We're home shopping for groceries. I wonder if shoprite is trying to
brainwash us with the music they funnel through the store:

"hungry heart"
"constant craving"
"sweet little lies"

So, I'm back in silver spring, but this time for personal reasons.
Stephen's sister had her baby, and we're here visiting the new baby.
She is SO cute.

We're probably going to be here until early afternoon at which point
we'll hit the road and head back to NJ. I can't forget to drop by
mom's house tonight and say hello. It is, after all, M-day.

I went to visit neil down in brigantine. It was gorgeous at the shore,
warm breeze and 70 degrees. Below is a picture of the walkway to the
beach just outside his apartment.

It was funny hanging out with neil, we reverted to shooting the shit
like we were in 3rd grade. Doing stuff like flying kites and walking
through dunes and getting ice cream.

Funny how we get older and some things are still fun 20 years later!

Well, I picked this up from the music store today. It's a Boss loop
station. This thing kicks ass, it's everything I've ever dreamed it to
be. I've been wanting one for a long time, and I finally pulled the
trigger.

I've been playing with it all afternoon, and there are quite a few
cool things to try out with my guitar. Some of the things I tried this
afternoon: loop myself and accompany, record a drum track off
garageband and loop that and play over it, and loop a sample off an
Ani Difranco track and play over it.

On top of all of that, the pedals let me alter the tempo of anything
that i've sampled! This thing is WAY cool. I'm gonna hook a pick-up to
my violin and hook it up to this thing and play with that!!

I just want this afternoon to be over. I'm not going to jinx myself by saying I'm leaving at a certain end-of-workday time, because every time I say so I end up getting pulled onto some Friday afternoon work drama that is some catastrophe that must have my attention.

I am so looking forward to goofing off this weekend. It's just too darned bad the weather isn't going to cooperate and it's probably going to be inclement. If I don't hear from neil, maybe I'll do an "I'm so sexy" self portrait shoot this weekend.

Death trap! Death trap!

The bed desk has to be the best addition to my home office in quite a
while. I know I shouldn't be working in bed because it's bad for
sleeping habits, but it's SO comfy.

Especially with the windows open and the cool breeze and sunlight
streaming in.

I am at splash for by birthday and I am siopoo drink, andnmy girenfs are here toncelebtarrb with me!! So happy!

My mom called me up a few days ago at 6am by a phone call. In a sleepy
grog, I answered; my mom was frantic.

"O M G, did you see the news yet on tv? This is important!"

In my 6am just-got-woken-up-way-early haze, I was thinking "oh shit,
was there some national calamity going on like 9/11? My mom NEVER
calls me this early in the morning!"

In my half awake stupor, I respond, "no, I haven't seen the news yet,
we don't have tv (which is a half truth). What's going on?"

My mom then goes on a rant about the athsma med singulair: "You
should stop taking them RIGHT NOW. It's being linked to suicide
and depression! It's in the news!"

Without thinking, I replied, "You get me out of bed at 6am for THIS?
I'll call you back LATER." and proceeded to hang up.

I already know what my Mom was talking about; I read the article the
day before. The news stated that the FDA wants an INVESTIGATION done.
There is a POSSIBLE relationship.

(here's a similar article)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120663164096268731.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Anyway, the point of this is:

1) mothers should not wake me out of sleep for news that can wait
until a REASONABLE hour.

2) I have no intention of not using singulair, as it has quite a
positive effect on my pulmonary health.

3) mothers should not wake me out of sleep for news that can wait
until a REASONABLE hour!!!

Regarding the news, however, I will state that when I started taking
singular two years ago, it did some fucking around with my dreams.
My dreams were WAY more violent than they normally are. Not nightmares,
just violent. And VERY vivid. They're back to "normal" now.

I didn't realize what was going on until I told Stephen I was getting
really bizzare dreams, and he told me he got them too when he was on
singulair, and if I google for singulair and dreams I would see
other people who had the side effect. But that doesn't mean I'm
either depressed or suicidal!

Anyways, time to pop my singulair and head to sleep!

I bought myself a hot mist humidifier to make my asthma feel better.
OMG, it's luxurious. Breathing in warm, humid air feels WONDERFUL. Out
with cold dry winter air!!!