catch up

Sounds like catsup.

I am determined to bring my blog up to date in one fell swoop. No pictures, as Jon has my camera. He saw a raccoon sleeping on the windowsill on his way to work today and had to document it.

8.23
discovered faux denim Xhiliration brand stretch pants at Target. Secretly fell in love with them but did not buy them.

8.24
talked to my sister, Jamie, on the phone, must have talked too much about faux denim stretch pants- her closing words to me were 'just buy the stretch pants!'

8.26
stopped by Target en route to meet Gretchen for the State Fair, bought faux denim stretch pants

8.28
made cream cheese pound cake with recipe gleaned from my super flamboyant high school music teacher, ate requisite giant spoonful of batter

8.29
served miniature pound cakes as strawberry shortcake on a stick in honor of the state fair, vowed that I would quit my job if co-workers did not get the joke, then proceeded to let them in on it
i.e. called my own bluff

met Mara for lunch at Quang, got my favorite steamed pork bun,
Mara introduced me to the Friday sea bass soup

8.30
went to downtown public library, checked out 3 DVD's and a book called Design and the Elastic Mind based on the recent MOMA exhibit curated by Paola Antonelli, discovered an art magazine called Art on Paper that I am determined to buy the August/September issue of, this publication is not sold anywhere in Minneapolis.
In the words of Garfield- AAARGHHH!

8.31
finished sewing a hat out of a pair of Jon's old gray jeans, this project was half-finished and sitting on the table for 3 weeks, landmark moment as hat actually fits- 1 for 7 on hats so far, also made Eujean but stopped short of a mouth

9.1
Jon's eagle calendar reveals yet another eagle. Sale at Savers!! I scored an almost new J.Crew wool blazer. Jon found more ironic XXL t-shirts. Two words: Tazmanian Devil. It takes a certain ego to pull that off.

9.2
Cocktails at La Bell Vie with Mara. The best cocktails in Minneapolis. My martini was like a salty caramel for vodka lovers. Garnished with toasted marcona almond-stuffed olives. A world of thumbs skyward in praise of this. Spoke fondly of faux denim stretch pants to Mara.

9.5
Home to Black River Falls. Fall has arrived! Got in after 11PM. Mom greeted me with a meatloaf sandwich and a slice of pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream. Dad once again christened it 'the best pie mom's ever made.' It was so awesomely good.

9.6
Hung out with Mom and endeavored to make best scones ever. They were very good. But not the best scones ever. Somewhat cakey. I guess scones are a subjective thing. I like my scones humble and crumbly and surprisingly rich. This is how Jamie likes her men.

Attended Catholic mass with Mom to watch Dad sing. No one in my family is Catholic.

9.7
Horse ride with my high school science teacher. He kept confusing me with my more successful older sister. I rode Mom's new Tennessee Walker. She calls it Poner. The name makes me cringe. It's name used to be Goldie, so I stubbornly adhere to that. Goldie has a 6-week old baby that ran willy-nilly in front of Goldie on the trails in the woods. Mom made burgers and brownie sundae's. 8 kinds of Haagen Daaz/Ben & Jerry's. Mom and Dad think this is normal.

9.8
Asked Jon if he thinks I should buy faux denim stretch pants for my older sister. He fails to comment. I have yet to wear mine.

9.9
Baked an apple pie. Bought Butter Pecan ice cream to accompany it. Noted that Edy's has changed their package size from 14 servings to 12. This is good for me because I tend to polish it off in 24 hours, regardless. Bring on the skinny 'jeans'.

9.11
Seven years since the collapse of the twin towers. It feels like longer. Like a different lifetime. I find it encouraging because if 7 years can feel like a lifetime, I would only have to live to be 63 to feel like I've lived nine lives. Weird, but encouraging. Mostly weird. More than that- seven years is defeating. Because there is a war still raging that we insist on ending in something called victory. No one even knows what that means.

9.12
Met Gretchen with her work friends for a happy hour at Restaurant Max. Two separate factors contributed to a lower than average self-esteem. Being grossly underdressed and furtively eating beef jerky on the bus en route to the swoiree. Delicious burger at Ike's afterward.

9.13
Bought International Cafe Mayan Dark Chocolate. If Wal-Mart were a coffee, it would be this drink. Cheapened myself by drinking it.

Plan to see Burn After Reading with Jon. He does not know this.

Hope to drive my parents' minivan to the craft store to buy eyeballs for stuffed animals.

One or both of these things will not happen.