Ha, I like Payphone too, but it doesn't put me to sleep!

The bit where they have an expired security certificate isn't confidence-inspiring, though, I have no idea why they're related,

Yeah, I have no actual experience with it, it's just what turned up in my looking around. I use Greendot to move cash to my kids, because it's a card I can give, but unlike a gift card, it becomes in their name with their info, and is just about as much like a proper credit card as possible, and it's refillable. So then I can keep topping it off remotely when I need to. (Not that I'm giving money to all my kids. Just for stuff like when I have them in programs and stuff that pull them away from their regular income.) But yeah, not international.

So I basically just had the perfect day. Not at all what I'd planned. We were going to go to Petrified Forest to hike. But the SO woke up late from a rough night, so we slounged around the house all morning.

Ate lunch and then went into town for dessert (tiramisu & banana creme pie & key lime pie) and to buy my new jigsaw. Then we were going to pick up the dog and hike around town, but it rained so we came home, stopping by the local meat packer.

I chilled and then the SO grilled the steaks, plus some asparagus. We drank South Dakotan beers and sat in the utterly perfect cool summer evening weather, watching the moon rise through the clouds from our deck. The Biscuit lolled on the steps. We talked about everything, music, philosophy, theology, work.

Then we came inside (mosquitoes) and the SO wandered over the the piano and started messing around. I went and grabbed some old notebooks and we worked up a new tune from lyrics I wrote (mostly in 1999 and some tonight).

And now bath and bed. And tomorrow we start the Traveling Music School back up.

It really could not have been a more perfect day, unintentionality notwithstanding.

(especially the evil papasan. Oh, evil childhood dream that turned out to be so bad for my back!).

I got one for my room in college, and I think I kept it for a good 7 or 8 years. I was sad when I got rid of it.

What a lovely day, Liese.

Best way to get rid of furniture: craigslist, ebay, what?

I think CL because it's furniture and thus local. Unless you are selling something amazing that is worth shipping and insurance.

I still have one in my living room (green cushion, round red throw pillow so it looks like a giant olive). But one of the spiral support struts cracked a long time ago, so that's now the seat reserved for petite ladies.

It really could not have been a more perfect day, unintentionality notwithstanding.

Those are the best days. Reminds me of one of my favorite poems, "Ordinary Life" by Barbara Crooker: [link]

We are at the halfway point on installation for Horror Nights. The crew is doing a great job and we are a little ahead of schedule, but it's exhausting and each year the late nights get a little harder. Getting old sucks.

Ugh. I hear that, ND. (OMG HOW AM I IN MY MID THIRTIES?!? I WILL BE 40 SOON! IN FIVE YEARS!) ...I really thought I'd feel like more of an adult at this age.

Vortex, I think I spent some time in that papasan while you still had it.

Had a lovely day finishing the weekend in Portland. We meant to get up and have breakfast and leave town, but we slept later than planned, and the first place we went was closed, and then we had to wait forever at the second place, and then we walked past Sephora so we had to go in to get my birthday present, and then we had these free cupcake coupons, so we had to go there, and suddenly it was like, 2pm. Eesh! And then it took forever to get home, and we had to stop for a carwash, and gas, and tried to go to Costco but it was closed so we went to Whole Foods...and spent all the money...and then came home and realized we'd forgotten stuff, so ran to Trader Joe's...and only ended up cooking half the food we'd planned to. More tomorrow I guess.

Ha, I always buy more at TJs on vacation than I need to.

Glad HHN is going well, but I do hear you on the aging thing. Have you been keeping up on your new fitness regimen? I'm kinda hoping the new stuff I'm doing will help with the gear hauling later on.

They really are the best, Pix.

I wonder what is wrong with me. It's the early mornings that are getting harder for me.

This evening I sat down to watch a couple more eps of Doctor Who (still in series 1) and both cats were being all cute and sweet. Rosie spread out next to me with all her feet just touching my leg and Gilda curled up on the back of the sofa with one leg wrapped along the side of my neck.