Ug.

The couch is sticky. Might as well skip sitting there. The bell jar might be a hint. An ounce of honey is still pooled at the base.

Dog parade

The dog parade.
3 year old
30 year old
14 year old bringing up the rear.

Dear Mr. Orion

Dear Mr. Orion,

I just wanted to let you know I miss you. I know you're running around being chased by Chloe, being spoiled by your Nana, and pestered playfully by your Aunt Maggie. I know you're enjoying the fact they turn on the heat and you don't have to be cold. You're probably also enjoying all the treats and just the general amount of people who are hanging out with you. I didn't turn the heat on in the apartment and I think our bedroom vent is broken. I miss having you as my backup heater just so you know. Plus, I really have no one to talk to now. There are some drunk people singing, "La la la whatever," outside. Cars are driving by splashing up the rain. That's about it around here. I'm in bed early and have all the aluminum cans you kicked around all picked up again and back in their bag.
I guess that's it. I hope you're being good up there and not trying to pull your escape artist skills. It was wicked foggy driving back here and I don't want to hear about you getting hurt. Try not to eat your Nana's knitting. Be good to your Aunt Maggie who will hang out with you tomorrow. She's not pleasant in the morning so you may want to reconsider your tactics for wake up. You may want to stretch em' to 10 o'clock. Learn how to make her expresso and you may find her playful side. Otherwise, stick with your grandpa. He'll pal around with you in the AM. Besides, you need some men in your life.

Alright, that's about it.

Love,
Me

Best parts of pop tarts

We're sitting on the couch. It's 6:40 AM. I haven't purchased milk in three days. Breakfasts are getting rough.
Orion is poised perfectly beside me. My leg is tossed up on the movable island. The pop tart wrapper crinkles as I open it.
"These use to be my favorite thing to eat my freshman year of college, did you know that?" I ask. I slide a pop tart out. I start nibbling the edges.
"The edges are my favorite. Would you like to try an edge to see why?" I break off a piece and he gobbles it down.
"What do you think?"
He looks at me expectantly as I eat the jellyed part.
"You're thinking you ought to try the jellied part to be able to compare?" My eyebrows go up as I bob my head in a yes motion for what he must be thinking.
"Well ok," I say, breaking off a jellied and frosted part. "What do you think?" I ask as I pass it to him.
He chews it up.
"I'm thinking you could care less which pieces I give you as long as I keep giving them huh?" I answer for him, and smile.
"You know, I'd rather spend the day with you today, resting on the couch with a good book." I sigh and then just hang for a few more minutes, before kissing his nose and getting up to go to school.

Princess and the Pea

Mum: "What are all the sharp pokie things I was sleeping on last night in your bed?" 

Me: "oh those were probably chewed up pieces of a peanut butter jar..."

Sick days

I wake up to the slight whine as Orion nudges his nose under the blanket tent I have created on the couch. It's daily light now and I'm thankful that I managed to get some excuse of sleep as the evening was far from peaceful.
I had a friend recently say one of the three things she missed about not being partnered with someone was on sick days. As I was trying to go to sleep last night every fifteen minutes or so I would wake up coughing so hard I wasn't sure I was taking in enough air to sustain me. That, and after a few more rounds of hacking, my muscles hurt so bad that I'm holding my rib cage, eyes are streaming, nose is streaming and I'm just flat out miserable. I reached over to Orion, just as the one around who could acknowledge, "Hey buddy, I'm having trouble here, go find the sheriff if I stop breathing." I'm not sure he's up to Lassie standards but it made me feel better all the same to rest my head on his hip.
Soon enough, I decided to move to the living room, thinking perhaps the room without heat turned on maybe would have more moisture and not irritate me so--so we gave up the electric blanket and piled on the couch, dog and I. (There was a moment I even thought to call my mom in hopes she would know what to do). But we piled on, and Orion, adorably crawled up to snuggle where I could hug him and didn't run off while I coughed against his sleeping self. All and all, I was happy to have my little puppy with me last night.

Fall gone by

Seeds litter my couch between torn cardboard. For a moment I am puzzled, was there a pumpkin somewhere I didn't realize? Was something other than a dog bone in the box? And then it connects, my gourd--could he have devoured my gourd? I peek in the kitchen. It is gone from the window will. "How could you, when did you even find TIME to eat that??" I ask incredulously. 

I sigh.

"That was my only fall thing you know."