weapon of choice

the rat bat
Originally uploaded by lomokev.

Imagine thinking you have a rat in your hair as you sleep. Imagine waking up and thinking it was only a dream. Imagine finding out it wasn't a dream.

I thought I dreamt a rat played in my hair and then stole my orange earplugs. Last night I found out it really happened.

I hear a noise about 2 a.m. I turned on the light. I saw a rat scurry along the east wall, turn and run under my bed. I squealed like the proverbial elephant in the cartoons. My mom got a shoe and rapped it against the wall. The rat ran out. We don't know where it went. I cautiously lifted the bedclothes and peered under the bed. There were my two earplugs, neatly in place and now Gnawed into useless orange bits.

I had to sleep with all the lights on.

Get me a bat.

I'mOVER HERE now!

Come visit me at my new version of Fifi's Graffiti.

I'm still working on the site so things may be dusty for awhile.
(achooo!)
see, I'm still breathing that construction-site dust!

hot time in the ol' town

It's finally feeling like summer. It hasn't rained in almost a week (was beginning to think I lived in Seattle again!) and the temperature is inching up towards 100 degrees. It's mighty late for summer to just be starting.

Yesterday was one of those fine days that makes me happy to be outdoors. The ground had dried enough so the mowers were able to cut down much of the prairie grasses that border I75 from here to Allen. I had the windows rolled down and just inhaled the sweet smell while the wind whipped my face. A convertible would've been nice. I didn't need the radio. The sound of the highway was all my ears wanted for the 45-minute trip to work. Only one minor slow-down where the poor sandblasters, covered head to toe in their work get-up, were prettying up the low concrete walls of the freeway divider; otherwise it was clear sailing at 60 per. What more could a girl want?

hard worker

The body is a strange and wonderful thing, but when it gets tired the brain gets confused over its conflicting messages. The thunder rolled through this morning, and my brain dimly perceived that it was a good thing to continue sleeping. I did. Later, my bladder urgently prodded my brain, insisting it attend to that bodily function. The brain demurred, or was it the rest of the body? "Don't move," someone crooned seductively. "Get up!" asserted the bladder. "No, sleep on," purred my gentle friend. "Get UP!" shouted the bladder. I listened to this argument for some time in a semi-amused semi-comatose state.

Finally I got up.

pair o'pears

I took my camera out yesterday but it started pouring down rain about five minutes later so here's about all I got. We thought we had a Bradford Pear tree outside the back door; imagine our surprise to find real pears growing on it. The squirrels (or other critters) got most of them so there are only about five left on the thinnest, most precarious branches. These two are the largest. They are 2 1/2 - 3 inches long and hang almost at eye level so they smack us in the head when going down the back steps. Don't know what kind of pears they are yet.

fight corporate domination

I've been in the dumps lately because I'm so tired. Yesterday I realized (again!) it's no good having the attitude of "I'm so tired, my brain's so numb, I can't do anything." I knew I'd better snap out of it. Today is Day One of my new attitude. I'm trying to get back to my old routine as much as possible, thumbing my nose at tiredness. It's a fight every day.

I did this page in my art journal a few weeks back. I was experimenting with layering rubber stamps & it was the first time I attached tags to a piece (at least I think it was). It was a premonition of how I knew I was going to be feeling after a few weeks of long hours and unfortunately it came true.

altered signal

Last week there was an extra-bad backup on the freeway so I exited ASAP and took the "back roads" to work. Along the way I spotted this little character on a corner. I didn't have my camera but I retraced my route a few days ago and captured its likeness. Three good lessons learned: 1) a blocked road can mean opportunity elsewhere; 2) always carry your camera; 3) take an alternate route on purpose.

flower hydrant

I know I've been neglecting the blog. I'm working long hours and my brain is mushy. I have trouble making decisions. Sometimes I've been able to keep up a journal during the summertime crunch at work, but I'm more tired this year. I think overtime is wearing thin.

The sun has been shining brightly for a few days now. Even though the rain has kept temperatures in the low 90s I'm hoping it will go away for a while.....two months would be good for me.

I like fire hydrants. Here's one in front of a dentist's office that someone turned into a garden ornament. Is this legal??

droopy

Was there a droopy dwarf in Snow White? Let's see: Grumpy, Happy, Dopey, Sleepy, Bashful & Doc, who am I missing? oh, I'll look it up later.

I feel droopy like this sunflower. We've had a couple of breaks from the rain, where we've gone almost 48 hours without moisture from the sky, so that perks me up a little, but I'm still getting used to my summer work schedule. My inner clock wants to wake up at 8 am but my body needs to sleep til about 10:30. Maybe I'll be adjusted by next week.

I had to put my art projects on hold as I switched gears to work on the bathroom again. Someday I'll finish it.....

I watched an old re-run of The Twilight Zone a few days ago and suddenly realized most of the episodes are about men. I'd never noticed that before. I'll have to keep that in mind if I watch it again.

beyond fashion?

"It's going to be beyond fashion." (quote from fashion mag.) Hmmmmm. If we think about just what that might really mean perhaps we don't need the fashion mags or anyone else telling us what to wear.

I experimented with some magazine clippings after looking at some of the faces Teesha Moore has made. Mine didn't turn out as well but I'll get the hang of it.

I was a little bit appalled at how similar the facial proportions were in photos of the same size. One set of eyes or lips easily replaced those in a number of other photos. It says a lot about the narrowness of the fashion industry's view of feminine beauty.