#14

I was number 14 for a while this morning. I went to the health clinic for STD testing. This is the second time I have done this. The first was almost ten years ago. Is that right? I think it is. Hmm, how many partners have I had since then? That would be a good thing to count. Anyway, I had an appointment to get screened. Got there and found that the clinic was in Clinic A not H. Give me a break, though, those two letters are graphically similar. It was jam packed, unlike last time where it seemed like there were only one or two other people.

Anyway, I went to the window and they checked me in and told me I was number 14. Yippee! I like the number fourteen. Apparently there are two lists. People who make appointments and walk-ins. The walk-ins were numbers too, but with a w added - so w-3 was someone else.

All in all it was pretty fast and painless. They took some blood and then I was examined by a nurse. Nothing seemed to be out of place. I get my results for most of the tests a week from now. And now one can call to get one's HIV results. Years ago, you had to go in to get those results. Cool. Let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we?

Oh, unfortunately, herpes testing is apparently expensive so they can't do that at the free clinic. It costs around $150 out in the real world. Why is it so expensive? And why hasn't herpes been cured? It is a really common ailment apparently. I thought it was 50% but it is actually 20%. Still, that is a lot of people. And there are lots of types of herpes. And HPV. Ick. So sad that sex can be so fun and enjoyable and can also be so icky and potentially harmful or deadly.

My brother just wrote me and told me that the doctor told my mom that she has Alzheimer's! Joy and rapture.

Well. Hmm. Anyway. Life apparently struggles onward. Here are some pictures from April 11, 2011:


The azaleas in my backyard are trying to thrive. I wish I knew how to help them. Sadly, I have a black thumb of death where plants are concerned...


Juggling from a tree always seems like such a good Spring-like idea!


One of the best birthday presents EVER! The complete Monty Python television series and extras!! Yippee!!

Monday again

Hi Monday! How the heck are you? Wow, it's been a long time! Like a week! Well, nice to see you again.

Will it be a Bojangles/Saucer/Juggling day? Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, I still have to finish going through and making revisions to the latest draft of Diary of a Plate Addict. I got about halfway through last night. I had to intersperse my work on it with reading a book that was due back in the library today. At least I finished the book! I had read it before, but didn't remember because I had read it so quickly. The next book in the series is already out and yet another one is coming out in May. Yippee! Cool series about Nicholas Flamel.

So, if everything goes according to plan, I may be on the road again in June. If I can finish the book by May, I can get copies printed and start a road trip to all of the Saucers during the month of June. That would be nifty. Where I will get the funds to do all this, only the Universe knows.

Ok, time to get this party started. Picture from April 10:


Brunch Chez Schoen-René!

Oh, by the way, I have put up the reader's digest album of pictures on Facebook that is mostly caught up. March is finished and April begun.

Sunday Work Day!

It is Sunday and I am percolating along, firing on most cylinders. Yippee! Had a good talk with my sister last night. She says that Spring is starting to appear in Maine. Hurrah for that! Yesterday was miserable here. Who asked for cold and rain? Ok, so we need the rain. Still, not pleasant.

My goal today is to finish my revision of the draft of Diary of a Plate Addict. My nephew, Joe, whose opinion I trust, read it last night and thought it was ok. That is a good thing. He did express concern over the title, feeling that the word Addict might not scan too well for a corporate audience. Good thought, I just think that a place that for years had a sign welcoming people to the Saucer saying "Sit any damn place you want" isn't going to be fastidious about that word. Or about a picture of a headless server. We shall, of course, see. I plan on sending the current draft off to the Saucer HQ tomorrow. Hopefully it will cause some comment - also hopefully positive feedback.

Yesterday was exhausting. I still prefer to be behind the table than in front of it at festivals and things. It apparently costs $300 to set up a vendor table at the beer fest. I wonder if I could horn in on someone else's table? Jeff and the Saucer had one at the Raleigh Festival - I don't know if they have one at the Durham Festival. I will have to put feelers out. Do places that give away beer and also sell knickknacks have to pay the $300? Or does the beer donation cover that as well? I will have to ask around.

So far, nothing too exciting today. I didn't get up until really late. And for some reason the thought of trekking to the Saucer for brunch just didn't appeal. I would like to finish this plate soon, so that I can start on 20. I only have about 40 beers left on 19/Austin I think. We brunched at the house. Cate doing the bulk of the work. And I did some work on the book, finishing up the glasses. Next task, actually looking at the book and seeing what needs tweaking. I have done a little already, but I know that there is a bunch more to do.

Pictures from April 9:


Jeff, the GM of the Raleigh Saucer, was kind enough to put a little display thing of my book up at the Saucer table at the beer festival! Yippee!


Three April 8 babies!


It got crowded at times at the beer festival!


Working the table!

Saturday Beer Fest!

Yippee! I survived another beer fest. Despite a chillsome day that added rain to the mix. I was slightly exhausted, though, from not sleeping particularly well the night before. Probably the rich Greek food. That is what I am going to blame it on at least.

