Good-bye lil' friend....

Well, Sunday was the day... yes, after a few months of greetings at the door, hogging of the bed, slipping and sliding of a spilt water bowl, trying to crawl into my lap while I am (ehhem... ) indisposed again.... I say good-bye to you, little Sebastian.

Sunday was THE day. Yes, my temporary house guest, Sebastian was quickly whisked away by one Will Pry that morning. With only as so much as a little meow and a little hesitation that he was NOT getting into the cat carrier, he really was a good kitty and only cried a little down the hall as he got to ride in the cart on top off all of his stuff.

And if it makes you feel any better Seabass -- those other kitties that you tried so hard to befriend -- well, they were looking for you for a couple of days. And damn, if they didn't realize that you were not coming back to hog their bed spots and my lap, did they both jump on me all day Monday and Tuesday as I lay immobile from sickness.

Dave, he seems to have a healthy appetite and still likes to knock over water bowls.. And oh yeah, if he even thinks you may be slightly up... he will pounce on you with a "meow?" in your ear. If only my place were bigger and I didn't have two other cats, I would have kept him permanently. But he's now back at Will's dad's house -- and with a previous friendly face -- so I take solace in that.

Too bad I wasn't on my death bed....

So I am still sick and have the worst possible shift ever in the history of all shifts at the DMN. It is a legislature night, decisions are slow to come on the centerpiece and other story line-ups and well, my patience is nill since I am still coughing up a lung.

And just when I think, this night can't get any worse... at 12:30 a.m. (when my shift is supposed to end) members of the Texas legislature walk out on the session, breaking quorum to keep House Speaker Craddick in power. Curse them all --- as my head feels like it about to explode through my eyes from all the coughing I have done for the last 8 hours.

Ok, so you guys couldn't have done this earlier? Say two and half hours ago when deadline really mattered....I was stuck there until 2 a.m. and really how many people actually got that version of the paper. Sheesh.

A sick Liz... is a cranky Liz

Well, it was bound to happen. I've been burning the candle at both ends and... now have a raging sinus infection that has made its way into my chest. So sniffling, sneezing and hacking.. I called in sick to work Saturday and then proceeded to spend three hours-plus at an urgent care facility.

I lost my Blue Cross Card in Miami (back in January) and didn't even think about the need to replace it. So after dealing with the hacks at Blue Cross, I was able to print a temp one and order a new one all on their pain-in-the-arse website.

Off on my merry (and dizzy) way, I made it to the Mockingbird location of Primacare. As I enter the lobby (already cursing that this had to happen on a holiday weekend when my so-called primary doctor is not available), I am in for a shock -- it is jam packed and am I in for a rude treat. I sign it, wait at least 45 minutes before they even call me to fill out paper work, sit down for another 45 minutes and realize that in the almost two hours I have been there only three people have been called. I politely explain to the receptionist that I am having problems breathing and ask where I stand on the list. There are still 8 people ahead of me (supposedly three traumas came in at the same time - why would 'traumas' go there and not the ER?)-- whaaaaattttt? So I ask about their closest clinic and low and behold they can take me right away.

Dizzy, fed up and just ready to curl into a ball and go to sleep, I head to Beltline and Coit. As I get on the freeway, some dumbass not paying attention on her cellphone almost runs me off the road. With several curse words, some honks and a few fingers, I manage to stay on the road.

The office sees me right away and the nurse and nurse practitioner are both nice and sympathetic to my 2-hour ordeal at the other clinic. They get me some drugs, including a new inhaler, and send me on my merry way. Walgreens is next door and lo and behold, they are actually going to fill everything quickly and get me out of there.

A Whole Foods is across the street and I'm hungry at this point after pretty much not eating all day (and hardly last night). So I decide to stock up and also buy some pretty flowers to cheer me up. And there is this woman in a Land Rover who spends 10 minutes trying to get out of a spot... and she has enough clearance to turn a MAC truck around in a 360-degree angle. Pet peeve no. 1: If you can't drive an SUV, you should NOT be able to own one! (I have a Jeep and can parallel park that baby anywhere -- ask around.. most people are impressed....)

And this is where my crankiness just seemed to get a little worse. Now I know why I don't run errands on Saturday, people are so wrapped up in their own little worlds.... this woman kept blocking me in the aisles (every other aisle)... and of course, I'm in a hurry. Please kindly leave your basket in the middle of the aisle entrance so I can not leave the aisle or get around you. So that makes pet peeve no. 2: Common courteous... you clueless f**k!

