This Single Gal's New House

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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

I need to get out...
2008-03-18 04:27:00
I drew this when I was 3. I think I was in church. My grandmother kept it. I wonder what it says about my past lives (or my current one)?To me, today, this drawing says: I WANT TO GET THE FUCK OUT. Coming off of the Finnish death plague which forced me to lie around my house for over 2 weeks, I have developed a new sort of plague -- cabin fever. I need to get out. I need sunshine. I need palm trees. I need to not wear a coat.Up here in Seattle, it needs to stop raining, I need to stop buying gifts for the home, and quit making gluten free brownies from Trader Joe's (they are good for you if you use applesauce, right?)I've decided my goal for this week is to try to take a bike ride, (I NEED A BIKE RIDE) despite my busted arm and my screwed up back (gee, thanks again stupid lame ass fake blonde woman for t-boning me last summer! love ya!). I think a lovely bike ride might just be the ticket out of cabin fever hell.Just don't tell my physical therapist. Or my massage therapist. O...

random photo slide show #1
2008-03-16 19:38:00
My last post sounded completely bitter, whiney and l.l.pathetic.j.So, to buck myself up, I present to you the inaugural random photo slide show.Enjoy!As per all of my posts... if you steal my photos, I will be mad.And you do not want to incur the wrath of the Single Gal.
More About: Photo , Show , Random , Slide

The flood gates open...
2008-03-16 16:44:00
I called my friend the other day to say hello and chat about the what what. And suddenly, during our conversation, I started bemoaning my existence as a single woman. I had no idea I was holding in so much frustration, fear, anger, blah blah. And my poor married friend had to hear the brunt of it. I suppose the flood gates opened because I had asked my friend to help me with some yard work (you know, the shoulder injury) and instead she decided to spend her weekend helping another random person (who she didn't know) move out of her house. Noble, yes. But I am her friend and I asked for help and she didn't help me. Even though she has been promising for 6 months that she would help me with my yard work.I suddenly realized / remembered that I have plenty of friends who will lend a hand when it is convenient, but no one who I can count on. It's sad to know that I am not a number one person in anyone's life. Sad, isn't it?But, it's true. And I'm not being overdramatic. J...
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On my recent trip to Finland: a tour of Vaasa
2008-03-13 01:43:00
In 1992 I lived in Vaasa, Finland with a wonderful family. Amazingly, we've kept in close touch ever since; we've seen each other several times in the States, in Finland, in England. Talked on the phone, emailed, text messaged, and shared tragedy and joy with each other.Over the course of 16 years, we have become family.I went to Finland a few weeks ago for my dear Finnish sister's (Pia) wedding. On the first full day I was there, the younger daughter (Nea) and I went to run some errands. We first went to the university where she is currently studying...Please note: there is snow. There is ice. There are bikes. And people ride them. On the ice? And the snow? You've got to be kidding me. The answer: snow tires. I don't know if you can see it from this photo, but there are studs (metal studs) on the bike tires.I want some too. This is student housing (don't you want to live here?) And these are some shots from the center of Vaasa. The next images are: a Lutheran church wh...
More About: Tour , Trip , Recent

On Facebook, part 2
2008-03-11 03:51:00
My God! Cyber life is bizarre.So, Mr. Beautiful is apparently in a relationship (as per the updated Facebook page) with someone else I know -- who is fabulous, by the way. I am really excited for both of them. Great pair.Anyway...I returned to work today after a week and a half of laying on the couch. It was rough. Everyone was very nice to me, but I don't think I was well enough to put in a full day. With that and the fucking lame ass pacific daylight savings time crap, it was a rough go of a day.HOWEVERI received an unexpected check in the mail today (for some serious money) which was very welcome and seriously brought a tear to my eye.All is good in the world.Now, if President Bush could just get out of office... life would be grand.Oh, yeah, Finland... more on that later.Hope you are well.-- This Single Gal
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On Facebook and Finland
2008-03-09 05:37:00
I have mostly recovered from the Finnish death plague.It sucked.I hate being sick.When I'm sick I tend to hide. Friends call, offer their plague remedies, want to help. It's nice and all, but let me publicly say this: when I'm sick, stay away from me. I want to sit on my couch and watch horrible judge shows and talk to no one until the plague goes away.And that's what I have to say about that.Because I have been home sick this whole week, I have been whiling away my days doing lovely things such as coughing, sneezing, blowing my nose, laying on the couch, sleeping. And, in the last few days of plague-dom, I have started playing Scrabulous on Facebook . Which, by the way, is incredibly addictive. I'm sure you have heard of it -- the big scandal with the Scrabble people? I'm now determined to beat my friend Ben who consistently kicks my ass, and makes me feel like I am not smart enough to be called doctor.Facebook is a bizarre thing. Have you checked it out? It's a fascinating s...
More About: Finland

