Et tu, T. J.?

I went 0 for 4 looking for some of my favorite TJ items last night. 3 in the freezer section - Pad Thai. ("No, but we have another boxed mix..." "BLECH!"), Ratatouille Stirfry ("Hmm... I think that's been gone a long time..." "Not THAT long, I JUST HAD SOME!"), and Eggplant Provencale ("We do still have the frozen eggplant parmesan..." "It is NOT the SAME!"). And then, adding insult to injury, at the checkstand on the way out - No. More. Dr. Doolittle's. Pink grapefruit. Pastilles. I almost screamed. What's next - no more cheap brie???

Bellwether

I have long joked about being the reverse Alex P. Keeton in my family. My dad tend to be fiscal conservatives, but often prove to be accepting and respectful of people's personal freedoms. With occasional irrational dislike for Democratic leaders based on their personal behavior but not on their political actions. My aunt falls in a similar camp, and Grandma is a life-long contributor to the G.O.P.

But now? Heh. They can't stand Bush, and in fact can't understand how his approval rating is at 30%. Who are these 30%? What do they think he's done (A) and if (A), what do they think he's done well? How can he possibly look at the continuing conflict in Iraq and crippling rise in gas prices and say our priority should be - preventing Mexicans from getting to work?

It's a few years too late - but I'm hopeful that we'll be able to turn things around in 2008. Well, guardedly hopeful. I'd like to think good leadership can make a difference, but I'm also afraid real meaningful change and compassionate behavior come at a price many aren't willing to pay. Someone's gotta be willing to give in order to lessen the tremendous and terrifying chasm between have and have not.

And what am I doing? Um. Blogging. And plotting. Oh yes. Plotting.

Art and Lit

This Sunday, my lovely British friend C.E. and I went to the Spring Open Studio at Hunters Point Shipyard. "For 22 years, Hunters Point Naval Shipyard has housed the largest artist community in the US." Pretty. Damn. Cool. It was like walking through a tremendous interactive museum, with lots of cheese and crackers and $2 buck Chuck. (They're artists - generous, but frugal.) I can now call myself a "collector", too - I bought this piece from another lovely European, Pep Ventosa, who is from Catalunya, Spain. He said one of the things he enjoys most about having art at Hunters Point is that it used to be a place dedicated to making instruments of war - delicious irony.

I've been reading a really fun book by Anthony Bourdain, A Cook's Tour. I borrowed it from a friend at work, but a terrible thing happened today. I lost it. And I wasn't finished! Oh, and I lost someone else's book. I think I'm going to send him an Amazon gift certificate online so he can't refuse to let me pay him back. I do not want bad book karma. In other book news, I'm maybe 1/3 of the way through Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, or vice versa. I've been reading it since... February? It's entertaining, but HEAVY (no, really, it's like 7,000 pages), so it doesn't work well for commuter reading. And it has a Victorian novel feel, which I can enjoy but I rarely find engrossing. The whole "British people talking" genre sort of eludes me, in novels and film. ACTUAL British people talking are fine, though, e.g. my lovely British friend C.E.

I had to work late (9 PM) for the first time in several weeks, which was tiring but the OT will be nice to have back in the paycheck. As a bonus, the universe rewarded me with a parking spot RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY BUILDING. As Banane suggested with my last truly remarkable parking spot, I'm taking a picture of it tomorrow when it's light outside.

Direct Quote

My results to The Brain Test on Tickle.

"Kathy, you are Balanced-brained

That means you are able to draw on the strengths of both the right and left hemispheres of your brain, depending upon a given situation. When you need to explain a complicated process to someone, or plan a detailed vacation, the left hemisphere of your brain, which is responsible for your ability to solve problems logically, might kick in. But if you were critiquing an art opening or coming up with an original way to file papers, the right side of your brain, which is responsible for noticing subtle details in things, might take over. While many people have clearly dominant left- or right-brained tendencies, you are able to draw on skills from both hemispheres of your brain. This rare combination makes you a very creative and flexible thinker.

The down side to being balanced-brained is that you may sometimes feel paralyzed by indecision when the two hemispheres of your brain are competing to solve a problem in their own unique ways."

And now for something completely different - in honor of the anniversary of spam. Hee.

Oh, one more thing. Stupid food poisoning. I feel better today, but still weakened and I have no appetite for anything. I miss wanting to eat. I miss liking food.

Clouds

Big gray cloud - got food poisoning. Not fun. Silver lining - finally had time to start watching Veronica Mars season 1 on DVD. Priceless moment? Discovering that not only was there a can of soup in the pantry (sparing an achingly long walk to the store), but it was CHICKEN soup.

May Day

First, a word on my two favorite moments of the "Day Without Immigrants" parade that I walked past at lunch today. The handwritten cardboard sign floating above the fray that read "Dykes for Immigrants' Rights", and the little boy in his stroller who was chanting "Si se puede! Si se puede!" all on his own while pounding his chubby little fist against his knee while his mom pushed him along with a blank expression on her face. Oh, and kudos to Ella's Restaurant who closed for the day so their employees could choose to march this afternoon.

Now my own frivolous "Mayday". Weekends are quickly being claimed as the L.C. prepares to leave for San Diego and I am afraid he will not get his act together in time to go out with me before then. This coming weekend, I'll be in Tahoe and he's off to SD. Next weekend, my dad is in Sacto for Mother's Day and Gma's birthday. He told me the extended family is getting together FRIDAY night to take Gma out to dinner. I was already planning to head out there for the weekend, but was thinking I'd leave Saturday and take Monday off to stay for 3 days. But now, I'm being encouraged to come and give them my entire weekend. Then, Dad wants to stay out here with me while Gma heads out on vacation Thursday. Meaning - he'd be here for the FOLLOWING weekend. The weekend after that is Memorial Day, and the L.C. has a camping trip planned. And that's it.

I feel guilty for trying to stall my family on the OFF CHANCE that I'll go out with the L.C., who HAS said that he'd like to hang out on a night when we don't have to go to work the next day. (Of course this sad little chronicle we call a blog details how that doesn't mean anything is ACTUALLY going to happen.) Outside of the month of May, I can't stop hoping that his being in S.D. doesn't necessarily mean I won't ever see him again b/c I'm planning to head down there some time this summer. But planning all these things around someone who hasn't even positively confirmed he WANTS to go out with me again - makes me feel pathetic. Don't I ever get to outgrow feeling pathetic where boys are concerned?

File this under something else I probably shouldn't confess to - I was thinking I should turn some of this introspective romantic angst into some sort of artistic effort, like a poem or a song. But then - the "Casa Bonita" episode of South Park came on and I decided I'd rather watch that then concentrate. "Black Bart's Cave! Awesome, cliff divers! More sopapillas, please!"