So this is what got done today: [link] If you squint and put your thumb over the bottom post, you can sorta imagine what the finished product might look like. Some of the color variation is just that the wood is still damp. Some has to be sanded out/further lifted.

I also swam mile and three quarter, cleaned the fresh produce and cleaned the first floor.

Yesterday, we went to Target and Lane Bryant. At the Lane, I got 3 dresses for $9.99 each! Also a dress for regular price. Also a couple bras and some underpants. Then I went daytime drinking at Parasol's and got to the bottom of some troubling rumors (which were, unfortunately, true.)

Today, I did laundry, cleaned (the mystery smell is gone, don't know exactly what the what was on that, there was no stinking smoking gun), went to see To Catch A Thief at the Prytania Theater, went birthday shopping (also picked up a donated gift certificate from a local business for the playground rebuild project) on Magazine Street, went food shopping, bought new cool local T-shirts, called my mom, vacuumed, hung the spice cabinet, and hung up several pictures downstairs.

Now I am composing a note for Tom's niece in Ireland whose 14th birthday we totally missed last month, ugh. We suck!

Timelies!

T'was the last day of the Festival of Fruit today. I drove out to Fullerton Arboretum and saw a bunch of tropical and subtropical trees. Surprisingly, most of it fruits there. Typically, the plant sale area and the Victorian house of the fellow whose property it used to be were closed (without notice on the website) until 9/11.

Dealt with the hassle of returning the Zipcar all the way out to USC and getting a ride back. I'm back to being carless in LA which essentially means housebound until my knee heals. It was an expensive staycation but I did feel relieved not to be stuck here around my irresponsible siblings.

My sister introduced me to the best local taco joint "My Taco" and it passes muster. I'm home alone for the moment so I took the opportunity to skinny dip. And I just remembered I have some Ace Pear Cider so I'mma light into that.

Loved the Miracle Princess t! Wasn't expecting it to be like the Miracle Man logo somehow...

Congrats on the dress scorage, Nora!

I doubt anyone here geeks out about fruit the way I do, but in case you've some interest, I've been posting pictures from the Festival of Fruit to my Flickr acct. Loads of avocado varieties and dragonfruit varieties. A lot of shots from the Huntington Gardens are not fruit (since they don't yet have much...that's about to change) so there are some ornamental plant shots as well. [link]

I don't know if this link will work, but if so you can see some of what I've been doing this summer.

[link]

It's from the point of view of one of the spotlight operators so it's an odd angle.

So I realize what I should have done yesterday, is take my cat to the vet. He's been throwing up a lot. And I don't know when I can ever take him in! Ugh.

I am in my pajamas...at a bar.

Sounds fun, DJ!

Jesse, I hope your cat gets better or that your schedule gets better so you can take him to the vet.

Too hot to get dressed.

I empathize. No one but me at home right now so I am sans pants. And...sans other clothing.