A few days ago while I was up in the office typing away I hear my hubbins call me from downstairs.
Hubbins: Hey, you should come here.
Me: Why, I’m busy…trying to write here…
Hubbins: Yeah great. You need to smell the cat!
Me: I don’t think I want to do that.
I hear him running up the stairs at break neck speeds. Then he appears in the office with said cat, the oldest Ty. I mean really I don’t want to smell him. I can only think he got into the trash or worse maybe shit his fur like his sister did a few weeks ago.
Hubbins: You don’t get it…he smells good!
Ok, now I’m curious. So I take a sniff of the cat. Ty seems pretty chilled out about the whole thing. And I’ll be damned, but he smells GOOD! Usually he smells like cat breath and litter dust. But this was something else.
Hubbins: I think he got into your perfume.
Not unless he can open a medicine cabinet and open the container AND spray himself… I take a few more sniffs of him. Then it hits me.
Me: NO, I think he got into that Axe body spray our niece got you for Christmas last year.
Hubbins: You know I think you might be right. Weird.
Now usually I HATE the smell of that stuff. But on Ty, well apparently it isn’t just for men. Now it seems cats can use it too. In fact our other two female cats were all up in his business for the next three days. It was pretty amusing. Trouble is we can’t seem to find where the bottle he got into is. My guess is he’s hiding it for a night out on the town. (Shame he’s an indoor cat.)
Not much to report this evening from my little slice of the planet. My husband was out most of the day doing stuff and things. So I was home being a loser in my pj’s for a better part of the day. Some days you just need a pj day. This was mine.
But he was good enough to stop off and get me some of those t-sac bags at a shop on his way home. This was a big deal because I am a tea hound and he didn’t want to mess it up. He’s so good to me. Hubbins even called to make sure he was getting me the right thing and to ask if I wanted to go out when he got home.
In fact I did. I wanted to go to the mall to get a cast iron tea pot and cups as a “congrats on the first pay check” gift to myself. Which he was all for. Awesome! So I went into a store I despise as they are pushy and bought what I wanted and got out as soon as I could (I looked ahead online before we went out). Then we went to dinner which was a bigger surprise to me, but most welcome!
We tried a few places at the mall…I really wanted a dirty martini. What can I say I watched all of season 5 of Mad Men this week! But the wait was well over an hour anywhere in the mall. So we hit the road and after several tries finally found a place that could seat us in 2 minutes! I finally got my martini (which was not as awesome as it would have been at place number one) and hubbins got the burger he was after.
On the way home I picked up the fixings for root beer floats…because sometimes it’s that kind of night!
Did I mention I went out wearing this?
I got a few looks of approval.
I’ve got the usual humor for you kids tomorrow. But for now my root beer float is calling.
So I didn’t post last night. This is probably a very good thing. Who KNOWS what I would have written or hell shown all you fine people. Let’s put it this way it had been a sorta busy/crummy week for me. But it was also game night. And when last we left our heros we were probably going to be in for a world of hurt.
As it happened one of our Steampunk D and D party was down with some ickness and the rest of us were not really feeling it. So instead we did this…
Glug, glug, glug…
Yup we opened a bottle of wine to enjoy with our very spicy chili. Fun fact ranch dressing is pretty awesome on chili. Pass it on! And guess what happened after we finished that bottle? Yep we opened another one. This one I had never heard of before it was called Once Upon a Vine Big Bad Red Blend (I forgot to take a picture – the bottle was cool). BUT we added something special to it…are you sitting down? CAKE VODKA!
Now I know what some of you are thinking…gross lady! But some of you might be a little more willing to try something new. Well, apparently I was last night. Because I enjoyed it so much I had another glass or two. So much wine in fact that I might have pulled a Julie Andrews from the movie S.O.B. It’s a classic go look it up and you’ll understand me.
Fast forward to today and not nearly enough water last night and you have me with a monster headache. But it was totally worth it. However, the fact that my headache is still hanging out is not so awesome. Whatever, it’s Friday and I’m off on Monday! Oh and two awesome shirts arrived int the mail from TeeFury.com. Check ’em out!
First Sherlock shirt!Second Sherlock shirt!
