Bits-N-Pieces

So today, it got much much better as the day went on.  As I had two cups of mixed berry green tea, shut the door to my office, did paperwork and bascially was a recluse until after lunch, my patience grew longer and I grew more tolerant and by the end of the day, everything was just hunky-dorey.
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Freddie and I spoke last night for like 45 minutes again.  Everything was relaxed and it wasn't awkward, but it was weird.  I feel strange talking to him again since we've been broken up since 2007.  But when we've talked recently on those few occasions, everything seemed like it was before.  Strange.  Really strange.
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Wednesday, I was sitting here in the living room with the doors and windows open cause it had finally cooled down enough there was a nice breeze blowing through, when i heard a lamb.  Or a goat.  And I heard it more than once, over and over in a regular rhythm.  But I figured I was nuts, cause there's no way there a lamb or goat near my house.  And later I heard the neighbor's daughter practicing her tuba, and even though a tuba doesn't sound anything like a lamb or a goat, I just convinced myself that that was it.

Then yesterday, when I got home, I saw on the neighbor's front porch, a large red cage.  And in it was a big blue parrot.  I found out his name was Milo, and it was he who was making the lamb/goat noise.  And he did it last night, and he's done it tonight as well.  Its not really irritating, it's not terribly loud, but it is funny.  I chuckle when I hear it.
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I finished the 4th Harry Potter book last night.  Was up until after midnight finishing it.  So today I was thinking, "What am I gonna read now?"  See, I dont like to read book series' back to back.  I've done that before, get all wrapped up in a series, read them one after the other, and about the 4th or 5th book, get bored with it all, put it down and not finish it.  And I didn't want to do that with Harry Potter.  I mean I did read the frst two back to back, but then I spent two days reading a Doctor Who book, and then the 3rd, and then got halfway through Alice, before reading the 4th.  I wanted to read something else, but while I'm trying to decide what book read, I kept going back to Harry Potter.  And so, tonight, I started the 5th book.  Which I really hope isn't a mistake, cause it's the longest book, by far, and with the smallest print, so that means its even longer.  But I'm so wrapped up in the whole story, I think I should be able to get through it all.
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Last night we had a HELL of a storm here.  Torrential rain, losta thunder, amazing lightning blasts, hail in some places.  Me, fool that I am, I went out onto the front porch, which was already wet from the rain coming down sideways, and filmed a minute of it all.  Got some good lightning shots, and I thought I'd post it here.  But it was so dark, except when there was lightning, there was nothing to see.  So yeah, you'll just have to take my word for it.
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Since July 7th, I've only had three regular sodas.  I've been drinking a LOT of water, and choking down diet sodas.  And today, when I weighed myself at work, I was down 5 pounds.  Which isn't a lot in the larger scheme of things, but hopefully, I can keep going on with it. 

Also, as an interesting aside, when I'm drinking regular soda, I much prefer fountain soda to bottled or canned.  And of course it HAS to be Pepsi and not Coke.  But when it comes to the diet crap, I can't stand fountain drinks I can only drink it from bottles or cans.  And when Im drinking diet, I can't stand Pepsi, Diet Coke is all I can take.  Irony, eh.
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Last night also, I used my George Foreman grill...or actually, the non-name generic one I have.  I made a steak on it and it was fast and cooked all the way through and delicious!  Yummy!  Clean up kinda sucked a bit, but I really can't wait to use it again.  It's so quick and easy!
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And of course, here's the Obligatory Bits-N-Pieces Eye Candy.

POLT