Friday, December 15, 2006
Posted at 9:37:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
So wired (and wonky). Why?? I was all wired on Wednesday, too. For no reason. I feel like a hummingbird. It's unpleasant.
I hung another new ornament today: my red ball that a lady painted for me at a church Christmas fair in 1975. It says "Laura 1975" on the back. I've always loved it and thought it was really special.
The blue velvet chair is definitely the best spot. Rocky was really quiet today, so I was able to plant my plant between the cushion and the arm, take a couple photos, then go over and sit at the table where I sit at when Dean comes with me ("our table") and work on Christmas cards while drinking my cappuccino, with a good (and inconspicuous) view of the chairs out of the corner of my eye (you can just see the plant in this photo, if you look really hard).
Posted at 4:44:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
No one sat in the chairs for a long time. Finally, as I was writing Jan's card, a woman sat down! She was talking on her cell phone and didn't notice the card right away... but then, during the course of the phone call, she found it and picked it up. I could hear her telling the person she was talking to all about what had happened ("I just sat down in this chair at Starbucks, and...") (I couldn't hear every word, but well enough). She took out the inside card and read it out loud to the person on the phone as she looked at it. Then she kept saying "That's so cool!" over and over. :-) My heart was pounding. She didn't suspect me at all. It was great!! The chair is the best. And it was so cool that it happened while I was writing to Jan.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Posted at 9:16:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
It snowed in our house today while Dean was at work. (I was worried he would think it was too weird, but he says it looks really nice!) Instead of my normal gold garland I used really soft fuzzy white yarn.
And tonight I added six ornaments. All of them are from the collection my parents made David and me divide up this summer, from our family tree. So far I put up my five clippy 'shrooms (Hunter has the sixth 'shroom of the set) and the green bird (David has the red one, and my parents still have the silver one). They look really wonderful.
The 'shrooms are so detailed... their smaller companions that are attached with green wire even have tiny flutes on the undersides of their caps. I nestled them inside the tree, so they look like they're growing amongst the shady branches.
I might only put up vintage ornaments this year. We shall see.
Dean and are are currently neck-and-neck in the Christmas Card Competition. I'm not sure if I can stand the excitement. Meanwhile, I'd better take the hint and send out my cards ASAP.
Posted at 5:34:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
In other news, I did my first plant! I didn't get to Starbucks until almost 5:00 because I stayed home and Thursdayed most of the day, so I didn't have time to figure out a really clever spot or hang around watching to see what happened, so I decided the best place would be in the bathroom, especially since the store was somewhat busy and I didn't want anyone to see me planting it (that would cancel out the whole anonymous thing, obviously). So after I finished my cappuccino, I slipped in and set it up on top of the paper towel dispenser that's mounted on the wall to the right of the sink. Someone washing her hands couldn't help but notice it. It was really dark in the bathroom (I hate bathrooms with bad lighting!), so my photo is lousy (Zi doesn't have a flash), but here it is. Then I immediately scrammed from Starbucks, so I have no idea who found it.
The new Hipster Guy completely caught me off guard today by asking, "Grande chai latte and a tall cappuccino for here?" He has DEAN'S drink memorized! (?!) I should have been impressed but I was just discombobulated hearing him name a drink that's not mine (especially when I was there by myself). Then the barista asked me, "Who is that that comes in with you?" and I told her it's my husband. I guess I've been bringing Dean along a lot recently (??).
Posted at 2:54:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
Stars! (Only 12 days 'til Christmas.) Along with the Green Linckia Star and the Sheriff-Badge Star that I posted photos of in the Green Things and Orange Things strips, here are four more kinds of sea stars I saw this year in Hawaii: 1) my favorite, the Crown-of-Thorns Star (notice that I am touching this one with my bare hand, much to the amazement of Dean), 2) the Spotted Linckia (regenerating one arm), 3) a Fisher's Star (down at almost 130 feet, so the color is a bit distorted) (it was really cool and spiky!), and 4) the Cushion Star. All of them except the Crown-of-Thorns and the Cushion (which I saw a couple times last year while diving) were new. (!!! Very, very exciting.)
I also saw a red star that looked a lot like the Green Linckia (I'm not sure what it's called, and we didn't get a photo) and lots of Brittle Stars, which we didn't take any pictures of! But I've posted tons of Brittle pictures in the past.
