Procrastinate! And take your friends down with you!

So this morning I was sleeping, getting rid of my Benadryl hangover, when suddenly I notice it's 9:44 a.m.

9:44 a.m.???

Now, you might think that sleeping until 9:44 on a Sunday isn't sleeping in enough, but ever since my bladder decided it really hates to go more than seven hours without peeing, well, that means I usually sleep about seven hours a night. My attendant should've been here at about 8:30, 9:00 at the latest. That's when I remembered . . .

I had forgotten to finalize my arrangement for this morning's attendant.

Translation = I forgot to ask Kim to get me up.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I've been doing this since I was 20 -- that's almost 17 years of coordinating ups, downs, showers, pees, errands, laundry, and cooking. How could I just forget?

I called Kim three times with no answer, then I caught my friend Erika lolling around in her bed and enjoying a lazy Sunday. She came over and got me up, then I managed to talk her in to being a lazy bum and hanging out with me.

::whispers out of side of mouth:: I didn't exactly have to break her arm. ::smiles at Erika::

Truth be told, we had every intention of working at the coffeeshop. I took A Genetical Theory of Natural Selection and E took her laptop and work stuff. I read part of my book, and she read the paper. Then I read her magazine, and she continued to read the paper. Then we decided to check out the happenings at Washington Square Park since we could hear music. They were having an art fair, and there was lots of great stuff for sale -- at one point E said to me, "Thank God I don't have any money on me." I totally agreed. There was painting, photography, clothing, quilting, knitting. There was soap and trinket boxes (I told the lady I'd give her my Altoids boxes) and poppets and art made out of salvaged wood and metal. It was all New Orleanians, and it embodied a small taste of our local talent.

Next, we wandered over to the French Market to see our good friend Lalo. He makes and sells jewelry of stones, crystals, and either silver or copper wire. I noticed today he's expanded into leather bracelets which he embellishes with stones and wire. I bought a little something for one friend north of the border and a beaded bracelet for myself. I asked Lalo if he'd help me make some earrings and a ring out of some of my Botswana agate, and he cheerfully agreed. Such a sweet guy, and such awesome jewelry.

After our visit, E and I decided we ought to start heading back for me to come home. We were distracted one more time, however, by E's friend Jack who makes jaw-dropping art by cutting paper. These are NOT the paper snowflakes we were taught to make in school. I found one piece I really liked, but since I'd just bought stuff from Lalo, I couldn't justify spending more.

That piece, and Jack asking me the family name for seahorses and pipefishes (which I could actually spout off the top of my head), prompted a bout of silliness on the way back to my apartment.

E: What's the family name for mermaids?

Me: There isn't one, goof ball. They're creatures of legend, and no one classifies creatures of legend.

E: There should be. ::pause:: Let's make one up! What comes first?

Me: Kingdom. Clearly, they're Animalia.

E: What's next?

Me: Phylum. Chordata.

E: When do we get to family? What's the family of our fantastical mermaid?

Me: In a minute. We have to do class. Hmmm, that's a hard one. Do we classify them as fish or mammals?

E: I say mammals. They look more like humans than fish.

Me: And they have mammary glands. OK, class Mammalia. Now order. How about Fantastiformes?

E: Did you make that up?

Me: Yes.

E: You're awesome.

Me: Well, the suffix "-formes" goes with order. I didn't make that up, and you gave me the idea for the rest when you said fantastical. Now family.

E: Mer--, mermaid . . . .

Me: Mermaididae.

E: I like it. Now what?

Me: Genus and species. They're usually in Latin.

::much pondering::

E: What's Latin for "naked top"?

Me: Dunno. Never taken Latin. ::thinking:: We're just making this up, so why not pig Latin?

E: Sounds good. Aked-nay. Op-tay. Akednaopta.

Me: Groovy. We could do species after your last name since you thought of classifying them. Akednaopta sugimorii.

E: We can do that?

Me: Yup.

E (making a turn): Are you going to remember all this?

Me: Sure. And we'll write it down, and you can share it with Jack when you go back to get your picture.


And this, my friends, is how you turn an otherwise productive Sunday into relaxation and amusement for two wacky friends.