Thanksgiving came and went with out a hitch - is that what “they” say? (who is THEY?) The turkey was absolutely delicious. My father found this recipe and he and the turkey grew quite close. Every day for 4 days he took the turkey (that was fresh) out of it’s frigid home in the refrigerator and slathered it inside and out with the salt. I was initially very concerned about the turkey being a bit salty - but surprisingly enough, it wasn’t. I don’t know enough about chemistry to really figure out what the salt did - but the juice in that little turkey was unbelievable…even the white meat was delicious - not dry at all! I had every intention of not over eating - but the food. Dear God The Food! The stuffing melted in my mouth. The pumpkin pie … God - it was heavenly. Then there was the mashed potatoes, which I created on my own with butter and milk and salt. Yum-my! My plan to eat well … well … yeah. After our 2 mile walk I had recovered. Recovered enough to have a 2nd piece of pumpkin pie. *sigh* I never learn.

I have a lot of things to cover. I know it’s been a long time between posts. Sometimes I think I do this on purpose - take days off between posts, I mean. If a lot of days go on by - then most of the time I have a plethora of topics of which I can choose from. I could, of course, write every day. I can write every second of every day - but the more I write the more real topics come out - topics that I don’t feel safe discussing in “here” all the time. Some things are private - too private for a blog, you know? But anyways - a lot of time has gone by between posts - and I’ve gotten quite a few remarks about it. Enough remarks for me to reconsider my posting habits on this blog. Also about a month ago I told a dear writer/editor friend of mine that I would take time out and write every day. I think that he might consider writing in this blog part of that writing assignment. I know I can just “check in” as Tiffy wants me to do - but nothing is ever “half way” with me. Even when I work … I have to put it all in there. Work the full hours. Or Not work at all. Though that has been getting better - I cut myself off by 12:00AM/1:00AM on most nights. But…well, I’ve discussed it before. Everyone who knows me knows my personality and discussing it doesn’t make my personality any less - well - manic. Like, take this paragraph for instance. All that needs to be said is that I’ll be writing in this blog at least 3 times a week. *sigh*

My birthday was an absolute success! My family spoiled me and if there was any bit of spoiling left to do - well - all of you took care of that! The gifts just keep on coming! There really is no quick way to do this - so hang in there - glance through this long paragraph for your name and after finding it move quickly to the closing of this post - it’s the little paragraph where I tie in the title to the rest of the post. In no particular order: Thank you Ron for the Stephanie Plum Boxed Set (books 1-3), Thank you Doctor D for the Candy Fluff Dusting Poweder, Chocolate Whipstick Lip Balm, Sympathy for the Skin Body Cream, Creamed Almond and Coconut Shower Smoothie and Dream Cream Body Cream all by Lush. The stuff is delicious and you were so absolutely wonderful for spoiling me so! Thank you to Rolf for the All In One Printer, Someone named anonymous sent me the complete series Everybody Loves Raymond - so thanks Mr. A. Um - My dear friend Greg sent me his favorite movie Pleasantville (Thanks so much!) Thank you to my sweet Tiffy for sending me MAC Pink Poodle, The book Wicked, Marbles, and a great VS Gift Certificate which I promptly used to buy matching prison stripe panties, sweat pants and a sweat shirt. Mike B sent me Alicia Keys newest CD, Scott bought me Gilmore Girls which I love SO much!, Dan sent me the Rhianna album Good Girls Gone Bad and man. There may be more gifts on the way so I’ll update again with the Thank Yous. I PROMISE!
UR, Mr. PP, Mama Tee, Ray, ScottA, Dave, Mack, Mr. HingOfHearts, Bob, Joe, Beno, and Martin - thank you all so much for your Happy Birthday Wishes. It was so sweet of you to take time out of your phone calls with me to wish me well on my special day. *time to prepare for the big closing…*

I don’t feel a bit older, really. But I feel a LOT richer this year - and not for the obvious reasons, sillies! Your friendship through this past year, the gifts and laughs and the incredibly big ears that listen to me - soak up all my concerns and dreams and fantasies. You’ve all been blessings to me - delectable gifts that I treasure. Thank you.

Yes - My birthday IS right around the corner. Tiffy seems to have been preparing for this day long before me … and to that I say - well, nothing. I just haven’t been that into my bday. I guess because my bday has always been some preliminary to Christmas. I never expected a lot on my birthday - I doubled up on the gifts during Christmas cuz of everyone’s guilty feelings for not having made such a big deal about it. My callers have proven themselves to be much more sensitive about my bday than my parents ever were… Thanks guys!

