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June 30, 2007
Weeping Blood
I look like I'm being taken over by an alien entity. Half of my right eye is bright red.
I got done writing in my journal yesterday morning, wandered into the bathroom and discovered that the sclera was bleeding. Well, part of it, anyway. I went screaming downstairs to show Dave. Since it didn't hurt, we both figured I'd burst a blood vessel and that there probably wasn't anything to worry about. (Except providing a very distressing visual.)
Then, of course, me being me, I went to WebMD just to check that it wasn't signs of my own personal apocalypse. It wasn't. Here's what they had to say:
Subconjunctival Hemorrhage
The conjunctiva contains nerves and many small blood vessels. These blood vessels
are fragile and may rupture or burst easily, resulting in a subconjunctival hemorrhage
(bleeding under the conjunctiva). A subconjunctival hemorrhage appears as a bright red
or dark red patch on the sclera.
Subconjunctival Hemorrhage Causes
Usually, there is no obvious cause for this bleeding underneath the conjunctiva.
Often, a person may discover a subconjunctival hemorrhage on awakening.
Subconjunctival Hemorrhage Symptoms
Most of the time, no symptoms are associated with a subconjunctival hemorrhage
other than seeing blood over the white part of the eye.
If you would like to read all of the interesting symptoms/causes/reasons to be worried, go here. If you're a bit woojy about blood and/or disorders of the eye, I highly recommend you don't scroll down to the photograph at the bottom of the page.
Just like I recommend you don't look at the photographs of my eye that are available after the cut.
It was nice to have my assumptions validated. And to know that there was no point in seeing a doctor. I mean, what are they going to do? Give me teeny weeny stitches? And I was glad to not hear, as I IM'ed Dave after reading the WebMD entry SEE YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY!!! THIS IS A SIGN OF IMPENDING DOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
On the other hand, I have to go out in public looking like this (yay), and (double-yay) a subconjunctival hemmorhage takes one to two weeks to clear up and most likely will turn yellow in the process. Just like a bruise. I am so not looking forward to people recoiling in horror. Because I don't exactly live to be hideous. And I can't wear my contact lenses right now, so I can't put on sunglasses to spare unsuspecting bystanders either. I have to wear my glasses until this stupid thing goes away. GAAAAH.
It also doesn't help that I recently rediscovered a disturbing little thriller of a book called The Portrait of Mrs. Charabuque by Jeffrey Ford, in which the villain kills women with a concoction called the Tears of Venus. The first sign of affliction is blood pouring from the eyes, giving the appearance that the woman is weeping blood. That was a nice little image to take to bed with me last night.
And for those of you who are looking for nice little images, the pretty pictures:
Half and Half
Zombie Eye
I do have to say, I have a really great camera. Despite the subject matter, those are lovely photographs.
Posted by sally at 09:02 AM | Comments (4)
June 29, 2007
Messy Summer
As in:
1) We still don't have a housekeeper, but I've got a good lead on one (finally).
2) I am moving offices, and am not fully into either. I have a desk but not a chair in my new space, whereas I had a couch but not a desk in my old space. However, by the time I am done, I will have a desk, a chair, a bookshelf, a coffee table, a couch and possibly also another chair. Not to mention maybe a mini-fridge. I'm not only tucked away in a room that is far, far from anywhere else on campus, I'm ambitious. Actually, I like my new space a lot. It feels very much like I imagine a Parisian garret to feel. Especially with the sun beating down on an unprotected roof in August. Hot. And it's quiet. Oh how I am loving the quiet. Though not so much the hot.
3) I am trying to do about 70 things at once, with the unfortunate result that everything is overlapping and nothing is finished and all of my projects are in uncompleted states. You know how messy that can be, both internally and externally.
4) I've started working in paper mache. Glue up to my elbows, but so far, not all over the kitchen floor. Not sure why. I'm doing my very best to get it everywhere.
I call him Impious.
