you're going out again?

That was their question earlier tonight as I'd headed out.
The twins were quite surprised that I was leaving for the fifth night this week.
(smile!)
I guess I've shown them that I truly am a "busy, vibrant woman"!
I'd used those very words to Michael when I had invited them to live me.
Yep, I'd told him not to expect that I was a live-in babysitter because I was a busy, vibrant woman with a wide range of friends and lots of social events.
(smile!)
I had answered the girls' question by telling them that I had been with different people each night, folks who had not seen me much of late because I'd been so sick.
I don't think they really understood.
They don't get out much and they are not accustomed to older folks getting out much, either.
Guess that image is going to change for them!
"The Nutcracker" season begins tomorrow, so I'll be even busier!
(smile!)

So, what have I been doing this week?
Well, I had a Marvelous Monday with the running bear!
Mostly, we were together to celebrate the acquisition of his new car: a 2011 Prius!!!
He even named her Opal S. Cent after I had remarked on her lovely color!
(Hey, it's a pun, y'all! "Opalescent"! How cool is that?!)
Olive Garden, "Knives Out", and I named a car - marvelous!

Then, I had a night of dancing with the bfrb on Tuesday!
That's because his housemate, Marlow, had a singing gig at Barrelhouse South and Kevin had been invited.
Then he had invited me to join him! On a week night! Downtown at a bar! Wow!!!
That's Marlow on the left, all in black, singing some old-time funk classics, with Emerald Empire all around him.
Thanks, Marlow, for getting us down there!
No, the bear didn't dance, in case you wondered.

However, he did mind my drink - Diet Coke - and my coat and my shoes for me, so that was very nice!
I danced to every song they played until the end, when they played "Proud Mary".
I knew I didn't have the energy for that one!
Instead, I stayed right by Kevin, sipping my soda.
He's lookin' good, right?
Muscles for forever and I'm loving the new facial hair!
(smile!)

Wednesday found me over at the Sentient Bean, for the first time since mid-October and "The Monster On Campus".
It was so very good to see the Psychotronic faithful again, with Axelle and Jordan back from their trip to her family in France.
Tonight's screening was in her native tongue, too!
It was "Le château de verre", a smouldering affair from 1950 about a married woman and a playboy.
In some ways it reminded me of the feel of "Casablanca".
However, the ending was much more definitive: these two would never meet again...
all because of a little glass castle in his collection of toys.

Last night was spent in the company of the physicist!
Last month was Jeffvember, but we weren't able to
work in a birthday outing until now.
I wrote a birthday greeting on his gift box!
"To my bfe, in celebration of the completion of
his 46th revolution around Sol, on this spinning orb
called Earth.
wmla, F-grrrl"
He really adored the cat tape dispenser!

So heavy, so different, so fabulously feline!
I had searched out some 1973 coins for him, too,
some American, some from Panama!
I also gave him two different o-Hi-o quarters (joke!),
a bicentennial quarter and a 1941 wheat penny!
Plus, I threw in a few very old comic strips.
All in all, he was quite delighted!
He even whipped out three air guitars - a lead, a rhythm, and a bass - to show his appreciation!
(smile!)

The early art of today was spent with the girls.
The day was beautifully warm, so Michael started
putting together the trampoline that was taking
up half the shed.
Hooray!

I opened up the house to air it out - aahhh!
I tried to help him with the base mat, but those
springs are far beyond the strength of my hands!
He reigned supreme, completing the mat.
Then it was time to set up the protective netting.

I must admit, I had been rather concerned when he
had brought over the trampoline.
However, I am quite impressed with the safety features this one has!
The netting is attached through the spring, making sure little fingers and toes never get near a pinching spring.
Then a cover is laced over the springs, too.
Very nice!

In just under two hours, from start to finish,
the gigantic plaything was ready for action!
Bouncy fun time at last!!!
Alyssa and Leila were soooo excited!
They played on it for about twenty minutes and
were ready to do something else - lol!
What about me jumping on it?
No, I don't think so, but thanks for asking!
(smile!)

My big excitement was earlier tonight!
This was finally the opening night for Collective Face's production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time"!!!
Just Sandy and I and Kaye were there from our group,
since Barbara was ill.
I absolutely love this play about the autistic teen!
And I very much loved David Poole's setting the play entirely as a low-tech story told from the boy's

unemotional, just-the-facts-ma'am, perspective.
Kudos to the cast for a beautifully inventive rendition, even though the subject was difficult.
Kudos to Eric Salles (dad) and Chad Carvell (stepdad),
as they both had to act so out of their nature.
Thank goodness we had lovely, sweet, Battenberg Cake, all the way from England, at this opening night reception to lighten the mood!
Well done, I say, well done all around!
(smile!)