Back is feeling much better today. Not great, but only a low-level ache and tightness at the moment. The pills best used before bed as they make me sleepy and thus not suitable for work or any sharp thought-based activity during the day.

Still haven’t heard from brother since he was released from jail. I imagine that no news is good news…. I think I’ll call him tonight, though.

Yesterday afternoon while I was taking care of some issues, BHK ran to the nursery and picked up some veggies for us – Flowers : Ranunculus (look mostly like the Heart of Gold ), Some Red Cat Tails, a dozen ears of corn, and a big bag of zucchini. Local food for supper the next few days!

Also after work, BHK and I went to see The Forbidden Kingdom. I’d say that we both liked it – the settings and fight choreography were lovely, but I would really have loved to see what they’d have done in the 80’s, when they were both at physical prime. It was also a bit too… American, I guess. The bookends of “bullies chase kid with no ‘fu”, to “kid, now trained, defeats bullies” weakened the picture a bit. Overall, I was more than pleased, but it wasn’t as fantastic as I’d have hoped. Not in the same league as othe rcurrent wire fu flicks, but seeing Li and Chan together was pretty nifty… Plus, The Monkey King!

After the movie’s popcorn, we were ready for some serious supper time, and headed to Red Robin… we were seated between an old man who had a fragrance of tomato soup in a baby diaper and an adorable down’s syndrome baby.

That was ok, save for the distracting scent… but after waiting for about 10 minutes without seeing a server, I took it as a sign of possible things to come, and we left.

We made a beeline for Cheeburger² and were seated immediately… placed our order, and chitty-chatted. The Trivial Pursuit cards at the table were ones we’d already done before, but that’s the risk we take by going there so often. Our server was seemingly inexperienced at her job… a little while after we placed our order, she came back to tell us that they were all out of veggie burgers. Apparently, neither BHK or I were slotted for the meal we were looking for tonight. We got ready to go, and the girl pleaded with us to stay – free milkshakes were offered. (Reasonable, since they were already made, waiting for our non-present main course to come to us.) We said that it was ok, but she begged us to stick around while she got her boss to make things right. Bogdan was there, acting as manager… we really can’t say no to him. He’s been our burger buddy since I first moved here, and BHK has known him longer than that. He gave us some other options, which worked out fine. I got a grilled portobello sammich and BHK did a cow-burger, both had the same toppings and treatment we wanted on the veggie-burgers.

The shakes were tasty, though not as thick, since they had time to melt while we waited… I got a chocolate mint (not as good as chocolate cherry), and BHK had a standard ol’ fashioned chocolate malt.

We made it home at about 9ish, BHK checked her email while I played a little TF2 (polishing my Heavy and Demoman skills) and Counterstrike.

Naughty Newt wouldn’t let BHK’s water alone… first he stuck his face close to it, and sneezed into the surface…. insuring that BHK wouldn’t be drinking any. With that, he lapped the contents until he wasn’t comfortable sticking his face inside the cup… so he put a paw in and pulled it over to drink from the puddle. BHK didn’t know that he’s fond of that little procedure. I guess she knows now. We went to bed shortly thereafter… reading turned swiftly to sleep.

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Best thing about Gordon Ramsay is his insult factor. calling someone a doughnut, a pelican and a donkey.

I’m surely going to call someone a “silly pelican” sometime soon.

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This morning, I remember a dream of disease outbreak – lots of panic – BHK and I were separated, don’t know where the cats went.

I was put on a bus to Schenectady (why Schenectady?), with one small carry-on bag. I was forbidden to bring any money, books, cell phone / electronics or shoes, with the understanding that I’d be subject to robbery and worse if I did so. I don’t remember what I did pack.. clothes and toiletries of some sort. I specifically recall bringing a roll of toilet paper and some pens and pencils. There was considerable fear and panic on the bus, but it wasn’t overcrowded. I had my own seat, and behind me was the skinny guy from The Big Bang Theory.

The skinny guy and I talked for a bit… more like he spoke and I tossed in a comment here and there in support of what he was saying. I don’t recall the exact nature of the conversation but there were certainly aspects of survival involved – something about safe water and how to make a solar oven was part of it. I was thirsty, and did not pack any water – there was a screeching or whooshing of air in my ears as we drove to our destination. Actor guy moved from the chair behind to sit next to me as there were two other fellows on his bench, pushing and shoving each other aggressively.

After our talk, skinny guy showed me that he was wearing an earring shaped like two horseshoes that were open, but closed enough that the second didn’t fall from the first. the beads were black. He took it out and stuck it in my ear, piercing it when he did… and put in another one back in his own ear… the only difference was that his now had gray beads instead. He said that it was protection for the area ahead, and also gave me a compass and a powerful magnet (that didn’t affect the compass, somehow) as a way to thank me because I wasn’t annoying. The men behind us had been listening wanted thier own, but he refused. “Sorry – you were annoying me. Anyway, I don’t have any more.” and then was killed – I couldn’t help him because I was back on the bus again, and he was in the parking lot, left far behind, shrieking as the two men tore him to pieces. I guess one of the men got the earring he had.

We stopped in Montana (must’ve been the long way, since we were going to NY from MD), where men in gas masks and carrying clipboards came on and took us outside one by one. We were lined up, and then everyone n the bus was killed except for me – deemed contagious, I suppose.

I was given food and water, and then told to walk from there. A broad expanse of grassy hills and green trees were ahead of me, with no path to be seen… but I walked, a deep sense of sadness hitting me with every step. I noted that the land was stunning, but empty without BHK and the boys with me… I began to wonder if I’d ever see them again- if somehow I’d been tricked and that this was a way of putting me in isolation.

I pulled a walking stick from a nearby branch and hit each tree, hoping to knock unseen fruit and to let nearby wildlife know I was coming… for whatever reason, I thought there were mountain lions in the woods.

Then I woke up to the alarm clock playing BHK’s IPOD, and I was snuggled in with her, the boys on the bed as well. So that’s a happy ending, anyhow.

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1 year ago – garden work / computer work, one word meme, shorpy

2 year ago – rough day, socialist apes

3 years ago – droopy dan, mlm scam, petroglyphs, wifi via airship, science fiction, local graffiti pics, newt on kittenbreak and kittenwar

4 years ago – Team Laser Explosion Secret Fan club, Eels, ADP sassmouth, php nuke is el-sucko

5 years ago – Travel plans, work, finn’s karma, Saw Murray

6 years ago – May Day Coming, Snuggles Newt, Super power, Chupa Blabs

7 years ago– web poll, dj poll, bit o’ fiction, My pet Skeleton, naughty news – lots of breasts, a bunghole, creed and a mime, mum.org letter for menstrualhut