Posted by sally at 01:45 PM | Comments (3)
June 28, 2007
Back When the World Was Green
I can remember being a teenager myself, feeling invigorated by loud music in the back yard on a summer afternoon. Which is why when Motley Crue came on in the yard next door, I was fine with it. And all the other metal that followed it. But now I think I'm going to have to put my foot down.
She's playing Cher.
Posted by sally at 01:53 PM
Guest Blogging, Pt. 2
Another post on my friend Eris' blog, where I am a guest this week.
Um. It's not for the squeamish.
Let's just say that thanks to Hollowsquirrel and myself, she's now going to be getting visits from people looking for animal pr0n.
Posted by sally at 10:46 AM
Happy Birthday Amy and Heather!!
Two wonderful women sharing a birthday. Congratulations to both of you.
Amy - Dave says you're not allowed to tell me anything about being 40. He says it's in the rule book. Damn, am I looking forward to that phone call in another 2 1/2 months. Also, do me a favor if you can and go see Romeo & Juliet in Central Park. It sounds like one helluva show.
Heather - Enjoy the clowns. Dave & I wanted to visit Chicago to see their debut at Steppenwolf. Especially since we miss Shank so much. I think Dave's going through withdrawals. If you read this before you seel Paul, you might let him know that.
Happy, happy birthday to both of you. And all my love.
Posted by sally at 10:32 AM | Comments (3)
June 25, 2007
Comments
I tried just now to turn off the comment authentication requirement so people wouldn't have to deal with the typekey login process. Within the first 15 minutes, I had over 20 pieces of spam. Comment authentication is now back on.
Sorry. I know it's a pain in the ass, but that's a lot of junkmail and I have better things to do with my time than sort through it looking for genuine comments.
Posted by sally at 10:34 PM | Comments (4)
Reasons Why I Hate Living in a Small Town #467
I am teaching a mask workshop to some high school interns over the next five weeks. (That's not the reason why.)
Because I am who I am, they're not going to just make masks and decorate them. Oh no. They're first going to see some masks by an actor here who has built some great ones, and talk about why masks might be important and what they can be used for. Then they're going to do some physical, vocal and imaginative exploration. The second class is when they will start building their masks, after having some time to think about/design them. (That's not why I hate living in a small town either.)
Also because I am who I am, I want them to have space to work in, a book for jottings and scribblings and playings with color and form and texture and image. Because even someone who can't draw very well can cut pictures out of a magazine and glue them onto a page (which is what I do). Or mix a color with oil pastels until it comes out exactly right (I also do this). So I went to our local art supply store to buy drawing pads and oil pastels. The idea being that each student (there are six) would be able to leave tomorrow with a pen, a small drawing pad (8"x6") and a small box of oil pastels. Then, when they come back next week, they'll have some images to work from when building their masks.
(The reason I hate living in a small town would be the next thing I say.)
Imagine my surprise when the only art supply store in town has only five small drawing pads. I had to get two others that were twice as much. And imagine my surprise when the only art supply store in town had only three small boxes of oil pastels. Because apparently nobody here ever does art, so why would we want to spread the joy?
I mean, it's not like it's even a real art supply store. It's a fucking arts and CRAFTS supply store (oh yes, you know the chain), but it's the only one we've got, so the least they can do is to try to fill both niches. What a horrible surprise awaits the next person who wants to purchase either oil pastels or a small drawing pad since I bought all they had in stock of each.
If I lived someplace bigger, I could go to the competition to get what I need. We have five Chinese restaurants, three Mexican restaurants, two office supply stores, seven million realtors (it's the college student turnover thing), three coffee shops, a Starbucks and one art supply store for 21,000 people. I would argue that there's some imbalance there that needs working out. Say, maybe a couple of the Chinese restaurants and one Mexican restaurant get together and build a really gorgeous art supply store. With a good bookstore attached. I'd move in.
