Weird Dreams of Late...

Could it be because I have a deeper, better REM sleep, now that the OCB (Old Crazy Bastard) is no longer a factor in my homelife? Maybe...I am sleeping much more peacefully since the move, it's EXTREMELY serene in my bedroom. I have 4 windows and I haven't been using the A/C's at night, just opening two of the windows wide (I told Magpie it looks like a Stevie Nicks video from the 80's because it's been so windy/breezy lately, that the long purply curtains are always blowing out dramatically) and since I'm at the back of the building, I hear no street noise. It's almost as if I'm in the woods, like by a river or something, because if any of you have ever slept by a lot of trees or outside at all, there is this gentle humming sort of whistling noise that the wind through the trees makes. There is a courtyard down below with a ton of trees and so I go to sleep to this sound and its actually very soothing. It's sort of a wild space back there too, because apparently they are working on landscaping it but in the meantime, part of it is partially torn up, with trees cut down and laying on the ground and wild ferns and long, uncut grasses so it's actually cool I think - unlike a park or most courtyard spaces that are perfectly groomed, this looks like what you would find in a real forest - completely untouched with a ton of birds and squirrels fluttering and running around. There is this space on Houston that has been left alone for years in order to let the natural forest and vegetation grow back to give us the idea of what that area really looked like say 300 years ago - and that's sort of what my "back yard" looks like. Anyway, at first, I thought the view atrocious but I thought well really, how often do I look out the windows except to see what the weather looks like? But I've grown fond of it, so there, see how that all works out?

Anyway, the dreams:

On Tuesday night, I had a dream that my mom and my Aunt Judy and I were driving to my grandmother's house to check in on her and when we got there, I saw her lying on her bed with her eyes closed and I started screaming, "she's dead" and I was so upset and Judy and Mom started crying and then my grandma opened her eyes and sat up and said, "no I was just asleep, I haven't been feeling well" and everything was fine and we just sat around and talked with her at her house. I guess its just that I miss her but it was nice to see her and it was one of those dreams were it feels very real and I woke up feeling like I had really spent time with her, so it wasn't a bad dream, just unusual.

Last night, the dream was a bit cloudy so I don't remember all of it now (should have written it down when I woke up!) but I do know there were scary/freaky/weird parts and Otto the Really Nice German Real Estate broker who got me this apartment came to help me get out of some "bad" situation and he told me that he needed to perform an exorcism on me and then after that, all would be well again and all my bad luck would disappear. Wishful thinking? Hopeful about the new apartment and fresh, clean start that a new phase can bring? Ah who knows, maybe I just miss Otto too.

One thing I've been thinking about the past few days is a phrase someone said to me last October: this woman I know who is very spiritual and very wise told me, "you will always suffer discomfort until you learn to rest in your faith" and I just like that idea a lot and I've been trying to remember that. To not struggle against things so much, to not worry or be fearful, especially since so much of it is out of our control - that is resting in faith, faith that things will work out and if not, that you will handle it and move on.

Two Really Good Eggs in My Basket

Egg #1 Frinee!

She felt bad for me that I was sick and had to pack all by myself (she was in Florida that week) and then wanted to help me unpack...but when she found out how distressed I was at the state of my bathroom - it's really really old, they did a messy job of painting and plastering, dripping paint on the tiles and it looked as if it had only been "maybe" cleaned over the past 4 years and the floor was icky - that she offered to clean it head to toe, top to bottom for me! She even took a day off from work to do this for me. Well, Sweet Baby James had his day care graduation that day, so that's the real reason, but afterwards, she came over and got the bathroom glistening and looking almost like new...it still needs a little work but I'm not scared to have my feet touch the tiles any more!! And, she brought me dinner on top of it - um, shouldn't I be buying her dinner? YES! And I will, it was so wonderful of her to help me like that, so I owe her back in a big way.

Egg #2 Beans!

