February 16, 1996 (which was a Friday)

I don’t markedly observe death dates. I don’t feel ‘down’ or visit the cemetery; I don’t mention the fact to those who don’t already know. I think about the significance of the date, sure, but I like to keep my annual rituals happy – there’s already enough to be blue about in the world.

The only thing I do is draw little black curtains around the day on my calendars. It’s enough for me, and adds just the right touch of drama. Fitting.

But today is different. It is the 15th anniversary of my father’s death.

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Filed under AutoBio, Death etc..

The Night I Met Lurch

My husband works second shift in a cargo office at our local airport. My 9-5 is just minutes down the road, and I occasionally visit him afterward for a dinner date.

What is airline cargo, you ask? Parts? Tools? Merchandise? Yes. Pets too? Most certainly. Many pure-bred puppies and kittens spend frustrated hours caged-up in his office, nicely complementing the stank of stale cigar already hanging in the air.

But you may not guess what the most common type of cargo is – the shipments that take up most of my husband’s time, and are so large that they must be driven in a cart from air craft to cargo office to customer vehicle.

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Filed under About a Freak, Death etc..

New Look!

A while back, WordPress discontinued my theme (Pressrow), and replaced it with a similar one (Pilcrow).

I just today realized that I could radically alter the appearance of my blog with this new theme, and spent the afternoon and evening playing with backgrounds and colors and sidebars and widgets. It was super fun.

I’m still trying to get things figured out, but I’ve got some new features and links, so feel free to poke around!

Thanks for visiting:)

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To My Ancestors: A Little Modern Grinching

My Dear Dead Relatives,

Why, oh why did you ever choose to settle in Michigan? Why did you select this region of unreliable summers, and predictably drawn-out winters?

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Filed under AutoBio, Seasonal

Numbered in the 300 Millions

Dali, Dream of a Virgin, sad, desolate, scared

Have you even been convinced that you’re going to be a statistic?

One little bump on the head, and you’re most certainly experiencing intracranial bleeding.

A tired day and you have a rare form of cancer.

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Beastly, Part 2 of 2

I knew I’d get around to it eventually. When I posted Beastly, Part I, I did not realize that my life would be taken over by my decision to become a vegetarian.

Fortunately, I have my husband to remind me that it is bad manners and poor self-marketing to leave a story unfinished.

So now, after long delay and several empty promises, I give you Beastly, Part II:

The extensive wine cellar was the only thing that got AnaMadeline through the next few days.

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Festivizing Irish Style

Today, I am making the annual pilgrimage to Muskegon, MI for the Michigan Irish Festival.

It’s raining and thundering outside.

And I couldn’t care less.

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Meatless Red Lasagna

Get ready for another Haphazard Recipe!

A few days ago, I was trying to figure out what to do with the crumbled remains of some homemade veggie burgers. My husband – wonderful MacGyver-style house hippy that he is – suggested that I season it and make lasagna.

I couldn’t see how this would work, as the meat substitute bore a distinct peanut flavor from the peanut butter in the burger recipe. But since I a) didn’t have a better idea, b) knew there was a partially empty box of lasagna noodles in the pantry, and c) will jump on any excuse to eat pasta, I decided to take the idea and run with it.

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Filed under Health, Recipes

Official Announcement

I know, I know… the next post was supposed to be the exciting and deviant conclusion of ‘Beastly’, but I’ve gotta squeeze this in.

I have made the official decision to try vegetarianism. The date I’m setting for the switch is August 2, 2010.

There are two reasons that I’ve chosen that date:

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Filed under Current Events, New Story

Beastly, Part 1 of 2

AnaMadeline hated everything about Brute.

She hated the cheap musk cologne masking his animal stink, which reminded her of a petting zoo orgy.

She detested his forced table manner delicacy – all that napkin folding and pinky lifting.

She loathed the fine clothes covering his monstrous form.

Mostly, she hated the way he looked at her, his yellow, seeping eyes wide with mock innocence when he spoke to her, heavy lidded and staring when he thought she was distracted.

“I have fleas you know,” she said once. “And a third nipple.”

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Filed under About a Freak, Sex of Sorts