random observations

• sales people should not smoke. not on active duty and especially not covertly. because, as everyone except the smoker is aware, tobacco smoke clings to you and assaults the people you descend upon subsequent to your little guilty puff. 
• on the subject of sales people - sales people should not hover. young female sales representatives risk presenting themselves like little girls lacking polish and middle aged sales representatives appear rude and desperate. unobtrusiveness from half a store away is about ideal.
• little children should not be let loose in public places. specifically, they do not belong in a restaurant until they have mastered sitting-quietly-in-place-in-public for the duration of time a sit-down meal takes. 

taking stock

if you think there's been a dearth of thought provoking thoughtfully penetrating posts lately you would be right. it occurs to me that becoming an active member of the economy (as opposed to simply injecting cash into it from time to time) has an adverse effect on the brain cells that make sharp sarcastic comments on life. so that, as much as i like what i do (sometimes i even use the other L word), i find myself mostly just ready for bed at the end of each workday, pithy witticisms and diary keeping be damned.

here's what this year has done to me:

• i no longer cook, not even instant noodles
• i no longer read story books. i miss j.d. robbs
• i no longer shop for fun, despite having more pocket money
• i no longer drive; i just get driven
• i walk a lot more when i am not driven
• i have been reminded again of the dignity and grace of the human spirit in the broken bodies and torn-apart lives it has been my privilege to meet in the course of work, which is a big reason i am thankful to do what i do

getting stuff 2

this is the shop that sells tiles.

if you ask me, it is vaguely reminiscent of a stock exchange.

the commodities floor perhaps?

getting stuff

we spend the day traversing balestier road hunting down the perfect tiles lights bathroom and kitchen implements. it is a soul-sapping endeavor. remind me why we engage interior designers, i murmur to HOM. so that he can take over from here, HOM murmurs back. if we manage this properly we only need to hassle one person, not the entire construction crew. we hope.

extreme makeover or, gutting the ol' place

there's bridezilla.

and, i begin to think, there's renozilla.

i hope we don't turn into the latter.

coming up: choosing a designer agreeing a price getting the permits knocking it down hacking it out starting it over and painting over it all. expensive expansive diversion.

stock-take

it's october!

• examination season soon
• then it's turkey season
• then it's christmas!
• and perhaps J1 will fly home for a quickie visit
• and we'll do some renovations to the old place
• and then it'll be the new year
• and i'll have been back at work an entire year.

gulp.

time-out

it's october!

HOM and i sneak off for a one night stand.

however it is over now and we are back in the thick of work and stuff and we are tired all over again. additionally i miss lunch today because of time pressures at work.

c'est la vie?