Miscellany & All That Jazz

* Today I bought a pair of sunglasses at the same time I bought underpants featuring characters from Cars for Dillon. I felt compelled to explain to the cashier that they were for my nephew because I don't have a kid so these aren't for my kid that I don't have, but instead, I took a deep breath and reminded myself that no one cares but me.

* I bought a house two month's ago that I'm still not living in because I can't move Kudzu at the moment. It's now serving as the world's most expensive storage unit.

* Dillon asked me yesterday why I wear glasses. He found it delightful that "my peepers don't work right." I'm pretty sure I set him up to say that to a stranger in an embarrassing manner before long.

* As I've unpacked items at the *new* storage unit, I've found pictures from 3, 5, 10 years ago. And no matter how recent or distant from present, they all seem like lifetimes ago.

* I'm wondering if it would be taking advantage of the intern to allow him to mow my lawn. He says he likes yard work, and I'm pretty sure that I'm not gonna.

* I've had a spate of Facebook invitations from people I obviously went to high school with but of whom I have absolutely no recollection. And I'm pretty sure I'd remember someone who went by "Jeff Bo."

* Lately, I've dreamed a lot about travel. It reminds me how reluctant I am to take the time, spend the money, make the leap. And so I just stay put and dream.

* How long does it take for water to go under the bridge? I mean, are there just people/relationships/occurrences that you have to let go? But let go in a float downstream unresolved kind of way? And not in the we can be friends kind of way?

* Is it worth it to keep the big fat box of skinny pants? Or should I just accept my fatness.

* In my office of eight, five are women. In the last six months, one got married, and three are engaged. One is pregnant.

* I want some banana pudding.

* Kudzu is in my lap and purring, and I don't want to move him so I may just sleep crooked on the couch.

* I am stupidly excited that the AP Stylebook finally relented and made "website" the correct spelling over the historic "Web site."

* One of my favorite clients took another job in another state. I won't miss the mild sexual harassment, but I will miss a client that curses like a sailor and laughs at my jokes.

* I named a microbrew by a local brewery in town. It's one of my greatest professional accomplishments.

* Lately I've encountered people who remind me of my hopeless quest to be a cool kid and the hopelessness of it. Because, let's face it, there will always be cool kids. And I will never be one of them.

* Friday I ate a blood orange "handcrafted popsicle." I'd like another, please.

* One of the signs that Kudzu's anemia might be worsening is if his tongue gets pale. I never thought I would have such a high per diem of saying "His tongue looks pretty good."

* Right now, my mother's cat is asleep on my right toes - just the little one and the one next to it. His breath is tickling my foot.

* Reese says "hi" in the most charming manner - just a sing-song "hiiiiii."

* I have to go to bed now and pretend that I'm going to get up early and make it to work even before I'm supposed to be there to catch up on work. I have such a good imagination.

Midnight Miscellany

* I am on Facebook, the seventh time-suckage wonder of the world. This has led to the good, the bad, and the ugly: reunited with a long-silent friend who lives in the ATown; found Chad D., love of my 15-year-old life; and a guy I went to high school with wearing a cowboy hat and a very curly blonde wig, making him just about the ugliest girl I've ever seen.

* Tomorrow is the Come-to-Jesus Part 2: Status Redux. I'll be heading to his house with pizza and indigestion following work tomorrow. Stay tuned.

* Yesterday, my client sent my boss a note about what a great writer I am. I mean, I know it's Writing for The Man, but still, it warms my heart.

* Dillon now says my whole name - although he finds the "l" a bit tricky. But I'll take "Ashey" anyday - even when it's followed by the demand, "Socks off!"

* I am getting the ball rolling with my own volunteer group. I'm both nervous and excited. It's thrilling to think that it could work and be great, and terrifying to think I will be a singles volunteer group with a single volunteer - me.

* The weekend will be partially devoted to a Thanksgiving party with friends - and partly to finishing Breaking Dawn.

* Good night.

Thursday Miscellany

* When I'm in the shower in the morning debating what to wear, I imagine my clothing options just like Cher's computer program in Clueless, sliding tops and bottoms back and forth for consideration in my mind.

* My mom has new glasses. This may explain why she purchased prune-flavored yogurt for me instead of mixed berry.

* Rumor has it that Johnny Depp is signing on to play The Riddler in the next installment of Batman. Oh please, oh please say it's true.

