The One... The Only... The Vieve

Lizard-like

I've been reminded of the importance of sleep. Yesterday, my brain and body had reached the point of exhaustion. I managed to work and eat, but I had been reduced to a lizard-like creature that could only put one foot in front of the other, type symbols with two fingers, and shovel food into my mouth. The night before last, I slept, but only for about 5 hours, and that was (to steal a line from a book I'm reading now) like an argument. I had dreams I was suffocating, I couldn't move to take in breath. And so had to wake myself up again and again, reposition myself to let in air. This is one of my deepest fears -- suffocation, asphyxiation -- and it made me scared to sleep last night.

But I had to, and I did, starting around 7 p.m. And I slept for the better part of 13 hours, and today my brain and body seem to be working again. Which is good, because I have a couple of secret missions to complete and then work again tonight and a lot of catching up on life to do.

Ready to ride

My parents have a blog now, which they're going to use to document their trip from California to Louisiana. On their tandem bicycle. They are insane, but, you know, in a totally awesome way.

You can read about their trip (and see a picture of their bike) here.

My mom and I on a bike ride last September:

Little sparrow

In one of my dreams last night, I turned into a sparrow. When I looked at myself, I looked like myself, same size, same shape. I spoke, and I heard my own voice. But everyone else saw a sparrow, heard a chirping bird. But they knew it was me, or at least one person did. A friend held me, and promised to keep holding me until I turned back to my real shape. My real self. I felt deeply sad, but I also felt loved. I was still known. I was safe.

It was like a fable, but I'm not sure what the moral was.

Six of one...

I am so tired right now. It's been A Week.

I want to cry and scream and tell half a dozen people, "I hate you so much, and this is why."

And tell a dozen other people ,"I love you so much, and this is why." Half of which overlap with the ones above.

Life is confusing. And exhausting.

Panty raid

The dog ate a pair of my underwear last night. That sums up very nicely how my day is going so far.

Furry little monster

Meet Zelda:

She likes to steal my slippers and hogs the bed and doesn't really listen to me ("Whatever, lady, you're not my real mommy. Where's my cookie?"). But she is cute as hell and I'm enjoying my temporary guardianship. Arf.

A house of one's own

I am house- and dogsitting this week, which gives me an opportunity to see what it's like living by myself, without any roommates or boyfriends, which has been the standard arrangement for the past, uhh... forever.

So far, I have been eating a lot of chili and talking mostly to the dog. Which seems a little sad, but if it means not having to share a bathroom with anyone else and getting to walk around nekkid whenever I want and having enough space to put all my stuff, then I think I could get used to it.

The Blow

Something new I love to listen to.

Thanks, PetePete.

PU

I have been staring at "sentences" such as this one for the past three days: "...however, physical therapists and assistants also need to be aware of how to incorporate strategies to ensure their treatment sessions with patients are successful."

Also, I saw a skunk behind my house at 9 a.m. this morning. I hope it doesn't have rabies.

Regardless, both things are pretty stinky.

Roaming doggies and roller derby queens

Yesterday I tried to save a lost doggy. I left the store on my dinner break, and as I reached the edge of the parking lot, a dog came trotting across the road toward me. I stopped to give it a pat. "Who do you belong to, puppy?" It had no people, no collar, no tags. But it looked familiar, and was headed from my neighborhood. It trotted away from me, into the parking lot, and I followed it. While it busied itself munching on something it found in a plastic bag on the ground, I ran into the supermarket. Found the manager, found security, asked them to call Animal Control so they could hold onto it and make sure it didn't get smooshed by a car. But when the security guard lunged to grab the dog, it bolted and ran back the way it came. "Shit!" I followed it, watched as it almost got hit by an SUV while it crossed the street again, and kept on its heels until it trotted into a backyard. There wasn't much else I could do -- it wouldn't follow me or stay with me -- so I headed back to work and crossed my fingers that it would stick close to home until its people came back.

And to you people who are charged with the care and well-being of this creature: PUT TAGS AND A FUCKING COLLAR ON YOUR VERY SWEET AND CAR-SMOOSHABLE DOG. Jesus Christ, people, it's really not that hard.

Switching topics...

Last night, I had a dream that I was roller skating, bombing down the sidewalk in a short skirt and knee pads. I was off-balance, and there were tree roots and patches of snow, but somehow I managed to speed along without a hitch. It was awesome and exhilerating. After this dream, I must fully confess to having fantasies for quite a while now about becoming a roller derby queen. Evel Kvievel? I fear I don't have enough tattoos, though.

Fuck you, winter

Uncle.

Thanks, poops

The poopyhead is visiting this weekend, and I sent her an email the other day, asking what she wanted to do. Round up some peeps for some carousing? Have a more sedate weekend? Her reply: "Either way, I'll just be happy to see you."

Which made me so happy, I got a little teary.

It's nice having people in your life who don't need anything from you, except for you just being you.

Zombie fruit

Odwalla snuck raisins into my strawberry-pomegranate cereal bar. Curse you, you wily zombie fruit.