Christmas Cats

My sister's cat, Fluffy, contemplates her plans for cookie decorating.

Lion-o enjoying his holiday finery - received as a gift from one of CJ's coworkers.

Miss Kitty (her actual name) enjoying the tree at my mother-in-law's house.

Wisconsin Part the First

There were a lot of bird type things in Evermor apparently.

CJ and I recently went on vacation to exotic Wisconsin.  OK - that reads like sarcasm, but there is actually a ton of really weird stuff there.  We mostly just sat around and watched Regular Show and Adventure Time in between taking naps.  No - we aren't stoners.  We're just super mellow people.

When we did happen to gather up enough energy to actually do something  - it seemed that everything we did was the opening to an episode of Doctor Who.  Things seemed sort of normal, but just a little bit off.  Then things seemed to get weirder.  Before Daleks or Cybermen showed up we would always decide to go home.

So where exactly did we go?  The Circus World Museum, The Land of Evermor, and The House on the Rock.  All weird at the best of times - or so I have heard.  I can tell you they are super weird in their off seasons when you are there with just a tiny handful of people.

The following are all pictures from the Land of Evermor.  I'll try to post pics of the other places later.

Awesome Gargoyle-y statue.  I want one - or maybe an army of ten that can live in my back yard.

The Forevertron!  It's art AND a time travel device.

OK - another view of the Forevertron.

Yes - another picture of the Forevertron, because it is that cool.

Some sort of fearsome and frolicsome fish-type creature.

Yay! Forevertron!

Election Day!!!

I stayed up really late last night and read and reread candidates websites and Q&As on local news sites.   I made up a list of  who to vote for in every category - including judges and school board members!

So then CJ and I get to our polling site this morning and I realize that I left it at home.  Not such a problem for me because I spent all that time researching - but CJ was totally dependent on me to tell him how to vote.   Last night and this morning I did talk to him about the candidates and why I made each choice - but he would never remember their names.

So we headed the whole 3 or 4 blocks home and we grabbed my sheets I had written up.  There weren't really any lines at our polling site - so it wasn't really a big deal.  We just felt silly... but we voted!!!

Voting freaks me out every time.  I get so anxious that I didn't fill in my bubbles perfect enough or that I somehow accidentally voted for the wrong candidate.  This time around for the general election I got to add the fact that filling in all those little bubbles made my poor little arthritic hand hurt.  Now that I went and voted - I just want to go and sleep until the election is over.  It is just too stressful to watch election coverage and go through all those ups and downs.  I just want to know what the results are and whatever happens in between happens.

Awesome Claw Grabbing Game Toys

Here's one of the awesome bins...

...and here is the other one!

Who DOESN'T want a taxidermied koala face for a purse?

 

I know what I want for Christmas!  I didn't even know there were koala face purses out there in the world.  It's like the thing you never knew you always wanted.

Seriously, how weird is this?  It's creepy and odd enough that I do kind of want it.  It's obviously kind of  old - so buying it wouldn't encourage the senseless murder of koala's or anything.

Here's a fun fact: many koala's have chlamydia and you can catch it from them without being one of their many sexual partners.  True Story.

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/missvictoriasvintage/2977485/vintage_koala_coin_purse_fur_taxidermy/vintage/accessories/bags___purses

How about another picture of CJ with a cat?

Ouch!

  So my wrists always hurt at night while I sleep, but a few nights ago it was a doozy.  I woke up and could barely move my hand - so I turned on the light and there seemed to be a bulge that moved in my wrist when I flexed my fingers.  It also had a sickening clicking sensation.  Being half asleep, the best thing to do seemed to be push on it and really flex those fingers.

   So I did that and felt a huge POP as something moved inside.  It felt less painful, but I got really really lightheaded and felt like I was going to pass out and/or throw up.   

   Exactly ONE of my friends who I told this to were suitably horrified.  Lots of "Oh, that would have been weird" and "Yeah, that doesn't sound fun".  Only one guy responded with an appropriate "Oh my God, I would have thrown up or passed out if I had even been in the same room as you."  Thank you, one normal human being I have for a friend! 

