Summer....

Here's some things I love about Summer: The sound of a sprinkler in my yard, the sound of kids playing in the street, playing softball, going to Beavers Games on Thursdays, wearing my cuter pajamas, Peanut Buster Parfaits, Ben and Jerry's, leaving my doors open and hearing my windchimes, walking in nice neighborhoods (other people's), knowing camp is right around the corner, Frappacino's in the afternoon, Eating at Pizza Roma's outside picnic tables, flip flops, bar.b'ques, and the way the sky looks at night.
Summer is good.
If you say the word summer over and over it begins to sound weird, so don't do that.
jb

It's all in a look....

I just had one of those "from the movies" moments. Not feeling like cooking, I took myself to my favorite Pizza place, and pulled up just as some really attractive guy on a bike pulls up. He goes in, I go in after him. We are both standing in front of the slices. We keep looking at each other. He orders, I order. He is waiting, I am waiting. It was kind of weird, like we were feeling each other's presence, but not saying anything.
I get my food, go outside, he's behind me, so I hold the door for him. He laughed and said thanks. I sit down and position myself to face him. He does the same at a different table. I eat, he eats. Everytime I look up at him, he is looking at me. I am pretending to read "The Mercury." For a minute, I thought of walking right up to him and asking him if he minded if I joined him. Which, of course, I did not do.
The eating and exchanging of looks goes on for about 15 minutes. It was kind of weird. Like a connection without a connection. I felt like we were talking, but we wern't. (I said it was a movie moment)
He finishes eating and hops on his bike and rides past me and we look at each other and gave each other big ole smiles and off he went. For a moment, I wanted to run after him, which of course I did not do. But as I watched him ride off, I thought to myself "that was fun". All the redicilous thoughts of "I wonder if he eats here often? Will I see him next time?" ran through my head. But I won't. It was what it was, which was really nothing, but yet it was something because I am still thinking of him. I have decided I must take myself out to eat more often.
jb

Is this Water Poisened? I think not.

You know the saying "some people watch the parade and some people are in the parade?"
Well, today I decided to be a parade watcher. Last minute, I decided to go to the Pride parade. I bought a coffee, had a very interesting conversation with my friend from Starbucks, then headed off to find a spot. I found a nice curb side seat and proceeded to enjoy the parade.
It was great; there were dykes on bykes, Catholic churches honoring diversity, and the ususal men in leather, Politicians trying to get the vote etc. Then along comes my favorite Drag Queen perched beautifully on the back seat of some really nice convertable. She was so pretty today in her gold gown and fake diamonds hanging everywhere, waving and blowing kisses in her usual fan fare. Then she spots me sitting on the curb and gives me a "hey hon" and waves me over. After the usual kiss, kiss and her telling me how great I look, the next thing I know I am in the parade!! It was great. There I was waving and handing out candy to little kids (and every attractive man I saw), while the people were cheering and waving back. I did take a minute to say to myself "oh my gawd, I'm in the gay pride parade!"
I have come to the conclusion, that it is WAY more fun to be in the parade than to be watching the parade.
jb

And they moved to Beverly............

Why do full size men find the need to ride these little miniature motor bikes? They are not motorcycles, nor or they scooters, but something in between. They are about 2 feet high and the size of a kids big wheel in length.
Up and down my street they go all day and night long. I've never seen anything like it. They are very loud and quite annoying. I don't see them in any other neighborhood, just mine.
Does the ghetto attract these certain kind of thrill seekers? Is the El Camino in the shop?
Ah, I dream of the day I move into some nice sidewalked neighborhood where people walk their dogs, and ride their non motorized bikes........
I actually saw a pick-up going down my street with a couch in the back and a girl sitting on it. The Clampents have invaded SE Portland!
jb

Hello? Is anyone home?

Living alone sucks. People always say to me how great it must be to live alone, no one to answer to etc.
Well, today I walked in my house and I felt more alone than I have felt in along time . It was so quiet, there were no messages and the house looked exactly as I left it. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I didn't know what to do for a minute.
There may be no one to answer to, but there is also no one to say hey, how was the day? or taste the great cheese I bought today, or why don't you fix dinner and I'll mow the lawn?
Let me just tell anyone who fantasizes about living alone.... go get a motel room for a nite if you need to be alone, but cherish every day you walk into your house and there are people there happy to see you.
I try not to wallow in self misery and I rarely share about it, but today I was tired of pretending everything was ok, because it wasn't.
I did not want my blog to be a place to type about things like this. But today, it's all I got.

But on a lighter note, my softball slump appears to have moved on!! This is of great relief to me. I wasn't ready to hang up my glove and bat just yet.

jb

seafood anyone?

Ok, we are just going to get this out in the open. Yes, there was a stuffed lobster in my dog house. It was all scrunched in the corner and yes to me, it looked like dead kittens or possums. Once again, I say that I was too afraid to get close, so I was looking from about 15 feet away, and I swear it did not resemble a lobster.
How did the lobster get there? Well, I dog sat for my friends dog last summer and he came with a stuffed lobster. It ended up getting left behind in the dog house.
The very worst part is having my ex husband come over to remove the damn thing. I told him there was something dead in there and he came over with a giant net, wearing gloves all prepared to do what I was too chicken to do. Needless to say, I felt pretty damn stupid when he pulled out the lobster. I told him "this didn't happen" to which he replied, "oh, yes it did" I knew I was doomed to lobster jokes for possibly a very long time.
I just thank goodness I didn't call the animal control people which I contemplated, because I hate to call the ex to do my dirty work. Can you see a city worker standing in my yard with a stuffed lobster in his hand?????
Ok, laugh it up people, then we will move onto something else.....
jb

too afraid to look............

There is something dead in my dog house I think. I glanced over and saw a pile of what looks like either dad rats or dead kittens. I am too afraid to get close enough to determine. Whatever it is, I am not seeing movement. I would think if it was rats, there would only be one, and it appears there is more than one, which leads me to believe it is kittens. I don't know what to do, and it is freaking me out. I am such a chicken, all I can do is stand on my deck and try to see what it is.
Whatever it is, must be moved. I will call my son and tell him to come visit and to bring a shovel. He is a bigger wuss than me, but being my child he owes me I think.
This is not good blog material, but what can I say? I cannot leave whatever it is just sitting in there.
If it is kittens I will cry, if it is rodents, I will barf. That's all I know.
jb