Posted by sally at 09:34 PM | Comments (1)
Two Things
First of all, I'm guest blogging for my friend Eris while she's on vacation this week. MMMM... Vacation... I'll have to try that someday. I'll be posting occasionally, as will the talented Hollowsquirrel and Meg Fowler, who I haven't read, but who comes highly recommended. I feel completely outclassed. People know who these other bloggers are. Nobody's ever heard of me.
Warning: My first entry there is really, really lame. As in really, REALLY lame. What can I say? I choked. But you know what? If you can't occasionally be an asshole in public, you have no business being in the performing arts. It's what actors do for a living.
Secondly, it's back to the Naked Dieting for me. I have 2 1/2 months left until I turn 40, and I am going to meet my goal. So. Here's the information as of last Friday. Hey. I was busy.
Height: 5'8"
Starting Weight (June 2007): 168.4 lbs
Current Weight: 168.4 lbs
Short Term Goal: 151 lbs
Long Term Goal: 140 lbs
(Though that may be unrealistic. We'll see. All I really want is to be a healthy size 10 again.)
Dress size: 14
Pant size: 14
I am not posting pictures. I look the same as I always have. If you want to see the before pics, go here.
Posted by sally at 12:12 PM | Comments (2)
June 22, 2007
Where Was I?
I have absolutely no idea. This afternoon I walked to the opening night of our local Artwalk. I was going to explain it for you, but in looking for a link I discovered that we are not anywhere close to holding the only one in existence. (Big surprise there.) Suffice to say that most of the downtown businesses turn into galleries for a couple of months and hang/display the work of one to three artists in their public spaces. It's kind of cool, really. Especially opening night, when most of the "galleries" have food. I did not eat dinner before heading downtown. There was no point. I grazed my way down Main Street and back up again.
That, however, is not the point of this entry. The point of this entry is that I had written something really cool in my head, well, the beginnings of it, anyway, on the walk down. I even had a great title for it. Two pinwheel sandwiches, a glass of wine, two bottles of water and countless pieces of fruit and bread and cheese and unnamed dessert-y things later (including two cream puffs, mmmmm!), I can no longer remember anything about the really awesome entry except that it once existed. Unfortunately only in my head.
Bah.
I did buy, well, not really buy, since I haven't paid for it yet, but I did give the artist my name and phone number, this really awesome photograph. Hold on, let me see if he has a website...
AND HE DOES!
(Pardon the shouting, I just got so excited.) THIS is the photograph I bought. Or will be buying. Take a minute to go look. Really. It's awesome. Don't you just love the smile on her face? That woman's entire body is joyful. She's just comfortable in herself, and that's what I strive to--YES!!! I just remembered the sort of point of the original blog entry! It's about getting old and--Dammit. Gone again.
Right. So. I bought or will buy or at the very least, intend to buy, the above photograph. To hang in my new office. As an actor, hell, as a human, I strive to embody that kind of joy. Bless that woman's heart. And bless the photographer for seeing that moment for what it was and freezing it to share with other people who need occasional reminders that joy can be found in something as seemingly innocent as a good cigar.
Posted by sally at 08:43 PM
June 21, 2007
I Went Shopping Today
and brought home something really unexpected but cool.
See, as of next week, I will have a new office. One that I won't have to give up for an entire year. It's in a quiet building, and though it's a basement office, with a window looking out onto a parking lot, it is an office all my own. And it's next door to the office of my main teaching partner. It's also very far away from almost everything else on campus, including the rooms I teach in, but that's okay. The walk will do me good.
It's also all the way across campus from the gym. The only place further from the gym on campus is student family housing. Ah, well, I'll figure it out.
Anyhoo, because it's my office, and because it's not a temporary arrangement, like my offices this past year, I can actually decorate it as I like. Which means hanging stuff on the walls. I have a couple of pieces to hang: my most recent diploma and a couple of nice prints, but they're all pretty dark and I need some color.
