Ack! I forgot to feed the fish! … Ok. Little Charlie looked somewhat thinner than I remember but at least he’s full now. How much do you feed him again? Oh well, he’ll either be one plump pisces or one floating fin by the time you get back.

Have fun in SD.

ps – I unclogged the sink 😉

I am back home in PV again. This place is like a strange time warp where nothing changes. My room still holds my old paperbacks, the same old glasses are in the same cupboard, and my parents still don’t have cable. It’s a very strange trip back to the 80’s.

Tomorrow is the big day when I get my greedy smurf hands on that cubby BabyD. I’m so excited it’s like Christmas Eve. I’m convinced the sooner I go to bed, the sooner I’ll be in San Diego. The bad news is that the rain has followed me here. Yes, I come all the way to LA and it’s overcast, windy, and cold. Grrrr. Very unfair!

Checked in with Kev who informs me that the dog won’t eat and is moping around the house missing me. Kevin, however, seemed quite chipper. I am conviced, however, that when I return on Sunday, all my plants will be dead, my fish will be floating, and the house will be littered with pizza boxes and empty cans. Actually, as I left, I told Kevin, “don’t forget to feed the fish.” To which he replied, “we have a fish??” Yes, this is my life.

So that’s all for now. I’m going to curl up on the bunkbeds, read the old signatures, and dream of fat little baby legs. (I really am rather strange.)

I learned two very important lessons today. First, my neighbors cheat. Second, the post office at 11am on Wednesday is a wonderful experience. I know both of these facts are very shocking and I apologize in advance.

Yesterday, I took the pooch on our afternoon walk a little later than normal. As we strolled down the streets, I felt that familiar cloud of envy and self-loathing settle around me. I walked down my street, looking at perfect green lawns, perky flowers free of pests, and rounded healthy bushes. Every step I took had me doing a mental comparison. My roses were small with only three slug eaten buds – this house had a huge bush bursting with flowers. My lawn had bare spots and moss. That one could have been used as a putting green. It was horrible. And then I turned the corner and there they were.

Gardeners.

Yes, you heard me. Gardeners. Professional gardeners no less. There were groups of five or six working on a single lawn. Fertilizing, pulling weeds, pruning bushes, and deadheading flowers. Up and down the street, as far as the eye could see, they were out in full force. When they saw me, I think they looked rather guilty. They wouldn’t meet my eye and hurried back to their trucks. (Of course, Artie was doing his best to eat them so I suppose that could have explained why they ran.)

I suddenly felt the spring ease back into my step as I realized the reason my lawn looks so horrid in comparison is not because I am a lazy gardener. Oh no, the fact that I forget to water, weed only once a month, and prune like a blind person suddenly meant nothing. I realized, I was an amateur competing with professionals! Of course my yard sucks. That’s cause it’s just me working on it. It’s like taking a high school basketball player and throwing them into the NBA. Of course they’d get trampled.

I can’t wait for the weekend when my sly neighbors are “working” in their yard. Now, I can walk by and hold my head high knowing it’s all a fiction. While they gather their perfect flowers to arrange in stunning crystal vases, I can take pride in my single slug eaten bloom thank you very much.

And as for the post office, it was wonderful. I walked in to no line. The teller was friendly and joked. He actually laughed. I swear. It was surreal. Usually, I’d go to the post office only when absolutely necessary since I had to do so on a weekend. I’d end up in a line that wrapped around the building filled with screaming kids and people who have never heard of deodorant. At the front, there’d be five or six stations, only two of which were open. One would have an old man trying to mail a package he wrapped with scotch tape (which causes postal workers to have a fit). The other would have a lady with 50 boxes all going somewhere different. Makes you want to pull your own teeth out.

So you can imagine my surprise when I went this morning and found myself laughing with the teller like we’re old friends. If I never go to the post office on a weekend again I’ll be overjoyed.

Oh yes, my new bud behind the counter informs me that stamps are going up on June 20th to .37 cents. Grrrr. I still have .32 stamps I haven’t used. Very grumpy.

So I’m 29. Ick. That would, however, explain the grey hair and inability to stay awake past midnight. Sigh. All I have left to look forward to now is flabby underarms and a sagging butt.

Hold on, dog is barking. Be right back.

Sorry about that but today is “work on the roof” day in my neighborhood. I guess I missed that memo. The house behind mine is getting a new roof so they are up there ripping off the old shingles and my next door neighbor is having her chimney repaired to they’re out there spraying sealant and other good stuff. Poor Artie is totally freaked out. Seeing people walking around on the roof drives him batty. Guess it just doesn’t look natural to him. So this morning, when they climbed up there at 8:30 and started ripping away, he went into super bark mode and hasn’t quite calmed down yet.

But I had a wonderful birthday. I am now the proud owner of a flat screen monitor, ice cream makers, and stepping stone kit. Oh yes, Beanie sent me the cutest koi lantern. I think it’s suppose to be hung but I like it better nestled next to the pond. I snapped a pic for your viewing pleasure and yes, that’s the dumb dog drinking the stagnant pond water. Makes picking up the poop oh so pleasurable. Grrrrr.

This day is just flying by. Already 1pm and I haven’t even managed to get out of my PJ’s yet. But hey, it’s Monday and Mondays are always tough. I figure, tomorrow, I should be dressed by at least 11am. I know, I’m pushing it, but I’m just a livin’-on-the-edge type girl.

Don’t work too hard!

Seeing as you will soon be doing all the laundry you’ll know that is really only 5 loads not 9 🙂

Kevin has been working on more Baby D pics for your viewing enjoyment. I can’t believe that in a mere 5 days I will have that little bundle of chubs in my greedy smurf hands. It’s all so very exciting.

I have developed sewing thumb however from trying to finish my baby quilt in time. It’s so soft and cuddly, I’m sometimes tempted to keep it for myself!

3 to 4 loads? Um, I think not.