Sunshine Daydream

I am once again in the throes of nicotine withdrawal - for the second time this week. After a tobacco free weekend I was bumming Camels from my roommate a mere two hours after walking in the door. Rokit man called the other day to commiserate as he headed into Day 7 (where the bread is unleavened) and even though I had just finished printing a schmancy Things to do instead of Smoking Cigarettes diagram there were my feet walking into the convenience store, purchasing what I really hope was the last pack ever.

Well, I made it through yesterday. And naturally found myself with the knitting needles in hand. Two things have become abundantly clear: cleaning and knitting occur when I am not smoking cigarettes. Oh sure, I empty the odd ashtray out, especially when all the butts are "empty" from rolling my own late night emergencies. And I continue to browse through knitting and crocheting books, magazines and web sites without crafting a single stitch.

But when I'm tobacco free! Tobacco free and pulling out the Fantastik, scouring the fingerprints from the bathroom door to sit on a bleach encrusted toilet seat and admire my handiwork. Tobacco free and the kitchen sink winks at me - oh my that's not the sink, that's my reflection!Tobacco free and the smell of my man's Newport's mingled with my roomies Camels is enough to drive me behind the bedroom door to wallow in the rich scent of clean oxygfen.

Meanwhile in Arizona my beloved cousin Raymond is suffering. Suffering from second stage lung cancer that has metastasized to his liver. The chemotherapy has affected his brain. He has suffered from two brain aneurysms and surgeries in the past five days. He has recovered each time. The tube in his nose puts him at high risk for pneumonia. And still they must feed the tumors more chemo because it's all they can do. No surgery. No radiation.

Beloved Raymond --- who never smoked a cigarette in his 34 years.

Blog Revival

I left the house an hour ago after suffering for the past three days with the worst case of green grey bronchitis. It was hard going, you know, the walking and breathing with your mouth open. Wanting to get back into the bed even though my calves were cramping from inactivity. Knowing that I had to do something, anything, or I'd feel worthless on top of sickly. Waiting at the stoplight at the intersection of Kansas and Georgia Avenue hoping for a sign.

Beaver, the lascivious librarian with the naughty name, kindly removed ten dollars from my overdue library bill. And then told me the good news: seven new computers installed. No longer do I have to wait to get online at my mother's house once a week. No more trips to MLK library. No more speed blogging. Life is beginning to course through the veins of this old dried up, much neglected blog. It's beginning to come....aaa.....liiiiiivvvvvveeeeeee.....

Thunderbirds are on their way to Wembly!!!

Wow. I'm a soccer mom.

Holy Wow. I'm a soccer fan.

This is the beauty of parenting. Eight weeks ago I had spent thirty-six years contentedly afraid of the ball, even proud of my "crunch and cringe" response and even appreciative of the laughter it would generate (do it for the fans, some gave all, theatre as sport et al.,)

This Sunday I spent three hours screaming HUSTLE and GET OPEN and GOOD EFFORT to the members of Reston Youth Soccer Association. My beautiful son played his little legs off this afternoon, stuffy nose and all. The Thunderbirds leave the spring '07 season UNDEFEATED. Now if only I could get the other parents to indulge in some good old fashioned hooliganism with me sometime soon (strip a strip mall anyone?).

Speed Blog

So the MLK branch of the DC Public Library has 15 minute computers and according to the little timer clock on the bottom of the screen I have less than 10 minutes. On my mark, get set, SPEED BLOG!!

It's hot, it's Friday, it feels like g.dam August out there in the Washington streets. I managed to spend less than ten dollars for a nutritious lunch at the Whole Foods Market. Hint: SKIP THE DELI. I tried some of the new Kashi frozen foods which tasted like frozen coconut with brown rice and chewy chicken. Nothing to surf or travel the world for, but at least the nutritional information assuaged my guilt at not having a fresh spinach salad like I craved. There's a new Kombucha tea out there that costs a dollar less than the Synergy brand I usually drink. This one tastes a lot less like stomach acid in a bottle (even though I rather like the other brand because it makes me feel so good). More like a gingery, sugary drink but better than cola anyday.

It's one of those empty agenda afternoons and I've turned the cell phone off to browse the library in solitude. There may even be a free movie on the 2nd floor later this afternoon. With any luck the Pimsleur Hindi course will have returned so I can get ready for my trip to India later this summer!