What the hell have you been doing, Molly?

I talked to my friend Marisa veeeeerrrrry early this morning, who was drunk-dialing me on the way home from a happy-hour-that-turned-into-insanity night. Center City's Summer in the City has a way of doing that to you, if I remember correctly. She was intoxicatingly screaming on the phone to me that she hadn't heard from me, and that she knew I was sick but it "was no excuse" for not joining her out. I asked how she knew I was sick, she said she read this blog. Oh yeah. I forgot. People read this. Anyway, Marisa said something that someone else told me...

"Well, I know how you feel about stupid stuff, but what are you DOING? Like what's going ON?"

So I give you an UPDATE. In list form, because I like numbering things. Some very random stuff about my life lately:

1. I found a box in which to ship Caroline's portrait to Meghan, pending finishing touches, varnish, and Meghan's OK. It only took me 2 1/2 years to do it. Owen's locked in as soon as he's old enough, and I was actually worried about Canson discontinuing the color of paper I did Caroline's on, so I bought a few pieces in that color and labeled it "OWEN" so the portraits are consistent.

2. I have completely reworked about half a dozen paintings. The one of the poppies? Unrecognizable now, but has a better focal point. More use of negative space.

3. I lost 7 lbs since the last time I weighed myself, in Lynchburg. I actually think it was probably more, as I probably gained a few more in the 'burg (I ate more junk than a person ever should) and I literally couldn't eat a THING for almost a week here. But yeah, want a new "best diet ever"? STAPH INFECTION. I'm kidding, y'all. It ain't worth it, and I didn't even want to lose the weight.

4. I'm actually re-thinking the whole "move home" thing. A bunch of reasons behind it - it's not exactly a place where I'd have more than say 4 friends to go hang out with, I'm afraid I'd be an even bigger hermit than I already am, and oh yeah, big blowout last week with my dad, who currently isn't speaking to me. Long story on that one. But I know that come October 15, I either have to go find a sublease or move SOMEwhere, I can't afford this place on my own. I'm kind of open to just about anything. Could move WAY south, like Miami or California...I was always jealous that Maverick got to go to law school in Malibu and he thinks I'd dig it. Could consider another big city where I don't have to own a car, like New York or Chicago. I've always wanted to live in New York. And I miss Boston some days. And I DO have that obsession with Texas. And Angie keeps wanting me to move to Washington DC and live with her, as we are, in fact, the last two single girls on earth. Hell, I even tossed about the idea of moving to Italy and teaching art, although I don't know the language and I'm not actually crazy about those Italian men. Who knows.

5. I thought for about five crazy seconds about cutting all my hair off. Then I remembered how every time I've cut it, I've instantly wanted to grow it out again. I need some sort of change though. Maybe I'll get an eyebrow wax tomorrow. I am befuddled as to why I continually procrastinate getting one - I live RIGHT next door to the salon.

6. I bought two mats for watercolor paintings, three sheets of pastel paper, three drawing pencils, two pieces of compressed white charcoal, one piece of sepia chalk, and one piece of really good portrait paper (those are for the people who pay the big bucks) at Pearl yesterday. I meant to spend $5. I ended up spending $24. Dammit.

7. I don't really miss most of the stuff I used to buy when I had a lot of money. I have clothes, and I enjoy the ones I have, borrow from my roommate and/or cousin, alter old ones, etc to make my way through the place. Yes, I dropped a few on the Gap sale, but it literally was like $10 for the dress I bought. But about a week ago, I was in a store down the street from me and randomly decided to try on a pair of jeans. They fit like you wouldn't BELIEVE. Any woman out there, regardless of her size or shape, knows the horror of pants-shopping or jeans-shopping, so when you find a good one, the heavens open up. But unfortunately, my wallet couldn't open up as well. Well, it can open, but the only thing you'll find is pocket lint. All of a sudden, I got REALLY depressed about not having money. Like I wanted to cry. And all I've done for a week is covet these damn jeans. I want a fairy godmother - because if those jeans replaced my paint covered shorts, even until midnight, I'd be a happy lady. If that happened, I might be wandering around a bar with no pants on after midnight, in which case I'm guessing there's be a few happy fellas, as well. Size 24, Bibbity Bobbity Boo. True Religion, if you're listening for reviewers, send me those jeans and I will write you the best review ever about how I came back to wearing your jeans.

