Bringing out the crafter in all of us.

So after a lovely, overdue, conversation with Wingal, I have a need to hit a fabric store and cross-stitch a pillow.

Adam, Benjamin, Caleb, Daniel, Ephraim, and Frankincense

Six of my little chil'ins goin' out in the world today. 314 pages of blood, sweat, and ever-so-many tears... yes, ever-so-many tears. But they're out there, for better or for worse. Gideon and Fin are left to be birthed, but they're nothing to fear compared to their brothers. Whores.

Anyway, just wanted to make a little announcement. Wish you all were here to celebrate with me, but I'll summon up the will-power to drink without you. Cheers!

Cheap-a-little, cheap-a-little, cheap, cheap, cheap!

My sister-in-law is cheap. I knew this and yet I am constantly amazed as to what new lows of cheapness she can attain when it comes to my birthday.

The first year I was married she graciously got me...nothing. My second year in the family she got me a paperback book off the Oprah book club list. A grand total of $14.00. And this year? This year she gave me a book she pulled off her book shelf which she claims to really love and tossed in a lavender-citrus candle. Several things here....The book was Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. I HATE Margaret Atwood. Never liked her. I have also been told the book blows royally. Perhaps you've read it and liked it and I'm sorry for my criticism, but after Surfacing I have no desire to read anything else of her's again. And it was used. By her. Not like she went to a used bookstore and said..."What would Sam like?" No, she looked at her bookshelf and thought "what can I get rid of?" In addition, that candle...well I'm not only allergic to lavender essence, not the plant, just the essence, but I'm pretty sure it was something my other sister-in-law gave her that she didn't like. That or she walked the two blocks to TJ Maxx and picked one up for $5. I would have been much happier with NOTHING. Nothing would have been better than the crap she gave me. At least it was all in a nice bag, which she probably received from someone else as well.

On top of all this she changed her birthday party from Saturday to Friday in part to accomodate the fact that if she had it on a Friday afternoon no one would come and they could save money on the food. You know, because we all work durring the time food would be served... Oh the "stop by after work all you 9-5ers" was a load of crap, because they knew, as discussed two days earlier, that we already had plans for Friday, but then it's not like they even sent me an e-vite anyway. I only found out about it from my mother-in-law who thought I should try to go to both parties. I'm sorry, but I would much rather go to my friends' "White Trash" themed party than to some cheap birthday party 40 minutes south of here. Perhaps by having her party on Friday my sister-in-law realized I wouldn't be able to steal back the bottle of wine I gave her for her birthday if I couldn't actually make it there. Foiled again, because honestly I was pissed off enough to try.

When the economy gets bad

Well, that's an understatement I realize, but it's definately true. Yesterday I noticed my neighborhood bookstore is going out of business. Apparently the sign had been up for about 5 days and I only just noticed it. Today I noticed a wrecking crew truck outside the door. Was that quick? Was that too quick? I've been informed by the hand written sign on their door I can visit their other location in Berkeley if I so desire. However, Berkeley is an hour ride via Muni and Bart and I HATE driving over the Bay Bridge (which explains why I never go there by myself. I'm really afraid the upper deck is going to collapse on my head for no apparent reason or by an earthquake.) So I guess, in short, I won't be going to their other store.

Muni drivers are getting worse. Last week the morning driver held us at a stop and read off the time table to us and informed us that he wasn't going to wait for NOBODY and you just had to be there because he wasn't going to wait for you to run down the street. Yesterday morning the morning driver jerked around corners and yelled at people to use ALL the doors. This morning he demanded all the students get off the car and walk up the hill to their school 10 blocks away. And if you think that's bad, you should try riding the bus. The last time I rode the bus less than a month ago the driver came to screaching halts that catapulted all 7 brave souls on the bus out of our seats and on to the floor EVERY TIME HE STOPPED. He actually yelled at a heavy woman for getting on to slow and told a man in a wheel chair to take the next bus. I kind of think this was the guy the news did an expose on he was so mean. However, just so you know, Muni managed to hit another pedestrian on Geary Ave on Wednesday. 89 year old man was trying to hold the bus so he could get on and the driver pulled out while the man was crossing the street and struck him. He's in the hospital in critical condidtion, but I think if he dies that's the 3rd Muni death this year. Yeah, it's just now April. See what I have to live with? I swear last year Muni was safe and happy and no one got killed. It was also more crowded and cramped.

Not that this has anything to do with the economy, but I managed to traumatize my dog. Poor Clifford. He didn't like his grooming session the other night. I accidentally clipped one of his nails too close and made him bleed and then I found a snarl in his patootie and tried to brush it out, but this caused far more wiggling than I expected and I had to fix him between my legs and stand on my head and cut the snarl out. Normally he likes the brushing, but apparently not on the rump. Anyway, when released he ran under a chair and stared balefully at me and wouldn't come out for all the treats in the world. Eventually I managed to convince him I was done grooming him and that indeed I did love him and that I really meant no harm. But I don't think he's actually forgiven me yet. Yesterday after work it was so beautiful the three of us got in a car and drove to the marina where it was foggy and cold (go figure...we were looking for sunlight and this is where Jim took us.) And Clifford for the first time in a car cried. He was not happy. I don't know where he thought he was going. To be professionally groomed? To the vet? To the kennel? To the airport? I don't know, but he's never been worried in the car before. Only when we got out and he realized we were in a park did he seem to be okay. Poor dog. What have I done to him?

So to recap, the economy is causing bookstores to close, muni drivers to be unusually ornery, and dachshunds to fret. Man, it's tough in California.