Stuff I've Been Doing

Inspired by my dear Leila, I am all about catching up. And in the interest of not forming paragraphs, I think I'll just list some things here.

I've given up movies (almost) for watching whole seasons of my favorite tv shows all at once. Thank god for DVD and DVR. Having said that, I find that on many days I never even turn the tv on. It's a paradox, I know.

I am reading rather voraciously again. Blame it on Harry Potter. I've been very sci-fi/fantasy lately, from Stephanie Meyer's teen vampire love to of course Harry Potter. I just finished Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him...quite nice actually. On to The Know-It-All about a guy who reads the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica - imagine. It's witty, laugh out loud funny...I like it. Also Steve Berry and Bitter Is the New Black - also laugh out loud funny.

I'm excited that the Fall Fashion tomes are out - I'm sad about Angelina and Brad - this last because I have no life of my own. I used to live for Summer, however, I have come to comfortably realize that Fall is my favorite time of year. Crisp, but not cold. Colorful, but not dead. Halloween, Thanksgiving, football, sweaters and high heeled boots. Autumn...yumm!

My husband started a new job in May after quitting the loathesome bar job in March. That's six weeks without work. And he "borrowed" about $1200 in April for extracurricular treats. The results of this combination of decisions on his part was that the bank almost foreclosed on our house and my mother might disown me for fucking up her credit rating. But somehow, we managed to get back on track, sort of - at least, avoid foreclosure. And now I am once again digging us out of the financial abyss. No really, I am a responsible adult....no grand eye roll necessary....in the meantime, he has started drinking again, moderately, but all the same, I am worried. In an unusual twist, he has started telling me he loves me again. I am ambiguous and still waiting.

My doggies are big and wiggly - even old Savannah. They are all collapsed "dead" dogs right now...spread out on the couch, guarding me in their sleep.

Work is heating up again after Harry Potter took over the world and then died down. Now its Educator Appreciation and school fundraising. New policies, lots more work, keep our fingers crossed for lots more revenue. And likely I will be looking for a better paying job come January. C'est la vie...how ironic is it that I am so busy with my no-paying job that I have to pay someone else to mow my lawn, pick up my dog poop and soon, even clean my house. Somehow, this seems wrong...

I have been thinking about art again - a lot...missing it. Missing doing it. Making it. Perhaps I will find some time and motivation to do something about that.

That's really all - oh, I forgot the bar. Still bartending. Have found myself partying a bit after work of late. Stayed overnight a couple of times. Only drink when I work, but that is twice a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Better do it now while I can I guess - next couple of months will be too busy to even think about socializing.

And music - I've been very moved by music lately - I wish I could say it was some kind of profound music, but it's pop and hip hop and radio friendly. New Maroon 5, james Blunt, Nelly Furtado, Bon Jovi - yes, I said it.

Okay, that's enough trivial updating for now.

Spiders

Okay, so we have spiders. Yes, plural. Fortunately, I do not notice them in the house - I think those hide really well. But the outdoor spiders have made themselves very at home. There is one that likes the space between the garage and the porch. It weaves this enormous, perfectly round web between the three stabilizers. You have to walk under it to get from the back porch to the driveway. It hides behind the light during the day. But at night it is very active, spinning and catching things. It's got a fat round brown body, and striped legs. I watched it spinning one night - it's amazing the precision that it uses to make the web. Perfectly formed every time.

The second one that has made itself at home is the same shape and color, but it likes the branches of the magnolia bush. It's also huge - and makes a perfect, intricate web in the space between branches. It's a little more shy though as it hides under the leaves during the day, but it is not out every night.

Finally there are two around the garage and in the tree. One night I came out and both had made webs that stretched from the lowest branches of the tree to the grass. One faced North the other East. Huge, fully made webs. The north facing spider was sitting right in the center, waiting. But the East facing spider had caught a big green bug that looked like a leaf. It was in the process of killing it while I watched. This big green bug took up the whole middle of the web - it was an amazing catch.

There was one out front about the same time - again, the web went from the lowest branches to the grass in a big round web between three stabilizers.

I don't know why I am so fascinated. They aren't scary although I admit that I would not want to accidentally walk into the webs. I'm just mesmerized every time I walk out there and catch them weaving. Makes me think of the Greek Myth about Arachne and her spinning. Okay, that's all - just spiders, and webs.