Yeah they don’t have Sherlock shirts for weeks and then bam two two days apart two weeks ago. I was super surprised and happy to see them on the back porch when I got home today. Now to kick this headache for good as the hubbins may have promised som outlet shopping tomorrow!
So I FINALLY headed back to the gym tonight after work. I knew it was going to hurt. But not like this…
I was on my way to the stationary bike when I see this large dude heading my way. So I do the polite thing and say excuse me to get out of his way. His response was to mutter something not so nice about my assumed sexuality under his breath. To even my surprise my response went like this “You know I didn’t assume you were an asshole when I saw you.” And what did he say NOTHING.
Which was good because he was a big guy and I’m not a very big gal. But it did lead to a pretty amazing bike ride. Mostly because I was so furious that he would assume that short hair defined anything about me. In reality I like to sleep late and short hair looks good on me. I his reality it defined who I slept with/lived with. Boy was my husband surprised to find that out!
Sigh, I hope some day we can get past judging one another. Hopefully in my lifetime, but I’m not holding my breath.
I was having a chat with a gal on Twitter this morning about being home and naked. Mind you she mentioned it was a stay at home and be naked day, not me. Because every and I do mean EVERY time the hubbins and I have tried this (and I mean just wandering the house naked no sexy times) someone has turned up at the door. Isn’t this why people have cell phones, to call before just dropping over? Apparently not.
But this got me to thinking about other times you might you know what to be naked (aka sexy times). Which somehow took me back to my days in college. Random I know, but allow me to explain. Whenever one of my friends would have a boyfriend over we’d always say they were “playing Parcheesi” as a valid reason why they weren’t with the rest of us hanging out. Because when we were 17/18 years old sex and Parcheesi were two difficult things for us to master. For the record I STILL don’t know how to play Parcheesi. The other thing, I’ve figured it out, thanks.
Seriously, how the hell do you play this game??
So anyway…let’s just say my hubbins and I were attempting a game o’Parcheesi when the door bell rang two weeks ago. And we MIGHT have been right by the front door. We both were looking like deer in the headlights. I mean it could have been anyone. Anyone turned out to be a high school kid selling newspaper subscriptions in order to win a scholarship. How do I know you ask? Because like a couple of teenagers we made ourselves presentable and ANSWERED THE DOOR. It seemed like the polite thing to do. And yes we signed up for the newspaper. Which I might add still hasn’t turned up! So if this was an elaborate way to earn monies off people, kudos to you kid.
For the record this one I get.
I have no idea why I told all you strange people this. Probably because my hubbins bet me I would in no way do it. Well, jokes on him isn’t it? Or is it? Oh well, happy Sunday or Monday depending on where you are in the world.
So I’m sitting up here in my very clean office… It was time.
Holy mess!
I mean I was grossed out to be in here and would never stay in here to work. Which was part of my writers block from last month…this room was just zapping my creative spirit. Or something like that. But now, now it is clean and inspiring!
Sure the photo doesn’t make it look that bad, but it really was. All those bins on in the cube were filled with tea samples way past their prime. So they had to go. Now they are filled with writing material, art stuff, and make my office so much nicer to be in. Which makes me want to keep my office just a little.
I’m supposed to move downstairs to share space with my hubbins. Because it’s worked for us int he past. And yeah it would be nice to hang out with him even if we aren’t talking to one another. But I really love that my office is so clean, yet we REALLY need a craft/project room. So I’ll enjoy the clean for as long as I have.
Look how nice is it now!
Where was I? Right, so here I am up in my nice clean office listening to Radio Paradise (listen here) when I hear this conversation “between” hubbins and the middle kitty:
Hubbins: No Allie, you can’t have that because it will give you the shits and that’s not cool.
Allie: Meow? (and I’m sure some head tilting and blinking)
Hubbins: I said no.
Long story short, she had an accident while sitting in his lap a few weeks ago. She isn’t an old cat at all. She’s three and she shit a little in his lap. We suspect from the bits of cheese we were both sneaking her DAILY. So now she and the other cats only get treats.
Well, Ty gets cheese, but it seems to be the only way he’ll take his Thyroid meds. But they do get pumpkin and that should be good enough for her. But she’s a pig and we were bad pet parents to give her the cheese in the first place. Which is WHY we need a dog! They can eat all that stuff. Plus then I wouldn’t need to wash my floor as often.
