Dammit!

1. I've been casually dating this guy. It was more "on" before I went to California but it certainly hasn't been "off" since my return. Tonight, we were chatting when I asked what his plans for the long weekend were. His response was "What did you have in mind?"

Dammit! I already have plans and was just making small talk. He's gone to pour himself some wine and I'm writing this post. I feel bad I might have hurt his feelings.

2. Lionel and Daisy had their regular, semi-annual check up today. Their livers are starting to fail.

Dammit! Now, we've changed their diets and have a plan. It's early stages yet and the vet is hopeful. As they put it, we're "giving their little livers a break."

3. P. C. and his chica broke up.

Dammit! Now he's talking about how he trusts too easily (which he does) and how he needs to be more guarded (which he doesn't.)

I'm going back to my book now.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Just Nasty

Ewwww...I smoked yesterday. And it was just nasty. I'm still tasting it. Now, this is not the first time I've smoked since I quit. I'll be honest. It is, however, the first time I've smoked since I quit and found it really, really disgusting.

Hard to believe I used to do that all the time. And it's equally hard to believe I should be feeling that way about it. It's good ~ just...weird.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Weekend Ramblings

1. Smell that? That's autumn coming. And I have had a post on autumn rolling around in the back of my brain but couldn't quite get it written. When I stopped by Dagoth's Domain earlier today, I realized I wasn't the only one. But he's got pictures! Bottom line is, autumn is coming. It feels like it; it smells like it; it even looks like it. This summer has felt miserably long. I'm ready for autumn.

2. My blogging will be sporadic over the next month or so. I have an October 1 deadline. Wish us luck.

3. I don't like being as busy as I've been recently because it hasn't been a fun busy. It's been an enforced busy. I feel like everything that is of value to me ~ my relationships, my blogging, my personal time, my fiction, everything ~ is suffering for it. Making that October 1 deadline will help immensely. That's what has me so crazy I'm not enjoying life.

4. Now it's back to work. What'd I tell you? :/

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Venezuela

The following was left as a comment on my blog.

My daughter gave your new book to her "boy friend" who is from Venezuela. She just started to 'date him' four weeks ago but he is leaving fri morning. I think they are really just friends because she knew he had to leave because of his Visa. So you book will be in Venezuela....he wants to learn english so bad that he wouldn't let my daughter speak spanish. So you book is on it way to Venezula.

HOLY SHIT

If that's not enough to light a fire under a writer's butt ~ or at least this writer's butt ~ I'm not sure what is. Thanks, Nancy!

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

The Bitch was Right

My loathing for Glinda the Good Witch really knows no bounds. HOWEVER! I have to admit, albeit grudgingly, that she is right about one thing. There is no place like home.

And I am home, my friends. Finally.

Tahoe was...well, you know how Tahoe was. The Blackbelt, the Divine M, the Lovely Cats, and P. C. emailed me often and helped keep me sane, Goddess love them all. And, as always, your comments. Whew!

LA was amazing. Time with Coffee Girl was comfortable and comforting and as easy as it was six years ago when we saw each other last. Just as I had known it would be. My time with Butterfly Boy (who needs a new moniker desperately ~ consider the contest open) was everything I had wanted it to be ~ except long enough. And LA itself was great ~ for a city that isn't in the Northeast. ;) It was really nice to be somewhere where people didn't stare at me like I was a freak of nature. No one even noticed. It was delightful. Especially after Tahoe where I had neon flashing lights over my head screaming "She's Not From Around Here!" LOL

In terms of work, my time with my collaborator was indeed productive, BB (somebody name him Something and Quickly!) explained yet another concept that has been plaguing me, and I am unblocked with the fiction as well.

Of course, there are stories. This is me, people. There are always stories. Those will, however, have to wait for a bit. Lionel and Daisy need snuggles. But it's official ~ I'm back. And damn happy to be so, even if it means Glinda was right.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Just Plain Whiny

God, I hate it out here. Tahoe ~ and my biofamily ~ are not good for me. L.A. tomorrow and that will help HUGELY. For now, though, I just want to go home.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Go West, Young Pobble

I'm outta here for the next twelve days. Hopefully, I will be able to post some and read more often. Everybody take care and be well.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Compassion v. Pity

P. C. is hurting. If boys are stupid, girls are crazy. And he can pretend he's not upset all he wants to ~ as I told him last night, I saw the expression on his face when he got off the phone. At one point, I just wrapped my arms around him, kissed the top of his head (the patented Pobble Panacea when nothing can fix, help or remedy a situation) and said "Oh my dear friend."

His response was to stiffen and say "Don't pity me."

The vehemence of my response surprised me. See, I find pity an incredibly insulting and disrespectful emotion. I cannot respect someone I pity. I cannot feel respected by someone who pities me. Yet, I hurt with my friends when they are hurting and I appreciate when my friends hurt with me when I am hurting.

After my short, if empassioned, diatribe, he relaxed again, put his head on my shoulder and said "Okay, I'll take your compassion."

And so many cogs fell into place for me. For thirteen years, I worked human services with some truly desperate clients. Something in me always resented some of the volunteers but not others. For my entire adult life, I have worked with teenagers, trying to teach them to be gentle with each other (no mean feat if you remember the politics of teen years.) Some, I knew got it ~ others just didn't somehow, eventhough every other adult thought they had. The word I have always used was "respect" though that wasn't quite right either. I intuitively knew what I wanted to express; I just couldn't find the right words.

However, P. C., in his frustration and hurt, got the semantics in one. He handed me the words I have always searched for without being able to fully express: compassion v. pity. Is it any wonder I hurt for and with my friend but would never pity him?

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Atmospheric Train Wreck

I am obsessed with the nation's weather right now. Weather.com has become my addiction. I don't want to look but I can't quite look away. It's hot. It's crazy, mad, wicked hot.

Yes, there is a cooling trend on the way. Yes, it has even already gotten to the west coast. But right now, here on the east coast ~ it's hot. Current actual temp here in Worcester right now is 94 and the heat index is 106. I grew up in the south. I don't care which side of the Mason Dixon line you're on. 106 is hot.

Next week, I'm going to be in California. There are three different places it is reasonable for me to expect I will be spending evenings. So I check their ten-day forecasts in order to start planning what laundry needs to be done. The highs are pretty similar. The lows ~ the expected evening temperatures ~ are 79, 75 and...43. Wait. What? 43? Forty-three? As in 11 degrees above freezing 43? Now, I get how I'm supposed to pack for seven days of 43. And I get how I'm supposed to pack for five days of 79 and 75. But how the hell am I supposed to pack for twelve days of 79 and 43? And to think, I had images of only using one suitcase. Silly Pobble.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

An Unhappy Shout-Out

There are things I don't understand happening in the world. Things that are making me angry, tired, sad, frightened, confused... And I don't understand them. I will read everything I can get my hands on ~ I won't understand them. I will listen to anyone who has an opinion ~ I won't understand them. I may even come to understand the politics well enough that I pick a side ~ and I won't understand the things that are happening.

So, I offer you these, my dear cyberfriends. Four blogs. Two from inside Lebanon and two from inside Israel. I make no claims as to which is true ~ or even"truer". I do not claim to know enough to take a side. I can't even promise you they are good blogs. I found them in a google search and nothing more. I do know that these are voices from people who are living...horror.

Beruit Live

Boker Tov, Boulder

Hashmonean

Kerblog

As always, comments are welcome. Respectful discourse and intelligent disagreements will always have a home here. Freedom of speech and all that. Any comments that drift ~ or explode ~ into name calling (or worse) will be deleted. The world is already at war. Let's not open up a Pobble Thought front. Thank you.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.