I have been living in my new apartment for nearly a week now. The neighbors are noisy and the building managers are proving to be unresponsive to our requests for repairs. I have been eating too much ice cream due to anxiety over the process of unpacking. I'm not good at it. I have declared many times in the last few days that I have too much junk. I will never buy any more clothes or books unless there is a fire or invasion of literate naked thieves who only wear women's sizes 14-16. They can take it all except the comic books.

In other, less whiny news, I had a lovely birthday with two friends at a Mexican restaurant where the plates were square and the Margaritas were in giant goblets. Really, they were bathtubs of booze. Good thing none of us were driving.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading!

I've been following the Yearning for Zion ranch child custody case. It's so awful on so many levels. The women & children are isolated, uneducated, there's tons of allegations of abuse, neglect & abandonment. How are they different than the Taliban? Well there's lots of differences but the most important is they're not advocating the active overthrow of our government, so they're allowed to do their sick thing with no interference.

What gets me the most is the authorities have turned a blind eye to the problems for decades. Until now. I hope Texas will step up where Arizona and Utah have failed to protect its citizens (not to mention Canada, where another sister-sect has hunkered down).

I can't believe I'm hoping the government of Texas will do something I agree with.

Today I signed a lease on an apartment at the northernmost edge Chicago, with a roommate I met through craigslist. About half my belongings (mostly books in heavy, heavy boxes) are packed and it looks like hell in here. I even have a professional mover lined up. I'm trying not to get too lost in anxiety over this. My iTunes is on shuffle, and it keeps playing Hank Williams and rap songs. That means something, I'm sure. Maybe if watched more "Kung Fu" I'd understand.

The new roommate wants a house-warming party. I didn't have a party when I moved into my current place. For some reason the idea doesn't excite me, but it seems like a nice thing that adults do sometimes.

Took Kirby to the vet for a check-up. He's a little over 10 years old now, but probably aged a few months at the clinic today.
Vet confirmed he has a minor heart murmur, which may or may not lead to heart disease or congestive heart failure later on. I'm trying not to flip out about that. As long as he's active and playful there's nothing to fret about, but the vet did utter the number "5" as in "5 more years" a few times. That's only 1 year more than George Bush's presidency, and no one wants to be compared to that. Except as in "better than the current Bush presidency", or "hell's bells we didn't know how good we had it with the father".

But I digress.

His ears were a bit dirty, with some swelling from vigorous scratching, so they did a thorough cleaning and antibiotics were applied. Poor Kirby and his harassed little ears.

His strength, non-biting of vet tech hands, handsomeness and undoubted ability to survive in the wild were praised. He had blood drawn from his jugular and he took it like a soldier. He's already got the flattop, after all. (You see, the top of his skull is slightly flatter than those of other cats. Hence the USMC comparison.)

Now I'm going to find some lunch. Kirby is hiding, no doubt plotting a vomit-oriented revenge.

For my edification, Kirby was born 10.97, I adopted him 4.18.04, and as of today he is 9lbs 13oz. Also, i gave him a little plain lowfat organic kefir, he didn't much like it. The vet suggested a 1:5 ratio of distilled white vinegar solution in his ears once a week. Damn.

My future (most likely) roommate showed me around my future (for the most part) neighborhood today. As I was filling out the application for my future (probably) apartment, my current (definitely) landlady called to inform me my (actual) rent is (absolutely) going up next month. I took the opportunity to let her know I was moving out (in no uncertain terms) by May 1st. I love synchronized life.

Now all I have to do is (basically) get approved by the new management company, and not have the sky fall (essentially) on my goddamn head between now and May 1.

Gus is eating again! A few piles of vomit and it never happened.
(My mother accused me of being hysterical about it, and I resent that. Another vote of "No Confidence" from the mother figure, and I schedule another therapy session.)
Anyway, tonight Gus prefers Kirby's rabbit dinner to his own beef.
But he'll eat that too, of course.

Gus has skipped 3 meals. He chomped some wheatgrass tonight, but I'm a little worried.

Kirby, on the other hand, has become a hot-dog bun crumbsnatcher.

I just watched "Margot at the Wedding". The lead is carelessly cruel, petulant, oblivious, acid. I identified with her a little too much.

But I don't really look like Nicole Kidman.

I continue to be in San Antonio.

Leonard & I are managing to stave off illness. I drove past the Alamo, shoppped at a flea market, a half-price bookstore and (shudder) Wal-Mart, watched "There Will be Blood", and finally witnessed Guitar Hero in action. We went to Austin, where I met 3 of Leonard's good friends, ate at a famous BBQ joint and watched "Persepolis".

Texans like churches, eating meat, drinking beer, and driving big trucks. There's lots everywhere. It's been alternately rainy, foggy & perfectly sunny here. There's lots of birds and trees everywhere. I can actually see the stars. I've seen a number of signs expressing conservative politics. I admit I was quite apprehensive to set foot in this state, but I've noticed how amazingly friendly strangers can be, which helps.

The buses are frequent, plentiful and only cost A DOLLAR. I almost took one just for that reason. I still might.

i joined http://www.swapacd.com recently and does the local post office hate me? The answer is yes.

in other news, soon I will be going to San Antonio, Texas. I've never been, having been told all my life to avoid that state as if my life depended on it (note; considering their execution rate, it does! If I was black or Hispanic I'd be ushered directly from the airport to a Texas prison). I'm going the evening of Valentine's Day. I am not looking forward to the pink lace and red hearts everywhere, but I will have ludickid to distract me from all that nonsense.

My cat is snoring.
I should be doing the same.

