coffee mugs: i used to have an official "writing" mug. it was this monster of a coffee mug, old yellowstone park gift shop in nature, thick ceramic in the shape of a tree with a branchlike handle. the animals of yellowstone, the geyser, etc. were featured at its base. this cup had a hairline crack running along its side and broke or leaked all over my desk ... who knows way back when ... as i can't remember the last time i had my "writing" mug and am sorely in need of another.

lately, i've been using these navy blue microwave-able and dishwasher-safe major medical center-issued mugs. i originally had a set of four but gave two to my daughter when she moved out. this original set of four was something i stole during my 5-day hospital stay one plus years back during my tia/stroke-o-matic experience.

while i was hospitalized, they kept bringing me food trays, from intensive care all the way to the telemetry and step-down wards, but then a nurse would come in and say, "oops, we can't let you have that right now; we forget that you need this (that or the other) procedure, right now (later today or in the wee hours tomorrow morning)."

consequently, i never got to eat anything and in my taxed mental state over same, i stole the cups off the trays. they have since become a reminder as to my survivability and my ability to steal from a major metropolitan medical center, although i am not sure if this is cause for celebration or shame.

p.s. ... every other time they came to my room, they took blood, so i'm thinking i should have at least gotten a set of dishes in the deal.

in any event, i digress. i need a new mug.

this morning i tried a hand-painted metal mug from zimbawe, burned my hands on the cup and sloshed coffee on my socks. i must have had a predisposed decision against my next choice, as well, since a pseudo-planter terra cotta mug went crashing to the floor before i even filled it.

in the end, i decided on diet pepsi, which seemed less of a chore, and far less messy unless i shook the can on the way to my desk.

my mug search will continue.

movies imitating life: finally saw "being john malkovich." then went shopping the next day and witnessed a department store employee come up/out from under an xmas tree display. he then straightened to full height, arranged the very large tree skirt that covered the base of all the trees on display and then went on about his business. i'm sure that he had just been spit out after a 15-minute visit inside someone's head, but i couldn't find the little door where he went in.

luck of the draw/not playing hookie: my youngest is home sick, for the second day in a row. she is on the dayquil side of her nyquil. today, i left the house ever-so-briefly to grab us lunch and a fresh supply of cough drops. her teacher called at the exact moment(s) that i was gone, to inquire about my kidlet and to confirm that i'd come by later to grab homework and such. the call of course went to voicemail because sicko was told not to answer the phone in case an axe murder rang up the house while i was getting our lunch. so, now if kidlet is 100% better tomorrow and has zero-residual symptoms, her teacher might assume that there was no sickness and that we were out goofing off. if i could find that little door, maybe i could get inside her head for 15 minutes and discourage that notion. or maybe i could find the door to my own head and all this madness would stop.

time: i have none.

things to do: the list is a no-win considering the lack of the above.

little doors: i wish i could find one ... or two ... or nine or ten ... because i'd open them up and shove in everything that i was supposed to get done today.

work: i have more than enough to keep me busy.