Beans came into town on Sunday for a quick work trip and since she works in the building right across the street from my office, it was easy to meet up with her and get in some drinks (wine) and munchies (tilapia tacos and chocolate fondue) and chitchat (giggles) with her last night... she lives on Cape Cod and I don't get to see her often but she has a super sweet and fantastic husband PJ and her beyond cute 3 year old son Sam, who never neglects to send me a valentine every year ( I have one hanging in my office now, heart that says "Be Mine!" awwww!) so I like to go up and visit them once a year at least...I haven't made a trip so far, but I think in the next month or so, I will be hopping on the Lucky Star Chinatown Express bus to Boston for her to pick me up! She's leaving today, and I miss her already...

Also: Supper Club #? was held this weekend, this time it was Magpie's selection and we went vegan at the Angelica Kitchen . My rating? 3 out of 4 stars...I supremely enjoyed the hibiscus drink with my seitan empanadas served with guacamole and salsa, plus yummy cornbread with onion and carrot spreads...I recommend it for anyone looking to eat some super fresh and super healthy meals! And I also stopped off at the Trader Joe's wine shop (for the first time since it opened) to buy my favorite chardonnay which is the Coppola Gold Label described on his website (http://www.ffcpresents.com/site.php) as such:

"Our Gold Label Chardonnay captures the distinct aromas and flavors of Monterey vineyards. Whole-cluster pressing and a combination of barrel and stainless steel fermenting ensures creaminess balanced by crisp acidity. Highlights of juicy apple, guava and melon flavors are followed by a touch of caramelized sugar on its long silky finish."

Sounds yummy, yeah?

And that was that.

Rocher's for Breakfast!

Happy Monday Morning, all due to Magpie! She has flown by and dropped off some Rocher's for me - oooooooo, you don't understand how much I love these chocolates, they are the perfect, most wonderful bit of terrificness that has ever existed..sigh...suddenly the whole Monday Morning Blues Bit has been transformed into UTTER DELICIOUSNESS...I'm greedily eating them all right now with my coffee...all I need now is an ETL sighting and I'll be most happy :-)

THANK GOD FOR MAGPIES They are truly the best birds around!!!!!!!!!!

A Midsummer Night's Good Dream...

Happy Summer Solstice! Hope the day has been happy and well-balanced - unless you were hanging out at Stonehenge to celebrate, in which case you were most likely stoned or drunk! I do think it would be cool to experience it once though, to see the daylight come through the stones....ah well...that's my tree-hugger hippy side coming out as SOMEONE might say...

So I moved and the move went well - so far, so good, I love love love the new place. I'm loathe to say more about it, because I have a fear of jinxing myself. But there has been peace, there has been a warm and cozy atmosphere, there has been utter delight at the cuteness of it all...the kitchen is pretty much unpacked and so is my bedroom, so its just the living room that needs to be worked on but I don't even have a couch or cable yet so I have hardly even spent time in that room yet. The only drawback is that I'm still sick, still fighting bronchitis and hoping it doesn't turn into walking pneumonia, so I've done more resting than unpacking and trying to sleep a lot. Seems to be working, as my chest still hurts when I breathe, but the sore throat and coughing is down to a minimum. The move was last Thursday and they were done by noon and then I slept for about 3 hours. The next day, the a/c guys were supposed to come early but didn't show up until 5 and I slept almost all day, so I'm amazed that I've gotten as much settled as I have. On Saturday, my only venture outside was to meet Conspiracy Corner to see Nacho Libre (which was HYSTERICAL, I giggled so much, and not because of the cough syrup, but because it was HILARITY ITSELF) and then we had an early dinner at Blockheads, which was awesome because we never get to spend time with Vox anymore.

One funny story - when the a/c guys were there, they had left some tools out in the hallway and the door was partially open. I heard a little knock and two little old ladies in housdresses just walk right in, one Russian who spoke only a little English and the other who was like Edith Bunker - same voice. "Did you just move in? How much you pay for rent? Where did you live before? 76th Street, oooh, you're from the area. Is it just you?" Yes, I replied, just me. "I BRING MY SON" said the Russian lady...seems the biddies will be my matchmakers...ha ha...if the doorbell rings and Svetlana is there with Ivan the Terrible, I'm running for cover. But still, it was an amusing Welcome Wagon. "Why didn't you invite them in for coffee?" joked Tommy the A/C guy...ha ha ha...only if they had brought me a bobka or coffeecake :-D

Until next time...