A while ago people were asking me what I really wanted for my bday. I even had a person who had never called me ask me what I wanted for my birthday. To use his words - what I “REALLY wanted” (ah tell me what you want what you really really want!) At first these requests after establishing an 8 page wish list seemed silly to me - but when I thought about it a few days ago I realized that my wishlist can read sort of like some crazy cryptic message. To me - it all makes sense. I can tell you by looking at any page of my wish list exactly what I was thinking about. I can tell you what classes I was taking - what caught my attention during that particular time of my life or school year or whatever. But from the outside I know it looks a bit - crazy and schizophrenic. So … here is the one and only bday post I will do (until next year.) I will put it on out there what gifts I would really like to have - above all the other presents on my wish list. I also went through my list today and removed a few things that no longer interested me (like the vibrators - cuz well - Mr. Hitachi wand and the little bunny makes all those other toys totally unnecessary!) Once again - these gifts are merely suggestions. Anything on my wish list will tickle me pink.

Ok … so here we go.

If you don’t mind the thought of me watching too much television when I should be working hard on my math homework - these dvd collections would thrill me completely! THE DIRECTORS- THE ESSENTIAL DVD COLLECTION is mega expensive - but hey… if you have a few hundred burning a hole in your pocket - you can indulge me and get it. Isn’t the case absolutely ADORABLE? THE BILLY WILDER COLLECTION is gorgeous, too. Also any MUPPET SHOW series - or best of collection would be cool beans! EVERYONE LOVES RAYMOND, I LOVE LUCY, GILMORE GIRLS or THE BRADY BUNCH would all be way cool too. Especially RAYMOND or BRADY BUNCH! If it would make you feel better to send me something to read - then THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE, STEPHANIE PLUM BOXED SET (I don’t have any of them so please start at the beginning and purchase the first set first and so on… ), JANE AUSTEN COLLECTION or the ROALD DAHL Gift Set would be cool times a billion. There are also 3 (or is it 4?) POST SECRET books that I’ve been DYING to have. If you realize by now that I have plenty to read - and really want me to finish the recordings I’ve been promising for a year now - you can get me that really cool USB Microphone. If you want me to just write already and stop procrastinating my life away by watching too many movies - you can pick up any number of journals on my list - or hey - (a girl can dream!) buy me that Mac Lap Top I’m orgasming over. If you’d rather give me something more romantic or just want to spoil me a little bit - you can send me a gift certificate on Amazon and I can get some perfume or jewelry or lotion or whatever. And if you realize by now that music is my life - the new Itouch or the new Ipod 8 GB would suffice. *wink* Beyond these suggestions - anything that is on my wishlist (honestly) I would be happy to recieve. By now everyone knows what a movie freak I am - and how much I love Julie Andrews. A simple DVD of my absolute IDOL would be a sweet and truly appreciated present. Hopefully these suggestions will help all who asked. I see I’ve already received a few gifts from my list already and a few teasing emails from “secret” admirers telling me they are sending me things… and that I need to wait to open up the actual package on my bday. (yeah - right!)

I’m totally sleepy right now. NF went down right as I was speaking to Mr. Pink. (been a long time, mister!) - and it doesn’t look like NF will be up until way later. Jackson had another class today along with a grooming appointment and he wore me out. I hear him tumbing about in his crate right now - and if I stay up much later he’ll think it’s time to get up and play and ai won’t be sleeping until this afternoon. I’ll log in for a bit tomorrow - and Sunday - though I have a date with the Tiffers - and I think I have a date earlier in the afternoon with UR - Who is celebrating a certain um … Half a century event!

Have a great evening - thanks for the gifts and calls so far - and have a safe and wonderful day of Thanks - in case I don’t get back til after the blessed event. Hope the turkey isn’t dry - and that your relatives don’t drive you too crazy.

It’s gonna be one of those weeks when everyone of my post is music related. But I know no one will complain. Right now you’re too busy trying to pick yourselves off the floor because I’ve written twice in less than 24 hours.

Several months ago I watched this special on vh1: The top however many soft rock songs. I think it was soft rock. Pina Colada was one of them. Am I spelling that right? Oh my gosh. I love that song! It’s this story about this guy that takes out a personal ad in the paper. Or is it his wife? Can’t remember. But it’s all about walks in the rain - and Pina Coladas, and not liking Yoga and on and on they write. Well - he meets up with the person in the ad and it happens to be his own wife. They laugh and talk about how they never knew the other person didn’t like making love at midnight and walking in the rain and their mutual dislike for health food. They completely forget about the fact that they were both cheating on the other person by meeting up with another person (they hardly knew it would be their spouse!) - and they somehow rejuvenate their love for one another by the end of the rather sappy but quite catchy 3 minute soft rock song. I was in class one day and a girl was singing the song like this: If you like Enchiladas! Getting caught in the rain… No kidding. I had to take her aside and correct her. There are some songs where lyrics are crucial - and this song is one of them, damn it!