Feels fine now.  Well - arthritic and sore like usual.  My version of "fine".  I've been sleeping with wrist braces every night and that seems to be helping.  I have arthritis in both my hands and wrists, so any steps I can take toward preventing damage and injury seems like a good idea.  Also - I sleep like a crazy person.  I twist my hands up into crazy claws and then end up bending my wrists in horrible ways while I shove them under my head and pillow.  Really, I probably should have been wearing some sort of wrist support since I was a kid.

Encouraging Words

Emily: Good job getting gas there CJ - and not in the bean kind of way!  hahaha

CJ: Like Mr. Bean?  Would I get my foot caught in the hose and spray gas all over the place?

Emily: No - not Mister Bean - just like beans.  You know... pffftt (makes fart noise).

CJ:  Oh.

We are some classy people, as you can see.

A Discussion of Public Art in Northfield

This conversation happened in front of the library tonight after we ate a dinner of half-price appetizers at The Tavern.

Emily: I don't know how I feel about this.  Part of me likes the sidewalk poetry in town and part of me wants to punch it in the face.

CJ: That's not a good idea.  It's never a good idea when you get that urge - but hitting concrete is a more terrible idea than usual.  You have enough problems with your hands as it is.

Emily: Hmm... Good point.

Lion-o!

 Why do they even sell cat beds anywhere?  You know what my cats favorite "beds" are?  Any folded blanket or towel, a strawberry box that we leave on the floor for them, and any piece of paper that fell on the floor.  As any cat owner knows - that piece of paper is only attractive if the rest of the floor is clean and devoid of clutter.  Because cats are weirdos.

Two Sleepy Dudes

Two of my favorite guys: Lion-o and my husband CJ.  This is a common sight in our house.

Anniversary Weekend

I woke up on Saturday morning and walked (closer to zombie shuffled actually) down the hall to the office where CJ was already awake and doing some kind of stuff (probably Facebook games).  I sat down and chatted for a little bit and then remembered, "Oh my God, it's September 29th".

"Happy Anniversary, CJ!!!"  This didn't get the response I expected.  Some sort of congratulations where in order from him too, right?

This was the response.  CJ turned, looked at me, and said, "Yeah, it will be.  Tomorrow.  Because our anniversary is on the 30th."

Crap.  I was so proud of myself for remembering too.  I always have to check with CJ on important dates like that.  I am obviously not one of those women who celebrates "anniversaries" like first date or first kiss.  I think those women might be a bit crazy.   Different crazy than me - apparently.

Turns Out We're Both Crazy

Dang.

My husband and I both totally freaked out today.  There are a lot of new people in our neighborhood - so one of the more established neighbors decided to have a party.  We RSVPed and planned to go this afternoon.   We have a hard time walking up and being neighborly to people because we have some pretty annoying anxiety issues.  So this seemed easier than trying to be friendly on our own.

We had some confusion though.  The party said it would go from 1pm -?.   CJ interpreted this as "Stop by anytime after 1".  I hadn't read the invitation and then I  freaked out because that wasn't 100% clear to me.  Maybe it didn't mean that at all.  Maybe everyone was SUPPOSED to show up at 1 and the "?" just meant the leaving time was in question.  I didn't actually look at the invite until 1:15 - when I was in the middle of making tomato sauce.  I freaked out and asked CJ if he knew from talking to them that it was that more casual option.  Nope - he just assumed.  So I totally panicked and told CJ he had to go without me down the street and I would come later.

My anxiety is usually based in thinking that "Oh, my god - what if I didn't do the right thing?"  I completely broke down, because I felt blind sided.   I can keep my anxiety in check if I have a plan.  My plan in this case would have been to show up at 1. 

CJ has social anxiety about doing things alone.  He was only mildly ok with going to a party where we wouldn't know people only because I would be there with him.  I had destroyed his plan by asking him to go first alone.

So he headed down the street with his chest getting tighter and tighter - squeezing out all the calm.  When he got to the neighbor's house there was no one on the deck or outside.  He got closer and could hear no sounds of party-like behavior.  So he came back home. 