I get home (finally), unload the groceries and lo and behold, one of the elevators is broken... So I wait and wait... and as I try to juggle my groceries and prescriptions and make it intact and upright into the elevator, this girl with a bulldog is standing blocking the doorway, not moving away from the buttons.

"Excuse me," I say trying really hard not to show my irratation. And she still doesn't move aside. Finally, I glare at her. "Could you move over so I can get on?" She doesn't say a word. I'm sure we are both thinking about the other, "Bitch."

I get off at the next floor, stumble in the door and think how good it is to be home -- hack, wheeze, cough. So that is how I spent the beginning's of a Memorial Day weekend. Hope yours was better.

Introducing Mrs. Elizabeth.... Legend

Oh, do I have a celeb crush now. After witnessing a great (and I mean GREAT!) performance by the one and only John Legend at the Majestic Monday night, I do have to say, I think I may just be his next wife.

Anna (thank you, thank you for coming and buying the tickets) and I were waaaaay up in the center balcony but honestly, it felt like he was righttheresocloseyoucouldreachoutandtouchhim. I had the CDs and the live show was (and as usually true) way better. And it was sold out, packed, even to the back of the theater.

So we crammed into those seats and wouldn'tcha know it -- we could have brought in cameras. I managed to take a way lame video snippet twice and poor Anna (who i feel guilty for encourgaging to do so) gets yelled at by the usher because ahhhem... video is not allowed. Uh, hello, are they blind? The entire balcony has their cellphones and cameras all whipped out and they are not taking "just" flash photography.

And the Legend did put on a great two-hour set with everything from hits, "I used to love you," "Ordinary People" and "Show Me." The girl next to me giggled and bumped me and we high fived during "Alright." I just love when you bond with total strangers! And I will convert every last one of you into a fan....

And into the encore, I even retorted to Anna after he sang and shimmied and played into every girl's heart, "If your a guy who came with a girl tonight, man, is HE getting lucky tonight after this."

A better, brighter day

It was kind of weird not doing something with my mom today. For the first time, in who knows how many years, I was the child calling instead of taking her out somewhere (but I had sent a gorgeous two dozen of roses so I did do my duty.)And I did call -- as odd and strained as it was -- to wish her a nice day. We made small talk since I was at the Swiss Ave. tour (day 2) and the local band was a entertaining but loud. Since my brother was there, wouldn't you know it -- she really did cut the conversation kind of short -- and passed the phone at him.

It was a relief to get the phone call out of the way so we could focus on selling at the show. And today was better -- we actually made enough money to cover the vendor fee and then some -- but I still didn't turn a profit when you factor in supplies and time.

And Cindy and I did agree that next year we will renegotiate the fee and only spend the 5 hours on Sunday, instead of all weekend. Plus I need to figure out the logistics of getting a credit card machine or wifi connection so was can do credit cards -- we lost a few sales and realized we could charge more if we only had the machine. A big lesson I took away from this - woman are willing to pay/buy more if they can just hand over that piece of plastic.

And I should know that -- I rarely use my check book and I never carry it anymore -- and I'm also someone who doesn't carry a lot of cash.

And I'm already brainstorming for new shows we can do -- and getting ideas for new pieces to make. There are some supplies I need to restock -- and a few things I may remake since they did sell so well. And I need to check out Neiman's catalog for the season -- a few people mentioned some pieces they really liked (and I'm sure the mark up is 300 percent).

Getting caught with your pants down

I loathe most insects and reptiles. As much as I try to remember that "we're all created equal" I still cringe when I see a huge bug.

At work Saturday night (also doubling as election night and another long-ass shift from hell), I finally get a reprieve and take refuge in the ladies' room.

You know how you see something coming at you out of the corner of your eye, freeze and realize there is NOTHING you can do about. Well here I am... eeehem, indisposed... and I can't jump away from the largest cockroach the size of a small rat coming at me and my feet.

Thank god no one could here me squeal in the restroom. And for the rest of the night, I made sure to use the other one at the opposite end of the hallway.

In the words of my dear friend Cindy, "Feh!"

A group of us who hang decided a few months to sell our homemade wares at the annual Swiss Avenue home tour. There was about six of us who agreed (we all make different things from homemade cards to mosaics to styles of jewelry) with enthusiasm that this would be a great experience for us and well, it seemed like a good idea when you have months to work on it.

And the months flew by -- and one by one -- someone dropped out leaving just Cindy and I. I'm a jewelry seller virgin (one of the few times I can say that word) and she's been around the block (some work sales, local shops and through a friend in California). So we thought hey, let's stick with this -- but time restraints put me in overdrive and many a late night I cursed myself that I had agreed to this. (Especially as it came down to the wire and I've been pulling seven days straight, 12 hour days to put out this reallllly boring Business section that only the industry cares about).