What made me think of this whole thing?

Oh yeah - my old boss called me up today and invited me out for Mexican food and “drinks”. Usually this means we’ll split a Margarita because well - she’s my alcohol connection. This past summer during a walk for Breast Cancer she supplied me with coffee and Irish Cream. I love my boss. I don’t get to see her often now that I no longer work for her (She was my boss at the gym) and I suppose it’s a good thing. I could be an alcoholic hanging around her too often! So anyways - we go off to the restaurant and they are singing Karaoke. I decide to get up and sing a few songs. Copacabana is an old CeCe standard - and what do you know - they have the Pina Colada song, too. I had to … I just had to. I brought down the house!

Before dinner and music I did attend class. I love my math teacher. I reallly do. I don’t fault him at all for teaching the worst subject ever. It’s not his fault. He has a really great sense of humor and he took pity on me and is letting me take my test a few days late. We actually voted as a class to take it later - but then he made us change our minds, telling us it would be best to take it on Thursday. We had a little talk after class. Turns out I’m pulling a low A right now in Algebra. I know. I laughed, too. But this latest chapter has me a bit … befuddled. Not to mention I also have a script to worry about and other things on my mind. I’m just a tad bit stressed and I didn’t feel I would be ready for the test on Thursday. I want to get an A on this test. I would settle for a B even. If I take the test on Thursday along with all the other brainiacs … I’ll get a C. I have several chapters to do. I told my boss…well my EX boss this when she called me up this afternoon. She insisted on taking me out for some dinner and de-stressing me. I was committed to not having a good time - but the peach Margarita was doing a good job of loosening me up. Two congo lines later I left and here I sit. Writing.

Perhaps alcohol is the answer to my writing issues.

I’m teasing.

It felt good to let go though … have a good time and forget at least momentarily about x and y and straight lines.

Back to the books…

I have been so busy lately … I apologize for not staying on top of certain things. If it makes you feel better - I’ve been on the bottom all the way around. School work, House work, Laundry, Thank you notes, Wish list, Birthday announcements (yes - My bday is on the 24th of this month… presents are appreciated but not required) - etc. And then I looked at the calender and realized that Christmas is around the corner, too. How the hell did that happen? Maybe not so surprisingly enough - the only thing I seem to be “on top of” is Jackson’s training schedule.

I picked up some really horrible flu this past week. The flu left me with about a tablespoon of energy and about as much concentration. There was only one thing for me to do. I grabbed Jackson, a blanket, and the remote - and watched a 6 hour dvd special on the history of Broadway. I missed my calling. I shoulda been born a gay male dancer with a fabulous tenor voice. I know that’s probably a bit of unfair stereotyping there - but I think I’d have a much better chance on broadway if I were a tenor. Ok ok - a baritone.

This wonderous dvd special - courtesy of the original puppy before THE puppy Jackson was absolutely a godsend. Fosse, Chicago, Rent, Wicked, Chorus Line, ummm… Sweeny Todd (how horrible that musical is - and how absolutely SCARY! I MUST see it!!) West Side Story - and more! And the very best part? It was hosted by THE goddess of all Goddesses - Julia F’inAndrews!!! I suddenly felt life being returned to my limp body. As my feet started to dance along with the Jets in West Side Story this post came to mind. Music always has a way of transporting me back to reality somehow. Ok - I know that sounded really silly - talking about West Side Story and “reality” in the same sentence. I am well aware that the gangs in LA aren’t talking about “having their way - to niiiightttt” or some guy calling CeCe through the streets of some quaint Southern California suburb or whatever. I also know that most people don’t break out in song during crucial moments of their lives (though I can’t understand why they don’t!) - but musicals have always energized me somehow. They make things better. And musicals with great songs like “For Good” and “Glory” and “Seasons of Love” and even the corny “Climb Every Mountain”… well … if I’m lost and flailing about and overwhelmed…these musicals always bring me back to some pleasant day/time/feeling/situation or whatever.

