Uppers and Downers

The past week has been an swirly blend of ups and downs. Like really high ups and really low downs.

First, I met Ruble for drinks and chit chat and ran into my good friend Beth. Mega upper.

Then I found out my darling Sarah's mom is in the hospital in the ICU and facing a battle with cancer. Mega downer.

Then I went out for sushi, sake, and redneck pool with my soulmate Heather for her birthday. Mega upper.
Then we found out Heather's sister had a run-in with the law that landed her a night in the slammer. Mega downer.

Then I saw Renee in her new glasses and she threw a snowball at me without being prompted, proving her inner rottenness is, in fact, awesome. Mega upper.
Then I found out Betsy is having some major struggles involving school, anxiety, life in general. Mega downer.

Then I took an anatomy test and freaking aced it like a test expert maniac. Mega upper.

Then I smacked my knee really, really hard on the corner of the coffee table, so hard it made me fall on the couch and cry. Mega downer.

Then I got an email that my picture from the No Nonsense contest was blasted over Times Square last month. Mega upper.
It's crazy how the goods have been soooo good and the bads have been soooo bad, only to balance everything out in such a way that reminds you life is so precious and special and worth it. Overall.

Me, lately.

I only leave the house to go to school. That is it. I don't take out the trash, the recycling, or the stuff for the compost bin.

Our house, which is old and drafty and has high ceilings, has gotten so cold we've closed all the doors and are spending most of the day in the living room under a down comforter. We have towels at the base of every door. And we've stopped doing dishes because being in the kitchen is like being in a garage.

It's too cold to walk up to the Y to exercise, so the only movement I do, beyond going to school, is occasional hula hooping. And, thanks to the Tivo, we also have some yoga that we can do if we move the coffee table out of the way.

Other than that, the snow, the winter, the weather has made me feel like this lady from Squidbillies.

The Bright Side

I had to walk to school today because riding my bike in the rain leaves me more soaked than just walking, and since I don't have a big gay umbrella, I was in a bad mood from the minute I walked out the door.

There was just too much cold paired with too much wet. Which is also the definition of miserable.

Halfway through the walk, my toes were frozen, my nose was running and my middle finger kept shooting out of my pocket in a blind rage. Then I realized I was below a canopy of the most beautiful color orange I'd ever seen, something the color of pumpkin mixed with the electricity of wet grass and dusted with yellows of sunshine from a couple days ago. I felt myself soften with appreciation.
And after class, Mack picked me up and we bought a Wii. Take that, rain.

Shifting gears to hating Kentucky...

A couple things have happened in the last four days that have really made me want to throw my hands up and scream, "This is what I mean!! This is why I hate Kentucky!!"

First, a person that I have never met in my entire life decided to call a client of mine and defame me. To say that I acted criminally and am a liar. To say that I personally caused irreparable harm to his endeavor. To say that I am not fit to do the job I've been hired to do because he refuses to receive correspondence from me.

Like I said, I have never met this person. Nor have our professional paths ever crossed. He is simply acting on a grudge held by others that is approaching its 10-year-mark. It is ludicrous, unprofessional, out of line. And, it's just plain small town high school pettiness.

I wish this town and the people who live here really had problems so I wouldn't be such a powerfully destructive force in my volunteer efforts.

The other thing to really piss me off happened yesterday between 2pm and 8pm... you know, when it's daylight outside. Some fucker came right up on my back porch, while Mack was home studying, and broke our porch trellis to steal his bike.

In L.A., two of our bikes were stolen in the course of three years. In Lexington, we've had two stolen in three months.

In L.A., we rode our bikes for pleasure most of the time, mainly because Mack's school was too far away and I didn't like getting to work and being all sweaty and gross. But since we've been back and living in downtown Lexington, we've become everyday bikers. We ride to school, we ride downtown for events... we rely on our bikes as our primary mode of transportation. And then some social disease just prances up onto our back porch, breaks it apart, tramples my vegetable plants and then steals Mack's bike.

Add to that the rain, and Kentucky gets an F- for the past few days. If it weren't for the good falafel with my parents, the snuggles from my nephew and the pineupdown crack silliness from Leiah yesterday, this move wouldn't be feeling very worth it right now.