8. I've noticed that Philadelphia has an odd obsession with its TV news personalities. I'll tell you one day about my theory about Channel 6's Erin O'Hearn. It's not bad, she actually looks like a nice girl. But based on the stories that the newsanchors generate about themselves in this city, all Philadelphians kind of suspect scandal the minute someone hits the airwaves. But speaking of, does anyone remember a reporter on CBS in Atlanta named Lori Wilson? She's up here now, she hosts the local 10! show, which is the only morning show I can tolerate. She talks about Atlanta a lot, and it's kind of weird, because I've kind of thought sometimes about going down to the studio for one of the tapings (they give away tickets to go) and saying "hey, I was in Atlanta when you were there!" I think she'd think I'm crazy.

9. I've been going to Starbucks some mornings and getting a New York Times with my coffee. I know I've posted about newspapers before - I'm a newspaper aficionado and have gone toward being a newspaper SNOB. I love the New York Times. Love it. It's written for people with a brain in their heads. Even though I like my "mental junk food" - the ones that have all those fun stories like "Atlantans' Cutest Pets!", yes, I'm talking about YOU, AJC - I like a newspaper that actually takes the time to delve pretty deep into issues and current events. I think I learn something every day from it. Now before you go screaming at me for talking smack about the South, please know that:
a) I am a PROUD graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism.
b) Henry Grady is probably rolling over in his grave at the sight of the AJC now. I'd be willing to bet that Lewis Grizzard is too.
c) I do not consider all Southern papers "as amusing" as the AJC. For the record, I have been a fan of the commitment to investigative journalism that the Charlotte Observer has shown for years. I even applaud my own hometown paper - The Lynchburg News & Daily Advance, for at least TRYING.

So I've begun to even feel this way about the Inquirer. I don't like how they seem to gloss over, yet still sensationalize the real stories in Philly. But anyway, I'd love to subscribe to the NYT if I wasn't afraid that some a-hole would steal it from my front step every morning.

10. I have a date tonight. Just got a text message about it now, actually. Nice-looking, very polite, very nice, from Virginia originally. That's all I'll give you right now. Since I'll get this question after this post anyway, I've had a few people ask me in recent weeks "oh what happened with the other dude, in Charlotte?"...you tell me, I have no idea. He just dropped off the face of the Earth. I don't really care, it was no skin off my back when I heard some backstory. And a REALLY weird connection, CharlotteDude and my ex have a mutual friend - other than myself - on Facebook. Since my ex also lives in Charlotte (from what I hear - we don't talk), I had a shuddering thought that it was entirely possible that the two of them have run into each other. Since my ex is that guy that all straight men get the man-crush on (he's the total guys' guy, the one that organizes the bachelor party, the one like Vince Vaughn in any movie, the one that rarely has a girlfriend but the ladies just come around when he's around), CharlotteDude would probably think he's the coolest cat ever. I'm still getting chills from the thought. God, it's a small world.

11. Remember how that woman in the 1990's had a condition in which she had Grand Mal seizures when she heard the voice of Entertainment Tonight's Mary Hart? I think I'm psychosomatically getting to be that way about Rachael Ray. Except I get overwhelming rage, not seizures. I just turned the channel away from her (I was watching Regis and Kelly beforehand, and really, Kelly's bad enough), because I looked up and realized she was talking to THE HONEY JAR.

12. It might be a good thing I have a date tonight. Because Coldplay is in town. I can't afford tickets, unfortunately. I purely say that it might be a good thing because I'm sure Chris Martin might have put me on that "list" that says "do not allow within 500 feet of the man at the piano."