* NY Fashion Week purportedly featured models that demonstrated that "thin isn't so in" - several size 2s and 4s worked the runway this year. So go ahead and eat that ice cream, ladies.

* I sort of love my hairdryer. Like, it's been with me through a lot. It comforts me to count on it every morning.

* I'm going on a date tomorrow. A third date, actually.

* In one month? NEW Keane AND Ray LaMontagne. Perfect Symmetry and Gossip in the Grain drop Oct. 14.

* I can't believe Kenley got through with that abhorrent dress last night on ProRun. Although, Blayne's was an atrocity. I'm with Heidi, "Ooooh, that's bad."

* The debut of Fringe has me jonesing to pick up the Dawson's Creek series finale and watch it will eating a whole cookie cake by myself. I heart Pacey.

A Myriad of Miscellany

* Completely annoyed by Kid Rock's new song that samples liberally from Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" and Lynard Skynard's "Sweet Home Alabama." You can't make it better, Kid.

* Christian Bale was on VH1 this morning talking about The Dark Knight in his native Welsh accent. Dreamy.

* Les Mis is coming to the Fox Theatre in September. I am pee-in-my-pants excited!!!

* At a chamber function last night, was invited by two almost-40 married men to have a drink at a bar along with my intern who is 21. Wrongness.

* This morning, I tried on no less than six outfits with four different pair of shoes before I left the house.

* I'm considering possibly maybe starting my own charitable organization. More later as my plans take shape...

* Headed northwest for the weekend and considering a trip up to old B.C. for taking photos. A new round of 26 things started last week, and I've got to get crackin'.

* Me, at work today? Totally useless. But that's okay...I've already put in about 50+ hours this week.

Leftovers

Too tired for a full post, and so you get the leftovers, a potpourri of mental miscellany that will have to satisfy for NaBloPoMo:

* a small red book

* repetitive piano music

* not one, not two, but three cups of coffee

* mistaken for 30

* grape salad for lunch

* sharp reminder regarding health that it could be worse

* demanding client, sudden deluge of deadlines

* haircut and the smell of hair product in the evening

* dark drive home

* slim white envelope, unexpected sad news

* tears and laughter because you must

* missed calls (sorry, mel!)

* kudzu, wedged between my ribcage and my spleen, warm and fuzzy

* promise of sleep (uninterrupted?) between soft dark green sheets

A Series of Miscellany

Rediscovered
* 99x Morning Show
* Random songs - Bush's "Machinehead", The Cranberries' "Linger", Live's "Selling the Drama"
* How much I love driving alone to work in the morning
* Can go to Weaver D's any time I want (The Goofball said he'd go with me)

Noticed
* A very cute drawing in the graphic designer's sketchbook of -- and labeled as -- "bee"
* Friends -- real friends -- and how important they are to me right now
* Details of new commute - the morning sky from the top of the Atl. Hwy. by Peking
* How nice everyone is to me at the office - like the creative director who just "wanted to chat" with me today while I was in the Big City

Embarrassed
* Inability to communicate properly with one of The Owner's of the Company due to my nervousness and his intense pauses which seem to prompt me to say, "I'm excited to be here" eighteen times
* Calling the Big City office today when I got lost on the streets of downtown Hotlanta (thanks to Eva, I at least made it to Peachtree Street)
* Failure to connect senses of humor with any of the men in the office - do only women find me funny?

Only in ATown
* Going to happy hour tomorrow with coworkers preceding our viewing of a documentary about gypsies at the new art house theatre
* Plans for lunch downtown Friday to take in the opening game weekend Dawgs madness
* Next company outing to see coworker who is lead singer of a band

Feeling
* Sad
* Hopeful
* Ready for bed

Miscellany

* I don't know where I picked it up or why, but "clearly" is my new word of choice. I say it about 784 times a day. Clearly, this is a problem.

* I woke up this morning with two things in mind: popcorn and "Don't Take the Girl" by Tim McGraw. I don't know why I was thinking about either of them. (Side note: That song came the summer before 8th grade. And my friend Lizzy bought the tape single so we could listen to it out at her pool. That was the same summer Justin and I watched a lot of country music videos on the local channel WNGM 34. We really liked "Fancy.")

* I've started to use my cell phone as a sort of flashlight at night when I'm headed to bed so I don't have to turn on lights and potentially wake my parents. It makes me feel a little like MacGyver.

* I had a dream that one of the agencies whose site I had looked at called and offered me a job. I immediately sent them a resume this morning.