Some arguing followed.
 "You have to call them - we rsvped!"
 Followed by "I can't do it - I'm the worst person ever!"
 "We have to do it - we RSVPED!!!"
"I can't do it - I hate phones!"
"I hate phones too!"
"Why did we think we could handle trying to be normal friendly neighbors?!?"

We've come to the logical conclusion any normal couple would come to in this situation.

We have to move. 

A Random Dream

I recently felt the need to tell my friend Nancy about a dream I had that involved her.  

Here's what I posted on her Facebook page.

"I had a dream last night that I came to eat dinner at your house. Some naked dude with dirt on him was running around with a giant hammer on the sidewalk. I finally got to the door, but I couldn't come inside because there were sick people. Then the military showed up - but it was ok. They were just coming to collect all the stuff they store in your neighborhood garages and basements.

While the menfolk were gathering the military equipment (Matt had a bunch of huge gas cans - in case you were wondering) all the neighborhood dogs ran into the street to do some synchronized swimming in large puddles. Then all the puppies and kittens came out and joined in while the womenfolk got power tools to join in the halftime-show-esque performance. I got totally scared when a lady got her lawnmower near a puppy - but it was so well choreographed that no one was hurt and a good time was had by all.

I just wanted to share that with you."

Proving that I am NOT the only nut job in my bunch of friends - her response was "I feel like that could have happened."

We Aren't Terribly Handy People

Here's a recent online conversation between my husband and myself.

me:  hi!

 

 CJ:  hi!

i might be here 'til 6:30 or so

also i tried to pump air into my tires this morning, but instead i just let air out

then i was able to pump air into so it was low instead of flat

but i couldn't get it full

i wasn't sure if it was me, our pump, or the tire

 me:  hmmm.. weird about the tire.  and sad face about you being gone until 630.  I was hoping to wander downtown with you.

we have a bike rack - if you want to take your bike to a real air place.

 CJ:  do we?

and then, do we know how to use it?

 me:  i don't think we know how to use it.  I think we kept it though.

 CJ:  i think we kept it also

in fact i think i know where it is

but i'm not really sure how it's supposed to work

 me:  There are strappy bits.

 CJ:  with metal pieces on the end

 me:  some kind of buckle?

 CJ:  i have no idea

Addlepated

I lose my phone pretty often.  Usually, I just use CJ's phone to call mine and locate it.  Doesn't work when you turn off the ringer though.   I decided to try once again by emailing the phone through my laptop.

Well - once my butt started vibrating, I figured out that it was under the cushion.

Thoughts Whilst Drinking My Morning Smoothie

Whenever I type on a computer and have a beverage, I am very aware I could spill it onto the keyboard.  My friend Sarah completely fried her keyboard in college by spilling orange juice on it.  So whenever I have the drink (seriously EVERY time) I think "Don't spill that like Sarah did with the orange juice!"

Years later I told Sarah this and she informed me that it was actually just water.  She wondered where the hell I had gotten the idea it was orange juice.   Um... maybe I just thought the story needed more excitement.  Nothing adds excitement like sugary liquids!

So now I have to think,"Don't spill that like Sarah did with the orange juice - that was actually just water!"

Middle School

Lately, I feel like I am about 20 years behind schedule.   Sure - I've always been emotionally immature, but there are some actual events that make me feel oddly out of time as well.

First thing - I shall soon be getting braces!  I was always jealous of other kids who got to get dental care of any sort.  So this is oddly depressing and elating at the same time.  It's exciting because "Hey!  I'll have nicer teeth at the end of this".   It's depressing because "Wow, I'll be a 32-33 year old with braces."

It also, of course, caused me all sorts of weird crazy freak outs.  For decades I believed that I didn't warrant decent dental or medical care because I was not good enough.  Not like I wasn't a good person or whatever.  I just felt like I was like one of those peaches that looks sort of ok on the outside, but when you bite into it the grossness overwhelms you and possibly there are also insects.  Really this analogy doesn't work though because I never actually thought I even looked ok on the outside.  I am trying desperately not to live in this mindset anymore.  So I am deliberately setting out to do the things I thought I couldn't because of my innate grossness.

It's been mostly good so far.  I'm working on remembering that I am awesome.