(no subject)

I'm making Smoked turkey soup.

I've already got the smoked turkey, onion, garlic, barley, fresh savory and thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, olive oil, clove, fenugreek, and seaweed. But it wants more for the next couple of hours of cooking.

So:


[Poll #1423812]

Enough Frivolity

My upstairs neighbor likes me. We've been out a couple of times (and for any who care I paid my own way each time), but, before I came to Boston, I told him that I wasn't interested in him because we had no conversation. He essentially asked me for one more date to prove that we could find things to talk about and I agreed to coffee. Nope. Still a monologue by me.

Those of you who know me, know I can talk. But I don't really like to monologue. I want to learn new things, ask questions about my problems and maybe get answers, maybe answer some of my friends' questions. In other words, I like conversation. Two to ten people in a room debating engineering or teaching or politics or costuming or whatever is exciting to me. Just hearing my own voice isn't.

Furthermore, I finally finished the major apartment clean and organize project. Upstairs neighbor wants to see the apartment. I have explained in words of one syllable that I don't want to share yet. I like this new space I've created and I want to be the one to invite the first person in. (By the way, the woman who did the apartment inspection was awesome. She hugged me and generally made me feel like I was a great person.)

Tonight, he called and wanted to come over. I said no. He tried a different tack. I said no. He tried yet another tack. I'm pretty sure I said no. He tried one last tack, and something about the phrasing knocked me for a loop and I said nothing at all. I was tongue-tied.

He took that for acquiesence and said he'd be over in 20 minutes.

During that time, I put away my paints. I did a couple of watercolors today. They aren't great, but it felt so good to sketch and play with color. I also called gileswench and asked her to call at 10 p.m. so I could have an excuse to ask him to leave. She did. Her husband has offered to come out here on his vacation and loom at the guy. Weirdly enough, her call was the second one. I spent twenty minutes on the phone with my family, and he didn't take the hint.

I know this is my mistake. Somehow I didn't say No enough. But dammit, I feel like the first No should have been sufficient. I think the explanation I gave a couple of weeks ago that I wasn't ready to share my space with anyone should have been enough. I'm upset -- mostly with me.

Wednesday is my TV night. I like watching "So You Think You Can Dance" because I've taken enough dance classes to know that I can't dance very well. I love watching it, though. I feel like something's been taken from me. How stupid is that?

Anyway, I'm about to light incense to get the weird vibe out of here. There may be some bell ringing, too.

To all of you up in Boston to whom I said, "Come to DC. You can stay with me if you don't mind the floor." I meant it. You're invited. This guy wasn't.