It’s No Surprise….

…that when I did the meme that determined my Secret Ya-Ya Name, the response was “Empress Shops-Too-Much.” I earned the title today, as I am now the proud new owner of:

4 new bras (with a smaller band size, yay)
10 pairs of spiffy new panties (some with butterflies)
One pink wristwatch – I hate pink, except when I’m in a kitschy mood.
A rice cooker.
A vibrant blue tea kettle that WHISTLES
And a Creative Zen Micro mp3 player, the last limited edition model at the Fry’s in Arlington (the LE’s come with an extra battery).

Oh, and Fuzzy bought a book and two new mice.

But admit it, you’re all stuck on the bit about the panties, aren’t you?

Color My World

I’ve been re-reading Diane Ackerman’s book A Natural History of the Senses, and this morning in the bathroom I got to the part where she discusses color, and mentions that many of the artists we think of as great, Degas, Monet, Chegall, Van Gogh, may have painted in their disctinctive fashions because they had various issues with their vision. I nodded as I read this because to me it makes perfect sense. After all, I explained to my doctor, post-LASIK, that seeing halos and starburts around streetlights doesn’t bother me, because I’ve ALWAYS seen such things, either because my myopic eyes blurred things, or because light was refracting off the edges of glasses or contacts.

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Ackerman mentioned that when you’re nearsighted red is usually the best-defined color. It’s always been a favorite of mine, but after some analysis I can confirm that the red I remember is more vivid than the red I see now, as if sharpening definition in all things has muted the vibrancy of the fiery colors.

She also says that not everyone perceives color the same way, which I’ve always known, but never really had the urge to poll people about. I know that to my grandmother everything from pastel orchid to vibrant plum was “lavender” and that my husband is color blind, but there’s a part of me that wishes to be able to see through their eyes, just for a moment, so that the next time I tell Fuzzy “get my green shirt,” instead of becoming fussy when he brings one that is definitely teal, I’ll be able to describe the color in a way he can understand.

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Reading about color and light and the process of vision always makes me think of Sunday in the Park with George.

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After several days of sun-drenched “California Weather” the Metroplex has been experiencing cool damp greystuff. Yesterday the cloud cover was thick and silver-grey, and while I wasn’t aware of any actual rain, the mist seemed active and alive at times. I wore red to counteract the lack of sun.

Today thick grey clouds cover much of the sky, but brief holes of blue are appearing now and then, though they are very quickly swallowed up by more flowing greystuff. I am wearing soft lavender, and feeling very much like I want to blend with the clouds and not stand out from them. It’s a serene sort of feeling, borne aloft by the balmy breeze. Perfect for a Sunday.

Office Space and Other Blather

After visiting Home Depot, Fry’s and Best Buy, I am now the proud owner of a cd rack that is less than one third full. Clearly, I need more cd’s. This is not a hint that people should SEND me cd’s but title and artist recommendations are hereby solicited. I’ll listen to almost anything, except rap and polka music.

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I’ve re-re-arranged my office, putting some things back in their original spots and leaving others in the spots I created for them earlier this week. (I realize this means less than nothing as I never post pictures of my office. If the camera wasn’t all the way downstairs, I’d rectify that. No, really.)

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We are also the proud owners of a guerilla gorilla ladder, a multi-positional thing that extends to 21 feet. (Fuzzy was going to buy an eight-foot ladder, until I pointed out that our living room and entry are two stories tall, and have chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, that hang higher than ten feet.) Apparently this ladder can be leaned against a wall, be used by two people at the same time, and can be reconfigured as a 3.5 foot tall scaffold (some additional parts required). Whatever. All I care about is that it is tall enough that we can change the lightbulbs in the afore-mentioned chandeliers. And so, for the first time since we moved into this house, in October , the living room light is ON, and tomorrow the entry chandelier will have six working lightbulbs instead of only two, thus allowing us to see the entry we never use (since we come and go via the garage, and only Company uses the front door). And yes, I actually did pause to go count the bulbs in the chandelier.

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For the first time in over a month, I also have new books. I’ve got Foucault’s Pendulum and Baudolino by Umberto Eco. The first is one I’ve read, but my incredibly thick hardbound copy has gone missing, so I picked up a paperback version. I bought a Dallas Planting Guide, so I know what plants I can best keep alive in the back yard, and a couple of softer novels. Check out my reading blog in a few days for the titles and mini-reviews. (I’m woefully behind on posting there, and have promised myself I’ll catch up this week.)

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I have to say that I love the low-carb selections at Fridays, even if they do tend to get a bit overzealous about adding cheese to things. If you ever eat there, ask for half the cheese – you won’t miss the extra, and you’ll be able to actually taste the meat. Also the totally not-diet-friendly Vanilla Bean Cheesecake is TO DIE FOR.
And Steven L., our waiter tonight at the Fridays in Arlington, totally rocks. Helpful, funny, and really on the ball. We tipped him extra.

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It’s past 2 in the morning, and the dogs are telling me it’s bedtime. Maybe tomorrow I’ll post something remotely interesting. Or not.