So I went out to walk the dog and there were three really bright "stars" in the western sky - two of them quickly resolved themselves as planes, because I live on an approach to OIA - way over on the west, we get the twinkly lights, not the noise. But one light didn't develop red and green wing lights and cruise on by - what star is so prominent in the western sky right now? It's dazzling. I'm in the city and we're woefully short on stars.

We had one day of sunshine yesterday and today the clouds returned. You'll have to take my word for it that Bardot is on the blocking board. She looks so petite, but then I have mostly made big loose sweaters before her. I finished the back of the Mission Falls cotton Lo-Tech sweat while watching "Adaptation" today - a very strange but really good movie. I went from disliking it at first to being absorbed and unable to turn it off. I'm catching up on movies, since I didn't go to the movies since, uh, Gladiator was in the theaters. I had to force myself to sit down and knit, I felt guilty because there was so much more to do, house-wise, but damn, I was tired.

I had another epiphany today. Yesterday I deep-cleaned the bathroom and bedroom and decorated a bit and cleaned up shit to toss or donate, and felt good about my accomplishment and was worn out by evening. Today I went to church and did the grocery shopping and then went looking for a few more needs, and by 2:30 I was wearing out from the running around. Laundry is running even as I type, I'm not done yet. The lightbulb went on - this used to work because my husband was the home maintenance king, while I was the hunter-gatherer. He could be working on something and ask me to pick up some fire ant killer or a toilet flusher kit on my rounds, and I would do so. He ran around all week on his job while I sat in an office. I couldn't wait to get out of the four walls, and he just wanted to stay home and pull weeds and putter. It was a symbiotic relationship in a way I never really appreciated before. If I have to play both roles I need to re-think my time management - I can't keep up a 3 bedroom house and a yard if I also have to do the hunter-gatherer thing on the weekend. Hunting and gathering has to happen during the week. So does work, exercise, etc. Oh, this could get tricky - I'm so glad daylight savings time starts soon.

It's my blog and I can rant if I want to - I went to the supermarket today and was accosted by cute little boys in baseball uniforms, asking for money. Is this a common thing everywhere now? It really bugs me. I don't want to be mean to children but I really could cheerfully bitchslap their mothers.

I was a Brownie leader and my son was a Cub Scout and both kids always participated in every school fund raiser. I've peddled or helped them peddle wrapping paper, candy bars, whatever. I am still a sucker for a Girl Scout with cookies, a Cub Scout with a can of peanuts, a band candy bar sale or wrapping paper sale or apple sale or a calendar sale or a car wash or whatever it is that supports the band geeks or the lacrosse team. But what the hell is with having these kids just accost people as they leave the store, asking for money!? They aren't selling anything or offering any services, they are just begging. And I must clarify, this is for a non-school-affliated private activity in an upper-middle-class sort of place. We're talking 10 year old cheerleaders from some private club who want to go to some cheerleading camp/spa, or a privately funded baseball team wanting to go to some distant competition. They aren't offering a raffle ticket or a candy bar, they aren't offering anything at all. These kids are panhandling, while their smug soccer mommies sit at folding tables chatting among themselves. They aren't doing anything for this money, they are harrassing strangers to pay their way on a trip to somewhere. Obviously I am just clueless about Modern Life - I should have set up a table outside the supermarket and begged strangers to help me pay my daughter's sorority dues. Anyway, this trend toward just flat-out begging for money to support some elective recreational activity is very common here, and it's really, really pissing me off. It's just so very wrong.