Oh it's november! The temperature is in the 40's -- which in California after 6 months of endless summer feels very very cold. I'm wearing a wool plaid skirt, cotton sailor sweater (oh how I wish I'd kept my wool ones!) and knee high boots. Still cold. Not nearly as cold as all of the natives ... this weather feels like fall for the first time. Hard to tell time around here with no identifiable seasons. Probably why I've been unable to grasp the fact that its officially November, and my birthday is a month off.

On another note. 7:00am doesn't feel nearly as early as it used to. And sleeping until 8:00 feels very refreshing. 5:30 -- still a bear to wake up that freaking early. And it's not the waking up thats so difficult. It's the convincing yourself at 10:00 that instead of watching another rerun of "Whose line is it anyway" you should really go to bed because you're going to feel it in the morning if you don't." And every night its the same thing. You stay up for just ONE more episode, or ONE more chapter. And then 5:30 gets earlier and earlier. And earlier still when the damnable cat decides to play with a bit of plastic bag at 4am. Oh yes. At that point, lying in bed listening to crinkle crinkle.............crinkle....you begin to with that everything you've ever heard about plastic bags being dangerous were TRUE! That would at least save you the trouble of getting up again and taking it away from him so he can find something new to get into. Last night he slept on a loaf of bread. Does that make any sense? And why only the paper plates that we use, and not the stack that are too flimsy to use? And why does he sit in my lap only when I have a notebook on it, but then gets off when I pull it out from under him, and then crawls back on top of the notebook once I think he's really gone.....? Ah the mysteries of cat ownership.

Good morning everyone. The sun is shining, the air is......orange. Oh yes. The fabulous California Fires which are raging out of control two or three hours south of me, have decided that it isn't enough to close down the freeway from San Bernadino to San Diego, it has to send smoke and ash several hundred miles north. (Although, as a true Washingtonian, this fire has nothing on Mt. St. Helens...take that forest fires.) My sister has begun the middle stages of a rather nasty ahsmatic attack (last year during the fires, she was almost hospitalised....). Everyone around here has red eyes and a runny nose at least, even me -- and I didn't even have allergy problems in Waco.

In other rather girly news, in sort of a sad way, I've had to start wearing night toning moisturiser. Yay to too little sleep and too much work. I've also started an anti stress vitamin regamin...yay also to too little sleep and too much work. Yay, also to Oil of Olay for making anti stress women's vitamins. They smell terrible, but hopefully they'll work. OH! And on a totally girly note (guys turn away, I'm warning you)...Did you know you can go to the sale section of the Victoria Secret website, and buy their discontinued merchandise for 70% off? They have body by victoria underwear for 2.99 apiece.....screw fighting the store during the sale, I'm going online from now on....

Ok guys, you can look again. My cats are fighting again. Last night I locked them both in the bathroom, figuring that in the morning they'd either be friends, or one of them would be dead. I didn't care. Does anyone have a surefire way to keep them on good terms?

I'm at work again, but I don't have to work at night -- is that nice or what? I'm off at two and have my whole evening to myself. Lucky me! Except that I'm sewing a Halloween costume for a friend tonight. Oh yes. Thrilling, huh? It should be cute. I haven't made a costume in an age and a aeon.....ok, 6 months since the last opera scenes costuming I did.

Sorry it's been a while.....I just have nothing about which to write. Yes. How many times on the same page can you write "still working....and more work, and even more work...." That's how my life is these days.

I got business cards printed up yesterday. They look very pretty. I'm so pleased...so now I can give people something rather professional looking when they want to hire me, instead of scribbling down stuff on scratch paper..

Getting headshots taken on Wednesday. These aren't going to be terriffic, I don't think, but at least when people want something they have it. She's a good photographer -- I hope it goes well. Don't want to spend obscene amounts of money otherwise...

