Annoying...

Didn't get either job for which I interviewed and the school year is winding down. Well, financially it's screeching to a halt. This is not good...

Freaky feet and other thangs

It's the oddest thing. My feet seem to have shrunken. My heels have been narrow in a lot of my shoes for a while, but a couple of days ago I realized the size 7 shoes I'd been trained to look for since I stopped growing... well, they were just too big. Tried on the 6 1/2. Perfect fit. What the hell?!? One of the best things about having cats for a college roomate was that we had the same shoe size. Now her feet are bigger after her two pregnancies (got a lot of shoes out of that deal), but why did mine get smaller?

In other news:

• Wedding invitations went out on Saturday, which is good news! Forgot to put the time of the ceremony on them, which is bad news. The invitation place is sending out OOPS cards, but I'm expecting a lot of calls.
• Subbing has been, shall we say, a challenge. Today was one of the worst, especially with kids dumping glue into the art supplies because I told them to quit fooling around with the magic markers. The custodian is going to need an extra cup of coffee tonight.
• There is a horrible shortage of teaching jobs in the Columbus area, mostly due to the shrinking enrollment in the city. Between two districts, over 400 teachers have been laid off and are flooding the already cramped job market. Still haven't heard about my teaching test scores, but I didn't feel good after finishing it. I've decided to go back into finance, if possible, and stay there until things even out in the education field. Waiting on a couple of job interviews at a really nice investment house in the area.
• I hate when I'm right sometimes. My friend T (that's actually what I call him, not just a Blog Code Name) just got royally dumped. How did I predict this one? He's 28 years her senior and she's been studying in Paris all quarter. I warned the guy, but he was still caught off-guard. Hopefully he'll stop blaming it all on their astrological signs long enough for me and Duffy to drag him out for a fun night out at our local Goth club. At least he can ogle at the cute young gals in corsets.
• Have I mentioned the wedding is only six weeks away? ACK!!!! I need to do too many things and have no idea what they are. Having a nice drink might be a good start...
  

Play adaptation

Letting Go

Based on the short story by P.D. Cacek

Scene: Cody and Jenna’s living room, which is now turned into Jenna’s sickroom. Center stage is a hospital bed with an IV stand to its left. A mannequin or something of human shape should occupy the bed, as long as the body is thin but not entirely visible to the audience. A straight-back chair and nightstand are to the right of the bed, a rocking chair to the left. On the nightstand are a vase of silk flowers and a tape recorder, which is softly playing selections from Mozart’s Requiem Mass. Also filling the background are the sounds of hospital machinery, as the figure on the bed is on life support. Two monitors and other items may serve as a representation of the machine. The walls are decorated with photographs; some of Cody and Jenna together, some of Cody in a football uniform, many of Jenna in various glamour shots. The front door to the house is DR, and a curtained window UR of the door is frosted from the winter cold. A small table is beneath the window. A staircase from the theater house to the stage is far left.

Jenna enters the theater as the lights begin to rise and remains standing towards the front in the audience, far stage left almost against the wall of the theater. There should not be any special lighting for her other than the illumination from the footlights while she stands in the house of the theater. She is tall, has long auburn hair, and holds herself with the grace of a professional model. She is wearing a gray pullover and faded jeans stuffed into cowboy boots. In her hands is a kelly green watch cap. She watches the scene with detached interest.

Cody enters through the DR door, dressed for the cold and carrying a stack of mail. He is broadly built and is obviously athletic, but has a slight limp due to a football injury to his right knee. He stomps off and snow that might have accumulated on his shoes and begins to remove his coat when he sees Jenna in the audience. He freezes his movements, and then shakes his head and proceeds with removing his coat and hat. It is identical to the hat Jenna is holding in her hands.

Jenna: Gee, and I thought you hated that hat! You thought if my agent saw me looking like that she’d burn my modeling contracts and head for the hills. Maybe the Bag Lady look suits you better than it did me? [Laughs gently and briefly twirls the hat on one finger.]

