_bossanova_

I met with a new pet-sitting client yesterday, and I almost had a panic attack I was so nervous. He was so intimidating over the phone, and he lives on Madison Ave. in the UES. I got to his place, however, and met a very sweet old man. His dog is a lovely little spaniel that reminds me of my old lady dog that passed away two years ago. She's got a pacemaker and is very special to her owner; his wife just passed away last month and they were childless. He's paying me significantly more than I asked for, which is very sweet and much appreciated, since I'm embarrassingly poor. So, in spite of my pounding heart and nerves, I'm glad I met him and glad to have the work.

I keep vacillating between the extremes of intense longing for the comforts of my place back in Atlanta (my condo with my yummy bed and huge tub and kitchen full of all my cooking stuff) and a butterflies-in-my-belly kind of crush on this city. It's cold and snowy but I don't mind. It's gorgeous outside and I have my warm little room and lots of good movies to watch. The nights I can't afford to go out I have time to write. My landlady even made me homemade hot chocolate with cinnamon.

One of my best friends from Atlanta will be here Christmas Eve through New Year's Day (my birthday). I'm so excited! Our plans include Peking duck for Christmas dinner, dancing at Santos while Q-tip spins, horseback riding in Prospect Park (if the weather permits) and finding lots of trouble. She's adorable, a brunette hourglass with green eyes and a penchant for booty dancing and tequila. If I can't have my family here, I can at least have fun. My goal is to survive the week she'll be here.

My current playlist:
The Smiths: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
The Kinks: A Well-Respected Man
Soul Coughing: Bus to Beelzebub
Sam and Dave: When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
Chuck Berry: Maybellene
Question Mark and the Mysterians: 96 Tears
The Zombies: Tell Her No
Al Green: You Ought To Be With Me
Aaron Neville: Tell It Like It Is
Reverend Horton Heat: Galaxy 500
Tiger Army: The Orchard
Ryan Adams: Two
The Rolling Stones: Street Fighting Man
The Ronettes: Be My Baby
The Cure: A Night Like This
Astrud Gilberto: Let Go (Canto de Ossanha)
Morphine: Let's Take a Trip Together
Liz Phair: Fuck and Run

What's everyone doing for the holidays?