Just had to share….I thought the conversation was funny. But we’ve already established I’m weird.
I was going to write this the day it happened, but I was a touch shaken by the experience to write it then. I’ve calmed down a bit from it so here we go…
As I mentioned the other day I see a lot of different folks when I venture to and from the office. Well, Tuesday or perhaps Thursday I saw someone I hadn’t seen in eight years. Someone I should add I never want to see again. I know what you might be thinking…an ex? No actually I’m pretty friendly with all of my exes. In fact last May my hubbins and I met up with my college boyfriend and his wife in DC. So there.
No this was a guy who stalked me for the better part of six months, eight years ago. And there he was crossing the street chomping an apple without a care in the world. But let’s go back seven years ago…I was living in Troy at the time, not far from the college I had gone too. In fact I was now working as a dispatcher in the security office there. So I could walk to work. The meh thing was at the time I worked the overnight shift. So I really had little clue what sunlight was.
But on the days I had off I did live like all the normal 9-5 folks did. I would go out and grab coffee at a local cafe or visit with friends, usual stuff. Heck I even met some of my neighbors. One of my neighbors (my next door neighbor) happened to be my age. Now she was a bit of a flake and as she told me five minutes into our meeting a heavy drug user. That’s not something I would have spilled on a first meeting, but hey that’s me.* She also on another occasion introduced me to her boyfriend. I really didn’t pay him any attention at the time and maybe I should have…because then maybe my creep-o-meter would have sounded. Because he would become my stalker.
Moving along a little. Said druggie neighbor moved out when she got in a car accident and busted her leg pretty badly. But seeing as she was on many illegal and legal drugs she probably wasn’t feeling anything. So she moves out and life goes on. Till one day, on a day off, I happened to run into her ex on the street. We struck up a conversation and he seemed normal. I’ve been told this is usually the case. I think we even exchanged screen names, you know when people used AIM? Again I thought nothing of it.
That is until I got home and the moment I signed on saw I had a request from Douchebag2005 (not really his screen name) waiting for me to accept. Again, creep-o-meter was probably due for a tune up. Because sure I thought it was weird, but maybe he liked me and I was in the market for a boyfriend. So we chatted a little, turned out he lived right across the street from me….
Flash forward a week or two when I’m leaving for work. He just happens to be out in from of his building. “Going to work?” He asked. “Yep and I’m late.” I responded and hauled it to work. Now our security team at the college was all off duty cops. Who basically were like the big brothers I never had. So naturally I mentioned the chat with my neighbor to the officer on duty when I arrived. He suggested I keep track of how often this happend. Turns out that would be almost every damn night! It got so bad that several police reports were filed AND I had to get an escort to work and from from the officer on duty. That was their call not mine.
In fact I think they secretly wanted to go over and beat the ever loving jebus out of them. Which I assured them wasn’t needed. Also I had noticed I hadn’t seen him in at least two weeks. So we tried allowing me to walk to work alone that night. I was seriously a two minute walk to campus. But you know just when you think it’s safe to walk alone…there he was sort of blocking my entrance to campus. He was also quick to point out that I didn’t have my escort with me. Yeah I ran like hell to work and didn’t answer him. And guess what I filed YET another police report. It was getting to the point where the cops wanted to talk to him.
I of course didn’t want that as I felt it would make the whole thing worse. Funny side note…I was a criminal justice major in college. So YOU’D think I would be all for following the letter of the law…but I was a giant chicken. But as luck would have it a week or so after the last encounter he was arrested for drug possession AND assaulting a female officer. Good news is she broke his arm and nose! And I never saw him after that….until this week.
So you might be wondering what I did. Truth is I did reach for my pepper spray. But he didn’t do a damn thing. In fact he didn’t recognize me at all and just kept on walking past me. You know what I didn’t turn and run back to work. Instead I kept walking to grab something for lunch. Was I shaken, sure. But I’ve learned to not let fear from things like him keep me from living. Am I more cautious now, yes I’ve grown up quite a bit from that experience.
But and I cannot stress this enough to everyone reading this. Pay attention to your surroundings and the people in those surroundings. I’m not saying every person you meet might be the stalker you get tomorrow. I just want to advise you all to have a little caution when you might be out walking around alone.