Cody: [Closes his eyes, shutting out the voice] Jenna?… [Opens his eyes again and this time addresses the figure in the bed] Jenna, it’s snowing outside today, absolutely gorgeous powder. [Places the mail on the UR table and crosses to stand behind the straight-back chair] I’m pretty sure the boys across the street will be using our backyard this afternoon for some good sledding runs. If they get too loud, let me know and I’ll shoo them away. Don’t want to interrupt your enjoyment of your music. It’s the best recording of this Mozart piece I could find.

Jenna: [Slowly climbs the stairs on stage right] It is a good recording. Excellent soloists, perfect conductor. Lacrymosa was always the piece that moved me the most, even before you took me to see Amadeus on our honeymoon. [Sits on the top step of stage left staircase] Interesting that you’re playing the Requiem Mass for me, considering my… current state.

Cody: [Quietly, to himself] You’re not real.

[A knock at the DR door startles him. He shakes his head vigorously. There is a second knock. He now believes the knock, at least, is real and crosses to answer. At the door is Helen, a slightly overweight middle-aged woman. She is holding a foil covered baking pan and an envelope. She is wearing a hooded down coat, large rubber boots and knit mittens.]

Helen: Ohmygod! Are you alright, Cody? [Shoves the tray into Cody’s hands and takes off her hood as she pushes past him into the room DC.] That was a tough slip you took on the driveway out there! I tried to get out there to give you a hand, but you were inside before I could get my galoshes on. It didn’t look like you hit your head but I was concerned all the same.

Cody: [Smiling slightly and shaking out his right leg carefully] Yeah, I’m fine. Just demonstrating how graceful ex-running backs can be when we put our minds to it.

Helen: [Takes back the tray and waves it under Cody’s nose.] Well, you can still rush, even with that bum knee. I figured since I was already halfway out the door anyway I’d just come over and check on you. Thought you might like some fresh cinnamon rolls. The pan isn’t too hot but the rolls are still good and warm. Oh, and you dropped a letter when you took that spill. I think it’s attached to the foil by some icing, I hope it isn’t too important.

Cody: [Smiling more broadly at the rolls, then grins at Helen and speaks jokingly.] Are you trying to make me fat, Mrs. E? How am I ever going to make a comeback if you keep doing this to me?

Helen: [Giggles flirtatiously and tosses her head. Slaps playfully at Cody with the envelope and shoves it in his hands.] Oh, you silly boy! Didn’t I tell you I like my men chunky? I’m going to put these in the kitchen for you and you can pop them in the oven whenever you’re ready for a little treat. [Crosses to offstage left with the pan.]

Jenna: [Still seated on the step and laughing at the exchange.] She may like her men chunky but you seem to like your ladies comatose. [Cody turns away from Jenna’s voice, pretending to be distracted by the contents of the envelope. Helen returns and taps him on the shoulder. Cody jumps slightly at the unexpected contact.]

Helen: Everything is set up!

Cody: [Gathering himself.] Thanks, thanks Helen.

Helen: [Reacts shyly to Cody calling her by her first name.] You know, I got a crock-pot full of beef stew cooking right this minute. Like to set it up early so I won’t miss my soaps. Anyways, there’ll be more than enough… [She looks over at the bed.] You’ve spent the last four years nursing that poor lamb and you never take care of yourself. How about I send some stew over for dinner? Save you the trouble of having to cook.

Cody: Um… I’d love it. Thanks. You’re a good neighbor.

Helen: I’ll stop in after Oprah with a big helping for you, but now I need to troop back home to see if my favorite couple survives that accident. She’s in a coma in the hospital and … [Looks at the bed and cuts herself off. Crosses to the door and opens it to go.] Oh, you don’t need me to rattle off plotlines. Your goodies are getting cold.

Cody: [Laughing.] Mrs. E, now that the door’s wide open, all of my goodies are a little chilly!

Helen: [Pokes him lightly in the ribs.] You’re just terrible! What am I going to do with you? [Pulls up her hood and exits.]

Cody: [Looking after the door.] Very little, Mrs. E. [Looks down at the envelope in his hands, this time reading the contents.]

Jenna: Letter from the Medical Center? The latest test results, I’m sure. It was one thing when I had breast cancer and beat it. Hell, I think I could have started a new fashion trend of Auschwitz Chic if my agent would have let me work when my hair fell out. Cody, you know this is different. This is inoperable brain cancer. Game, set, and match.

