2003-07-07 3:28 p.m.

I left work around 1:30 on Thursday, totally "over" work & it's usual crappiness. I went to the library & got 4 books. 2 fiction, 2 non. The one that I read for most of the weekend was "One Door Away from Heaven" by Dean Koontz. I've heard & read a lot of people say they don't like the new direction his work has taken since "From the Corner of His Eye" but that was one my favorite books ever. I just love the ideas of all of our actions having consequences (cause they do) plus alternate realities are cool. "One Door" was cool too, but not life altering. And the ending was a little anti-climatic. But I think it's cool that Dean has the Search for Answers thing - that so many of us have - going on.

Among the reading of that, there was much napping & playing fetch with Roshi. During the "hot part" of the day was my usual nap time, with all the shades drawn, and the a/c on. I'm going to hate my powerbill next month, but I considered it vacation time - which to me means pamper. Which means A/C.

After finishing "One Door" I read a few chapters of one my non-fiction books, which is about Judiasim. But kind of heavy for vacation mode, so on to book 2 of non-fiction: a book about drawing techniques. I'm not as horrible as I thought with the drawing, of course I was doing the basic squares, cirles and fruit. But mabye I'll actually stick with it a while.

Yesterday I started my other fiction read - "Seek My Face" by John Updike. I wasn't familiar with this book, but the name I was, so I'm going to give it a shot. I didn't get sucked in right away, mainly because on Sunday I ate too big of a brunch and was soooo sleepy. Then I ate too big of a dinner and guess what? So I watched some Season 2 Buffy on DVD instead.

Food was also a big part of my weekend. I did fish tacos on Friday. Cause that's traditional 4th food, right? Actually, I just had all the ingredients in the house already. I went to the grocery store on Saturday with one goal in mind - cornbread. But it turns out they don't sell self-rising cornbread here, except in the little packets and the little packets I looked at were all sweet. I don't like my cornbread sweet. But on the plus side Vons did get grits in - they didn't have any last Monday. So since I couldn't do my big cornbread meal, I went with a big ol' breakfast on Sunday - I did grits, pan fried bacon (as opposed to the microwave kind) & scrambled eggs. Roshi got my first effort on the bacon, as I'm still not good with the gas stove.

I did get to see fireworks on the 4th, but there was a very not-fun factor thanks to my poor puppy. **This is gross, you may not want to read if you're of the sensitive nature ** So Mira Mesa - the community I live in - apparently does fireworks, 2 blocks from my apartment. About 9:10 pm I hear the first one go off. I go out on the balcony & realize they're on the other side of my building. As I'm walking back through the apartment Roshi motions for me to pick her up, cause she was scared. But she wasn't shaking or barking. Just kind of "holding on." so we go out the front door & I can see the fireworks great, but realize I'd be able to see them better from the street. Roshi's still maintaining, no shakes or anything. By the time I get to the bottom of the stairs, I smell poo. Which I think is strange because I couldn't have stepped in it because I hadn't stepped onto the grass. Just then, big loud firework goes off & Roshi jumps down out of my arms & runs back up the stairs to the apartment door. I look down & discover the source of the poo smell. My dog has shit on me. The literal meaning of "scared the shit out of.." I guess. I go back up the stairs & immediately jump in the shower, fully dressed, because it's on my arm and my shirt and my jeans & take the Irish Spring to arm, shirt and jeans. And Roshi's butt, which is also a little covered. Poor baby.

After getting out & putting on dry, not poop covered clothes, I close the balcony door & watch the fireworks from my window that's on the the same wall as the door, petting Roshi - who's now on the floor & not in my arms - telling her it will be ok. Poor little Phobic Girl. So I got to see about 10 minutes worth anyway, which was cool.

There was also phone time with Jody on Fri, Sat & Sunday; Maria on Sunday & Mom & Dad on Sunday too. Plus some quality CD time with a cool CD I got in the mail on Saturday :-)