The Story of M

There's a fair bit of speculation how my relationship with Delightful Date is going. In my mind, it's going very well; uncomplicated, yet with plenty of physical passion. We see each other about twice a week on average and the meetings are, well, interesting. I pray DD never installs a webcam, and that my colleagues never find out what we get up to - although if they did, they'd drop the "nice Melina" description like a hot rock.

While I don't know where the relationship will end up in the long run, I'm fine with letting things run their course. At least that's today's take on it.

One advantage to dating a photographer is that he is quite good at helping me choose new outfits. I'm down almost an entire dress size due to the marvelous reset diet, which means that I finally have a guilt-free excuse to buy new clothes. But the problem with being a 40ish female is that choosing clothes can be tricky. While I don't want to look like a soccer mom - I prefer something a bit edgier - I also fear looking like a 40-year old in 20-year's clothing. Or what the English call "mutton dressed as lamb".

While I would never dare to drag DD to a mall, since I can barely drag myself into one, we send each other photos and Web links of possible wardrobe additions. Now I have some good ideas as to potential try-ons.

Now all I have to do is get my tax refund so I can actually BUY something.

Support your local cat ladies

The recession is not being kind to local animal rescue groups and shelters, including the one I work for at times. However, if you want to save gas by shopping online, please click on my new banner - the one that mentions a $5 donation. It will take you over to a site that links you to a lot of online retailers.

Check out the store directory here - for example, it includes 62 computer retailers, 16 places to order flowers, and 27 online pet stores.

We will not only get $5 the first time you shop via iGive, we'll get a donation of up to 4% of your total purchases. And it's all tax-deductible!

More three day weekends, please

Although I haven't accomplished anything earth-shattering in the last few days, it's been enjoyable. An occasional sleep-in works wonders for my disposition.

I finally made it to East Texas to visit the parental unit, run some errands, and de-flea her critters. She has a neat kitty named Linus; a gray tabby and white boy who is large, sweet and curious.

Also, I found a way to send my mother a Teleflora item without Linus having it for lunch - he seems to think that cut flowers are kitty salads. I ordered her a cactus garden.

Am now about to relax with a couple of movie rentals: A Korean flick called Lady Vengeance (directed by Chan-wook Park, who also made the brilliant Oldboy), and the original Story of O. Premiere Video had both films in subtitled versions. I hate dubbed foreign films; they actors usually sound like they're from a really bad part of Philly.

Racing in Grindelvald

Even though I've been sleeping considerably better these days, I still have some odd dreams.

After a longish absence, Obscure Object of Desire re-appeared a couple of nights ago. We were hiking in Switzerland of all places, at a place next to the Eiger called Grindelvald. We were kitted out in Russian garb and look like we'd stepped out of a Soviet propaganda poster. No hanky-panky in the dream, though. Just hiking through green pastures, past large cows with large bells.

Another odd dream concerned my car, which needs some repairs. In the dream, I had more than the window and door handle fixed - I had some wonderful Speed Racerish "jump jacks" installed. Too bad I woke up before I could try them out on Stemmons during my daily commute.

Time to retire the whip

My doctor friend, who is a big movie buff, did his usual premiere gig: he bought 30 tickets for the Studio Movie Grill and invited a lot of people, including me.

Tonight's fare was the new Indiana Jones film, which I fear earned the so-so reviews it received. If you're a big fan of the series you should go, otherwise I'd give it a miss.

I think my favorites of the Indy series of films were the first film and the one with Sean Connery, even though Connery can't be bothered to hide his Edinburgh accent these days no matter what character he's playing.

It's interesting to see how Connery evolved over the years from James Bond to his current incarnation. He's no less attractive to me now than he was in his younger years. Connery got old, bald and fat and he doesn't give a rat's arse, which is kind of cool in my opinion.