Here's our distribution station

I honestly don't want to complain about the COVID and Halloween tonight, but I may anyway. Sydney went over to her friend's house for trick or treating so it was a quiet evening at our house. I put our candy bowl out on one of our dining room chairs outside the front door. The chair itself has a cool spider decoration on it, which is pretty special.

But, even with all those safety precautions, we didn't have a single trick or treater. Granted, I wasn't sitting outside the whole time, but Brian and I went for a walk around the neighborhood and we saw no one. Not a single kiddo, which, while safe, was incredibly boring.

Sydney reports that there were a couple people out, and not many giving out candy, but the last two houses they visited dumped the rest of the bowls of candy into hers and her friend's bags. So there's that, I guess. I usually take a bunch of candy to work the day after Halloween, and my coworkers are already looking forward to the haul I bring in Monday.

I love seeing the littles dressed up, and I'm super bummed to not get to see any this year. And it's such a jovial and fun holiday, and demanding of imagination and creativity, and I miss seeing how people step up to the plate in that creativity department. Also, I didn't dress up myself for the first time in several years.

So this holiday was a bust. Time to start planning for Thanksgiving and Christmas! ... Just kidding! I've got stuff planned for both those holidays already!!

I just need to get my nose into a store

So I'm at that weird place in a person's life when it is time to find a new fragrance. My current perfume is almost gone, and the scent itself has been discontinued. I have a very difficult time finding a smell I like, and I tend to wear only that smell until its gone, so this is a serious commitment I'm looking to make. 

I tend to appreciate a good body mist, a la Bath and Body Works, but if I find a good "parfum" I'm not afraid to roll that way. I have a ton of plumeria body spray, but it's not Brian's favorite, so I use that as my last resort. So yes, if I don't discover something new, I do have a scent to wear, but it's not ideal.

I actually spent quite a bit of time on the Nordstrom app the other day reading scent descriptions and screenshotting what sounded good for an eventual trip to the store to smell them. So you can appreciate my pain, I like a citrusy smell, but also a floral, and somewhat sweet. I had a an Escada perfume for a few years that smelled like strawberries, and I loved that, but it also was discontinued. I guess I pick the random stuff that doesn't draw the masses, making my smells quite temporary.

So here I am, staring at pictures of bottles, imagining them through the flowery descriptive verbiage, and still spraying the last bits and drops I can get out of the bottle I'm still using like some weird addict.

No turkeys, but elves and reindeer early

As a rule, I'm very particular about my holiday decorations. They go up on the first of the month of that holiday. October 1 is when Halloween goes up. Thanksgiving on November 1. Valentine's Day? February 1.

This year, though, because of the ridiculousness of the pandemic and its horribleness as well, I am considering a very special change to the decoration schedule. And with the permission of both mine and my mother's neuroses, I believe that I will not decorate for Thanksgiving, and instead go straight to Christmas in a week or two. This is, to put it lightly, unprecedented.

And I'm actually pretty excited about it. I love all my Christmas decor, and I always love those precious few days between my putting out the decor and the day that Brian insists on buying the tree. You see, to me, the tree is a huge inconvenience and dirt magnet, and more responsibility than I like in my inside forest foliage. Like, why do they have to drop needles and require water every day?

So with this new schedule, I'll get a couple weeks to enjoy my Christmas goodness before the house is soiled by the large tree. Honestly, I'd have a three-foot-tall tree every single year if I could get away with it. I still prefer a living tree to a fake one for the smell. So if I was in charge, I'd buy a teeny one for just the smell and put it on a stool or table or something. Decorated, of course, but tiny. As neither Brian nor Sydney would allow such a thing, I'll instead revel in my couple/few weeks with the pretty decor, before the tree.

So yes, I'm making a significant change to my process this year. My fear is that I'll have to fight this precedent every year now because early Christmas will spoil my husband and my kid. But I'm stubborn, and I really like my Thanksgiving stuff, and I'm the only one that does the decorating, so it's a fight that I will win when I want, and lose when I want. I actually am in charge.