So after the PBS church experience - I broke out my math homework and plotted points and solved for x and y in straight line inear expressions or whatever the fuck I’m doing in that class now. And you know what? I’m over it. I’m seriously over it. I’m over school. I’m over even trying to motivate myself to go. And I don’t think it’s because I’m depressed - I just … I just don’t want to do it. And I know that I should push myself to do things that I don’t necessarily like because life is hard and part of growing up is doing things you don’t necessarily like and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah times a trillion million - but GOD DANG. I hate that shit. It feels like such a damn waste of time. Would I feel that way if I were taking a class in let’s say - writing or something? I don’t know. Am I willing to try it out for a semester? I don’t know yet. But I’m tired of Math. Just thought I’d say that. I really don’t care what x and y are.

So anyways - the title of this post? I broke out the ipod the other day and listened to Cassandra Wilson’s version of Cyndi Lauper’s classic Time After Time. Cassandra sings it so eloquently - so dark and deep like thick fudge that is just starting to cool and harden. Her voice just wraps around you and that song is just so beautiful anyways. The song seems to echo the type of friendships I’ve learned to treasure. It comes so easily - slowly and deliberately, you know? Pretty soon you’re wrapped up in lovely tones and voices. Everything is just as it should be. And you wondered why it took you so long to listen.

No promises, ok? But I’ll try to write more often. I really will try.

So now that the smoke has settled - things are getting back to normal around here. Halloween went on with out a hitch (I didn’t dress up - and Jackson outgrew his Harley Davidson outfit much to my horror - so he didn’t dress up either) - Midterms happened and I survived (Say hello to my little friend A.) and I’ve been feeling pretty darned good. I got flowers the other day from a secret admirer…really pretty ones - roses, carnations, babysbreath…so pretty!!!, a new printer/photocopier/scanner from a friendly nazi, and a play pen from Dr. Feel Better himself. On top of the amazon gifts I’ve also received some great cash prizes from some adoring fans (thanks mr. cum69, chair, gun, matty, fit, and sexaddict ), and then some of the sweetest compliments/feedback comments ever! You all sure know how to cheer up a little girl, don’t you! Thank you so very very much from the bottom of my heart! MWAH!!!!!

So why the title? Well - a funny thing happens in Southern California after a fire. Animals start appearing that use to stay far away in hills and on mountain sides. Animals like - cougars. yeah. I’m not lying.

About a week ago a cougar hopped over a 6 foot fence in an adjoining neighborhood - mauled a little puppy - and ran off with a 50 lb (or was it 60?) dog in it’s mouth. The owners were eating breakfast and didn’t hear the doggies in the yard and went to investigate and found one puppy badly injured, and the other doggy was missing. They ran up the hill behind their house I guess and found a little bit of fur lying in a pool of blood. After the Vet had examined the other puppy that had managed to escape the cougar - they realized that the injuries were cougar related. There is a law in California that you can not hunt cougars (looks out the window nervously.) So anyways - Jackson is not allowed out in the yard with out supervision. Supposedly cougars are okay until they are surprised (or hungry) but um - yeah. Jackson would be like some finger food before the bigger meal (me?) so I’m a bit nervous at the present moment. Gotta love LA. Writers strike, Santa Ana winds, Fires, Arnold S. for governor, and now Lions running amuck.

Tonight we fall back - so I’m going to be on for a bit tonight. I’ll at least be on alerts for awhile - because, well, I can be. And I wasn’t on very long yesterday (just long enough to speak to my sweetie “chair” - HI Sweetie !! - Thanks for the call) due to Puppy School Fridays.

And since you asked - Puppy school is going alright. I do wish, however, that children were not allowed unless they could behave. There were five more children there this past Friday. They seem to be multiplying. Also - Jack was one of 2 of his breeds last week. This week - there were 2 other doggies - and the rest were all Maltese. I don’t know how that happened, either. Jackson was tortured by 3 boys. The two girls were on the other side of the training area. Jack would have been better off next to the girls. The little boy (the California Strangler) was better behaved, too. But the 3 boys, Satan, Damien, and Lucifer, were horrible: dropping treats everywhere, bouncing balls in front of Jack, and grabbing his tail attempting to distract him from his lesson.

We learned how to walk on the leash, how to sit (Jack learned that weeks ago), and received tips on how to stop biting. I walked by the snack aisles, walked past the really cute t-shirts (Nearly Famous - how cute is that!?!), and even managed to walk by the really cute blankets and cute beds. TAH DAH.

I better go … I’ll talk with you later on this evening. Tomorrow I will be on in the evening, too - but have a date with the Tiffers. What time was that date again, Tiffy? midnight? Last call of the evening? Make an appointment before then because after Tiffy I’ll be hitting the hay. School on Monday, remember.

Talk soon…