First, a text from my (second) ex-husband at 7:30AM "Happy Mother's Day!" 

Then our kid wakes up and first thing out of her mouth is "Happy Mother's Day!" And she gave me 2 awesome touching mother's day cards. And a handprint keepsake.

At noon, my current flirtation texts "Happy mother's day to you"

At 3PM, my cousin texts "Happy mother's day!"

At 4PM, my neighbor stops by with strawberries and a "Happy Mother's Day!" wish

At 5PM, a friend from DC texts "Happy Mother's Day"

At 6PM, my brother calls and leaves a "Happy Mothers Day!" message

At 8:30PM my boyfriend from 2007-2010 texts "Happy mothers day :-)"

I love my wonderful life and the wonderful people in it. I feel wrapped in good wishes and oh so blessed. 

PS: and the next day, I got flowers :-)

Number of sweet looking older gentlemen who gave me their number and told me they were into hedonism : 1 

Number of sweet older gentlemen​ who regaled me with stories of being harassed by police for fornicating in their automobiles: 1

Number of married gentlemen who stroked my fur vest, purred, and whined when I said byebye, time for me to split: 1

Ah yes. Still living the dream.

So, I'm a burner. I'm not a rabid burner, but I've been to burning man 4 times, go to regional events, plan to go to more of both in the future.

The Hilton is opening a swank downtown property in Norfolk Virginia called "The Main". It's preopening weekend this weekend, where tickets are $1600 a pair.  Apparently the governor will be there. There are bands booked, some Broadway singer will entertain, multitude of musical groups, visual art from some of the area's best galleries and museums.

Somehow, the Norfolk Hermitage Museum & Gardens decided they wanted to bring burning man art to the event.

Last time I went to burning man (2014), I was part of a large art project out of Washington DC (Pyramid of Possibilities). One of the guys on the project was Wolf. He was so inspired that the following year he went balls to the wall and led the creation of several art pieces for that thing in the desert. It was a carnival theme that year; Wolf and team created pieces for what he termed Hall of Mirrors Arcade. Included in that was a giant Pachinko machine. 

Wolf shipped the giant Pachinko to burning man, then back to DC. And then, a few months back, he decided to move to the west coast. He was on the verge of tossing the Pachinko - "As I will be moving very soon, ALL assets of this art project must be disposed of, and by mid-December. If a new home is not found by then, it will simply be TOSSED IN A DUMPSTER. I'm not kidding" -  so I connected him with someone who would take if off his hands. Her name is Tracy, thought she sometimes goes by Squirr Lee and she's also a burner.

So the Hermitage has decided to bring burning man art to this swank Norfolk event, reached out and connected with Tracy. Who agreed to bring the giant pachinko to this swank event. And then Tracy asked for help at the event - tos setup/breakdown/man the "exhibit"- so I'm going, as is another burner named John. (plus a non-burner or two)

So yay, I get to represent burningman to people who think $1600 for a weekend isn't crazy. People who hob-nob with Governors (and not like Delaware governors - cause that's no biggie. I mean governors from a sizable state.). Burningman that goes on about radical self reliance and decommodification and participation.  I get to stand in front of (atop?) a giant dusty Pachinko and play carnival barker.  And emissary I guess, being one of 3 burners in the mix.

I feel so much like the shark has been jumped. 

I wonder if they will supply a bullhorn. And/or champagne.

I wonder if I should wear my "Got Balls" t-shirt. 

I mostly followed Thomas Boutell's recipe posted on OPW a few months back. Except I did not have wheat flour so I subbed in white.

Bread came out fine. Not excellent, but fine. The crust was great. The flavor was not as complex as I'd like. I'm guessing that was the lack of wheat flour? Kid loved it, but she has boring taste buds.

I make bread the "old fashioned" way sometimes. And this recipe just feels weird - what, no fat? 450 oven!?! No second rise?? But it certainly is easy.

I imagine I will make it again. But I'll let the dough sit (in the fridge) a few days to develop more complex taste. Maybe use honey instead of sugar. And likely also encourage a second rise - I.e. remove it from fridge, shape & let sit a few hours before baking. Also, I'll use the wheat flour per the recipe (assuming I remember to buy some)

I'll add photos once I figure out how

​​​​​​​

Another introspection oversharing post.

I'm in a mood. A worn, tired, drawn mood. Maybe even a funk.

I've been retired not quite a year. I've explored and partied. I have been raising my kid. I've made a friend or two, and a whole lot of new acquaintances. I would have thought my house would be cleaner. I would have thought my yard would be a showpiece of stellar landscaping. Apparently a clean house and a fine yard are not of enough interest that I actually achieve them.