I realised the other day that once my sister gets married I will be officially car-less. So, instead of "paying off the student loans" goal, I'm having to switch to "saving money for a car instead." If I can put away one thousand dollars a month, I'll have plenty of money for a pretty nice car by the time Drea leaves me without hers. Oh boy do I ever want a convertible! Now for the insurance...hmmmm...

It's been quite a long time since I've blogged, or at least it feels like it. Two jobs isn't that many hours, but it sure takes up your day. Plus, my hours are never the same, so I can't even get into a routine. Enough complaining, though, I really do like my job...s....both.

I bought new stationary the other day -- anyone who wants to start corresponding, email me your address! I'm gung-ho on the whole real, written, actual letters. It's way cooler than email, even if it is slower -- it's more personal and it lasts longer!

And speaking of new purchases! I bought a watch yesterday! I'd been wearing my broken one for three months just to cover my tan line. So, finally, I had some extra cash, and I went and bought a Fossil Silver link watch with a rectangular face surrounded with "diamonds." I'ts very pretty -- blue irridescent face...and best of all, it tells time...which my other watch didn't.

My sister and I had the day from Hades on the way back from shopping. Her car, if it says low gas, means it. Halfway down the hill the engine started sputtering out. We made it to the turnoff to our place, grandma brought gas, and we were ready to go -- til Drea closed the trunk with the keys in it. So I had to wait with the car for the pop-a-lock guy while Drea dashed off to work. And hour later they came and we got the car started, and Grandma followed me to the gas station...so alls well that ends well. But we're never letting the gas get low ever again

Theres something positivly indecent about going to bed with the moon out, and going to work the next morning with the same moom smiling down. Anyone see anything WRONG with this picture?

P.S. 16 hour day on 6 hours of sleep. That would be today.

Living in a state of disrepair: California

DAVE BARRY

CASSATT & BROOKINS

CALIFORNIA - I came out here because I've been reading disturbing reports that my state, Florida, is about to lose the coveted title of ''The Doofus State,'' which we Floridians worked so hard to win following the 2000 presidential election by not being able to figure out whom we voted for. We have been The Doofus State for just two lousy years, and now these greedy Californians, who had the title for decades, are trying to get it back.

I regret to say that they have an excellent shot. The political situation out here is very bad.

Q. How bad is it?

A. One of the saner-sounding people involved is Larry Flynt.

How did California get into this mess? Everybody agrees that the root cause is a person named ''Gray'' Davis, who has the warm personal charm of a sea urchin. Incredibly, Californians elected him governor twice. It's still not clear how this happened. Apparently, from time to time the entire California electorate goes to a bar and chugs industrial quantities of margaritas, and it gets late, and one thing leads to another, and the next morning the electorate wakes up in a dingy motel room, and there, snoring next to it, is: Gray.

To make matters worse, Gray lost the state budget surplus. California had this gigantic surplus, billions and billions of dollars, and now it's gone. They've looked everywhere, but nobody can find it. It is the Weapon of Mass Destruction of budget surpluses.

So now Gray is spectacularly unpopular. Everybody despises him. When he tries to get into the governor's house, his own dog attacks him. When he calls for his security personnel, they side with the dog.

Of course California is not the first state to find itself being led by a known bonehead. Many other states have gone through this ordeal, and the way they have traditionally handled it is to pretend that the bonehead is competent and popular, thus causing him to be so impressed with himself that he resigns from the governorship and runs for president of the United States.

But California has a unique system of government, known technically as the ''Any Random Loon Can Put Any Random Thing On the Ballot If Enough Random Loons Agree'' system. If you're a Californian, and you want to put something to a statewide vote, all you have to do is gather a couple of million signatures. That sounds like a lot, but in California you can get that many signatures in 45 minutes merely by approaching disgruntled motorists gridlocked on a freeway during rush hour (6:30 a.m-11:30 p.m.) and having them pass your petition from car to car. As a result, Californians are constantly voting on things. They have repealed gravity several times.

So now there's going to be an election to decide whether to recall Gray, and it is causing massive political turmoil. Gray is a Democrat, so the Democratic Party pretty much has to support him, although its support has been less than enthusiastic, as indicated by the party's official campaign slogan: ``Gray Davis: Maybe He'll Improve.''

