Same As It Ever Was

I always feel guilty when I get lax about posting. Granted, I doubt that there's anyone out there that starved for the details of my day-to-day life, but I know that from time to time there are a few of you out there tapping your foot impatiently. And I really do appreciate all the foot tapping. I primarily post here for my own amusement (or sanity, as the case may be), but it's nice to know that some folks are interested in the odd goings-on in my life.

But as I've said many times, a lot of my writing is fueled by angst, and when things are going well, I'm less apt to stop by and bitch. I just find that I have less to say. (I've noticed the same thing happens with my poetry and fiction writing.) I suppose I could tell you work stories, but I'm saving them all up for one big post, coming soon. I promise.

So until I get home and find my "wacky work stories" notes, I'll just update you on what's been going on recently. (Believe me, it could have been much worse. The other night I was feeling pissy about the Amazing Disappearing Friend, who has been missing in action for over a month, and almost posted about that. Now aren't you glad I just kept playing spades online instead?)

I've been spending entirely too much time playing online spades with Zappagirl. And as if that wasn't bad enough, she's dragged me along in her addiction to Sweet Tooth as well. But at least I can say I've met some rather nice folks while blowing my time there. (Yeah, I've met my fair share of losers as well, but that's to be expected.)

I finally broke down and turned on my air conditioning the other night. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was complaining about the weather being cold and rainy? Well, as is the norm in Cincinnati, the weather abruptly changed from record-breaking chilly nights to hot and humid days. And the rain hasn't gone away. The pollen and mold counts have been through the roof, and I wake up every morning with a stuffy head and puffy eyes, feeling like I've gargled with sandpaper. I love spring.

I'm finally starting to become more comfortable with driving my car. I'm not saying that I've gotten better, mind you. I've just learned to accept that trying to get out of Zappagirl's garage is a life-threatening adventure. I just try not to notice the glares and muffled curses from other drivers when I stall out my car and roll backwards 5 feet in an effort to get moving again.

Oh, by the way, my car has officially been dubbed Shirley (after Shirley Manson of Garbage), since she's only happy when it rains. It seems to rain almost every time I drive for longer than 5 minutes, no matter what the weather was like before I got in the car. I swear that clouds form as soon as I turn the key in the ignition. I'm beginning to suspect that my car is a reincarnation of the lorry-driving rain god in So Long and Thanks for All the Fish. But at the moment, she seems to be a tiny Scottish rock star with an attitude.

I have discovered that Kismet, my female cat, is a strange little girl. Besides her constant need to follow me everywhere in the apartment, she has a strange obsession with water. If I'm washing my hands, she tries to get in the sink. If I'm making coffee and filling the reservoir, she tries to stick her head in the way. If I'm taking a bath, she perches on the side of the tub and tentatively sticks her paw in the water, shakes off the excess water (inadvertently catching me in the eye with suds every single time), and spends the next five minutes bathing her wet paw. And then she repeats the whole process with her other front paw. Usually during this, Ma Huang will join her in the bathroom, just to see what's going on. Yes, my cats are voyeurs. Creepy.

And as if the weird water thing wasn't bad enough, she's developed a mischevious streak of evil, and is teaching Ma Huang her tricks. In the past week, they have savaged a roll of toilet paper, a roll of paper towels, and numerous plastic grocery bags. Ma Huang has taken to chewing through anything that looks like thread or yarn, and I am now down one pair of drawstring pants and have to hide all of my shoes with laces. Kismet, on the other hand, likes to steal things from the bathroom and bring them into the living room to play with them. Sponges, Q Tips, the hairtrap from the tub drain... she's not particular.

And she's started chewing on my hair when I try to sleep. Yeah, thanks, baby. I guess 3 am is prime kitty play time, and should just resign myself to the fact that I'm never going to get any rest.

Roger Mexico is finally coming for a visit in two weeks, after many failed attempts in the past months. We've been keeping in touch via email and instant messenger and phone calls, but it will be nice to see him again. I haven't seen him since Thanksgiving, and still haven't quite gotten used to the fact that he doesn't live three blocks away, even though he moved a year ago. So if I'm not answering my phone that weekend, now you know why.

And speaking of Roger Mexico, Garageband Records finally worked out whatever difficulties they were having, so the link to Monologue's page is now functional again. I'll start bugging him to upload some new songs.

On a related musical note (see what I did there? It's a good thing that I amuse myself...), for those of you looking for something new and interesting on the radio, tune in to WAIF-FM (88.3) this Monday night from 12 midnight til 2 am. Android, a friend of Roger Mexico's will be hosting Art Damage this week. To put it into his words, "I will be performing my monthly ritual of filling the airwaves with sonic oddities for your listening pleasure. I will spin some local (Cincinnati, OH-area) and nonlocal musics from artists including: Amp, Tarwater, Fennesz, Mischling, 8Fold, Mystic Dub Star, Coil, Broadcast, Songs:OHIA, Nina Nastasia and many others. Newly- or unreleased stuff as well as a few blasts from the past will be heard. As a very special treat I am also going to play several tracks from Nocturnal Emissions' forthcoming release of absolute magnificence 'Collateral Salvage.' The sound is quite a departure & I am certain you will find it as riveting and poignant as I do. So please give a listen if you can...." For those of you not in the WAIF listening area, the show will also be webcast.

As of today, the busy season at my job is officially over. I'll get a couple of months to catch my breath, and then we start all over again with a new school season. I'm taking a training class on animal handling tomorrow, so at least if an emergency crops up next year, I will be able to fill in for educational programs.

Hmmm. What a boring entry. Maybe I should have ranted about the Amazing Disappearing Friend after all.