I feel naked without a wristwatch on. I went for almost a year without one when my favorite silver Fossil watch stopped on the plane to Dallas three years ago when we were on the way out here to look at houses. I was working from home, and didn’t have any kind of schedule to stick to, and didn’t really need to track time all that closely.

But my wrist felt horribly light, and I never got past that feeling of being undressed, as if by having one unadorned wrist, I was doing the equivalent of answering the door without underwear on, or checking the mail in my nightgown, or going to school naked. Not that I’ve been in school in the last decade.

Although, when I was in school, my cello teacher once suggested that I remove my watch because it might help my hand position when I was playing in extended positions, and I argued with her, telling her I was accustomed to the weight of it, and it wouldn’t help. Wanna guess which of us was right?

Two years ago at Valentine’s Day Fuzzy got both of my silver watches fixed, and I also had a cheap watch I got from a department store, but the silver ones have started to bother my wrist, and the cheap pink plastic one is really too casual for anything but morning dog walkings.

I’ve been looking at Hamilton watches, lately, because they have some really interesting designs, especially one where the face – dial – whatever – is sort of a curvy triangle. (I know there’s a word for that, but it escapes me.) Alas, it’s $645, and I can’t really justify that right now.

I kind of wish I was still at the age when a $20 Mickey Mouse watch would make me happy, the way it did when I was ten.

Until then?

Well, I still feel naked.

Thirteen Things about MissMeliss Thirteen Things that Begin with O oatmeal – Comforting, healthy, warm – what’s not to love? I like mine with milk, honey, and a little wheat germ. obsidian – Black. Jet black. And full of mystery. ocean – The sea is in my blood, and vice versa. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t feel like the ocean was a part of me. I miss it. October – My favorite month. The air is cool and crisp, the leaves turn to riotously beautiful colors then fall so you can crunch through them, and Halloween caps it off. octopus – The only sushi I won’t eat, because octopi are intelligent creatures. Also the texture is gross. Oklahoma – The musical, not so much the state. I like the old movie, but I love the Hugh Jackman-as-Curly version as well. olives – black, green, Kalamata, Spanish, I don’t care. I love them. ontology – The study of knowing what is knowable – how cool is that? oolong – I like most teas, but this is one of my standards. Also, it’s fun to say. orange – The color, and the fruit. The first is fire, sunshine, and happiness, the second is sweet, tart, citrus joy in a glass. oregano – A staple in my kitchen, I put it in almost everything. It smells like home. origami – I’m terrible at this because I’ve never really spent the time to practice, but I love the art form. It’s also the name of a great sushi place in Minneapolis. ott lights – The best lights ever for doing anything craft-y because they’re so much like real sunlight.

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Little Grandpop

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Fuzzy’s working late again tonight, and I know his brain is fried, because he typo’d in IM in such a fashion that it made me worry for his job. (It was just a typo. His job is fine.)

Whenever he goes to work in inclement weather, or stays so late at night, I remember my mother teasing me about the day he wanted to drive in despite there being a freeway closure because a building exploded. “Make sure you’ve got affordable life insurance,” she said. “And make sure the policy is updated.”

On the surface, it’s funny, but the reality is that the one thing I don’t have to worry about is what might happen AFTER, if, God forbid, something…happens. We’re covered well enough that the house would be paid off, and then some.

But, I do worry that Fuzzy works too hard, that he isn’t sleeping well.
And I confess that as soon as I know he’s on the road, I barely breathe til I know he’s home.

Yes, sometimes I’m that much of a stereotypical wife.

Sitting in the summer sun, with a bottle of cold water in my hand, I watched my dogs basking in the sun. Zorro likes to be on his side, and will toast one half of his tiny body, then roll over and toast the other half. Miss Cleo likes to flatten herself into a black and white puddle of fur, but she’s easily distracted by butterflies, birds, bees, a leaf blowing across the deck…

Turning my head, I watched a writing spider spinning a new web. They can shake the web when they feel threatened so I watched as a bird flew close and the web began to reverberate like a plucked string. I try to keep Miss Cleo away from that corner of the yard.

The wind was a warm, friendly presence as I had my sojourn in the sun.

The air conditioned house felt too cold, by comparison, so I made a pot of coffee, and returned to work.