I'm bored. This life of careening from party to party, grounded in between with raising a spirited kindergartener is grand. Enviable even. But I need something more. My party schedule for the next 6 weeks is a Iberican Sound DJ show in DC, a Mad Max theme ball outside Los Angeles, a Bowie ball in Raleigh, NC. A luxury hotel art something something in Norfolk. Yes, I'm bragging a bit. This part of life is good.

On Monday I texted my brother, who lives outside of DC. And said "Let's have dinner tomorrow!" I also texted my cousin and said "Let's have drinks tomorrow!" I texted a friend as I got in the car Tuesday and said "Let's have a wine!".  I drove the 2 hrs to DC. My brother then canceled on me - he had developed the flu. 

As I get to the friend's house outside DC with 2 bottles of wine, there is a school bus parked in the driveway. And 11 beautiful people get out, just back from a roadtrip to Miami. It was oddly a 60 degree February day, so we sat on the patio with a revolving door of beautiful people and drank our wine. There was also Korean food. And then my cousin showed up and we went to dinner at the brewery. And I get back to my place outside DC and my landlord & a friend are there drinking beers. We watch Sita Sings the Blues. I sleep at midnight. What a lovely Tuesday I think to myself - the type of Tuesday I could never have had if I wasn't retired.

Then Wednesday was a similar day of family & friends, ending with me driving home after BBQ and hanging by a firepit. I stop at a local watering hole as I roll into my hometown. And have a wine or two, then it was 1AM. A lovely Wednesday I would not have had, if I wasn't retired.

So I'm in a funk. I get the blahs after great social interactions as a matter of course - part of my introverted brain being out of happy. Plus the slight hangover doesn't help. And it's a full moon besides. And I'm bored.

One reason I wanted to dine with my brother because I'm thinking about solving my boredom by buying a 230year old mansion. It needs someone to love it. I would make no money at it (though I likely wouldn't lose much money either.) It is huge, and needs a lot of renovating/restoration. A challenge of proportions that seem to leave the men in my life shaking their heads and thinking I'm crazy. The women in my life, on the other hand, are encouraging and think I should go for it. I wanted to talk to my brother because we have similar money sense. But alas, he had the flu.

In years past, I used to get into these funks and attributed them to stresses of my job. Or I'd think the funk was due to a disappointing romantic entanglement. Or a lack thereof. Now I know it’s just me. I get into funks. Even if life is perfect.

I have a blissfully unplanned weekend of being Mama looking me in the face. I can go back to being bored on Monday.

What I did today:

Awoke at Home for the first Saturday in 3 weeks. Yay.  Read a few chapters.

Ate Oatmeal. Fed the kid Yougurt. Dropped a hairproduct bottle on my foot and I am pretty sure broke at least one toe. Did 2 loads of laundry.

Went to a local Art Museum. Hunted Pokemon. Posted 2 postcards (drawn at the Art Museum). Overate at Jakes burgers for lunch (Kid's choice). Iced my foot. Napped.

Swiped left and right on Tinder. 2 matches. Woo?

Enabled facetime for kid with her father & paternal grandparent (who live in California)

Made chalk paint in squirt bottles and painted the driveway. Dumped a cooler of water on my kid (per her request). Dried off. Walked the block. Re-met neighbors, and it turns out their daughter is also in my kids Chinese immersion kindergarden class. Class starts in 9 days. Yay. And too soon.

Paid my credit card. Cooked dinner. Cleaned house. Put kid to bed.

What I have not done today:

Convince the kid to try zuchinni. Convince the kid to eat her peas.

Message anyone on Tinder 

More formally thank my recent roadtrip hosts.

Shower. Drink alcohol. Make a cake/cupcakes

What I hope to do tomorrow:

Get the kid to eat some vegetables. Give the kid a shower. Get a shower

Spend some time taming the garden (now 3+ weeks overgrown)

Prep the guestroom for visitors

Go to afternoon/evening music benefit Fulkerson IV at Seafood City.

Make cupcakes (Stretch goal)

Buy supplies/equipment to make feta cheese.

“I’m going to live in San Francisco when I grow up”
“Cool, can I come too?”
“Yes, if you aren’t dead”

—

I have reconsidered this chapter verse metaphor in titling journal posts. It more like this is the third book in a series that is my life. Book 1 was childhood & college, Book 2 was corporate employee life, now book 3 is starting. Where will it lead? How will it end??