So. I was at the local craft store. (Surprisingly not the only craft store, as we have a really cool store that specializes in knitting and quilting as well.) I was getting matboard because it makes really good book covers (they have a discount bin for the banged up and scuffed stuff). As I was searching for smaller bits that might be hiding in a different aisle (I came home with a bunch of 24" x 36" pieces, which will last me pretty much for the rest of my life, but they were really cheap) I saw an end of aisle display that had me cooing with delight. Because it was little tiny frames shaped like purses, beaded and embroidered in tropical colors. I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff.
I bought five. At $5 each, which is kinda steep and pretty much killed the whole "I'm saving money by buying beat up matboard" vibe. Still, they're absolutely precious and will look fantastic as a wall grouping in my office. The only trouble is that they hold 2"x2" photos. I spent lunch editing some of my favorite pix down to size. 22 of my favorite pix. Did I mention that I only bought five frames? Yeah. Now I have some hard decisions to make.
OOOOH! Or I could just buy 17 more frames!!
Anyway, here's the pix I edited. I'm sharing them with you because I care. Even though none of you ungrateful wretches commented on the last two photo postings with the cutest baby pictures ever.
I took pity on you, by the way, and limited myself to my favorite 18. And that's after adding three pix I hadn't included before. Now I have 25 photos to choose from.
Posted by sally at 04:48 PM | Comments (2)
June 20, 2007
The Sock Series
Sock I
Sock II
Sock III
Sock IV
Posted by sally at 02:32 PM
June 19, 2007
My Sweet Boy (Now with Pictures!!)
I'm back from the baptism road trip. Not really any good stories to tell. Post ceremony, Dave and I had the following text exchange (he didn't attend).
Sally: All done. Holy baby.
Dave: And no unusual weather phenomena?
Sally: Not so far. But Jesus gave me bunny ears.
Sally: Picture of sacred rabbit ears forthcoming.
(And it will be, as soon as my brother sends me the picture.) I should perhaps explain that Dave suggested, based on Kieran's being my brother's child, that I check him for the Sign of the Beast in case the holy water turned out to not agree with him. Also that my sister-in-law pointed out that I was about to have bunny ears in a photo in front of a statue. I moved and she moved so the problem went away. But when my brother heard about it, I was required to take Kieran back up to the front of the church and pose for the bunny ear picture.
I know the above makes us sound like a bunch of godless heathens, but we're really only a little godless. And my sister-in-law is not at all godless. She's a really wonderful person. It's the rest of us who are horrible. We think the trappings of religion are kind of silly, but not the emotional depths from which faith springs. I mean, the kid was baptized, and we all agreed to raise him in the faith (though I suspect definitions of that word may vary within the group).
On the other hand, the deacon (not sure of the correct term, he wasn't the priest) who performed the baptism was a very nice man, and the ceremony was really sweet. And afterwards we all went to Kieran's house for tortillas and eggs. (His godmother, who drove all the way from San Diego for the baptism, made us breakfast. It was scrumptious. Generous woman.)
Of course, you're really all here for the pictures. I know. And do I have some pictures for you. Presenting, My Boy:
Hatted
The above is the only one from Sunday. I took all the others yesterday, when I hung out with him and Mom all day.
Mmmm... Frog...
Kieran and Grandma
His t-shirt reads, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Discovering Grass
Laughing Boy
Upside Down Boy
I have another set I'll upload tomorrow. I've got to get some work done tonight because I have a meeting tomorrow morning and I promised to have a timeline done for my fellow instructor. I did not do it this last week. Too busy weeding and planting and mulching and traveling. So now I must pay for my sins and put together the timeline.
But tomorrow, I promise. More pictures. I call them The Sock Series.
Posted by sally at 07:18 PM
June 14, 2007
Flowerbed One Is Done. (sort of)
After two plus days of weeding, planting and bed re-shaping, and an afternoon bout of whining which got Dave to help me, the lesser of the two flowerbeds from hell is weeded, planted and mulched. Today was all about the paper weed barrier topped off with a dressing of bark dust. It's not actually finished finished, I still need to redo some of the bricks for the trim, but that's going to have to wait until after I get back. I'm off on the first of several (hopefully) summer jaunts tomorrow.