Update: Not quite as nice looking as last year's, but I think it'll work well. Here's the outside (front and back) and what's inside (front and back of the enclosure card, plus the giftcard). I punched a hole in the "PICK ME UP!" card with my little metal hole-puncher (which I got from the Grandmother Dreher estate) and used the snap on the felt SBUX card holder to secure it. This year I'm going to leave all the cards in Starbucks, I think (not necessarily the same Starbucks, or in the same spot every time). Out of all the cards I left last year, two were never spent, two were used and now have a balance of $0., and two are still active (i.e., the finder put more money on it and kept using it). The most active one is the one I left in the blue velvet chair. :-)
Posted at 1:58:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
Also, the reason I know my dream about the Devil Beard Guy leaving Starbucks was true is that I asked the Marshmallow Guy. (I did not call him the Devil Beard Guy, of course.) He told me that he got a full time job (not at a Starbucks), so that's good. But I'm sad that I won't see him anymore.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
BUT, the Marshmallow Guy is still there (thank goodness) and he helped me put the money on my six Hawaiian Starbucks cards (actual Christmas ones this year) for my new Twelve Days of Christmas leaving-treats-for-random-strangers tradition. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, see my December 14th entry from last year.) I don't have any more of those little hibiscus cards I used last year for the "Pick Me Up!" signs, and I couldn't find any in Hawaii, so I'll have to design new packaging.
Posted at 9:08:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
The Friendly Guy was there again today, so I gave him the four Hawaiian SBUX cards I'd promised him (two of each design), including card holders. I don't collect holders, but he was excited to have them. I think he wants the cards for trades.
I miss the Dry Guy.
My dream about the Devil Beard Guy leaving Starbucks was TRUE!!
Posted at 3:59:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
I got my first Christmas card!! And, it's from a new person, so that's very good news for the Christmas card competition. Dean got one from his Boring Newspaper delivery dude (which should not count, but it does) and a relative, though, so he's already ahead. Rats.
Posted at 6:32:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I found a little suitcase for North Carolina (aka new home of the Gingers) visits in our plane. It's just the right size (tiny) and it's dark green (olivine, really) with orange trim. The green's not my favorite ever (I was hoping for patterned red or orange or silvery grey or something), but it's better than a black suitcase that looks just like every other suitcase. (We already have a nice one of those, and I wanted my bag to be a little different.) And there's the orange trim, of course. Plus the fact that it was marked down to only $30 (!). Apparently, full-priced luggage costs $100 on up to the sky. Yikes! (Luggage is such a great word.)
Monday, December 11, 2006
Posted at 10:12:00 PM by Laura W. Petix.
I'm scared that the Marshmallow Guy and the Devil Beard Guy might not work at Rocky anymore. Three reasons: a) I haven't seen them since I've been back (granted, I've only been to Starbucks three or four times, but those two are very often on duty during my normal visiting hours), b) there are two new baristas that I don't know (Hipster Guy and another guy I didn't make up a name for yet), and c) the morning of my first sleep in my own bed home from Hawaii, I dreamed that the D.B.G. was leaving. All that adds up to a very uneasy me. I would sincerely miss them.
We went on an adventure tonight (to Darien!). It was fun and different. And now my hair smells like a delicious fragrant broth. It's kind of giving me a headache, though. Or maybe the headache is unrelated. I liked driving by Ansonia, Derby, and Orange. Also Monroe and Westport.
(The scans are a red pencil urchin and a brittle star I drew on the box we mailed home from Kauai. The box was addressed to East Berlin, CT 06023, and the post office clerk thought we were sending it to Germany. I am not making this up.)
Posted at 2:40:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
Orange things in Hawaii: 1) Spanish Dancer nudibranch egg coil, diving at the 4 Mile marker (never thought I'd actually see one of these!); 2) Passion-Orange/Li Hing Mui shave ice (best, as well as most beautiful, combo ever); 3) Sheriff-Badge Star (!!!), at Ke-awa-iki; 4) Kauaiian wild rooster.
Here's a big version of a rooster, for Susie. (Better photo but the rooster's less orange.) This picture sure makes me want to try coxcombs. (More about the other things when I finally post my Hawaii blog entries.)
Sleepytime Radio Hour. "You know, I sleep at the edge of the bed. It doesn't take long for me to drop off." :-) Me too, Bob. Except for the dropping off part. "Here's a distinctive voice with an unquiet heart--Richard Manuel." Quaver in my chest at the sound of Richard's name on Bob's tongue. The first Band song he's played.
Posted at 2:28:00 AM by Laura W. Petix.
Yesterday Dean got me to set up the Christmas tree. (I originally didn't want to.) I only did the lights. It's pretty and warm and welcomes me home in the dark. I was hoping to get some slacking done this weekend but I didn't really get to. I still feel more rested, though, because I'm a lot less sick so I'm sleeping better now and this afternoon/evening we took Dean's parents to Poughkeepsie for Dean's mom's birthday dinner, so we went on our first Tango flight in over a month, and it was so peaceful flying home in the dark, with all the lights shining below us. They seemed extra bright. Maybe it's because the leaves are off the trees. And I could see people's Christmas lights from the air.