Funnier posts will be back later today I’m sure…like that time I was arguing with my hubbins about pallets in the parking lot where he works. The f-bomb was dropped a lot in that one. In fact I should leave you all with a funny picture to lighten the mood.
Cat in a tub…THAT is funny stuff. Well, the look on his face amuses me…
*I’ve never done any heavy drugs. Reefer? Yeah tried that once and HATED it. I’m weird.
Strange things happen in the city where I work. Mind you I’ve worked downtown now for a year, but it sure is amazing the difference a block can make or even the route you take for your morning caffeine kick.
Take for example the guy I when I was heading for coffee the other morning. This dude stunk to high heaven of reefer. It was 7:45 in the morning. Now I have no problem with folks doing as they please, but really that early? Plus the entire block smelled of burnt reefer. I just like the word reefer. It makes me giggle. Or perhaps I have a left over contact high from TWO days ago!
Once I was at Starbucks (gasp I know, but my local place closed down) I wanted to eat ALL the things. But I didn’t, because those things contain gluten, which hates me. Anyway I was really early so I thought I would relax at one of the tables. Sure, not so much…some young “lady” chose to sit near me with her music jacked SO high I don’t know how she wasn’t deaf. Seeing as when I moved clear across the store I could still hear her crap music over the music in Starbucks! Did I mention she had headphones on? Yeah, she did.
Let’s talk about the senior in the inner waiting room at the eye doctor shall we? First let me explain they have two waiting areas. One is after you check in and the other is after you have your eyes dilated. Which is a cruel place because they always have the best magazines there and you can’t enjoy them. Anyway I was sent to this area to wait even though my eyes were not, for once, dilated. There was one chair left and I sat in it. However, when I did the woman next to me quickly turned to me and scowled then turned back like nothing had happened. You’d think I had sat on her imaginary friend!
Yesterday I took a short cut to work after getting coffee. This short cut takes me between several downtown buildings including City Hall and the County Courthouse. Well, at just the right time my Creeper Meter goes off and I look up and see this super old homeless looking dude smoking in a secluded area next to the Courthouse. I mean he practically blended in with the building. Also I’m pretty sure he was also smoking the reefer. Bully to you Mr. Creeper for smoking that on the Courthouse property.
Which brings me to the woman who yelled f*ck at the top of her lungs while out on a busy street at lunch time today. Alright, that was ME when something was kicked up by the wind into my other eye! Yes everyone within ear shot stopped and looked right at me. Apparently I am no better or worse than the folks I mentioned above. Nor did I think I was. I was just illustrating a point that there are some random folks in Albany and yes I will proudly tell you I am one of them.
First of all WELCOME! You should have found your way here from my old blog. Then again perhaps you came from Twitter or Facebook…either way(s) I’m glad you found your way here to my new home or at least name on the internets.
Where was I? Right Neil Gaiman* totally tried to kill blind me last night. There I was minding my own business, stopping to snuggle with my husband when bam I get stabbed in the EYE by Neil Gaiman! What did I EVER do to him?
Ok in reality I was talking to my husband who was finishing up with Neverwhere (FINALLY). When my husband mentioned something about the cat behind me. In true me fashion I turned to look at the cat (Ty aka Tyrion Laniscat) when bam my eye and the corner of the book meet. I spring back into the couch like I was just bit by a snake or something. Then the pain in the eye comes. My husband thinks it will clear by morning. Spoiler it doesn’t.
So next thing I know we’re at my eye doctors office. I swear they keep these emergency appointments just for me. I should also mention there must have been a senior special at the doctors office. Because it was all old people and they smelled of death. ANYWAY, the verdict is an abraded cornea!! Apparently it’s a nasty one because not only do I get fake tears and pain relief drops, but I also get a freaking antibiotic!! That has to be the trifecta of scratched corneas.
Of course when I recount this tale to my mother she turns into a wise ass and asks “Did you get an eye patch matey?” HILARIOUS. So not only does my husband pick on me every time I enter a room warning me about all the things I could poke my eye with, but now my mother is in on it too…awesome. The only sympathetic folks were at my work. Thanks work people!!
The book in question. (Side note it is awesome…go read it)
*Please note Mr. Gaiman has NEVER tried to cause me bodily harm. Nor do I ever think he would. At least I hope not!
Gal In The Grey Hat 