is it friday yet?

Today was funny. I was tired as hell from staying out late on Monday. We went to see David Sedaris, who completely rocks. Much with the funny. He was rather vociferous in his admiration of Who Do You Love by Jean Thompson, so I bought that today.

Got home late, slept late, and was tired all day. Hastily did my French homework after lunch with Jeff. French lessons are going very well. We usually talk for 45 minutes now before tackling homework and new material. I can read more and more of Le Monde, which is exciting. And we're focusing our conversation and questions on likely situations in Paris. I can't believe that trip is so close!

Sarah and I had plans to run around Greenlake, but we were both utterly exhausted and decided to fuck it. We drove to my place (because omfg I bought all kinds of new art and am dying of love over it) and tried to go to Gorditos for dinner but forgot that they are closed on Tuesday. WAH. We drove to El Chupacabra which I'd heard some good things about, but as much as the food was decent, the service was really bad. We were ignored for a long while until our pleasant-enough waiter took our order. Food took too long, and then I had to flag him down, both arms a-wavin' to ask for the check, which he forgot to bring and continued to ignore our existance, until I shouted (over the deafening din of the place) EXCUSE MEEE!! and he remembered and finally brought it over. I wouldn't bother going again until they get more than two people to serve an entire, over-crowded restaurant.

Then back to my place. Sarah was appropriately coo-y over the new art, which I ran around showing her, not entirely unlike a four-year-old. It's so pretty! A couple of classic Steinlen prints, one funny Steinlen, and an André Renoux print of Place Furstenberg that is gorgeous and looks even more gorgeous on my caramel dining room wall. Clearly, I am in a Parisian state of mind.

The house is mostly clean. Just some dishes, collected trash to toss, and annoying spots of Hobbsie regurgitation to SpotBot. I'm going to head into work a bit late tomorrow, finishing those bits off, and then race to the grocery store before picking my mom up after work. I can't wait to show her everything! It's so much more done, now! And since this will be a low-key weekend, I am determined to go through the boxes in the office closet. Most of that stuff is to be tossed or donated, and then I can make better use of the remaining space. Also, she's promised to make my favorite curry!

On a final note, I am hopelessly in love with The Time Traveler's Wife. Just read a part that completely broke my heart, but I'll save a more spoilerific post for when I'm done with it. What a remarkable story. And this, a first novel. Some people are just amazing, and I don't know if Audrey Niffenegger is ever going to write again, but she may not need to. This was the perfect book.

and now for a commercial break

A moment of product plugging: The SpotBot is spectacular. Poor Hobbsie goes through phases of puking all over the house, and I've spent many unexciting hours on my knees with my old Bissell Little Green Clean Machine, scrub-scrub-scrubbing. And it was okay--I was grateful for it, because it really got cat-puke stains out excellently. But when I saw the ads for SpotBot on tv, I wanted one. Because I really want my life to be that easy.

And Jeff was skeptical, because he thought it wouldn't do as good of a job without some muscle doing the scrubbing--but it works like a freaking charm! I love it! I set it on top of the stain, hit the button, and I can run around doing other things. The stains come out just as promised. There's a neat, damp, circular spot that takes about a day to dry on my light Berber-y carpet. And the only thing is, that unlike the Little Green Clean Machine, the range is limited to this one circle. But, I mean, you just pick it up and move it and start another cycle for any stain that is larger than its circumference.

The unit's configuration is nicer, too. Instead of a long, awkward panel that you have to remove, with a grimy filter thingie, this just has two discrete containers. One with the clean water + solution and the other with icky water, that you just pour down the toilet. But it's much neater, with much less chance of icky water spilling or say touching your fingers and making you barf.

So all the cat spots are cleaned, which is very exciting. And the dishes have been put away, and a new load put in. Garbage has been collected and placed by the door. Laundry is folded and put away.

I just need to make my bed, take a shower, get dressed, and be at work in time for my 11AM meeting.

And of course, Hobbes needs to not run around throwing up so that the first thing my mommy sees is a spray of cat puke in the hall.

I can't believe my mom will be here tonight!!