Cody: [To himself.] Lies with fancy names and huge price tags. [Sitting in the stage right chair by the bed and addressing in it.] Hey, baby, did you hear Mrs. E was here to visit? She sent over some fresh cinnamon rolls. They must be a thousand calories each, with enough cholesterol to kill every truck driver from here to the turnpike. How about I bring you one a little later? I could soak a piece in some warm water and feed it to you. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? We should get a little more meat on you, babe. I know models are supposed to be skinny, but I think you’re overdoing it just a little.

Jenna: [Rising and walking into the living room slowly as Cody continues to look down at the bed.] I think you’re the one who’s overdone it. Yes, I’m sure a cinnamon roll would be great, a lot better tasting than that liquid diet from the catheter, but that’s the least of our problems. I think you know that, Cody. You fired that last nurse who dared to be honest with you. You made up a planned sabbatical saying you were writing a book about teaching physics through sports so you had an excuse to sit in this room all day. This house has a second mortgage and a home equity loan sunk into all this life support equipment.

Cody: [Continuing to talk to the bed, but is obvious that he is listening to her.] Remember when we first bought this house? You’d never lived in snow country before… poor little Californian. Jesus, you ran out into the first blizzard of the season wearing nothing but pajamas, just like a kid. I was sure you were going to catch pneumonia!

Jenna: I remember. You yelled at me all the way back to the house.

Cody: [Almost in a whisper.] I didn’t mean to.

Jenna: Cody, we have to talk. You need to let go.

Cody: I can’t, babe.

Jenna: [Mockingly.] You always were a coward, weren’t you, Cody? Afraid to face anything that might go against the Great Man’s Ideals, huh?

Cody: [Looking at Jenna for the first time since he walked in the house.] NO!

Jenna: [Crosses to stand left of the hospital bed.] Oh no? Then I guess you just like keeping me trapped in a rotting carcass. Makes an even better trophy than those stuffed dear heads your drunken buddies hang up over their fireplaces. Tell me, how much do you charge them for a look when they visit? [Cody jumps to his feet in anger. Jenna smiles.] Angry with me? Good. Anger’s one of the easier emotions to tackle, and you get to do the tackling rather than getting smacked with the ball in your hands.

Cody: [Weakly.] Sacked. Not smacked.

Jenna: I never learned how to speak proper football. [Twirls the watch cap on her finger again and laughs.] You know, you’re even sexier than usual when you’re angry. I think it’s the flared nostrils.

Cody: I’m losing my mind.

Jenna: [Holds her hat in both hands.] No you’re not, Cody.

Cody: [Closing his eyes.] Oh yeah, I’m gone.

Jenna: Cody, open your eyes and look at me. [Cody does not move.] It shouldn’t be that hard to look at me. After all, you’ve seen me plenty of times before without makeup. It should be a piece of cake after the last couple of months. Or have you gotten to the point where you like your women brainless and drooling?

Cody: Jenna. [Opens his eyes and looks at her. She smiles and waves back at him.] But you can’t be! You’re not dead!

Jenna: Aren’t I? This isn’t me in that bed. It’s nothing anymore.

Cody: You’re wrong, it’s still you!

Jenna: Oh really. Do you really think that’s me smiling up at you, just about to sit up? That’s an involuntary facial tic brought on by atrophy. [Reaches out to the figure and then draws back.] The cancer destroyed my brain. There is nothing left to wake.

Cody: [Stroking the head of the figure in the bed.] But I made you a promise, and I can’t go back on it. [Walks around the bed and sits on the left edge between the figure and Jenna.] I promised I’d do everything in my power to keep you alive. I promised you it wouldn’t end like this.

Jenna: But it’s already ended, Cody, don’t you understand? The only thing you’re keeping alive now is a memory. Please, let me go!

Cody: [Reaching back toward the figure behind him.] I can’t, Jenna. I love you.

