with the 45 minute wait and a little Umberto Eco to keep me occupied, I settled into my nice cozy chair next to a man I guessed was in his late 80s. I felt him sneak a peak at my book. He said nothing.

They called a name.

The woman sitting directly across from him said, "Wally, you're next."

The man said, "Now?"

She said, "No. You're next. I think. The man who was in line before me was just called."

"You coming with me?"

"No. You'll be fine." she said.

He grunted.

I got a good look at her. Obviously his wife, perhaps 8-9 years younger. Died dark hair, but a pleasantly warm disposition. There was nothing patronizing in the way she spoke to him.

She got up. She had this walker that could open up - revealing a pocket in which she had a newspaper. He made a motion to get up too. "Not yet, " she said, "I'm just stretching my legs."

He nodded.

Just the a cell phone went off. It was some 70s porn music. The fella whose phone it was -- 55ish male, no wedding ring- seemed a little embarrased when all the geriatrics looked at him. He avoided eye contact with me, as I tried not to giggle.

"Wally. Wally?" said the woman.

I looked at my seat mate - he was asleep. I looked at the woman. She just smiled at me and and shook her head. I smiled back. She looked at Wally with such love I almost wept.

When they called his name, he got up and went back. 'Here I go." he said.

A moment later a nurse came to talk to Mrs. Wally. "What's his birthday?" she asked (standard question when you sit down to give blood - guess that verifies your identity or something."

"October ??, 1921," she said.

"Thanks. He asked me to ask you." Said the nurse.

"Of course he did, " replied Mrs. Wally with a laugh in her voice.

Wally came out before I went in. The two, in their matching walkers, started towards the door.

"You okay?" she asked, unworried.

"Oh yes," he replied.

"Good," she said, 'lets go get breakfast."

And off they went.

favorite quote of the week

"Revulsion is good. Revulsion is healthy. Each of us has limits, unarticulated boundaries of taste and tolerance, and sometimes we forget where we are. Peep Land is here to remind us; a fixed compass point by which we can govern our private behavior. Because being grossed out is essential to the human experience; without a perceived depravity, we'd have nothing against which to gauge the advance or decline of culture - our art, our music, our cinema, our books. Without sleaze, the yardstick shrinks at both ends."

-Carl Hiaasen
TEAM RODENT

drama

I think I am just about done with high drama. YEp. Done with the high school-esque BS.

resolution check in

Will a little help from my friends, I think I am doing fairly well on the resolutions.

The one I forgot: write every day.

Today I am in my office, listening to the hail storm rage outside as my Kronos Quartet Pandora stations struggles to compete for my attention.

I finished prepping my taxes and got them off to our tax fella.

I have so many projects I just don't really know where to begin.

I read a script of a play that I might direct - the playwright wanted some feedback. It's good. I just know that in taking the gig - I'll get paid crap... But oh Well! It'sa gig right?

I want to write - but I am completely not sure where to start. Which project to pick up.

ARG

Re-entry

Well, I am doing better today. I was smelling mold in my home office and I FREAKED OUT because I have a pretty intense library in there. So, I spend a little over 2 hours cleaning my book cases and found one book with mold. It was just a spot on a theatre book - so I cut out the offending area. The husband says it looks like the book just got wet -- okay. But I wasn't going to let it take over... The surgical incision did not in any way shape or form damage the content of the book...

The taxes will be done today and so will my first round of filing for unemployment... got everything in the mail back from them...

unemployment

I am now officially unemployed. To quote Pooh, "I'm a little black rain cloud". I thought I would be okay - but I'm not really. I've never been laid-off. I've never filed for unemployment - which I did yesterday and it took me two hours. I have so many things that I know I could/should be doing. Writing projects - YEAH. Updating my website. But I'm a bit uninspired at the moment. It's only been three days - I guess I should cut myself some slack.

I have 4 hours every morning to myself while the kid is at day-care. She is no longer full time there. The last two days have been rough once I've picked her up. I'm feeling like a crappy parent. She wants to watch TV - I say No. And there is chaos. So today - after I pick her up - we're going to the park. And tomorrow we're going to the library.

I am currently working on the taxes. It's a huge ordeal for us. We have not just our W2 but a lot of 1099 work as well. We got seriously slammed last year and I have major fear of that again this year. I am still paying off last year... We made nice money - and we totally didn't spend it wisely. Where in the hell did it go? Now, I am a complete wreck about our finances. I think I am beyond stressed.... so I am going to spend the next couple days, taking deep breaths, and getting a firm hold of our financial picture.

Yes. That is what I will do.