It's clean! It's clean!—The house is CLEAN!

AND—!

Miles is finally Saturday-Trained! He came downstairs as I was cleaning the kitchen floor and inquired as to whether or not there was a bathroom available for use. I told him that I hadn't cleaned the upstairs bathroom yet, and he replied anxiously, "Are you sure?―because I can hold it if I need to!—Or I could go and find a public restroom! I know not to cross you!"

I think I like being a little feared.

So Miles takes Jason and me out to lunch at a place called Desperado's. I was ravenous for a salad, as I often am. The thing is, I dislike salad dressing. Liiiike…immensely.

This really surprises people…! I have no idea why, either! To me, the dressing covers up much of the vegetable taste in salads…but maybe that's the point. It must just be nonsensical to suppose that a person could be eating a salad because they like vegetables. Crazy.

Anyway, I wanted a Chicken Caesar Salad without the Caesar Dressing. I don't think this is so odd. My friend Anna used to order Chicken Caesar Salads without the Chicken and nobody thought anything of it! I placed my order and the waiter stared at me for several seconds before saying,

No Dressing? So..............no Caesar Dressing?

That's correct.

No Caesar Dressing on your Chicken Caesar Salad…?

Right. (need me to draw you a picture?)

So…you want like…a House Salad?

No.

*silence*

I want everything that is on the Chicken Caesar Salad, except the dressing.

*blank stare*

So…that's a Chicken Caesar Salad, No Dressing?

Yes.

Okay.

You know, every now and then I find myself lying awake in bed at night, wondering why my sanity feels strained.

My Aunt Debbie!—Lord Bless Her! I received a thoughtful card today along with cash and a note to buy myself some pie! She heard the call! My heart cries for pies!

Thank you, Debbie! You're the greatest!

Yay for aunt debbies, and yay for pies!

This evening, Miles and I walked around the mall for about 90 minutes. Malls have nice gentle floors for your joints, so they're a good place to walk. (And I suppose the air conditioning might be considered a perk this time of year) Even though there were some obstacles (I think they call them shoppers) we both managed to work up a light sweat…so it was a good evening exercise.

I always enjoy walking with Miles, but it's a rare thing now. Not like the good old days, the days just after I moved down here. When I ask why he doesn't exercise with me any longer, he grins, shrugs, and then replies,

"We're married. I don't have to impress you any longer."

THAT'S JUST TYPICAL!

Although I suppose it's fair enough…I gave him a full serving of my attitude as a wedding gift. (I'm generous to a fault) Now he has 24 hour access to Laura-the-good (could there be any other?), Laura-the-bad (in an angelic sort of way), and Laura-the-ugly (in a pretty sort of way).

Nevertheless, I can still be melancholy over the loss of my lovesick fool. Now I'm just left with Miles. I suppose he'll do. ;)

I was up way too late last night! I still managed to stumble out of bed at 6 for exercise, though. I know I did a short abdominal workout and an arm workout, but the precise recollections are all a little fuzzy. I do know that my biceps had reached such a point of fatigue that I was forced to grunt (…moan, and whimper) while trying to get the running bath water routed to the showerhead afterwards. They're fine now, naturally.

I have the evening to myself tonight. Miles gets to make good use of all of his hot air on Monday nights: he's playing sax in some sort of band…all I know is that it involves a bowling alley and a church…a likely pairing if ever there was one. I'm trying to decide what I want to do. Last night I had grandiose ideas of going for an evening run tonight…but idleness has been in play since noon, and it shows no sign of needing a break. No, I'd say a bubble bath and a book fit my evening bill. Just think of the calorie-burnage.

I got an early start to my grime onslaught this morning, and finished everything before noon! It's a wonder what a Laura can get done without the distraction of a Miles clinging to her ankles!

I was washing the kitchen floor when Jason came over to pick up a computer. There I was, decked out in my Saturday best [bleached and holey cleaning garb] and of unfriendly humor. Poor Jason. I'm positively feral at times!

Not to mention, ammonia's draping scent isn't the mood-lifter that the bottle advertises.

As it happened, with the kitchen and bathroom floors cleaned and the hardwood floors polished, I realized I was out of things to do! Curses! So I did what any self-respecting person in my position would have done: I napped.

TGIF
Big Time.

I didn't feel well yesterday, and I don't really feel any better today…more tired if anything. It's probably a case of apple pie withdrawal…

Jason took Miles and I (and his darling Ashley, of course) out to TGI Friday's last night. I ordered this delicious vegetable grill. It was angel hair pasta topped with a portabella (portobello, portabello; whichever spelling tickles your fancy) mushroom, artichokes, asparagus, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and squash! And I had a cup of cheddar broccoli soup too. It was yummy!—No! It was super DUPER yummy!