Jenna: [Sits in the rocking chair and rocks gently. Speaks quietly.] I know. Love’s a pretty powerful thing… but sometimes it can do more harm than good. You’ve been holding on to something that doesn’t exist anymore. That shouldn’t have to exist. [Stops rocking and sits on the forward edge of the rocking chair.] Cody, I want to die now.

Cody: [Shakes his head and rises suddenly. He crosses back to the right side of the bed, pacing between it and the life support system.] No, Jenna, I won’t let you die! I can’t—… [He chokes and is unable to continue, standing by the machine.]

Jenna: [Smiling.] Oh, honey, you always did have delusions of grandeur, didn’t you? Is it fun playing God with my life in the balance? It can’t be. The truth is, you aren’t really doing anything but prolonging the agony, yours and mine.

Cody: Jenna…I…

Jenna: [Stands and pulls the watch cap onto her head.] I know, but it has to end sometime and it might as well be now. So how about it, cowboy? [Strikes a pose with her legs apart, pelvis out, head tipped back.] Is the little lady worth it? [Cody turns and reaches out for the machine, his hand shakes and drops, as does his head. He turns back to look at her. Jenna’s pose relaxes.] No, Cody, you’ll just be letting me go.

[Cody takes a sharp intake of breath and turns back to the machine. As he touches it, the hospital noises fade out one at a time. Each time the noise diminishes Jenna steps backwards towards offstage left and the lights lower. Finally, only the music is playing the end of Lacrymosa from Mozart’s Requiem Mass and Jenna is almost off stage left. He turns to the tape player and shuts this off as well as the set goes dark.]

Jenna: Thank you.

End Scene

Funny nightmares

It's been the oddest thing. I've been having nightmares about the wedding, but not the kind I'd expect to have. The first one was on the actual wedding day, finding out that everyone who hadn't RSVPed decided to show up. EVERYONE, even if they hadn't gotten an invitation or if they didn't even know us. My main memory of the dream was of me sitting on the ground, watching double decker buses (the ones in London) go past me and onto the lawn for the ceremony. My main thought was how we'd make the cake last for everyone.

Last night took that cake. I woke up convinced that everything had gone to hell planning-wise. Why? Because the dream was that Pros and I, before the wedding, had to produce and star in a production of Pirates of Penzance! Why? I have no idea, but my main terror was that Pros is a baritone and could never sing the tenor lead part of Fredrick. To make matters worse, he was practicing a song from the wrong show! It was enough to wake me up moaning in horror, convinced that my dress had been altered to look like Mabel's costume, which was white and orange.

At least I can laugh at these odd trips into my subconscious.

Quickie update

Pros and I are currently in the Outer Banks. It can be seen as me with a group of scientists or him with a group of gals. Either way, we're having a lovely time. The house is unbelievable, although the weather tempers the fun at the moment. Fortunately, Pros mixes a mean pitcher of drinks to make up for it.

Yes, I was so glad to get back to subbing, but I'm just as relieved to be away for a weekend. My second day back, I got to deal with a school fire set by one of the seventh graders. Next week, two room sweeps with a drug sniffing dog. This is junior high?

Oh yeah, and I apparently have to take yet another Praxis test before Ohio will transfer my license to teach. Sheesh!

Back to the Chalk Board!

As much as I adore Doc as a friend, it was an amazing relief that she has hired a new person to permanently work in the office. Originally I had planned to help out and answer phones while the new gal was learning the ropes, but I practically RAN out of the office the moment the employment offer was accepted. There were just too many personality conflicts with the others in the front office staff, and my pal the nurse was too busy taking blood samples to have my back. Nurse and I are going out and grousing soon, so at least we're still going to hang and pal around. Doc and I are having dinner next week, so that isn't a concern.

The best thing is that I'm teaching again!!!

About Mags

A large portion of my friends is abuzz about a disaster of a court battle ahead for a Subgenius gal known as Mary Magdalen, or Mags for short. In brief, her ex has found pictures of her and a judge who is willing to accept them as proof that she should lose, at least temporarily, custody of her son. She isn't even allowed to write him a note or receive a birthday card as communication between the two. The pictures? They were of her in a dress that left very little to the imagination and a mask that resembled a bull skull. She was attending a Subgenius event called XDay, specifically the Deity Ball where people were encouraged to dress as their favorite god, goddess or false icon.