A meal full of apps and small plates

We've got a restaurant near us that we love. It has a number of delicious appetizers and small plates, but, as wonderful as that is, we have not had a memorable entree. We hadn't been to the restaurant in several months, but the company has opened a new location closer to us.

We've since been to the new location twice. Both times, Brian and I have each tried a different entree. Brian had pizza last time, and a prime rib dip today. I had the grilled chicken club last time, and a pizza today. Not a single one of those entrees was remarkable.

This is disappointing in a couple ways. First, the place isn't cheap, so it's an expensive lunch of meh. Second, my husband is not the kind of guy who keeps going somewhere that disappoints him. I figure I have one or two more visits to get a complete, good meal in his stomach before he decides that he isn't going there anymore.

Luckily, like I said, the restaurant's appetizers and small plates are the best part of the menu. Thankfully, it will be the draw of those small plates that will entice Brian back, time and time again.

I love that place, you guys, and I'll eat apps and small plates ALL DAY LONG!!

"Papillon" the movie, not the dog breed

It's not normal for my movie knowledge to fail me. In fact, I can probably count on a couple for more hands how many times I've been truly stumped by a film. I was proud of that. And then came "Papillon."

I'd never seen the movie, and remember vividly that I didn't want to when it was in theaters. But for whatever reason, it intrigued me enough to sit through (almost) the entirety of it this afternoon. It was playing on one of my movie channels that happened to be on when I stopped watching a show on the DVR.

I don't know what interested me enough to stop, but I did, and I watched the rest of it. According to the info button, I had missed about 20 minutes of the beginning.

But what did I know. I did remember some of the peripheries of the movie. I remembered that Rami Malek was in it. I remembered that it was about a prison on an island, and that bad things happen to the people that were held there. I remembered that it was relatively well received and maybe even an Oscar nomination? I remembered that the story itself was pretty sad and hopeless.

Here's where my knowledge failed me. I did not know that Charlie Hunnam was in it. I did not know that the end, in fact, was uplifting. I didn't know that the story was a super good one, and even based on a true story and a real guy.

And here's the kicker. I didn't realize that even though I only remembered that Rami Malek was in the movie, he was NOT the main character. Charlie Hunnam played the part of Papillon! I was halfway through the movie before anyone called any character by name, and it was then that I discovered that Malek's Dega was a supporting role to Hunnam's Papillon.

Obviously, by missing the first 20 minutes, I missed the basic introductions of the characters. But this whole flip-flop (in my head) of which actor played who made me stop the film for a moment, rearrange the basic outline of the movie (in my head), and then start anew with a brighter perspective, and other plot holes that I thought I'd found now fully closed up.

Totally not THAT cold!

So it was cold out today. It hasn't been cold in several months. In fact, we haven't had a high temperature below 80 since, oh I don't know, March? Maybe a day or two in April? It was a treat to put on a sweater this morning, but then came the realization that some of my sweaters need to be replaced, because they're very old and really, really showing it. Luckily, I have Old Navy Super Cash, so I'll see what kind of trouble I can get into there.

As I sit here with my windows open in my bedroom, I find that I'm excited to put the extra blanket on my bed tonight. I'm looking forward to wearing something warm tomorrow, too, and then I believe it will get warmer as the week goes on. So it'll probably still be warm for Halloween this weekend.

It's so weird how caught up a desert-dwelling person can get in the weather. Weather of all kinds, for sure. It's hot; gotta complain about it. It's raining; gotta revel in it. It's cold; gotta celebrate it, and then complain, too.

Get Shit Done 2021

So what's up today?

* I've voted; happily and excitedly.

* My football team is a hot mess, and I'd rather watch any other games but mine, so the money I'm spending on NFL Sunday Ticket is officially being wasted every month.