Clearing memory sticks so I could take more pictures of the dogs and the new writing spider in the back yard, I found a batch of photos left over from a trip, two Thanksgivings ago, to Branson Missouri.

It was a trip that Fuzzy’s family organized, and I remember really dreading it when we were on the way up. I wanted to be home in our cozy house, and at the time, money was tight, but we’d bought a friend’s timeshare stay, so we had a cushy place to stay, that even had enough room for us to give the fold-out couch to my sister-in-law’s foreign exchange student, a lovely young woman from Switzerland with a smart-ass sense of humor, and a mischievous streak we really appreciated.

I wasn’t expecting to have fun on that trip, but we did, even seeing a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, that was quite good.

I also wasn’t expecting to fall in love with the Ozarks. I thought my mountain appreciation was all centered in the Rockies and Sierras, but there was beauty in those lush green hills, and starry skies.

I remember telling Fuzzy that I wanted to go back, maybe do a weekend in a B&B and go quilt shopping.
I still want to.

Questions:

1. Do you check your email once a day or more? Explain: More. I completely do not understand people who only check email once a day. I almost never turn it off.
2. When you receive SPAM emails, do you just delete them or take the time to mark it as SPAM? Explain:
   I try to mark them, but sometimes I’m in a hurry.
3. When a friend/acquaintance emails you a “forward” email like a joke or chain letter, do you forward it to your friends or just delete it? Explain:
   Generally? Read, delete, move on. Unless something is so original and funny that I’ve never heard it before AND it makes me laugh.
4. 
   Who are two people whose emails you look forward to receiving? Explain: Oh any of my real life friends, but Sky and our family friend Helen most of all.
5. Do you believe that email has completely replaced other forms of communication? No. And I hope it doesn’t. Email is great for immediate contact, but there’s something so satisfying about a really thick letter, or a phone call.

Pop-Up
What TWO things come to mind when you think of:

The Zoo: Pacing tigers and stoic gorillas
The Beach Surf and sand
The Mall Noise and the scent of caramel corn
The Weekend Sleep and comedy
The News Violence and weather

Today we’re going to make a Musical Lemonade. I’ll give ya “The Lemon Song” by Led Zeppelin, so now you tell me a song with the word:

Sugar
Water
Ice
Lemon

Where do you enjoy lemonade the best? Out on the porch on a hot summer’s day. Tell me a song that would be appropriate for such a situation.

Sugar: “Sugar, Sugar” – The Archies
Water: “Water” – The Who
Ice: “Cold as Ice” – Foreigner
Lemon: “Lemon” – U2

And where do I enjoy lemonade best? Sitting out in the summer sun, could be on the beach, could just be on the deck. Lemonade’s a happy beverage though, so it’s got to be a happy song: “Walking on Sunshine,” by Katrina and the Waves.

You can Mambo too, by clicking here.

I’d demanded sushi for my birthday dinner, so we went to a little Japanese place near the Irving Public Library, arriving before they reopened for dinner. No matter, there was a Half Price Books down the block, so we went there, flirted with having Indian food instead, then went back to Hanasho for dinner. I like it there, because it’s comfortable, low key, casual, and the music is generally cafe jazz and light standards, as opposed to club jazz.

While I often get Unagi Don (a bbq eel over rice) I chose a salmon, sashimi, and tempura bento box last night. Fuzzy had a bento box also, with beef and California Roll. I love bento boxes because instead of getting a huge amount of one thing, you get to taste many different things. Also, I like the compartmentalized trays. I’ve often wanted to bring a large bag to dinner, and steal a couple for use is jewelry trays (I don’t have a jewelry box, and really desperately need one), but that would be messy.

The rest of my birthday weekend was similarly satisfying: Stardust at the movie grill on Friday evening, a mani/pedi and eyebrow wax yesterday afternoon, and pink sneakers and a micro-SD card for my phone (the card, not the sneakers) from Fuzzy, not to mention breakfast with Ms. Eclectic this morning while we watched buff young men with colorful bandanas roasting Hatch chili peppers.

All in all, a great weekend.
And now?
A nap, followed by grocery shopping, dog food buying, jamba juice, and a quiet evening at home.