Update:

Green tea soy latte from *bucks = soothing to sore throats!

Now, to home to pack up bedroom...only the kitchen is left and some books and odds and ends...

Son of a BITCH!

I'm sick. I have bronchitis. Do you know how difficult it was for me to muster the energy to pack all weekend? Well it was difficult, let me tell you. And finish staining my furniture? Do you know how hard it is to breathe in fumes while not being able to breathe properly in the first place? It's really hard!! And if you think I'm trying to get your sympathies roused, well you'd be right about that! WAH WAH WAH!! EVERYONE FEEL SORRY FOR DELIRIUM! Don't you all worry though...I got through it. How? Because I'm a tough cookie, that's how. And by packing 3 boxes and then laying down for 30 minutes. Then going through Closet #1 and then laying down to watch the Mets CREAM Arizona. That sort of thing. And even more SON OF A BITCH! The Assholes who live downstairs moved out yesterday. SON OF A BITCH. I've put up with them and their ghetto-ness for the past 3 years and they finally get kicked out the very week I'm leaving? How to respond? You guessed it: SON OF A BITCH. Anyway, I do think Juicy Momma's echinacea remedy has lessened my illness somewhat but the facts are that I'm sick and I don't understand why this always happens right before something big happens to me and I need my energy the most. It happened before my last move, it happened before our PeopleSoft conversion last August and now this.

SON OF A BITCH. It just makes me feel better to say that.

More updates to come as the week progresses. I know you all will be pining, waiting for news..."is she okay? did she make it?" You are just going to have to wait and see.

Oh my stars and garters, I'm EXHAUSTED!

This week is over - work wise anyway - but still so much remains to do! I have run around TOO MUCH this week and now I feel like I'm coming down with a cold or something so Mother Juicy's echinacea and goldenseal regimen has begun and let's hope my sore throat is just from inhaling wood stain fumes all day yesterday.

SO: I took yesterday off to pack and meet with the movers and stain the furniture. Two of those items were accomplished. The movers, due to a mistake and getting lost and many other factors, never made it to my place but I still watched a bit of French Open tennis, stained some things a deep rich walnut color - BEAUTIFUL! I now want to stain EVERYTHING walnut - and got high and headachy from it and packed a bit and threw out some stuff. Then I headed out to meet up with Magpie and Mr and Mrs Cohen for XMen 3. I'll give my review in one word. SHIT. This was a horrible movie, so cheesy and blecho...it's over for me, I doubt I could be persuaded to see the next one...kind of like after seeing the second Matrix - I still haven't seen the third one because I can't be bothered. But my favorite line was from Blue Furball Frasier: "Oh my stars and garters!" That's an exclamation to put back into use! So: save your 11 bucks, don't see this movie.

Today I woke up and felt like crap but came in to work because I needed to get away from the stain fumes (ha ha..it's not that bad really, it's almost gone) but then had to run back to my apartment to meet the movers for my estimate and get my boxes from them so that I can spend the entire weekend packing. And so I will. But not before seeing The Omen with sometime boyfriend Liev Schrieber (and we must all remember he's appearing in Shakespeare in the Park in Macbeth - a day off from work to get tickets may be necessary, I'm not missing this) - I say sometime because I don't approve of him dating Naomi Watts...she's so bland and milquetoast...she's not good enough for him. But I am. :-)

My only other activity will be meeting The Cousins for brunch at the Sunburnt Cow on Sunday.

One last notice: I've been informed that Vox has put me in charge of a Blockhead's reunion...I will be contacting all of you - and you know who you are - to let you the details!! We also have to plan a day trip to Kykuit, Vox!! Or you could take us on a tour of the Woodlawn Cemetery?

Apt. Pix

So this weekend: Indian food for the Magpie, difficulities and finally = RESULT! at Film Forum for Army of Shadows, plus Art School Confidential at the Angelika and brunch at Corneilia Street Cafe.

Plus: as of yesterday, the apartment is all paid for, leases have been signed and I'm locked in for 2 years...and Mr. Otto the Nicest Broker I've Ever Dealt With has another one bedroom available in the building and has posted what appears to be the same pics as my apartment - so here you go.