My stomach WILL NOT stop hurting
Gus WILL wake me up several times tonight
The flu bug WILL NOT topple me
The laundry WILL be done tomorrow night
Doctor's advice WILL NOT be followed
Salad fixings WILL be consumed before they rot in my fridge
The American public WILL NOT make the right political choice
My vacation days WILL be used before they are 'lost' on March 31st
"Lost" WILL NOT disappoint, but hopefully baffle, intrigue, terrify and amuse
Snack products WILL be available throughout the land, until the sun sets on our corpse-choked empire.

Thanks to Lara, theletterr, Mochi the cat, Doug, rumholiday, and ludickid(live via webcam from San Antonio) for a lovely Christmas Eve of silliness, music both good and bad, and fantastic food.

Is Air Supply worse than Journey? The majority said yes.

I received "Roots of Rumba Rock; Congo Classics 1953-1955". I am rocking to mid-century Belgian Congo Afro-Cuban dance tunes all day until I have to go to work. Today's my last day at the dog kennel! I quit!

Also, I got a form letter from the Phoenix Personnel Department, saying they might possibly consider interviewing me for the Public Art job sometime in '08. Neat.

I got a new MacBook! Now I want to teach myself computer animation.

Overall, I like the look of 2D over 3D, and it would be better for the kind of stuff I make. Should I look for Flash... or something else?

I'm real new at this stuff, so any advice is appreciated... Thanks.

ETA: wow, software is expensive. Yeesh!

Saw my dad, stepmom, their dogs & cats, my brother, his fish. Saw my stepbrother, stepsister and their families. They don't seem to have animals. Just kids. I nearly abducted the youngest, a tiny tyke of 18 months with giant blue eyes and hair that wouldn't behave.
I saw my mom & her cats, and the hospice where my Grandmother died. It's right by a dry riverbed, so there's lots of desert wildlife. We saw rabbits. My mom's home is filled with my Grandmother's stuff. In her 91 years I don't think she got rid of anything. Mom gave me a few items of her jewelery and a ceramic box I gave her many years ago. I carefully wrapped it in bubble wrap where it was safe for the plane ride, the subway and the bus, then dropped it trying to unwrap the padding in my living room. Now I gotta go get some glue.

Mom gently suggested she be made a Grandmother. I thought she was over that. Both parents pressured me to move back to Phoenix. I don't know if I will but I applied for a public art administration job with the City. Don't expect to hear from them, but I gave it a shot. I miss the arts.

But I got a Macbook! I am typing on it right now! Plus listening to internet radio! I will get Flash and make my own little animations. It will be great.

Father figure is putting considerable pressure on me to move back to Phoenix. I must've painted my situation a little more bleak than it is to Dad the last time he visited. It's true I need a change, but I'm not sure if moving back to that red state is the answer just yet. I can't stay at the animal shelter. I'm applying to jobs at the Art Institute and the school. I like working with animals but I miss art.

I'm trying to sell a few things on craigslist but have no takers. C'mon people!

I plowed through the first 5 Harry Potter books in the last 3 weeks. I've decided to give them away. I was embarrassed reading them in public. To counteract that I'm going to read books about political theory in Middle High German.

The cats have started to wake me up at 4am. I don't need to have a baby, when I get all the vomit, mess, sleep interruption, smell, noise and irritation without the tax breaks and free infant formula.

My socks have little flowers embroidered on them.

Last week my Grandmother broke her hip. It's all the craze amongst the Depression-era crowd. She's okay; already in rehab. I'm trying to arrange a visit over Thanksgiving, but I wish I could be there now to help my Mom.

I've been thinking about moving back to the Valley of the Sun, anyway. Ick.

In spite of my mopey infrequent posts, i realize my life isn't bad at all. I think it's good to be thankful for the little things...

I'm thankful that I caught the bus this afternoon. Waiting for the Kimball bus makes time stand still.

I received a kitchen cart and a microwave from a co-worker who was moving, so now I am in the latter quarter of the 20th century. I also received a bed from a neighbor who decided she didn't want it, after buying it from a friend. There were some amusing and painful complications getting the thing up 4 flights of narrow stairs that I will spare my readers. But I will say dog urine was involved.

What if I moved to Germany? I'd take my cats, of course... And find some kind of probably illegal work. People love foreigners sneaking in and cleaning their toilets. I'd have to hone my polysyllabic skills.

Hmmm. I wonder if I'm going to stay at this job long-term. It's hard, working with the animals who are stressed out, knowing we euthanize animals every day (mostly due to advanced age or incurable disease). And then there's the people... Oh the people.

But everyone will be getting a little raise soon, including me.

Boy, I wish I knew what was wrong with Gus. He seems to have some kind of itchy skin problem. He's worn the fur off in some spots. I think it was exacerbated by the Frontline I gave him earlier this year. The vet's been no help. They just offered a steroid shot and told me to go to a vet dermatologist. This is different than what she suggested the last time i was there. Last time she suggested an OTC anithistamine, but I can't remember which one. This time I'm going the natural route with herbs, oils and lots of worrying. I'm ashamed to admit it but I'm even trying homeopathic medicine. I suck.

Next month, I'll be taking my cats to the low-cost clinic at work. One of the main perks of this filthy job is vet discount services. Each week I wonder if I should stay at the job. I reason that I need a 'career' somewhere, after all. There's retirement and insurance to worry about. Being in my mid-30's it's past time to be 'on my way', so to speak. At least at this job I'm helping animals, a little.

But I miss the arts. Animation and drawing and ceramics. Sigh.