* Sydney is officially in school, which has been a bit of a blessing for the general environment in my house. She's getting out and being a student, and more importantly, she's more engaged, so everything seems to be better now. Lack of boredom equals better kid attitude.

* Cooper and Elliot are well, and not finding all the scorpions in the house. That responsibility has fallen to me, and Brian now regularly patrols the backyard and kills all the glowing little dudes he sees.

* Brian's busy; I'm busy.

* My dear friend, Leslie, has come back to work in my office on her terms and temporarily, and it makes me so happy to know that I'll be seeing her every day for as long as that lasts.

* Everyone else in my circle is good, and all else is moving along.

* It's impossible to reconcile that October is almost over, and even worse that the year is so close to being over. I had dubbed this year "Get Shit Done 2020," in January, but I have the impression that my mantra may have to slide into 2021.

It's all good these days

Alright, so I've had a bit of a rough several weeks, and because of that, blogging took a distant backseat to everything else going on. But I feel like writing again, and this is the best way to do it.
My kid asked me today if I ever get to take a break. Just like not do anything for anyone. What a weird question. As a 13-year-old girl, it's easy enough for her to imagine a day when she doesn't do anything for anyone. But me? Yeah, no, that is not possible. Even the minimal do-for-others includes feeding everyone and making them comfortable and functioning for the day. I don't even know how to do nothing for anyone. The whole idea is whacky.
Having said that, I have been partaking in a crazy amount of self-care lately. Nothing is more important than me getting my sleep, and taking care of myself, and being a complete human being. It was a bizarre fight until I got here, but it's a pretty comfortable place I'm in right now, and hence, the avatar with her fancy spa robe and slippers, and I think a yummy hot tea sitting on a table nearby. She and I will get there, and blogging again is a big help...

I'm just not feeling the reading

I returned two of my three library books today. I found that every time I looked at them I got anxiety about the time limit on them, and that there were three of them, and that I didn't really feel like reading them. So I picked one to hold on to, and returned the other two. I feel better, of course, but honestly, I probably could have returned the third too, because I doubt I'll get to it any time soon.

Duct tape is medically prescribed

So. The plantar wart.
The dermatologist shaved it down, froze it with three shots of frozen nitrogen, and gave me a prescription for a cream to put on it twice a day. I'm to loofah/pumice it every night before putting on a dollop of the cream, and then cover it with duct tape. Yes, duct tape. Medically, duct tape is part of my wart treatment. It should be gone in a few weeks, like six to eight, and maybe less time or maybe more. I'm pretty excited to be making some progress here, even though it is paining me more tonight than it ever has.

Sydney's movie choice > My movie choice

It's been a weekend, but as I said on Friday night, I'm looking forward to heading in to work tomorrow. We did watch a movie together tonight though, "Spies in Disguise." It was Sydney's pick, and Brian and I had no expectations for it, and it was super cute and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I giggled out loud way more than I thought I would, and the story was clever. We needed a good pick, because I think the last new movie we sat and watched was "Bloodshot," and that was terrible.
As for everything else this weekend, it was somewhat productive. I finished up the manuscript for the new book, and have emailed it to the book designer. I've mocked up the book itself too, and it looks pretty awesome. I trimmed back the rose bushes in the backyard, which is probably the last time I'll be able to be too active outside because the days this weekend were somewhat cooler than normal. Also I finally got Brian to refill the hummingbird feeder so now our birds will stop bitching at us every time we go outside, and I managed to debug my fuchsia without killing it (so far). I did not read any of any of the books I have from the library, and am beginning to wonder if I'll ever read again. BUT I did read my "Entertainment Weekly," so I can officially say that I am trying to do better on that front.