If Gray gets dumped, there are literally hundreds of candidates vying to replace him. Under California election law, virtually anybody can run for governor, except of course smokers. Porn King Larry Flynt has courageously thrown his hat into the ring, despite the very real risk that he will draw attention to himself. (Larry's hat is still in the ring; nobody wants to pick it up, because who knows where that thing has been?)

Also on the ballot are Arnold Schwarzenegger (who has promised to straighten California out by, quote, 'Not making any more movies''); Arianna Huffington, former wife of former congressperson Michael Huffington; the Huffingtons' former cat, Puffington Huffington; Demi Moore; her cute new boyfriend; the Oakland Raiders; the late Bob Hope; and Harold R. Wankmilker, a resident of Nevada who accidentally got on the ballot when he attempted to pay a California speeding ticket by mail.

Gray's campaign strategy is to remind the voters that if they dump him, they'll wind up being governed by some wingnut. His opponents' strategy is to remind the voters that if they don't dump Gray, they'll wind up with: Gray. Opinion polls show that the voters currently favor Puffington.

But the point is that California is embarrassing itself hugely, and people are starting to forget about Florida, and all the hard work we Floridians did to become the top national laughingstock. Well, I have a message for you Californians: We're not going to take this lying down. You're in the limelight now, but there's another presidential election coming, and we're going to be ready.

We're bringing back the chads.

6 days to the recall. Californians are all going nuts. I'm very glad that I haven't lived here long enough to cast a ballot...The conservatives all have to vote for Schwartzenegger or else throw their vote away on McClintock...who may as well not be there. And the democrats are throwing about lots of "the republicans have voted against everything good for the past age and aeon." Anyway...is there anywhere one can live without campaign commercials?

Things I love about living here:

1. Two jobs that I really like most of the time.

2. The weather is terriffic.

3. Having time to do nothing, or something, and sew, and not have to go to classes all day, and rehearsals all night, and work in the middle (though, may I say I'd love to be in rehearsals again...I miss the stage time).

4. Two cats...that sit around and get in my way, and get on my stuff, and sleep all day and play all night.

5. Living with my sis the last year we're both un-married. No jokes from the peanut gallery -- I know I'm likely to be unattached for some time. Just waiting to find a guy who's main topic of conversation doesn't start "dude. I was sooooo wasted."

6.Lots of time to do devotions, and read inspirational books, and do all the God stuff I've not had time or energy for before.

7. Getting my debts paid off! NOt yet, but within the year.

8. Great neighbors and friends. A community.

9. Lots of really good thrift stores! YAY to that!

What do I love about my Morning Job?

1. Lots of down time, where I can do devotions, or read, or pray if I haven't gotten around to it yet...horrible thought isn't it?

2. LOTS of chances to develope PATIENCE with demanding customers (actually, I don't like that part, but I know its good for me)

3. Great co-workers that I can throw sarcastic comments at..around..too. whatever!

I survived. Survived what did you ask? I survived the bloody day from Hades. And then yesterday I slept in far too late, went to Oxnard to pick up my sister's wedding veil and slip, then to buy her shoes for the blessed event. THEN we came home and I watched far too much TV without any sewing to justify the waste of time. I miss the days when I had no TV. I was so much more productive. It's far too easy when I get off work and am tired to just plunk down and watch TV. Although, I used to spend a lot of non-tv time playing around on the computer. Today I woke up late again (because I was up until 1 watching tv), but did get in both devotions and breakfast before work. I do feel good about that. Tonight I'm going to work on my quilt. I'm only about 10 hexagons away from being able to put the whole thing together. Then I'm going to put on the batting and the backing, baste them together, and put it away for a while until I have the time and space to hand quilt it. I think my priority for the next months is going to be between learning new repertoire for auditions, and making Drea's bridesmaid dresses. We'll see how that goes.