The Garden State

Why would anyone name a state “The Garden State”? Did these people stop to think about what is usually present in a garden? Yes, you can have lovely flowers, and veggies, and if you are lucky, butterflies and hummingbirds. (Lucky, or extremely skillfull like Tracy!!) However, there are also bugs, millions of bugs. Bugs abound in gardens, and a whole garden-esque state provides flora for more bugs than you can imagine. Creepy crawly monster creatures all over this state. And FLEAS!!! I have to get my dogs flea collars!! Argh! So…. Welcome to the creepy crawly state.

Sigh. Also, it is hotter than satan’s sauna here. It reminds me of the time I did Bikram Yoga at the little place on about 4th and Broadway. I went in thinking, well, I enjoy hot weather, and I enjoy Yoga, I bet the two together are an amazing exeprience. I wasn’t entirely wrong. Amazing is defined as: causing great surprise or wonder. And I was greatly surprised at how hot a single room could be. Half the poses I couldn’t do because the sweat prevented me from holding my body in any of the positions!! I wondered how people can stand to do this all the time. My first Bikram experience was my last. Until I moved here, of course. Since it is impossible to leave my house at anytime of day or night and have it be cool outside, Marlena and I have taken to dashing between air conditioned locations. Leave house, dash to car, leave car, dash to mall, leave mall, dash to car, etc.

On the upside, the dogs are well behaved on their walks! They are too hot to do anything but balefully gaxe back at me and eat some grass from time to time. They don’t pull on thier leashes at all and they don’t go after other dogs anymore. They just pant, drink a lot of water, and pee as qjuickly as possible.

The cat is still traumatized, she was locked in the bathroom all night with a cat box so she could remember how to use one. She is now glaring at me from her perch on the arm of the chair, her earlier remonstrations having secured her (temporary) freedom.

Slowly we are getting it all together. I miss you all, I miss my lovely house and my lovely city, I miss air!!

so hot…. SO MUGGY!!!

My house is a popular hang out, not due to my sparkling personality or it’s “young and hip” location, but due to it’s central air conditioning. Yes, each and every time I open my front door and attempt to leave my lovely, cool abode, I am hit with a solid wall of hot, wet, air.

Monkey walks around muttering “it’s like walking in soup.”

I think she and I will be living inside, with the cold air, all summer long.

More tomorrow, now, it is time for bed. I do not envy you the headache you will have tomorrow Denver, but for now, sleep well, and dream of large women.

Ah… Another bright and boiling hot New Jersey day…

The cat has post traumatic stress disorder, I think. She freaks out and runs away anytime anyone walks towards her with any intent or purpose at all. I think she is afraid we will shove her back into her very stylish red Sherpa Bag and take off for another new place. She has also begun howling at night. Loudly, as only a true Siamese can. Additionally, she likes to hop onto the bed in the middle of the night, crawl under the covers, and press her wet, freezing cold nose against the middle of my back. It is quite the experience, let me tell you!!

We are settling in here. Yesterday Monkey and I sat around the house and watched movies, ate donuts, and blogged all day. Oh yes, and played tea. Monkey prefers to use real wet things when playing tea, as opposed to pretending. I believe this is do to her preference for all things messy but she claims it is simply an attempt at artistic integrity. So we had real lemonade tea in her Ikea tea set. She loves this tea set, she has begun requesting that we eat off of it some upcoming meal. I will not be surprised when she wishes to cook with her cookware set, also from Ikea, as Lee and I were debating whether or not it’s stainless steel design would actually work on a stove. However, we will need some more investigation before we allow her to try it out. Did you know Ikea has it’s own exit on the highway here? Yes indeedy! The post college furniture Mecca is big enough and smart enough to have it’s own big sign on the Garden State Parkway. Sigh. At least it is not a sign for Focus on the Family.

Last night we ate fondue at The Melting Pot at the Galleria in Red Bank. It was interesting. Monkey was initially afraid of the middle part of the table, because they warn you it is very hot. Then she played the “how close can I get to the really hot surface before I burn my hand off?” game. We did not appreciate this game. After some pouting, she began to play the “blow steam over to mommy” game. This was fine, until she began to fan the steam with her hands, once again bringing them in range of the really hot surface. It was an interesting evening, I believe we will go there again, but not soon, and likely not with her again until she is older. She liked cooking the food, but not eating it. She did enjoy desert, so we may just go for desert some time.

Otherwise, things are all right. She and I cleaned the kitchen and made it a working space yesterday. It is unbelievable how much better one feels when you can cook a simple meal and avoid fast food. We also set up our stuff in the office, and spent the day relaxing. Today, it is off to Freehold and Ellen!!

Love you all, Miss you all, wishing you were all here in my tiny east coast house in the oppressive humidity of New Jersey!