Saturday, Saturday, Saturday--Woohoo!

It's going to The Clearing day!  I'm mostly packed (because this laptop gets to go too, you see) and I want to swoop by the PO to mail a package on my way out of town, plus they won't let me in yet, so I need to stay here for at least one more hour.  But I'm ready, well, except for not being dressed in going-outside clothes and I haven't had breakfast or brushed my teeth and I really need to go down into the basement and get my little cooler bag to put a yogurt & banana in for tomorrow's breakfast, but I'm ready, psychically anyway.  Mostly physically too; I even have my birthday flowers, which are not looking wilted at all one week later (did you know it was my birthday last Saturday?  did you send me a card or a present?  you still can, you know, just in case you want to or forgot), in their vase tucked in with my knitting (so it won't tip over when I drive) so we'll have pretty flowers in our cabin.  I have a pile of story starters to put in my writing bag and a crapload of Post-Its, various pencils and pens, and more teabags than I can drink in a week.  I have a few knitting projects for nights in the Lodge and a hoodie for sitting outside in the night around the fire.  I even whipped up batches of fragrance-free soap, lotion & lip balm because Redbird Judy, the workshop teacher, is terribly sensitive to fragrances.  (I already have FF shampoo & conditioner & deodorant.)  I am readiness personified.  (I'd pound my chest, Tarzan style, but I think that'd hurt, I have boobs, you know, although they've mostly sagged out of the way of any random chest-pounding)  Mardi led us through another on-the-knees-a-lot-of-child's-pose Yin yoga last night and I'm happy to say that my right sciatic nerve is (mostly) quiet today.  She commented that having it hurt so badly from the previous Friday probably meant that I needed to work that part more; I didn't want to believe her but (sigh) she's right.  I do love that hour of movement and focus on muscles and feeling the tightness leave my always-too-tight quads for a short time.  In Yin yoga you move into a pose and hold it, for at least 2 minutes and usually more, instead of forcing a pose or moving quickly from one to the next.  I like this a lot; don't get me wrong, I like the other kind, the faster kind too, but this yoga style fools you into thinking you're taking it easy and then your muscles inform you the next day that, nope, you really did get a workout, thank you very much.  It's lovely.  Speaking of birthday cards, the one I got from Aunt B was particularly hilarious.  It's small, about quarter sheet size, and on the front it says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY! For Your Eyes only!"  Inside is a block of text that reads, "Do me a favor.  I couldn't think of anything to write, so please pretend that you're reading something really touching, maybe even wipe away a tear, and then look at me and say, "that is so beautiful. I didn't know you could write like that."  Then if anyone asks to see the card, refuse and tell them that it was just too personal.  Thanks, I owe you one."  OMG, I nearly peed.  I want a box of them, I want to paper my wall with it, most of all I want to have written it.  It says on the back that it was written by stand-up comic, Elliot Maxx, who says he's one of those guys shopping in the 24-hour convenience store on Christmas Eve and wanted to write a card for people like himself.  Did I tell you I'm thinking of pursuing a career in stand-up?  No, really.  Twice in recent days I've been telling a stranger a story in my own inimitable way and they've been giggling and said, "you should do stand-up" so I'm going to look into it.  Hey, I'm just as funny as some of these other broads, I don't have an annoying voice like a lot of them (I'm looking at you, Rosanne Barr and Fran Drescher) and I don't swear.  Aren't there open mic nights at comedy clubs?  Maybe I'll work up an act and try it out at Harmony some Friday night.  Uh-oh, now that I've told you all that I might actually have to do it.  Uh-oh.  Hey, I'm funny, it'll be okay.  Plus I can say "I'm working on it" for a long time, maybe you'll forget.  Today's Photo a Day theme is "night" so I took a picture of my drift of packing which means I get to spend toNIGHT at The Clearing, an extra night, an early night.  Yay!
 
September 8 -- Roger Felton, Moscow, Domes of Churches in the Kremlin, 1852.  "They look like the set of an early sci-fi movie," Carl said.  "Geez Louise, does everything have to be about aliens and movies?"  Sheila punched his bicep as she spoke. "For the love of god, Carl, can't you just appreciate things for what they are?"  He looked at her like he wasn't sure what she meant.  "I guess these old photos are better than the modern art you made me look at last week.  I can't help it if this reminds me of an old movie."  He gestured at the framed photo on the gallery wall.  "I like the domes, the crosses on them look like aerials."  He stumbled forward from a hard push in the back and turned to see Sheila running from the room.  "What?  What did I say wrong now?"

Poor Carl, such a guy.  Hey, just a reminder that there's no Internet at The Clearing so we'll be on radio silence again until next Saturday.  Oh, don't whine, you'll survive.  Just think of me up there in the northwoods writing away, eating good food, and not missing you one bit.  Hasta la vista, babies!
--Barbara Sue