big hoopy earrings and slutty pink lipstick

In a recent conversation with the group of folks I work with, our boss divulged that he has a thing for big hoopy earrings.

We are a group of 8, and all get along very well. We talk, we joke and laugh, we get hammered on wickedly strong margaritas at a house party and end up crashing wherever we stumble to, we work well together and can rely on each other. So it was only to be expected that upon hearing of our boss' little fetish we had to see how uncomfortable in an office situation we could make him.

Of the group of 8, there are only 2 women, and we 2 women decided that one Friday we would wear big hoopy earrings to the office. And let me tell you these were BIG hoopy earrings. And he noticed immediately - with a grin and a little blush - as he realized exactly what we were doing.

The morning went on as normal, as normal as can be expected with huge metal loops banging into the side of your face every time you turn your head.

At lunch we all decided to go find a great patio downtown since it was a fabulously warm and sunny late summer afternoon. Just before leaving the office I put on some lip gloss and headed out. [I forgot to mention earlier that I had decided to wear a black t-shirt that had come to me ellicitly during the wedding reception of one of the guys in our work group.]

As we arrived on the patio I happened to say that I felt somewhat awkward with my attire (I had not intended to be seen out in public with the earrings and t-shirt). To which my boss said he thought the "...big hoopy earrings and slutty pink lipstick..." were quite alright. Huh, I never thought it was actually "slutty pink lipstick", but thanks for that V.

afraid of the echo...

THE DAY I SAW THE EMPEROR'S CLAY SOLDIERS

The day I saw the emperor's clay soldiers
I thought I understood the end of things-
blank faces staring back from 2,000 years.
A farmer found them; I found the farmer
in my father, grandfather, lost since
the Depression days of hominy pots.

My lost fathers are clay now too,
contained, kept from me by a wine-velvet
rope sagging between brass stanchions.
If I reach across, will the alarm sound,
lights flash, uniformed guards push me back?
I thought I understood the end of things.

The day I saw the emperor's clay soldiers
I wanted to be the electrician who
installs lights above the exhibits.
I know my father's best side, or knew,
though it makes me dizzy to remember.
I've never understood the end of things.

We're hollow men too, my father and I.
We never talked, even when we had
the chance-maybe afraid of the echo.
But 2,000 years is a long time
to wait, even for still, curt clay soldiers
who surely understand the end of things.

I came back a faithful soldier, stayed
until the museum closed, every day.
Then the exhibit left, and someone changed
the angle of those lights, not me,
and I lost sight of the emperor's clay soldiers.
That empty stand meant the end of things.

-Jonathan Musgrove
The Atlantic, April 2008

thought of the day

Christian Bale is a frickin' hottie, and that's all I have to say about that.

a trip

I will be away next week , whitewater rafting down the Middle Fork Salmon river in Idaho. It is supposed to be spectacular and I am so very excited about it.

There is much I have wanted to tell you of things that have happened over the past several weeks, but procrastination has gotten the better of me. However, I have decided that upon the return from my trip I will rid the constipation that has effected my putting pen to paper, so to speak.

Back soon.

this is love

completed Project 3

The front garden is finished! Well, almost. It just needs a couple of small trees and then it will be done. But I have to find evergreen trees that are amenable to shade since the large maple in the middle of the garden allows very little direct sun to filter through to terra firma. The maple also soaks up any rain like a sponge so I am going to have to water some of the plants, especially the hydrangrea, at least until they establish a deep enough root system so they are not competing for the surface water.

These photos were taken about 3 weeks ago so the plants have grown in a little more and I think it will look quite good when they have had a full season or two in the ground.

The use of cedar mulch keeps the weeding to a minium, which is always a good thing, and smells fabulous after a warm summer rain.

Neighbours have paid some compliments, although "...it looks much better than before..." is a little suspect as a compliment since 'the before' was just a big patch of dirt. One neighbour dropped off a couple of hostas and a fern that were immediately dug in. The hostas are doing well, the fern...not so well.

In the early evenings I sit on the top step of the porch and watch my garden grow.