Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

A couple of years ago I stumbled across this book by Amy Krouse Rothenthal. It's a memoir of her rather ordinary life all neatly organized and alphabetized. I thought it'd be fun to do weekly posts of my own ordinary life. This will hopefully also serve as an incentive for me to post more regularly. I'd planned on starting on Sunday and now I'm already a few days behind so we'll see if it really works. But at least I won't be able to claim writer's block. At least not for another 26 weeks...

A

Airconditioning - Loraine, my little old house, does not have central heat and air. Summers are horrible; I can hardly bear them. I have a couple of window units but it just isn't the same. I think it's partly to blame for why I spend all my money at the beginning of the summer. Just looking for somewhere to go to get out of the dreadfully sticky heat that is my house.

Airstream - I don't know when it started...10 years ago maybe...but it is my mission in life to procure a vintage Airstream travel trailer and fix it up. I'd be equally happy traveling to both ends of Route 66 in it or having it sit in my backyard as a craft studio/guest house. I am beginning to have quite the Airstream paraphernalia collection: I have an Airstream pendant necklace (one of my favorite pieces of jewelry), a couple of Airstream birdhouses, coffee table books, and a strand of Airstream porch lights. Oh yeah.

Altered Art - glass pebble magnets, mixed media collages, altered tins, altered books. I want to create!

Apple - I like apples alright. Red Delicious are my favorite, then Galas, then the Pink Lady. I do not like green apples unless they are submerged in caramel and chocolate and nuts (oh, Kim, I miss you and your apples!). But I would never, ever name my child after a fruit.

Australia - on my list of places to go to.

Home Sweet Home(s)

All my little furbabies have found their forever (I hope!) homes...

Dooney and Bourke ended up at a ranch just outside of Ada. I hear they're doing well despite the fact that it appears their names have been swapped.

With Kristin coming into town I was under the gun trying to find someplace for the other two before she arrived. She's allergic and since she was going to be in a wedding, it wasn't the best time for sneezing or puffy eyes. A friend at work (from whom I got Olive) thought she had some contacts but everything fell through so I asked another lady at work if she could at least keep them for the weekend. I dropped them off with her Thursday at school and a teacher who had previously declined my offer a super cute FREE kitten was subjected to their utter cuteness and ended up taking Gabbana (now Torres) home with her. Dolce went home, presumably just for the weekend, with Teri and when I called her this afternoon to see about picking her (or him, can't really tell yet) up, she said they wanted to keep her. Her/his new name is Gizmo. Yay!

Olive had been missing again since midweek. I knew I'd find her at the neighbors' and today I rescued her for the third time. These elusive neighbors of mine have returned home since my last rescue mission because curtains have been replaced and the crawl space access was boarded up. I assume that's how Olive had been getting in but maybe not because I would think that if she had been inside when they showed up she'd at least be kicked out if not shot. Hmm...She came home and immediately started looking around for Dolce and Gabbana. Started meowing and everything. It was really sad. But she seems okay now, especially since her belly's full again. From food, not more babies!!! So I guess I haven't found homes for all my furbabies quite yet...

Just One of the HOS

Last weekend I took part in my first organized scooter ride! There were eight of us HOS (Hooters on Scooter members) and we traveled from Brookside up to Skiatook. Having never ridden in proper formation and having just gotten Buttercup up and running since last summer (for shame, for shame!) I was a bit nervous. The way up we peaked at 45 mph and I think I handled it pretty well. We stopped at a Mexican restaurant in Skiatook and had a little snack before heading back.


The trip home, however, was a bit more nerve-wracking for me. First off, a wasp landed on my chest and I was trying not to freak out. I assumed it would fly off pretty quickly but it did not. It slowly crawled its way up my jacket and closer and closer to my neck. I was having visions of going into anaphylactic shock and careening into a ditch once again (the ditch part, not the anaphylaxis). As it crept to my collar and started its way INTO my jacket, I finally pulled over and swatted it off. The two girls behind me had to pull over with me and I felt a little silly explaining the situation. Crisis averted, I got back on the road and soon found myself doing 60 mph to keep up with everyone. Yikes! But I survived. And I even felt brave enough to scoot my way over to my second job later in the week.

Still Standing

Been awhile since I've had time to post. Mostly because I started a new job with the US Census Bureau. Who knew you had to be sworn in and promise to defend our constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, in order to call people, make hotel reservations, fax stuff, file stuff, and type? But at least I'm getting paid for it. I'm trying to knock out my credit card debt and decided to bite the bullet and get a second job. But it's been hard juggling the two jobs and taking care of all the other stuff there is to do. I didn't really realize all the other stuff there is to do until I had no time left in which to do it. Especially when my front door fell off its hinges. Thank goodness for handy stepdads!

Looking forward to:
* my first HOS (that's Hooters on Scooters) ride this Sunday. Finally got a new battery and ol' Buttercup started right up. Needs a bit of air in her tires and she's ready to roll! I can't wait!!!
*my BFF coming to T-town next week. She's in a wedding but is staying with me.
*finding homes for the rest of the kitties. I sent Dooney and Bourke to live on a farm last weekend. And I do mean that in the literal sense. Now they cohabitate with 27 horses, a bunch of pygmy goats, some dogs, and three FAT cats.
*summer vacation!!! Only eight weeks (ugh) to go...