Femme on Fire

They call it "Public Diplomacy"

cough cough propaganda cough

Parallel Universe

I'm in the process of selling my house. I know pretty well what I'm getting for it. So tonight for a laugh I went on real estate.com and looked in the pretty, wooded, coastal areas of Washington.

I could retire. I could buy two wooded acres and a 2k sq. foot home with a coastal/hill view. I could invest the rest of the money. I could take a low paying job. I could get married and have kids and grow old in a neighborhood with good schools and travel all the time.

That is so weird.

Things I must remember to tease my brother about when he's older:

1. When he plays the race car video game he thinks the point is to make the cars explode. He wants to "shoot" the road signs. This will only be funny if he doesn't grow up into a complete psychopath outlaw.

2. He has started reading to mommy, and anyone else present, instead of the other way around. Except that he can't read. This is all fine and completely normal and adorable. But tonight's reading fair was all Dr. Seuss. And like the master himself Cole made up entire words and spoke them very sing-songy. Except like a true four-year-old boy many of the words were variations of "butt."

3. He decided the lego race car with nascar pit crew I got him was actually a rescue crew. His justification: they have walkie-talkies. After we finished building it and putting the stickers on we explained what everything is and he got annoyed. "No," he said, "I told you I decided they're a rescue crew!" I can't believe he's only 4.

Spotty loves Green Beans

I have been back in Los Angeles for over two months now and loving it. Living with my mom has been surprisingly easy and enjoyable when I'm there. I finally found a job- working with my friend Kelly again (from my Outback Jack days) which is fun and exhausting. I've been enjoying the company of many friends and a good man. I have pretty much picked up where I left off. In that way it can be difficult to see what the last few months has meant to me. Here I am, back in the swing of things, what's changed? But I get every day reminders of the differences in my life and the goals I have before me are all altered or enhanced.

The biggest change is my attitude. Little Ariel no longer feels that her life is starting just around the corner. Good. Let's move on.

The past week or so I've had the pleasure of dogsitting for myself. I mean for Jason. But they're my dogs, in my house. That makes perfect sense, right? And while I've been there I've noticed that Spotty hasn't been jumping to attention the minute I bend over his food bowl like he usually does. Let's keep in mind that Spotty is not 30 pounds overweight due strictly to laziness. But whatever, fat dog not eating, I can be cool with that for a day or two. I also noticed with some delight that Hops eats whatever Spotty doesn't, especially since Hops is the Laurel to Spotty's Hardy. So having established the roles of these two fine beasts, I hope it will amuse you as much as I that I discovered this morning Spotty was bummed because his food was lacking green beans. Green beans that were added to fill his tummy with fewer calories. The second they were added to his bowl this morning he lept from the floor and chowed. Weirdo.