She's baaaack

Hey y'all. Let's just say I've been a little busy. I've been...um...ripping my guts out and letting them sit out for buzzards to pick on. Melodramatic much?

Anyway, I'm doing some good work but it's been making me a little crazy. Like chewing on my steering wheel-crazy. Is that a problem?

In non-therapy news, I started my class at Otis. It's awesome!!! I'm learning so much about apparel construction. Karen, my instructor is awesome. On Saturday I'll bring my camera so you can see our incredible classroom. I am not the oldest in the class but I am the second oldest. By many many years. There are four students who are in high school. They are soooo in high school! There all like "oh my god!" and like "no way"! But actually, I like them. They are sweet and so hopeful and excited about their future. It's kind of nice...and something to think about.

A little update

Hi. Sorry about the absence everyone. What with the car going boom, the Gulf Coast being flooded and other random catastrophies, I've been out of touch.

Not much has been going on except a lot of ranting about FEMA and planning our escape from L.A. when the big one hits and the shit goes down. We're going to do a run-through of our plan so were not lame like Brownie.

By the way, this morning Bush spoke of the "dewatering" of New Orleans. I was going to rant on that "dewatering" is not a word, but, OK, dewatering is a word, but could he not have said something like "after all of the water is pumped out of New Orleans..." ?

I've been knitting a lot - and crocheting. I bought some yarn at the A Mano sale - despite having a moratorium on buying yarn - and I've used up all but about 10% of it already! I've made some very cute - Vogue-esque little items that I am looking forward to unveiling on this here blog in the coming weeks.

I also started my class at Otis College of Art and Design this Saturday, Intro to Apparel Construction. The instructor seems super nice. I am not the oldest in the class but I am by no means the youngest. In fact, I realized that I could be the mother of at least 4 of the girls in the class, all of whom are currently in high school. Yikes.

I felt like I was starting high school all over again. I had to find my classroom, check in at the front desk...I actually had to answer when my name was called for roll!!!! It's been about a billion years since that happened.

I'm also in the middle when it comes to experience. One of the girls asked if reversing the machine would unstitch what you had just done. Not that I'm feeling any schadenfreude - but I feel a little less nervous now. And, BTW, brave of her to ask!

Therapy has been really intense lately. Huge kudos to my fabulous therapists for getting me through it. Let's just leave it there. K?

have a brilliant day!

Have you made a plan?

I am horrified.

Our president said, and I quote, "I can't tell you how devastating the sights were." What he saw was from the window of Air Farce One. While flying. High above the city. The rest of his speech was about energy reserves, gas prices and not buying gas this week if you don't need to. Thanks.

CNNs Anderson Cooper and Jeanne Meserve are crying - live on air.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina (don't I sound like Paula Zahn?) Michael and I have made a disaster plan. Here it is. We meet at our home, or whatever is left of it. We pack:

1. my laptop
2. a flashlight
3. batteries
4. bleach
5. any liquor that will fit in the saddlebags
   
6. bottled water and granola bars
   
7. my digital camera
8. hand sanitizer
9. back up disk for Metro
10. my PDA
11. all of our many, many, many prescriptions
12. a small blanket
    
13. one or two sentimental items

We get on the motorcycle and head the hell out of here. We're either heading to Michael's godmother's house in Vegas or the Anderson's house Tahoe if neither of those places are available for some reason, we go whereever we can that is safe. We'll plan to check in with Drew in New York as an out of town contact.

Make a list. Talk to your best friend, partner, spouse, parents and children. Plan now so we never fear ending up outside of Staples Center waiting for W to send help.

In better news, people are finally being nice to each other. They are opening up their homes and their wallets. If you haven't donated yet, Habitat for Humanity is going to be leading the rebuilding effort throughout the affected areas. That's where my cash is going.

I love you all.

Car go boom

So here's my first day of September.

I get a call around 1 p.m. from my driver. I can't quite make out what he's saying. I hear "fire" and "explosion".

I calmly say, "S. what is going on?"

He is hyperventilating. He says "the car, it's on fire. Where the fuck is the fire department?"

I ask, "have you called 911?" He answers in the affirmative. I hear crackling but I think it is the phone. I can't believe what he is telling me. I tell Michael to go to the car. Go go go, now.

Michael gets on his motorcycle and races down to the car. He calls me. The fire department has just pulled away. Michael says that there is no way to describe it. He says that the worst vision I could have of the car...it's worse than that.

There is no more car. There are no more seats, there is no more steering column, no steering wheel, no dashboard, no windows, no paint - just the metal frame of a limousine.

Thankfully, everyone is fine. Our driver is a hero. He's amazing. The fire department are heroes.

We're getting a new limo, we're dealing with the insurance, which we have plenty of and we're continuing on.

Frankly, I'm in a little bit of shock. Five year old cars are not supposed to BURST into flames. Michael is a complete stud and dealing with all of the insurance issues. He's the man.

Shit howdy.