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In my head: Not sure how I’m going to get everything done this week – papers graded, parent conference, baking vortex 2011, Christmas tree up, decorations out, HCLT holiday party, and “Jungle Book” auditions (I’m stage managing that one!) But, as always, while I’m sure it will work itself out in the end – how? It’s a mystery!

In the cup: Yuban with a splash of milk. It’s a Very. Large. Cup. this morning!

Currently Playing: Joydrop, “Metasexual”. Mellow and well-worn, like a favorite old pair of shoes you just re-discovered in the back of your closet – they’re not you now, but you slip them on for a while anyhow because they used to be.

Also, on the drive from rads to work, Massive Attack, “Collected Rarities”. Because – it was that sort of a morning. :o )

Today’s run: 25 minutes of intervals. Blergh. I wish I could love them as much as my times do.

Rads: T-Minus 5 radiations to go, beginning today! WOOT!

Today’s BPAL:

French Love Bewitching Brews A warm, soft, sexual blend. Sweet and alluring. Used to entice new lovers and add an aura of temptation and carnal sin to your environment. $17.50 Purchase!

Don’t get excited, it’s really just pretty, more than sexy. Dragon’s blood, vanilla, and a floral – gardenia or lily or rose, maybe, or a blend thereof. Just a sweet warm scent. I don’t wear the really sexy ones to work – what do you take me for?

On the Desk: Nothing, nada, rien. Sadly, no time this morning to write anything beyond this blog post – hopefully can work on Mighty Knights tonight after we get home and settled in. #socloseyetsofarawayfromthefirstcompletedraft! I should also have a few academic projects and 1800 Days, plus the usual poetry & miscellaneous bits, rolling out Very Soon, though – stay tuned!

On the nightstand: How To Write a Lot, and A Fire in the Mind. Yes, STILL. Someday I will get through more than three pages before passing out!

Papers Graded: 5. Three to go! Oh, wait…the next batch starts coming in today. Argh. #ateachersworkisneverdone.

Well, we’ve had something of a mini-crisis here at Casa Chaos, as when I got home from my run yesterday after work and headed for the shower, all I got in return for my pains was a gargling noise and then silence.

*blink*

I kind of already knew the answer when I threw my (cold and sweaty, ewww) running clothes back on and headed across the street to ask if the neighbors’ water was on. It happened to us once before, long ago, when we were young and carefree and living together flagrantly in sin because neither of us was in any hurry to get hitched (in my case, again) and besides, we were dead-broke and couldn’t afford to pay for the license, much less a wedding. And yes, as it happens, I was right – the water to our house was turned off at some point between yesterday morning and yesterday afternoon. Which, of course, only happens if the bill doesn’t get paid.

I have not actually looked at the bank account since April, when DH and I agreed that I was under enough stress undergoing cancer treatment and he would officially take over the paying of the bills. Prior to that I handled everything financially for a decade. It was a major trust thing when I let Mr. I’ve-Bounced-Checks take over the family finances (I actually have never overdrawn an account. And if you’d had my father as a Daddy, you wouldn’t ever have done that, either). Taking deep breaths and begging for Universal assistance in not losing it entirely, I logged into the bank account.

It was gratifying, if somewhat confusing, to see that we were actually in pretty good shape, for us, as far as the bank account was concerned. We might even be able to afford to get another batch of heating oil before Christmas – which would be nice, frankly. We’ve had no heat at Christmas in the past, and I don’t recommend it for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere – it tends to ruin the festive spirit somewhat.

So – what gave? What was with the non-water? I called DH. Yes, he paid the water bill (he sounded a little testy) What did I mean, there was no water? The phone went dead then (I said I was good at not overdrawing bank accounts. I did not say I was good at remembering to charge my phone. Remember, I’ve only had the damned thing for a few months, prior to which my phone always worked because it was plugged into a wall!) Eh, well. He says we paid the bill. I plugged my phone into the charger and resigned myself to a night of no running water. Then, I picked up the girls and hit the grocery store, where I planned to buy some bottled water to get through the evening. We walked out and headed home to unload the green juice ingredients, macaroni and cheese, and vegetables for dinner. I went to make the mac ‘n’ cheese and – oh, yeah. No running water. And oh, shit! I KNEW we forgot something at the grocery store! Damn, damn, damn. Phone’s not charged, either, so we can’t just call Daddy to pick some water up on his way home. Well, if you have young kids and you have worked all day and everyone’s hungry and grumpy, then you know there was no way in hell I was going to load the girls into the car and drive all the way to the grocery store again just for a container of water.

Nah. SO didn’t happen. But I CAN tell you that, in a pinch, you can boil macaroni and cheese in a half and half and milk blend and get similar-to-when-you-do-it-with-water-like-you-are-supposed-to results.

When DH got home, he looked sheepish and confirmed what I already knew because I checked the online records for our bank account: YES, he assured me, he had sent the bill in, but last week Thursday – and it was due last Friday. They probably got it today. But the cutoff date was…well, last Friday. I reminded him that although he works an hour from here, I could have paid it in person any afternoon last week and avoided all of this.  He reminded me that we were both really busy and things sometimes slipped through the cracks. Which is totally fair, I agreed, only now we would be paying a cut off fee, AND a cut on fee, and I am working an extra day this break week to try to make a little extra cash which will now go to paying the totally unnecessary fees that we could have avoided if he had just had me take the bill and pay it in person.

But, no. Because he was busy and forgot and then didn’t ask me to help out because he didn’t want to stress me out, now we would have to eat really creamy, heart-unhealthy mac ‘n’ cheese, brush our teeth out of cups of refrigerator water, and heat it on the stove to wash faces and hands, and not have green juice in the morning, because I had decided, running late yesterday morning, that I would clean the juicer last night. Which is not easy to do when you have a half a gallon of water in the refrigerator container and nothing more to clean with.

But, whatever. I got my revenge. He had to sleep next to an unshowered, post four-mile run me all night. I bet we never miss another water payment again for the rest of our married life.

On the plus side, we are members at the local Y, so I’m off to run my intervals and shower and drive to my rads appointment. When I get home tonight, there will be running water. Oh, yes – there will be running water.

And besides – I’m wearing my Royal Blue chiffon skirt and a black velvet top. So, nothing really truly bad can happen today. Soft texture blends makes a gal’s heart glad.

Update: According to DH, the water is back on now! Hurrah! Because frankly the showers at the Y are not that nice (which is not a bad thing to say because even the employees there complain about it) and I prefer baths anyhow. And also, even though I was frustrated, I would like to point out that I did not lose my temper or yell at the poor man, because – I mean, let’s be real here, he has enough to deal with already as the managing editor of a regional newspaper company whose wife only has 1.5 breasts. We really have to cut guys like that some slack now and then.