The plague
2008-03-02 17:32:00
I have returned from Finland (with many stories to tell), but am laid up with the flu. Once I can sit up without feeling like I'm going to pass out, I'll regale you with said stories, but as of now, my bed is calling... this is a horrible horrible strain of the flu. Bad stuff. I hope you don't catch it. Take care of yourself,The Single Gal

King of pa-ain...
2008-02-16 01:15:00
I spent most of the day in medical appointments. Exactly what I want to do mere hours before I hop on an airplane....I had an arthrogram MRI. The worst fucking test in the history of mankind. Ok, maybe not the worst... I'm sure coloscopies top the list or some other horrible swallow-this-tube or scrapey scrapey nightmare.... but, this one was really painful. It brought me to tears.Of course, all of this joy at the doctor's office is the result of a car accident in June. I heart the fact that I'm still spending a lot of my free time getting tests done so the doctors can see for themselves what I already know -- THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY ARM.Wait, am I screaming?So frustrating...I have to say that the chap doing my MRI was a total cutey. How do you work that out? That, we met at an MRI and I thought you were hot moment? Stalking? When I was once on a train trip, I blatently gave the dude who was my car attendant my number. HE was cute. What's the line of tacky he...
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This has got to be one of the worst Valentine's Days I have ever had...
2008-02-15 02:25:00
Day suckus.Let me break it down. I believe a list will aid in this telling. Shall we?1. I get to work. I am accosted by Valentine's Day decor. I immediately want to strangle myself with a pink streamer.2. A colleague, from China, asks me where my Mr. Right is. 17 times. No kidding. 17 times. Um, he's nowhere. I HAVEN't FOUND HIM YET. Happy?Fuck.3. I ate too much chocolate.4. The present I gave to myself for the day -- a massage -- didn't happen. My therapist forgot or I wrote the time down wrong or something shitty happened.5. I missed lunch.6. I had a gyno appointment. In the lobby, I saw one of the receptionists receive a box of roses. I immediately think -- I won't get roses today. Maybe I'll never get roses again. Maybe I'll be alone for the rest of my life. Maybe I will be the cat woman. Old, alone, sad.This train of thought = shit losing cry fest.That's right friends, I had a nervous breakdown in the lobby of my gyno's office.Full on bawling.Wh...
More About: Days

You really want to know?
2008-02-12 23:36:00
All right, I'll tell you.Someone asked me what I was doing for Valentine's Day.Do you want the truth?Yeah, of course.Well...I'm having a pap smear.And that is no lie.

I (don't heart) Valentine's Day
2008-02-10 17:49:00
I don't like Valentine's Day. Never have. Regardless of my dating situation. It's been about a decade since I have not had a sweetie on Valentine's Day. Last year's VDay date was a temporary sweetie, in years past I've spent VDay with my almost-husbands (yes, plural -- sad, isn't it?), serious boyfriends, and quasi-boyfriends.But this year, I'm completely and totally single. I got nothin', except for some email flirting with a lovely chap I went to college with (who lives in another state) and an ex-pro-football player who I'll go out with one of these days...When I was in college, my friend Steve and I held an annual Bitter Women's party on Valentine's Day. Even though both of us were in (secretly) separate "relationships," it became an annual tradition for those of us who hated February (could it be grayer and colder, please?) and didn't like the commercialism of love.You know what I mean: every kiss begins with Kay... buy diamonds... flowers... candy... Hallmark... b...
More About: Heart

A tour of the house, by Daisy
2008-02-03 02:10:00
Hi, I'm Daisy .I am here to give you a tour of our house.Our house is good. I like it.I didn't like living in an apartment. That sucked. And it smelled bad.Okay.Here is the tour.Here is where I like to sit and guard the house from rats, killers, and the cat from next door.That fucking cat likes to sit on my deck.That is all kinds of wrong.This is how I sit and look out the window.This is my back yard. Yeah, the leaves still aren't raked. Softer place for me to take a crap, but it looks bad, you know?This is how the chandelier looks from where I sit and look out the window.This is the new couch. I like to sit here. It is fun.This is the stove. I sit next to it waiting for food to be dropped. It happens a lot. I like it. But, I don't like broccoli. Broccoli is gross. Cheese good. Broccoli gross.This is a plant. She got it in Arizona. It is still alive, even though I have knocked it over a bunch of times.It is time for me to eat.I hope you enjoyed the tour. Good-bye!
More About: House , Tour , The House