I'm driving down to Boise for my nephew's baptism. I haven't seen The Boy since mid-March. I miss him like fury. I can't imagine he even remembers who I am. My sister-in-law says he's now wearing 12 month sized clothes now. (I need to do some shopping before I go, whatever was I thinking?) He doesn't turn one until October. A big boy, our Kieran.
Many people have asked, when hearing about the purpose of this trip, if I'm going to be a godmother. No. I'm not Catholic. I don't have a problem with this arrangement, even though a number of people seem to think I should. I can't raise him in the faith he's being baptized in. I don't know the first thing about it. Well, I know the first thing about Catholicism, but not enough to be a good godmother. There are several, much better choices for the position than I would be. Besides. I'll still be his only auntie.
All this is by way of saying that I'm pretty sure I won't be posting until I get back on Tuesday. But then I'll have more nephew pictures to share with you all.
In the meantime, not pictures of my nephew, but pictures of flowers from the Infernal Beds.
Posted by sally at 10:29 PM
It's Over, Hugh. Just Let It Go
Dear Hugh,
Thank you so much for the time we spent together while I was weeding the Flowerbed from Hell this past few days. If it hadn't been for your sexy, intelligent, witty and tremendously English company, I'm not sure I would have lasted. You really made my Sunday and Monday special, thank you.
However, now that the flowerbed is weeded, I 'm afraid our idyll must come to an end. Not without regrets, of course. Our conversations were clever and sparkling, the plays and films we did together won multiple awards (and the admiration of legions of fans), and the sex was as hot as the sun beating down on my baseball cap. As wonderful as that was, though, nothing can make up for the fact that your presence in my life was wholly imaginary. I expect you'll cry crocodile tears when you read this note.
Surprisingly, our dalliance seems to have strengthened my marriage. Dave and I have been watching the Jeeves and Wooster catalogue together for the past few nights, and the time spent together has made us closer. We came together admiring your talent (and that of Stephen Fry, but I can't seem to manage a good fantasy about him), and then we found a shared sense of derision at the writing and directing efforts in some of the videos. Nonetheless, we have renewed our commitment to each other and will no longer be needing you. Unless we want to laugh, of course. (The Gun Seller is on our list of books to read together.)
So thank you, dear Hugh. You made a bad gig bearable. I don't know how I would have made it through the weeding if not for your gorgeous presence in my head. But now that bed is done. It's over. I need to move on to other things. Like weeding the other bed. It's worse. You wouldn't happen to have John Cusack's contact information, would you?
Posted by sally at 10:11 AM | Comments (3)
June 12, 2007
Up to Speed
Sorry for the hiatus. It was mostly involuntary. I had, as Heather and Maaike know (because I complained about it, a lot), a nasty bug last week that put me on a strict Sprite and Saltine diet. As both wonderfully patient women also know, I lost NOT A GODDAMN POUND. All I ate for five days was Sprite and Saltines, and after that, I still had to be really picky and limited myself to bagels and bananas and tortillas and Sprite for a couple of days. Even now, things are dicey. And let me repeat, I lost no weight at all. In fact, I might have actually gained some weight instead.
Stupid virus.
On Wednesday, despite my being weak and ill, a huge shipment of plants that I'd ordered when I felt fine arrived on the back porch. In the 50 degree weather, in my pajamas, I cut the plants from their cardboard cells and then almost cried because I didn't have the energy to plant them and was sure I was going to feel ghastly for the rest of my life and watch them die on the porch in their little plastic pots.
I started planting on Saturday.
And Sunday.
And yesterday.
I also spent a total of eight hours weeding and re-shaping one of the scary front flowerbeds. The less scary one. It looks vastly better, but it's still not finished. I have to mulch it now.
