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contours provocations
journal - 2001-0726 - thu 1900 I work; I take a kitty home; I ponder the significance of Alice B. Toklas; I consider the skeletal system; I admit I am curious Since going to the doctor Monday, I've managed to continue working, but my heart has really not been in it. The upper respiratory infection feels like it would love to take over. I still have that achy, stretched sensation that I could do without. A friend's kitty was having problems last week and had to spend a couple of days at the vet. Then my friend had to leave town for several days, so the kitty had to go back for boarding. I promised I'd pick up the feline yesterday afternoon. I've noticed that cats reserve a certain type of guttural, low-frequency meow for those occassions when they have to travel to or from the vet. You'll never hear it except in those instances. The puss is confused and scared and wants to make sure you know it. And indeed that is what happened yesterday. All the way home, I kept explaining that we'd be home shortly. And that daddy would be home later. And that I knew he was unhappy. And all the while, there was this persistent, plaintive, mournful cry. By half-way, I was in tears and afraid I wouldn't be able to see the road. But we made it, and the kitty was very happy to be home again. But not as happy as I was to get the kitty home. Several years ago, I made the dreadful, dreadful mistake of taking three of my menagerie to the vet AT ONE TIME. They were able to produce sounds of anguish that would have brought tears to the Fates. By the time, I finally got them all inside, I was ready to ask if the vet could give me a shot of morphine. Yesterday at work, someone brought brownies. And I asked if they were "Alice B Toklas brownies." I associate the term with a Peter Sellers movie, "I Love You Alice B. Toklas." But then I got to wondering about the significance of the name. Why Alice B. Toklas? Why not Lucille Ball brownies? Or Cher brownies? So I raced for Google and discovered that there really was such a thing as Alice B. Toklas brownies! See Alice B. Toklas brownies: the recipe! for the story. After dropping off the cat, I stopped at a steak house for a quick din din. Once I placed my order and took a seat, I noticed this sturdy individual sitting a few tables over. Wearing a sleeveless shirt, bright red shorts and a pair of New Balance shoes. Oh, and a black baseball cap - worn backwards, of course. His noticable muscularity appeared very natural and sneaking glances at his physical presence did wonders for my mood. I noticed that when he left, the back of his shirt said "Semi Pro," but I couldn't read any more. As I drank in his prominent biceps and thighs, I became curious about his skeletal structure. Was it larger than normal in order to accomodate such a powerful system? Seems like it would have to be. There would have to be a positive relationship between the skeleton and muscle mass. I also thought about Keith of KeithCam who is very well-toned but who has commented several times about his inability to build more definition. And my guess is that his skeletal frame would not support it. I've noticed that I can become curious about almost anything at almost anytime. I'm sure that if I'm ever trapped in a burning building, I'll start to wonder how the firefighters' hoses were made. (No! No! Not those kind of "hoses." Here I am trying to make a serious point about my mental state, and lesser beings are being frivolous.) BUT I think this ever-blossoming curiosity is about the only thing that has kept me sane. I wonder what's the origin of the word "sane"? Hmmmmmmm! PAX!
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