I see, you see, we see, they see...
2008-02-01 01:01:00
Look at the pretty picture.-- The Single Gal

I have really bad car-ma
2008-01-29 02:11:00
It snowed in Seattle again today. Well, north and / or east of Seattle proper. I had a few inches of snow at my house before I left for work today, so I decided to take the bus.I thought I was being smart.Well...On the way there, my bus got stuck after the driver said, "the freeway is frozen, so we're going my way today." After several minutes of sanding and doing other bus driver tricks, everyone got off the bus, walked back to the transit center and waited for another bus.Got to work 20 minutes late. Not too bad considering the snow.On the way home, I begged out of a meeting in order to get home before the icy nightmare that is predicted for this evening. I thought I was being smart.I'm about 2/3 of the way home and the bus gets rear-ended (HARD) by some jackass older gentleman. His car is totalled. We have to write incident reports. My arm hurts. A lot. It was getting better.Sigh.I wonder if I should just call myself the cat lady, lock myself in my house and never leav...

The Lonelies
2008-01-27 17:11:00
I stayed in last night, feeling I needed some time to myself after a really busy few weeks. I puttered around. I read a book. The Namesake. Have you read it?I cried.I can't remember the last time a book has moved me to tears. I wasn't crying about the characters or for the story, though. The book opened the gate to the Lonelies.You know the place, right? The Lonelies...where you bring your single gal shield down, you look around, and all you see is nothing -- no one around, no sense of time, no goals, no family, no joy. Just emptiness.The Lonelies reminds you how tired you are of being single and an orphan in a city of millions -- of the endless series of first dates, of your immediate family living thousands of miles away, of invitations to other people's weddings (I got three in one day last week), of baby announcements, of forking out cash for other people's knives and tablecloths, of finding something to do with yourself in the evenings and on the weekends, of the mounds of ...

Um...
2008-01-26 03:04:00
I'm not really sure how this happened...butumI sat on the curtains in my office(as I said, I'm not really sure how this happened...)and(without making any sort of movement to stop an impending catastrophe)I sat therelistening to rippingand clinkingand a thudor twoand the curtainsrodand the thing that attaches the curtain to the wallfellonmy headum.at least I didn't lose an eyeHappy Friday.

Look into my eyes... you're sleepy, sleepy
2008-01-23 03:07:00
Lately, I'm feeling that my work life has been draining any ounce of creativity / energy / life force I have... I'm still trying to find a balance. I have nothing to say.That scares the crap out of me.Perhaps what I need is a new name. A colleague at work changed his name recently. Maybe that's what I need. A change of name. A change of identity.What would my name be?What would yours be?And here's a photo. Ponder, if you will, on your identity. (c) This Single Gal. This is my photo, and if you steal it, I will be mad.
More About: Eyes

Little umbrella
2008-01-22 05:04:00
It was a beautiful day in Seattle. Sunny. Cold. Awesome. I didn't need an umbrella today. I took this photo in Seattle. We've got the beach, all we need are some palm trees, 40 more degrees, a cabana boy, and a margarita with little umbrellaTHENlife would be perfect...well, almost -- we still need an end to global warming, getting George Bush out of office, achieving MLK jr's dream, avoiding a recession, getting out of Iraq, avoiding a war with Iran and North Korea and Syria and...having millions of dollarsandsoon
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A perfectly placed piece of poop
2008-01-21 03:38:00
I woke up this morning and began my daily ritual:1. Did my morning pages (see Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way)2. Fed the dog3. While the dog was eating, opened the blinds, blah blahSTOP As I was opening the front blinds, I spied with my wandering eye a perfectly placed piece of dog poop. Smack dab in the center of Daisy's bed, seemingly gently placed, the pillow fluffed beneath its resting pile. So, um, I think -- what the... well, actually, initially, I thought it was a slain rat Daisy was proudly displaying , but:1. after gagging and screaming "ew, ew, ew" and hopping around the living room in a grossed out stanceand 2. the eventual realization no one was here to clean this up except meand3. acknowledging it was necessary to clean it upand4. my eventual careful plastic bag grabbing of said brown blob I determined it was poop -- through and through.And then I think -- what the...Why was there only one small piece of dog poop? The crap was cold. Daisy hadn't been begging me to...
More About: Poop , Piece