I’m NOT going to go back and re-title earlier posts. But moving forward, this will be Book 3, chapter 1.

On to this week’s verse : it is a dull one.

I’ve been getting less done than I envisioned a few weeks ago when this book started. I’m still very much in vacation mode, recharge mode. Plus the kid was homesick from preschool 2 days that interrupted some plans.

I did join Instagram as _tinkeress_

I do have an art project list – these will eventually become posts, God willing (and the creek don’t rise):

• BigBall
• LED light wall
• Pennsic garb
• SuperDragon
• Affirmation Collection station
• the subsequent Affirmation cage

And the less interesting adulting list: do my taxes/networking/signing&returning termination papers/bathroom remodel/Garden control/Ceiling repairs.

I had an interesting evening yesterday. I was a DuPont scholar at University of Delaware when I went 1988-91. And the university holds a yearly reception for former distinguished scholars and current seniors. I got to mingle with these clever people, most of which are just starting the second book of their lives. Interesting small talk.

And then dinner with a friend I had from my college days. It has been some years since we sat down together, so we reconnected over much more in-depth real life talk.

And finally, a friend had invited me to his 2 day house party. More interesting types there – young art sorts – some great conversations on the Philadelphia art scene. But it was late and I was winding down, my conversation reserves well tapped. I got home just in time to see the clock change to 3AM.

*I've started up a new blog tinkeress.com - double posting here and there for a while

A weekend ago I was at a rave. There I met a fortuneteller. She read the cards for me. "You will find a worthwhile undertaking," she read, "It will likely bring you fortune."

"You will find true love, a sole mate" she continued, "It won't be just 'some guy', but the real thing, a deeper relationship that you've ever had before."

"But first," she said, "First you must visualize with your third(?) charka these things, and what you really truly want."

But she didn't promise me many bambinos to go with the fortune and love, as that gypsy had 23 years ago. Times change.

*I'm starting up a new blog tinkeress.com So for a while I'll be double posting, there and here.

*I'm starting up a new blog tinkeress.com So for a while I'll be double posting, there and here.

KID: “Whats that in the trash?”

ME: “Bones from the chicken stock.”

KID: “Did you save me the wishbone? I want to wish for us to be mermaids. Except on Tuesday, when we are fairies.”

—  —  —  —  —

MAKING/MADE: Kid’s nightstand, chicken stock, BigBall

READING: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

PLANNING: Vacation Trip to Los Angeles (April), Wickerman Burn (June), Pennsic Wars (August)

I’m still trying to find the rhythm of life now that I’ve downshifted from the daily corporate grind. I’m attempting to move forward on some project every day. Or at least on most days – I give myself the permission to have do-nothing days.

Anyway, Monday, and I want to look back on the week.

• Monday: Snow day – entertained kid, built legos
• Tuesday: Sick day (me, not the kid)
• Wednesday: Polyurethaned the nightstand, and touch-ups; Pennsic garb research
• Thursday: Polyurethaned the nightstand – calling it done; Submitted BigBall art grant request
• Friday: Chicken Stock; Kid was sick, so a lot of quiet nothing time
• Saturday: Do nothing Recovery day!
• Sunday: Sugar Cookies (with Kid); Recruiting help for BigBall from friends

<fin>

It's a cold Tuesday in January that feels like a Monday.  On Monday, a holiday, I cleaned the garage enough to fit my car in. Cause I'd rather clean the garage than scrape morning ice/snow from the car, now that winter has finally decided to make an appearance. 

To get the car in the garage, I need to move my ex's truck. Which I borrowed 6+ weeks ago to get a Christmas tree and never got around to returning. (I have an comfortable relationship with my ex, so things like borrowing his truck are no big deal.) Except it won't start.

So, a cold Tuesday morning in January, I get to jumpstart his truck. Which I do, and think back to a lifetime ago, 1993(?) when I jumpstarted a friends Volvo in Pittsburgh. I was 23, she was thirty something. She remarked on how cool it was that we- two women - could jump a car without help of a man. True then, true now. One woman even.

Car is now in the garage. Yay me.  Though I did manage to lose my keys somehow in the operation. And it is too damn cold to keep looking for them. They'll turn up, and I am an adult, I have a spare. And a way to get into my house without a key. 

Also, 2 weekends ago, I made this, with some help from friends.

I'd hoped to find my parachute to cover it when I cleaned the garage, but no luck. Not sure what I want to do next with it, and I'm out of poles. Though I do still have a truck that runs now, so I can pop over to Lowes/Home Depot anytime to get more.