Bliss

I just spent the last hour listening to Beck's "Sea Change" album from '02.

Wow.

I'd forgotten how lovely it is.

I remember when I first heard it - it was a cool autumn evening in 2002, and I was the passenger in a dark green Acura Legend, on a clandestine mission to the Venice Cafe. I was amazed when he told me it was Beck's new CD we were listening to, because it was so austere and melancholy. But it did the trick, and put me in a very open and receptive mood.

I believe that for the next three years that was my subliminal soundtrack. I used to wish I'd never heard it, or at least on that evening.

I Guess I'm Doing Fine now, because my Lonely Tears have subsided and I'm no longer a Lost Cause. At the End Of The Day, I realized it's All In Your Mind.

I've since made new memories to accompany this album.

In Like A Lion...

March weather is creating havoc all over.

Talked to my mom last night, who lives in Dickinson ND, and she described the blizzard that was happening. All of the windows on the front side of the house were frozen over, she couldn't see out at all. It had rained earlier, so beneath the feet of snow that the blizzard will leave is a sheet of ice. Be careful out there, Mom.

My friend Vicky, who lives in Fargo ND, blogged about she and her son helping hundreds of other people sandbag through the night. They're going back today to sandbag some more, which is awesome. Area schools have given students the option of staying in school and studying, or sandbagging, and most are opting for sandbagging, it's that serious.

The normal Fargo flood stage is 18 feet. It had reached 25 feet as of yesterday. They are predicting the Red River to crest at 40 feet by Friday.

I hope my friend's basement stays dry, as does all of Fargo. I hope that those dikes are strong and hold back the water. North Dakota folks are hardy people, and can "weather" the harsh climate, but this will be a true test of their spirit.

I remember growing up on 13th St. West and having to bail out our window wells when storms would come through because our basement was very prone to flooding. Our neighbors, the Christensons, would lend a hand sometimes. It was a community effort then, as it is now.

St. Louis weather today looks to be a bit on the crazy side. Bad t-storms, winds from 30-40 mph, with gusts of 45-57 mph. This is what I read on Yahoo! Severe Weather Alert:

"THOSE DRIVING LIGHTWEIGHT AND HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES WILL NEED TO
USE CAUTION...AS THESE GUSTY WINDS MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO
CONTROL YOUR VEHICLE. LOSS OF CONTROL WILL BE OF SPECIAL CONCERN
WHILE DRIVING ON EAST-WEST ROADS."

Let's be careful out there.

KoKoNut

KoKoNut is the dog my former fiance decided we needed to BUY New Years Eve 2004. Her papers FROM THE BREEDER (*shame*) say that she is a Pekingese, but we later found out that she is actually a Tibetan Spaniel. Tibbies are in the same family as Pekes, they have a more lean and agile body and a not-so-smushy face. They are known for their stubborness, as is KoKo.

She is a very loving dog, she likes to give lots of stanky kisses, jump up and bite your butt when you get home from work (or wherever), and she will come over and plop down next to you when you're laying on the bed, floor, couch, etc. and keep you warm. She does all these things, but only on HER terms.

She doesn't share or play well with others, so when Oliver Smallville comes to visit, whatever toy he attempts to play with is quickly stolen away by the deadly little Nut jaws. Oliver, being the sweet soul that he is, acquiesces and chooses instead to stare longingly at the toy that was once his, if only for a brief moment.

KoKoNut was born of the Devil, we think, and for the first six months of her life, she just spewed fluid to the four corners of whatever room she inhabited. Pee, poo, vomit, drool, snot - you name it. Finally, it got to be too much, life was getting to be intolerable with her presence. That said, I was dispatched one Saturday morning to the pound to relinquish said Devil spawn. During the car ride to the Humane Society, I told her why we made the decision, and looked at her to see if she understood. She chose, at that very moment, to lay down on the front seat and give me a look that melted any hatred I had for the little white puffball of evil. Her eyes turned from a devil's milky, bloodshot yellow to an angelic clear blue.

I turned around just blocks from the HS, and as I headed back to our house, my phone rang. My fiance, assuming I had already dispatched the furry fiend to the shelter, pleaded with me to go back and retrieve her. When I told him of the exchange that had just moments before happened between me and the now fuzzy angel, he said he would be waiting at the front door with open arms and treats galore.

From that day on, the spewing, shitting, dribbling, dropping and drooling ceased, and our little devil has been (mostly) a gift from the heavens above.

The attached picture was taken one April morning at the fountain in downtown St. Louis. She's a happy dog.