My first house
2008-01-20 01:33:00
I do not miss living in Michigan, but I miss my house in Michigan.Isn't it cute? It looks small, but it was actually HUGE on the inside -- over 2000 square feet. Three floors. This is the backyard. I put in the perennial garden by the garage and a vegetable garden (which you can't see but was to the left behind the garage. Also not seen: two other big ass trees and tons of dog poop.When I bought my first house I was filled with glee -- I ran through the house touching every door, exploring every nook and cranny. I was so excited.It took my 8 months to sell it. I was mad.When I bought my current house, I signed the papers, and there was truly no glee. Was it the post-car accident painkillers? The rats? The amazement that I was entering into buying a house three times (3 times?!) the price of my Michigan house? The fear?We closed -- I walked into the house for the first time and there was no skipping, no laughing, no joy. I thought -- how am I going to get rid of the rat...
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Really and for true?
2008-01-18 00:43:00
I think I've crossed the line into the land of the most boring human beings alive. For years, I thought myself of having a unique (some may say kicky) view of life. Sometimes cynical, sometimes hilarious and / or bitter and / or jaded, but always genuine. I have been able to hold a conversation.I feel like I've turned the corner, fair reader.No longer are my conversations stimulating. No longer am I kicky. I've moved into whiny land.I can find no other explanation other than: I have moved to the suburbs.It does something to you. Suburban living. Sure, it's lovely to be around trees, sometimes nice neighbors, the Plum Posse, Office Depot and Target, but as a single woman, the affect of suburban living is seemingly moving me closer to becoming (shall we all say it together, gals?): the cat lady.Let me begin by saying, I have nothing against cats. I am allergic to them, and therefore generally do not find them amusing, but I have nothing against cats, nor do I have anythi...
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Furnace update...
2008-01-16 02:49:00
Brian Hoskins.Beacon Plumbing and Heating.Freaking AWESOME rockstar.Came.Fixed.Drilling, chopping.Big operation.Full meal deal.NO CHARGE.Can you believe it?He is amazing.My hero.Rock on.Brian Hoskins.
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Why is it...
2008-01-16 00:01:00
I seem to have more crappy days than spectacular rainbows and candy and unicorn days?I don't get it.One of my friends suggested I rename my blog to: "Cursed: stories from hell." Um.Well, today has been another in the annals of The Single Gal's crappy days. Shall I break it down? Thought so.1. It snowed like the bejeezus last night. But only in certain parts of town. My part was a part of town which got the snow.2. It was icy as fuck this morning, so I decided to take the bus.3. I waited for almost 40 minutes for a bus. It came. I got on. I was happy.4. The bus driver had a panic attack while driving the bus. Apparently, hills and snow are not her forte. She freaked and screamed and then refused to go up the hill. She had to wait until another bus driver came by to give her a pep talk before we could go on our merry way.5. Did I mention the woman maybe forgot to put the heat on in the bus? It was a freaking freezing nightmare.6. It took me 2 hours to get to work...

shakin' in my boots
2008-01-15 04:59:00
The weather sucks at the mo. I nearly died of fright as I was driving home in a blinding snowstorm. It's ridiculous, you see -- I grew up in Iowa so I know how to drive in this crap. For some reason, driving in Seattle in the winter is absolutely horrifying. Horrifying, I tell you.By the time I got home (I had to release stress by screaming at the top of my lungs several times while making the drive, thank you very much), I was shaking so badly I had to sit down for a few minutes before I could feed the dog and go about my relaxing being home business.That's wack.I am a nervous basket case driving a car these days. PTSD, anyone?Tra latra laI'm praying for a snow day tomorrow...Hope all is well in your world.
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A baptism...
2008-01-14 03:27:00
This morning I went to a baptism.I grew up Catholic, but I hadn't been to a mass in years.As I sat there, mildly terrified of the looming audience participation (the part I always loathed in any mass), my mind wandered back to the seemingly endless Sundays I sat in the pews at St. Augustin's Church in lovely Des Moines, Iowa... and I reflected on my family church going coping mechanisms... which, embarrassingly, often focused on the boy-crush of the moment. However...my childhood meditation was interrupted by the stirring BIG DRAMA on the other side of the church.There was a man standing in the doorway. The sun was at his back, and he was illuminated by the sun -- he looked like Jesus. Well, at least the depiction of Jesus on black velvet air brushed paintings. And I should know what Jesus looks like -- when I was 3, I identified a tall bearded random man (very loudly, as I recall) as Jesus as he walked down the aisle of my family's church. The parishoners thought that was hi...
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The nudism of my stuff...
2008-01-12 17:58:00
I am convinced that my house / car / belongings are nudists. Not me, mind you, but my stuff.An example of why this is true:I cannot keep a hubcap on my car. I bought the car in 2001. It had 4 hubcaps. Slowly, it shed them as it hugged curbs, McDonald's drive thrus, you know... until the car clung to one hubcap. My mechanic made fun of it, it was mildly embarrasing / hilarious and I just let it be.After some convincing, my brother made me buy new hubcaps at Target. I put them on (he helped). I was happy. And then...One by one, the hubcaps came flying off. I bought more. They flew off. I let it be.Before I moved back to Seattle, I decided I needed to spiff up the mobile. Afterall, it was rollin' back into the big city.At that time, the car had one hubcap. I bought more. I put them on. I drove to Chicago to collect my brother. He graciously offered to drive with me out to Seattle with Daisy. Props to The Fruits.By the time I got to Chicago, I had one hubcap.Great.I tried to get the o...
More About: Stuff , My Stuff