Looking forward to Monday, I guess

It's a weird thing for me, for the weekends to be more of a slog to get through than the work days. It's Friday, and historically, that would be a great thing because there would be stuff to do during the weekend. But lately, for obvious reasons, there's not much to do on the weekends, so I find myself looking more forward to going to work during the week. It's something to do and people to talk to.
Like tomorrow, I have only one or two things on our agenda: AT&T store and water the plants in the yard. Also, bug Brian to refill the hummingbird feeder. And that's like, it, for the whole two days. I have a couple books I can start reading, but I'm not much in the mood for that lately. I have some puzzles, but my back has been finicky and I can't sit at the dining room table for that. It's too hot to go out and do any activity. And it's all indoors and that's no fun, especially when all I really think about is how often my air conditioner is flipping on.
So what's the what. What's the solution here. I'm not sure there is one. We're all living through this weird time right now. Work, right now, is my balm.

Yep, totally a Thursday vibe going on

ITEM!: I had a very frustrating day with AT&T, wherein they have want I want, but aren't able to take my money for some reason. I tried my purchase no fewer than seven times on the app and website, and I got denied every time, and they kept kicking me out of the "store" and out of my account because of the denials. We made our way into the actual store this afternoon, but the wait for assistance was 30 to 60 minutes, and I just didn't have the patience for that. So I'll try again tomorrow and we'll see what happens. I am not optimistic for the website, but perhaps the store will be a better help.
ITEM!: I totally spaced on renewing my library books until today, and they were late for that renewal, and now I owe the library 90 cents. It's important to me that I am a good library patron, so I'll go ahead and pay that fine tonight once I'm done here.
ITEM!: All the illustrations for the next book are done, and now all I have to do is finalize the text. It's scary, deciding that the whole thing is done, and that it is what it is. But really I still have some time to sit with it. I'll be spending my weekend fine-tuning and tweaking it until it sings pure and right. And then I'll be ready to give it to the world. I hope the world likes it, you know?
ITEM!: My plantar wart is becoming a real pain in the foot and I'm super excited to get it removed on Monday. I'm also more than a little nervous about how the damn thing will get removed, and whether it'll hurt. Also, I'm intrigued with how long it may take me to learn to walk again without the weird lean or foot angle. I am so over this ridiculous thing.

Get me a magazine that can go Weekly

I had an addiction once. It was "Entertainment Weekly" magazine. I would get my fix every Saturday, or Friday if I was lucky, and I'd sit and consume every page of it until I was full up. The weeks of the Double Issue, when I'd have to live without for a week, were difficult. But my goodness, I loved that magazine, and couldn't handle life without my fix.
And then "Entertainment Weekly" went monthly. And it suddenly became a chore to sit and read the entire month's worth of entertainment news. I really can't explain it. I haven't read an issue in more than three months. The current issue has been sitting next to my bed for maybe two weeks, and I haven't even cracked it.
Is it a sense of betrayal from the magazine? Is it that I have rehabbed? Is it that the magazine is putting so much content online that most everything in the actual paper magazine seems repetitive? Or I am I just struggling with the concept of reading something right now?
It's dumb, but I actually am super pissed that the magazine went monthly. It was a nice treat for me every weekend to read my EW. And now it's like some dude who comes by every few weeks to show me that he could still be kinda cool, but isn't interested in hanging around or being dependable anymore. But maybe I just need to put forth more effort. I could be a better girlfriend, I suppose, but seriously, EW needs to make it worth it for me.

I've been playing the cards

Today was the second day in a row that I spent a good hour or two playing solitaire. Not iPhone app solitaire, but actual, deck of playing cards, solitaire. I've been shuffling, which bothers and disturbs my dogs, and setting the cards on the floor in a pattern, which is inexplicably an invitation to my dogs, and I've been playing solitaire.
Reminder that playing solitaire is hard when you don't cheat. And I've not been cheating ... much ... unless all the legitimate options are totally gone. It's been a fun exercise for my brain, and my hands. I don't know if shuffling will help with my dystonia, but we'll see, because I've been enjoying the solitaire. I will keep up with it.
Also, Sydney and I peer pressured Brian into playing Uno with us tonight, and I'm here to tell you that I won four out of five games. Brian won the last game we played, and of course, he believes that makes him the champion.