A lot of reactions spring to mind. I don't like Mags. We just have never been friendly beyond a general hello, and this summer ended with a big argument with both of us badmouthing each other. However, this does not make her a bad mother. One of the few topics we were ever able to discuss was how well she handles the care and education of her son. He has been homeschooled in such a way that he has been well socialized. She has also taken great care to raise him away from situations such as XDay. From what I have seen, this is not being taken into account.

Mags is also, by far, not the only Subgenius with a child. In hindsight, she probably could have noted her ex's previous attempts to interfere with the custody arrangement and reacted by staying out of the spotlight. My friend, known as Armand Geddyn (yes, we are a group of punsters with our names), took great pains to curb his visibility when he was attempting to gain full custody of his own children, and he was successful. This is not the way Mags operates, but since she doesn't let these aspects of her life overlap, it shouldn't cost her the privilege of raising her son.

Why does this concern me? Because, although I have no children of my own, I work with them on a daily basis. I was also at the Deity Ball in that Marilyn Monroe getup I previously posted. If Mags were to lose custody of her child, it sets a horrible precedent for anyone who lives a counterculture lifestyle. Okay, my life is rarely counterculture these days. Pros and I just can't afford the upkeep! However, are pictures of ridiculous things I did ten years ago going to resurface when I apply for tenure as a full time teacher? What a chilling thought.

Shake me or stir me!

How to make a JacklynHyde

Ingredients: 1 part competetiveness 1 part brilliance 5 parts energy

Method: Combine in a tall glass half filled with crushed ice. Add a little cocktail umbrella and a dash of emotion

Username:http://www.go-quiz.com/cocktail/cocktail.php">Username:%20name="uname">

Confessions of a reality tv addict

Hello, my name is Jacklyn, and I'm a reality television addict.

It could be worse. I could watch any and all of these show. Oh, who am I kidding?

It started when I was a kid and the poison was the closely related genre of game shows. My grandmother and I would watch Tic-Tac-Dough and The Price is Right while playing Go Fish and War. It's probably fortunate that the addiction formed wasn't to poker after all the card games we played. Once I was a little older, the fascination of Dating Game and Newlywed Game caught my attention (I wondered why they didn't show Divorce Court right afterwards), but this just wasn't satisfying.

Then, The Real World hit the airwaves. I was hooked, wanting to befriend Julie and / or meet up with Andre. Thankfully, my attempt to join Season 3 of the show failed, but I happened to be a Neilson Ratings Family when it aired. You're welcome. Unfortunately, the shows never quite made it to the delicate combination of pathos and sensitivity that season had. Okay, I'm not counting anything Puck did with the sensitive side, but you get the idea. My interest waned.

Then, the Writer's Guild strike. It cost a cousin of mine a shot at writing for her own television show, but considering it was Fish Police, this isn't a big loss. However, this is when I was given such shows as The Bachelor (which made my own dating life look calm) The Mole (the only show since Real World that I wanted to be on, but it was cancelled stupidly) and Who Wants to Marry My Dad (which made me cringe that I was getting to the age of the contestants). Survivor took a little more time to grow on me due to my distaste for CBS in general, but has now pulled me in for the majority of the shows.

What am I addicted to now?

• The Bachelor is a must for Monday nights. For some reason, I love that show so much that when I wanted to drop a BIG hint that I wanted to marry Pros, I asked, "Will you accept this final rose?" It worked.
• Tuesdays are, at the moment, quiet. We usually watch reruns of Babylon 5 on DVD (something I highly recommend, even a decade after the original airing).
• Wednesdays occasionally have me checking out The Biggest Loser, but not so much until the full fledged season returns. However, I am living for Project Runway! Not as much fun as last season, but not all shows are lucky to have JayMcCarroll.
• Survivor on Thursdays. Enough said.

Feel free to make fun of my tastes, but also feel free to buy me a copy of The Mole on DVD.

New Arrival

We now have a new female guinea pig (or PEEG as Pros pronounces it). Washu's old friend Bijou passed away last April after a long, happy life, and Washu has been rather lonesome. Pandora has become a friend, but it isn't quite the same to a guinea pig. Pros is now downstairs helping the new little one settle in. We've just named her Violet because of the deep tint of her eyes. I'll post pics as I have them.