I'm not sure what to title this
2008-01-12 01:34:00
This is how I feel today. You steal my photo -- I will get mad. (c) This Single Gal, 2008And I'm not sure what to write.It's been a strange week. Illuminating, random, exhausting, fun, and strange. Apparently, Daisy thought so too.I couldn't find my car again today. I think I'm losing my cookies.Since I can't eat gluten, I don't care if the cookies go away. I'd like to lose my arm.I've had a really painful week. The arm is hurting in ways that I never could image it could hurt.When I went in to physical therapy on Tuesday (at Pacific Balance - props to my PT Chris Morrow. He's a rockstar.) I proposed amputation. And I was completely serious.Well.Not totally serious. But in a thishurtslikeamofotakethepainawaycutitoff serious.Ya dig?So Chris tells me -- amputation won't help. Apparently I have two different arm injuries -- one nerve, one joint. Oh, the splendor continues.Amputation is not the answer.It kind of feels like this:You steal my photo -- I will get mad. (...
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Tin blobs, Iowa caucuses, Presidential election
2008-01-07 01:40:00
My faith in the universe has been restored. I found the Finnish tin blob! I see this as a good sign - a sign of a happy, productive, and seek-and-ye-shall-find year.Bring it.I'm hungry as the dickin's (?) (dicken's). (Where the hell did that saying come from?)Here is a photo I took of Daisy in Oregon. Why? Because I like it:In other random news:My parents were ROCKSTARS! on CSPAN on Tuesday night. Perhaps you saw my dad in all of his Iowa caucus splendor? This is a photo of him in his office to jog your memory. Yes, there is train paraphernalia (this is what the spell checker told me, but I don't believe it) everywhere. I watched the Presidential debates last night. I love this shit. At one time I was a political science major because I love this shit.The debates did nothing to sway me. If anything, I'm less enthused by some of the candidates I thought I might support. It has been confirmed, however, that Mitt Romney is Satan.I will definitely not vote for a Republican. Take th...
More About: Election , Caucuses , Iowa caucuses

It's Jan 5!
2008-01-05 19:54:00
Look at my new tablecloth:I like it. It's stripe-y and it makes my dining room look less sterile. One of these days I'm going to paint them walls blue...As I was playing with my new tablecloth, I found the paper on which I once set the now-AWOL blob of tin. According to Finnish tradition, you can forecast your future based a tin horseshoe that you melt on New Year's Eve.I still cannot find it, but... here are some crappy photos I took of it on New Year's Day. The details are the important part, but these will give you a sense of its shape. I'd love to hear your predictions...Hope you are well on this fine Saturday.-- The Single Gal

Yuck
2008-01-04 22:46:00
I'm having a bad day.Woke up early. Went to physical therapy. My therapist was grumpy. My arm hurts like a mofo today, so the exercises were horrible and the entire enterprise was unpleasant.I want my arm to be back to normal.I think I've kept it (my sanity, that is) together fairly well over the past 6 months as I've tended to my car accident injuries, but I tell you... I'm getting really frustrated. I want to go out and ride my bike, go for a run, do SOMETHING without pain. When I have a pain day (which I'm having today) it's difficult for me to remain chipper.I want it all to go away.And speaking of it going away...CRAPI can't find my Finnish fortune New Year's Eve tin blob. What does that mean for my 2008?It better be a good year...Sigh.Ok, the Single Gal is officially in a bad mood.And with that, I go skipping off to the movies.
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