This morning was the first day of selling and (surviving on a two-hour "nap") I stumbled over to Swiss Avenue (completely forgetting how to get their in my sleep- deprived brain and somehow (thanks Denise!) we got set up by the start of the tours.

People would come by, nod, smile, look eventually. I sniped to Cindy, "It's f---in Mother's Day people, buy something." Most would walk by and pretend not to see us (there were very few vendor- Wells Fargo, a local spa, another guy selling someone else's jewelry and decorative garden trinkets and a local masseuse offering chair massages) and this was definately a lesson in polite decorum as I was about ready to smack some people after their rude comments. One woman in a group of six tells us, "I don't need anymore jewelry, I have enough," as her friends were browsing and touching the necklaces. Because she was hovering around the table and others were trying to look in as thet walked by I wanted to retort, "Than get the (bleep) away from the table, you cheap asshole."

People kept telling us it was reasonably priced. But they still didn't buy. So the hours ticked by -- Cindy ran home to give her diabetic dog her shot and pick us up some lunch -- I worked on a bracelet and chatted with the masseuse (Dan) who was also not having any luck with customers. (To draw people over, he even gave Cindy and I free chair massages! My neck and shoulders thank him!) and it wasn't until about 4 and a half hours in that we finally made a sale.

Alma and Jamie came up and kept us company (thanks for the drinks, Alma) and Jamie was our second sale (thank you!) but the skies were starting to rumble and we all had to go to our "real jobs" so with their help, Cindy and I started packing up but didn't ya know it -- the rain came down hard before we could get all packed up.

So the day ended up being a wash -- soaked and messy -- but a learning experience. We're going to head back there again Sunday -- supposedly it picks up for Mother's Day and we both hope we can at least make back what we paid to have a booth -- which come to think of it is kind of expensive since the home tour doesn't provide tables, or even let people know there are vendors if they don't make it to the main area of the park.

Wish us luck cause what ever is leftover is your future gift! :)

And the kitties got high, got high, got high....

I've been neglecting the three furballs lately and well did I pay Friday night. It's been a grind for me at work and my personal life has been kind of in overdrive too.
So I get home... and there is a mess of catnip all over the kitchen rug... All three cats chewed through a bag of organic catnip (that must of fell from a bureau) and whoa! talk about some majorly stoned cats.

I was up making jewelry for a show and well, they were all crazed and chasing each other until at least 3 a.m. And damn, if it was one more mess that I really didn't have the time or energy to clean up at Casa "Hurricane" Liz.

Serves me right for not hiding the kitty ganga.

And on a more (selfishly) positive note...

I did end up going through with Weight Watchers and ... drumroll... I'm 10-pounds lighter!!!! Whohoo! My good friend Alma has also joined and other friends have been really supportive -- less drinking time, more gym time!

So the clothes are getting looser -- is it a good sign when you can pull your pants off without unbuttoning -- and I feel better.

Now onto conquering that awful nail-biting habit I've been trying to break for 20 years.

And these are sad times...

Life is too short or so it seems these days. Got a pretty sad e-mail from a friend in Detroit, saying two former colleagues had passed away over the weekend -- both just two days apart and from apparent heart attacks. Both worked in the sports department and as weird and goofy as that department is -- working with all them was never a dull moment.

Dave was 35 -- quiet, reserved but man, get him going on Kiss or any heavy metal band and he talked your ear off. I always had to smile when he started rattling off Kiss' greatest hits -- it was so out of place... this larger-than-life black dude rhapsodizing on which was better -- Kiss with or without the make-up (make-up all the way was his thought!)

And then Paul -- sweet, kind, a little akward with women -- but always patient with the prep free-lancers. He took care of both of his parents until the end at 54 -- and he always worried about what would happen if one of them outlived him (his mother has.)

So with heavy heart -- I grieve with with my former colleagues. That department has had its far share of ups and downs the last two years. Several of us bailed when the paper was going through a transition -- and now we are scattered throughout the U.S. They also lost their slot less than six months ago to an unfortunate incident. So they diligently put out a section with a skelton crew -- all shocked, saddened and a little jaded as to why this keeps happening to them.

As we grow older, death seems to come a lot quicker. Another former colleague at the News died from complications of cebral palsy only a few weeks ago. And a Michigan acquaintance also lost his life at 54 from a massive heart attack on Easter Sunday.

With each hour, it makes me think -- Seize the moment, savor the memories and wish for the best.