Still.....Woah

Months later and I am STILL kinda hooked on this kid... he totally blows my mind, AND makes me like Lady Gaga... what?!
Yes, I said it, I like Lady Gaga, her tunes are freakin' catchy... but this kid... woah.

Tonight....

I miss....him..... this......

a lot.

The Mom Arm

I pulled a "mom arm" last night on one of my best friends.
You know the "mom arm" right? It's that moment when you're in the car and, even though you are wearing a seat belt in the passenger seat, a sudden stop occurs and the arm of the driver (usually a parent) just whips over in front of the passenger as if that arm can protect you from harm.

We weren't in a car... just walking along, talking, laughing, heading over to see a friend at work last night and have a drink... but right as we rounded the corner my eyes focused in on the very last person either of us wanted to see. I don't remember even thinking of saying or doing anything... my arm just instinctively reached over and whipped my friend around in the opposite direction. She didn't make a sound, and neither did I. For about 1/2 a block we just walked quickly... then she looked up at me (which she's gotta do since I'm about 10" taller, no joke) and said with a smile and laugh in her voice "can we hug?" So we did, and we giggled... and it all felt right.

At the end of the evening we talked about what happened, and both found it so funny that our instincts, and really our trust in each other, made it transpire so seamlessly. It was like every inch of my being's energy was thrust into my arm last night... and some how, some way, she felt that and didn't question it.

It may sound weird to you, especially if you've never experienced a moment like that. A moment where your instincts, combined with concern for someone else and their well-being, just take over any conscious thought and act on their own... add in the "Wonder Twin"-ish aspect of them just knowing and it's pretty great.... and if you knew the whole story of who the person was that neither of us wanted to see... well, that makes it funnier. If only we had a pet monkey named "Gleek."

Human Test

This is a test... if this story does not make you cry, or at least bring you close to tears ... you are not human.

Danny Perasa and his wife, Annie, came to StoryCorps to recount their twenty-seven-year romance. As they remember their life together from their first date to Danny’s final days with terminal cancer, these remarkable Brooklynites personify the eloquence, grace, and poetry that can be found in the voices of everyday people when we take the time to listen.


Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Things I Actually Own

.... and might very well wear today....

 

I'm 100% sure no one reading this actually gives a flying fuck what I am planning to wear today, but I can't sleep, I'm bored as hell, and yet again polyvore.com is there to entertain me.

Chinese Potato

We have a rule at work: if it's on the floor, it stays on the floor. 

We have hired cleaners come in each night during the wee small hours to take care of the nastiness. This is an amazing thing considering how disgusting the floor of your average bar is at the end of every night... but if you think THAT is bad, you should try to get a glimpse of the floor behind the bar. BLECH! Hundreds of bottle tops, sticky puddles of liquids that were, once upon a time, headed into a glass or blender but changed their minds en route. So what exactly is it that made me pause and pick up a small skinny strip of paper? I have no idea.
   BUT... I know why I stuck it in my pocket: I liked the message.

...and it reminded me of something a very important person in my life said to me once, "You may very well have the strongest, yet most subtle fortitude of anyone I've ever met, hopefully someday your recognize it too." I remember the exact words because they were written in a letter to me, and I still have that letter. I read it often because I miss the person who wrote it. I miss him every day... every. damn. day. 

This is the problem with forming meaningful bonds with people... when they become the person you trust most, tell everything to, turn to for support & advice, and expect to have in your life for...well... life.... you might find yourself in my position. Eternally missing a piece of your heart, your best friend, your confidant. The person you would turn to in times of happiness to share your joy; the one that during relationship issues may not have had the answers, but they always had the shoulder to cry on and the ears to listen; the best friend that you swore you'd have your future children call "Uncle." This is what happens when your best friend dies. It's been almost 10 years now, and it still hurts just to type those words.

However, I am happy to report that upon flipping the little piece of paper over I got a good laugh and realized that for once I wouldn't wish he was here to answer one of life's biggest mysteries:

How do you say potato in Chinese?

 

.....and I am sooooo playing those #'s in the lottery.

No Fishing

As if I needed a good excuse to not go fishing from a boat... via land or pier is fine by me... but after seeing this article I think my trepidations are fully justifed..... & besides...

I don't eat seafood.

Bipolar Rain

The sun looked like it was trying to shine today... briefly... then out of nowhere the clouds rolled in.
The sky turned BLACK. It was as if time had jumped ahead 12 hours. It was no longer noon, it was now midnight.
Clouds swirled in the sky as if they were heavy cream in a dark cup of coffee being impatiently stirred around.

(photo taken by my friend Lindsay within the hour)

The ominous thunder was at first an affable rumbling .... but rapidly approached monster in your closet about to attack status in mere minutes....


..... and then the rain came. As one stood by their doors and windows it was impossible to not feel as if this entire island had somehow been magically transported to the Amazon rain forest. The rain beat down like someone was hovering overhead and able to be hurling fistfulls of water in mind boggling rapid succession. One might half expect the leaves on the trees to come out of this with massive bruises.

(another photo taken by Lindsay this afternoon)

Then just as quickly as it arrived... it left.

The storm had passed.. only a mild grumble of thunder in the distance being silenced by the fog horn guiding the ships at sea...the sky is no longer a dark charcoal gray, just a mild sepia tone that makes one wish for covered porches and hammocks...the leaves & grass were shining and the world outside was retaining the scent of a summer rain storm. Nature was practically begging me to take a nap.....

Then nature changed it's mind. The rain came back. The rain is still here... only it's not the loud angry globs of rain it was an hour ago... it's more of a frantic mist in married bliss with your typical summer rainstorm. The thunder has come back as if to say  "...and another thing!" It isn't done with us yet either. 

My big plan of spending the day at the beach with a good book and some sunscreen has now become my day hangin' out in the house and cooking steak. Not too shabby really. (The steak was delicious BTW)

Next up... curl up on the sofa, watch a movie and nibble on that package of Strawberry Twizzlers® I was smart enough to buy at the store yesterday. (I totally have my moments of supreme foresight)

*****************

That's All She Wrote...

I've got NOTHING. Seriously, nothing. NO ideas running through my head. NO middle of the night moments where I wake sitting up and run to my lap top to bang out 50 pages in no time flat. I am uninspired, sad as hell, and basically miserable. I know where it's coming from, but I can't really do anything about it other than try to ignore it, and hope it goes away.

In the meantime I will be floating around in a state of I-don't-know-what, and I must admit, it's tiring.







Guess there is only one thing left to do...

Today

It just hit 93˚ here an hour ago. That's 36.66666666(ad nauseam) Celsius. I have to go to work in two hours, to an unventilated, non-air conditioned, underground bar... and I am suddenly wishing it was fall. So I sit here dreaming of cool breezes and cashmere sweaters, and the clothes I love to wear......and wasting fuckloads of time on polyvore.com......

Today

Happy Hot Dogs, Cheeseburgers, & Sparkly Things That Go *Boom* Weekend!

I'm not a fan of the 4th of July, strictly because I live in a very touristy location. I spent my 4th with (thankfully) the day off at a private secluded beach along with a bag of cold grapes, a good book, and a bottle of water.
Truth be told... it's not America that I'd like to be at this moment.  However, I am just too knackered to explain, and it honestly would bore you to tears to hear... so... here are some pictures for the ADHD crowd......

MY 5th of July

The 5th of July

and pretty much all the days after, before, and between:

G