I'm in a whirlwind. And I love it. I love my new job, I love the fact that I've been inspired to begin painting again, and I love that crafty ideas are running all through my thick skull. I love that I work in a warm and inviting and comfortable environment where people eat cereal out of real bowls at their desks in the morning. I love that my boss has a toddler son who comes to the office and who has told me that he loves me, that he likes my curly hair, and that he wants me to stay here forever. I love that I have things in common with people. I love that I've found my element. It is nice.

So in the past week I've made two paintings/collages and I promise to take some photos soon. Two pieces of art! More on that later.

I'm just happy. Things are good.

I've been terribly slacking in the photo department, but I hope that that change of scenery that my new job will bring will freshen my perspective and open my eyes. A day and a half left of my old job, and it looks like I will end up quietly slipping out. Which is fine.

Friday I am officially unemployed, and plan to paint my toenails, drink wine on the roof, and get a haircut. Pampering and relaxing for emily day. I absolutely can't wait. We're getting a new patio table and chairs tonight so we have something decent to eat our summer dinners on. And somewhere to place our wine when we're relaxing on our day off.

I've been decidedly less shoppy lately, as I discovered that I am transitioning from bi-weekly to monthly paychecks. This means that I may not get my first paycheck for 6 weeks. That may put a cramp in the bill paying situation.

My lunch date is late and I'm starving. Eh.

I have guests in town, and am barely surviving off a week of 5 hours of sleep per night. My usual 7 to 8 are not in the cards right now, and my body is definitely suffering. My lack of rest got in the way of my feet this morning on the steps up to the train as I tripped over my toenails, half ripping my left big toenail off my foot. It was a spectacular performance. I barely even broke my stride. Once I got to the office and assessed the damage, I craftily used some white-out tape to repair the rip and simulate the french pedicure I had so carefully labored over not once, but twice this week. You can barely tell. I am such an artist. And a priss.

I've been obsessed with phobias lately, and for some time have been working on a list of things I am afraid of. After finishing Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, I am also obsessed with alphabetical lists, hence the following alphabetical list of my fears.

A
alone, being

accidentally falling down

airplane landings

B
blood

birth, giving

breaking bones

C
car accidents

cutting myself

choking in a restaurant

computers crashing

D
death

dogs of very very large stature

E

earthquakes

everyone seeing me fall down

embarrassing myself in front of a lot of people

F
falling down

foot, breaking my

forgetting how to cook

food poisoning

falling out, the diamond in my engagement ring

G

giant spiders

grates in the sidewalk

H
horse hooves, being trampled by

heights (a little bit)

I
injections

ice skating on natural ice (not in a rink)

J
jinxing things

K

kids, ending up with bad

L
losing my mind

losing loved ones

losing my hair

M
mind readers

maxing out my credit card

N
needles

naked people, crazy

O
overestimating my own ability

operations, surgical

P

peeing my pants

putting my foot in my mouth

passing out at an inopportune time

Q
quantities of blood, losing large

R
rejection

realizing it's all just a dream

S
stairs, falling down

severing a finger

spilling drinks on people

spiders with long hairy legs

T
tripping (...and consequently falling)

trust broken, having my

U
upside-down, being trapped

underwear, not having enough clean

V
vehicle maintenance, the cost of

W
weighing much more than I should

writer's block

X
????

Y
young republicans

Z
zoot suit riot, a

zombies

Oh my god it's summer and I couldn't be more thrilled. Well, I probably could be a little bit more thrilled, say, if I won the lottery and my dog cured himself of Addison's disease, and I didn't have blisters on my left foot. I would be a little more thrilled then. But I'm thrilled all the same.

Summer has made my apartment quite uncomfortably oven-like, which made me wish 1) it was still spring. We didn't seem to have a sufficient spring this year, and that sucks. 2) I had short hair. The wave is obnoxiously warm. 3) I had central air conditioning. We have some window units, but they are heavy and I am very very busy. And I like to complain. 4) I could take frozen margaritas with me everywhere I went.

Hubb and I visited an antique sale on Friday and came home with a beautiful antique pressed tin ceiling tile that now graces the freshly painted space above my couch. It is a beautiful organgey-pinky-rusty-tinny gorgeousness, and I honestly don't know how I ever lived without it. I'll take a picture soon. My house now feels complete, more complete than I ever thought it would feel. It's amazing how adding a few pieces of art on the wall can make you feel at home. I really need to get started on my canvas.

Last night I received another Poise creation, an altered Lacey Clutch with pretty pink lining and proportioned just right for my petite frame. It is perfect and I love Cinnamon for being so talented and wonderful and for being my own personal purse-maker. I have a secret plan to have her perpetually working on something for me. I hope she doesn't mind. Having Cinnamon make a purse specifically for me is way better than shopping for one, hands down.

Dear Hubb,

Thank you for dealing with my bullshit, letting me be a control freak, eating anything I put in front of you, and for letting me display those rooster plates that I know you secretly hate. And thank you for sticking up for me and for pushing me to do what I really want to do, and for letting me get those red pointy shoes. I really love those shoes. And thank you for not making me feel stupid and slothy when I watch four episodes of Law and Order in a row.

And thank you for not being jealous, and for giving me a thumbs up and a pat on the back when I think I deserve it, even when you don't agree. And for letting me gloat. And for not getting upset when I point out that I am better at something than you are. I can't help it. Thank you for being better than me at the things I don't want to do anyway.

And thank you for the good times and the bad, the sickness and the health, the richer and the poorer. And for really meaning it when you said "always and forever."

Thank you for taking me out to dinner this Friday. I would like to try some place new.

I forgive you for that one time you called me by your mother's dog's name. And the other time that you told me that I didn't "need" ice cream. At the time I really didn't "need" it.

I love you.

Always and forever,
em