I’m not here. Not really. There’s a lot going on, and none of it is for this space, for public consumption yet.

Couple of things though:

I went completely off the rails with my clean eating/no alcohol this weekend. Consider this my confession.

Forgive me.

The way that I deal with crisis always involves food and alcohol.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

After 20 days of sobriety and clean living, I have absolutely no control over anything remotely resembling moderation.

Tamales made and sold by tiny Mexican women who come to your salon will maybe save your life.

When your soul sister brings an Igloo of Mexican coke, ice cold, and a sonic cup of ice, it also saves your life.

Pizzahut boneless wings are pretty damned good. Eat them as soon as you get them. The pizza is good cold.

When you’ve cried so much you can’t quit, take a xanax.

When you wake up and think you’re back to eating clean, don’t eat two more pieces of pizza. Just throw it all in the trash immediately.

I’m actually relieved that I’m back on the wagon and back watching my calories.

I’m watching Sons of Anarchy. I’m on the final ep of the last bit that’s streaming. My cousin Steph is saving my life by getting Season 4 into my viewing soon.

I have reading to do. Finishing up some Fitzgerals and starting some Aphra Ben.

Going to go to the grocery store, stock up on clean things, and get a little facetime with the PseudoSisters tonight.

These cards that have been dealt…well. I guess we’re going to play them.

Dealing.

Haven’t laughed much this last week.

I did tonight when my friend Michael posted these vids.

I share them with you. In order.

Also, PseudoSis 3 had a birthday this weekend. All hell was raining down on my so I missed out on celebrating, but I think she’d laugh at these as well. Love you SISTER!!!

Enjoy.

 

Yesterday was a long, exhausting day. It was about a 6 hour round trip excursion to say goodbye to our friend Rudy. As far as funerals go, it was nice. My heart breaks for Hope, being practically carried into the auditorium…

I got home last night and ate leftovers made by Kathy for our Golden Globes viewing party. I was so thankful that I didn’t have to cook. I scarfed it down, and vegged on my couch the entire evening, finally going to bed at 9:30. Wiped out. No homework finished, no papers written, no readings done…I just didn’t care too much.

I’m caught up this morning, and other than going from a day in the 70s yesterday to a day in the 20s today…I’m ready for it.

I’ve got class this afternoon, some bank deposits to make, bills to pay, then phone calls to make regarding insurance, and doctor bills. More reading for tomorrow’s class.

This couch and blankie and cat are looking awfully tempting. But I’m getting up. I am.

Seriously.

 

I got a phone call today, from one of my oldest friends. I’ve known and loved her since the 3rd grade, was a member of her first bridal party, styled her hair for her final walk down the aisle, was there the night her son was born. We saw each other through the loss of both of her parents, and the loss of my grandparents. She is family to me.

Her niece was in a horrible car wreck and is on life support with little hope of recovery.

I ask that what good thoughts and prayers you have, please send to them today.

And consider this a big fat hug from me.

because I need it.

I’ve decided to do a Love Friday post for several reasons today. Cindy is busy, she’s at the hospital with Chris, who since they posted on FB, I figure I can say here, too, had many tests yesterday ordered by the oncologist. Results are expected today, and with results come a game plan.

Who doesn’t love a game plan?

It’s been a week, hasn’t it?

A week of celebrations, we saw our Kizz blow out some candles, then lose the rest of her cake to a shifty scrappy pooch.

Audra opened her restaurant on Wednesday and alongside Chef Kevin and the help of her family and friends, she opened it with a great success. Several of us drove out to Batshitcrazytown to EAT, downtown, and couldn’t be more proud.

Spring semester started this week, my classes are amazing. I have two professors who are already up there in the iconic USAO hero worship area. I have a lot of reading to do, and one class makes me a little twitchy but I’m so excited. I love them.

The week also brought a big fat kick in the pants with Chris’ diagnosis of tumors on the liver. We thought he was auditioning for the Simpsons due to Hep A food poisoning. Alas, that is not to be. It’s really freakin scary but they are both, he and his super hero bride, navigating this with nerves of steel. Bring on that game plan.

We also said goodbye to one of our own. Rudy had only been diagnosed about 8 weeks ago. It was a fast trip down the rabbit hole, and I know that wherever he is, he’s figured out how to do his favorite things, golf, drive his boat, play washers and drink beer, at the same time. He’s left a huge hole in all of the lives he touched and we all miss him terribly.

So, yeah. It’s been a week. What’s to love, you ask? Where’s the LOVE in Love Friday? It’s Friday the 13th even!

Well, I would propose you take another look at the week.