I've been so vegetable-happy lately…maybe it's a sign to wave goodbye to meat forever? (No, Daddy dearest, I'm not trying to disown you.)

My tummy didn't like me so much after it had time to think things over, but that's just too darn bad. Needless to say, I'm regarding food with caution today…it's quite the adversary!

But, hopefully, if we play nice most of the day, I'll be in tip-top shape for tomorrow's cleaning extravaganza!

Come one! Come all!
—See the startling scrubbing activity!
—The FREAKISH vacuum wielder!
And—! Don't forget to stick around for the grand finale:
THE EMPTY LAUNDRY BASKET!

Yesterday was such a productive day. Wait a minute…WHAT THE…!

No, really; it was.

I got up at 6ish and went for a walk in the idyllic 70° setting…I walked 5mi, came in to devour breakfast and catch Mom's morning call, then out again for another 5mi lap. Everything was serene and sleepy out on the path, and a person felt good just to breathe and be alive.

Sound corny?
—Probably so.

I've been living with a native Iowan for over 2 years now; that's bound to affect a person.

Miles and Jason worked late (and early this morning too) on a grumpy computer. I won't go into details…my father-in-law already has a personal vendetta with Microsoft; I wouldn't want to stoke the fires. Needless to say, it's been a colossal headache, but they'll know what they're getting into next time it happens.

We watched a Bing [Crosby] movie last night after Jason and Ashley left. Just for You, I believe was the title...it was very good but I was very heavy-eyed there at the end (it was 11:00!). At great risk of back and knee injury, Miles played the charmer and carried me up to bed for the night. Yeah, he scored major points there…Major. MAJOR.

Of course, yesterday there were troubles with his online game, and 6 months of his playing history were erased—i.e. the whole performance might have been a ruse to get me tucked away for the night so he could recoup his losses…but I'll play naivety and imagine that possibility doesn't even exist.

Good morning, dears! I fell asleep at 11:30 last night—quite the departure from our normal 2:00 offering.

I've got a lot to give summary to!

Sunday proved to be a wholly lethargic day, but I love those…particularly when nothing is wanting for completion, as was the case then. We demonstrated feline laziness until 11:00 or so, and then put our tummies back in the driver's seat and sought sustenance.

Mmmm…food. I like food an awful lot. Can ya tell? I think food is my most brought up subject on mlphillips…I can't be certain, but it's never far from my mind. Darn metabolism…I'm always hungry!

Afterwards, we went over to the Fragrance Garden for memories and pictures. For those of you there, you'll remember that our wedding day was mainly a gloomy day but for the sparkling sun that shone during the ceremony…Sunday proved to be the same: a murky and lifeless day, but wonderfully luminous and vibrant while we were in the garden.

Tummies demanding, we tried to enforce the upper hand and say no by way of trying to catch a movie at the theater…the line for tickets was back into the parking lot though—whoa, that's some powerful hunger! So we went to Carrabbas for an early dinner. I gorged (in a ladylike way, of course) on the bread and olive oil mixture before the meal…so much so that I was only good for a single forklift or two when my meal actually arrived. A Low Carber, I am not, nor will I ever be…but I won't get into that subject; it could would get nasty.

We toyed with the idea of still catching a movie, but like fussy children we grew tired of it and opted for a movie at home instead…of course there was the strawberry wine and apple pie to pad that particular idea becomingly.

So we watched Here Comes the Groom (Bing Crosby, Jane Wyman), ate some more, played yahtzee in there somewhere, though I have now forgotten the exact sequence of it all…but I do remember the food.

There are now two pieces of pie left…and one of them has been trying to catch my eye since late last night…enticing little devil.

Yesterday began all sleepy and gloomy-like…which, besides being bad for all of the normal reasons, was even more so unpleasant because Miles decided to call an 8:00 am staff meeting. By the grace of all that is good and pure in this world, Jason blessed us with bagels and cream cheese, so I was a happy camper after all. Back to that non-low-carber title again (…mmmm hash browns would be SO good right now)

Of course, there was the pie, too.

Don't forget:
An Apple Pie a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

So my Monday wasn't a total loss. After the meeting, I discovered that the overcast skies and light breeze made for very pleasant walking conditions! I took two laps around the path (10mi) and felt jubilant afterwards.

—And sore, as I was sporting a brand new blister. A battle wound. Oh well, I'll have a good story to tell the kids one day.

Miles attended the band thingy last night…He left at 6:45 and returned close to 11…so I was all by my lonesome last night…which I celebrated by taking a short stroll and a luxuriant bubble bath…and watching a Cary Grant movie while eating a piece of apple pie. Yes, yesterday was a very good day indeed. Miles, have you had a chance to eat ANY of that pie?