So, all I really did today was work at the Beer Festival. I think I like the one in Durham better. The one in Raleigh just seemed a little small and dingy. It could have been the dark day. The food wasn't scintillating either. Mellow Mushroom pizza that was cold. I don't generally mind cold pizza. But on a cold day, cold pizza really wasn't a good thing. And the Bojangles biscuits were congealed. Ick. Luckily, around 5 we got Chinese food served to the brewery people. Much better.

By 8 I was really beat. So I decided to head home. Where I am now. Phew! Time for a glass of sherry and some work on the book. My new goal is to have the draft done by the end of Sunday so that I can give it to Heather. We shall see. I think that might be a little overly ambitious. Hmm.

Pictures from April 8:


Presents! How great my siblings are! My sister gave me a painting she did. My brother sent me 50 eggs filled with a variety of stuff! Cool!


Bryan and Sarah were kind enough to invite me to their plate party!


The main course at the Greek restaurant. Yummy stuff!!

Happy Birthday to me!

And many happy returns of the day. Or any day. I mean, isn't every day an anniversary of the same day a year before? Aren't we all sort of reborn every time we wake up? Or every time we make a choice?

Anyway, I am happy to have made it for 50 years on the planet (this go 'round if you believe in that sort of thing). Yippee!

I just ate some of the leftovers from the dinner I made last night. Yum city! But now I am feeling sleepy. I have accomplished much of what I wanted to accomplish today already, which is a good thing. I need to head out around 4 to run errands and then head up to Raleigh. I am so excited! There is a plate party at the Saucer, and the WBF Brewers party is there as well. And then a friend is taking me to dinner (maybe plying me with alcohol for nefarious purposes).

Some presents arrived for me the other day. Some that I ordered myself with my mom's blessing. A package from my brother Ernst and a package from my sister Juliet. Pictures of all that tomorrow. But I opened them today. Great stuff.

Ok, pictures from April 7. Can anyone believe that we are already one quarter of the way through the year. And when we finish April we will be one third of the way through? Isn't twelve the coolest number? Too bad we don't have twelve fingers and toes! (At least most of us) If we did, everything would be done in base 12 instead of base 10. Or is that mode. I don't remember. Anyway, pictures:


There they are. They're still in their boxes. (Birthday presents...)


The ingredients for dinner.


The cooked meal. Yum!

And now for something completely...

...like everything else. :)

Apparently, I didn't get 100% caught up yesterday in the blog. Honestly, I got so confused trying to remember what I had done and when I was writing about, that it just escaped me. Oh well. So, here we are, maybe this could be considered a bonus blog? Ok, probably not, but at least there will be pictures from Wednesday, April 6 here. Woo hoo!

I am thinking that tonight I am going to cook one of my favorite dinners for me and whoever else happens to be here. Artichokes and steak. Yippee! Not sure what else to have, maybe garlic bread since I like it so much. Maybe a salad - with feta and Greek olives. Sounding better and better. Saliva is starting to drip from my mouth. Yup, actual drool. :)

Ok, enough of this brewhaha. Time to eat a little something and get back to work. Lots to do and happy to do it!

Pictures from April 6:


Daniel's first puzzle further along. I am doing my best not to just finish the thing! Oh, and Cate let me unsnarl some yarn last night. I so, so, so! enjoy unsnarling things!!


Dinner - baked chicken - yum, rice and baked beans.

Ok, back to work. Have a great day everyone!

Happy Almost My Birthday!

:o)

I am not planning huge things for my birthday. The last few years, I have had a plate party or thrown myself a party at the Flying Saucer. This year, the World Beer Festival is throwing me a party. Ok, they aren't really. Nor is Bryan Shaw's plate party in honor of my birthday. But I can pretend. Perception is, after all, reality. Or at least close enough for government work.

Yesterday was pleasant. I did not venture further out of my house than to the garbage can. Instead, I stayed in and got things accomplished. It was a fun, full day. I broke the back of the glasses project - converting all the glasses into alpha-channeled tiffs. Today I am working on filling the pint glasses with beer - some of them with varying heights. It is laborious, but in a fun way. I also did a load of laundry and changed my bed sheets. Yippee. Worked on Daniel's puzzle a bit. Played some xBox (ok, slighly obsessed with the xBox), read a little, oh, and caught up on the blog. Five posts, I think, yesterday. Yippee!

Today, more working on glasses. I am about to do my yoga and then eat a little something. Not sure what the evening will contain. I was planning on having dinner with a friend, but that is, apparently, not happening. More time to work on glasses and the book! I probably will have to head to the grocery store for some provisions. I cooked the chicken thighs last night and I don't think there is any more port or beer or any other alcoholic libation in the house. And that just won't do. Oh, I also took a shower yesterday. I know, big news!

Here are the pictures from April 5: (I guess I forgot to do a blog with them in it. That means two blogs today. Hmm, what to write in the next one - well, I will do that after yoga...)


A look at the spring happening in my front yard. Almost time to mow! Eeeek!


The spread of nummies at Ted and Jo-Anne's for bridge night.