Migod, she's just the cutest little thing!

It got better!

The last couple of days have vastly improved my mood. Dad calmed down enough to apologize in time for me to open some lovely gifts that somehow safely arrived from Philly. Pros took me to a fabulous new eatery in town called Z Cucina (omigod, I'm still fantasizing about the appetizer). Work for Doc is a little less stressful while the sporatic subbing is downright hilarious, meaning I've stopped caring if the annoying kids hate me for getting them in trouble. This weekend is off in Somerset nailing down more wedding plans and spending time with Pros' dad and stepmom. Hope the hot tub is working!

Bad mood by osmosis

Everyone in the office was tense today, to the point where one of the gals started sobbing twice. Just called my father to let him know a package he sent me wasn't being delivered because it was incorrectly sent "signature required". He screamed at me that he hadn't made the mistake, then hung up on me. Now I'm the one who's crying.

Great way to spend my last day of my 33rd year, isn't it?

Lilith in Twilight

It's been a while since I've posted any of my creative writing. This poem is based on the Lilith of Midrash (Jewish folklore) and not my dear friend / fellow blogger Lilith von Fraumench. Brief explanation is that she was the first wife of Adam and fled from Eden when Adam tried to make her his sexual inferior. When she fled, her name changed from Lila (night) to Lilith (night demon). It is a story that has long fascinated me. Enjoy!

*******

I was the first.

Evening’s sweet breath raised me

Calling my name

Lila.

Night melted into dewy dawn

And you rose from the earth with me.

The breath sighed

Adam.

Two souls, one garden.

I didn’t ask to be in this garden,

Especially if you claim it all as yours.

You will not lie over me, reign over me.

We are of the same dust that would stain my back.

I am not flesh of your flesh, but life of my own

And when you return to dust

I will continue.

I will leave the garden you claim as yours

Dance with the evening star and lie in the waters.

You will join me in exile soon enough

Toting that pitiful piece you call wife.

I will not harm her, old friend,

Even when the evils of your Fall are blamed on me.

Adam,

You have robbed Woman of life’s sweetness.

She will never know the joy of rising from the dust,

But the fruits of her labor have bound her to a grave.

I will try to comfort her from my waters

Even if she returns my comfort with curse.

I curse the name of God and fly to the sea.

I was the first.

I continue.

But I never asked to be in this garden

And not even God and His angels can make me stay.

Change of fortune

For the time being, I'm cutting back my substitute work drastically. There's a combination of reasons. My friend The Doc found herself horribly shortstaffed on no notice, and she asked me to come in to help run the front desk. At first I was only willing to come in for a few days a week, but after the day I had subbing, I was happy to delete my schedule for as long as she is willing to keep me on staff. These kids, who have seen me in their classroom for months, suddenly became more insubordinate and downright rude than I've ever seen them. Let someone else put up with them for a while.

I'll also be working a few hours here and there for Pros' mom's little accounting company. She tends to only have part time employees, and I'm always happy to help out soon to be family, especially if she's willing to pay a little to help with the bills. Maybe we'll start to talk more once we have a common subject, like work. It couldn't hurt!

Family portrait

This picture is from my brother's April wedding. Gram and Mom are seated. In the back is Grampa, Dad, my brother the rocker and his amazing bride, Pros and me on the end. Mom and Dad have each lost well over 30 pounds each since this photo was taken, but you get the general idea of where I came from.

Bad Girl Lesson #1

From The Bad Girl's Guide to Getting Personal, a book I received from Lynx. One of the best prezzies this season!

