Loose ends

I've tried several times over the past few weeks to write an update, but some fairly awful things have happened and whenever I started to describe them I got so frustrated and depressed that I stopped. So, I want to talk instead about some of the things going on right now that make me happy.

· First and foremost, Evan's and my one-year anniversary was on September 4th! We had a picnic and watched a movie, just as we did on our first date. This time, though, we went to Memorial Park and walked around Bear Hollow Zoo (where all the animals were trying to sleep through the heat but were no less cute). It feels so natural for us to be together that it's hard for me to believe that it's already been a year-- I guess time flies when you're having fun, right? It was great to have an excuse to celebrate my baby in any case, because Evan is one of the best things that's ever happened to me and I love him dearly.

· Here are some pictures of Lily and Bruno, my mother's cats and the best part of my ill-fated Arizona trip.

· One of the stray cats in the community had a litter of four kittens about a month ago. The residents are keeping an eye on them, and once in a while the kids will bring them to the office to let them wander around and/or be cuddled and cooed at by me. They are adorable little babies, and people have already offered homes to three of them.

· I got a chance to see Ginny again: the couple who unexpectedly received her back in March brought her by the office last week before they moved out. She is a big, healthy, beautiful cat now, and apparently has no trouble keeping their two massive dogs in check. (That's my girl.) Seeing her again gave me a wonderful sense of closure, as I've still been thinking about her periodically. It's kind of embarassing to admit, but the moment when she gave me that first scratchy little mew and purr in the supply room after three days of patient coaxing remains one of the most touching moments of my life.

· My slow-burning frustration with my self-presentation currently has my wardrobe in its crosshairs. The extra-huge shirts and ratty thrift store finds from high school, the cheap vintage nonsense from college... I'm not the person who bought these things, and it seems ridiculous to hold onto them. Even the casual things I've bought post-college don't seem appropriate anymore. So, last weekend I tried on every single garment I owned, from t-shirts to coats, and whittled out about a third of my clothes, the decent articles of which I gave to friends. The person I am now is still comfortable, but more calm and (I hope) sophisticated, and I only kept the clothes that I think express that. I've been looking at designers like Bottega Veneta, Thom Browne, John Bartlett and especially Narciso Rodriguez, lamenting that I could never own clothes like that or present myself that way... And then I thought why the fuck can't I? I can't afford those designers, but I could still buy some nice things, for both practical and personal reasons-- I'm going to a lot of interviews these days, and I have never really treated myself to anything big with the money I've saved up. Considering this current rough patch I'm going through, now seems like a good time.

Therefore, this weekend my goal is to shop my ass off at the Mall of Georgia and/or Commerce without looking at a single price tag, until I have either bought everything I want, or I've spent $1,500-- whichever comes first. I'll be sure to update with the results.

Time now for dinner and more Lost, so that's it for now. This update has been surprisingly kitten-intensive... Hope no one's allergic.