Tomorrow is Heather's birthday, btw. Everyone go say hi!
Oh, and while we're talking about journallers, Karen is indeed still alive. I talked to her this morning, and while her wrists are still major trouble (hence the no typing), she seemed in cheerful enough spirits. She also has a birthday coming up, though not 'til February 9th. Mark your calendars...
Good day so far; didn't get up until late, but have been fairly productive since (with a break for game-playing in the afternoon). Kev and I worked at Starbucks, and then went to a new restaurant, Madison, for dinner. It's a steak and seafood place, and while these normally aren't my favorite restaurants, this one was particularly unimpressive. The broccoli was sitting in a pool of water; my red pepper-hollandaise sauce consisted of a few tiny pieces of red pepper in a buttery broth. My fish and Kevin's steak were okay, and the appetizer of spinach/artichoke dip over fresh soft bread was actually pretty good (if very cheesy), but overall, not someplace I have any desire to return to.
I've taken down almost all of the Christmas decorations -- I thought it would be depressing, but in fact, the apartment seems much lighter and airier and more pleasant. Since it was so much fun putting the decorations up in the first place, it really seems to be a win-win situation.
I'm having to restrain myself with the plants, though. I went to the garden store yesterday to buy a few ceramic saucers (I'd somehow been short a few and had been using normal eating-type-saucers), and came back with a new plant as well, a lovely big leafy thing that looks very hard to kill. It's cheered up the sunroom immensely, but I think my other plants are feeling a bit limp and fragile in comparison. Hopefully it'll inspire them to put out lots of new green shoots and perk up! I also got some fish-base-fertilizer, in case lack of nitrogen was the problem, and I gotta say, the stuff stinks. Good thing you don't use very much of it. Ugly thick brown goop. (Hmm...do strict vegetarians refuse to use this stuff? Inquiring minds want to know...)
I really want to buy some African violets and primroses, but the garden store people said they'd have a much better selection next week, so Kevin talked me into restraining myself. Just as well -- I'm really pretty broke. I'm trying not to let myself buy new bookshelves, but my books in the closet are so sad. They are not loved nearly as much as the books on my shelves (or so they say, and who am I to say that lack of attention doesn't signal lack of love? They scoff). I get the AE check soon, soon, and it would be so easy to charge so many things in anticipation -- but I have enough credit card debt, really I do, and in a week or two my student loans come back into effect... I can afford my apartment, but only if I am at least a little careful about my expenditures, and I am just not good at being careful.
Let us not even discuss my little Bibliofind purchases this morning. They were used! I've been wanting copies for years! That makes it okay, right? If you wait long enough, surely you're supposed to have it...
The other piece of exciting news that I should convey before I go back to working (hopefully) is that Karina may be coming for a visit! It depends on whether she can get an extension on her thesis, but if she gets it, she'll be here by the beginning of February, staying for a month. Yippee! :-) :-) :-)
Hope your weekend is going well (and if you've been frustrated by CS's wonky behavior the last few days, please put it down to technical difficulties that should be all sorted out now). Until later...