Things to Do with Condoms

(Use bright-colored, non-lubricated condoms unless otherwise indicated, or if you're like me and must use non-latex as well)

• Pet galoshes
• Slip on each foot before showering at the gym or at any frat house
• Cut off the tip, snip out two armholes, and make into a mod raincoat for Barbie!
• Lunchbox snack bags for carrots, cookies, or fruit
• Tie to the stem of your wineglass at parties so no one steals your glass
• Anti-theft, disposable cell phone case
• Open package, unroll, and drape on seatbacks to reserve your spot in crowded theaters when making a popcorn run
• Sassy garter belt / stash bag for formal events
• Fill two with Jell-o and pack in your bra for a Cheap-O boob job (If you get lucky, do a quick bait and switch. If you don't, you've got a late-night snack for the ride home.)
• Vibrator storage / travel bag
• Fill with Kool-Aid or juice and freeze (Makes a cool and refreshing Penis Pop!)
• Unroll a lubricated condom over each hand to moisturize hands and cuticles while watching movies at home.
  

Final image for the year

Have a great, safe New Year!
Time to get FREAKY tonight!

Non-Binding Non-Resolutions

Resolutions are a silly thing to manage. Why does the pressure have to be on just in time for my birthday (January 24th, for those in a celebratory mood)? Here's a few things I've already started to do for myself and hope to continue into 2006.

1. Get to Curves at least two times a week, although three is the goal. Use that Carmen Electra DVD the rest of the time so Pros can also enjoy my exercise regiment. BTW, for those who are against Curves due to their stance against abortion rights, check out the individual center. The one I attend is an independent franchise that does not give to Operation Rescue. The fundraising they do goes towards breast cancer and heart disease research. It's also a great place to gossip.
2. Make appointments with a new dentist / OB-GYN / dermatologist. Obviously not the same doctor for all issues, but it's time to use the health insurance now that we have it. Time to take better care of my insides now that my outsides are starting to firm up!
3. Attempt to cook at least one dinner a week. Time to get over my kitchen phobia so Pros doesn't have to do all the cooking. Conversely, I won't have to do all the dishes. At the very least, there's that crock pot cookbook that might turn out some good stuff.
4. Keep all the stupid wedding crap in perspective. The relationship Pros and I have is more important than whether the flowers are perfect on this one day. People get married all the time (at this place, we had to go for the evening slot because there's two weddings a day there), so it isn't going to make or break society as we know it if it isn't perfect. Getting this through my father's head, on the other hand, isn't as easy...
5. Start the application process for my Master's program. That includes that stupid refingerprinting that seems to have been lost by the FBI.
   

Seasoned Greetings!

Okay, it's officially Soltice, which is the beginning of the holiday season, at least for my pagan friends. Enjoy the Santa Eddie and have a hilarious day!

Severe catching up to do!

1. My grandmother is doing surprisingly well in her new surroundings! She's getting much more stimulation with her activities than she was sitting in a chair all day with a Boston Terrier perched on her lap. She's even reading a little again and taking an interest in her old passion for flowers (she used to be an amazing florist, particularly with orchids). She'll never regain her ability to remember who her family is, but I'm happy enough that she's not on the brink of totally fading away for the time being.
2. Thanksgiving with Pros' father was a warm, lovely event. He lives with his new wife (more than ten years isn't so new, but you get the point) in an amazing place in Virginia. I don't remember the last time I was so relaxed, which says a lot about how much I'm looking forward to being part of this family.
3. Got to spend some time with Cats this past month! This made my year, since we live so far apart and see each other so rarely. She's been having the worst kind of pain watching her son suffer with development delays that may or may not have been caused by lead poisoning. I don't pray often these days, but for her Silent Prince and her Princess Kitten of a daughter, I do.
4. Teaching prospects for next year are looking rather thin. From what I have heard, the market is already saturated, and now Columbus City Schools are looking to lay off teachers and close schools. I'm heavily considering talking to a couple of school districts about whether they would sponsor me for an emergency certificate in Special Education if they would hire me full time. My father talked me out of this line of education before, but he doesn't live nearby and doesn't pay our bills. It's time to figure out how I'm going to help with my share of the work.
5. Wedding countdown!!! We're entering the six month stretch, and I'm getting a little frazzled on the stupid details. Still need to find a band (which Pros says he'll do since he's the former jazz trumpeter), florist, baker, and place to stay for the weekend. Pros' family has also handed over rehearsal dinner decisions to me, which is something I hadn't planned on doing, but we have a tentative reservation anyway. Am I the only bride who hates planning the wedding and just wants to be married already?