Sorry!

This will not satisfy, I know. Suffice it to say, for now, that there's been too much, that's TOO MUCH going on to keep up. I sincerely apologize for the blatant abuse of my word...every day, HA! Lies, all lies.

I will give you the update of all tomorrow.

Regarding the poison ivy...I believe that I'm winning. I've only suffered singular rash dots thus far for the most part. I have discovered an AMAZING product (thanks, Mom) called Tecnu. It actually pulls the poison oils out of your skin.

More later,

Jodi

Contradicto

I began my day early as my new alter-ego. I started by giving life, well, sustenance to the birds in the 'hood. I'm a geek, I love them, binoculars and bird book in hand. I am riveted by them.

Then I switched to destroy mode and kill-kill-killed things. Well, really, I only killed one thing many times over: poison ivy. Yes, 'tis the season. I am a geek in this regard, as well. As I was telling Alicia this morning, it is as though I have developed a symbiotic relationship with my arch nemesis (me being the super-hero). Yesterday, I was COMPELLED to do yard work. I'd been thinking about it all week, but I suddenly jumped up from my transcribing and started chopping things down and ripping them out. It is as though I am now intuitively linked in some way to my daunting enemy...The poison ivy had JUST THAT DAY leafed out. It was eerie, truly. My hands and knees were literally shaking as I went into the netherworld on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GARAGE. This was a frightening jungle -- totally uncharted territory filled solid with vines and lots of scary things. Then there is the jungle edge of the yard that has not only poison ivy, but what I believe they call around here: mile-a-minute. That says it all. Blink, and it's a yard further AND the leaf buds are sticky....INSIDIOUS!

By the time I was done, it was quite windy and I was terrified that I had doomed myself. I am so allergic that I have gotten bad cases of poison ivy from the wind several times. I scrubbed myself down and applied Super Ivy Dry from my face down....OW, it stings.

No bumps or swollen eyes this morning...in the clear. So, of course, I had to temp fate again this afternoon and continue. Funny, how yard work -- you know, getting your hands in the dirt and all that just isn't quite the same wearing elbow-length industrial rubber gloves. Sigh.

Life and death all in one day.

In true bachelor style, I have eaten the same dinner three days in a row (while pining for my love to return). I ate an entire box of Annie's mac & cheese for lunch... Alicia comes home tomorrow.

No house work

Sorry, y'all. All this transcribing makes for a dull blog -- nothing to take photos of and no info to share. I am on a deadline that falls on the eve of our Dolly Parton in Boston weekend, thanks to dear Lakey!

I admit, that spring also has had something to do with my blog-writing flakiness. We're experiencing a warm spell, which means that -- despite daily sunscreen use -- my forehead is a little pink. (I feel your disapproval, Amy). I've taken to transcribing out on the porch in the sun... Oh, how I have forgotten the bliss of a real spring. No wonder it is such a season of anticipation and yearning, with the way it tickles and teases one's craving for sun, warmth, life. The season's are so drawn out here, it is delicious. Our single daffodil promises to bloom today (it is comparably late). The magnolia trees are so shockingly old and tall here -- just gorgeous. They always tended to be more underdeveloped in Seattle. More blooms explode daily everywhere and sadly, the grass threatens a need for cutting soon! Sigh.

It's a very busy modeling month, especially this week and next, when I have several days of doing two gigs in one day.

Well, just wanted to send out a good morning.  I wish you a satisfying and productive 13 hours and 7 minutes of daylight. We are headed for 75, 78 and 79 degrees today, Friday and Saturday!

p.s. 43-years young feels great!

The Day Before Her 43rd Birthday...

Jodi helped me with some green screen testing. Enjoy!

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No sooner had I tallied up the plagues of pestilence, than I discovered yet another. Nebbie had her first tick yesterday. If you are unaware, I will tell you that this area is a bit hellish for such things. Lyme disease occurrences are very high, and fleas and mosquitoes thrive here like crazy as well (a little hellish).

I'd hoped that ticks would only be a concern on hikes (which we haven't had any time for, thus far), but the dogs do spend a lot of time in our yard. We actually did see a deer in our yard at the end of February... We have a surprising amount of wildlife in our yard, considering that we live in a city (albeit a small one): deer, groundhogs, skunks... Skunks really thrive around here, too. We've been quite fortunate so far on that one. I'm the only one who's come close to running in to one... Sorry, no close-up photos of skunks.

More brick work yesterday. I wanted Alicia to take action photos (ha, ha), but she thinks that you're all bored of bricks by now. Gee, you can imagine how I feel...

p.s.

Why don't I listen to my dog??! The birds ARE IN THE WALL of our bedroom. Nebbie was trying to tell me... It turns out that there's a brick missing under our bedroom window, and I saw them flying in to the hole this morning. Wah.

In sync with baby bird season, spring has really sprung, now. Things are abloom, abud (?), aleaf (?) and the grass is green. It's supposed to be 70 degrees tomorrow! I am so busy that I can't see straight. Oh, yes, I did get the job as the author/journalist's assistant/research assistant. Between that, modeling and working on the house, yikes!

Alicia is trying hard not to get sick. We went to the city on the train yesterday and had a lovely time (working on the way).