It is a snapshot of this adventure. Life, encapsulated in 7 days. Beginnings, celebrations, endings, mournings. What a blessing to be able to do this adventure together. To reach out and know there will be a hand to hold, be it physically, or over the cell phone, or through the interwebs. No one goes into this alone…we rally. We polish our swords for battle, we clap and scream and celebrate, we send love and sympathy and hope and prayers. We know we have each other. From the beginning…through the end. Together.

If that isn’t worthy of some Love, on this Friday…I don’t know what is.

 

We lost a great friend last night. Rudy Inselmen went on to his next great race…

It seems unfathomable that the world continues to spin, people continue to go to work, go grocery shopping, read Star magazine, watch the Today show, after such a loss.

He was diagnosed in October.

It’s not fair.

I am heart broken for his wife of a little over a year. They were, indeed, a perfect match. It seems so unfair to finally find that happiness, only to have it go away. She is, however, one of the strongest girls I know. Woman. She may not yet be 30, but she’s definitely a woman.

Sigh.

Yet the world DOES continue to spin, we know that people get up, and shower and put on clothes and go to work and school and the grocery store. Day by day, bit by bit…life comes back.

Send a little love today, to this family. Their journey has just begun.

Those triumphant thoughts? Let’s scooch them over to Chris and Cindy…mmmkay? They’ve been dealing with quite a bit of shit. Literally, with their plumbing issues in the basement of the house they just freakin bought…

and in the diagnosis of cancer that replaced the Hepatitis A that was given to Chris this week.

Rally. Rally folks!

I’m rallying in a different way, as we prepare to say goodbye to another one of our own. Rudy is a fighter, and has continued to fight lo these past few months but it seems the time has come where we are at the end of his adventure. And I can’t even really wrap my head around it. So. rally some thoughts to him, his family and his sweet wife, Hope.

It’s a cold night here. The wind just blew right through my house. Seriously I felt a draft move my hair. I’m going to tuck the blankets in the crevices at the door, and get out my little heater and after supper I’m going to read some Southern women.

Every other thought, however, is wrapped in Kevlar, wearing bullet reflector bracelets, and is written by Joss Whedon, and being sent to KC, MO.

C&C Music Factory.

Absofuckinlutely, ya’ll.

Today is Opening Day for EAT, downtown.

She’s done it, and done it on her own. Yes, she’s had a tribe of help and support surrounding her, she has an amazing staff, food distributors, bankers who have her back and are helping this dream become a reality. She’s got a brother who rebuilt parts of the kitchen at a moment’s notice, family helping in the kitchen and front of house…

But this is Her Dream. Her’s.

And she made it happen.

Through every struggle when her first instinct was, “I’m screwed. It’s done” she took a breath and forced her way through the block and continued forward. One breath at a time.

The menu is delicious and I’m going to taste first hand today for lunch. I’ll report back and have photos as well.

The world is crazy right now, prayers going out for healing to two of my friends.

But today, today we celebrate the opening of a dream.

 

So much is being celebrated today!

My beloved Kizz is another year wiser, and more fabulous today, as is LT and our esteemed Duchess of Cambridge. All three of these women, I love with my whole heart…and I know for a fact that Kizz has a tiara and LT has a diamond on her finger that rival any of the crown jewels!

Audra had her soft opening of her restaurant tonight…I’ll be there this week for her official opening. I cannot wait to taste the delight and bask in her success. Triumph!!!

I finished my first day of classes today. I had 18th Century Restoration British Lit and my Fitzgerald Hemingway class. I am absolutely in love with hero worship oozing out my ears for both of my professors. I feel pretty good about these two…pretty good indeed.

I’m down 3lbs today, after a week of eating clean and limiting calories. No sugar, no white flour, processed foods, etc. I did get to the gym today, and watched the first episode of The United States of Tara while I was on the treadmill. I freakin love my iPhone. (Kizz…you will too) I made a hearty pot of white bean chili that I ate for dinner tonight. Navy beans, chicken stock, ground chicken, green chili, spices. So filling and good.

I’ve got insurance bla bla to deal with tomorrow and my Southern Women Writers class as well. I’m going to try to wind myself down and get to bed at a decent hour…in doing so I’m going to watch last night’s premiere of Downton Abbey again. Because really, my choices are football or fear factor. It’s gross.

Happy Happy Birthday my lovelies. So grateful you’re in my life. . . though our face to face time may be teensy, my love for us is ginormous! MUAH!

 

Downton Abbey.

I’d read about it, and saw the spread in my Entertainment Weekly, but when Talaura told me she watched it over break and fell in love with it, I jumped on board.

I watched all but two eps last night…(Saturday night in the big town) and am finishing the season this morning. Season two begins tonight on PBS.

The thing I’m so happy about, two things really, are this:

It’s on a channel that I get.

I have SO many friends who watch and love this and I had no idea!