Today I did no planting, despite having four more shrubs to go. Instead, I walked downtown for a meeting. Then I walked to campus for another meeting. Then I checked my mail and watered the plants in my office. Then I walked to the grocery store for some decent sunscreen. Then I walked home and sat on the couch and fanned myself the end. I should plant now, but I'm still really tired, a little sleepy in fact, so I may just take a nap or go to bed early instead.
Notice, by the way, that I am blogging rather than either gardening or sleeping. I must love you (each and every one of you!) very much to put your petty needs before my own vastly more important ones. But you pled (pleaded?) so nicely, what was I to do? My public needs me!
Okay. Since I appear to be drifting off regardless of my earnest determination to blog, I'm going to give in to nature and just post this now and then see a man about a bed. Tomorrow (if the weeding and mulching and planting don't kill me) True Celebrity Flowerbed Confessions or Why I Can't Date Hugh Laurie.
Posted by sally at 06:42 PM | Comments (2)
June 01, 2007
Sally and the Alcoholic Week
Last week, I completely broke character.
Normally, I drink a couple of glasses of wine a week. Tops. One of the local wineries sells splits of their most popular wines, so I get a couple every month or so and occasionally drink a glass of wine in the evening. Also, a margarita or a Pacifico on Fridays when we go to the Mexican restaurant. Moderate drinker is the term that would describe me, I think.
Except for last week.
I don't know what got into me last week, but here's my calendar, as seen through the bottom of a glass:
Tuesday - Met Napoleon at the brewpub for "a drink." Ended up having three pints of their Scottish Ale, a small pizza and a plate of nachos over the course of four hilarious hours. We laughed our asses off. Damn, I love that boy. He's such a great kid.
Wednesday- Glass of wine in the evening. As an act of rebellion, apparently. Also because my friend Maaike has discovered the joys of bookbinding and needs a cork to protect the point of her paper awl. And she doesn't drink. Enabler.
Thursday - One bottle of Pacifico at the Mexican restaurant because we were attending a wedding on Friday and wouldn't be able to have our weekly dinner there otherwise.
Friday - Wedding. Very nice (Though the bride said "obey," which made me twitch rather violently, and there was a lot of militaristic imagery in both the choice of scripture and the homily. And now I understand why the neo-cons are so het up about war. Because everybody who doesn't think like them is the enemy, according to the pastor, though he said it in very veiled terms. If you don't take a stand against evil - read anybody/thing different from the norm - you are supporting evil, was quite clearly his message. And by not taking a stand, he meant accepting those who are different from you. If you think people should be allowed to live their own lives and chase their own dreams, you are supporting evil.) I had three glasses of wine at the reception. To take away the taste of the homily, I guess. I didn't realize fundamentalists drank. But it was a hosted bar, so I guess they do.
Saturday - Tacoma. Celebrating Dave's birthday with friends there. I lost count, but I had somewhere around seven (possibly eight) glasses of red wine and two of champagne. Also a headache the next morning (as you may imagine). I'm still astonished that I didn't barf. I'm sure I deserved to. Though again, the drinking was over the course of five or six hours, and tempered with bottles of water here and there.
Sunday - Tacoma. Glass of white wine with dinner. Glass of port with dessert.
Monday - Glass of red wine. Just because.
Tuesday - No alcohol.
Wednesday - Glass of red wine with my egg salad, avocado and tomato pitas for dinner. Mmmm. Also, chocolate cinnamon spelt cookies. Yummy.
Thursday (yesterday) - No alcohol. No. Noo. Nooooooooooo. I am, as of right now, not interested in booze. And I don't think anything can get me there. Not for a while, anyway. I've just lost the taste for it.
I think it's time to focus on detoxing. No more likker for Sally for at least a week. Give the liver time to recover from the onslaught. I don't even think I can do a margarita tonight. Iced tea sounds like it's just about my pace.
Posted by sally at 09:10 AM | Comments (5)
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