byebye 2008

I know, it's the day to reflect upon a year's events, accomplishments or disappointments. Me, meh, I just got married, changed jobs, sold my house, got a new dog. Nothing big.

In past years, I've typed up long lists of books I've read and movies I've seen. I didn't keep track of those this year.

I did add two new babies to my life, one who came into the world and immediately got sick, the other who joined us on the same night the big hurricane hit. Both are adorable and thriving.

I feel different this new year's eve. I don't feel like I need to make the hat, for one. I am not worried about whether the guy who kisses me at midnight will be around after the first of the year. I know I won't be keeping my job, and that it's okay to say that it wasn't for me.

My biggest hope for the coming year is that we will make more time for fun activities and watch less tv. I think that's doable.

Happy new year.

saturday

We saw Marley and Me today. It was a good movie version of the book. We cried a lot at the end, despite it being interrupted by a fire alarm (and it was raining outside, grrr). I like Owen Wilson and I love Alan Arkin and the dogs were faithful mirrors of the real Marley.

We came home and the hubby made dal in his new pressure cooker. Yum. The dogs were annoyed that we made them wait to take a walk and have their dinner and kept trying to sneak up on the couch while we were eating.

This being home all day thing has been great. I am so dreading going back to work. I hope that'll fade over the course of this second week off, but I have a bad feeling that it won't, and that the next several months are going to be tough. That makes me sad, but there isn't really anything I can do about it, except try to change my attitude.

I know, I know. Good luck with that.

merry merry

Merry xmas, happy festivus, and all of that. I'm sitting here with hubby, watching (his choice) The Greatest Story Ever Told and gawking over the imdb report of the cast.

not lonely, but adults to talk to would be nice

Last day for a few of having just 3 doggies. Currently they are all running around like mad, squeaking toys and generally having a good time. Unfortunately, when I took them out a little bit ago, they were also running around like mad, tangling their leashes constantly and someone insisted on pulling on his leash.

I snuck in some vacuuming today and discovered that beagle hair is dang near impossible to get off of microsuede. I might make the husband vacuum it because it's his fault there's dog hair there in the first place.

Kitty is curled up on the computer desk, watching the shenanigans from a safe distance, and the pigs are busy eating their way through a bag of rabbit food that the hubby put in their cage. He used it as a weight and of course they knocked it down and ate a hole through it.

Can you tell I'm feeling a bit lazy at the moment?

trying

Finally starting on all of the thank you cards we owe people from our various wedding functions. It is dreadfully boring, but necessary, and I'm trying to do it while watching something fun on tv. I'm going to stop for now, though, because my polite words are dried up and I need to do something loud, like vacuuming or playing with the dogs.

when to say goodbye

Two years ago, now, you may recall that my best friend from library school quit me. It wasn't quite in that Brokeback Mountain way, but it was fairly dramatic and, for me, painful.

I've recently joined Facebook and this friend appeared there asking to be my friend. Not my real friend but a Facebook friend. I did not respond very kindly. I wish I could handle these situations better but I think my decision was the correct one. We're not friends and I don't care to pretend that we are.

2 days

Dog-related accidents: 4

Breakdown: 3 peeing accidents
1 willful destruction of cocoa & coffee packets

Tantrums: just one, but am exhausted

you know you live in houston when...

...you visit your local park and see a group of kids making sand angels.

saved by disregard

There was a cool-sounding job open at one of the local nature centers. The posting did not indicate how to apply. I emailed the person in charge, left him a voice mail, then emailed him again over the course of two weeks or so. I never received a response. In my perusal of their website, trying to figure out how to apply for this job, I noticed a continuing education workshop. I signed up for it. It was supposed to be held yesterday. Yesterday morning, not only did I wake up feeling yucky, I also woke up feeling overwhelmed with grading (exams) and holiday-related activities. I canceled (by email, because I could not figure out who to leave a voice mail for and no one answers their phone, ever). Today I received an email saying that the workshop had been canceled and sorry if they had forgotten to let me know. Clearly this is not a place I could work, had I figured out how to apply for the da**ed job.

43 things

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a Healthy Tree Hugging Builder

Now, this isn't to say I am currently doing all of the things I checked off, but that I did at one point or period do them. I'm nothing if not capricious.

brrrr

Yesterday and overnight it snowed. In Houston. It was probably the first time I've truly been cold since I moved here. Our American eskimo dog, Jeremy, is loving it. The rest of us are not.

radio

I rarely listen to npr, but my husband does. He likes to listen to it at full blast while he's taking a shower. This morning, I heard a story that made me gasp and feel quite sad: Odetta passed away yesterday.

I remember Black History Month several years ago. I'd set up a cool display that anyone could add to, by writing their favorite African American artist, writer, dancer, etc. on an index card and sticking it to the board. Someone put up a notice for a free concert featuring Odetta.

I could NOT wait.

Finally the day came and I was shocked that the place was not mobbed. Surely others had grown up listening to one of the coolest humorous folk singers of the day! Despite the lack of a crowd, we enjoyed the h*ll out of that show and I felt fulfilled and sad when it ended.

I know she had a full life, but for me it was not long enough. I'm sad you're dead, Odetta, my Sea Lion Woman.